APOL 325 – CHRISTIANITY AND THE CULT
Introduction
Christianity is one of the largest religions in the world and operates under the belief in the
existence of one supreme God, especially in the person of Jesus Christ. Based on the teachings of
Christianity, Jesus Christ was killed through crucifixion, buried, and, on the third day,
resurrected. This is the theme of the Christian faith since it is viewed as a triumph over evil and
mortality and a guarantee of everlasting life to all Christians. The tenets of Christian faith find
expression in the Apostles' Creed which declares on the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and
the saving work accomplished through Jesus' death on the Cross.
%The Bible is the holy scripture of the Christian religion, which is divided into two parts; the Old
Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament shows the Judaic-Christian scriptures
that are deemed holy and records the history, legal codes, prophets, and songs of the Hebrews.
The New Testament comprises the Gospels, which narrate the life and nature of Jesus and the
death, as histories of the early church, and the times following it. They are gospel, act of
Apostles, epistles, and the apocalyptic book of revelation.
Religious activities are performed differently in all Christianity factions; however, some
of the common activities carried out in most of the factions include prayers, fellowships,
sacraments, among others, celebrations of religious event like Easter and, Christmas
celebrations, among others. Christianity splits into such branches as Catholic, Orthodox and
Protestant which vary in terms of the history, the way they read and interpenetrate bibles, and the
structure of their institutions. Thus, while there are differences between various Christian
denominations all of them hold in common particular attitude to the person of Jesus Christ and to
his message.
Cult
A cult is a group of people united by the presence of religious, spiritual, or philosophical
views different from the rest of the society. Cults can be linked to new religious movements,
spirituality movements, or people who claim to have a special vision or special knowledge.
Unlike organized religion, cults are usually found during the margin of societies' peripheries and
usually, have an adversarial interaction footing with the rest of society.
%A major feature of a cult is the dominance of an influential leader who can influence the
behavior of the cult's participants. This leader is frequently believed to have an amount of
knowledge which is considered to be otherworldly, and all directives and instructions
promulgated by such a leader are listened to and obeyed without demur. The belief system of the
group may entail total submission to the group practices, thus one may be forced to drop all other
affiliations like family and friends.
%Cults, as a rule, have a closed community organization; they satisfy the members' need
for identity and occupation and, at the same time, protect them from any critique. This isolation
can be physical and or psychological depending on the type of cults that are involved, these
groups ensure that they use certain measures to justify their control over other people. Such
strategies may include psychological unfair tricks, making the residents think in a certain way, or
taking advantage of fears or money.
The activities and operations of cults may be quite diverse. Still, they do incorporate sort
of secret or obscure mechanisms that serve to remind its members the character of their assemble
and their unity. The members can be exposed to strict training or even brain washing sessions
meant to mobilize them. Even current cultures' withdrawal can pose significant challenges, given
that members often experience the psychological captivity, social isolation, or threats from cults.
%For this reason, contrary to the negative perception that is often attached to the term' cult,' one
cannot discount the teachings of new or counter culture religious groups. While some groups
classified as cults by the society's standards may be deemed as a cult by those on the inside,
members of such groups have described them as normal, wholesome religious groups. However,
the issue of abuse and exploitation of members is always present in cults, which is why one must
critically approach the analysis of their activities and actions made on the followers.
Interaction and Conflicts:
There have always been people who perceive the cults as the enemies of primarily
Christianity; as with other world religions, it has always had cults that it considered heretics or
wrong. These conflicts may originate from having differing theologies, conflicting
interpretations of scripture, and differences in understanding of the person of God, concept of
salvation, and the church's authority. In mainstream Christianity, cults are considered as the
heresies and deviations to purity and unity of the sacred doctrine of Christianity which,
nonetheless, has its theological and historical protocols. It is also noteworthy that this tension has
been felt throughout most of Christianity history in one or another form and shades.
%An early example of such conflicts is the early Christian Church that battled Gnosticism in the
early years of Christianity in AD. Among fundamental tenets of Gnostic precepts there is some
secret knowledge and the concept of a split between the divine and the profane, as well as the
reject of matter these principles were considered as heretical by the early Church Fathers. Both
Irenaeus and Tertullian penned numerous works against the Gnostics because their beliefs
threatened the foundation of Christianity. This was in part a reaction to such heretical
movements that some parts of what was to become orthodox Christianity were firmly established
by the Nicene Creed in 325 AD.
