“I’ve been involved in
a number of cults both as a leader and a follower. You have more fun as a
follower, but you make more money as a leader.” – Creed, Season 4 “The Office”
A simple definition of the word cult would be any sect of
people bound together by devotion to a person, object or ideology. There are
two streams of cults the protestant Christian church spinoffs and non-Christian
new religious movements. In the church, we tend to think of cults as any sect
of individuals united by devotion to any religion considered false, unorthodox,
and counterfeit. However, with the continued influx of immigrants, the
spiritual landscape of our nation is quickly changing. Despite many differences, cults have a set of
general characteristics in common. Here is a list of the general
characteristics of cults. These characteristics have been organized in an acronym to help you remember:
C = conflict with society – they do not follow the cultural norms
of their surrounding culture usually an overall reject all together. Examples
of this may be a complete withdrawal from surrounding culture into compounds or
small communities built for and by the group.
U = unfamiliar – distinct alternative patterns in fundamental
areas of religious life. They deviate from Judeo-Christian teachings, symbols,
and sources. This changes their theology, practice, and socially.
L = leader - a stong, charismatic leader with a high level of
authority, who formulates dogmas, isolating members from others who do not
support their beliefs.
T = totalism – complete commitment, the member becomes
dependent on the group for psychological, social, religious, and physical
needs. Often, strong and seemingly unnecessary boundaries are drawn in the areas of
dress, diet, and names.
S = seeks experience- Oriented towards powerful subjective experiences
and meeting personal needs. The group believes that they have exclusive rights
to a long tradition of wisdom or practice either corrupted or lost in the mainstream.
I plan to post another blog about American new religious movements
soon. For now keep praying for those caught up in these traps, 75% of them will
leave within a year of joining. Many who leave cults will not trust religion,
especially what they term “organized religion.” The church must be prepared to
encourage, evangelize, and help them heal. Jesus is the only one who can free us from the bondage of our sin and the sins of others.
"Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." -John 14:6
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