 April 20, 1990            CHRISTIAN CULTS


                 GROWTH & THREAT OF CHRISTIAN CULTS
          
    The rapid growth of Christian cults combined with the very
    real threat which they pose to Biblical Christianity
    requires that the community of believers in Jesus Christ
    become aware of them, form a Biblical response and observe
    Jesus' call to evangelistic action (Matt. 28:19).
          
    With the current rise and proliferation of cult
    organizations, it is essential for Christians to "give
    a reasonable answer" for their faith and hope (I Pet.
    3:15). The Mormon church, perhaps the most dangerous          
    Christian cult, now numbers between 6.5 & 7.5 million, due in
    large part to their army of missionaries.  The Watchtower
    Bible and Tract Society, commonly known as the Jehovah's
    Witnesses, exceed 2 million worldwide.  And the United
    Pentecostal Church International, the largest 'Jesus
    only' cult, have recently surpassed the 460,000 mark.
           
    Along with the ever-increasing growth of Christian
    cults is their relentless condemnation of Christian churches.

    While the polite Mormon missionary will extend every possible
    courtesy to you, he will never reveal what the Pearl of
    Great Price, his own scripture, teaches with regard to
    the Christian church.  In the Pearl of Great Price God
    supposedly condemns all the Christian Churches as wrong, all
    the Christian creeds as abominations, all Christian  pastors
    as corrupt, and that all Christian pastors teach man-made
    doctrines.  Likewise, if you are Baptist, Methodist,
    Presbyterian, Lutheran or Assemblies of God, The United
    Pentecostal Church International, over a nation-wide
    radio address declared that you are stuck in a "morass of
    apostasy" and that the Jesus you serve is a "pseudo-Jesus"
    (a false-Jesus).  In a similar vein, the Jehovah's
    Witnesses regard themselves as the only one true church.
          
                  IDENTIFYING CHRISTIAN CULTS
          
    Within a religious frame of reference, the religious
    definition of "cult" specifies that in order to
    identify a "cult" you must 1) describe its belief system and  
    2) present a value judgment (see "Definition of Cult"         
    critique sheet). 
    For instance, one such value judgment might be: if a group
    of people claim to belong to a particular religion, but
    reject the basic principles of that religion, clearly
    they would represent a 'heresy' or 'perversion' of that
    religion. 




    It is for this reason that the Mormon church is
    regarded as a "Christian cult" or perversion of Christianity, 
    i.e., although they claim to be Christian, they repudiate
    basic Christian truths.
          
    It is also for this reason that the Hare Krishna are
    not a Christian cult, but rather, a Hindu cult.  And again,
    Zen Buddhism a Buddhist, not a Christian cult.  Both are
    'non-Christian,' but for reasons other than claiming to
    be Christian and denying basic Christian doctrines.
          
    Unfortunately, many times people confuse "cult" with
    the "occult."  As demonstrated above, Christian cults claim
    to be Christian, whereas the occult does not.  Even
    further, the occult participates in "forbidden" practices     
    listed in the Bible, e.g., voodoo, witchcraft, astrology,
    sorcery, satanism, etc.

                      CULTIC BELIEF SYSTEMS
          
    CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIAN: As presented above, a group must
    first claim to be Christian before they can even be
    suspected as being a Christian cult.  Neither the First
    Church of Satan, Zen Buddhism nor the United States Boy
    Scouts claim to be Christian.  Therefore, they are even
    remotely suspected of being Christian cults.  Usually,        
    just
    the name of a specific group will indicate if it claims
    to be Christian, e.g., Christian Science, Church of Jesus
    Christ Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), United Pentecostal
    Church International (UPCI), Unity School of Christianity,
    Jehovah's 'Christian' Witnesses, The Way, the Worldwide
    Church of God, etc.
     
                    DENY CENTRAL CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES: 
                    
    GOD: Across the board, Christian cults always
    deny the Biblical view of God, namely, one God in
    three persons.  Mormons teach that there are an
    infinite number of gods who were once men and women. 
    The Jehovah's Witnesses believe there is one big
    god,  Jehovah, and one small god, Jesus.  The UPCI
    insist that God is one person who puts on different masks or  
    titles.  Christian Science and Unity School both teach that   
    God is an impersonal principle.  The cults might do it in
    different ways, but they will always reject the Biblical
    view of God.  By contrast, the Christian church has always    
    affirmed the Biblical view of God:  one God in three persons. 
    In biblical theology the primacy of the belief in one and     
    only one God is undisputed (Is. 44:6).  But the Bible also
    recognizes three as God: the Father (I Pet.1:2),  the Son     
    (John 1:1-18) and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4).



    This apparent contradiction, this  mystery of the             
    Godhead,is reconciled in Deut. 6:4 - "Hear  O Israel, the     
    LORD our God is one LORD."  The Hebrew word ("Echod"), from   
    which the English 'one' is translated, is not a solitary one, 
    but rather, denotes a composite one.  God's word uses "echod" 
    to describe one flesh in the marriage of two people (Gen.     
    2:24), one family, one tribe and one nation.  Since the       
    Father prays to the son (Heb. 1:6-8), the son prays to the    
    Father (Mark 14:36) and the Son sends the Holy Spirit   (John
    16:7), clearly, the best English word to describe each of     
    these three eternal distinctions within the one God is        
    person."
                    
