Cults
Right now, as you read the title of this essay, you may be saying to yourself, “Well, I would never fall for that stuff.” Beware, cults can trick almost anyone into believing their deadly garbage. Unless an individual pays close attention to what a valid version of the Bible says and means, it is easy for a person to be led down the devil's primrose lane by the lies of his charismatic helpers. Someone can dupe people of every age and intelligence level not only into believing false religious doctrine, but can also be swept up and energized that they go out and try to recruit more converts for Satan.
What are cults? A cult consists of a group of people with a more or less unified ideological theme or cultural identity. Within that broad definition, the fanatical fans of the Greenbay Packers could be called a cult, as could any group of passionate, if not overzealous, devotees of any sports franchise, be it professional, college, high school or even Little League teams. The same can be said of those casting their adoration on movie stars and television celebrities.
Egypt, of Old Testament times, had more than 40 false gods, each with their own cult following, and some overlapping. These false idols included Osiris, lord of the afterlife; Thoth, god of wisdom, and Horus, god of the sun. Ra and Horus were so similar that they were sometimes considered two aspects of the same gods. Both represented the sun, the skies, and royalty, and were even said to share the service of Hathor, a goddess known as a consort or companion.
Apparently, the Hebrews were little, if anyway, directly affected by these false gods during their four centuries of captivity in Egypt. The ten plagues of god against Egypt were humiliations of ten specific Egyptian gods. These were;
Seth- god of storms had the plague of locusts
Hapi- god of the Nile and water was turned to blood
Geb- god of the earth where lice came up from the dust
Ra- The sun god was punished by three days of darkness
Nut- goddess of the sky suffered hail raining down in fiery balls
Heket- goddess of Fertility and Frogs coming from the Nile River
Hathor-goddess of love was plagued by the death of cattle and livestock
Isis- goddess of medicine and peace as ashes turned into boils and sores
Khepri- god of creation and sun's motion was plagued by swarms of flies
Pharaoh of Egypt, the god king, suffered the plague of death of the firstborn
Other Old Testament cults worshiped false gods in many forms. Baal was often revered as a sun god or storm god, plus he was a fertility god credited with making the earth bear crops and women bear children. Baal worshiping rites included prostitution and human sacrifice.
Chemosh was a lesser known god of the Moabites and also worshiped by the Ammonites. Religious rituals involving this god were said to be extremely cruel and also may have involved human sacrifice. Solomon erected an altar to Chemosh south of the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem, on the Hill of Corruption. (2 Kings 23:13)
The Golden Calf is reported twice in the Bible: first at the foot of Mount Sinai, fashioned by Aaron, and second in the reign of King Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:26-30). In each instance, the idols were false physical representations of Yahweh and were judged by Him as sin, since He commanded that no images should be made of him.
While not being specifically named as satanic cults, the townships of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Nineveh's wantonly engaged in all manners of sinful activities, sexual immorality, and pride. Their ceremonial false-god offenses to God Almighty were the principal reasons for their righteous destruction.
America has also suffered the deadly stains of religious cults gone askew. Maybe the most notorious cult was the Charles Manson Family. Manson may be one of the most readily recognized cult leaders of America's last century. In the 1960s, he was able to lure many followers, especially women, under his power. The cult believed that “Helter Skelter,” a race war they named, was close at hand.
Do you recall reading about the Rajneeshee cult? This controversial movement ran into trouble in the 1970s due to the founder's hostility towards India's Hindu morals. In 1981, Rajneeshesh and its followers relocated to Wasco County, Oregon, and established what became known as the Big Muddy Ranch. In a short 3-year span this ranch became a city with 7,000 residents, its own police force, fire departments, parks, and restaurants. Tensions escalated when the cult attempted to take over the neighboring town’s government. The hierarchy leading members of the commune were arrested for crimes, including an attempted assassination plot to murder U.S. Attorney Charles Turne for their part of the first recorded bio-terror attack on American soil. After twenty-one countries denied him entry in 1985, Rajneeshesh was deported to Pune, India.
David Berg, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, arrived with his family at Ellis Island in 1904. In 1968, he founded the California cult known as the Children of God. The diminutive group grew quickly, and by the 1970s, the group had communes around the country and worldwide.
David communicated with his followers through 3,000 letters written in two years. Berg encouraged female members to recruit new members by showing “God’s love and mercy,” which became known as “flirty fishing.” In one letter, David felt that God created boys and girls to have children even at the young age of twelve. Many would categorize him as a pedophile.
