Answers request by Jalan D. Bean
No. Political parties are not a type of religion, but they can be considered a cult.
True religion is the quest for truth, whereas philosophy is the human reflection on what might or might not be the truth. Political philosophy is essentially the consideration of the best means to implement government. The involvement of humans means that similarities are common, which require specific nomenclature to differentiate the quests. Unless a person is sufficiently erudite to understand the different definitions of the terms used in philosophy and religion, much confusion can result.
A political party is a human organization that desires to reign over others—irrespective of any claims to the contrary or whether its members wish to serve the community, and regardless of whether elected officials accept perks or feather their own nests.
A political party can be a cult when defined as:
a quasi-religious organization using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents[1]
Political parties that fit into this mold are those that embrace communism and socialism (Nazism). Nazism is often categorized as fascism.
National Socialism, German Nationalsozialismus, also called Nazism or Naziism, totalitarian movement led by Adolf Hitler as head of the Nazi Party inGermany. In its intense nationalism, mass appeal, and dictatorial rule, National Socialism shared many elements with Italian fascism.[2]
George Reisman delivered a lecture at the Mises Institute's "The Economics of Fascism, Supporters Summit 2005." He stated in respect to public freedoms:
A socialist government totally annihilates these freedoms. It turns the press and every public forum into a vehicle of hysterical propaganda in its own behalf, and it engages in the relentless persecution of everyone who dares to deviate by so much as an inch from its official party line.[3]
Some people might confuse a cult with religion and a political cult with being religious whenever quasi-religious elements are utilized for the indoctrination and control of the populace.
Depending on how a person defines particular nomenclature, one can be easily deceived if not actively seeking the truth. Truth is a matter of definition and understanding what a person actually means when making a claim.
Unfortunately, most people make assumptions, and because of this, they are often deceived. The logical reasoning process might seem correct, but if the original premise is not clearly defined, the outcome will be flawed. Hence, political science uses nomenclature that is clearly defined but often misunderstood by those who are not educated in the discipline.
For example, if we say, "Hitler was a Nazi; Hitler was a totalitarian; therefore, all Nazis are totalitarians; Mao was a totalitarian; therefore, all totalitarians are Nazis; therefore, Mao was a Nazi," we would be incorrect. Yet the distinctions that defined the two systems of government are very much alike. Both political parties that ruled were effectively “quasi-religious organizations using devious psychological techniques to gain and control adherents.”
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