[CULTS, RELIGION; (Christian): 
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What Is a Cult?

    By Bob and Gretchen Passantino
    
        Copyright 1990 by Bob and Gretchen Passantino.
        
        Permission is granted for non-commercial replication of or excerpting
        from this material, provided (1) that appropriate notice is included of
        its copyright status, as above, and (2) that an appropriate reference
        to the Answers In Action name, address and phone number be included
        with all replicated and excerpted material.
        
   Drums beat in uneven syncopation. Exotic spices and incense fill the
   air with the swirling fragrance of another world. Red and gold silk
   glints in the flickering light. Dorothy feels her heart hammer against
   her chest, her throat so dry she can't swallow. She feels immobile
   against the panic that rises to cloud her vision. Dorothy is at the
   Hare Krishna temple to rescue her daughter, Shelly, from a cult. Never
   has she counted on the power of her faith in Christ as she did now,
   confronted by the temple leader, who abruptly tells her Shelly is
   gone, lost forever to her family and former Christian faith, dedicated
   to the worship and service of Krishna.
   
   Later, as Dorothy shared her pain with her Bible study, she was met
   with a cacophany of opinions. "How could such a good girl have become
   such a deceiver? You know all those cults are just out for money and
   power." "How can you be so judgmental, Dorothy? She's just doing
   what's meaningful for her." "Those cults -- they're all into human
   sacrifices and mind control." "I talked to a Hare Krishna once and she
   said she believed in Jesus -- what's wrong with that?" Dorothy didn't
   know what to think. She had to find answers.
   
   Dorothy is like a lot of Christians who hardly think about cults or
   other belief systems until someone they love becomes entangled in a
   faith that at odds with Christianity. Many times, the loved one is
   involved in a group that is much less obviously different than the
   Hare Krishnas. Frequently family members vacilate between thinking, on
   the one hand, the group is just another kind of Christianity or, on
   the other hand, the group must be a cult from the pit of hell. Dorothy
   and other concerned Christians need a clear understanding of what a
   cult is to begin their education.
   
   Unfortunately, when Christians attempt to find out what a cult is,
   they discover that there are almost as many definitions of a cult as
   there are writers and speakers on the subject. Sociologists often
   define cults by their cultural idiosyncracies. Psychologists
   frequently talk about cults in terms of "mind control," "low
   self-esteem," "dominating leadership," etc. Journalists seem to
   describe cults in terms like bizarre, suicidal, secretive, and
   fanatical. Within the Christian church these variations sometimes are
   coupled with strong religious pronouncements that any group other than
   their own denomination is a cult, or some assume that any faith is
   better than no faith and think the term is always pejorative and
   should never be used by a Christian.
   
   In the midst of this confusion of opinion, there is a core of biblical
   clarity that can help concerned Christians discern between truth and
   error, biblical standards and opinion. The term cult comes from the
   Latin cultus, meaning "worship," and originally meant a system of
   worship distinguishable from others. It quickly came to mean an
   aberrant form of worship identified in some way with a "parent" belief
   system. So, for example, the "mystery cults" of Greece and Rome were
   sectarian systems of worship of one or more of the pantheon of Greek
   and Roman gods and goddesses. According to this early definition,
   Christianity could be considered a "cult" of Judaism, deriving its
   identify from the Jewish faith, but differing from first century
   Judaism in its proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah, the resurrected
   Son of God.
   
   In this century, the Church has usually defined the term cult by
   doctrinal or theological standards. In this sense, a cult is a
   sectarian religious group that identifies itself with Christianity and
   yet fails one or more core doctrinal tests of orthodoxy. Jehovah's
   Witnesses, for example, call themselves Christians, and yet deny the
   doctrine of the Trinity and the deity and resurreciton of Christ,
   among other doctrinal distinctives. The Mormons identify themselves as
   members of "The Church of Jesus Christ," but affirm the elevation of
   man to godhood and deny salvation by grace alone, as well as other
   doctrines contrary to biblical teachings. Most Christian cult watchers
   understand this doctrinal definition as contrasting the cult's beliefs
   with essential biblical doctrine concerning five areas: God (belief in
   one true God, the trinity, God's infinite and eternal nature and
   attributes, etc.); Jesus Christ (Second Person of the trinity, virgin
   born, died on the cross for us, resurrection, Second Coming, etc.);
   man (created in God's image, morally responsible, destined either for
   eternal life or eternal punishment, etc.); sin and salvation (all
   people are sinful and separated from God, salvation is by grace alone
   through faith, the atonement, etc.); and scripture (the Bible, Old and
   New Testaments, is God's infallible Word and the revelation from God
   by which we understand, worship, and serve God). A cult, then, is a
   religious group that identifies itself with Christianity, or at least
   claims compatibility with Christianity, and yet which denies one or
   more of these cardinal biblical doctrines.
   
