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ever encountered a cult?

InChrist

Free4ever
Many Christian denominations require baptism though.
I suppose it depends. Some denominations require baptism into their church for one to receive salvation and eternal life; contrary to the scriptures because these are received through faith in Christ alone. I’d say these type of denominations are cults.
Other denominations only encourage baptism as a step of faith “after” one has already placed their faith in Christ and received salvation and eternal life in Him …not their denomination.
Big difference.
 
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GardenLady

Active Member
Therefore, any group, organization, or church such as the RCC, Mormon church, Watchtower, and numerous others which claim people must join their group and participate in their ordinances or rituals to reach God and gain eternal life have departed from biblical faith once and for all delivered to the saints (Jude)m 1:3). I consider any such group to be a cult that demands adherence to a person, pope, group of men, leaders, or organization; denying the sufficiency of Christ Alone.

I have left the RCC for a variety of reasons, but I don't think your take on it reflects the reality of the RCC position. There are those who see the role of the priest as mediator, but that is not a correct interpretation. The designated role of the priest is consistent with scripture in many ways, for example, Jesus' words "whose sins you forgive they are forgiven" and James' epistle, stating that there is sin that leads to death ("mortal" sin) and sin that does not lead to death ("venial" sin), etc.. And to quote a Catholic priest who I was taught by, "The only "work" that saves is the work Christ did on the cross." I have many issues with the RCC (hence my departure) but the idea that there is one mediator, Jesus, is not one of them.
 

1213

Well-Known Member
Has anyone here been in a cult, or had any encounters with a cult? Or known someone who has?
...​

Latest and worst cults that I know are the Covid cult and Climate change cult. Both are against freedom and basic human rights. And it is very sad that world leaders seem to be part of them both.
 

idea

Question Everything
Many Christian denominations require baptism though.

Not just any baptism, but baptism by some male who *has the proper authority*. Sprinkle or dunked? Infant or 8 years old? Their baptism is wrong, only our groups rituals will save you! Haha, and so the male power heirarchy begins.

...there was a time people hid their children to avoid paying taxes.. to find the children, the church's baptism records were collected.

Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) "The road to hell is paved with the skulls of unbaptized babies"
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
It’s not my opinion. If you don’t like it take it up with God and His Word. I had to acknowledge my error before God. I was raised a Catholic. After leaving Catholicism, I converted to Mormonism. Both systems pile extra-biblical requirements and burdens upon people to attain salvation and eternal life. In their religious systems Jesus Christ is not enough! Instead, a different gospel is presented, which sadly is not good news at all… just oppressive legalism.



But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
2 Corinthians 11:3-4
You ignore what Jesus said in the Sermon On the Mount and the Parable of the Sheep & Goats that mostly deal with how we act in response to the Gospel versus just having p,c, beliefs.

And in Catholicism, we are taught not to judge as that's God's role and not yours. Jesus said "... judge ye not...", but it's obvious that's fallen on your deaf ears.

IOW, "Physician, heal thyself".
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
My wife and I attended a Moonie meeting. The preacher was saying that sex is a sin. My wife was quite distressed. I had to explain to her that it was not a sin in itself and certainly not within marriage most of the time.
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
I do think the focus small and unorganized itself is harmful as it allows dangerous sects to fly unscrutinized. Televangelists are probably the easiest example there is. So many of them are predatory, exploitative, and hit all the points of a cult. But it's Christianity and religion they say, leaving few adequately concerned with the damage these con men do.
The denomination I grew up in (Southern Baptist/ Evangelical), it checks off the criteria left and right but it doesn't get recognized as a cult. Instead, it's been protected and dismissed on the grounds of freedom of religion and now this poisonous cult is getting ahead in US politics.

I believe attending an SBC church has not altered my ability to believe different things. I do like that the church sticks to its beliefs on morality.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I believe attending an SBC church has not altered my ability to believe different things. I do like that the church sticks to its beliefs on morality.
Sticking to its beliefs on morality means upholding the racism and pro-segregation and pro-Aparthied views they taught me.
Did you know the Southern Baptist Church only exists because it supported slavery and split from the mainstream Baptists who did not. It means denying science, traumatizing kids with the doctrine of Hell, saying everyone but Southern Baptists are going to Hell and sticking your nose where it doesn't belong.
 

Sand Dancer

Crazy Cat Lady
My wife and I attended a Moonie meeting. The preacher was saying that sex is a sin. My wife was quite distressed. I had to explain to her that it was not a sin in itself and certainly not within marriage most of the time.
If sex is a sin, how should we propagate the species?
 

GardenLady

Active Member
Latest and worst cults that I know are the Covid cult and Climate change cult. Both are against freedom and basic human rights. And it is very sad that world leaders seem to be part of them both.

