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LESSON #5
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CULTS continued
MEMORY VERSE: 1CORINTHIANS 16:13
B. CULTIC PSYCHOLOGY
1. THE BELIEF SYSTEMS OF THE CULTS ARE CLOSED AND AUTHORITY DETERMINED.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY DO NOT ENCOURAGE BELIEVERS TO SEARCH AND DETERMINE TRUTH FORTHEMSELVES. THOSE IN AUTHORITY DETERMINE WHAT YOU SHOULD BELIEVE.
IN THAT RESPECT IT IS A LAZY MANS RELIGION. “JUST BELIEVE WHAT I TELL YOU,PUT YOUR BRAIN IN NEUTRAL, AND DONT ASK ANY QUESTIONS!”
TRUE CHRISTIANITY PROMOTES SEEKING, INQUIRING, AND DETERMINING TRUTH GUIDED BY THE HOLYSPIRIT. (MAT 7:7 ACT 17:11)
2. CULTIC GROUPS ARE ANTAGONISTIC AND OPPOSED TO CHRISTIANS, CHRISTIAN CHURCHES, ANDTHE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY CLAIM THEY ARE PERSECUTED AND HATED BY THE BODY OF CHRISTIANCHURCHES, WHEN IN FACT, THEY FEAR THE PREACHING OF THE TRUE GOSPEL THAT UNDERMINES THEIROWN DOCTRINE.
3. WITHOUT EXCEPTION, CULT GROUPS PROMOTE THE IDEA THAT THEY ARE THE ONLYONES WHO HAVE TRUTH, AND THEREFORE, THEY ALONE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD. THEY ALONE ARESAVED.
WHILE JESUS CHRIST SAID IN JOH 14:6 THAT NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER BUT BY HIM, THEREARE MANY DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS AND CHURCHES CONSISTING OF TRUE CHRISTIANS.
REMEMBER THAT BEING A TRUE CHRISTIAN IS NOT BY MEMBERSHIP IN A GROUP (A CHURCH) BUT BYA PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
4.CULT GROUPS ELEVATE THEIR OWN BOOK OR BOOKS OF WRITTEN DOCTRINE TO THE LEVEL OF”INSPIRED” AUTHORITY.
TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE STANDS ALONE AS THE ALL-SUFFICIENT,”INSPIRED” WORD OF GOD. NO OTHER WRITING IS ON THE SAME LEVEL OF AUTHORITY.
5. CULT GROUPS SEEK TO ISOLATE MEMBERS.
THE ISOLATION OF CULT BELIEVERS FROM THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, IS UNIQUELY DONE FOR TWOREASONS:
A. TO INDOCTRINATE THE PERSONS THINKING WITH THE NEW DOCTRINE OF THE CULT.
B. TO PREVENT THE PERSON FROM HEARING THE TRUTH AND FROM QUESTIONING THE CULTSAUTHORITY.
6. NEW AGE CULT GROUPS PRIMARILY SEEK THOSE FROM 17 TO 25…THE YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVENEITHER THE WISDOM OF EXPERIENCE, NOR AN ESTABLISHED LIFESTYLE AND ARE SOCIALLY BETWEENADOLESCENCE AND ADULTHOOD. THIS IS THE PERSON WHO IS SEEKING IDENTITY.
A. THEREFORE, CULT GROUPS ARE MADE UP PRIMARILY OF YOUNG PEOPLE. THERE ARE SOMEEXCEPTIONS, HOWEVER. FOR EXAMPLE THE JIM JONES GROUP HAD ALL AGES.
B. BECAUSE OF THE BREAKDOWN OF FUNCTIONAL FAMILIES IN SOCIETY TODAY, CULT GROUPS OFFERA “FAMILY” ATMOSPHERE THAT MEETS THIS NEED IN A PERSONS LIFE.
C. TRADITIONAL CULTS ARE MADE UP OF PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, BUT THEY HAVE A LONG HISTORY OFCULTIC ACTIVITY. SUCH GROUPS LIKE JEHOVAHS WITNESSES, MORMONS, AND CHRISTIAN SCIENCEFIT THIS CATEGORY.
7. CULTS FREQUENTLY ELEVATE ONE PERSON AS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY OR LEADER AND THATPERSON IS NOT JESUS CHRIST.
STRICT, AUTHORITARIAN LEADERSHIP BY A VERY CHARISMATIC LEADER IS CHARACTERISTIC OF ALLCULTS.
8. CULTS OFTEN USE “BRAINWASHING” TECHNIQUES TO INDOCTRINATE MEMBERS.”BRAINWASHING” IS OFTEN CALLED “TRAINING”.
THIS TAKES THE FORM OF BONDAGE AND CONTROL OF A PERSONS LIFE. THEY SEEK TOCONTROL WHAT YOU THINK, HOW YOU ACT, AND WHAT YOU DO.
CONTROL IS OFTEN ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A COMPLEX SYSTEM OF “PEER PRESSURE”. INOTHER WORDS. MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO “WATCH” OTHER MEMBERS AS A MEANS OFEXPRESSING LOVE AND CARE.
9. SOME CULTS PARADE CELEBRITIES WHO ACCEPT THEIR DOCTRINE TO PROMOTE THEIR GROUP.
THEY ADVERTIZE THE GROUP AND MAKE IT APPEAR TO BE A LEGITIMATE PART OF SOCIETY.
10. SOME CULTS REQUIRE SURRENDERING ALL ASSETS TO THE CONTROL AND USE BY THE CULTGROUP.
THIS IS NOT TRUE OF ALL CULT GROUPS BUT MANY FIT THIS CHARACTERISTIC.
11. THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO LEAVE THE CULT GROUP ARE MALIGNED AND PORTRAYED NEGATIVELY TOTHOSE REMAINING WITHIN THE CULT GROUP.
THIS PRODUCES A “FEAR” OF LEAVING THE GROUP.
12. CULT GROUPS CORRUPT AND DISTORT THE BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF HUMAN SEXUALITY ANDMARRIAGE.
OFTEN THERE IS A PREOCCUPATION WITH SEXUALITY. IT
IS SEEN IN EITHER OF TWO EXTREMES.
A. EITHER HUMAN SEXUALITY IN ALL FORMS IS LEGITIMATE RESULTING IN PROMISCUITY.
B. OR HUMAN SEXUALITY IN ALL FORMS IS TERRIBLY EVIL RESULTING IN TOTAL ABSTINENCE.
MATERIAL FROM THE KINGDOM OF THE CULTS BY WALTER MARTIN, AND THE LURE OF THECULTS BY RONALD ENROTH.
HOMEWORK
JUDE 1:20-25
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF “PSYCHOLOGY OF THE CULTS”
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THAT YOU FIND ESPECIALLY THREATENING TODAY TO YOUR PERSONAL FAITHIN CHRIST?
PREPARATION FOR JUDE 1:20-25
READ JUDE 1:20-25
MAKE A LIST OF THINGS THAT JUDE TELLS THE CHRISTIAN TO DO TO
AVOID APOSTASY.
MEMORY VERSE: 2PETER 3:2
