Cult Explosion looks at religions groups considered by some to be cults include Hare Krishna, the Manson Family, the People's Temple, Scientology, Christian Science, Unity, Worldwide Church of God, Jehovah Witness, the Latter-Day Saints, the Unification Church, and Transcendental Meditation
Allow me to make a forecast. Current members of each group who watch this will be saying to themselves, "How could they lump us in with all these obviously false cults?"
ReplyDeleteThe human mind can be a very strange place indeed!
As I think of the Armstrong experience, and all that came with it, the unpleasant realization is that we've been dealing with a madman and a deluded conman for his entire half century career, & the offshoots that continue perpetuate the same deluded madness. Nothing to do with any true religion. Sadly, it was/is part of the cults something never recognized by the member within..
ReplyDeleteWe do have Paul's words to inspire:
''Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things.''
People do not preach religion because they believe in it, but because they want other people to believe in it.
ReplyDeleteIndeed the unscrupulous use religion to control many sincere people.
DeleteJesus warned of these types.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them;
21 ¶ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
The last word 'lawlessness' is also translated 'iniquity'.
''And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME [you are banished from My presence], YOU WHO ACT WICKEDLY [disregarding My commands].’
These false leaders such as Armstrong are preachers of the need to obey laws and commandments, but they don't obey themselves, and they disregard the very commands of Jesus.
The cult member is incapable of discerning the bad fruits until such time God, or an event, causes scales to fall from their eyes.
“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
When people broke away or after the fall of Worldwide, the one thing that many felt was freedom. I get it, I totally get where they were coming from.
ReplyDeleteI was 30 years in the WCG - I left in 1999 - 25 years ago. Did not attend any church since I left. But I have a genuine question. Jesus said "repent and be baptised and you will receive the Holy Spirit." I did that. Did I receive God's spirit? What do you think? There is no agenda to this - I'm genuinely curious.
ReplyDeleteYou repented and accepted Jesus as your personal Saviour.
DeleteFor “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”
Romans 10;13; also Joel 2:32; and Act 2:21.
God will, in His chosen time, bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth.
- and when ALL things have been subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put all things under Him, so that God may be ALL in ALL.
I was thinking, Jeez! How is that some people haven't aged a bit??? Then I noticed that this is from 1980. The sad hangover from this cultic bunge is that the intuitiveness of mass numbers of people has not sharpened over the past 45 years. Well, any addictive substance, be it physical or psychological, over time dulls the senses and makes it less likely that one could break free! The same mentality surrounds extreme believers in either major political party, so I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.
ReplyDeleteBB
I was put out of the WCG in Jan 1980 for believing the 14th is the 1st day of unleavened bread. Still do.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it just hilarious how people fought over the interpretations of doctrines which were bogus and totally inconsequential to begin with? And yet some would begrudge a poor homeless dude their spare change when all he needed was a shortdog of cheap wine to get him through a freezing cold night on the streets. Coulda been an angel unawares for all they knew.
ReplyDelete