A Look At The Cults

 

Many well-meaning ministers express a longing to return to the 1950s era, some even describing the 1950s as a golden age for Christianity in America, failing to realize that the cultural and religious trends of the 1950s (and previous decades) led to the accelerated and enormous increase in the cults, the occult, and modernism that characterized the 1960s and continues. Consider a few examples:

• Neglecting and denying the influence of the Bible and Christianity in American history in school textbooks and mass media.

• Replacing Bible truths with humanism.

• The teaching that Bible standards only apply to the religious (church) aspects of life and not the secular realm.

• Acceptance of the theory of evolution in Christian circles, and endorsement of the theory of evolution by many respected clergy and mainline churches.

• Replacing Biblical separation (godly relationships, conduct, and distinctions within society) with isolation and neutrality.

• Using the Bible, Gospel music, and religious activities to escape reality instead of facing it.

• Putting material prosperity, appearance, and social status above character in importance.

• Replacing ministry and patriarchy with church programs.

• Ministerial exemption from the draft encouraged cowards, unbelievers, heretics, and sexual perverts to pursue positions and careers in ministry.

The list could continue but these examples should suffice to help you see the point.

What leads so many into cults, especially since most initiates into cults come from a religious background in a mainstream church or denomination? Cults use the heart to trap the mind. Think of this in terms of fishing: Emotion (such as love-bombing) is the lure, doctrine (false doctrine mingled with truth) is the hook, and fear (along with guilt) is the barb or net that helps keep the "fish" from getting away. Cults replace personal Bible study, discernment, and growth with a childlike dependence on a religious leader or group. The cults teach a faith, but not Biblical faith. Biblical faith is based on facts or knowledge of God's Word, and while feelings may result, feelings are not the basis of Biblical faith. Remember the pattern: 1.) Fact, 2.) Faith, 3.) Feelings; in cults and the occult this pattern is usually reversed. Faith, like love, always has an object, and cults present a wrong object of faith.

The Hebrew word rendered "world" in Ecclesiastes 3:11 means eternity or the ages. In other words, “he hath set the world in their heart” means that humans are born with a natural need for spiritual guidance and an effective religion or belief system. Even though they are wrong, the cults do fill a basic need and provide answers. Hungry sheep will wander in search of food. Looking at church ads, and considering what people are being fed in many churches and through Christian radio, Christian television, and Christian literature, it should surprise us that the cults do not attract more 'wandering sheep' than they do. (Consider Acts 20:28) American students raised on English often have far more difficulty with English classes and English grammar than foreign students who learned English when they were grown or almost grown. Often the students in a foreign language class having the most difficulty are the children of immigrants who speak that language as their native tongue; often the children of immigrants know just enough of their parents' language to communicate with family and assume that they are fluent. We have a comparable situation in Christian circles when it comes to basic Bible knowledge. There are a lot of people who grew up in church, assume they are spiritual and knowledgeable because they attended preaching services and Sunday School, learned how to go through the motions of worship, learned just enough about the Bible to argue about it, and often have a lot of beliefs (myths, taboos, traditions, assumptions, second-hand information, etc.) but little to no Bible knowledge.

Cult recruits and members that did not grow up in the cult usually came from a religious background in a mainstream denomination but were not well-grounded in faith or Bible knowledge. (But not necessarily unsaved. Damnable heresies hinder unbelievers from salvation and make born again believers unfruitful and double minded.) Here are a few major factors contributing to this:

• Widespread neglect of, indifference toward, and criticism of the Holy Bible in churches.

• Widespread neglect of religious education of children at home.

• Widespread neglect of personal Bible study.

• The widespread tendency in Christian circles to major on minors.

Rather than romancing the past or longing for a return to the past, we should focus on how we can avoid the mistakes of the past.

 

 

For information about cults, the occult, and the New Age Movement visit:

Watchman Fellowship