If the problem is the folks among us worrying about us being a cult, not talking about it will only make them worry more. Their concerns should be treated seriously ("Supposing we were a cult, what's wrong with that?" is indeed a good approach), no matter how stupid they may turn out to be, and they should be reassured with proper arguments, rather than dismissed out of hand. Intimidating outsiders into feeling stupid is, I think, a valid short-time tactic, but when it comes to our folks, we owe each other to examine things clearly.
Since the problem seems to pop up spontaneously as well as propagate memetically, I would suggest making an FAQ with all the common concerns, addressing them in a fair and conclusive manner, that will leave their minds at peace. And not in a short-term, fuzzily-reassuring bullshit kind of peace, but a "problem solved, question dissolved, muthahubber" kind of peace.
Intimidating outsiders into feeling stupid is, I think, a valid short-time tactic, but when it comes to our folks, we owe each other to examine things clearly.
On a site like this, how do we tell the difference?
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.