The difference between cult activities from thousands of years ago and cult activities today is that thousands of years ago they may have performed inhumane acts, but never denied their basic humanity. Cults today may do less inhumane acts (though I've read my share of horror stories) but most of them deny the basic humanity of belief in God, the essential goodness of humans, the basic core of the traditional family, the preservation of innocence and realization of one soul/one life/one outcome in judgment. Ancient cults may have been inhumane, but current cults are inhuman.