A cult is identified as a religious group that distorts biblical truth in one or more of the following points. While twisting any one of these is enough for a group to legitimately earn the title of Cult, you will find that if a religious leader or group distorts one, they usually stray on all four.
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The deity of Jesus: God's word teaches that Jesus is the only Son of God, fully man and fully God. Universally, cults deny this biblical truth. They insist he is a good man, or “a god”as in one of many, of a great teacher. Cults deny that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.
The deity and person hood of the Holy Spirit: God's word teaches that the Holy Spirit is a person. He can be grieved, and offended. The Holy Spirit is referred to with all the power and authority of God. Peter, in Acts 5, tells Ananias that he didn't lie to man, but to God when he says that the deceptive disciple lied about the money he gave to the church. Cults universally deny this truth. Cults describe the Holy spirit as the force of god, the presence of god, or the influence of god in believers lives. Other, more eastern cults describe the Holy Spirit as the universal force that is shared by all living beings. “May the force be with you, Luke.”
The unchanging, eternal and singular authority of scripture: God's word teaches that the written word of God is true, unchanging, settled in heaven, and the ultimate reference and source for our Christian faith. Cults, (and some Christian churches) add to scripture and allow other writings to carry equal eternal value. Some churches even deem them divinely inspired. In some cults, these proclamations come from a charismatic leader. In others, divine inspiration is ascribed to church traditions, or an elected pontiff.
While some Christian churches allow church doctrine or traditions to be held in equal authority of scripture, on every other point of doctrine their correct. They are true Christian churches with significant error. On the other hand, every cult veers onto this path. They are false churches that contain some levels of truth.That salvation is a free gift, not earned by our good deeds: The bible teaches us that salvation is a free gift. Nothing can earn our entry to heaven. Good works are necessary fruit which should grow on the tree of faith, and without the fruit, we are told to question whether the tree is real or not. Nonetheless, salvation is the result of faith, a gift. Cults may start at this point, but they add that you have to ALSO follow their rules, otherwise the cult insist that you won't get into heaven.
A cult isn't comfortable allowing you and I to believe freely, unless we do what they tell us to. This is because at the heart of a cult is insecurity. As a cult leader, I don't have identity unless you do what I say. For Christians, Christ is the leader, and we all follow Him. He is the authority, and we follow men in position of authority because we acknowledge His presence, purpose and power in the leader's life. Christians ultimately are responsible, and willingly accountable to God. Cults teach that you are responsible to the cult leader, and he or she isn't accountable to you because he has a special pipeline to heaven.
The Duncans summarized their accusations by slathering another coat of one sided bias on the Honor Academy's reputation. I will address their final points, as published by the RA bloggers, after describing some of the God moments I encountered while visiting the campus in 2010.
I just checked. Teen Mania's doctrinal statement does not mention salvation by grace alone, anywhere. The words "faith" "grace" and "salvation" aren't even in it. How does this match up with your point four? Isn't this, as you say, "enough for a group to legitimately earn the title of Cult"?
ReplyDeleteI'd recommend you check out some reputable sources on cults-- see http://howcultswork.com/ for instance-- and compare them to what Teen Mania's teachings on authority. Did you know that interns must commit to "never speak ill of the Honor Academy"? That's called information control, and is an example of brainwashing. Just like cults do.
Do you have any references for your definition and explanation of a cult???
ReplyDeleteA cult isn't as defined above, actually. Based on an academic understanding a cult has a few traits, including 1) Isolation from friends and family 2) Sleep deprivation 3) Totalitarian world view 4) Authoritarian leadership.
ReplyDeleteTo LDK: your definition of a cult is commonly used in the secular and academic world, by those who work to define and respond to the emotional abuse used to keep cults together. Without a spiritual or biblical reference point, they have to define a cult in terms of the fruit they product in people's lives, rather than the aberrant, un-biblical belief systems that make and define a cult. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not criticizing the information produced by psychologists and academians. They do good work help people grow, and probably know more than me on many points. But without a biblical framework, they work from a humanistic one, which doesn't address the faith and doctrinal based issues of a cult. A humanistic world view doesn't deal with truth and falsehood, only perception. If we're believers, and are following Christ, than his truth will hold the greatest benefits for us. That's a worldview that secular academics don't share, so it's not a surprise they come to faulty conclusions.
ReplyDeleteTo Shannon and LDK: Check out Walter Martin's work The Kingdom of the Cults, and the Passantinos' Christian Research Institute, referenced in my post "Cults, Culture and Unfounded Allegations" to see the basis for my 4 points to biblically define a cult.
To Eric: I just looked over TM mission and vision statements too. And you're right, they don't mention anything about salvation. Maybe that's an oversight on their part. since they only enroll Christians as interns and staff, and part of that process is a thorough interview process, including letters of reference from the student's pastors, they cover this one on one with every student. On the other hand, at every ATF event, the gospel is clearly, publicly presented. There isn't really anywhere for the ministry to hide on what they believe or teach that it means to become a Christian, is there?
ReplyDeleteDon't you think, that if the ministry was preaching one thing at over 30 ATF events around the country, and then coersively teaching other doctrines and principles on campus to the interns who plan, organize and staff the events . . . don't you think that the ministry would have a hard time keeping ANYONE as an intern? I do.
Good points there, Tim. In addition to that, as Abe Lincoln said, "A house divided will fall." Teen Mania's theology must agree internally and externally or would have never survived 25 years of fruitful ministry.