I believe you are grossly mistaken in both of these areas.
 

InChrist

Free4ever
You ignore what Jesus said in the Sermon On the Mount and the Parable of the Sheep & Goats that mostly deal with how we act in response to the Gospel versus just having p,c, beliefs.

And in Catholicism, we are taught not to judge as that's God's role and not yours. Jesus said "... judge ye not...", but it's obvious that's fallen on your deaf ears.

IOW, "Physician, heal thyself".
I hope you don’t actually believe Jesus meant we are not to have discernment or judge between true and false or right and wrong. We would all be in big trouble if we didn’t make any kind of judgments concerning spiritual matters, as well as practical life situations.
Context is very important…


“Judge not lest you be judged” is a snippet from Christ’s great Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3—7:27). In Matthew 7, Jesus turns to the topic of judging others. Sadly, the passage is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied teachings in Scripture by believers and non-believers alike. In his commentary on Matthew, Stuart Weber gives this excellent summary of the correct meaning of Matthew 7:1: “Do not judge others until you are prepared to be judged by the same standard. And then, when you exercise judgment toward others, do it with humility” (Holman New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1, p. 96).

When Jesus said, “Judge not lest you be judged,” He wasn’t issuing a blanket rule that people are never to judge others. A closer look at the rest of the passage illuminates the real issue Christ wanted to address: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye” (Matthew 7:1–3, NLT).

Christ’s teaching was primarily directed to believers, but the principle can be applied to anyone. Jesus does expect us to “deal with the speck” in our friend’s eye, particularly our brothers and sisters in Christ. He wants us to discern sin in others so we can help them get rid of it. The purpose of judging someone else’s weakness is to help him or her walk in freedom (1 Corinthians 5:12). But how can we help someone else if we are not free? We must first be willing to look honestly at our own lives and exercise the same judgment toward ourselves. When we do this, we judge from a position of humility.

Jesus’s statement to “judge not lest you be judged” zeroed in on the problems of spiritual hypocrisy and self-centered pride. He compared these offenses to giant logs that blind us to our own faults while we laser in on shortcomings in others.

Humility is a mega theme throughout Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. It is impossible to carry out these kingdom teachings without maintaining authentic humbleness in our attitude toward others. In Matthew 5:7–11, Jesus encouraged His followers to show mercy, cultivate peace, and bless those who persecute them. To enter the kingdom of heaven, Jesus said that our righteousness had to exceed that of the teachers of the religious law and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).”

What does it mean to judge not lest you be judged (Matthew 7:1)? | GotQuestions.org
 

InChrist

Free4ever
I have left the RCC for a variety of reasons, but I don't think your take on it reflects the reality of the RCC position. There are those who see the role of the priest as mediator, but that is not a correct interpretation. The designated role of the priest is consistent with scripture in many ways, for example, Jesus' words "whose sins you forgive they are forgiven" and James' epistle, stating that there is sin that leads to death ("mortal" sin) and sin that does not lead to death ("venial" sin), etc.. And to quote a Catholic priest who I was taught by, "The only "work" that saves is the work Christ did on the cross." I have many issues with the RCC (hence my departure) but the idea that there is one mediator, Jesus, is not one of them.
Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
I hope you don’t actually believe Jesus meant we are not to have discernment or judge between true and false or right and wrong.
Yes, there's a difference between the two, but to declare certain Christian denominations as not being true Christians falls into the "not a true Scotsman" fallacy, plus it shows that you're really not that familiar with the history of the early Church.
 

jackwilliam1

New Member
As many others have noted, there is a large measure of perception in classifying a religious group as a cult.

A roommate I had in college joined a church over winter break one year. I would consider it a cult; others would not. It was a Oneness Pentecostal church that denied the Trinity, with lots of prepared prooftext while dismissing others. They claimed those who were trinitarians would not be saved. Those who did not speak in tongues would not be saved--lots of prooftexts for that too. They were extremely legalistic in matters of personal dress and appearance, emphasized very heavily for women, who were not to cut their hair, nor wear pants, nor wear shirts or dresses that showed their arms, nor wear dresses or skirts above the bottom of the knee, nor wear make up, nor wear jewelry other than a plain watch and plain wedding band. No photographs of of people on the walls of their homes. No music but religious music, no dancing, no alcohol. Members were required to attend church at least Sunday morning and evening and Wednesday (IIRC) evening. Big emphasis on recruiting others. Frequently talked about the RCC being the anti-Christ and the Rapture coming imminently "unless the Lord tarries." Used KJV type language in every day conversation about religious matters. What struck me is that those I met among her church did not only express the same concepts, they repeated them over and over and used virtually the same words.

