[The following is the article
that Andy forwarded to me with my interjections in red.]
Written by Patrick Zukeran Lemme
guess, he's a member of the Christian cult, huh? This should be
interesting.
Challenge of the Cults Are you Christians? No? Then you're a cult! And we're
not!
This church is growing so rapidly, sociologist
Rodney Stark predicts that by the year 2080, it will become the most
important world religion to emerge since the rise of Islam.{1} What
church is Dr. Stark describing? It is not a Christian church but the
Mormon Church, an organization labeled as a cult. The rise of the
Mormon Church represents the growing challenge facing the church, the
kingdom of the cults.
What is a cult? The greatest authority on the
cults, the late Dr. Walter Martin He is? Says
who?, described a cult as "A group of people gathered around a
specific person's misinterpretation of the Bible."{2} Cults are groups
that claim to be in harmony with Christianity but deny foundational
Christian doctrines such as the Trinity or the unique deity of Jesus
Christ.
In Matthew 7:15-17, Jesus gives us a warning about
the coming of the cults. He states, "Watch out for false prophets. They
come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them." Oh
this is so great. We finally get to hear an unbiased overview on cults.
Classic. What Jesus was warning was that cultists will look,
act, and sound like Christians. However, that is only in external
appearance. One can parade as a true believer for a time, but
eventually one's words, actions, and especially one's beliefs--their
"fruit"--will give one away as a counterfeit. What's
so great is that this is the same article Marshal Applewhite or Jim
Jones would write, only replacing "Christianity" with their own
religion. Picking a Christian to dissect cults is freakin' genius! Next
you should get a Nazi to tell why Nazism is the only true way!
The growth of the cults can be attributed to
several factors. First, it is a fulfillment of the warning given by
Jesus and the apostles. In Matthew 24:23-26, Jesus warns us that as His
return draws near, there will be an increase in false prophets who will
ensnare many in their false teachings. In 2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter warns us
that false teachers will arise from within the church.
The second factor in the growth of the cults is
the breakdown of the family. Cults provide the family atmosphere many
from broken homes long for; the cult leader often takes the place of a
father figure. I'd be very curious to hear if
the author of this article thinks that Hinduism is a cult, or Muslim,
or Buddhists, or if they're also true religions?
Finally, we can attribute the growth of the cults
to the failure of the church. As my mentor repeatedly stated, "The
cults are the unpaid bills of the church." The cults thrive because
Christians are lacking in biblical and theological understanding. Dr.
Martin stated, "The rise of the cults is directly proportional to the
fluctuating emphasis which the church has placed on the teachings of
biblical doctrine to Christian laymen. To be sure, few pastors,
teachers, and evangelists defend adequately their beliefs, but most of
them -- and most of the average Christian laymen –- are hard put to
confront and refute a well-trained cultist of almost any variety."{3}
If the church engaged in solid and in-depth Bible teaching, the cults
would not flourish as they do today. < We
must brainwash our followers better to keep them from being brainwashed
by other cults!
Doctrinal Character of the Cults
How do you know if a religious group is a cult?
Jesus said that you will know false prophets by their fruits. In
stating this he was not only speaking of their words and actions but of
their doctrinal beliefs as well. Cults deviate from biblical
Christianity in several key areas of doctrine.
Cults promote false teaching on the nature of God.
The Bible teaches there is one God revealed in three distinct persons:
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The central feature that
distinguishes cults from biblical Christianity is the doctrine of the
Trinity. All cults have a distorted view of this doctrine. For example,
the Jehovah's Witnesses condemn the doctrine of the Trinity, and
Mormons teach tritheism, three gods who make up the godhead.
Second, cults teach a false view of Jesus. The
Bible teaches that Christ is 100 percent man and 100 percent God. This
has been called the hypostatic union. In 2 Corinthians 11:4, Paul
warned about false teachers teaching another Jesus. A modern-day
example of false teaching is Christian Science which teaches that Jesus
was not God but a man who displayed the Christ idea. He neither died
for sins, nor was He resurrected. Wait! That's
wrong! CULT!!!
Third is a false teaching on salvation. All cults
have a works-oriented Gospel. The death of Christ is believed to give
followers the potential to be saved. So after believing in Christ, one
must serve the organization to attain salvation. Salvation is found in
the organization and one is never really sure if one has done enough to
be worthy of salvation. < This doesn't apply
to Christians too? In the International Church of Christ, for
example, disciples are scrutinized by their discipler daily to
determine if they performed as worthy disciples. Failure to meet the
standards may result in discipline. Disciples can never be certain they
have done enough for salvation.
