Do you belong to a CULT?

[edpobre]

Friends,

Being a CULT is relative depending on WHO is calling the shots. Catholics and Protestants REGARD non-Trinitarians as CULTS because to them, anyone who is NOT a Trinitarian is a CULT.

Trinitarians and non-Trinitarians alike REGARD the followers of Jim Jones as CULTS because although they believed in the Trinity, they were OBEDIENT to Jim Jones to the point of death.

Perhaps, JWs, Mormons and Seventh Day Adventists have their own STANDARDS and call everyone else a CULT.

To really know whether you belong to a CULT or not, you have to know the UNBIASED definition of CULT.

With regards to religion, Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines CULT as: a religion REGARDED as UNORTHODOX or SPURIOUS; also, its body of adherents. RELIGION is a cause, principle or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.

This leads us to the question: Who REGARDS a religion as UNORTHODOX or SPURIOUS.

The SAME dictionary defines ORTHODOX as: CONFORMING to ESTABLISHED doctrine esp. in religion. And SPURIOUS means FALSE.

This leads us to the next question: What are REGARDED as ESTABLISHED doctrine?

To answer the first question, we must ask ourelves this question: WHOSE religion is it that we are following - Christ, Mohammad, Budha, etc.?

If it is Christ's RELIGION that we are following, shouldn't we ALLOW the Bible ALONE to SHOW us which of today's Christian religions is UNORTHODOX or NOT conforming to established doctrine and SPURIOUS or false?

Having said these, which of today's religions do NOT conform to doctrines ESTABLISHED by Jesus and his apostles?

Is the "Trinity" a doctrine ESTABLISHED by Jesus and his apostles?

Is the "DEITY of Jesus" a doctrine ESTABLISHED  by Jesus and his apostles?

Is "faith alone" a doctrine ESTABLISHED by Jesus and his apostles?

Is "once saved always saved" a doctrine ESTABLISHED by Jesus and his apostles?

Is "baptism NOT necessary to salvation" a doctrine ESTABLISHED  by Jesus and his apostles?

Is "membership in the church that Christ built NOT necessary for salvation" a doctrine ESTABLISHED by Jesus and his apostles?

Any "professing Christian" religion that does NOT conform to ANY established doctrine OF Christ is a CULT.

If you find yourself INSIDE a CULT, God is imploring you to "come out of her lest you share in her sins and receive of her plagues" (Rev. 18:4).

Ed

 

 

 

[Susan]

Ed, we don't belong to a cult. YOU belong to a cult.

 

[Havoc]

The measurement for Cult like activity and potential most commonly used by secular professionals today is the

The Advanced Bonewits’ Cult Danger Evaluation Frame

The document is copyrighted but it can be viewed at a variety of sites including this one...

http://www.barkingduck.net/ehayes/essays/ABCDEF.HTM

When professionals need to determine the level of danger posed to an individual by a religious organisation, this is the frame they generally use.

 

[Havoc]

Originally posted by Susan
Ed, we don't belong to a cult. YOU belong to a cult.

Well that's certainly constructive Susan, thank you for clearing that up for me.

 

[LouisBooth]

"Well that's certainly constructive Susan, thank you for clearing that up for me."

Well if someone says you have to be at a specific physical place to be saved, I'd say it strays pretty far from christian docterine, just like you would say the people that want to just use "wicca" or witchcraft for personal gain stray from what wicca truely is.

 

[Havoc]

I have absolutely no Idea what that has to do with what ed believes, Susan was saying, or my reply to it.

 

[LouisBooth]

"I have absolutely no Idea what that has to do with what ed believes, Susan was saying, or my reply to it."

Ed believes in a perversion of christianity that is classifed, in my mind anyway, as a cult, due to its specific physical requirements, etc..

 

[FordPrefect]

I don't know about Webster, or barkingduck, but Joseph Campbell regards all religions, organized or not as cults. It makes it a lot easier

 

[LouisBooth]

"It makes it a lot easier "

Cool, then everyone in humanity is in a cult, for that defination must include atheism, naturalism, etc...

 

[amie]

Originally posted by edpobre

Any "professing Christian" religion that does NOT conform to ANY established doctrine OF Christ is a CULT

where in this definition does it say that?

Oxford essential dictionary: cult: 1.a ritualistic religious system. 2. a devotion to a person or thing (cult of aestheticism)

are you altering the definition to conform to your perception of what a cult is?

I THINK FIRST WE WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE ON AN ACCURATE DEFINITION OF CULT WHICH IS DIFFICULT SINCE TECHNICALLY SPEAKING IT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFERENT PEOPLE.

ed, obviously people that are involved in cults do not perceive themselves as such so your statement of "come out" is a bit hard when people tend to not think of their religions as being "In" cults to begin with...

