What Is A Religious Cult

by RevFrank 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  JamesThomas

  Christians define a cult primarily as a group whose doctrine departs from biblical teaching and historic Christianity

  In other words Christians label anything a "cult" which deviates from the original cult. Must be quite the problem considering there are somewhere in the range of 20,000 to 30,000 Christian denominations world-wide which must have deviated somehow, to some degree. Even the earliest Christians were a confused and varied lot.

  I see a cult as any teaching or dogma which cuts it's followers off from the reality of the here and now. In place of REALITY a cult generally places attention and focus on some make-believe characters in some other place and time. In other words a cult puts emphasis on fatuous fantasies of the carnal mind, which Christianity does in spades.

  People entombed in cults generally don't recognize their insane separation from reality.

  j
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  free2beme

  A cult is like the Hydra of mythology, you cut one head off and two more will grow. The only way to truly destroy them, is to destroy faith in all religion and that is just not going to happen in our life time.

  Although, as a theory I think there is a way

  If a alien species landed on this planet. By some means or another, they should have a common thread with one of our religions, if it is right. If they said they had no religion, or had a religion with no basis in anything we had. Then it would be a major blow for all religion, that would be hard to ignore, even if you called aliens demons.
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  myelaine

  
  dear free2beme,

  you said: If a alien species landed on this planet. By some means or another, they should have a common thread with one of our religions, if it is right. If they said they had no religion, or had a religion with no basis in anything we had. Then it would be a major blow for all religion, that would be hard to ignore, even if you called aliens demons.

  I just wonder if he was a really benevolent and harmless christian alien(i'm not refering to Jesus) , if he wouldn't be ignored by more than a few inside a week!

  michelle
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  plmkrzy

  (2) Cults also usually have a highly centralized leadership structure that requires complete loyalty that belongs only to Jesus Christ

  That lets jws off the hook.lol! There is no loyalty to Jesus Christ at all.

  plm
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  jwfacts

  Thanks for that answer.
  I can not believe the garbage i was fed about Mormons as a JW. I stayed with a JW a year ago and there was all this whispering about the Mormons living across the road being into incest. Even the last conversation I had with my father he said that they are into polygamy, where i know that was banned many years ago.
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  Noggin

  JWFacts wrote:

  Thanks for that answer.
  
  I can not believe the garbage i was fed about Mormons as a JW. I stayed with a JW a year ago and there was all this whispering about the Mormons living across the road being into incest. Even the last conversation I had with my father he said that they are into polygamy, where i know that was banned many years ago.

  I am trying desperately not to derail the thread. So quickly I will say that Polygamy is banned per the 1890 manifesto but there are still polygamous men out there. Example, my mother dies and then my father remarries. If he chooses to remarry in the temple, he will now be sealed for eternity to two women. As for the doctrine of eternal marriage, the local congregation will know that my father is now sealed to two women and the general acceptance is that if he is faithful, he will have both of these women as companions for eternity. That is polygamy plain and simple. So the doctrine lives, polygamy has always been a "eternal" foundational principle of the highest Mormon heaven. This was one of the hardest items for me to get over coming out of Mormonism. It was the most bizarre doctrine, but since it was revealed by "god", it was a doozy to dismiss.

  Also, ask my wife, ask many devout Mormons if Mormons practice polygamy and you will probably get a resounding NO. Most deplore their polygamous roots. Most women try not to think about polygamy because it is so painful to confront. Share their husband with many wives in heaven? That is their fate. Most women delude themselves into thinking that they somehow will not be required to live the law of polygamy once they get into heaven... that God will somehow understand her needs for exclusive access to her husband. If one reads the doctrine, it don't work that way, honey.

  Would you like me to start a seperate thread on this polygamy topic? (out of politeness to the thread we are on). Or, if you have further questions, you could email me at [email protected].

  Noggin
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  RevFrank

  Great thought greendawn.....Fullofdoubtnow----the 2 questions are yes, to me, also...And DannyHaszard..point taken and I was up there in Maine for 5 weeks..just got back.

  If I came to you and told you I was gay, what would you think?

  GAY.......a homosexual. at one time to be gay was to be happy. Things and words change. The same thing for the word, "Cult."

  Cults are from a few people to groups of many following a thought, idea, an example, a person, place, or thing or better yet a group or a religion that does not follow orthodox teachings of Christ.

  It's so sad that there is no known forum, like this one, for Mormons. So I'll try to make this as short as I can:::::::::

  LDS thology is they teach that Lucifer is the brother of Jesus---LDS,(Brigham Young) taught that Jesus was Adam and brought Eve, his wife to earth, as Adam and Eve, and to propagate the earth. And that Adam, Jesus, and God are the same.

  In the Book of Mormon, ALMA34:36 states that the Lord dwells in the heart of man...,yet in Doctrine and Covenants 130:6... states that the Father and Son dwelling in the heart of false. Yet these books are doctrine for any mormon yet the books contradict one another.

