| Author |
Message |
Goldenbear
Registered user
Username: Goldenbear
Post Number: 155
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 5:04 pm: |     |
Greetings all. Our pastor asked me to teach a series of Sunday School lessons on reaching cults.
I am curious, as "survivors", what sources of things you think might work or should be presented.
I am going to show them the "Spirit behind the church", Called to be free, and a listing of the characteristics of a cult.
I remember that some have mentioned that they have presented to their new churches. What did you teach? |
Agapetos
Registered user
Username: Agapetos
Post Number: 406
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 8:03 pm: | |
Good question! Someone asked me to write a tract about Seventh-day Adventism... so I'm also curious, what does everyone think should be in it? |
Mwh
Registered user
Username: Mwh
Post Number: 186
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 12:41 am: | |
Agapetos, that was me 
Goldenbear, great, its a good movie, I would also recommend the following documentaries:
Jehovah's Witnesses exposed:
http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=6861723185926041712&q=Jehovahs+Witnesses
The Bible Vs The Book of Mormon:
http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=3029634589519028152&q=The+Bible+vs.+The+Book+of+Mormon
Both are available for free on video.google.com.
Some good audio material:
http://www.mmoutreach.org/audio/jw/lorri_macgregor_cults_prophets.mp3
There are some good sites on cults such as:
http://www.sdaoutreach.org
http://www.mmoutreach.org/index.htm
http://www.carm.org/catholic.htm
http://towertotruth.net/
http://www.letusreason.org/
http://www.thinkabouteternity.org/
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Loneviking
Registered user
Username: Loneviking
Post Number: 466
Registered: 7-2000
| | Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 9:03 am: | |
I taught a similar class on cults and what makes them a cult. The book 'Kingdom of the Cults' has a very good chapter on evangelizing the cults. One of the points that was heavily emphasized in this chapter is that you have to get the cult member you are meeting with to agree on certain definitions. Cults 'define' things such as 'salvation', 'forgiveness', 'sanctification' etc. in such a way as to often appear Christian--but in reality, they have a different, hidden definition.
I used the official Mormon site as an example of this. It looks really Christian, if you know nothing about Mormons---but it's a deception. Using this as a springboard, I then ask 'how is it that groups such as the Mormons can put up these deceptions and live with themselves?
I thne show how every cult refuses to believe in verbal, plenary inspiration and has found an alternate approach that allows them to do four things:
1. Have an alternate, inspired source that is authoritative. It might be EG White, Joseph Smith, Rev. Moon, but all have authority over the group.
2. Have a way of studying the Bible that provides them the answers they need to have to back up their alternate authority. Many times, these 'methods' look very good, even scholarly, to anyone who is not familiar with the Bible.
3. In turn, the authority figure or prophet, that discovered this approach to the Bible has also found 'New Truth' that must be followed. Only this particular group has the truth. Only this group will be saved. Only this group is the remnant.
4. Then, because of the above factors, the group naturally develops a culture seperate from both mainstream culture and the orthodox Christian churches. They seperate themselves from others---sometimes by dietary practices; sometimes physically by living in a communal community; sometimes by a culture that surrounds an individual from birth to grave.
And finally, the cults believe that their 'truth' is so important that they can practice deception on several levels in order to get their message a fair hearing. Kingdom of the Cults has a section on this in the chapter on Adventism. F.D. Nichols, the leading SDA apologist of the 60's, admitted that SDA evangelists would hide who they are when they come into a community for an evangelistic series. But, Elder Nichols claimed that such a thing was necessary in order for their message to receive a fair hearing. Virtually every cult takes the same basic approach. They dress up their message to appear Christian while hiding both who they are and what they really believe.
I also stress that within the above characteristics there are 'degrees' of dangerousness. Some cults take these characteristics to an extreme and often self destruct. Jim Jones and David Koresh are examples of this.
Other cults are milder examples of the characteristics, where control over the member is not so direct but is more cultural. Examples here would be the Mormons and Adventists.
I also pulled in examples of other pseudo Christian cults, often not well known, such as the 'Two by Two's and the 'Oneness Pentecostals'. I showed how they follow the same characteristics of a cult.
I finished with a short lesson on what a church needs to provide for evangelism to these groups:
1. A strong support group of folks who are willing to work with ex-cult members and make them feel welcome and like they belong.
2. Patience, as the ex-cult members work through the stages of withdrawl from a cult.
3. Gifted teachers who can refute the arguments of the cults and put the ex-cult member back on a solid Christian foundation.
So, that's how I did it. Feel free to borrow!
Bill |
Pw
Registered user
Username: Pw
Post Number: 498
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 11:35 am: | |
I like the term survivor. I've always considered myself as a former but will now upgrade my title! |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 4752
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 1:18 pm: | |
Bill, thank you for that excellent list. The foundational power of your approach is beginning with words and their definitions and then showing how, without the belief in Biblical verbal inspiration, any definition or authority is plausible.
That is so powerful.
Colleen |
Randyg
Registered user
Username: Randyg
Post Number: 276
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 2:20 pm: | |
Bill,
You hit a High C with that post. Powerful, crystal clear, and well articulated.
Thank-you |
Loneviking
Registered user
Username: Loneviking
Post Number: 469
Registered: 7-2000
| | Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 8:09 pm: | |
Why thank you Randy! |
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady
Post Number: 2890
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 8:40 pm: | |
Loneviking, a very well done outline of what to say.
God was with you when you did it.
Diana |
Goldenbear
Registered user
Username: Goldenbear
Post Number: 156
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 7:42 pm: | |
Thanks guys. Anyone else have other suggestions? |
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