Page Summary: Overview page for different cults, sects, and false religions, including Seventh Day Adventist, Bahaism, Buddhism, Christian Science, Christadelphians, Scientology, Masonry, Psychology, Unification Church, Word of Faith, Zen.
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see also 38 Heresies and Sects, 38 is basically classic heresies in church history and 81 (this page) is a formal and more present representation of a heretical group. 38 is more gathered around a specific person or singular doctrinal teaching, and 81 is more gathered around a formal organization with multiple false doctrines and practices, whether it was started by one or more people (always is) or not.
Those
who can make you believe absurdities
can make you commit atrocities. François-Marie Arouet
de Voltaire
|
81
Cults and False Religions |
||
| 81.00 General Works on Cults | ||
| 81.01 Definition and Marks | ||
| 81.02 Abusive Churches | ||
| See Also 82 Roman Catholicism, 83 Jehovah's Witness, 84 Mormons, | ||
David Cox - What is a Cult? (in depth study)
Davis, A.A. - 101 Questions for Campbellites 120K
MacArthur, John - Charismatic Chaos 694K (b)
Martin, Walter - Essential Christianity 483K (b)
Martin, Walter - Kingdom of the Cults 2.7MB (b)
Wace -
A Dictionary of Christian Biography
(sects&Heresies) (b)
9.5MB
(2063 pages)
http://www.midwestoutreach.org/02-Information/02-OnlineReference/04-Etc/01-TheJournal/index.html
http://www.probe.org/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
http://www.cdu.jesusanswers.com/index.html
www.spiritualabuse.org -
Book list of
related books, book
list on specific groups,
book list from
secular viewpoint.
We should separate some key elements here. First there is the most basic issue of salvation. A religious group or practice must espouse a clear gospel of Jesus Christ or they are wrong and dangerous. Here we should underline the exclusivity of believing in and receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior as the ONLY way of salvation. Many oriental religions simply have a pantheon of many gods, and like Hinduism, they will gladly add another god (like Jesus Christ) to this pantheon. Their collection is what they like, and if a person does not renounce all else, his taking of Jesus is flawed.
Secondly we must look to a pronouncement of the name of Jesus in defining a cult. Many groups want to believe in a messiah-like figure, or want to make their leader a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. This equally disbars the group from orthodoxy. On the one hand, we know that Jesus went up in the clouds, and promised to return likewise and warns us against people who rise up and claim to be Christ. So all of these groups are fraudulent. On the other hand according to Acts 4:12 we know that nobody is saved if they do not come to Jesus Christ to do so. So oriental religions and religions that refuse to locate Jesus as the Savior is erroneous.
Thirdly we must cross off groups that substitute practices and "religious-like" activities instead of a clear belief system and focusing on the Savior. Here groups like Silva Mind Control, Yoga, etc. all seek to provide a metaphysical, psychological, or spiritual (or spiritual like) effect via some kind of activity or lack of activity. These things are actually tied into the most base animistic religions and witchcraft.
Fourthly we must identify as in error a church or group that holds to the basic Bible doctrines but ignores the Bible's instruction in the relationship between the believers, making themselves into an abusive church.
Finally we must identify that some groups hold to a biblical salvation and basically biblical doctrines and practices, but are just different from what we would prefer. These groups are not really a cult or false religion, and we should be wary of throwing them in with cults and false religions.
So the key elements in discerning a bad group are:
(1) Clear biblical presentation of the Gospel
(2) Clearly focusing on Jesus Christ as the only Savior
(3) No substitution for the church, worship, etc with other things
(4) No abusive relationship between members or between administration and
members.
Radio Bible Class - How to Identify a Dangerous Religious Group
Warning: In many contexts, the idea of a cult that controls the minds of others has been taken to extremes, and unsaved "deprogrammers" have developed "services" that deprogram people in cults (typically family members) which normally operate in situations where the control of the cult over the individual is excessive. The warning in this area is that these people are not Christians either, and their "freeing" the person from the cult is directed towards a secular humanism wherein the Bible and the God of the Bible is left out. Some Cult works correctly identify the abuse, but are totally blind or willingly ignorant of what a church should be (doctrine wise, and practice wise). When the issue turns to abuse, often their attacks against emotional abuse or criticizing the member simply ignores what is supposed to be according to the Scriptures. There is no place in Christianity for any kind of sexual abuse, nor physical abuse (except for a parent spanking the bottom of their own disobedient child). But many disregard or attack the biblically based criticism of false doctrine, church discipline, and public denouncing of false teachings and false teachers.
