Help me with your definition of "cult"

[PeruSeminary Pastor Enoc]

Please help me with your definition of "cult". I have heard recently that Roman Catholicism is not a cult, and some year ago I hear that Adventism is not a cult. What is a cult?

 

[Turbeville]

Any man made religion is a Cult...The only religion that is not man made is Christianity because the church stated in Acts 2 or the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was sent to Earth to baptize the disciples and to give them power to perform His work in the new way He(Jesus)had planned. Roman Catholics, ADventism, Freemasonry, Jevorah Witnesses, Muslins,etc and the list goes on are all cults.

 

[Ed Edwards]

cult1 - a system of religious worship or ritual
cult2 - a system of religious worship different from yours
cult3 - a devoted attachment to or extravagant
admiration for a principle
cult4 - (usually "personality cult") a devoted attachment
to or extravagant admiration for an individual person

Needless to say, some unprincipled persons will identity
a group as a cult2 hoping you will think it is a cult4
and be against it. This is often the way with Roman
Catholicism and Adventism, both of which are cult1s
and, i hope for many, cult2s. Neither are a cult4.

 

[GODzThunder]

A cult is anything that takes the main focus off of Jesus Christ and puts it on something or someone else. Most Christian cults at first glance to focus upon Christ but if you look into it you notice that the personality and teachings of the Jesus they worship are based off of a person or book that is not the Bible, such as the latter day saints with their book of mormon. And the Catholic Church is a cult IMO because they take away from Jesus through the saints, mary and the pope.

 

[GODzThunder]

Oh sorry I was supposed to give a definition of a cult...

Cult: The Church down the road from yours.

ROFL

j/k

 

[Helen]

Pastor, several years ago a number of us got together and combed the various books on cults to try to come up with some kind of definition. This is what we came up with:

A cult of any religion can generally be defined by the following:


1. A cult is a group that has differentiated itself from a main religious body in terms of doctrine.

2. A cult is governed by a strong authority, either in the form of one person or an authoritative hierarchy, or both.


3. A cult generally establishes its own set of laws by which the lives of its members are run.

4. A cult will establish itself as the sole repository either of the truth or of the whole truth, in opposition to the group separated from.


5. The cult authority is presented as the only way a true understanding of the cult’s Scriptures can be taught. Individual interpretation is either strongly discouraged or altogether forbidden.

6. A cult requires either tithing of some kind or the entire transfer of the person’s worldly goods into the hands of the cult authority.


7. A cult will control its members through fear. Disobedience of various degrees will cause the member to be either disciplined or disenfranchised, the latter action in effect telling the member that the cult’s aims (salvation, a higher reincarnation, exaltation, etc.) are then barred from the disobedient member and no longer achievable by him or her.


8. Cults often present themselves to their members as being persecuted.
This can lead to anywhere from a general feeling of defensiveness to the actual caching of arms and training for warfare or “defense.”


9. Cults are generally bound by a series of cult experiences not available to those outside the cult. These can be physical, mental, or spiritual.


10. Cults often separate themselves geographically, especially when they are starting or if they remain small.


The understanding is here that a cult cannot be defined by simply one of the points, but by at least a majority of them.


If the cult is to be defined as a Christian cult, the majority of the following will also apply:

1. They have their own additions to the Bible which they consider to be equal to the Bible in authority (or superior), necessary to complete the Bible, or necessary to understand the Bible. *


2. Christian terminology will be used, but often the definitions of the words will be at variance with the Biblical usages.


