How To Know A Cult When You See One
Cults today are multiplying like rabbits and growing like weeds. In the USA alone there are an estimated 5,000 cults actively recruiting people of all ages, from all walks of life, at the rate of tens of thousands of new recruits every year.
Several research studies estimate that five to ten million Americans have been at least transiently involved with cultic groups. A study which randomly surveyed 1,000 San Francisco Bay Area high school students found that 3% of students reported that they were members of a cult group, while 54% reported at least one contact with a cult recruiter.
Another study, which analyzed survey data from Montreal and San Francisco, found that approximately 20% of the adult population had participated in "new religious and para-religious movements," although more than 70% of the involvements were transient. Other data in this study suggest that approximately two to five percent of the subjects had participated in "new religious and para-religious" groups that are commonly considered cults.
A survey of primary care physicians in Pennsylvania found that 2.2 percent reported they or a member of their family had been involved in a cult. A study published by the Pennsylvania Medical Society in 1995 also indicated that at least 1 percent of the population has had a cult involvement.
What is A Cult?
With such an overwhelming number of religious groups around these days, it is necessary to understand the difference between a legitimate religious organization and a cult. While many religions may not believe or teach the entire Bible, they are not cults. The major religions of the world like Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism are not cults. They are classified as “world religions.” Some people say, "The only difference between a cult and a religion is a hundred years," but that only blurs the vast distinction between the two.
Cults are false religions that have some specific identification marks that separate them from other false religions. It should not come as a surprise that the Bible warns us that there are going to be many false teachers and false religions in the world.
2 Timothy 3:13, “In fact, evil men and false teachers will become worse and worse, deceiving many, they themselves having been deceived by Satan.” (TLB)
Why Should I Study The Cults?
• Because they are present IN OUR WORLD
2 Peter 2:1, “False prophets were among God’s people in the past, as false teachers will be among you. They will secretly bring in their own destructive teachings.” (GW)
• Because Jesus WARNED US about them
Matthew 24:11, “Many false prophets will come and cause many people to believe false things.” (ICB)
• Because they are a sign of the END TIMES
1 John 2:18, “Children, time is just about up. You heard that Antichrist is coming. Well, they’re all over the place, antichrists everywhere you look. That’s how we know that we’re close to the end.” (MSG)
• Because they force us to KNOW THE BIBLE
Acts 20:29,32, “I know full well that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. 32 And now I entrust you to God and the word of his grace—his message that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.” (NLT)
Ephesians 4:14-15, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15...we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” (NRSV)
The American Banking Association has a training program that best describes the reason for studying about the cults. Each year hundreds of bank tellers go to Washington in order to learn how to detect counterfeit money. It is interesting to note that during this training course not a single teller ever touches a counterfeit bill. The reason for this is because the American Banking Association is convinced that if a person is thoroughly familiar with the original then they will not be deceived by the counterfeit, no matter how much it might look like the original. One reason for studying about the cults is to be able to detect them from true Christianity.
In this study on cults, occult and religions we’re going to compare what they teach and at the same time learn the truth concerning many of the major doctrines found in the Bible.
How Can I Identify A Cult?
One way to identify a cult is by using the B.I.T.E. method. This stands for:
• BEHAVIOR Control
• INFORMATION Control
• THOUGHT Control
• EMOTIONAL Control
These four components are guidelines. Not all groups do every aspect or do them extremely. What matters most is the overall impact on a person’s free will and ability to make real choices. A person’s uniqueness, talents, skills, creativity, and free will should be encouraged, not suppressed.
Another way to identify a cult is by using the acronym C.U.L.T.
C - Cut off from the world. Cult leaders and followers are isolated and cut off from normal interaction with people outside the group. They do not have the corrective influence of other perspectives. They lose their ability, and their desire, to verify information the cult gives them. They become alienated from family and friends and have an unhealthy need to belong to the cult group.
U - Undernourished--poor nutritional intake and sleep deprivation often characterizes cult members. They are near exhaustion and their resistance is low, so they can be easily manipulated, deceived, and exploited. Inadequate nutrition and sleep is disguised as a special practice or diet to improve health or advance spirituality.
L - Leadership is authoritarian and coercive. The leader claims divinity or special knowledge and authority from God, and often uses deception and has hidden objectives. Unquestioning obedience is expected. This leads the cult follower into total dependence upon the cult for belief, behavior, and practice. He or she loses personal freedom and the ability to make choices.
T - Theology or beliefs of a cult always involve some unique or new perspectives, and they claim that truth is only found in what the cult says. Cults often promote the "we/they" syndrome, which also keeps members dependent and loyal to the cult.
Obviously, these are generalizations and not every cult exhibits each of these characteristics at all times. And, the major religions of the world, including Christian churches, sometimes express some of these traits. Corporations even exhibit some of these traits! The difference is that the cults practice far more of these traits, and at a far greater intensity and frequency level, than do religions or other non-cult groups.
WHAT DO CULTS HAVE IN COMMON?
