I'm not about to challenge your claim. I am just pointing out that it is unavoidably arbitrary.
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ever encountered a cult?
- Thread starter Eddi
- Start date
idea
Question Everything
I left the LDS church, and do consider them a cult. I left because of child abuse there.
On the outside it's all smiles and perfect families, like:
Newspaper obituary heaped praise on the Utah father accused of killing his family
Newspaper obituary heaped praise on the Utah father accused of killing his family
The piece, which has been removed, did not mention the murder-suicide that killed eight family members.
On the inside its
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.kr...-was-investigated-for-child-abuse-police/amp/
Utah father who allegedly killed family was investigated for child abuse: police
Scott Lewis
4 days ago
The caskets of Tausha Haight and her five children, Macie Lynn, 17, Briley Ann, 12, Ammon Michael, 7, Sienna Belle, 7, and Gavin Drew, 4, rest during a graveside service on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, in La Verkin, Utah. Tausha Haight, her mother, Gail Earl, and Tausha's five children were shot and killed by her husband Jan. 4. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)
On the inside, its child abuse, adultery, polygamy, hell. Patriarchal abuse is very common in Mormon religion. They will twist your mind.
FYI, "the spirit", is real, but isn't anything from god.
It is: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevation_(emotion)
Or Frisson - Wikipedia
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My understanding on cult is more about practices rather than the name of any religion or organisation.
In my mind cult like practices are:
To teach believers to shun other religions, not to be friend them or go near them
To be brainwashed to commit murder in the name of religion
To force people to accept a religion
To punish people who leave a religion
To persecute and kill atheists
To persecute and kill homosexuals
These are some of the practices which I consider to be ‘cult like’.
In my mind cult like practices are:
To teach believers to shun other religions, not to be friend them or go near them
To be brainwashed to commit murder in the name of religion
To force people to accept a religion
To punish people who leave a religion
To persecute and kill atheists
To persecute and kill homosexuals
These are some of the practices which I consider to be ‘cult like’.
To me it depends. The local Catholic priest welcomed me with extreme courtesy when I visited the church knowing I was from a different religion. He showered kindness on me and my Christian friends are incredibly respectful and loving sending me a large pot of Indian Biriyani and Indian sweets at Christmas. The priest invited us to lunch with bishops and priests and they all visited my Temple in Sydney.
But I’ve also had Christians who said they could not enter my home as their leaders warned them of getting a spiritual disease or infection.
So it depends on the person. I find there are good and not so good people but I like most people. I think you are a good person and very intelligent. It doesn’t matter that we don’t think the same. I think our humanity comes first.
Sand Dancer
Crazy Cat Lady
If child abuse is a criteria for a cult, most other Christian denoms are cults as well.I left the LDS church, and do consider them a cult. I left because of child abuse there.
On the outside it's all smiles and perfect families, like:
Newspaper obituary heaped praise on the Utah father accused of killing his family
Newspaper obituary heaped praise on the Utah father accused of killing his family
The piece, which has been removed, did not mention the murder-suicide that killed eight family members.
On the inside its
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.kr...-was-investigated-for-child-abuse-police/amp/
Utah father who allegedly killed family was investigated for child abuse: police
Scott Lewis
4 days ago
The caskets of Tausha Haight and her five children, Macie Lynn, 17, Briley Ann, 12, Ammon Michael, 7, Sienna Belle, 7, and Gavin Drew, 4, rest during a graveside service on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, in La Verkin, Utah. Tausha Haight, her mother, Gail Earl, and Tausha's five children were shot and killed by her husband Jan. 4. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)
On the inside, its child abuse, adultery, polygamy, hell. Patriarchal abuse is very common in Mormon religion. They will twist your mind.
FYI, "the spirit", is real, but isn't anything from god.
It is: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevation_(emotion)
Or Frisson - Wikipedia
idea
Question Everything
Yes, most Christian denominations are organized as male heirarchies - man is head of household, men have priesthood / authority.
For LDS/ Mormons, its a step above.. Joseph Smith was a pedophile and polygamist - child brides, it is why the surrounding community killed him. When your faith was founded by a pedophile, and the organization is set up with things like - PPI's, personal priesthood interviews, where men ask little girls things like "do you masterbate?" , combine with priest-penitant privilidge...
LDS believes their leaders are called by god, members raise their hands together to sustain and uphold their pedophile leaders. The temple -
Secret hand shakes, secret names, special underwear, you covenant to serve your leaders or slit your throat (hand gesture during temple ceremony) emotional manipulation that includes manipulating your family - "the spirit" is a real sensation, NOT from god.