In 1974, Heaven’s Gate was founded by Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite. They had met a couple of years earlier and claimed to be witnesses of Revelation. Their teachings amassed several hundred followers by the mid to late 1970s. Their central belief was that they could reject their human nature and ascend to heaven as immortal extraterrestrial beings. This group was widely denounced as a religious group when it became widely known that they believed they were certain to go to Heaven on a UFO. When, in 1985, Bonnie died from cancer, her death, naturally, caused many members to question the authenticity of their teachings. After Applewhite died in 1997, the remaining thirty-nine members committed mass suicide. This was the largest American-group suicide since more than 900 members of the cult called the Peoples Temple died in a mass suicide Jonestown, Guyana in 1978.
Heaven’s Gate's end is perhaps best known for the fact that they wore identical outfits. The bodies of 21 men and 18 women, each clothed in black tunics and covered by a purple blanket, were found with shaved heads. Each had $5.75 cash in their pocket and a travel bag next to them on the floor. Death was caused by consuming a lethal cocktail of apple sauce and vodka blended with phenobarbital. Multiple copycat-suicides of several former members of Heaven’s Gate soon followed.
In 2002, after the passing of his father, Warren Jeffs was annotated “President of the Priesthood" of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The FLDS had roots in the Mormon faith which shed polygamy 100 years ago. However, the FLDS group practiced polygamy with multiple husbands and/or wives at the same time. In fact, with his father's grave less than a week old, Warren married all but two of his father's wives, one refused to marry and another fled the compound. Then there were the wives Jeff already had, all in all, the estimate is about 70 to 80 women who gave him dozens of children. His fundamentalist followers numbered more than 10,000 and were scattered throughout Arizona, Utah, and Texas.
Angel’s Landing, a Wichita, Kansas cult, was conceived by Daniel Perez, AKA Lou Castro. He convinced his followers that he was the embodiment of a 1,000-year-old angel who could see into the future. He even claimed to tell people exactly when they would die, which proved very beneficial as he often took out a high dollar life insurance policy on select followers. Police suspicions arose in 2003 when one of his followers, Patrica Hughes, died in 2003, followed by her husband in 2006. Both deaths were initially deemed accidental. However, in 2010, after more in-depth investigations, authorities arrested Perez at his new home in Tennessee after hearing what had been going on at Angel’s Landing. This new information came through interviews with previous members of the commune. Perez was charged with 28 felonies. He was sentenced to two terms of life in prison and will not be eligible for parole until 2095.
It was eventually uncovered there was rampant sexual abuse on the compound. In the end, Perez was charged with 28 felonies, and in February 2015, he was convicted on all counts and sentenced to 80 years in prison. He remains in prison to this day.
But today, let's discuss the growing number of religious cults. These are some religions of yesterday that continue to thrive today. Most believe and practice radically different, non-christian theologies. Satanism is a radical sect or conglomeration thereof who are frequently so blatantly obvious they are easy to recognize. But not always, as the devil and the work of his minions can be as quiet as a whisper in your ear or the soft, barbed tingle of lust's arousal.
Yes, religious cults are radically off beat. Of course, what is “radical” is often in the eye of the beholder. And the more “common people” that join them, the more mainstream they appear.
For an across-the-board list of “Modern Day Cults,” from the 19th century upward, too extensive to cover here, type www.liquisearch.com/list_of_cults/list into your smartphone or computer's browser. There you will find more than 260 entries, not counting a few that changed their names multiple times in the past like the 1972, Hindu-inspired cult “Adidam” which has undergone the confusion of nine name changes.
Within a broad interpretation, the Catholic religion is considered a cult by some, you might even say many. There are several foundational aspects for those viewpoints. The clearest, resolutely simple, example might be that all Catholic church goers must call any priest of a particular congregation “Father”—even though Jesus Christ himself chastised His disciples for calling him that. This verse is found in the New King James Version (NKJV) Matthew 23:9. It reads; And don’t call anyone on earth ‘Father.’ You have one Father. He is in heaven. If this is not raising the “priests” above God, I do not know what else it could be labeled. Christ can certainly speak clearly—if only you do not let religious leaders smother His words with their misguided interpretations.
The Catholics have an elitist class presenting the “official church view” of the Bible meanings from the pulpit. Thus, only the leaders interpret the Bible for the non-clergy“unenlightened.” In ascending order, those would be Deacons, Priests. Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinals, and Pope. The Pope is exalted never to be wrong in doctrine or practices. And all that come into his presence must kiss his ring. Wow! That's far from the humility that Jesus exemplified and practiced.
Also, in Catholicism, as with many similar cults, there are narrowly centered writings, pamphlets, or books that act as the final authority and final interpretation of the Bible for their followers. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a 900 page book re-authored in 1992 by Pope John Paul II.