    JESUS: It is easy to understand that since the Biblical view  
    of God is simply a fuller explanation of Jesus and His        
    relation to God the Father and the Holy Spirit, then it
    necessarily follows that a cult's view of Jesus is always
    deficient.  In fact, this is exactly the case.
 
    The Mormons teach that Jesus was a man who became
    god, whereas the Bible teaches that Jesus was God
    who became man (John 1:1-18).  The Jehovah's Witnesses        
    believe that Jesus was God's first and greatest creation, but 
    God's word declares that He is true God (Phil. 2:6). 
  
    The UPCI demands that Jesus is the Father, Jesus is the son   
    and Jesus is the Holy Spirit.  They teach that Father, son
    and Holy Spirit are merely "titles" or "offices" or           
    "masks" which Jesus puts on or exercises.  God's word, in     
    direct opposition to the UPCI, declares Jesus prayed to His   
    father(another person) for glory which they shared(two        
    persons) before the world was (John 17:5).                    
    Also, in the UPCI mind the  
    "son of God" denotes just the human flesh of Jesus
    and is not God.  In complete antithesis to the UPCI, God the  
    Father clearly prays to the Son and declares Him to be        
    God.(Heb. 1:1-12)
          
    MAN: Usually, but not always, a cult will also deny the       
    biblical view of man.  For example,  both Mormonism and the   
    Worldwide Church of God teach that you can become a God       
    yourself.  God's word reveals where this doctrine originated, 
    in the lips of the serpent himself (Gen. 3:1-5).
          
    SALVATION: In the cultic mind-set, salvation by "grace        
    through faith" alone is a foreign concept. It is always the   
    blood of Jesus plus something you must do to earn salvation.  
    The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that you must also meet with
    other Witnesses, sell magazines door to door and do good
    works like Jesus did.  Similarly, the UPCI demands



    that you must also be baptized in a specific ritualistic      
    method and speak in tongues to have "full salvation."  In     
    fact, the UPCI teaches in order for you to retain your        
    salvation you must keep "holiness standards;" e.g., dress     
    code. God's word, in no uncertain terms, testifies
    that salvation is by one simple method "grace through
    faith ... Not of works, lest any man should boast"
    (Eph. 2:8-9).  In much stronger terms Paul repudiates anyone  
    who tries to add anything to the blood of Jesus and put us    
    under the law (Gal.3).
     
                 EXTRA-BIBLICAL REVELATION WRITTEN
               
     In virtually every instance that we find a Christian
     cult, there is always found an extra-biblical revelation -   
     another supposed revelation from God separate from the       
     bible.  Usually, but not always,  this extra-biblical        
     revelation is in the form of another book.  The Mormons have 
     three extra-biblical revelations;
     The Book of Mormon,the Pearl of Great Price and Doctrines &  
     Covenants.

     Christian Science has Science & Health with a Key to the     
     Scriptures. 

     The Unification Church has developed the Divine Principle. 
     Sometimes, instead of another book besides the bible,
     they have developed only one view or interpretation of
     the bible which is lifted up so high and unchallengeable,    
     that it itself becomes equal in
     authority to God's word. 

     In the Way International, any of Victor Paul Wierwille's     
     interpretations are considered sacred and unapproachable.    

                 TRACED TO ONE MANS INTERPRETATION
          
     Another indicator that a cult might be present is that
     almost always a cult can be traced to one mans
     interpretation of God's word.  Mormonism can be traced
     back to Joseph Smith, Unity School to Charles Fillmore and
     Christian Science to Mary Baker Edy.
 
     The Way International was founded by Victor Paul Wierwille,  
     whereas Rev. Syung Myung Moon began the Unification Church.  
     The Jehovah's Witnesses are dependent upon Charles Taze      
     Russell's view in the modern era and Arius, the ancient      
     heretic, in the pre-modern era.  The views of the UPCI are   
     traceable to Frank Ewart in the modern era and the heretic   
     Sabellius in the ancient world.

           
                         


                          VALUE JUDGMENT
     
     Let it be clear that I believe that every cultist has the
     inalienable right, given by God, to practice his religion
     has he sees fit - I do not challenge that.  But when he      
     claims that he is practicing Christianity, it is time for    
     the Christian church to respond with a loving answer, "what  
     you have is certainly yours, but it is not Christianity." 
     And then, in a cool,  calm manner demonstrate why it is not  
     Christianity.

                       CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
     
     While it is incumbent upon the believers in Jesus Christ's
     to respond to the Mormons, the Jehovah's Witnesses, the      
     UPCI, etc.,  we must remember the attitude with which we     
     must give a reasonable answer, namely, a meek and            
     reveren tone (I Pet. 3:15). 
     A meek spirit is one which has power but does not abuse it. 
     Have reverence and respect for the cult member (of course    
     this does not mean you must respect beliefs).  How would you 
     feel if someone ridiculed your religion?  Instead of         
     building invisible walls by seeking mere victory through     
     arguments, we must learn to edify people and warn them of    
     the slight of men - all the time speaking the truth in love  
     (Eph. 4:11-15)
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