Fourth, there is extra-biblical revelation and the
denial of the sole authority of the Bible. Cults claim that extra
revelation is given to the leader whose words are seen as inspired by
God and equal to the Bible. If there is a conflict between the Bible
and the leader's words, the latter takes precedence. < This doesn't apply to Christians too? Ask one of
these guys about dinosaurs or whether or not stories in the bible are
analogies or fact and I guarantee you his answer supersedes a crazy
bible-story. So in reality, the leader's writings take
precedence over the Bible. When interacting with cultists, I often hear
them claim their teachings are consistent with the Bible. However, when
I point out where their teachings deviate from the Bible, they
eventually claim the Bible to be in error. In most cases, cultists
claim the Bible has somehow been corrupted by the church.
Sociological Structure of the Cults
Not only do cults deviate doctrinally from
biblical Christianity, they have distinctive sociological
characteristics. The first is authoritarianism. The leader or
organization exercises complete control over a follower's life. The
words of the leadership are ultimate and often considered divinely
inspired. Going against the leadership is equivalent to going against
the commands of God.
The second characteristic is an elitist mentality.
Most cults believe they are the true church <
Gee, you're saying that no cults believe they are the false church?
Fascinating! and the only ones who will be saved. < Sounds like Christians to me. This is
because the group believes they have new revelation or understanding
that gives them superior standing. <
Christians.
Third is isolationism. Due to their elitist
mentality < Christians, cultists
believe those who do not agree with them are deceived or under the
influence of Satan. < Christians Therefore, many feel their members must be protected from the outside
world, and physical or psychological barriers are created. Members are
prohibited from communicating with those outside the organization who
do not agree with the teachings of the group.
Fourth, there is closed-mindedness and the
discouragement of individual thinking. <
Christians Because of its authoritarian nature, leaders are the
only ones thought to be able to properly interpret the Bible. All
members are to turn to the organization for biblical interpretation and
advice on life decisions. Therefore, individual thinking and
questioning is discouraged. < Christians There is an unwillingness to dialogue and consider other viewpoints. < Christians.
Fifth is a legalistic lifestyle. As mentioned
earlier, salvation is not based on grace; cults teach a works-oriented
gospel. This leads to a lifestyle of legalism. Followers must live up
to the group's standards in order to attain or maintain their
membership and hope for eternal life. Followers are required to
faithfully serve, and attend meetings, studies, and services. As a
result, there is tremendous pressure to live up to the requirements of
the organization. < The Ten Commandments.
Finally there is a difficult exit process. Since
salvation is found in the organization <
Christianity, leaving the organization is considered by many to
be leaving God.< Christianity All
former members who leave cults are shunned by members which often
includes members of their own family. Many are warned that if they
leave, they will be condemned to hell, or seduced by Satan. Many
ex-members are harassed by the organization even after they leave.
Exiting members often end up distrusting any religious organization and
end up feeling isolated and alone.
Life in the cults is marked by fear of judgment,
pressure, and legalism. This is a far cry from what we are taught in
the Bible. Jesus and the apostles taught that the new life in Christ is
one of grace, love, and freedom from the law. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus
said, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you
rest." The peace and rest promised by Christ is seldom experienced by
those in the cults.
Cultic Methodology
When you receive a knock on your door in the
mornings, who do you assume it to be? A salesman? A Girl Scout selling
cookies? For many of us, we assume it to be a Jehovah's Witness or a
Mormon missionary looking to tell us about his or her organization. One
of the reasons cults have grown is their methodology. What? Christians don't witness to strangers??
The methods cults use to win converts are moral
deception, aggressive proselytizing, and Scripture twisting. By moral
deception I mean cults use Christian terminology to win converts. For
example, New Agers use the term born again to support reincarnation.
Mormons use terms like the Trinity and salvation by grace but these
terms have different meanings than what the Bible teaches. Therefore,
many untrained Christians are deceived into believing these groups are
actually Christian.