Modern day religious cults usually, if not always, attribute different powers or understandings of Jesus, or alternate ways of salvation. Some rewrite the Bible to coincide with their beliefs. Such quasi-religious sects rewrite the Bible to conform to their own versions of what they inevitably call “The Truth.” Which usually originated with one person’s interpretation of various sections of the Bible. As time passes, a “movement” of misled supporters attaches themselves to the erroneous beliefs and the true Gospel truths are glossed over or simply explained away by false doctrine.
For example, Christian Scientologist, Mormons, Muslims, Pentecostal, etc., cults often portray a different, less than holy Jesus and contrasting ways of salvation. The Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses have actually changed the text of their bibles to fit their doctoral versions, as did the Muslims with their Koran.
Although the roots of religion across most nations and tribes reach back to the beginning of human history, Christianity as known today began with Christ and the Apostles. At Pentecost, the close followers of Jesus were blessed with the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us He gave this command to the disciples: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
After the death and resurrection of Christ, these disciples traveled on their own—or were scattered by persecution throughout the ancient world. Not only did they preach the message of Jesus, but they started churches in town after town. Many Protestant scholars point to that era as the birth of the Christian church. No matter what starting moment is chosen, Christianity began in the first century A.D. and the miracles as the teachings of Christ were scribed onto scrolls that were gathered up to be much later assembled into the New Testament.
It didn't take Satan long to begin to dispatch his minions of false teachers. Trying to stem the flow of these heretics, Peter devoted most of 2 Peter to warning against false teachers. Jude also dedicated his short letter to rally against this same theme. John, in his epistles, repeatedly gave similar warnings. Paul’s final words to the Ephesian were recorded by Acts 20:28-30. He warned them: Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, from among yourselves, men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
However, before we start to peer into the doctrine of false teaching, I wish to state; “I am not condemning any individual member of a congregation swayed by false doctrine. For even if the teachings of their particular church are grievously in error, if a person believes in Jesus Christ, that person is on the path to salvation. Hopefully, the Holy Spirit will prevail so that person's sin will not appear before God the Father.
So, let's peel back and examine the false tenets of a major religion deemed as a cult by many scholars. That would be the teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Most every Jehovah’s Witness will claim to be a Christian. But is that factual? The history of the Jehovah’s Witnesses began in the latter portion of the 19th century. When Charles Taze Russell was 17, he tried to convert an atheist to Christianity and ended up being converted instead—not as an outright atheist, but to agnosticism which is a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the nature or existence of God or a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God. Neutral thinking is not a path to salvation.
The Jehovah's Witnesses sect was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916). His chief claim was that Jesus Christ, the perfect man, had returned invisibly to earth in 1874 and would establish God’s visible kingdom after the Battle of Armageddon in 1914. In 1879, Charles began publishing his magazine, “Zion’s WatchTower” and the “Herald of Christ’s Presence.” Initially, Russell established Zion’s WatchTower Tract Society, the forerunner of the current Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. The society sold books, magazines, and other literature for door-to-door evangelism. In 1904, Russell completed his six-volume Studies in the Scriptures.
Russell taught his followers that hell did not exist, nor did the Trinity. He preached only the Father, Jehovah, is God, and the Holy Spirit was mortal, not immortal. He also predicted Jesus would return to earth in 1914. As 1914 came and went, with no Jesus in sight, Charles modified his teachings and claimed Jesus had, in fact, returned to Earth invisibly. Russell died in 1916 and was succeeded by “Judge” Joseph R. Rutherford, who never was a real judge, claimed that title because, as an attorney, he had substituted for an absentee judge.
The fervent doctoral messages of the Jehovah’s Witnesses centered on “specific timelines” predictions that were made and that failed to come to pass. For example, in 1920, the WatchTower Tract Society predicted the earthly resurrection of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would occur in 1925. As we now know, that year came and went without the prophesied resurrections. Later, in 1938, the followers of the WatchTower Society adopted the name Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Today's Christians affirm the deity of Jesus Christ's and His resurrection. On the contrary, Jehovah's Witnesses explicitly deny the deity of Christ. They believe that Jesus can be called a deity or a god, but only in the sense that an angel can be called a god. (notice the small “g” designation) They affirm the deity of God the Father, but specifically deny the divinity of Jesus Christ. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe and teach that Jesus Christ is the incarnated name of Michael the archangel. They believe that Michael was the first angel created by God the Father, and is second in command in God’s organization. Having never read the entire “Watchtower Bible,” I do not know if that theory is supported therein or not.
We Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is fully Divine and an entity of the Triune God. We can read many scriptural references to the personality and attributes of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks (Acts 13:2), hears and guides (John 16:13) and can be grieved (Isaiah 63:10).
That the Holy Spirit is a person is denied by Jehovah’s Witnesses. They often refer to Him with the inanimate pronoun ‘it’. They believe the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force that God uses to accomplish His will.