1)They are devoted to a leader RATHER THAN GOD
Examples of this include Jim Jones, the leader of the People’s Temple; David Koresh, the leader of the Branch Dividians; Marshall Applewhite, the leader of Heaven’s Gate; Joseph Smith; the founder of the Mormons; Charles Taze Russell, the founder of Jehovah’s Witness; and the list could go on and on.
Often these leaders are charismatic and great orators. They do everything they can to become the center of attention in order to exercise complete physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual control over their followers.
They do this in several different ways:
• They cultivate an image of spiritual superiority and special knowledge that their followers don’t have access to except through their leader.
• In some cases they claim special revelation from God, as in the case of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormons and Charles Russell, the founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
• If a follower does disobey their leader they are punished either emotionally as in the case of the International Church of Christ, or physically as in the case of the Branch Dividians. Any disagreement with the leader of a cult is not tolerated.
The Bible very clearly teaches that true religion demands submission to God, not man. Worshiping or serving someone else in the place of God is Satanic in nature.
Matthew 4:10, “Jesus said to the devil, "Go away from me, Satan! It is written in the Scriptures, ’You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him!’” (ICB)
Galatians 6:3, “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (NIV)
Colossians 1:18, “Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything.” (NLT)
2) They manipulate THE BIBLE
2 Peter 3:16, “Sometimes there are things in Paul’s letters that are hard to understand. And some people explain these things falsely. They are ignorant and weak in faith. They also falsely explain the other Scriptures. But they are destroying themselves by doing that.” (ICB)
The Bible is twisted to fit the leader or group’s interpretation. Private interpretations are forbidden because the leader of the cult is the only one, who is considered able to understand God’s voice properly. Their teachings distort the historic, orthodox claims of Christianity (see Scripture Twisting Methods of the Cults).
Mark 7:8-13, “You abandon the commandments of God to follow human traditions." 9He added, "You have no trouble rejecting the commandments of God in order to keep your own traditions! 10For example, Moses said, ’Honor your father and your mother’ and ’Whoever curses father or mother must be put to death.’ 11But you say, ’If a person tells his father or mother that whatever he might have used to help them is corban (that is, an offering to God), 12he no longer has to do anything for his father or mother.’ 13Because of your traditions you have destroyed the authority of God’s word. And you do many other things like that.” (GW)
Proverbs 30:5-6, “Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection. 6Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you, and you will be found a liar.” (NLT)
One of the ways to identify a cult from a church is by using basic math functions. Cults typically ADD to the word of God, SUBTRACT from the person and work of Jesus, MULTIPLY the requirements for salvation, and DIVIDE themselves from the rest of the world.
Revelation 22:18-19, “Here is my warning for everyone who hears the prophecies in this book: If you add anything to them, God will make you suffer all the terrible troubles written in this book. 19If you take anything away from these prophecies, God will not let you have part in the life-giving tree and in the holy city described in this book.” (CEV)
3) They manipulate PEOPLE
• By using DECEPTION
2 John 1:7, “Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.” (NIV)
The ex-Moonie Christopher Edwards “on first assignment selling flowers was told to say, ‘Buy some flowers from a Christian youth group...to help some needy children?’ When he questioned the deceitfulness of it, he was told, ‘It’s for his soul and the glory of heaven. Look, wouldn’t you deceive a little to save the man’s soul?’ It’s called Heavenly Deception. It’s turning Satan’s kingdom against himself, using Satan’s money to build the Heavenly Kingdom.”
• By using INTIMIDATION
They tell people, “you’ll be damned forever.” or “No more food or financial help.” They threaten destruction by God if someone turns away from their teachings. Sometimes they are even threatened physically. This can also be brought about by GUILT. The person is told that to leave a cult is to betray God and or the group and its leader.
• By using LOVE
This is what is sometimes referred to “love bombing.” This is where someone is surrounded with friendly people and smiling strangers who hold their hands and then shower them with compliments. This involves constant affection in word and deed. Sometimes there is a lot of physical contact like hugging, pats on the back, and touching. Cult members lend emotional support to those in need. It can also involve financial support or giving food and clothes. They compliment people, reassure them, and make them the center of attention.
Everyone Is So Loving And Caring!
“When you meet the friendliest people you have ever known, who introduce you to the most loving group of people you’’ve ever encountered, and you find the leader to be the most inspired, caring, compassionate and understanding person you’’ve ever met, and then you learn that the cause of the group is something you never dared hope could be accomplished, and all of this sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true! Don’t give up your education, your hope and ambitions to follow a rainbow.”
Jeanne Mills, former member of the People’s Temple and subsequent victim of assassination a year following the Nov. 18, 1978 Jonestown suicides/murders of 911 adults and children.
• By using intensive indoctrination
During this phase an individual is bombarded with the idea that one’s self amounts to very little, that the group and its leader are everything, and that "outsiders" are misguided or hostile and to be feared and avoided. By eliciting confessions of the recruits fears and secrets, the cult produces intimacy and emotional vulnerability. A person’s feelings of guilt and personal insufficiency are highlighted, and in such a context the idea of being directed by a perfect leader begins to be attractive.