3. One or more of the following will be denied:
-- A. The physical incarnation of Jesus Christ
-- B. The full deity of Jesus Christ
-- C. The identification of Jesus Christ as Creator of everything.
-- D. The sufficiency and completion of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
-- E. The physical and true death of Jesus Christ.
-- F. The physical and true resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- -G. The physical and true ascension of Jesus Christ
-- H. The reality of the Trinity as presented in the Bible: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: Three Persons but one God.
-- I. Man’s intrinsic sin nature and his utter helplessness to save himself, become worthy of anything to do with heaven, or help in any way with his salvation.
-- J. The reality of the resurrection as opposed to reincarnation.
-- K. The absolute and eternal difference between God and man; the difference between Creator and created.
-- L. The absolute holiness, goodness, justice, mercy, and love of the One God.
-- M. The eternal and changeless nature of God.
-- N. Salvation by grace alone, through faith.


4. For any points of denial in item #3, there will be explanations and additional doctrines not found in the Bible and usually directly contradictory to it.


5. God will not be considered accessible to worshipers without some kind of mediator or representative in addition to or aside from Jesus Christ.


6. Certain rituals and/or works are required for the saving or exaltation of the worshiper.


7. The Bible is denied as being the inerrant Word of God in the original signatures. It will be declared
-- A. corrupted through time and needing restoration and/or interpretation
-- B. mainly myths and parables containing spiritual truths, and/or
-- C. the confused work of many authors which needs to be considered in that light.


8. The simple, clear reading of the Bible will be considered insufficient and wrong.

• * What is being pointed out here is that the simple doctrines and truth of the Bible are available to everyone who comes in contact with them, without need of any kind of interpretation. This is not to deny, however, that studies of the culture, language, idioms, history, etc., of the ancient peoples cannot add a great deal to our understanding of many parts of the Bible.

A shorter idea is from this post in the archives:

Generally a cult is an identifiable group which isolates itself somewhat, although not necessarily physically. Generally a cult authority has strong control over the members and some kind of money contribution or 'tithe' is demanded. Salvation is seen as only through that group, with penalties for leaving, including eternal damnation. Certain rites or ceremonies are often adhered to. If the cult is a Christian cult, the claim is made that the Bible cannot be understood without the help of the authority/authorities, and often additional 'scriptures' are used in addition to the Bible.

I think you can easily see Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians, etc. all fit in this description. In my opinion, the Roman Catholic church does, as well. They are all deeply involved in heretical doctrines and Mormons, Christadelphians, and Roman Catholics are all involved in the occult as well, which is strictly forbidden by the Bible.


I hope that helps.

 

[jshurley04]

According to Janet Reno one of the biggest cults inexistance today is the Independent Baptist Church or any Evangelical church. Don't that just make ya feel special?

 

[Ben W]

I would content that the Seventh Day Adventist Church are not a cult. No I am not a member. Based on theological considerations of their doctrines they are a Trinitarian Church with much in common with Baptists. Adventists are becoming more and more ecumenical all the time and in my opinion many christian brothers and sister are members of it.

What is a common thread in Cults is the denial of the Trinity. Often then the group does not recognise any other church and believes that they are it. Cults excersize extreme control over every detail of peoples lives and will often speak extremley negatively of people that have left the group.

Mike Oppenhimer has a ministry in Hawaii called "Let Us Reason". I have found them to be one of the best sources on Cults. John Ankerberg is another good teacher.

http://www.ankerberg.com/

 

[GODzThunder]

Originally posted by jshurley04:
According to Janet Reno one of the biggest cults inexistance today is the Independent Baptist Church or any Evangelical church. Don't that just make ya feel special?

you know that was just a ruse. She never released that publication or publically said the ten statements that deem a cult (that point to Baptist doctrine). Though I personally think that what was accredited to her IS truly her thought and that she thinks the Christian community period is a cult.