Christians believe that God is Triune; that is, that He is one being expressed in three persons or Divinities. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim this is a huge error. They claim the Trinity is a three-headed false god that was invented by Satan to delude and confuse Christians.
Evangelical Christians believe that salvation is by grace, through faith, and based entirely on the work of Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 reports: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. The Jehovah church renounces Galatians 2:16, which states; knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in a very convoluted, work-oriented salvation of two-class groups. The hierarchy's view is that only 144,000 high-ranking leaders will enter paradise, while the other 'saved souls” will only be banished to (the new) earth. While most Jehovah’s Witnesses converts strive to earn their way into the “New Order” for the “reward of eternal life,” many are fearful of falling short.
We Christians believe that salvation is only possible through the grace given atonement of Jesus Christ. That is, that Jesus suffered for the sins of all people and died as a substitute for those that believe in Him. Christ fully satisfied every penalty for our sin.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do express belief in the atonement of Jesus Christ, and to the casual ear, many of the statements Jehovah’s Witnesses have made about the atonement sound very similar to what a Christian would believe. A primary difference is their lower view of Jesus Christ preached from their pulpit. Jehovah’s Witnesses implore a parity between the “first Adam” and his sin, and the “second Adam” and his sacrifice. They spout that since it was a man who plunged the human condition into ruin, it is also a man who would ransom mankind from that ruin. They insist the punishment must necessarily fit the crime. Therefore, it is a human sacrifice that is required in the place of man. These arguments (and more concerning the atonement) have no grounds in the Scriptures.
Allow me to paraphrase 1 Corinthians 15: 45-49, The Scriptures say, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” All people belong to the earth. They are like that first man of earth. But the second Adam is the eternal life-giving spirit and did not come first. It was Adam, the physical man who came first. Then came the spiritual second Adam. The first man came from the dust of the earth. The second man came from heaven. But those who belong to heaven are like that man of heaven. We were made like that man of earth, but if we believe in Christ, we will also be made like that man of heaven.
True Christians affirm the biblical descriptions of the Resurrection—that Jesus Christ truly and completely died, then, on the third day following His crucifixion, God physically raised Him from the dead. Paul clearly wrote 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 to be crystal clear about the resurrection of Christ.” For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that, He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that, He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then, last of all, He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” Paul wrote this incontrovertible evidence, which is a foundation of the Christian doctrine.
Jehovah’s Witnesses, however, have a distinctively different divinity doctrine. The November, 1991 edition of the Watchtower magazine asserted, “God disposed of Jesus’ body, not allowing it to see corruption and thus preventing its becoming a stumbling block to faith.”
The Jehovah’s Witnesses' view of the “resurrection” of Jesus Christ is far from what Christians believe. Instead, the Watchtower Society claims that Jesus did not raise His physical human body, but rather as an invisible spirit—the archangel Michael. They state: “ … in his resurrection he ‘became a life-giving spirit.’ That was why, for most of the time, he was invisible to his faithful apostles … He needs no human body any longer … The human body of flesh, which Jesus Christ laid down forever as a ransom sacrifice, was disposed of by God’s power.” So their “Reasoning from the Scriptures, page 218” is rewritten false-evidence that the Son of God was known as Michael before he came to earth and is known also by that name since his return to heaven where he resides as the glorified spirit Son of God.
As you can see, they explicitly deny that Jesus Christ was physically raised in the flesh and believe that all statements to that effect are non-scriptural. The WatchTower teaches that the body of Jesus passed out of existence at his death and that God disposed of his body and that on the third day God created him once again as the archangel Michael.
As far as their “church” goes, the Jehovah Witnesses insist that their church is exclusively the only real church, and Satan created all other churches. As proof, they point to the different denominations in Christendom.
Christians believe that all those who call upon the name of Lord Jesus Christ make up the true universal church. Any group of believers who voluntarily meet and worship together are a Church. Walls, locations, and even numbers of congregants hold no sway as to defining a true Christian Church. We know it is a true belief in the incarnate Jesus Christ, and true Biblical doctrine that defines a Christian Church.
One of the truisms of Christianity is that the Bible explicitly confirms the existence of hell as a place of eternal punishment for all sinners who die outside of God’s grace in Christ. This is the just punishment for sin. Matthew 10:28 warns, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” But the Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the idea of hell, insisting that every soul ceases to exist at the moment of death.
