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What is a cult?
Religious Cults: The Popular
View
What exactly are religious cults? With such a large number of
religious organizations and movements in the world today, it's
important to understand what we mean when we start labeling certain
groups. The dictionary defines cult as "a system of religious
worship or ritual"; "devoted attachment to, or extravagant
admiration for, a person, principle, etc." According to this
definition, any believer in any god is a member of a cult. In the
popular media, a cult is typically defined as a religious sect whose
members are "controlled" by a manipulative organization or
individual. This kind of cult is usually portrayed as deceptive,
requiring absolute loyalty from its followers. Members are often
removed from their prior lives altogether, including their jobs,
homes and families. The Hare Krishnas, Sun Myung Moon's Unification
Church, and Moses David Berg's Family of Love are some popular
examples of this type of cult.
Religious Cults: The Christian
Perspective
Christians define religious cults from a different perspective.
Simply, a cult is any religious group that deviates from the
fundamental teachings of the historic, Bible-based, Christian
faith as confirmed through the ancient ecumenical creeds.
Generally, if a religious organization follows Jesus Christ, but
denies or distorts essential Christian doctrines such as the
Trinity, the resurrection, or salvation by grace alone, that
organization is considered a cult. Traditional examples are the
Mormons, Jehovah's
Witnesses, Christian
Science, the Unity School of Christianity, and the Way
International. All of these groups add to the simple gospel of Jesus
Christ. In addition, some add to the Bible, such as Mormonism's The
Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great
Price. Similarly, Christian Science has added Science and Health
with Key to the Scriptures. The Jehovah's Witnesses have actually
changed the text of the Bible to make it fit their version of
doctrine.
Religious cults add their own rules, rituals and ceremonies -- their
own works of righteousness to the finished work of Jesus on the
cross. These organizations officially state that Jesus' sacrifice is
sufficient for salvation, but then they go on to say that their
version of "works" must be added to the simplicity of His
grace in order to warrant true salvation. These groups will often
use James 2:26 ("faith without works is dead") to
establish that works are part of salvation. Although it is true that
faith without works is dead, it isn't the works that save us. Works
are merely the result of a truly changed life through a saving
faith in Jesus. A true Christian does good works because he
has received the free gift of salvation, not to get salvation.
Cults subtract from the person of
Christ. Cults cannot tolerate the divinity and exclusivity of Jesus
as the only way to heaven and thus usually reduce Him to being a created being. In some cases
they make Jesus only a manifestation or mode of God. Others will
suggest his mission was incomplete and that another must come in His
spirit to
complete his mission. In either case,
the role of Jesus as revealed in Scripture is diminished.
Religious Cults: Why Does It
Matter?
Groups like the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses reject their
categorization with other "religious cults", because the
emotional reaction to such a label often gets in the way of
mainstream conversion. Actually, contrary to their historical
foundations of deeming Christendom to be misguided, evil or
apostate, most of the these cults are now claiming to be
Christian themselves. They declare the Divine authority of the
Bible, but they manipulate the scriptures to suit their own
purposes. Although they claim to serve Jesus Christ, and may use
Christian terminology, their doctrines are dangerously different.
Why is this an issue? Why can't we all just get along? Because these
organizations don't lead to the Jesus
Christ of the Bible, but to another Jesus and another gospel
message altogether. If these religious groups are based on bad
history, or bad doctrine, or bad motives, then we must respectfully
expose these shortcomings. If these religious cults are presenting
false teachings, then multitudes of people are being led astray.
A Warning To Christians
Where do all the people in cults come from?
Ron Rhodes writes in his book "The Culting of America,"
"It is a common myth that unbelievers join Cults."
Percentages show that those who join these aberrant groups formerly
attended Christian Churches.
Dr. Paul Martin of Wellspring Retreat (where cultists adjust from
their harmful experiences) writes, "Twenty-five percent
formerly attended evangelical, fundamental churches. Over 40 % had
backgrounds in large, more liberal Protestant denominations.
1 John 4:1-3 instructs
us: "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false
prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize
the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not
acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the
antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already
in the world."
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