I've studied and taught extensively on cults. Whenever God's Spirit pours out his power to build God's kingdom, the gates of hell respond, and issue a stale blast of hell's own confusion and distortion of the truth. When I came to Christ at the end of the Jesus movement, non-traditional churches offered a smorgasbord of spiritual meals. The Children of God said they were God's true people. The Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses made a resurgent comeback. The Way, Intl. was founded by Victor Paul Wierwille, and Scientology was launched by former science fiction author L Ron Hubbard. The 70's and 80's were filled with new, non-traditional ways which tangled young believers in spiritual untruth. I lost a lot of friends to these spiritual potholes.
I found my way through the woods by following another path. I was raised in church, but after I came to Christ, I started reading the bible, and learning from evangelical believers. I had to ask if my church was a cult too. I wrestled with the question of the what is “true church,” like Pontias Pilate's wondered with contempt “What is truth?” Since I'd spent 20 years in a church that insisted it was the only true version of God's one true Church, I wanted to find the right answer. The more I studied God's word, I discovered over and over that God says his Word is the only thing that doesn't change. I learned that Jesus Christ, the Word of God, was the only way to eternal life, and a relationship with God.
Walter Martin, author of the foundational classic Kingdom of the Cults, wrote in his book The Rise of the Cults: "By cultism we mean the adherence to doctrines which are pointedly contradictory to orthodox Christianity and which yet claim the distinction of either tracing their origin to orthodox sources or of being in essential harmony with those sources. Cultism, in short, is any major deviation from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith."
Bob and Gretchen Passantino, who contributed to a updated edition of the Martin's classic, and help found the Christian Research Institute, wrote in 1990:
"Unfortunately, when Christians attempt to find out what a cult is, they discover that there are almost as many definitions of a cult as there are writers and speakers on the subject. Sociologists often define cults by their cultural idiosyncracies. Psychologists frequently talk about cults in terms of "mind control," "low self-esteem," "dominating leadership," etc. . . . In the midst of this confusion of opinion, there is a core of biblical clarity that can help concerned Christians discern between truth and error, biblical standards and opinion. The term cult comes from the Latin cultus, meaning "worship," and originally meant a system of worship distinguishable from others. It quickly came to mean an aberrant form of worship identified in some way with a "parent" belief system. . . . In this century, the Church has usually defined the term cult by doctrinal or theological standards. In this sense, a cult is a sectarian religious group that identifies itself with Christianity and yet fails one or more core doctrinal tests of orthodoxy."
The definition of a cult must rest in this foundation. If Jesus is One Member of the triune Godhead, and the only way to heaven is a relationship with Him, then the enemy of my soul would have to disrupt this truth in order to build a cult, and destroy or corrupt that relationship. In short, if God and heaven is about truth, then the devil and hell are about cleverly woven lies which replace these truths. The definition of a cult rests here, and isn't based in cultural issues, organizational behavior, or personal preferences.
This lengthy preamble leads to me to challenge Wendy and Doug Duncan's definition of a cult, which on the surface is the basis for the RA bloggers attacks on the Honor Academy. Before I go too much further, I have to say I've never spoken with the Duncan's. I'm not writing to disparage them. I don't question their professional accreditation, nor their character. I am saying that I have problems with the Duncan's definition of a cult used by RA to support their barrage against Teen Mania. I believe they've painted with an exceptionally wide brush, that leads to incorrect application of a damaging and powerful label, “cult.” As a result, a lie is presented as truth, an untrue evaluation of Teen Mania's Honor Academy.
My five point response to the Duncan's and RA bloggers is in my next post.
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ReplyDeleteHi Shannon:
ReplyDeleteI know that the RA bloggers have been at it for a while. I can't comment on their stories, I wasn't there, but neither were all the people they are talking to either. I do know TMM and the HA, and on the other hand, I know how people react when they feel wounded. I can see how RA bloggers actions and words are harming their own witness, the Honor Academy, and the larger body of Christ.
When I experience something questionable with someone at my church, and then go and tell a handful of other people to try and find comfort, that's called gossip. When I persist, it's worse.
On a personal side, and where I'm coming from. . . I went through a divorce 11 yrs ago, when my ex turned from the faith and left for someone else. The hurt was so-o-o-o-o deep that all I wanted to do was talk about it to everyone I knew. I felt justified. But I didn't begin to heal until I closed my mouth, let go of the anger, and started to learn how to forgive. I'm still forgiving her, it takes time. Grieving takes time, and in that I agree with the RA bloggers that anger and grieving are important emotions, and they have to be processed health-fully is a person is going to be whole.
There is a balance to scripture, but on the other hand I understand from personal experience how our emotions justify our actions when we don't want to connect the dots between the two.
When I came to Christ, I was a bitter person. I used scriptures to justify my anger. But I had to learn to be honest with myself and God, and how to find grace. I am praying that the RA bloggers can do the same. Until they do, I believe they're creating harm to the body of Christ, themselves and TMM, all the while the devil is standing on the sidelines laughing.
Somehow, Christ-likeness is getting lost in the fray.