In the modern history, the conflicts were also promoted by new religious movements
which appeared in the 19th and 20th centuries, for example, the Jehovah's Witnesses and the
Church of Scientology. The larger Christian bodies have routinely dismissed these groups as
cults because of their weird and heretical teachings and behaviors. For example, Jehovah's
Witnesses have denied the doctrine of the Trinity, which is a doctrine that is cherished by most
Christian denominations; thus, this difference in beliefs has brought conflict as well as
persecution. In the same way, the peculiar combination of religious and psychoanalytical ideas
has been considered completely incompatible with Christianity.
%These disputes are not purely related to religion but frequently are associated with social and
especially political implications. Due to their organized nature and large following, mainstream
Christians who adhere to mainstream cults of Christianity have been involved in activities that
seek to ostracise cults legally or socially. On the other hand, the members within these cults may
have different perceptions of the situation, being people who are fighting to uphold their cultural
values against all odds. This dynamic results in mutual animosity and misunderstandings; the
two camps continue to polarize Christians and other supporters, thus widening the gap between
orthodox Christianity and perceived heresies.
Characteristics of Christianity
Christianity is one of the largest religious systems in the world; however it is
distinguished by its elaborate beliefs, practices, and subgroups. Central to Christian beliefs is the
doctrine of the Trinity, which posits that God exists as three persons in one essence: The Holy
Trinity referencing to God the Father, the Son which is Jesus Christ as well as the Holy Spirit.
This antithetical and Aristotelian concept is used to describe the status of the person of God and
man's reconciliation to Him as per the Christian faith. Similarly, the context most relates to the
tenet, which states that people can be saved through Jesus Christ. Christians teach that through
the principalities of salvation and resurrection and bearing faith one can be saved and receive
eternal life. This belief was borrowed from New Testament and is celebrated annually with
reference to Easter, the largest Christian celebration.
% The culture and some of the custom of Christianity involve other things which are in one
way or another compulsory practices by their faith. Several Christian congregation services are
substantially center on, though not necessarily, Sunday services of worship. Some of these
services may comprise of the singing of hymens, reading from scriptures, saying prayers, and
preaching of sermons. Other central activities that are part of Christianity are sacraments. This
rite is normally administered through water, and therefore is related to the washing of sins and
the inclusion into the fellowship of Christ's believers. Communion The holy Eucharist also
known as the Lord's supper or communion, is one of the sacraments that is widely practiced in
remembering the last time Jesus shared dinner with his disciples; it mainly involve the intake of
bread and wine or any product of the grape in the ceremony as a symbol of the blood that Jesus
shed. Hymns and petitions are also fundamental prayers and works of Christians; personal, group
and official prayers. In this context, individual as well as group study of the Bible is one of the
credible strategies of practicing Christianity.
It is, therefore, essential to understand that Christianity is divided into many parts or
branches, each with its own set of customs and behaviors, beliefs and practices, and even ways
of worship. The three major divisions are Catholics, Protestants and the Orthodox Church.
Catholicism – headed by the Pope, it is traditional and focuses on the sacraments as its main
belief system, is the largest branch of Christianity. The Branch of Christianity that stemmed from
the reformation in the 16th century is called Protestantism which includes subgroups like Baptist,
Methodist and the Lutheran. It is essential to state that Protestants as a rule pay special attention
to the Scripture's authority and the doctrine of Sola Fide. The understanding of Orthodoxy rooted
in Eastern Europe and in the Middle East is characterized by its conservatism, the respect
towards early Christianity, and the importance of liturgical services. These major branches are
subdivided further as can be expected in any Christian denomination that is lively and evolving
all the time.
Characteristics of Cults
Most particularly, cults, which are somewhat enigmatic and generally are associated with
controversy, are commonly defined as having stark organizational features such as extreme
outlook, authoritarian structure, and seclusion from the rest of society. The term "cult" itself has
negative associative hurtings, referring to the religious or social organizations, which
significantly differ from the common stereotype. These groups are often identified by having an
atypical doctrine, this could considered ideological, religious, political, etc. Another common
feature of cults is the recognition of the leader with great authority on what is considered to be
unknown or divine information that would deemed as the blueprint of the cult. This leader
expects subordinates to be loyal to the extent that he or she is the primary source of truth; the
organization's moral compass.
