Am l in a "Christian cult?
Quite possibly.
Maybe some things have happened to alert you
to the fact that all is not well
where you worship?
We'll look at the following:
1. What is a cult?
2. What are the "Christian"
churches that are cults?
3. Are there Christian churches with cultish
doctrine?
The purpose of this paper is to measure
all cults & religious systems against
the Word of God as found in the
King James Bible.
************************
Many people believe that when they die they
are going to heaven.
Are you one of them?
There is nothing wrong with wanting to
go to heaven - the Bible says that we
can be sure that we have
eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
ALL THE
RELIGIONS AND THE CULTS OFFER ETERNAL LIFE WITH THEIR UNIQUE SYSTEM
OF BELIEFS.....BUT WHERE IS THE TRUTH?
GET EVERYTHING ELSE WRONG
HERE ON EARTH ...BUT DON'T MESS
UP WHERE YOU'LL SPEND ETERNITY!
WHAT IS A
CULT?
(From Bob
Larson's "Book of Cults"- an excellent book) These are 18 general
characteristics of cults.
CAN YOU
FIND YOURSELF IN HERE SOMEWHERE?
1. ABSOLUTE
LOYALTY. The sect or cult demands this and is enforced by veiled threats to
one's body or your eternal spiritual condition.
2. ALTERED
DIET. Some cults have diet standards.
3. CHANTING
AND MEDITATION. Objective intellectual input is avoided with repetitious songs,
hymns or chants.
4. CONFORMITY.
Dress, language, interests erode individuality.
5. DOCTRINAL
CONFUSION. Logical thought is replaced by "truths" that are presented
in complex patterns.
6. EXCLUSIVITY.
Those outside the cult are seen as inferior - a "we" vs
"they" situation.
7. FINANCIAL
INVOLVEMENT. Always talking about money and the blessings that will come to you
from giving them your money.
8. ‘HYPNOTIC’
STATES. Repetitious singing, chants or meditation.
9. ISOLATION
FROM OUTSIDE. Can be separated from friends, family and society in which you
have previously functioned.
10. LACK OF PRIVACY. Critical thinking
not encouraged and personal secrets may be used against members.
11. LOVE BOMBING. Affection and constant attention give a false sense of
comradeship.
12. MEGACOMMUNICATION.
Long confusing sermons/lectures/talks given with catch phrases and glib
rhetoric.
13. NEW RELATIONSHIPS. Marriage to another cult member and the destruction
of past family relationships.
14. NONSENSICAL
ACTIVITIES. Activities with no apparent purpose given by group or leader.
15.PAVLOVIAN CONTROL. Behaviour
modification by alternating reward and punishment which leads to confusion or
dependency.
16. PEER
PRESSURE. Any doubts about the cult are overcome by offering a sense of
belonging.
17. SENSORY DEPRIVATION.
Fatigue, along with prolonged activity can make one vulnerable to suggestions
and beliefs.
18. UNQUESTIONING SUBMISSION.
Any questions about leadership or practices is discouraged.
CULTS VS
THE KING JAMES BIBLE
We'll compare the cults to the inerrant &
infallible Word of God - the King James Bible (KJB).
We'll
look at the following headings:
1. Who Is
God?
2. Who Is
Jesus Christ?
3. What is
the nature of man?
4. What are
the requirements of atonement?
5. What is
the source of revelation?
GOD
THE KING JAMES BIBLE
"...there is but one God, the Father, of
whom are all things..." 1 Cor 8:6
"...before me there was no God formed,
neither shall there be after me." Isaiah 43:10
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I
AM..." Exodus 3:14
"For there is one God..:'1Timothy 2:5
CULTS:
1. Impersonal and unknowable essence -
(Bahai's, Hindus)
Divine Idea, principle and example -
(Christian Science, Unity)
Non-Trinitarianism - (Jehovah's Witnesses,
The Way, Mormonism, Armstrongism, Unification Church, Christadelphianism)
CHRIST
THE KING JAMES BIBLE
"In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God." John1:1
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us..." John 1:14
"For there are three that bear record in
heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are
one." 1 John 5:7
CULTS:
1. Merely a human being without divinity who
attained a "Christ Consciousness" (The Church Universal and
Triumphant, The International Community of Christ)
2. A created being - (Mormonism, JW's,
Armstrongism, Christian Science, Christadelphianism)
3. One of the many avatars or revelations of
God (Hinduism, Divine Light Mission)
MAN
THE KING JAMES BIBLE
"All have sinned...” Romans 3:23
"For as by one man's disobedience many
were made sinners..." Romans 5:19
In Eden, Adam fell by disobedience, hence all
men are conceived in sin with a depraved nature destined for damnation unless
they trust the blood of Jesus as payment for a holy God.