The WatchTower Bible and Tract Society are rather arrogant about their 1961 rewritten version of the bible known as the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT). And to speak fairly, there are many Protestant Bible translations to study in virtually every language in the world. Different Christian denominations prefer different translations for a variety of reasons, including accuracy, the inspirational flow of language, and ease of readability. Among the more widely used English translations are the King James Bible, the New International Version, the New King James Version, and the Easy To Read Version. At Biblegateway.com, one can peruse any chapter or verse in more that fifty Bible versions.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses insist that there is one translation that is faithful to the Word of God—theirs! However, eventually, the names of the six translators became known. Frederick Franz was the main translator. A nephew of his, Raymond Franz, and his wife, left the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1980 before authoring the book Crisis of Conscience (1983). Within that book, he said his uncle, Fred Franz was the only one with sufficient knowledge of the Bible languages to attempt a translation of this kind. He had studied Greek for two years in the University of Cincinnati but was only self-taught in Hebrew.
It is reported that Frederick Franz, the primary translator of the NWT, had only twenty-one hours of classical Greek training at the University of Cincinnati and only two hours of Biblical Greek or Koine Greek. The normal study course lasts for two years or four semesters. This means that the primary translator of the NWT was inadequately trained to perform the task of Bible translation.
At best, the other five NWT translators had only elementary exposures to the written Greek language. This specific information suggests the translation of the NWT is highly suspect. It is a surprise that these men embarked on a translation task as significant as translating the Bible when they had little or no training in the Greek language. For a more in depth study of this, complete with all the footnotes, visit the Neverthirsty.org web-page and search for “how accurate is the New World Translation bible.
Their translation is full of alternate wordings not supported by either the Greek or the Hebrew text. Nearly all of these alternative readings are intended to support the particular views of Jehovah’s Witnesses. For example, in Genesis 1:2, the Spirit of God becomes God’s active force. This supports their view that the Holy Spirit is an inanimate force. The Word was God in John 1:1 becomes the Word was a god. This supports their denial of Christ’s deity. Translations of that ilk are crucial for Jehovah’s Witnesses to “Biblically” support their unorthodox views.
Jehovah’s Witnesses explicitly deny the gospel by grace alone through faith alone apart from works. They deny that a person is justified by faith in Christ. They deny the nature of Christ and the atonement; they negate the resurrection and the just wrath of God upon sin. Thus, it would be impossible for me to affirm that any cultist or unreconciled Jehovah’s Witness, believing the WatchTower edicts, is Christian. That decision rests upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Usually cults have a different Jesus or different ways of salvation. Several rewrite different Bible passages or interpret critical portions of the Bible erroneously. They teach legalism or have different philosophy's about life after death. More than one cult claims “Their Way” is the “Only Way.”
Let's delve into how cults attract people. If you don’t have a sound education or a moderate understanding of the Bible, a person is more susceptible to someone opening their Bible, which may contain rewritten verses, and saying, “Now, look at this specific verse. Your denomination does not take account of the true interpretation of that particular verse. Let me explain that to you.” Weak willed people or those unschooled in the Bible, not knowing what they ought to believe, are much easier led astray.
What a shame—when being led astray can last for all eternity. The only “vaccines” against Satan's evil cults are the messages of the Good Book, primarily the New Testament, and some support furnished by a few true Christian friends.
Many folks have deep-rooted desires to belong. Sometimes, this leads people to join a dangerous cult. Is today's modern world with all its inherent devices of mass communication—really such an isolating environment where people believe anything they're told under the guise of belonging to a movement?
Not necessarily in the order presented below, most cults will bend your will using these and other techniques.
CULTS ISOLATE YOU
CULTS WILL BEFRIEND YOU
CULTS ENFORCE TIGHT CONTROLS
CULTS WILL EXPLOIT YOUR WEAKNESS
CULTS PROVIDE FALSE HOPE AND SOLUTIONS
CULTS PREACH THAT OUR WAY IS THE ONLY WAY
CULTS TEACH AN “US AGAINST THEM” PHILOSOPHY
CULTS SUBMERGED YOUR IDENTITY INTO THE GROUP
The Church of Scientology started as a simple, self-help pamphlet. While they claim to have over 4 million members, many critics say the true number is less than 50,000. Whatever the count, the Church of Scientology is now cast as a cult by deserters and detractors alike. Here are a few things we know about the strange pseudo-religion.
Entrapment by demonic entities knows no social or economic boundaries, though cult leaders have recruitment preferences. Under the right conditions, most people could be susceptible to the influence of a powerful, charismatic leader. Those most susceptible to cult recruitment are confused searchers, often over stressed with disappointment in their life to the point of being emotionally vulnerable. Many candidates for cult induction have tenuous family connections if they have any relations at all. Oftentimes, there are lingering pangs of anger over past physical mistreatment and drug abuse.
