CULTS

Some have difficulty identifying a cult because it is

not so easy to identify one that is not even religious.
For this reason, over the years, different definitions
of what actually is a cult have developed to make it
easier when you know little about their beliefs.
 Three different definitions:
Secular Definition
CULT - From the Latin cultis which denotes all that is involved in
worship, ritual, emotion, liturgy and attitude. This definition actually
denotes what we call denominations and sects and would make all
religious movements a cult.
Christian Definition
CULT - Any group which deviates from Biblical, orthodox, historical
Christianity. i.e. They deny the Deity of Christ; His physical
resurrection; His personal and physical return to earth and salvation
by FAITH alone.
This definition only covers those groups which are cults within the
Christian religion. It does not cover cults within other world religions
such as Islam and Hinduism. Nor does it cover Psychological,
Commercial or Educational cults which do not recognize the Bible as
a source of reality.
 Universal Definition
CULT - Any group which has a pyramid type
authoritarian leadership structure with all teaching
and guidance coming from the person/persons at
the top. The group will claim to be the only way to
God; Nirvana; Paradise; Ultimate Reality; Full
Potential, Way to Happiness etc, and will use
thought reform or mind control techniques to gain
control and keep their members.
This definition covers cults within all major world
religions, along with those cults which have no
OBVIOUS religious base such as commercial,
educational and psychological cults. Others may
define these a little differently, but this is the simplest
to work from.
 The Orthodox Bible-Based Cult
A group is called a cult because of their behaviour - not their
doctrines. Doctrine is an issue in the area of Apologetics and
Heresy. Most religious cults do teach what the Christian church
would declare to be heresy but some do not. Some cults teach the
basics of the Christian faith but have behavioural patterns that are
abusive, controlling and cultic.
This occurs in both Non-Charismatic and Charismatic churches.
These groups teach the central doctrines of the Christian faith and
then add the extra authority of leadership or someones particular
writings. They centre around the interpretations of the leadership
and submissive and unquestioning acceptance of these is essential
to be a member of good standing. This acceptance includes what
we consider non-essential doctrines e.i. not salvation issues (such
as the Person and Work of Christ.) The key is that they will be using
mind control or undue influence on their members.
Other Identification Marks