Williston - Emotional and Spiritual Abuse
Zukeran - Abusive Churches pdf
Note that some of these groups are denominations sometimes considered apart of Christianity, others are pagan religions, others are institutes with religious overtones, others are practices (like witchcraft), and others are centered around specific people. Links to other places in the library will be provided, but here is a general information and list for reference. If you cannot find what you looking for here, check our People in Christianity page.
Listing of Cult Groups (c), False Religions (r), and Religious Practice Systems (p), Denomination (d)
Defining the differences:
Cult Groups (c) - A cult group is a group that has certain set of beliefs, but their focus is typically to separate themselves from the rest of Christianity as being the exclusive possessors of salvation, and typically a "cultic", i.e. abusive and authoritative control over the lives of their members. Example: Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. In this context the Roman Catholic Church should be considered likewise a cult, although typically their control structure over their membership is so loosely defined and so ineffective as to warrant argument that it is simply a false religion and not a cult. Cults typically have a perverted view of salvation, although a subgroup here would be abusive churches. These are churches with valid doctrine, and a great amount of valid practices, but their leadership and administration and government is exactly from the play book of the cults.
Please note that not all "cults and sects" (sectarian groups) are necessarily a split off of mainline Christianity. Some are splits off of groups that in themselves would not be considered mainline Christianity. Many oriental religions have innumerable sects as does the Roman Catholic Church. Within Sects and Cults, equally, there are divisions. Mormonism after the death of Joseph Smith experienced various splits around the first wife of Smith against several of the high ranking leaders of Mormonism. The Jehovah's Witnesses have experienced a complete reorganization of their group under Judge Rutherford's leadership, with some groups (Students of the Bible Association) refusing this reorganization.
False Religions (r) - A false religion usually does not have the control factor of a cult, but its base for belief and practice is typically non-biblical. Examples: Hinduism, Confucianism, etc. Typically they have extremists within their group that are hermits or live under a great deal of control (loss of personal liberty).
Religious Practice Systems (p) - This classification is for hard to define groups that supposedly can co-exist alongside the person's "normal religion", such as Yoga, Silva Mind Control, Masons, etc. Their basic tactic is to influence and impose religious beliefs and practices, or practices that infringe upon the religious areas of life (peace, concentration, tranquility, direction, etc) but do not want to force an overturning of that person's religion. Typically they co-exist for years or their entire life side by side with a "standard" or "normal" religion. An example here is Free Masonry which many men practice and believe in while remaining in mainstream religions, often in leadership positions of these religions. For example the famous Evangelist Billy Graham is a 33rd degree practicing Mason, but is positioned in a very much Southern Baptist-evangelical leadership light.
Denomination (d) - This classification is basically a particular definition within Christianity as a mainline denomination. The idea of denomination is what you call yourself, and the Christian denominations formed basically all holding to a true view of the Gospel, but differing between them on the basis of specific non-clear practices, such as baptism by immersion or sprinkling, open or close communion, elders or a single pastor. This was their beginning, but in the 20th century almost every single denomination has come under heavy attack by ecumenicalism which has painted doctrine as the great evil of our day, and therefore, they have almost uniformly eroded their biblical doctrinal basis. Basically the denominations took their name and carried it forward and dumped their doctrine, especially the biblical doctrine of salvation. This has caused a generation to be raised up in these groups of unsaved but "churched" people who lack the foundational doctrines to argue anything in religion. All of the major denominations have as a consequence accepted both homosexuals into their membership, and women preachers. Today many are arguing the validity of homosexual marriages and homosexuals in the ministry.
Chris Lee - Toxic Christianity (exposé by former member and leader)
Alan Morrison - Is Freemasonry compatible with Christianity?
www.spiritualabuse.org - Book list.
NAMB - Oneness Pentecostalism
Alan Morrison - The Occult Background of Psychotherapy
Alan Morrison - Christianized Occultism in the Church
General information in Wikipedia
Hymers - Cults, Dr. MacArthur & Blood of Christ
Stewart - R.B. Thieme Jr Exposed!
Alan Morrison - Exercise of Mind Control Techniques in Pentecostal & Charismatic Movements
Slain in the Spirit
Alan Morrison - Investigation into experience known as "Slain in the Spirit"
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