Cults?!

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,883
1,954
113
#61
There have been many cases about people lying about their academic qualifications. In a non religious setting, we had a radical leftist Proffessor of Native American studies at the University of Colorado about two decades ago, Ward Churchill. He claimed to be a combat hero in the Viet Nam conflict, with the US Army. He also claimed to be of Native American Heritage/Blood and made himself to look like he was of American Indian descent.

Churchill made these claims to promote his career as a tenured professor (affirmative actions in the academic world) and to sell his radical agenda/books. However, he was found out when he was investigated for blaming the World Trade Tower bombings on American capitalist pigs. All of his assertions of being a war here and Native American proved false.

He was a truck driver in the US Army, never saw combat. All Natiive American tribes in the USA disclaimed his Native American heritage (Same can be said of Elizabeth Warren and her Native American ancestry claims that she used to climb up the rungs of the academic world). Curchill was uncermoniously dismissed from the University as a fraid, despite his tenure.

Despite the concrete proof that Ward Churchill was a complete charlatan, he still had many supporters who wanted him returned. The point is, IF A PERSON IS A CONSISTANT LIAR, DON'T BELIEVE A WORD OF WHAT THEY SAY, AND MOVE ON. iF THEIR LIPS ARE MOVING THEY ARE PROBABLY LYING!
Ha! Glad to see that you mentioned Elizabeth Warren . . . she immediately came to mind as I began to read your post. :)
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,276
2,555
113
#62
I watched the video. My condolences to family, friends, and loved ones of Gwen and Joe Lara, Brandon Hannah,
David and Jennifer Martin and Jonathan and Jessica Walters, who perished in a plane crash May 29, 2021.
Daughter is supposedly running the cult at the moment...but there's a lot of trouble at the moment with her leadership. Her brother instantly got out and escaped their group as soon as their Mother and Step-father died....he went to move closer to his father.

He was initially silent on his mother's cult but has been saying things of late....they aren't positive things either.

Sister meanwhile has been trying to get money out of her brother...and he inherited nothing. Getting the picture yet? They are a cult. They are not nice people. They only appear to be nice.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,093
30,213
113
#63
Daughter is supposedly running the cult at the moment...but there's a lot of trouble at the moment with her leadership. Her brother instantly got out and escaped their group as soon as their Mother and Step-father died....he went to move closer to his father.

He was initially silent on his mother's cult but has been saying things of late....they aren't positive things either.

Sister meanwhile has been trying to get money out of her brother...and he inherited nothing. Getting the picture yet? They are a cult. They are not nice people. They only appear to be nice.
They do look very shiny...
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,276
2,555
113
#64
They do look very shiny...
Oh I admit that from the outside they look wonderful and extremely enticing....but inside its a nightmare of epic proportions.

It takes a LOT of money to look as good as they do and they don't spare a dime on it either....
And at first meeting they seem like such nice and inviting and warm people.

Who wouldn't want to be like them?

BUT
No one involved with that church doesn't have a case of anorexia or bulimia or some other unhealthy food disorder. The workout routines are crushing....prayer is now the code phrase for self hypnosis.
And for those housewives in that wealthy neighborhood are always in fear of losing their husband's because of the cellulite clause in their prenuptial agreement.

Appearances are very deceiving for that group.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,093
30,213
113
#65
Oh I admit that from the outside they look wonderful and extremely enticing....but inside its a nightmare of epic proportions.

It takes a LOT of money to look as good as they do and they don't spare a dime on it either....
And at first meeting they seem like such nice and inviting and warm people.

Who wouldn't want to be like them?

BUT
No one involved with that church doesn't have a case of anorexia or bulimia or some other unhealthy food disorder. The workout routines are crushing....prayer is now the code phrase for self hypnosis.
And for those housewives in that wealthy neighborhood are always in fear of losing their husband's because of the cellulite clause in their prenuptial agreement.

Appearances are very deceiving for that group.
I did notice the opulence. Rather hard to miss...

A cellulite clause??? Oh my
o_O
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,739
6,904
113
#66
People who choose to enjoy another peanut butter than JIF are just cultists of a false peanut butter!
 

Truth01

Active member
May 7, 2022
119
35
28
#67
I would define a cult by five common points that cults seem to follow.
1) They are usually the one true church
2) Their interpretation and doctrine is always unbiblical, always debatable
3) They usually have a prophet and/or a very outspoken person, whom is looked up to by the cult members
4) They exert a strong control over their members and the cult rules are enforced
5) They usually have a strong end-times component in their doctrine
By this definition christianity as a whole is a cult religion. Our religion is centered around one outspoken person, Jesus. Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life, in other words he is the one true way to salvation. Jesus always spoke strongly about and warned about the end times. Jesus teachings were a constant cause of debate in his lifetime and even now.
 