% One of the main aspects of cults is the secrecy and the measures taken to establish order
in the cult's structure. Recruitment strategies common with cults are often forceful and tactful,
with the main attraction being to drill purposeless individuals. The new members experience
some form of conditioning processes which are meant to essentially reprogram them to have the
cult's mentality. As soon as one enters the group, he or she is required to follow the set codes of
the group and the dogma, and any form of rebellion pertaining to the teachings of the group will
have severe consequences. The internal communications of cults are also usually very closed,
which maintains the 'us versus them' dynamic that strengthens the distance between cult
members and the rest of the population and also does not encourage branching out.
The psychological characteristics of cult involvement are quite bleak as cults use extensive
coercion to their subjects and utilize numerous psychological tactics. Such deceptive techniques
as 'love-bombing' that is when leaders introduce new members to the group and give them so
much attention that they cannot afford to leave the group. The former is often followed by
periods of coercion, one of which utilize the risks of punishment, either hereafter or current, as
the method of making people conform. They also employ informal persuasive techniques that
include socially isolating the member from other information so they do not compare what the
cult tells them with the available data. In the long run, they produce the maximum possible
dependence on the cult and ASL associated with the perception of one's actual or potential state
as dependent on the decision of the cult.
% Cults' lack of contact with society negatively impacts psychological and emotional well-
being due to the type of encouragement offered by cults. By excluding the group members from
friends, families, and other outside world supports, they get into a fix if they ever want to quit the
group when they may begin to develop … urges regarding the group's dogmatic or unwitnessed
behavior. This is made worse by the fact that the former cult members are stigmatized and hence
cannot easily interact with other members of the society and this is topped up by the fear that
they might be attacked by other members of the cult or members of the society who are aware of
their previous involvement with the cult. Thus, leaving the cult is a significantly stricter process
which is stressful and in many cases will take much longer as well as necessitating even more
support and reintegration.
Modern-Day Cults
Branch Davidians, Heaven's Gate, Scientology, and others depict the dynamics of cults in
society as slightly more complicated and a bit challenging. Despite their diversity in beliefs and
practices, they share common characteristics that align with the general definition of cults: Some
symptoms are associated with it, such as paranoid feelings, radical thinking, control-oriented
behaviors, and isolation. Each of these groups has been enjoying a lot of attention from social
media, in the news and social and academic research because of their unwholesome, warped
dogmas and misfortune that tend to be associated with them.
%The Branch Davidians, particularly David Koresh, are mostly linked to the Waco siege that was
staged in the year 1993 and which saw the compound burnt down and many group followers
killed. Like most cults, the Branch Davidians used the Christian religious vocabulary along with
the revelations and prophecies of Vernon Howell, commonly known as Koresh, and as such, they
had a rather unusual religion. Koresh had a very autocratic structure in the organized group, and
he became the only one who informed the kind of activities to be undertaken by the group; this
made them isolated and hence led to a very terrible confrontation with the federal bureaucracy.
Of this company this one most strikingly demonstrates the process whereby cult can originate as
the sector with the corresponding orthodox Christian church and evolve into something that is
quite different from what it was.
%Another relatively recent cult was the Heaven's Gate cult that emerged in the United
States in the 70s and was led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. Again, the cult was
mostly based on the Christian faith with some differences. Despite this, the cult enjoyed a large
following. From the analysis, it was evident that the group could synchronize a biblical prophetic
perspective with a futuristic perspective, especially concerning traveling in space and saving man
from space. Applewhite and Nettles declared to the people that the former has to die so as to pass
a message that Armageddon is here and the people must follow them in a spaceship they claimed
would come after the Hale-Bopp comet. This later escalated to a mass suicide in 1997 because
some members felt that they wanted to leave their physical bodies and go join the spacecraft.
Heaven's Gate serves in portraying how in religious cults a precise dogmatic string is formulated
for pressurizing cult members into perpetrating atrocities.
Modern cults can be defined as the groups and organizations that are treated with great
suspicion today and Scientology founded by L. Ron Hubbard is among the most famous modern
cults. It should, however, be pointed out that Scientology has evolved into an international
organization with vast economic backing and a very well-defined organizational chart, unlike
religious groups such as the Branch Davidians and the Heaven's Gate cult. However, it also uses
certain elements of Christianity, such as the term' salvation,' while the values and practices differ
quite from mainstream Christian doctrines. The latter involves auditing which targets the spirit
through a process of purification to clear the spirit from its history of all that is bad. Cutting off
communication from the outside world and being extremely secretive as well as vehement in
defending its activities makes the church the subject of harsh criticism and having features of
cult activity.