(a) The group will have an ELITIST view of

itself in relation to others, and a UNIQUE
CAUSE. e.i. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES
RIGHT - everyone else is wrong. THEY ARE
THE ONLY ONES DOING GODS WILL -
everyone else is in apostasy.
(b) They will promote their cause actively,
and in doing so, abuse God-given personal
rights and freedoms. This abuse can be
THEOLOGICAL, SPIRITUAL, SOCIAL &
PSYCHOLOGICAL.
 How They Do This
Their leader/s may claim a special, exclusive ministry, revelation or position
of authority given by God.
They believe they are the only true church and take a critical stance
regarding the Christian church while at the same time praising and exalting
their own group, leader/s and work.
They use intimidation or psychological manipulation to keep members loyal
to their ranks. This could be in the form of threats of dire calamity sent by
God if they leave; certain death at Armageddon; being shunned by their
family and friends etc. This is a vital part of the mind control process.
Members will be expected to give substantial financial support to the group.
This could be compulsory tithing (which is checked); signing over all their
property on entering the group; coercive methods of instilling guilt on those
who have not contributed; selling magazines, flowers or other goods for the
group as part of their ministry. At the same time bible-based cults may
ridicule churches that take up free-will offerings by passing collection plates
and/or sell literature and tapes. They usually brag that they dont do this.
This gives outsiders the intimation that they are not interested in money.
There will be great emphasis on loyalty to the group and its teachings. The
lives of members will be totally absorbed into the groups activities. They will
have little or no time to think for themselves because of physical and
emotional exhaustion. This is also a vital part of the mind control process.
 There will be total control over almost all aspects of the private
lives of members. This control can be direct through communal
living, or constant and repetitious teaching on how to be a true
Christian or being obedient to leadership. Members will look to
their leaders for guidance in everything they do.
Bible-based cults may proclaim they have no clergy/laity
distinction and no paid ministry class - that they are all equal.
Any dissent or questioning of the groups teachings is
discouraged. Criticism in any form is seen as rebellion. There will
be an emphasis on authority, unquestioning obedience and
submission. This is vigilantly maintained.
Members are required to demonstrate their loyalty to the group in
some way. This could be in the form of dobbing on fellow
members (including family) under the guise of looking out for
their spiritual welfare. They may be required to deliberately lie
(heavenly deception) or give up their lives by refusing some form
of medical treatment.
Attempts to leave or reveal embarrassing facts about the group
may be met with threats. Some may have taken oaths of loyalty
that involve their lives or have signed a covenant and feel
threatened by this.
Some Abuses Of Rights And
Freedoms:-
1. Abuse Of Individuality: They adopt a groupness mentality. They are not permitted
to think for themselves apart from the group and only accept what they are told.
2. Abuse Of Intimacy: Relationships with friends, relatives, spouses, children, parents
etc are broken or seriously hampered.
3. Abuse Of Finances: Pressure to give all you can to the group. In non-communal
groups, members usually live at the lower socio-economic strata, not because of a lower
income level, but because they are always giving money to the group for some reason.
4. Us Versus Them Mentality: Isolation from the community in general. Anyone and
everything outside the group is seen as of the devil or unenlightened etc. Their
enemies now include former friends; the Christian church; governments; education
systems; the media - the world in general. Those who are involved with these in any
way see such involvement as a means to an end.
5. Abuse Of Time And Energy: The group controls and uses almost all the members
time and energy in group activities. They are usually in a constant state of mental and
physical exhaustion.
6. Abuse Of Free Will: They must unquestioning submit to the groups teachings and
directions and their own free will is broken. Their will actually becomes the groups will
without their realizing it. This is done either by coercive methods including low protein
diets and lack of sleep, or over a period of time through intimidation. Both methods
make heavy use of guilt.
 Results Of This Abuse

1. Personality Changes
Relatives will say they no longer recognize the
person. From a warm, loving personality will
come heaped abuse, rejection and feelings of
hate. The cult member sees himself as
righteous in comparison and this comes across
in their attitude toward all outsiders.
2. Loss Of Identity
They cannot see themselves as individuals apart
from the group. Some even change their name
as a rejection of their former life.
 3. Paranoid - We Are Being Persecuted
Any time you say anything negative about the group, whether justified
or no, it is regarded as persecution. Any criticism of the individual is
also seen as persecution only because they are the true Christian or
enlightened one - not because they, as an individual, have done the
wrong thing. However, at the same time they will feel free to criticise
whatever you believe, say and do because they are the only ones who
are right.
4. Social Disorientation
They lose their ability to socialize outside the group. This can go so far as to
not being able to structure their time or make simple decisions for
themselves when they leave.
Their world-view alters and they perceive the world through their leaders
eyes. They become very naive about life in general.
5. Severe Guilt Complexes
They are made to feel guilty of everything they did before entering the group
and are to strive to be good and worthy for eternal life. Misdemeanors
are made into mountains so that members are in a constant state of guilt
for infringing even the most minor rules. Guilt comes because they arent
doing enough; entertaining doubts or questions; even thinking rationally for
oneself.
This guilt is piled upon pile with new rules constantly being laid down about
what is sinful and what is not. Illness may be seen as lack of faith - more
guilt. Emotional illness may be seen as proof of sin in your life - more guilt.
 The distinction between classes of cults.
A. Western Cults are developed in western thought and normally claim to be the true
extension of Christianity. They will use the Bible as one of their main texts and Jesus
Christ as one of their main persons. Some familiar western cults are the Mormons,
Jehovahs Witnesses, Christian Science, Unity School of Christianity, the Unification
Church, Unitarians, The Way International, and Christadelphians.

