Christianity and Cults Throughout History

[Guest]

34 minutes ago, Ezra said:

Cults latch on to heterodox beliefs and become dogmatic about them.  A lot of modern cults attempt to brainwash their adherents into believing their nonsense.

Not trying to be difficult, really. Just trying to be honest. Being dogmatic, or brainwashing appear to be based upon views of a particular teaching. So it comes down to heterodox teachings or not really. The apostles were dogmatic as well. But Orthodoxy was their belief.

 

[Ezra]

2 hours ago, Joline said:

Not trying to be difficult, really. Just trying to be honest. Being dogmatic, or brainwashing appear to be based upon views of a particular teaching. So it comes down to heterodox teachings or not really. The apostles were dogmatic as well. But Orthodoxy was their belief.

Yeah, except there's no brainwashing (or should not be). 

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Ezra said:

Yeah, except there's no brainwashing (or should not be). 

Well Ezra, it comes back to the same thing. What does brainwashing mean. Really, it just seems a bunch of terms are going to be used to describe teachers and teachings viewed as heretical. this approach is unhealthy in my opinon. An example of not healthy is Dogma, and dogmatic. The Apostles set their dogma and were very dogmatic. But we will see if this is the case as each point is approached. So far dogma has no relevance as far as I can see, and is harmful to boot. 

[Ezra]

1 hour ago, Joline said:

Well Ezra, it comes back to the same thing. What does brainwashing mean. Really, it just seems a bunch of terms are going to be used to describe teachers and teachings viewed as heretical. this approach is unhealthy in my opinon.

Yes, it is unhealthy for those who are brainwashed.

brain·wash

ˈbrānˌwôSH,ˈbrānˌwäSH/

verb

gerund or present participle: brainwashing

1. make (someone) adopt radically different beliefs by using systematic and often forcible pressure.

   "the organization could brainwash young people"

   synonyms:

   indoctrinate, condition, reeducate, persuade,influence, propagandize, inculcate "the evidence is compelling that these cult members were indeed brainwashed"

[SINNERSAVED]

what makes occults and false teaching in the Christianity  realm, is when some one is teaching and refuses to see the truth and when they want to be right, and not study the truth and the real possibilities, and go with the way of the world , then they are just as bad as guiding the people to hell and taking them from entering the doors,

 we see this in many churches today, and others that claim to be Christian and really are fake., and so we need to take all that we hear and all that is ,and compare it to scripture ,and  set our feet on firm foundation, for many are about to find out that they are living a lie, and have taken many from the light , some are in for personal gain money and pride of knowledge , and not coming to the true holiness oif the word and the saving grace that leads us to salvation, and take it lightly as its not important.,

 so blessings to you and know that , satan has already infiltraded , many areas and many churches, and so we need to watch very careful

 for all those wolves in sheeps clothing , for there is more wolves today , in the fields , then the sheep,

blessings and shalom

[SINNERSAVED]

we can see many that are BRAIN WASHED and don't even know it, ?

and so how do you find the truth ? , then to open that bible, and study, and follow it out with your life style, being a person of your word and let your yes be yes ,and your no be no, that is in scripture some where in my bible also, I know it is, and so we are to be in the word and not of the world , and to follow God and not Men , and their traditions ,for they think to be wise, and they are fools, twisting the truth ,to be what they want it to be,

and not what it is stating and really meaning , so test every thing, always be ready ,in and out of season, to give a word of what you believe and why you believe,

blessings to you

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, SINNERSAVED said:

we can see many that are BRAIN WASHED and don't even know it, ?

and so how do you find the truth ? , then to open that bible, and study, and follow it out with your life style, being a person of your word and let your yes be yes ,and your no be no, that is in scripture some where in my bible also, I know it is, and so we are to be in the word and not of the world , and to follow God and not Men , and their traditions ,for they think to be wise, and they are fools, twisting the truth ,to be what they want it to be,

and not what it is stating and really meaning , so test every thing, always be ready ,in and out of season, to give a word of what you believe and why you believe,

blessings to you

The problem and danger here is EVERYBODY says the same thing about everybody else. So yeah a lot cannot even see it in themselves. Is it you? Me? Who? Who says so??

The Pharisees were a sect of JUDAISM. The Sadducees were a SECT of Judaism, The Essenes were a sect of Judaism. They all seen each other as having some error from true Judaism, but yet still fell under being a Judaism.

Similarly Christianity used to anyway, hold to the essentials of the historic faith, to be considered a Christianity. I think that criteria better than this

A kingdom divided cannot stand folks.

[SINNERSAVED]

1 minute ago, Joline said:

The problem and danger here is EVERYBODY says the same thing about everybody else. So yeah a lot cannot even see it in themselves.

The Pharisees were a sect of JUDAISM. The Sadducees were a SECT of Judaism, The Essenes were a sect of Judaism. They all seen each other as having some error from true Judaism, but yet still fell under being a Judaism. A kingdom divided cannot stand folks.

you are correct, great answer,

but remember, you will know them by their fruits and this is the deciding factor, for by their fruits, you will know them,

[Willa]

This definition was an eye opener to me:

It is important for us to understand the difference between what is a “cult” and apostasy. A cult tends to be a rather small group, committed to a few very highly regarded principles, often led by a very “charismatic” (enthusiastic, dynamic, attractive) person. The cultist tends to view everyone outside the group as unbelievers. The cult is usually marked by a very strong, centralized authority. Apostasy is more easily defined in terms of what it is not. Apostasy denies authority, the authority of the Person of Christ and the Scriptures. Apostasy tends to shy away from anything firmly believed, other than the right to believe what you wish. While the cultist sees himself as one of the elect few, the apostate sees himself as one of the many, the majority. Both the cult and apostasy can lead a man to a Christless eternity. The former strongly believes the wrong thing; the latter believes in little or nothing. By this definition, the Unitarian movement would be an apostate religion; the Moonies are a cult.

I have a close friend who falls into the apostasy category.  Yet I know that God is still calling her to embrace the truth.  She says she believes Christ died for her sins, but she says she doesn't understand the Bible and she rejects what truth that she does understand.  She also believes in reincarnation!.  

[Ezra]

17 hours ago, Joline said:

The problem and danger here is EVERYBODY says the same thing about everybody else. So yeah a lot cannot even see it in themselves. Is it you? Me? Who? Who says so??

So we should just throw up our hands since everyone could be in a cult? That's ludicrous.  Here's how we should view this matter:

Bible Christianity -- doctrines and practices derived from Scripture, which are properly interpreted in the light of all Scripture.

False Christianity -- mixes the doctrines of men with the truth of God.

Apostasy -- denies Bible truths altogether.

Cults -- promote doctrines which contradict Bible truth while brainwashing their adherents.