   Sociological, psychological, and journalistic observations sometimes
   show us the human dynamics that frequently result from a cult belief
   system, but they are not sufficient Christian foundations for
   determining a groups status as a cult. For example, a cult's unique
   doctrines can lead to an exclusivism and separateness from other
   religious groups. A cult's belief that the Bible's revelation is
   superceded by the current revelations of the cult leader may result in
   followers surrendering their thinking and decision making abilities to
   the cult leader. And the more aberrant a cult's beliefs and practices,
   the more likely it is to be characterized as bizarre.
   
   Once Dorothy learned to identify a cult, she perused Hare Krishna
   literature and talked with the temple representative. She learned
   that, while Hare Krishnas say they believe in Jesus, they believe he
   was only one manifestation of Krishna, certainly not the unique Son of
   God manifest in the flesh. She learned their statement of
   compatibility with Christianity masked their conviction that
   Christianity is a low, spiritually ignorant groping after religious
   experience only attainable through devotion to Krishna. She discovered
   the Hare Krishna's polytheism (belief in the existence of more than
   one god) and salvation through an elaborate and multi-life
   (reincarnation) karmic system of works.
   
   Dorothy located her daughter and arranged a meeting. Dorothy used 2
   Timothy 2:24-26 as her pattern for confrontation: "And the Lord's
   servant must not quarrel; instead, he must gently instruct, in the
   hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge
   of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from
   the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will"
   (NIV). Dorothy knew not to argue with Shelly. She quietly asked Shelly
   to explain her beliefs, and then Dorothy explained her own biblical
   concerns with Shelly's faith. She continued to affirm her love for
   Shelly as she shared her disagreements with her. Her careful Bible
   study and research into Krishna teachings prepared gave enabled her to
   share confidently and clearly. She realized Shelly had been deceived,
   and she prayed for God to open her eyes. Gently and lovingly she
   shared the biblical gospel with Shelly, echoing Paul's confidence: "I
   am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the
   salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). Shelly didn't leave
   the Krishnas that morning, but Dorothy has hope. As Shelly left, she
   asked her mother to pray for her.
   
   [For further information on cults and definitions of "cult," see Bob
   and Gretchen Passantino's two books Answers to the Cultist at Your
   Door (Harvest House) and Witch Hunt (Thomas Nelson), as well as Dr.
   Walter Martin's Kingdom of the Cults (Bethany House) and Walter Martin
   Speaks Out on the Cults (Regal).]
   
  WHEN THEY COME KNOCKING . . . .
  
   "I want you to write a book on the cults to help my wife," the
   publisher explained. "She loves the Lord, but she needs a book that
   makes her confident enough that she'll thank God she answered the door
   to the Jehovah's Witnesses, instead of thanking God she was in the
   shower and didn't hear the doorbell." That publisher's wife echoed the
   fears of many Christians who want to share their faith with cultists,
   but don't know how. In the almost two decades we've spent witnessing
   to cultists, and the decade since publication of our Answers to the
   Cultist at Your Door (Harvest House), the Lord has given us hundreds
   of opportunities to observe and participate in witnessing successes
   and failures. God has taught us to "always be prepared to give an
   answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that
   you have" (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). He has taught us that our delusions of
   argumentation grandeur do nothing to bring cultists to the truth; God
   gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:7).
   
   At the core of successful witnessing to the cults is commitment to
   God's pattern of evangelism: "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel;
   instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
   Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God
   will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
   and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of
   the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will" (2 Timothy
   2:24-26). This combines a heart for people lost in darkness, along
   with a commitment to solid reasons for biblical faith. This
   combination heart/head technique provides the Christian with
   confidence and the cultist with the best opportunity to hear and
   respond to the truth of the gospel.
   
   Our publisher's wife began with her compassionate heart, aching for
   those deceived by false belief. She was eager for them to know Jesus
   as their Savior. She didn't view cultists as devils, enemies, or
   hopelessly spiritually insane; but instead as sincere but deceived
   individuals for whom Christ had died. The vast majority of cultists we
   have met, caught in sin like all humanity, are kind, sincere people
   who believe they are worshipping and serving God. Unless a Christian
   can have empathy and identify with the cultist, successful witnessing
   will be elusive. Several years ago one of our new interns, Greg,
   learned this lesson quickly. He came with four years of Bible college
   knowledge about the cults. As he told us, "I'm ready to trounce those
   cultists!" He accompanied us as we witnessed to a woman who had been a
   Jehovah's Witness for most of her life. While our encounter centered
   around biblical truth concerning the trinity, the deity of Christ, and
   salvation by grace, the woman's main concern was more personal. She
   saw the truth of our arguments, but she was afraid to believe. She
   told us tearfully, "If I've been deceived for thirty years, how can I
   know for sure this is right? What if I'm wrong and Jehovah rejects me
   for all eternity?" After assurance and further conversation, the woman
   prayed with us to receive Christ. We rejoiced on the way home, but
   Greg was strangely silent. Finally he confessed, "I feel like a fool.
   Here I had all this head knowledge but I had no idea Jehovah's
   Witnesses were real people. I would have completely turned her off by
   my accusations and rebukes. Thank God you guys were doing the
   talking!"
   