Cult tactics are employed by all types to grow their ill-conceived causes. The rise of Hitler is a perfect example. As an Austrian, Adolf was an outcast living on the fringes of German society. Using all facets of his charisma, and pitting the German “True Bloodline” against the filthy Jews (his characterization, not mine), he could draw thugs to his cause with his captivating speeches. His small fringe group ended up growing into an entire army because he presented them with a vision of superiority over the rest of the world that made them feel arrogant. Like in this newly found unity, they were far stronger and greater than themselves as individuals.
Dr. Alexandra Stein, PhD, a social psychology educator specializing in ideological extremism and dangerous social relationships, said, “No matter the ideology of a cult, the techniques are the same. Their leaders operate in the same way as both totalitarian leaders and domestic abusers, and to understand that is to protect yourself from their coercion.” She should know, not only was she in a cult, she could escape a political cult based in Minneapolis.
The Average Joe's and Jane's don't lure people into cults. Charismatic people, because they are great manipulators, have the proverbial golden ticket with cult recruitment and advancement into leadership positions. If someone's persona is fascinatingly commanding, they easily attract admiring followers. This is key to understanding how cults manipulate. It's someone with the personality that fits the job description. If you are wealthy, or at least well off, you could be preyed upon. The second most preferred category would be young intellectuals who have the time and energy to increase cult recruitment. The victims of the third grouping, who are well represented in the two previous types are women. To the tune of 70% of all cult memberships, women prove to be more susceptible to being seduced into cults. So, you could be a billionaire or a Bowery street bum—you could even be a sweet old lady offering tea and crumpets to your weekly Bible Study group and be in danger of being lured into a cult.
Young men and women college students are prime prey for cult recruitment since they’re still developing their character identities and many have been detached from parental over-watch. A class of person even more susceptible are those who were verbally degraded or uncompassionately neglected as youths to teenagers because they crave validation often absent during their childhood.
Of course, some people gravitate towards the notion that only their physical realm. So when a “good storyteller” comes along with an enticing, spirit-based pitch, their vulnerable, malleable minds are massaged into believing almost anything. While many cults draw society's outcasts, the Scientology cult defies convention by entrapping the rich and famous. In 1955, L. Ron Hubbard specified that going after celebrities “just past or approaching their prime” was crucial to spreading the word. Plus, drafting famous persons like Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, and Sharon Stone seemed to be an easy way to bankroll much of the entire organization's expenses because everybody pays upfront a reported $4,000 to receive 12 Scientology books. These are a necessity if you would like to understand the “Spiritual Levels” which number from minus 34 to positive 21, fifty-five in all. Of course, each spiritual step cost multiple thousands of dollars. To reach the “Spiritual Upper Echelon,” could easily cost over three hundred thousand dollars.
In Going Clear, an HBO film documentary, former Scientologist Sylvia Taylor, revealed that they sent her to a place called Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF). Sylvia had been a liaison between “the church” and John Travolta. She stated the RPF was a prison camp in which they forced people to do 30 hours of hard labor with just three hours off. They were also forced to eat table scraps and sleep on dirty mattresses. “The living conditions sucked,” she said, “the work sucked, and no one was paid for their labor.” All that, even though the church's worth was almost two-billion dollars.
Once in, no one escapes Scientology easily, even though the church purports that members are free to leave for any reason at any time. This is contrary to what one ex-Scientologist reported. In her interview, Leah Remini, of the show King of Queens, states that members who broke faith with Scientology and left often found themselves the targets of smear campaigns. If you escape, you will not go unscathed. You'll be made to suffer somehow. Those who left the work camps, like Sea Org, were often sent a bill for room, board, food, and other miscellaneous fees accrued during their internment, despite Scientology claiming it charges nothing for staying there.
Since all the evidence and testimony of ex-Scientology members point to the church of Scientology as a carefully constructed scam set masquerading up as an organized, Tax-exempt religion, why is it recognized as a legitimate religion? In 2016, the Supreme Court revoked its IRS Tax-exempt status with all the Justices voting unanimously. They decided that “the church” could operate as a business but not a tax-free religious organization.
Many Christians consider most cult-susceptible inductees mentally ill. Usually, this isn’t the case. Cults don’t encourage severely irrational people to join. Also, often there are too many secret things going on within the cult. Rather, they prefer relatively stable people who can donate money or work towards recruiting. Relatively “normal” but socially dependent, gullible persons are their primary quarry.
Another cult, the Moonies, under the reverend Sun Myung Moon, developed a recruitment routine known as “love-bombing.” After developing designs on an emotionally vulnerable candidate, that cult flooded that person with affection and flattering assurances. Their college campus practices involved cult recruiters, frequently of the opposite gender, to approach students and do everything possible to make that enrollee feel special and unique by quickly communicating, “I am your new best friend.” They pretended to hold mutual interests to give the impression of numerous things shared in common. Utilizing one of the most despicable, underhanded tactics, they trained members to watch the counseling centers to hunt down troubled students and offer them the comfort they might not otherwise acquire in a trained, professional environment.