% In general, mainstream Christian literature often perceives these groups as a heresy of
orthodox. Depending on modern and unconventional beliefs and dogmas, contemporary cults are
considered deviations from the principles of Christianity that people view as ploys to use
religious precepts for the narcissistic leader or an organized sect's profit. This notion is further
supported by the fact that those cults tend to have destructive implications, in the psychological
control over participants' minds, fiscal abuse, and sometimes death. Most standard Christian
theologians and representatives essentially focus on the doctrine and people's unity to avoid the
emergence of such bad cults.
Case Studies
Studying concrete samples like Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons (LDS Church),
Scientology, one will understand the variety of opinions and standards that define such
communities, besides, their interactions with the society and Christianity.
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses emerged in the last quarter of the nineteenth century by Charles
Taze Russell; they are one of the unique religious organizations with unique doctrinal and
organizational features. A common belief which is distinctive of their faith is the non-acceptance
of the doctrine of the Trinity, which is a part of the teachings of the Christian Church. However,
Jehovah's Witnesses do not worship the Trinity but their supreme Monotribe God and
subordinate Jesus Christ. This theological stand makes them to differ from most other Christian
denominations in some ways. Another vital belief includes rejection of blood transfusion due to
religious reasons and the', their understanding of the Bible prohibits the consumption of blood.
This has resulted to many legal and ethical issues especially in the health facility setting. Another
concern that Jehovah's Witnesses are also famous for is their distribution of religious pamphlets
through door knocking, a practice based on their mission to share their version of the Bible.
Also, they fail to celebrate holidays like Christmas and birthdays as they find these worldly
tactics inconceivable from the scripture.
Mormonism (LDS Church):
Mormonism is the religion or LDS Church or the church of Jesus Christ of latter day
saints formed in the 19th century by Joseph Smith. One of the central tenets of the Mormon
doctrine is the belief in other scriptures in addition to the Bible, the most prominent of which is
the Book of Mormon, which Smith said he translated from gold plates that were restored to him
by an angel. Mormons also hold to a doctrine called the 'The Great Apostasy', in a way more
advanced revelation has stopped because the Lord ceases to speak to man through prophets. This
belief also makes it possible to make doctrinal and organizational changes over time. Some of
the Mormon practices include temple contenders which are special and secret and are only
offered to 'worthy' Mormons. Other practices include baptisms for the dead and eternal
marriages, which they claim are some sort of unions that tie families in the afterlife, eternally.
Another important activity of the LDS Church: following in the tradition of passing the word of
God to other people, young members of the Church can spend one to two years of their lives as
missionaries spreading the word of the Church all over the world.
Scientology:
Scientology is a modern faith originating in the middle of the twentieth century from
science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. An essential part of Scientology is "auditing," wherein
people have sets of sessions to eradicate aspects of their earlier experience, which are″ engrams,″
which are detrimental to advancement in Scientology. This process is said to result in the
condition known as "Clear," in which these engrams are cleared,, freeing people to progress to
even higher levels of efficiency and awareness. Members follow a course of auditing that has
different class levels in the church and organizational rank. Another essential aspect ofof
Scientology is financial,, wherein members are occasionally compelled to financially support
auditing sessions and other courses, which are often accused of bleeding people dry. The Church
of Scientology is also infamous for its stubborn legal activism and shielding of its policies and
actions, which in most cases results in controversies with the critics and ex-members.
%The descriptions of these movements prove that religious movements characterized as non-
conventional are considerably diverse and frequently raise numerous controversies that have to
do with Christian religion. As an evangelical denomination with their exclusive theological
stance and ways of missionary activity, Jehovah's Witnesses experience social and legal
difficulties regarding their views. Mormonism has a great multitude of new scriptures and places
significant importance on revelation in the modern world, thus fostering a continuation of its
religion. Scientology, with its auditing concept and integrated structure as the main determinants,
could be described as a modern trend of the religious organization that sparked numerous
controversial discussions and critical points of view. Studying their practices and beliefs will
help place these groups' roles in modern religious environmentsment and reveal their social
relations.
Responses and Approaches
Dealing with cults has been taken to entail a broad strategy that must incorporate
theological, pastoral, legal, and social solutions. All these approaches strive to meet the tasks
associated with the cults' phenomena and to help people who fall into these groups.