New inductees are brainwashed increment by increment, until the convert identifies with the Church and its leaders and ties with family society are broken. While there are some subtle differences between mind control and brainwashing the results are the same, obedience to the leader or group. A systematic teaching indoctrinates members into the beliefs of the cult. This is a methodical process of seducing and deceiving. A lie is told over and over until it is accepted and believed. A reprogramming of the conscience is done by other members and systematic teachings. Certain techniques are used to achieve what is called thought reform, cognitive reconstruction and mind conditioning. Members are kept under physical, mental and emotional pressure (Such as two and three day meetings which last for long hours.) they can become too fatigued to resist or think for themselves, or they become to busy as they comply with all the groups activities.
Cults often put recruits through a grueling indoctrination period. Kevin Crawley of the University of Iowa lists these common "indoctrination techniques to recruit and maintain members into a totalist ideology."
1. Subjection to stress and fatigue
2. Social disruption, isolation and pressure
3. Self-criticism and humiliation
4. Fear, anxiety and paranoia
5. Control of information
6. Escalating commitment
7. Use of auto-hypnotism to induce ’peak’ experiences
Cults slowly alter a person’s thinking process and belief system through repeated teaching. This is called BRAINWASHING.
• By using isolation
When people join a cult they are often coerced into separating themselves from members of their families who are not involved in the cult. And example of this can be seen in the People’s Temple. In this cult the people actually left the country and isolated themselves in a compound in Guyana, which allowed him to exercise complete control over his followers without any outside influence or interference. The same thing can be said of David Karesh in Waco, Texas.
This is done to prevent information that may expose what is going on internally. Cults cut off or denigrate outside sources of information, especially if it is critical of their group. A follower is not allowed to read or converse with those who say these things or were once part of the group and left for whatever circumstances. Ties are severed with former friends and family and the circle becomes tighter as the only people you are exposed to are the ones in the group. Cult followers read only their books and are discouraged or forbidden to read other books especially if one opposes their views.
As believers we are to be separate from worldliness, but nothings in the Bible tells us to be isolated from the world.
John 17:15, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.” (GW)
4) They have an exclusive BELIEF SYSTEM
1 Timothy 6:20-21, “Timothy, God has trusted you with many things. Keep those things safe. Stay away from people who say foolish things that are not from God. Stay away from those who argue against the truth. They use something they call "knowledge," but it is really not knowledge. 21They say that they have that "knowledge," but they have left the true faith.” (ICB)
Cults often claim to have “cornered the market” on truth.
• Mormons believe they are the “latter day saints.” Brigham Young once said, “Every spirit that does not confess that God has sent Joseph Smith, and revealed the everlasting gospel to and through him, is of anti-Christ.”
• Christian Science leader Mary Baker Eddy once claimed, “A Christian Scientist requires my work Science and Health for his textbook... because it is the voice of truth to this age.”
• Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Moonies stated, “We are the only people who truly understand the heart of Jesus, and the hope of Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 8:2, “Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.” (NLT)
Not only is the belief system of a cult exclusive, it is also involves things that are unverifiable. For instance, the Heaven’s Gate followers believed in a space ship behind the Hale-Bopp comet. And, Joseph Smith said that an angel had appeared to him and gave him some golden tablets, which no one has ever seen.
5) They want to be ACCEPTED AS CHRISTIANS
Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false teachers who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are wolves and will tear you apart.” (TLB)
2 Corinthians 11:14-15, “Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. 15So why does it seem strange for Satan’s servants to pretend to do what is right? Someday they will get exactly what they deserve.” (CEV)
Today more that ever before we are seeing a wave of cults being accepted by the people and leaders of our country as "christian churches". This surge to become accepted as christians stems from a desire to become legitimate in the eyes of the world. Some cults have already achieved this, while others are still working for world recognition.
Why do People Become Involved In Cults?
• Sometimes it’s because of a LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (NASB-U)
Matthew 15:14, “They are blind guides leading the blind, and both will fall into a ditch.” (TLB)
• Sometimes it’s because they are IN NEED
It might be an emotional need for acceptance, approval or encouragement. It might be a physical need for food, clothing or money. It might be an intellectual or spiritual need and they see that the cult is “on fire for Christ” or seems to be “superior intellectually” and has the answers to their questions.
Philippians 4:19, “My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Jesus.” (GW)
• Sometimes it is because they are disenchanted
It might be that they are unhappy with society as a whole or maybe the government. Or, they might be disenchanted with conventional religion and the “traditional church.”
What can I do?
2 Corinthians 11:3-4, “But I fear that somehow you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent. 4You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.” (NLT)
• I can be ALERT
Romans 16:17, “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” (NIV)
Acts 20:28-31, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” (NIV)
• I can COMPARE
1 John 4:1, “Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is. For there are many false teachers around.” (TLB)
• I can CORRECT
Titus 1:9, “An elder must faithfully follow the truth just as we teach it. He must be able to help people by using true and right teaching. And he must be able to show those who are against the true teaching that they are wrong.” (ICB)
• I can GROW SPIRITUALLY
2 Peter 3:18, “But continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (TEV)
Walter Martin once stated “It is a sad fact that a newly trained wonder from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society can turn the average Christian into a doctrinal pretzel in fifteen minutes.”
Cults, Occult and Religions