   When you talk with a cultist, remember that he or she is just like you
   were before you became a believer, with the same dreams, hopes,
   doubts, and fears:
   
    1. Treat the cultist as you would like to be treated (the "Golden
       Rule" of cult apologetics).
    2. Even if you don't have all the answers, your compassion, genuine
       interest, and willingness to look for the answers will encourage
       the cultist to take your words seriously.
    3. Be sure to separate the deception of the cult from the sincerity
       of the cultist, who sincerely believes what he or she has been
       taught.
    4. Stress the positives the cultist will gain from biblical
       repentance and faith, rather than continuously focusing on the
       negatives of cult belief. (One Mormon asked us, "So, even if
       you're right about the Mormon Church, what else is there for me?")
       
   Christians who have plenty of "heart" but not much "head" need to
   concentrate on the facts of biblical faith for successful
   communication with cultists. God has given us the ability to think,
   reason, and evaluate as part of our being made in God's image.
   Although we often make mistakes in our thinking due to our inherent
   sinfulness, God commands us to use our minds as part of good
   evangelism: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
   a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles
   the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). When our publisher's wife became
   adequately prepared in her Bible knowledge as well as her
   understanding of cult doctrines, she was able to greet cultists with a
   clear message of biblical truth.
   
    1. Learn basic Christian doctrine. There is no substitute for truth.
       The best way to recognize a counterfeit is to be familiar with the
       genuine.
    2. Concentrate on core biblical doctrines, those concerning God,
       Jesus Christ, the nature of man, sin and salvation, and scripture.
       Peripheral doctrines such as the timing of the Second Coming or
       modes of baptism are not essential for salvation.
    3. Carefully evaluate your own vocabulary and that of the cultist. Be
       sure you are communicating clearly. For example, Christians
       understand the term "Son of God" to affirm the deity of Christ;
       Jehovah's Witnesses use the same term, but mean "the Mighty
       creation by God."
    4. Always include a clear presentation of the gospel. The death,
       burial, and resurrection of Christ on our behalf, according to the
       scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) is the power of God for
       salvation (Romans 1:16). It is irresponsible to destroy a
       cultist's beliefs without sharing how to be saved.
    5. Don't assume you know what the cultist believes. Show personal
       interest by asking him to tell you what he believes. Then answer
       biblically.
    6. Consult responsible Christian sources for information about what
       the cults teach and how to answer them from scripture. The wealth
       of good Christian material means you don't need to read cult
       publications or Christian publications that are not
       well-referenced and theologically sound.
       
   We received a call from a woman who had attended one of our training
   sessions on witnessing to cultists. She was so excited we asked her to
   slow down. "I did it! I did it!" She laughed, "I mean, the Lord did
   it! And boy did He do it! I'm so excited! I've been studying and
   praying for a month for one of my employees who's a Jehovah's Witness.
   I never knew what to say to her, but I learned, and this morning we
   talked for three hours. I can't believe it! She saw the truth and
   prayed with me right then to accept Christ! This is fantastic!" We
   rejoiced with her, praising God for giving the increase and thanking
   Him for giving us hearts and minds to be used by the Holy Spirit to
   reach those lost in the cults.
   
  FOR FURTHER HELP
  
   When you are faced with a loved one in a cult, or you don't know how
   to share your faith with a cultist you know or who approaches you, you
   can find specific help from many different organizations dedicated to
   sharing the gospel with the cults. There are nearly 700 organizations
   worldwide engaged in research and evangelism of the cults, the occult,
   and world religions. Some are very small, volunteer organizations;
   some support large, professional staffs. Some charge for basic
   services, some don't. Some tackle many different belief systems and
   some are dedicated to evangelizing one particular cult or belief
   (e.g., Mormonism, reincarnation, etc.).
   
   The Directory of Cult Research Organizations lists 652 of these cult
   research organizations and is an invaluable resource for pastors,
   church leaders, teachers, and Christians who are concerned with
   evangelizing cultists. It is available for $6.00 (plus $2.00 shipping)
   from Cornerstone, 920 W. Wilson, Chicago, IL 60640, telephone (312)
   989-2080.
   
   When you contact any organization, be sure to include a stamped,
   self-addressed business size envelope. If you request materials, be
   prepared to pay and thoughtfully include an adequate donation.
   Non-profit organizations often have very limited budgets.
   
   In addition to the Directory, information is available from the cult
   research organization coalition, Evangelical Ministries to New
   Religions (EMNR). EMNR provides networking, conferences, and acts as a
   clearing house for cult research organizations. You may contact EMNR
   by writing Bob Passantino, Executive Director, EMNR, P.O. Box 2067,
   Costa Mesa, CA 92628.
   
   Recommended Cult Research Organizations
   
    Answers In Action
    
    P.O. Box 2067
    
    Costa Mesa, California 92628
    
    (714) 646 9042
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