What defines a cult? Is all fundamentalism cultic? Are cults only those groups that deny certain orthodox Christian Christological doctrines? Or is it possible that there may be cults within conservative Evangelical Christianity?
If you are interested in the answers to these questions, you need to check out two outstanding web sites:
Because so many earnest Christians still remain ignorant of the phenomenon of cultic social practices within Biblical Christianity, I hope to increase awareness and hopefully spare others the pain and tragedy that I have endured. Most Christians have no knowledge of the techniques of thought reform and psychologcial manipulation employed by legalistic Christian groups, so this site purposes to inform as many people as possible of the cultic nature of these otherwise Christian schools of thought.
Of special interest to me is the increased interest and acceptance of "Family Integrated Churches" which promotes the traditional idea of family as central to the restoration of Christianity within Western Civilization. I am deeply disturbed by this trend because groups such as Vision Forum headed by Doug Phillips promote the family but with rigid, legalistic standards of acceptable conduct. These extra-biblical standards are dangerous in my opinion but are marketed and widely accepted by many unknowing Christians as Biblically sound and orthodox. The tactics and practices used and promoted by Doug Phillips via the Vision Forum vehicle correspond to cultic practice and thus create a hegemonic and neo-Gnostic belief system. Because of the strong focus on their own version of Patriarchy, it is the opinion of many that the sequelae of this system present a very real danger to women.
Hi Richard,
ReplyDeleteThanks for what I hear people call a "shout out." (I had to look up what that was in an online urban dictionary, BTW, after they started using it on the local news in the morning.)
That T-shirt is pretty funny. It reminds me of somthing in Wendy Duncan's book. She was a social worker and SWBTS graduate, but she ended up in Ole Anthony's cult in Dallas, TX. There's a chapter in the book named "I never wanted to join a cult." I attended her recent lecture at an apologetics conference on the experience of "finding oneself" in spiritual abuse, and I kept making eye contact and nodding my head. Our stories are so similar, but although we were in churches that preached salvation through faith and rebirth in Christ and taught the Word, we both also experienced the same social dynamics of those like any Moonie, Scientologist or Jehovah's Witness. Though the very subtle doctinal problems and unbalanced teachings eventually surface, the social dynamics used in these groups are powerful. Strong Biblical literacy does not deter this influence, but I believe that it does help get a believer out of them. The Word does not return void but accomplishes all that the Lord sends it to do. Hallelujah!
BTW, you can read about Doug and Wendy Duncan (both social workers still in the Dallas area) and order their book at http://www.dallascult.com/.
The other MUST READ book on this subject is "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse" by Johnson & VanVonderan (or Blue's "Healing Spiritual Abuse" as some people like that one as much or more than "The Subtle Power..."). The best recovery book a secular book entitled "Take Back Your Life" by Lalich which is essentially a revised version of "Captive Hearts, Captive Minds" by Lalich and Tobias. (Sometimes, you can find a copy of Captive Hearts at a better price.)
Thanks again, Richard and Kim! You have been a great encouragement to me and many others who work to teach others about the insidious nature of these teachings that attract people who want nothing more than to serve God in the best way possible. Through a process that seems common to all human efforts that mix any idealistic teachings with the traditions of men, so many people are pulled off course, many without them even realizing what has happened to them. Often we have the very same interests and zeal and desires than those in these aberrant Christian schisms, and the distinctions are often difficult to realize until far too much collateral damage has occured.
God bless you and thank you again!
Thank you, Cindy, for commenting here. After a mild run-in with spiritual abuse at a small independent Bible church three years ago, I searched for these things online. But not knowing the right words to use, I never found anything of use.
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the reasons I appreciate your web sites and wanted to point folks to them. I think this information may be of great help to those who are going through things that simply make no sense and are hard to address scripturally as long as the leaders are practicing the cultic techniques you have outlined on your sites.
May God use this information to comfort those who have been victims and to bring accountability to those who have been abusers.
May God use this information to comfort those who have been victims and to bring accountability to those who have been abusers.
ReplyDeleteAMEN, Amen and Amen!!!