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,883
1,954
113
#68
By this definition christianity as a whole is a cult religion. Our religion is centered around one outspoken person, Jesus. Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life, in other words he is the one true way to salvation. Jesus always spoke strongly about and warned about the end times. Jesus teachings were a constant cause of debate in his lifetime and even now.
Except point numbers 2, 4, and 5 don't really apply. That's only 40%.
 

Inquisitor

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2022
3,371
1,002
113
#69
By this definition christianity as a whole is a cult religion. Our religion is centered around one outspoken person, Jesus. Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life, in other words he is the one true way to salvation. Jesus always spoke strongly about and warned about the end times. Jesus teachings were a constant cause of debate in his lifetime and even now.
Exactly, Satan duplicates the one true church every time.

Satan appears as an angel of light.

Your right that Christianity was a cult as viewed by Judaism and still is. It depends on the perspective you take.

Christianity has been dealing with cults since the time of the apostles.
 

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,883
1,954
113
#71
By this definition christianity as a whole is a cult religion. Our religion is centered around one outspoken person, Jesus. Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life, in other words he is the one true way to salvation. Jesus always spoke strongly about and warned about the end times. Jesus teachings were a constant cause of debate in his lifetime and even now.
I would define a cult by five common points that cults seem to follow.
1) They are usually the one true church
2) Their interpretation and doctrine is always unbiblical, always debatable
3) They usually have a prophet and/or a very outspoken person, whom is looked up to by the cult members
4) They exert a strong control over their members and the cult rules are enforced
5) They usually have a strong end-times component in their doctrine
Point 2: The True Christian Doctrine is always Biblical
Point 4: There is freedom in Christ; not control
Point 5: Sharing the True Gospel of Jesus Christ doesn't involve Eschatology . . . as it is being presented to a "new believer"
 

Truth01

Active member
May 7, 2022
119
35
28
#72
I believe fundamentally that a cult is a religion that tries to make you do things that go against your conscience. I think that this is the red flag to look out for. If someone calls a certain religion a cult but can not give any examples of how that religion violates a persons conscience I dont believe they are right. Some religions teach false teachings because they do not interpret the bible correctly. These are religions that contain false teachings and if these false teachings are many they are false religions, but they are not cults. I strongly dont agree with the teachings of the churches mentioned here that I know but with some of these they are misguided people. Their teachings are clearly out of sync with bible teachings and wrong, but some are sincere and their religion does not call on its members to violate their consciences.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#73
a cult is some religion that you can never leave and if you do try they will hunt you down and kill you

other than that...

whats this about a clown church?! I thought Krusty the Klown was Jewish
 

Truth01

Active member
May 7, 2022
119
35
28
#74
a cult is some religion that you can never leave and if you do try they will hunt you down and kill you

other than that...

whats this about a clown church?! I thought Krusty the Klown was Jewish
This is actually most likely the best definition of a cult stated so far. The word cult is derived from the word cult. Culling is a process used to kill large numbers of animals in a single place at the same time. Usually by trickery but also by other means, you get the animals to group together into a large group that makes it easier for you to kill the entire herd at once.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,778
113
#75
By this definition christianity as a whole is a cult religion.
That is a most unwise statement. Keep in mind that there are many who are not Christians who read these posts. So if Christianity is a "cult religion" why should they even consider the claims of Christ seriously?

This thread is about heterodox groups who reject, pervert, or subvert Bible truth and snare people with their lies. Those are the cults.
 

oyster67

Senior Member
May 24, 2014
11,887
8,705
113
#76
But I don't mean the secular definition. Biblically what constitutes a cult? Use Scripture where possible
I could not find the actual word in the KJV, so the it might be a matter of opinion. I would say that anything that rejects the deity of Jesus and the cleansing power of His blood is cult-like.
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,412
3,671
113
#78
I pretty much avoid the term cult. I see groups as on a continuum between benign and harmful.
 

Live4Him3

Jesus is Lord
May 19, 2022
1,383
640
113
#79
This is actually most likely the best definition of a cult stated so far. The word cult is derived from the word cult. Culling is a process used to kill large numbers of animals in a single place at the same time. Usually by trickery but also by other means, you get the animals to group together into a large group that makes it easier for you to kill the entire herd at once.
???

https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=cult

cult (n.)

1610s, "worship, homage" (a sense now obsolete); 1670s, "a particular form or system of worship;" from French culte (17c.), from Latin cultus "care, labor; cultivation, culture; worship, reverence," originally "tended, cultivated," past participle of colere "to till" (see colony).

The word was rare after 17c., but it was revived mid-19c. (sometimes in French form culte) with reference to ancient or primitive systems of religious belief and worship, especially the rites and ceremonies employed in such worship. Extended meaning "devoted attention to a particular person or thing" is from 1829.

Where do you see "culling" in that?
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,778
113
#80
I could not find the actual word in the KJV, so the it might be a matter of opinion.
Instead of one word we have "ever learning and never able to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim 3:7).