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“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard.”
– Acts 20:29
The dictionary defines a cult as “a group of followers.” Psychologists use the definition “a group which deviates from cultural norms.” Christians, however, are primarily concerned with pseudo-Christian cults. These groups profess to be Christian, yet deny essential doctrines such as the deity of Christ, the Trinity, and salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone.
The late Dr. Walter Martin, for many years the foremost authority on contemporary cults, gives the following definition; “A cult…is a group of people polarized around someone’s misinterpretation of the Bible and is characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christianity.”[1]
Josh McDowell writes, “A cult is a perversion, a distortion of biblical Christianity and as such, rejects the historic teachings of the Christian church.”[2]
Ed Decker, of Saints Alive in Jesus, describes pseudo-Christian cults as follows, “…religious organizations or movements that claim to be Christian and claim to believe in the Bible. But instead of building their theology and teaching on God’s Word, the Bible, they claim some “new revelation” or man-made teaching as superior to the Bible. By interpreting [it]…through the grid of their particular revelation or teaching…[they] end up denying the central doctrines of historic, orthodox, biblical Christianity.” [3]
Craig Branch of Watchman Fellowship states:
“The
word cult is not in the Bible but its direct corollary is heresy or heretic.
Other biblical terms are false teachers, false prophets, and false brethren….
Although the word cult has a pejorative connotation we use it because it sends a
loud, clear message of warning. Genuine love and concern should compel
Christians to send the strongest message possible in order to prevent such dire
consequences as those inflicted upon cult members…. The Bible uses the word
heresy on two levels. On the first, it means false teaching that causes harm,
disunity or divisions. In a stricter sense, however, it is a man-made doctrine
that actually will produce a fatal result…eternal separation from God.”[4]
The motivational force of the cults is Pride according to Walter Martin. He explains,
“Pride
is evident in most cultists and contributes to the delusion that they are the
possessors of the true faith that saves, guardians and defenders of that which
is alone holy, and administrators of divine revelation to the mass of mankind
who are enmeshed in a Christianity which all cultists agree has been perverted
by theologians and philosophers, thus necessitating the true restoration of the
gospel through their efforts.” [5]
Today, in America and around the world, pseudo-Christian cults number well over forty million. Cults in the United States involve more than 20 million people and are growing at an alarming rate.[6] In 1997, 318,000 people converted to Mormonism, primarily from Christian groups. It is projected that Mormonism will become the next world religion, with a membership of 267 million by the year 2080.[7]
One reason for the rapid growth of these cults is that they use Christian terminology. This strategy disguises their true identity, thus converts believe they are actually joining a Christian denomination. Walter Martin explains:
“The
average non-Christian cult owes its very existence to the fact that it has
utilized the terminology of Christianity, has borrowed liberally from the Bible,
almost always out of context, and sprinkled its format with evangelical clichés
and terms wherever possible or advantageous. Up to now this has been a highly
successful attempt to represent their respective systems of thought as
‘Christian.’ On encountering a cultist then, always remember that you are
dealing with a person who is familiar with Christian terminology, and who has
carefully redefined it to fit the system of thought he or she now embraces.”[8]
The RLDS church is an example of an organization that has re-defined Christian terms and has claimed justification for doing so by alleging a revelation from God which reads in part, “Redefinition of terms…for clarification and to meet the needs of a growing church, is in harmony with my [God’s] will” (Doc. and Cov. 154:5b).
A second reason for the rapid growth of the cults is the lack of serious and deep knowledge of Biblical content among Christian pastors and lay-members. They are simply not informed regarding the dangers of these groups. Consequently, it is estimated that eighty percent of all cultists come out of mainline Christian denominations.
A third reason the cults are flourishing, is because of their intensive
and aggressive missionary efforts. Because cultists believe they are possessors
of the only true religion, they are normally more zealous and committed to
witnessing than are Christians. The Mormon Church, for instance, has
approximately 56,000 missionaries in 162 countries. With their annual income (an
estimated 5.9 billion)[9]
their potential for proselytizing is staggering.
The Christian church (all born-again believers) has been beset with false teachers and false prophets from its inception. Every Christian, like the Bereans in Thessalonica, should test those who claim to be prophets and/or teachers, and if they are proven to be false should confront and expose them. Many times when Christians attempt to do this, hard feelings are often the result and they are accused of attacking a person’s religion, when in reality they are following the Biblical directive to defend the faith.
At the 1996 National Religious Broadcasters Convention, Pastor Adrian Rogers gave some important counsel for Christians who are attempting to defend the gospel.