Someone raised in a Pentecostal or Holiness church might not find this cult-like. I did.

Edited to add: I saw several of the hallmarks of a cult listed previously but my exposure wasn't extensive enough to see them all.
It seems like you observed several characteristics commonly associated with cult-like behavior, such as:

1. Exclusive Beliefs: The group held unique and exclusive doctrines, rejecting mainstream Christian beliefs.

2. Legalism: There were strict rules governing personal behavior, especially regarding dress and appearance.

3. Groupthink: Members expressed identical beliefs and used similar language, indicating a lack of independent thought.

4. Isolationism: Restrictions on external influences, such as limited exposure to non-religious music or art.

5. Recruitment Focus: There was a strong emphasis on recruiting others into the group.

6. Apocalyptic Thinking: Belief in an imminent Rapture and a negative view of other Christian denominations.

These characteristics are often considered red flags when evaluating the potential cult-like nature of a religious group.
 

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
My take is that religion is all about our relationship with one another and as long as religions teach to love all people and all religionists then I’m fine with that. But those branches which warn their followers not to mix with other religionists or condescend other religions to me they have become true cults because the purpose of religion is harmony not hate and prejudice and there are so many sects which are guilty of hate against other religionists that they are nothing but fanatical cults seeking superiority and exclusiveness to appease their enormous egos.

Recently a Christian friend of mine was chastised publicly in front of the congregation for mixing with Baha’is. We Baha’is are human beings and believe in Christ and that pastor warned her congregation to be careful of us as we are an offshoot of Islam which is also false. The thing is, those who spread hate and prejudice and seek to destroy friendships to me are cultists. We love all religions, accept them all and mix with them all as friends. So a cult to me becomes a cult when it spreads prejudice and hate instead of love and harmony.

Another group knocked on my door years ago. I invited them in to say prayers together but they related that their leaders told them not to associate with other religionists lest they catch a spiritual disease! That is a cult to me. Why shun each other? We are all equal humans.

Then there is the wonderful Catholic priest here. He treats us as equals. We visit his church and pray together and he occasionally drops in for a cup of tea. Now that is no cult. A good mature person who respects all no matter what we believe.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Has anyone here been in a cult, or had any encounters with a cult? Or known someone who has?

If so, please tell your story!

I would like this thread to be about peoples experiences of cults, not about cults themselves, which is a big topic

I have a friend who is in a South Korean cult known is The World Mission Society Church of God. They have coached him to dazzle people with biblical gymnastics with the aim of getting them to join their church by being baptised by one of their pastors. He is good at it and comes over as very convincing. He is totally committed to this church and is very keen to transmit his faith to others. They got to him when he was down and vulnerable. It's quite sad really.

Jesus qualifies as a cult leader in Christianity.

So yes I used to be in a personality cult.
 

danieldemol

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
My take is that religion is all about our relationship with one another and as long as religions teach to love all people and all religionists then I’m fine with that. But those branches which warn their followers not to mix with other religionists or condescend other religions to me they have become true cults because the purpose of religion is harmony not hate and prejudice and there are so many sects which are guilty of hate against other religionists that they are nothing but fanatical cults seeking superiority and exclusiveness to appease their enormous egos.

Recently a Christian friend of mine was chastised publicly in front of the congregation for mixing with Baha’is. We Baha’is are human beings and believe in Christ and that pastor warned her congregation to be careful of us as we are an offshoot of Islam which is also false. The thing is, those who spread hate and prejudice and seek to destroy friendships to me are cultists. We love all religions, accept them all and mix with them all as friends. So a cult to me becomes a cult when it spreads prejudice and hate instead of love and harmony.

Another group knocked on my door years ago. I invited them in to say prayers together but they related that their leaders told them not to associate with other religionists lest they catch a spiritual disease! That is a cult to me. Why shun each other? We are all equal humans.

Then there is the wonderful Catholic priest here. He treats us as equals. We visit his church and pray together and he occasionally drops in for a cup of tea. Now that is no cult. A good mature person who respects all no matter what we believe.
Baha'i to Christians - you should associate with all the sects Christian or otherwise.
Baha'i to other Baha'i sects;

'Currently, the Universal House of Justice has the sole authority to declare a person a Covenant-breaker,[2][6] and once identified, all Baháʼís are expected to shun them, even if they are family members.[5] According to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, Covenant-breaking is a contagious disease.[7] The Baháʼí writings forbid association with Covenant-breakers and Baháʼís are urged to avoid their literature, thus providing an exception to the Baháʼí principle of independent investigation of truth. Most Baháʼís are unaware of the small Baháʼí divisions that exist.[8]'
Source: Covenant-breaker - Wikipedia.
 
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