%Theologically, mainstream Christianity uses apologetics and education to combat the cult's
teachings. Apologetics can be described as pointing out the correctness of specific beliefs, which
are now considered a part of mainstream Christian teaching employing rational arguments and
evidential assertions. This way, the believers are given a sound knowledge of their religious faith
based on which they can identify and reject the cult teachings. This frequently happens through
the creation of literature, seminars, debates, and presentations of cults by Christian educators and
theologians in an attempt to reveal certain inconsistencies. Therefore, efforts such as AQE and
ROD aim at making Christians aware of the doctrines of their belief system so that they do not
be deceived into joining cults and for those already in cults to realize that they are in the wrong
system.
%Another indispensable part of coping with cults is the role of pastoral care, which aims to
help persons who are currently or already separated from cults. Leaving a cult is not easy, as
people experience psychological coercion and social isolation and have to reconstruct their lives
without the cult. A significant component of cult exit counseling is what is referred to as 'pastoral
care,' which entails giving the client emotional and spiritual support as well as guidance,
counseling and other necessary and convenient services that would enable him or her to re-adjust
with society. Different churches and faith based organizations come up with fellowship for the
purpose of helping ex-cult members to gather together. These movements are intended to bring
persons back into societies replacing Cult impact on their psychological-social structure and
building or reconstructing the social personality or individualism of a person.
As for legal and social factors one should monitor cults and support families, which became the
victims of cults' activities, thrust become the Governance priorities. Local and international
government and non-governmental organizations also want to monitor the activities of cults
especially where such gangs are involved in unlawful and nasty operations. Such may include
investigation on cases of abuse by cults, embezzlement of funds and other unlawful activities.
Solutions in school may involve taking legal action against the cult leaders and or organizations
for prevailing in the violation of the law hence endangering the lives of other people. More so,
there is a severe shortage of support materials for families that are surrounded by cultism. It is
possible to identify the necessity of prevention and assistance regarding the ways families can
enrich and encourage the members participating in cults. This means that relatives or those close
to a cult member must gather information from books, counseling, and attorney concerning legal
issues on how to handle a relative that is in a cult.
Combating cults is an intricate activity that presupposes theological, pastoral, and, to
some extent, legal/social actions. Apparently and in a strictly religious context, the topics of
apologetics and education assist people to avoid joining a cult and explain the tools which help to
counterbalance the impact of the mistaken teachings. Some religious groups or cults are
fraudulent, and thus, an individual's condition deteriorates when they leave the cult, so,
pastoralcare assists in the reintegration of society alongside giving a social, emotional, and
psychological therapy. On the police side, it still stays legal and socially significant to monitor
cult activities in order to prevent the followers from performing dangerous actions and to help
the families of people involved into cults. All of the agencies and organizations discussed in this
work aim at the general objective of coping with the various issues that are related to cults as
well as assisting the people and numerous communities that have been affected by these
detrimental organizations.
Conclusion
It is evident that there is a clear difference not only between cults and mainstream
Christianity theologically, but the difference is also deeply reflected in social relationships and
personal mental health. Global Christianity with its focus on such theoretical beliefs as the
Trinity, Christ's atoning death, and the infallibility of the Bible serves as a starting point for
millions of people. Such beliefs are not only the integral part of the religion and faith but also
touch and support ethics and norms of the society in countries that follow Christianity. Cults can
be distinguished from ordinary religious groups due to its extreme views, complete obedience to
leadership, and exclusive activities that are against Christianity. This classification gives certain
examples of the cults, such as Jehovah's witnesses, Mormons or Scientologists, who use
Christian terminology and pervert Christian teachings to promote their own specific views. This
divergence may have serious theological implications as well as psychological and social effects
on people and the society as a whole.
Concerning these differences, it is crucial to be aware of them for maintaining the proper
theological outlook in different Christian communities and in the interest of societal welfare.
Theology and apologetics do a great job of supplying Christians with proper theology and
teaching individuals how to respond to teachings of cults, in order to prevent disastrous
theological errors. In addition, it might be much easier for society to address some of these issues
because the presence of cults and the essence of these organizations is, in a way, well
comprehended. If one wants to look at the cures from a societal stand, the structural
aetiopathogenic Geriatric care services that would help the members who are affected through
such things as pastoral care, the judicial system and social infrastructure are important. The
restraining which is given to those persons who left cults, work is the psychological help which
prevents or mitigates the process of Subjects' returning back to the society and entails the cut of
links with the cult. At the same time, as a part of cult activity and, in case of violations of the
law, intervention and control to protect the rights and justice of vulnerable persons are
monitored.