Aggressive proselytizing is another method of the
cults. But no, not Christians. Not them. They
don't persist. Have you seen my hate mail section?? Although
many Christian groups use aggressive evangelism, they do so out of a
love for God and a desire to see others come to know Christ. Um, again, have you seen my hate mail section? They
want me to burn in hell forever and suffer to the last breath! And you
tell me Christianity isn't a cult? Many cultists proselytize for
much the same reasons but added to this is the desire to win God's
approval. But not Christians. They're not doing
it for God's approval. No. They work for grace rather than from
grace. The cults require their members to evangelize. Many groups hold
their members accountable for the number of hours they spend witnessing
for the organization. Many members feel guilty if a day or so goes by
without them proselytizing. And I bet if you
asked anybody in that cult they'd also say it was for grace and not
from it. And they'd mean it.
Scripture twisting is another method of the cults.
Cultist quote verses in the Bible that support their position, but skip
over the verses that do not. Often, there is gross misinterpretation of
Scripture so that contradictory verses will better fall in line with
their views.
For example, Jehovah's Witness and Mormons try to
use verses to show Jesus is a created being. However, their position is
easily shown to be incorrect when you explain the context and correct
meaning of the terms. Also, when you show additional verses that
contradict their position, they are often surprised and realize they
have never seen those verse before or that the organization's
explanations of those verses are unable to be supported. So, are Christians ever surprised or confused when I
point out that the dinosaurs don't fit in with Genesis, or when I ask
about The Flood not appearing in any other culture's history books?
Christians are just as dumbfounded as they are!
To successfully engage in conversation and
effectively witness to those in the cults, Christians must be prepared
in the following ways. First Peter 3:15 states that we must always be
"prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason
for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
We must be prepared by knowing the word of God through diligent study
of it. Second, we must be prepared to overcome our fears and lovingly
reach out to cult members, exercising the fruits of patience and
gentleness as we share the truth. < Funny.
This is the same way to reach out to Christians with the truth about
evolution, but they never listen.
Danger of the Cults
The rise of the cults pose a serious challenge to
the church because they present several dangers to the church and
families involved. First, there is a spiritual danger. First Timothy
4:1 states "...that in later times some will abandon the faith and
follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." < You see, my definition of a cult is anything
that teaches people that demons and angels are real, and tells people
to worship a guy who was human. Ultimately the spirit behind all
lies and deception is the devil, so the ultimate force behind the cults
is the evil one. Yeah. Satan. Perfect. And
you're not a cult.
Galatians 1:8 states, "But even if we or an angel
from heaven should preach a gospel other that than the one we preached
to you, let him be eternally condemned." The false gospel of the cults
cannot lead anyone to salvation. There are eternal consequences for
false beliefs. For this reason Jesus and the apostles are very harsh on
false teachers. < They were harsh on people
who taught religions other than their own? Shocking! You'd think they'd
be okay with that.
There is also a psychological danger. The mind
controlling techniques used by the organizations can cause immense
damage mentally and emotionally. <
Christianity. Living under the pressure, guilt, and dependence
on the organization has proven to have tremendous negative effects on
individuals. < And the pressures of eternal
hell doesn't?!?!?!
Third, there is domestic danger. Individuals are
taught that loyalty to the organization is equivalent to allegiance
with God. Therefore, loyalty to the organization supercedes loyalty to
family. Thus, if a family member begins conducting himself in a way the
organization does not approve of, the cult will often separate the
family from the individual member. Isolation can be emotional or
physical. Numerous families have been separated as a result.
In some cases there is a physical danger. The
teachings of David Koresh cost the Branch Davidians their lives. Hobart
Freeman taught that believers did not need medicine for illnesses, and
told his followers to throw all theirs away. As a result, he and
fifty-two of his members died from curable conditions.
In light of this threat, what are Christians
called to do? First, we are called to study and know the Word of God.
Paul writes to Timothy and all saints saying, "Do your best to present
yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be
ashamed and who correctly handles the world of truth." Christians
should master the Bible so that they will not be deceived by any false
teaching. Second, Titus commands us to be able to confront and refute
false teachers. Finally, in Acts 20, Paul exhorts the leaders of the
church to protect their flock from the false teachers that will prey
upon the sheep. Every Christian is called to know the truth so well
they can confront false teaching, and protect their church and family
from it.
So tell me this, why did
Patrick Zukeran bother writing this article? Why didn't he just write:
"If it's not Christianity it's a cult." and leave it at that? |