 

[jshurley04]

Originally posted by GODzThunder:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by jshurley04:
According to Janet Reno one of the biggest cults inexistance today is the Independent Baptist Church or any Evangelical church. Don't that just make ya feel special?

you know that was just a ruse. She never released that publication or publically said the ten statements that deem a cult (that point to Baptist doctrine). Though I personally think that what was accredited to her IS truly her thought and that she thinks the Christian community period is a cult. </font>[/QUOTE]BUT IT MUST BE TRUE! I heard it from the pulpit spoken by a preacher on a Sunday morning in the middle of the sermon. That always means that its true, does it not? (Tounge firmly in cheek)

 

[Ed Edwards]

Originally posted by jshurley04:
I heard it from the pulpit spoken by a preacher on a Sunday morning in the middle of the sermon. That always means that its true, does it not? (Tounge firmly in cheek)

In a like manner, I not only
heard it like that, i read it on
a web page as well

 

[Daniel Dunivan]

To define a cult one needs to ask if the question is being posed on sociological grounds or theological grounds. Philip Jenkins in "Mystics and Messiahs: Cults and New Religions in American History" uses the analogy of a weed in a flower bed. Weeds are simply plants (like grass) that are seemingly out of place. We want to get rid of them because they hold up to our standard of normalcy.

It could be argued that the early church could be seen as a cult, from a certian perspective (especially if that perspective is grounded to normalcy).

Grace and Peace, Danny

 

[GODzThunder]

I told you, a cult is always that Church down the road from yours, you know, the one where your disgruntled members go to when they leave your fellowship

j/k

 

[Alcott]

"Cult" is to religion as "neurosis" is to psychology. There is no precise definition, and just as every person is in some way abnormal or slightly disturbed, so is every religious organization.

 

[PeruSeminary Pastor Enoc]

Thank you friends for your help on this issue.
Especially I thank Helen for her exhaustive definition.
You all helped me very much.

In HIm,
Enoc P.

 

[Jensen]

Would the United Pentacostal churches (deny the Trinity?) be a cult?

 

[PeruSeminary Pastor Enoc]

A cult of any religion can generally be defined by the following:


1. A cult is a group that has differentiated itself from a main religious body in terms of doctrine.

2. A cult is governed by a strong authority, either in the form of one person or an authoritative hierarchy, or both.


3. A cult generally establishes its own set of laws by which the lives of its members are run.

4. A cult will establish itself as the sole repository either of the truth or of the whole truth, in opposition to the group separated from.


5. The cult authority is presented as the only way a true understanding of the cult’s Scriptures can be taught. Individual interpretation is either strongly discouraged or altogether forbidden.


The understanding is here that a cult cannot be defined by simply one of the points, but by at least a majority of them.


If the cult is to be defined as a Christian cult, the majority of the following will also apply:

2. Christian terminology will be used, but often the definitions of the words will be at variance with the Biblical usages.


3. One or more of the following will be denied:
-- A. The physical incarnation of Jesus Christ
-- B. The full deity of Jesus Christ
-- C. The identification of Jesus Christ as Creator of everything.
-- D. The sufficiency and completion of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
-- E. The physical and true death of Jesus Christ.
-- F. The physical and true resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- -G. The physical and true ascension of Jesus Christ
-- H. The reality of the Trinity as presented in the Bible: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: Three Persons but one God.

4. For any points of denial in item #3, there will be explanations and additional doctrines not found in the Bible and usually directly contradictory to it.


6. Certain rituals and/or works are required for the saving or exaltation of the worshiper.


I [/i]

I hope that helps. [/QB]

 

[PeruSeminary Pastor Enoc]

I think United Pentecostal Churches are a cult.

 

[Johnv]

Originally posted by Turbeville:
Any man made religion is a Cult...The only religion that is not man made is Christianity...

Just a sidenote. Christianity, as an organized religion, is a man-made religion, created by us to assist us with our relationship with God. Jesus DID NOT come to earth to found a religion.

However, Christianity, as a relationship, is a different story. Don't be fooled into believing that your church organization, denomination, etc, isn't man-made. It is. The only thing not man-made is the relationship.

If you believe that Jesus came to found an organized religion, you're dead wrong.

 

[Daniel David]

John, maybe you could explain why James refers to true Christianity as a religion. See James 1:27. Thanks.