Many people assign the term cult to any religious group that is new or that has beliefs or practices that they disagree with. Between 100 and 300 CE (of the Common Era) most citizens of the Roman...

Many people assign the term cult to any religious group that is new or that has beliefs or practices that they disagree with. Between 100 and 300 CE (of the Common Era) most citizens of the Roman Empire considered Christianity a cult, and their gossip gives us an idea of what early Christian rituals were like:

■ “They have sex with their own relatives!” (Christians called each other “brother” and “sister,” even when married to each other.)

■ “They practice cannibalism!” (Christians used the phrase “This is my body/ This is my blood” during Communion.)

■ “They dig up corpses for who knows what disgusting purpose!” (Christians talked about “the resurrection of the dead.”) (Fox, 1987)