“It
is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to
speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then
kills. It is not love and it is not friendship if we fail to declare the whole
counsel of God. It is better to be hated for telling the truth, than to be loved
for telling a lie. It is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a power
for God who did not have enemies and was not hated. It’s better to stand alone
with the truth than to be wrong with a multitude. It is better to ultimately
succeed with the truth than to temporarily succeed with a lie. There is only one
Gospel and Paul said, ‘If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.’ ”
R. C. Sproul writes,
“Jesus life was a storm of controversy. The apostles, like
the prophets before them, could hardly go a day without controversy. Paul said
that he debated daily in the marketplace. To avoid controversy is to avoid
Christ. We can have a servile and carnal peace where truth is slain in the
streets. We are called to avoid Godless
controversies. We are called to Godly
controversies.” [10]
The Bible warns that the time would come when men would not put up with
sound doctrine, that false prophets and teachers would introduce destructive
heresies and that many would follow their shameful ways and bring the way of
truth into disrepute (2 Peter 2:1-2). This is happening today as is evidenced by
the rise and spread of the cults. As Christians, we are commanded to, “Have
nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them”
(Eph. 5:11). It is imperative that we become informed about the cults so that we
can not only witness to them effectively, but also help stem the tide of their
rapid growth.
Pseudo-Christian cults will exhibit some, if not all of the following traits.
Center on someone other than Jesus. He is not the focus of their church or religion. If Christ is not the focus, someone else fills his shoes as their primary source of knowledge—present day prophet, pope, etc.
Spiritual pride because of their exclusive beliefs
Disinterest in a rational evaluation of the facts
Truth established by supernatural experiences, not by God’s Word (the Bible)
Changing theology as new revelations supersede old ones
Fear of losing their salvation if they leave the cult
Rationalization of failed prophesies or predictions
Feel persecuted when people refuse their special truths…(persecution convinces them that they are right)
Believe they have progressed beyond evangelical Christians because of their additional spiritual knowledge.
Believe all denominations or religious groups are corrupted except theirs
Proselytize Christian denominations to win converts
Feel uncomfortable having spiritual conversations with Christians.
Indoctrinate their disciples to believe that satanic forces, blind prejudices or ignorance motivates anyone who opposes their belief system
Stress non-essentials as necessary for salvation (sabbath keeping, dietary laws, tithing requirements, etc.)
Believe they play a central role in eschatology—that their particular group represents the l44,000 spoken of in Rev. Ch. 7
No sin, no fall of man and no need of a Savior in New Age and Mind-Science cults (Unity School of Christianity, Christian Science, New Age religions, etc.)
Situational ethics… believe it is permissible for their leaders to live above the law
Depend on mediator other than Christ (a priest, a church, a priesthood, etc.)
Have another source of revelation besides the Bible. Hold their “traditions” above or equal to Biblical revelation
For the most part, unwilling to debate doctrinal issues with Christians
Closed-mindedness: intolerant of any position other than their own
Twist Scripture—Cults not built upon what Bible teaches but what their leader says the Bible teaches
Strive to convert people to an organization rather than Christ
While it is generally accepted by the Christian community that such groups as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons are cults, there is considerable confusion regarding the status of the RLDS Church. While members claim it is a Christian denomination, critics label it a cult. That RLDS beliefs differ from traditional Christian beliefs was established in the last chapter, but does that make them a cult? To determine the answer to that question, we will now examine the RLDS church in light of seven common traits of pseudo-Christian cults.
1. Rejection of Biblical reliability
2. False Prophet
3. False teachings concerning God
4. False teachings concerning salvation
5. Non-Biblical “Scriptures”
6. A “different Jesus”
7. The “one true church “ syndrome
In the following chapters we will look carefully at each of these traits and determine if they do, in fact, apply to the RLDS church.
[1] Walter Martin, Rise of the Cults, (Vision House 1980), p. 12.
[2] Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense, (Here’s Life Publishers, San Bernardino, Ca. 1992), p. 332.
[3] Ron Carlson and Ed Decker, Fast Facts on False Teachings, (Eugene, Oregon, Harvest House Publishers, 1994), p. 137.
[4] Craig Branch, Watchman Fellowship’s Vantage Point, March 1998.
[5] Walter Martin, Kingdom of the Cults, (Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1985), p. 394.
[6] Norman L. Geisler and Ron Rhodes, When Cultists Ask, (Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1997), p. 9.
[7] Christianity Today, June 15, 1998, p. 28.
[8] Martin, Kingdom of the Cults, p. 20.
[9] Christianity Today, June 15, 1998, p. 28, Time Magazine, August 4, 1997, p. 52-54.
[10] R. C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois, Introduction, 1992), p. xv.