I heard that asked in a meeting once and a lady spoke up who had been in a cult. She was horrified at the idea. She had truly suffered trying to get free from that cult. From what I understand of cults, AA is a far cry from it.
For one thing, they are too loosely organized. You can leave at any time. They don't demand money. (Passing around a basket into which you can toss a dollar in if you like isn't really demanding.) You can come and go as you please. Although certain members might have strong opinions, that's not the same thing as being under the sway of someone like a real cult leader.
I haven't been to a meeting in a long time and no one's been stalking me, trying to get me to go back.
Real cults can be terrifying, from what I've read. (Although they seem benign at first, of course.) I wouldn't use that term lightly (nor am I suggesting you are).
It's a question that gets thrown around occasionally, so it's definitely worth addressing!
