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Inclusion does not mean that the subject endorses the site.
Cults
Boy, I could have some fun on this page, but I will
restrain myself.
First and foremost, the undisputable fact is that the
vast majority of Christian ‘leaders’ and church attenders
are good decent, responsible, citizens and without them
hell on earth would be even more of a reality.
I have never met an evil, or completely bad christian
‘leader’. Even the ones who are behaving badly,
do fabulously good things most of the time.
However, cults and cultish behaviour are everywhere
in the Church to a greater or lesser extent, after all
way back in the early centuries, Christianity was
hounded as a cult to be persecuted, or/and exterminated.
That was until the Roman Emperor, Constantine had a
miraculous (or convenient) conversion and then it
became the establishment religion. Throughout the
centuries the various establishments have successfully
misrepresented Jesus in order to guess what?
That’s right -
Islam has it fair share of bad press, because of the ‘nutters’ for god who crash planes into skyscrapers. Christian ‘fundamentalists’, such as people who believe that the Holy Bible is truth, or that homosexual relations is a sin, or women cannot be Bishop’s, or who did not want an Archbishop’s curse used as a tourist attraction to celebrate Carlisle’s Millennium, are also branded as ’nutters’ by the media.
The liberal media control public thinking and unless the great world faiths are prepared to tow the liberal media’s line and cosy up to one another, they are branded as ‘fundamentalists’. The result is that the faiths are watered down until they no longer represent the root of their existence.
Today, the word cult is used as a derogatory way to describe brain washing religious faiths and organisations. Such extreme ‘christian churches’ are easily identified, because of the level of extreme control the leaders have over individuals. Often, to the point of creaming them of their wealth and even their personalities.
The problem with such a simple analysis is that to the average bloke like me studying the New Testament, it seemed to me that the way to eternal and everlasting life required a personality and character change for the better. The Spirit also seemed to be asking me to be much less interested in one’s wealth and ambitions, than the furtherance of one’s spiritual development. ie. Becoming more Christ like and if that doesn’t require a personality/character change for the average sinner, I’ll eat my savings account book.
According to the Holy Scripture, all the followers of Jesus should daily test themselves as regards their commitment to Him, but as Paul said, ‘the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak’.
If someone is being pushed by ‘leaders’ to give more of themselves than their faith can cope with, abuse takes place. After all, God loves a happy giver. Be happy.
It is important to state that in fifteen years of ministry in ecumenism in the County of Cumbria my witness is that the good being achieved by Christian ‘leaders’ massively outweighs the errors they fall in to. However, the churches are emptying and the ‘good’ being done may have a questionable spiritual impact.
However, I have encountered situations personally and from third parties that leave me under no doubt that some Christian ‘leaders’ practice a cultish based regime. This is common across the globe.
I actually think that such high levels of control on the members of a church is not always a bad thing. A sense of belonging and being valued as a member can be a safe place to be. It can also provide a rigid discipline requirement that helps create a comradery of believers all singing from the same song sheet.
I know many, many people who are happy to come under the authority of a ‘christian’ guru and their lives have purpose and direction.
Indeed, often it is the churches with strict disciplines of Gospel teaching and charasmatic leaders, that are growing.
However, abuse does take place and some people are emotionally and mentally damaged by the guilt and isolation that is imposed on members who do not tow the line.
Some people, (including ‘leaders’), also end up regretting all they have given, in time and effort and money. God is no man’s debter and one stores one’s riches in Heaven, but God wants his followers to be happy, not resentful.
An articulate, trained and knowledgeable man in Biblical exposition can easily find the scriptures to take advantage of the lonely, the weak, the desperate, the disenfranchised, the innocent, the gullible, ....the list goes on. I have personally witnessed the processing purpose where people are encouraged to give of their money, but their true worth, their personalities, their abilities and gifts are wasted on the pews, by ‘leaders’ frightened of ‘competition’.
Two of the most dogmatic and controlling ‘leaders’ I have encountered, I have observed to be fighting demons of insecurity, fear of rejection and other dark forces within themselves. Much of what is bad in the church is rooted in the inadequacies of personality in the ‘leaders’ responsible for that failure. In over compensating for their inadequacies, they lose the plot.
I have witnessed people being brow beaten and controlled into obedience to the ‘leadership’, or risk being branded as sinners and instruments of Lucifer.
Why do people put up with it? Most do not and eventually leave that particular church, or they may even turn away from Jesus. However, some people subjected to such control, submit to the leadership believing that the leaders are chosen by God and are therefore correct in what they say and do.
Many ‘leaders’ take full advantage of such slavish submission and there is also an unwritten law amongst many ‘leaders’ to stick by one another no matter what. On at least two occasions when enquiring about joining particular church’s, it was made very plain to me that there would be no tolerance to any conversation that showed any negativism towards the ‘leader’ of the church I might be leaving.
It occurred to me how difficult it might be for a lonely, perhaps frightened, abused pilgrim to find the counselling, support and comfort they needed?
In the name of God and in the name of Jesus and in the name of the Holy Spirit some leaders who are consumed by their own righteousness and their own belief, will say and do things that I am sure are sinful and harmful and some ‘leaders’ are undoubtedly in the wrong job.
Beware. Your happiness is important to the Holy Trinity. Do not allow yourself to be used, or abused by a leader, or his disciples.
.
Links to guidance on how to deal with cults.
An outreach aimed at Jehovah’s witnesses who are regarded by many as a cult. Personally I view their particular brand of ‘christianity’ as no more outrageous than what I’ve experienced in some ‘normal’ churches.