ReplyDeleteEric:
ReplyDeleteFor the record, interns are NEVER asked to commit to "never speak ill of the Honor Academy."
Rather, they are asked to "never speak ill of another Honor Academy intern, past, present, or future."
To LDK: a couple more thoughts on the markers you want to use to identify a cult. You wrote:
ReplyDelete"Based on an academic understanding a cult has a few traits, including:
1) Isolation from friends and family." Teen Mania interns aren't isolated. I called, visited and stayed in contact with my son throughout the time he was on campus.
"2) Sleep deprivation" US military uses this as a way to mold their recruits, college frats and sororities use this during initiation process, and medical interns face the same as they complete their residency. Does that mean the military, the Greek societies, and hospitals are cults too?
"3) Totalitarian world view." You and I could agree on a list of totalitarian leaders around the world, incl. Presidents / Prime Ministers in Venezuela, Cuba, China, and even in come US corporation CEO offices. Cults??
"4) Authoritarian leadership." I don't have a problem with authoritarian leadership. It has its place. It's one of the 4 leadership styles identified by UofM Grad school research. Some families are lead by parents who are more authoritarian than others, and their kids are healthy in every way. In the middle of a crisis, or when molding a group of teens to successfully operate a global outreach ministry, a strong authority isn't a bad thing, and can be essential for success.
Here'e my point. Your definition if full of misapplied truths, and ideas that don't fit. You may want the label to fit, but it doesn't. As a result, you believe and create an untrue, out-of-focus, and if I can say this, slanderous picture. The 4 points in the above post are always on target. Every group which crosses the lines on these 4 biblical truths is a cult. That's because a cult is a biblical, faith based term. Your ideas describe aspects of organizational behavior, and the cultural identity within a tribe of people.
If you had a bad experience with a person, friend, pastor or a church, it's OK to say you don't like it. It's OK to say you didn't benefit from it, and the experience didn't fit your God given gifts and personality. (something I will talk more about later) But it's not OK to slander and speak evil of any other believers, especially those who carry a mantel of authority. (see 1 Sam 24.4-6)
My daughter is at the Honor Academy and I would like to say she is having a blast. Besides all the life-training. She is having fun! At home we say she is at summer camp all year. She loves her job and frequently attests to that on facebook. She really enjoys the exercising a few times a week, something she has never done. She has more energy and is always playing flag football, volleyball or just watching a movie with her new friends. She is into decorating her dorm room and has been exposed to different Christian denominations and ideas she has never heard before. That is great. Isn't that what the real world is like? She will have such an advantage over others as she goes out in the real world. Can't wait to see her at Thanksgiving. She has chosen her own place to worship in Tyler and it is different from her friends. I know this is so different from all this discussion but it is also life at HA; just plain fun.
ReplyDeleteTim, I am so impressed by you. Good stuff! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI just found this site today, and boy am I relieved to see people standing up for the truth. I got involved in some heated topics of discussion (and read up on ones I was not involved in) on the RA site regarding people's disagreements with the vision and purpose of TMM and the methods they employ. While I do believe that certain aspects of the ministry can always be improved, I believe that Ron and Dave are adapting as best as they know how. It may have taken over a decade to convert ESOAL into the PEARL (I attended the HA back in the 2nd or 3rd ever ESOAL experience...for the record, I would do it all over again, even without improvements), but changes are happening as needed.
ReplyDeleteI've heard it said that TMM is detrimental to those who partake of it, whether it be the Honor Academy or short-term missionary trips...I simply cannot disagree more. In a world that's lost without a Savior, TMM has taken the initiative (as well as many other missions organizations) to go out, make use of networking contacts around the world, and has spread the good news! How does one get so wounded and bitter to flip sides and talk bad about a ministry that has had such a huge impact in its mere 23 years of existence?
I realize that it's not for everyone. I am also aware that some alumni choose to walk their own path after they graduate, usually denouncing beliefs that are against homosexuality because that is the lifestyle they've chosen (in the midst of calling themselves Christians), or walking away from the faith altogether. In this great nation, it is certainly their legal right to believe whatever they want to, but one day EVERY knee will bow, and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Romans 14:11-13 says
11 For it is written:
“As I live, says the LORD,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.
This is my plea to Mica and all of her RA supporters: Recognize the damage you are causing toward Christianity's credibility to the unsaved world, due to the strife you are generating in the name of "healing the spiritually abused." Not all Christians agree on methods, doctrines, even theology. This is nothing new. To have a group of poisoned & bitter alumni (who lash out at those they hold responsible for their plight) attack a ministry they don't agree with, the unbelieving world only sees a religious group that is divided among itself, and in the end, both groups' witness is diminished. Nothing is accomplished by rallying together against the people who you are offended by. If Teen Mania's ministry is blessed and of God, it will continue to exist despite your best efforts to bring it down. If the ministry is not in God's will, He will bring it to light. He does not need your help, just as He did not need David to kill Saul. Do not become Absalom, for if he could not bring David's reign to an end, all of your warring against the ministry will avail nothing either. Don't fight against God, if He wills a change in the ministry, He doesn't need self-important servants to raise a hand against His anointed. If David (God's anointed) refused to lay a hand on Saul (also God's anointed), then who are you to assault the ministry of men who have impacted so many?
I apologize for my lengthy comment which might have drifted a little off-topic...I suppose it is better than having 2-3 paragraphs in 10 different blogs, lol.
Wow, great post John. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete