Unmasking the
Cults – An Introduction
(1 Peter 3:15) 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.
1. Definition of a Cult
| 1.1 |
"A cult of Christianity is
a group of people, which claiming to be Christian, embraces a particular
doctrinal system taught by an individual leader, group of leaders,
or organization, which (system) denies (either explicitly or implicitly)
one or more of the central doctrines of the Christian faith as taught
in the sixty-six books of the Bible."(1) |
| 1.2 |
Some observations:
| 1.2.1 |
The word "cult" is sometimes used
to refer to any religious group. In fact, there are also
cults of other religious systems (e.g., Nation of Islam). |
| 1.2.2 |
All Christian denominations agree on the
essential core of the Christian faith. The central core
should not be confused with peripheral issues about which
Christians can legitimately disagree. Core doctrines have
been held throughout the ages and can be summarized by historic
creeds such as the Apostle's Creed (third or fourth century
A.D.):
I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven
and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was
conceived by the Holy Spirit; born of the virgin Mary;
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and
buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended
into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the
Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge
the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic
Church; the communion of the saints; the forgiveness
of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life
everlasting. Amen.
|
| 1.2.3 |
This definition assumes that it is not to
have a sincere belief. Some people say, "We all worship
the same God," or, "It doesn't matter what religion
you belong to, as long as you do good." This runs counter
to the claims of Christ and historic Christianity. |
|
|
1.3 Other terms
| 1.3.1 |
"Occult" – different from
cults. Usually refers to spiritism, fortune-telling, and
magic. |
| 1.3.2 |
"Heresy" – "A teaching which directly
opposes the essentials of the Christian faith, so that true
Christians must divide themselves from those who hold it"(2)
A heresy is a major deviance from Christian teaching. |
|
2. Common Characteristics
of Cults
| 2.1 Theological |
| 2.1.1 |
Denial of the Trinity – Probably all cults deny
the doctrine of the Trinity. Some deny the doctrine outright, and
others redefine it so the doctrine is not orthodox (e.g., teaching
three gods instead of one God who exists in three persons). |
| 2.1.2 |
Denial of salvation by grace through faith –
"Every cult ultimately teaches that we must save ourselves."(3)
Many place limits on his saving work, and say that Christ was unable
to complete his mission, and that we must add our works. |
| 2.1.3 |
Denial of the bodily resurrection – The bodily
resurrection is central to the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15).
Many cults spiritualize the resurrection. |
| 2.1.4 |
Reduction of the absolute authority of Scripture
– Some cults accuse the Bible of containing errors, or undermine
it by calling it "old light" and adding the cult's own
teaching ("new light"). Some produce their own translations,
which change certain doctrines, or introduce new books with greater
authority. |
| 2.1.5 |
Redefinition of Biblical terminology – Often
the cultist will seem to agree with everything a Christian is saying.
They are using Christian vocabulary, but redefining the terms (such
as Jesus, the gospel, salvation, heaven). |
| 2.1.6 |
Exclusive belief system – Cults often claim
to have the sole corner on truth. |
| 2.1.7 |
Other characteristics include an emphasis on direct
revelations from God (particularly in the experience of the leaders),
a fixation with end times, and an overemphasis on isolated Scriptures. |
2.2 Practices of Cults
| 2.2.1 |
Authoritarianism – There is usually a dominant
leader, and chains of command. In some cults, permission must be
granted for many life decisions. |
| 2.2.2 |
Stripping of past associations – Some cults
require that the person renounce past associations, especially family
members. |
| 2.2.3 |
Unusual degree of commitment and zeal – Not
a bad thing in itself. Many cults require great sacrifice and commitment. |
| 2.2.4 |
Antagonism toward orthodox Christian denominations
– "Cults sometimes expend considerable energy denouncing
other religious groups – particularly Christian churches."(4) |
| 2.2.5 |
Love bombing – "Group members give prospects
an overwhelming sense of acceptance, belonging, and significance
by 'bombing' them with flattery, touching, and hugging."(5) |
| 2.2.6 |
Other characteristics may include a communal
lifestyle, familial imagery, distorted sexual teachings and practices,
opposition toward autonomous thinking, a change of diet, and conformity
of dress. |
3. Why Do People Join Cults?
| 3.1 |
Love – "People affiliate with groups because
they want affection; they want friends and loved ones to care for
them."(6) |
| 3.2 |
Family – "One reason that young people
join cults is to find a family."(7) |
| 3.3 |
Acceptance and self-worth – A sense of belonging
and purpose. |
| 3.4 |
Idealism and spiritual hunger – Part of an enthusiastic
group that offers spiritual fulfillment. |
| 3.5 |
Answers to intellectual questions – They have
answers to questions people ask. |
| 3.6 |
Wholesome lifestyle – A way to experience purity. |
| 3.7 |
High degree of commitment required – This is
attractive to many people. |
4. Becoming Cult-proof
| 4.1 |
Know what you believe and why – Become grounded
in basic Christian doctrine. "It is a sad fact that a ninety-day
[i.e., newly trained] wonder from the Watchtower Bible and Tract
Society can turn the average Christian into a doctrinal pretzel
in fifteen minutes."(8) |
| 4.2 |
Meet people's social and emotional needs – Cults
meet needs many churches don't. Churches should be places of love
and acceptance. "Cults are the unpaid bills of the church."(9) |
| 4.3 |
Meet spiritual needs – Many cults rightfully claim to be
more "sold out" than those in the church. Many Christians
could afford to be more zealous and committed. "A healthy church
is the best weapon against losing people to cults."(10) |
5. Checklist of Cult
Characteristics
- The group is focused on a living leader
to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning
commitment.
- The group is preoccupied with bringing
in new members.
- The group is preoccupied with making
money.
- Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged
or even punished.
- Mind-numbing techniques (such as meditation,
chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, debilitating
work routines) are used to suppress doubts about the group and
its leader(s).
- The leadership dictates sometimes in
great detail how members should think, act, and feel (for example:
members must get permission from leaders to date, change jobs,
get married; leaders may prescribe what types of clothes to
wear, where to live, how to discipline children, and so forth).
- The group is elitist, claiming a special,
exalted status for itself, its leader(s), and members (for example:
the leader is considered the Messiah or an avatar; the group
and/or the leader has a special mission to save humanity).
- The group has a polarized us- versus-them
mentality, which causes conflict with the wider society.
- The group's leader is not accountable
to any authorities (as are, for example, military commanders
and ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream denominations).
- The group teaches or implies that its
supposedly exalted ends justify means that members would have
considered unethical before joining the group (for example:
collecting money for bogus charities).
- The leadership induces guilt feelings
in members in order to control them.
- Members' subservience to the group causes
them to cut ties with family and friends, and to give up personal
goals and activities that were of interest before joining the
group.
- Members are expected to devote inordinate
amounts of time to the group.
- Members are encouraged or required to
live and/or socialize only with other group members.
|
Endnotes
(1) Alan W. Gomes, Unmasking the Cults (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1995), 7.
(2) Gomes 17.
(3) Gomes 26.
(4) Ronald Enroth, "Churches on the Fringe" in Contend
for the Faith, 196.
(5) Citizens Freedom Foundation, The Cult Crisis
(6) Richardson, "Conversion, Brainwashing, and Deprogramming,"
37.
(7) Doress and Porter, "Kids in Cults," 297.
(8) Walter Martin, quoted by Gomes, 87.
(9)Dr. Martin Van Baalen, quoted in Walter Martin, The Kingdom
of the Cults (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1965), 14
(10) Gomes,90.