Cults aim to exploit your weaknesses and don't we all have some vulnerabilities? No matter how staunch and upright we may portray ourselves, at any low point in our lives, we could be prone to be preyed upon. Exploiting those low points is a major part of every cult's scheme. When the problems of life or the world overwhelm you, the cults recognize that as a time of opportunity to sway you into their false beliefs. If you feel like no one listens or understands you, that is a time to seek a truly responsible friend or mentor not associated with any cult.
That is not to say anyone needs to be depressed to fall victim to the will of a charismatic cult leader. Any relatively normal, intelligent individual can be swept into a cult just as easily as all the others that have been duped. All it takes is a cultist who can figure out and exploit your wants and desires. We humans are emotional, and that's what these evil, self-serving people count on. After convincing you they’re the best friends, you’ve ever had and saturating you with the cult’s ideology, their next task is to make sure they hang on to you. There’s a variety of techniques they used to accomplish this, but these usually involve interactively subjecting the cult recruit to times of terror and then times of counterfeit love.
Have you ever been showered with all sorts of affection and attention? Think back, way back in my case, to a few of your premarital social activities. Were you ever totally enraptured because someone made you feel ever so wanted and good about yourself? If so, that might have lifted you to cloud nine. But then did the relationship take a pessimistic turn for the worst? Did it include less affection, less attention, and even a few broken promises? But, early on, you denied it because you were still spellbound until you came to your senses. Fearfulness, then love saturations, are cyclic actions cults invoke to control the weak willed and/or the unenlightened.
Once a recruit are enticed by false friendship or the promise of some fulfilling, heretofore unknown understanding of the universe, cultists then work to isolate the recruit. You are told you are loved, you are special, and you are needed or wanted. Cults of every ilk preach; Join us and I will show you the way to satisfaction and happiness.
Who doesn't want to hear things of that nature? That's exactly what makes cults so appealing. They lure you in with the promise of fulfilling those desires of yours, and, just a few weeks later, they send you on a crusade that in your right mind you never would have agreed to join.
Once convinced that the cult is a great new community, they isolate you from your old life. Often, this takes the form of a weekend or week-long retreat, where the fresh recruit is deeply submersed in that cult's ideology throughout a few but incredibly intense days. Cults portray themselves as the only possible solution to the problems you're facing or the only way to overcome whatever negative emotions you are experiencing. Not only are recruits physically isolated from friends and family members who might otherwise provide a reality check, but cults often provide total isolation from any outside source of information. Access to everything is cutoff. Books, computers, newspapers, magazines, and television are all unavailable. This is to ensure that the only educational indoctrination the recruit gets to experience is the one presented by the cult, thus cults retain control over their members by controlling the entire environment and prejudicial narrative.
What eventually convinces a person to be part of a cult is the notion that someone has uniquely chosen them for a superior cause, or is an important part of a divine plan. Remember what was written about love-bombing? It's not only being loved and accepted that attracts people to cults, it's the idea that they are being recognized as special and important. One woman shared her story about being indoctrinated into a cult. She stated: Almost immediately, the cult's disciples had convinced little old me that by joining them, we could change the world by drawing other people closer to God. Yes! She voiced, “I could be connected to an elite group of workers working for Christ.”
For someone who might be feeling their life was a waste, what could be a better “come-on in” than that?
Cults increase their members’ dependency on the leader by keeping cult members totally off-balance. Which ensures they keep control. Often, a cult will direct you to repeat a key chant, also known as a mantra. Repeating mantras is a ritualistic, psychological technique that reinforces belief in the cult. It is also an important aid in brainwashing the intended subject. These exhausting brainwashing methods overwhelm the member's ability to critically consider the false ideology in which they have been suddenly immersed. For many, commitment to the cult seems to be the only way—with no other way out. Cult leaders want absolute psychological control over their flock. They not only exercise mental control, but both genders can find themselves physically and sexually submissive to the evil, bodily desires of those in charge.
The depths and significance of this control are monumental. The cult can exert tremendous emotional and theological manipulation. Suddenly, it's not just about your reminiscent thinking anymore—it's about dramatically changing your core beliefs. By disconnecting you from the rest of the world and making the cult your only community, someone could fully immerse you into their devilish, often decadent lifestyles and false religious beliefs. By this time, there is little willpower left in you to resist. Your salvation may hang by a mere thread of your immortal soul.