CULTS:
1. Man is divine - an emanation of the
Infinite Impersonal (Theosophy, Christian Science, Rosicrucianism, Unity)
2. Sinful but capable of attaining the same
"Christ consciousness" that Jesus did (Church Universal and
Triumphant, Holy Order of MANS)
3. Destined to be a god (Mormonism, Christian
Science, Worldwide church of God)
ATONEMENT
THE KING JAMES BIBLE
The Old Testament sacrifices foreshadowed the
Lamb of God "slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev 13:8);
The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin." (1John 1:7);
Man may have peace with God "through the
blood of his cross" (Col 1:20);
"Neither is there salvation in any
other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved." Acts 4:12; "But to him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness. (Romans 4:5)
"For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works,
lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2: 8-9
CULTS:
1. Good
works and deeds will cause us to achieve our at-one-ment with God (Roman
Catholicism, Unity, Jehovah's Witnesses, 7th Day Adventism, Bahaism,
Armstrongism, Chrstadelphianism, the Church of Christ).
2.
Re-Incarnation - to fulfil the law of karma (Scientology, Krishna
Consciousness)
3.
Universalism - all will be saved (Mormonism, Christian Science, Unification
Church).
REVELATION
THE KING JAMES BIBLE
"All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness." (2Timothy 3:16) "...but the word of our God
shall stand for ever." Isaiah 40:8
"The words of the Lord are pure words:
as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep
them O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." Psalm 12:6-7 "For the word of God is quick,
and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword ...and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
CULTS
1. The Bible needs additional subjective or
written material for our age (Roman Catholicism, Seventh Day Adventism,
Mormonism)
2. The Word of God needs to be properly
translated with accompanying explanations (Jehovah's Witnesses, The Way, Roman
Catholicism)
3. The Bible is one of many equally divine
books (Unity, Bahaism)
HOW DO CULTS ARISE?
ANY SYSTEM OF RELIGION - MAJOR OR MINOR, SUPPOSEDLY ‘CHRISTIAN’ OR NOT. THAT WILL
NOT BELIEVE THAT "SALVATION IS BY FAITH ALONE IN THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS
CHRIST ALONE" inevitably has some or all of the 18 points. Cults arise
from wrong doctrine.
The MAJOR NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS are
nothing but MAJOR CULTS: Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Roman
Catholicism, Confucianism, Shinto, Taoism, Zoroastrianism etc.
The MINOR "CHRISTIAN" CULTS
are nothing but MINOR CULTS: 7th Day Adventism, Christian Science, Mormonism,
Christadelphianism, Unity, Unification Church, The Way International,
Armstrongism, Jehovah's Witnesses etc.
ERROR IN
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
Even though some Christian churches
adhere to 'faith alone', they can also teach wrong doctrine.
These are what are known as `cultic'
Christian churches. The Lutherans, Uniting, Pentecostal, Church of England and
others have signed agreements with the Roman Catholics.
These are the Pentecostal churches, Charismatic churches & Faith
Movement churches. The Uniting Church and the Church of England endorse
homosexuality and homosexual ministers. They also endorse women Pastors. The Baptist
church have women pastors. Almost all have embraced the un-Scriptural Alpha
Course. The Presbyterians don't believe in the Rapture and have put an
albatross around their necks with their belief in Calvinism. They also believe
with the Catholics, that God has finished with the Jews.
Many teach Biblical prosperity, deliverance,
new Biblical revelations, tongues, belief in present day Apostles and Prophets,
being "slain in the spirit”, prophecies, signs, wonders, Apostolic anointings
& healing lines. All of these are un-Scriptural.
All churches now embrace the modern
translations of the Bible especially the NIV and the NASB. No-one seems the
least concerned that these modern versions are based entirely on a Greek Text
made up by the unsaved men - Westcott and Hort who based their work on the
writings of Origen -THE PAGAN from the 2nd cent.
SATAN CAN'T GET A SAVED PERSON UNSAVED, BUT
HE DOES ALL HE CAN TO LEAD BELIEVERS ASTRAY SO THAT THEIR WITNESS IS BLUNTED
WITH WRONG DOCTRINE, WRONG TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE AND THE MISAPPLICATION OF
BIBLE VERSES.
Where there is wrong doctrine you'll find wrong practices manifesting in
the 18 points mentioned.
There are many cults that weren't mentioned
in this paper. As time goes by you will see more of the 18 points manifest
themselves as un-Scriptural doctrine is taught.
THOSE WHO BELONG
TO CULTS MAY BE VERY
SINCERE.... BUT SINCERELY MISGUIDED.
Harley Hitchcock
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE
“WHICH
CHURCH SHOULD I ATTEND?”