B. Eastern Cults are developed as a break-off of some oriental philosophy or religion.

They will claim to be the genuine representation of that philosophy or religion. They
will claim that they are in harmony with Christianity, but in distinction from western
cults, they do not use the Bible as their main authority or Jesus Christ as their main
figure. Some of the eastern cults are Transcendental Meditation, the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Vedanta Society, Self Realization Fellowship,
the Church of Scientology, and the Divine Light Mission.

C. New Age Cults are developed as a homogenization of several religious thoughts.

They always involve a technique or ritual that is supposed to awaken an inner
consciousness. Most are based upon monism or pantheism, so they are of oriental
philosophy in that respect. They blend this with western thought and often scientific
expression. They do not use the Bible or Jesus Christ as their central authority. Their
goal is two-fold. They believe the self must first be transformed and then a global
transformation will take place. Admittedly, their techniques differ widely, but they use
the slogan unity in diversity to say that any technique will work since they are all on
the same mountain. Occult powers are often a source for New Age writers. Some of
the familiar New Age Cults and leaders are Theosophy, Religious Science, the Church
Universal and Triumphant (CUT), Alice Bailey, Jane Roberts, David Spangler, Fritjof
Capra, Benjamin Crme, Shirley MacLaine, and the Rosicrucians.
 The common marks that identify the cults

