Definition: A religious group that claims special revelation from God. Christians cults (1 John 2:18-19) distort or deny one or more fundamentals of the faith. Sociologically, most cults isolate themselves from other religious bodies.

  1. Characteristics Rom. 1:21-22
    1. Exclusive Soteriology "We’re the only ones"
      1. Who have the truth
      2. Who interpret it correctly
      3. JW’s: 144,00 are the only true witnesses
      4. Mormon’s believe only they are the "latter day saints." Brigham Young: "Every spirit that does not confess that God has sent Joseph Smith, and revealed the everlasting gospel to and through him, is of anti-Christ."
      5. Christian Science’s Mary Baker Eddy: "A Christian Scientist requires my work Science and Health for his textbook…because it is the voice of truth to this age…uncontaminated by human hypotheses."
      6. Sun Myung Moon: "We are the only people who truly understand the heart of Jesus, and the hope of Jesus."
    2. Usually a charismatic leader
      1. David Koresh: Branch Davidians
      2. Sun Myung Moon: Unification Church
      3. Jim Jones: The People’s Temple
      4. Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Science
      5. Judge Rutherford: JW’s
      6. Joseph Smith: Mormons
    3. Heretical Theology; Deny one or more of the fundamentals
    4. Extra-biblical revelation
      1. Book of Mormon
      2. JW’s New World Translation
      3. 7th Day Adventists see Ellen G. White as inspired prophet
      4. Mary Baker Eddy’s
      5. Victor Paul Wierwille of The Way International: "God spoke to me audibly, just like I’m talking to you right now. He said he would teach me the word as it had not been known since the first century."
    5. Persecution complex
    6. Limited eschatology
  2. Process of Deception
    1. Satan¾ Demons¾ False Teachers (belligerence)
    2. Appeal to self-conceit (arrogance)
    3. Becomes self-deceit (ignorance)
    4. Becomes blindness (ignorance)
    5. Becomes darkness (intolerance)
  3. Reasons People Get Involved In Cults
    1. Searching for love/relationships
    2. Searching for answers in today’s relativistic society, the cult "authority" can sound very appealing
    3. Commitment evidenced by the cults
    4. Self-assurance displayed by the cults
  4. Who the Cults Prey On

    Christian cults invariably prey upon religious neophytes and illiterates who have had some contact with orthodox Christianity but are not grounded in the faith.

    Non-Christian cults prey on the confused, helpless, and unloved.

  5. Lure of the Cults
    1. Supposed authority, self-assured
    2. Commitment to a strict set of guidelines (laity)
    3. Emotional appeal especially with charismatic leaders
  6. Methods Used
    1. Deception (2 Cor. 4:2, 1 Thess. 2:3) "did not handle the word deceitfully"
      1. Hide information: 7th Day Adventist and his pornography scam;
      2. JW and their paper;
      3. The ex-Moonie Christopher Edwards

      on first assignment selling flowers was told to say, "Buy some flowers from a Christian youth group…to help some needy children?" When he questioned the deceitfulness of it, he was told, "It’s for his soul and the glory of heaven. Look, wouldn’t you deceive a little to save the man’s soul? It’s called Heavenly Deception. It’s turning Satan’s kingdom against himself, using Satan’s money to build the Heavenly Kingdom."

    2. Manipulation
      1. Fear (loss of children, temple marriage, hell, food)
      2. We’re the only ones scares a lot of people. What if they are?
      3. Leaders do all of the interpreting
    3. Intimidation
      1. "You’ll be damned forever"
      2. "No more food or financial help"