  Mormons believe that God created man. And the mormons teach that man exalted himself to godhood. Then a paradox comes into play here. If God created man, yet man exalted himself to godhood....who came first--God or man?

  So speaking of being orthodox, the LDS is as far away from orthodox christianity as the earth from the ending of the universe.(my example)...lol. a religious cult leaves orthodox teaching behind.... 1 more point.....

  Joe Smith( founder of the LDS) stated that when the apostles all died a Great Apostasy came across the earth. Yet Jesus told Peter in MATTHEW 16:18, "And I say to you, that you are Peter, and on this Rock I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

  PEACE
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  Noggin

  RevFrank wrote:

  It's so sad that there is no known forum, like this one, for Mormons. So I'll try to make this as short as I can:::::::::

  Actually, there are many online forums. www.exmormon.org, www.fairboards.org (pro site but will entertain most touchy questions), and if you google "view from the foyer" you will get results that will tie you into a few other really great contra mormon boards.

  I do hope it is okay for me to post here as a former mormon.

  Nice observations on the LDS religion, RevFrank.

  Noggin
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  Alwayshere

  RevFrank, Most cults you can not get out alive.You can not disagree with the leader and that is why Watchtower Society is a cult. You can not disagree with what they print and they can't "literally" [don't no if I spelled that right but you know what I mean] kill you but they will "spiritually," They label you an apostate and everyone including your family and those you thought were your best friends will drop you and view you as tho you don't exist. That organization is run by Apostates.
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  Qcmbr

  You just know I couldn't keep my mouth shut after some of the info posted here - Noggin I'm most surprised at you!!
  
  First of all Rev Frank - gotta hand it to you you really do have a thing about the LDS. Your assertions on cults is fine - no problem - if you want to call the LDS a cult then bang on - early christianity was a cult as well - so welcome to the cult bro Frank.
  
  Here's the funny thing - the following points are all desirable as far as I can see:
  
  "A cult, then, is a group of people polarized around someone's interpretation of the Bible and is characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith, particularly the fact that God became man in Jesus Christ." - great - Christianity is an amorphous mess of beliefs that are ALL polarized around an interpretation of the bible, ALL have deviations in some way shape or form from cardinal doctrines (are you a Catholic Rev??? - do you believe in transubstantiation or pray to Mary...??) and ALL disagree on their interpretaion of Jesus (from hippy love child through to avenging judge.) This seemingly clever statement is just a smokescreen for nonsense.
  
  Cults are identified by two major characteristics: (1) Although they usually pose as being the true expression of Christianity, or an effort to restore true Christianity, cults possess distinct religious beliefs not found among any other groups. - Well knock me over with a feather - how wicked to disagree with the establishment - better go put the money tables back up in the temple Rev.
  
  
  "These beliefs are almost always based on extra-biblical sources either from other writings or by the leaders themselves."
  - what? the dreaded revelation, prophecy and non-Catholic collection of books? How dare anyone claim such heresy? How about we rephrase this comment. "Apostate christians deny God any voice except the catholic interpretation of what was written in the first few hundred years after Christ".
  
  Give me prophets Frank - you stick with what you have and squabble over what it means all you like - it just doesn't cut the mustard for me.
  
  (2) Cults also usually have a highly centralized leadership structure that requires complete loyalty that belongs only to Jesus Christ
  
  Do you mean they have Priesthood, apostles, evangelists, bishops etc..? Do you mean that true Christianity was all about listening to an apostle and then completely ignoring it and setting up your own church? Yea you go tell those early christians that they shouldn't really have anyone authorised to write scripture, shouldn't have any offices within the church etc.. Rev you gotta work with me here 'cos your discounting early christianity totally.
  
  
  And finally your stuff about addition (so you really don't want prophecy?), subtraction(you mean Jesus was lying when he said the thing about gods??), multiplication (no works! - dam the Pelagian heresy, burn them at the stake - you can be forgiven simply by confessing and when you say 'Lord', 'Lord' He'll recognise you. That baptism stuff, sacramental supper, 'be ye prefect' command - all more heresy)
  
  What makes me stare in amazement is the arrogance and utter unbelievable audacity of born agains (and they are the most guilty in my experience) of claiming that they are establishment and that the rest are cults. Wake up. The Catholics are the establishment everyone else are deviations if you so want to use tradition of the fathers for an argument of legitemacy.
  
  Right tirade finished.
  
  Noggin - just simply disagree with your conclusions. You make several 'mistakes' that you well know the answers to and I won't debate here but just to say I have no problem with many of your comments its the fact that you've willfully ignored the simple answers which is understandable in those who have only a casual aquantaince with the church but is somewhat disingeneous from you. I'm being offensive because I'm stunned. I can sympathise with you so far but not accept the points where you cease to be balanced and instead go into Expositor mode. You know what I mean. I don't expect you to defend a religion you no longer believe in but I don't expect you to take up sides either since you claim no affiliation.