The term 'cult' was originally used to describe a group of people who worshiped a deity. The term was first used in the early 17th century denoting homage paid to a deity and borrowed via the French 'culte' from Latin 'cultus' "worship", from the adjective 'cultus' "inhabited, cultivated, worshiped", derived from the verb 'colere' "care, cultivate." Today the term often carries derogatory connotations In the 1930s cults became the object of sociological study in the context of the study of religious behavior. They have been criticized by mainstream Christians for their unorthodox beliefs. In the 1970s the anticult movement arose, partly motivated by acts of violence and other crimes committed by members of some cults. Some of the claims of the anti-cult movement have been disputed by other scholars, leading to further controversies. In current usage, the term 'cult' usually means "a deviant religious organization with novel beliefs and practices," but often without a clear or consisten...