17. Virtually every religion started off as a __ & many religions endured centuries of persecution before being finally accepted by society. a. Culture b Subculture c. Counterculture d. Cult

## Step 1<br />The question is asking us to identify the term that best describes the initial form of virtually every religion. The options provided are: Culture, Subculture, Counterculture, and Cult.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />Let's define each term:<br />- Culture refers to the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.<br />- Subculture is a cultural group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture.<br />- Counterculture is a culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the mainstream culture.<br />- Cult refers to a system of religious veneration of a saint or group of saints, or the object of such veneration.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />Given the context of the question, which is about religions that started off as a form of cultural or social group and faced persecution before being accepted by society, the term that best fits this description is 'Cult'. This is because a cult is a group that is often misunderstood or rejected by the larger society, which aligns with the context of the question.