Mormons are cultists.
Sand Dancer
Crazy Cat Lady
These things often were taken from OT ceremonies, but not always.
idea
Question Everything
Sand Dancer
Crazy Cat Lady
Did South Americans take part in those types of rituals?
idea
Question Everything
No, the actual history of South America is quite different from Joseph Smith's made-up history.
Mormons have a different set of scriptures, "the book of Mormon" that is a completely unfounded account of South America. No archeological support, Joseph Smith has European crops, European animals, european social structures into his make-believe South American "history". So no, it isn't an account of actual rituals - it is a made up account that allowed Joseph to abuse girls, with made-up crap like "seer". His family was into folk magic, treasure diggers, magic rocks . He never found any actual treasure, was a proven fraud.
The book of Mormon is warped Bible fan-fiction. Nothing in it is real. I mean at least for the Bible Jerusalem is real, you can go to Israel, you can see Biblical artifacts.
There are no artifacts for the Mormon scriptures, their scriptures describe plants, animals, metallurgy that did not exist in South America. It is complete bs
Joseph Smith's Kinderhook Plates
Magic rock
Translation of the Book of Mormon
Cults control information. "Don't listen to the archeologists, don't listen to the linguists who correctly translated the Egyptian funeral text (book of Abraham, don't listen to anyone but us" = cult.
They re-wrote the Bible too...
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InChrist
Free4ever
According to the scriptures, they aren’t.Oh, I see, Catholicism and the Church of Christ of the Latter-Day Saints aren't truly Christian.
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
Evidence?
BTW, have you ever read about the history of Christianity? Here's one that's not affiliated with any denomination:
The Christian Church originated in Roman Judea in the first century AD/CE, founded on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who first gathered disciples. Those disciples later became known as "Christians"; according to Scripture, Jesus commanded them to spread his teachings to all the world. For most Christians, the holiday of Pentecost (an event that occurred after Jesus' ascension to Heaven) represents the birthday of the Church,[19][20][21] signified by the descent of the Holy Spirit on gathered disciples.[Acts 2][22] The leadership of the Christian Church began with the Apostles.
Springing out of Second Temple Judaism, from Christianity's earliest days, Christians accepted non-Jews (Gentiles) without requiring full adoption of Jewish customs (such as circumcision).[Acts 10-15][23] The parallels in the Jewish faith are the Proselytes, Godfearers, and Noahide Law; see also Biblical law in Christianity. Some think that conflict with Jewish religious authorities quickly led to the expulsion of Christians from the synagogues in Jerusalem.[24]
The Church gradually spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, gaining major establishments in cities such as Jerusalem, Antioch, and Edessa.[25][26][27] The Roman authorities persecuted it because Christians refused to make sacrifice to the Roman gods, and challenged the imperial cult.[28]... Christian Church - Wikipedia
idea
Question Everything
1Cor 10:13 No confusion has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.
No one in a cult believes they are in a cult.
Everyone believes their group is the logical, authoritative, legitimate group, that everyone else is led astray.
Everyone has been led astray.
The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also. - M.Twain
When you point a finger, 3 pointing back at you. Judge your own group with the same metrics, you will find child abuse, power abuse, lies, good, and evil no matter where you go.
Group think, tribalism, doctrines/creeds - all groups are cults.
InChrist
Free4ever
I sure will judge my group or any group with the same biblical criteria. According to the scriptures there is One Savior/ One Mediator between humanity and God; Jesus Christ Alone (1 Timothy 2:4). 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.
InChrist
Free4ever
Thank you for the historical highlights. I have read quite a bit of church history. I’m not contesting that, rather doctrinal truth.
According to the scriptures there is One Savior/ One Mediator between humanity and God; Jesus Christ Alone (1 Timothy 2:4). 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.
In the 'broad' sense of the definition of 'cult', any group who revere's a historical person is a cult.
And the Church has many 'cults'.
Sand Dancer
Crazy Cat Lady
Many Christian denominations require baptism though.
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
That's all fine & dandy per your opinion, but to declare other denominations as not being Christian is nothing short of arrogant nonsense. Who are you to make that judgement?
Maybe reread Jesus' Sermon On the Mount and see what he says is most important. Maybe reread what Jesus says in his Parable of the Sheep & Goats in regard to judgement.
IOW, get over yourself.
InChrist
Free4ever
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