This recent Wall Street Journal article does a great job explaining what a religious cult in today's America looks like.  Not surprisingly, it looks like Generations!  If you are currently being pushed and prodded by cult members trying to get you to attend a "cell" meeting in Yuma, Phoenix, Tempe, or ASU ... you should be aware of what you're getting yourself into.  Read the article: When Does Religion Become a Cult?. 

"every coercive religious group harbors one telltale trait: untoward secrecy. As opposed to a cult, a religious culture ought to be as simple to enter or exit, for members or observers, as any free nation. Members should experience no impediment to relationships, ideas or travel, and the group's finances should be reasonably transparent. Its doctrine need not be conventional—but it should be knowable to outsiders. Absent those qualities, an unorthodox religion can descend into something darker."