 

[SunnyLin]

huh. interesting. in this case by these definitions, i can classify a high school marching band as a cult; all members believe in the band, all follow directions and orders for the band, heck they even sacrifice things for the band. cult!

what's so bad about a "cult" anyway. "cult" only has a negative connotation to it becuase of the horrendous deeds publicized cults have done.

woudl it really matter to you if people consider you to be in a cult anyway? if one really believed in what he/she was doing, they shouldnt care if people in an online forum consider them to be in a cult or not

 

[Thinker]

I used to get warnings from the Mods about posts on this topic. Shall we see if history repeats itself?

Bonewits criteria parallel those of Lifton. By either standard, fundamentalist christianity ranks fairly high up the scale; some groups actually do qualifying as `cults'.

It is worth noting that the early church; that is `normal' christianity for the first few hundred years of its existence would also rank very high up the scale. And yet, these are the people who selected the books and formed the doctrines regarded as `mainstream' today!

 

[edpobre]

Originally posted by amie

Any "professing Christian" religion that does NOT conform to ANY established doctrine OF Christ is a CULT.

where in this definition does it say that?

Oxford essential dictionary: cult: 1.a ritualistic religious system. 2. a devotion to a person or thing (cult of aestheticism)

are you altering the definition to conform to your perception of what a cult is?

No, I'm not altering the definition of CULT to conform to my perception of what a CULT is.

If you read my post, you would have noted that I was using Webster's definition of CULT. Following Webster's definition, we can conclude that a CULT is someone who does NOT conform to ANY established doctrine OF Christ. In fact, apostle John wrote that anyone who does NOT abide in the doctrine of Christ does NOT have God (2 John 1:9). I'm sure religious CULTS do NOT have God.

I THINK FIRST WE WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE ON AN ACCURATE DEFINITION OF CULT WHICH IS DIFFICULT SINCE TECHNICALLY SPEAKING IT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFERENT PEOPLE.

I agree 100%. That's why I used Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary so that it would be FREE of BIAS. 

ed, obviously people that are involved in cults do not perceive themselves as such so your statement of "come out" is a bit hard when people tend to not think of their religions as being "In" cults to begin with...

I know. That's why it is important for people to read these posts thoroughly BEFORE they react in order that they may benefit from them..

Ed

 

[amie]

I did read your post ed!!!

I am sure religious cults do not have God

are you absolutely sure of that ed?

 

[edpobre]

Originally posted by amie

I did read your post ed!!!

I am sure religious cults do not have God

are you absolutely sure of that ed?

If you read my post amie, please accept my apology for saying you didn't.

As regards your question, BASED on Webster's dictionary which defines a religious CULT as a religion that is REGARDED as UNORTHODOX  (does NOT conform to established doctrines) or SPURIOUS (false ), I'm ABSOLUTELY sure that religious CULTS do NOT have God.

Apostle John wrote that anyone who does NOT abide in the doctrine of Christ does NOT have God (2 John 1:9). The Holy Bible is God's word and God's word is the TRUTH that SANCTIFIES (John 17:17). Hence, any religion that does NOT conform to ANY established DOCTRINE of Christ as RECORDED in the Holy Bible is a CULT and does NOT have God.

In FACT, Jesus SAID that anyone who does NOT believe him is CONDEMNED already (John 3:18). The WRATH of God ABIDES in him (John 3:36).

Ed

 

[D-Lyte]

I don't know, but it seems like we tend to label groups as cults if their ideas are extreme and/or different (from our own...ones that we don't like)

 

[Havoc]

Originally posted by LouisBooth
"I have absolutely no Idea what that has to do with what ed believes, Susan was saying, or my reply to it."

Ed believes in a perversion of christianity that is classifed, in my mind anyway, as a cult, due to its specific physical requirements, etc..

"In my mind". That pretty much says it right there. You think it is a cult because you believe it to be so. Ed could have just as good reason to believe you belong to a cult. After all the only reason the Nicene creed managed to come out on top is due to some nimble political wrangling a few centuries ago.

 

[FordPrefect]

Originally posted by LouisBooth
"It makes it a lot easier "

Cool, then everyone in humanity is in a cult, for that defination must include atheism, naturalism, etc...

Based on my poor wording, yes. However, Joseph Campbell studied comparative religion and based his study on comparing rituals, myths, stories, (or facts for the Christians ) from all the cultures, and religions he could. Because atheism, naturalism, agnosticism, etc. don't have ritual or myth, I don't think they count.

 

[Soul_Searcher]

Cult or not, the bottom line is, as Havoc has pointed out repeatedly, our beliefs. We believe in one thing and others believe another. To say my beliefs are better or more correct than anyone else's is just wrong. That is where the problem lies.

Despite the definitions thrown out here, for most people a cult is a religious organization that sees itself as the only 'true' faith or religion, and sees all else as false and inferior. If that shoe fits, then wear it.

If you cannot see that you and your beliefs could possibly be wrong, or your leaders could possibly be wrong, then you need to look again. People choose what works for them, what they are comfortable believing in, doesn't make them correct, for we are ALL fallible.

As far as I know only one man was ever said to be perfect, and he's not posting on this forum--at least I don't believe he is.

 

[SunnyLin]

mayhap he's posting in this forum through us *spooky music* hehe, nicely put. i'll back you up on that