To further erase your own identity and replace it with that of the group philosophy, cults support the structure of the world as an “Us” versus “Them” It projects the cult's false, or narrow views, and all of its outlandish misconceptions of the outsiders as the “Only Way.” Their dangerous preaching of the cult's stance or perspectives frequently sounds like “We have the truth and you do not” “We're right and you were wrong, or our way is good and your way is ignorant, makes almost anything seem reasonable. That, also, becomes virtually impossible for anybody to convince cultists that the cult, and its demands, are atrocious.
So why do harsh and ritualistic measures seem so effective for cults? The Scientific American magazine has analyzed, researched, and reported on the significance of rituals. In their article “Why Rituals Work,” they reported, “superstitious rituals enhance people's confidence in their abilities and motivate greater efforts—with improved performance.” That sounds really positive, doesn't it? While rituals can be used for many good purposes, like how to control your sleep habits, rituals can be weaponized. In the eyes of a cult leader, ritual control is a perfect conforming tool to keep recruits obediently passionate about the cult's cause.
Part of the success of a cult depends on how it presents and reinforces its philosophies. Peer-to-peer recruitment, as with the collegiate examples, lends credibility to otherwise crazy ideas. Some examples cults employ are these; “We know the truth,” and “we know what is good.” “By complying with us, you will raise to new levels of social, or religious consciousness” or “you'll know the truth and the truth will know you!” They spout: Those who do not follow us are lying to themselves and are badly mistaken!
Even though all this may seem like total hogwash to any outsider listening in—those cults display their own “one justifies the other” systems of logic. If a person believes the first erroneous assumption that the cult knows “The Truth” then the other illogical or false religious theories are seemingly true as well. This kind of circular logic makes it easier to categorize non-cult persons as enemies to the cult's cause.
If this resembles brainwashing, that is because it is nothing short of out-and-out mind control. A cult teaches you what to believe, how to show your belief, and exactly what to say to those who question the authority of the cult. As part of the American Psychological Association's “cult mentality” research, they questioned several former cult members about their experiences. A former leader of a cult called the Covenant, Sword and the Arm of the Lord became militant and preached hatefully against homosexuals, African Americans, and Jews. After a stint in prison, he recovered from the clutches of cult brainwashing and learned that hate is a learned behavior. That's how, with the proper rhetoric fueling a militant agenda, a seemingly Utopian cult can burst into the flames of an armed, hostile gang of violent thugs.
In recent years, both whites and blacks combined to turn “peaceful protests” into savage mobs burning and looting anything they decided to destroy. The mantras they shouted and the off-the-wall slogans they echoed certainly fueled the violent exhibitions of an uncontrolled and destructive “cult mentality.” They attacked innocent bystanders while police officers were, mostly, prevented by local and national political powers from curtailing the lawbreakers. All the police could do was watch the flames burn higher while governmental and private property was destroyed.
The few criminals arrested were often released immediately with little or no bail monies paid out. Many saw the lack of enforcing the laws to protect citizens, businesses, and facilities as wanton and egregious support of these left-wing radicals. Therefore, the inept democrat officials provided support to criminals. In other words, those officials supported the felonious activities—then and in later months. Yes, government officials supported this cult-like mob in their acts of destruction and violence.
So far, we have only touched upon the harm cults cause to adults. What they have done to innocent children is despicable to the point of being almost indescribable—so sickening, personal, details of the children will not be exploited here. Many cults force severe harm on children by physical and sexual molestation. Imagine the psychological damage a child might endure being sexually molested and knowing their parent members do little or nothing to help them. Even though these acts of abuse may eventually lead to criminal charges and jail time for those directly involved and even negligent adults who knew of the horrendously harmful activities, but did nothing. The detrimental effects of the hidden psychological and emotional wounds may never heal completely. Years of therapy and counseling are often necessary, and even then, many victims fall into a pattern of causing similar traumas to others. The damage cults can do to children is boundless unless there is a strong resilience with the specific boy or girl that escaped the indecent assaults.
If a cult approaches you, or you are aware of someone already immersed in a cult, ultimately, what you do or don't do is entirely up to you. You can choose to be part of something or you can choose not to be. But beware, psychological manipulation is a powerful weapon, and with it a cult can break down even the strongest person's defenses. Breaking out of any cult's mentally confining situation usually requires outside support. If you know of someone in a bad situation—reach out and offer your support. Hopefully, you can connect and be versed in prepared arguments and prayers to counter the cult's errant philosophies and lead someone towards breaking the binding chains that restrain them.
2 Timothy 4, New King James Version, instructs us to preach the Word. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
The End.
Please feel free to contact me, Chaplain Dennis King, at DoJ@mail.com if you have questions, comments, corrections or just wish to share your troubles or testimonies.
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