A. Single Leadership. Cults generally focus around the teachings of a

single leader, usually the founder or a current successor. This single
leader is supposed to have a direct connection to God that the other
members do not have. That is what keeps him in his position.
1. Familiar single leaders are Joseph Smith (Mormonism), Charles
Taze Russell (Jehovahs Witnesses), Mary Baker Eddy (Christian
Science), L. Ron Hubbard (Scientology), and Sun Myung Moon
(Unification).
2. Christianity has one head who is Jesus Christ (Col. 1:18). All
pastors and servants in the Church are considered by God to be
coequal without distinction of class, race, or sex (Gal. 3:28). Jesus is
our only source of truth because He is God incarnate (Matt. 1:23; John
20:28). He is the full and final revelation of God to man (John 1:18;
Heb. 1:1-2).
 B. Extra-Biblical Revelation. The cults often have
books outside of the Bible that are considered equal
or superior to its message. Many of these are new
revelations for the cults, hence, extra-biblical
revelation.
1. Books used by cults that fit this category are the
Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of
Great Price (Mormonism), Science and Health with
Keys to the Scripture (Christian Science),
Watchtower and Awake (Jehovahs Witnesses), and
the Divine Principle (Unification).
2. Christianity upholds the Bible alone as our
source of authority for faith and conduct. There is
no other revelation needed (2 Tim. 3:16; John 20:31;
Rom. 15:4; and 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
 C. Alteration of the Bible. The cults often alter the Bible and its
message through one of two means: redefining the terms or
retranslating the text. Some cults publish their own version of the
Bible, others simply publish materials through which the Bible is
to be read.
1. Bibles that have been retranslated by cults are the Inspired
Version or the Joseph Smith Translation (Mormonism), the New
World Translation (Jehovahs Witnesses), and the Aramaic
Translation (The Way International). Other cults alter the Bible
by redefining the terms. The Christian Scientists take a
metaphysical approach to all the biblical terms and make Heaven
and Hell only a state of mind. The Unification Church redefines
the Second Coming of Christ to mean a second messiah would
be born in Korea in 1920.
2. The Bible clearly tells us that those who change the word of
God will be judged as liars (Prov. 30:5-6; 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6-
9).
 D. Denial of central doctrines of Christianity as taught
from the Bible. All of the cults deny the necessary
doctrines that pertain to genuine salvation: The Trinity,
the deity of Jesus Christ, His vicarious atonement, His
bodily resurrection, the Person and deity of the Holy
Spirit, the sinful nature of mankind, and salvation by
grace through faith and not of works.
1. Every cult mentioned in this study denies or
changes these essential doctrines of biblical
Christianity.
2. The Bible teaches the Trinity (Matt. 28:19; Isa.
43:10), the deity of Jesus Christ (John 1:1; 5:18; 8:58;
10:30; 20:28), His vicarious atonement (2 Cor. 5;21; 1
Jn. 1:7; Rev. 1:5), His bodily resurrection (Luke 24:39;
John 20:27; Acts 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:14), the Person and
deity of the Holy Spirit (2 Sam. 23:2-3; Acts 5:4-5),
mans sinfulness (Rom. 5:12; 1 Jn. 1:8), and salvation
by grace (Eph. 2:8-10; Rom. 4:16; 10:9-10; Tit. 3:5-6).
 Although the word cult is not used in
the Bible, our definition is the same as
what the Apostle Paul outlined in 2
Corinthians 11:4.
 1. Another Jesus. Another is the Greek word allos,
meaning another besides the original (indicating
numeric difference). The other Jesus is any Jesus
whom we did not preach. To be genuinely saved we
must believe in the same Jesus preached by the
Apostles, because another Jesus will not suffice.
2. A different Spirit. Different is the Greek word
heteros, meaning one that is the opposite of the
original (often generic difference). To be saved we
must have the true Holy Spirit whom the Church
received.
3. A different gospel. heteros is the word for different.
The opposite of the true gospel, in fact, a gospel of
works that has no saving power. To be saved we must
believe the true gospel message, not a counterfeit.
 Early detection and the Bible
Again, under the subject of early detection of a Cult, find out if the
person talking to you believes in MORE THAN THE BIBLE.
For example, the Mormons will SAY they believe the Bible, but they
will be anxious to let you know that they have FURTHER
REVELATION in the form of the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great
Price, etc., which they also consider inspired.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe the Bible, especially their own altered
version, The New World Translation, which has altered most
scriptures dealing with the Deity of Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses will
tell you that the Bible can only be understood by their particular
organization, the Watchtower Society. I often ask Jehovah's
Witnesses,
"Has anyone ever become a Jehovah's Witness by studying the Bible
alone?" Of course not. Other Cults also believe they have
EXCLUSIVE UNDERSTANDING of the Bible, as it is explained to
them by their particular prophet.
 Watch out for anyone trying to interpret Scripture for you, or
using the Bible like a "dictionary". That is, they make their point,
and then refer to isolated texts, often hop scotching all over the
Bible to "prove" their point. Used this way, the Bible can be made
to say almost anything. Here are two Scriptures that don't belong
together: "Judas went out and hanged himself", coupled with "Go
thou and do likewise". Behold! A new doctrine formed in exactly
the way the cults use the Bible.
Also, be careful of groups stressing prophecy out of proportion to
other subjects in Scripture. "Prophecy Seminars" are often the
first step into a cult group.
Remember also, that it is the Holy Spirit who will guide you into
all truth, not some self-appointed prophet or organization. John
16:13 reads,
"But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all
the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever
He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to
come."
 In Conclusion
Remember that persons who have been led into Cults have gone
because they were sincerely seeking for God, and no true Christian
bore witness to them. Or, after receiving Christ they received wrong
teaching, supposing that what they did pleased God. Cults are clever
counterfeits for those not grounded solidly in Bible teachings. It is not
too late to lead them to the true Christ, or win them back to their
original commitment.
Remember to fight SPIRITUAL BATTLES with SPIRITUAL
WEAPONS. Prayer is your chief weapon. Take your authority as a
Christian and bind the spirit of deception operating in the Cultist's life,
loosing him/her to hear the Gospel of Christ. (See Matthew 18:18-
20). Prepare yourself to witness as the Holy Spirit makes opportunity
for you, by becoming acquainted with cult views on Christ and
Salvation, as well as the Scriptures to correct these views.