The same writer of the letter mentioned in the previous article also spoke of a Baptist preacher who taught youngsters in a local public school to stay away from the church of Christ because we are “a cult.” As is often the case, those who have an argument make it, and those who don’t call names. We have debated many Baptists over what the Scriptures teach; we are still willing to do so, but rather than examine the Scriptures and reason with and from them, some just prefer to make charges in venues where we cannot defend ourselves. So, we will do so here. On the Internet, one can find the article, “Social Aspects of Cult-Like Behavior” (no author).
The first characteristic is that of submission. “Leaders are often seen as prophets, apostles, or special individuals with unusual connections to God.” Does it occur to anyone that this describes Jesus? Some in the first-century could have referred to Him as a cult leader. But He actually did have a special connection with God, and He proved it with miracles. However, no one else today can make those claims. No apostles or prophets exist; the New Testament teaches that those offices came to an end (Eph. 4:11-16; cf. 1 Cor. 13:1-13). They have not existed since the first century; so we are not a cult. We follow what Jesus taught.
A second characteristic of a cult is that of exclusivity. “Their group is the only true religious system, or one of the few true remnants of God’s people.” Once again, that is what Jesus taught. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). That is still true; so no other religion in the world is acceptable; only Jesus died for the sins of the world (John 12:32). If these facts make Christianity a cult, then so be it. All of those who follow the truth cannot accept a false way (John 8:31-32). If that makes Christians cultish, okay. The alternative, however, is that truth either does not exist or we cannot know it, but Jesus said we could.
Third is that cults have a persecution complex. One wonders what Christians in the first century might have thought of that? They actually were persecuted; furthermore, Jesus (their cult leader) told them they could expect persecution in Matthew 5:10-12. However, actual cults always claim that everyone is against them, and sometimes they may be—depending on how far out their teachings are. We are not a cult in that sense because we get our teachings from the Word.
The fourth aspect involves the control “of member’s actions and thinking through repeated indoctrination and/or threats of loss of salvation….” Once again, does this not sound like the New Testament? Preachers and teachers are to edify the body of Christ. It is good to remind brethren of what they have learned (2 Peter 1:13). Also, if one chose to live immorally, the church was to withdraw fellowship from him (1 Cor. 5); false teachers were to be marked (Rom. 16:17-18).
While modern cultic groups take these things to extremes, these principles are taught in the New Testament. We are not a cult, but we follow these precepts.
Isolation is the fifth characteristic listed for cults, which involves getting the initiates away from family members. Nothing in the New Testament suggests this practice. Jesus wants people saved from their sins—and that cannot occur through isolation. Jesus taught His followers to live in the world but not be of the world. We are to maintain relationships with others, which is what the churches of Christ practice since we are not a cult.
Love Bombing, sixth, means showing great love and attention to an initiate in order to “transfer emotional dependence to the group.” Naturally, those who obey the gospel receive love and attention, but it is genuine rather than forced and not for “control” purposes. We are not a cult, but we do believe we are to love one another (1 John 4:7-8).
The seventh aspect of a cult is that the “leader” has special knowledge that he receives from God and then passes on to others. The Scriptures were written for all; Paul says that, when they read his letters, they would understand his knowledge of the mystery (Eph. 3:1-7). The “leader” of a cult is claiming what God has not given him—no basis for such a thing is found in the New Testament. Even Paul’s teachings were examined by the Bereans, and they were commended for it (Acts 17:11). No one today has such a special knowledge or insight that all should listen to him instead of God. The Lord has not chosen an exalted spokesman for Him today. The Word contains His instructions. We believe that—and are not a cult.
Indoctrination, eighth, is part of any religious group. All need to have instruction in what they believe and are part of, but with cults it may refer to some of the “special knowledge” that has been imparted to them by the “leader” or some “rules” that are not found in the Bible. Since we follow the teaching of the Scriptures, we are not a cult even though we teach our members.
Salvation depends on the group and “special knowledge,” also. Genuine followers of Jesus study His Words pertaining to salvation. For example, He taught that faith in Him was essential (John 8:24). He also said that no one was going to be saved without repentance (Luke 13:3). He linked baptism with faith in Mark 16:16: “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” Peter, one of His inspired apostles, told a crowd of believing Jews that they must “repent and be baptized…for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). This is not “special knowledge”; it is easily located. Churches of Christ did not invent any of these parts of salvation; they are there for all to see. We are not a cult—but rather uphold what the Scriptures teach.
This word, groupthink (the tenth description of a cult) appeared in George Orwell’s interesting novel, 1984. The state demanded that everyone think in the precise same way, or they imposed a penalty. Cults follow that pattern. Everything that those in authority say are to be followed. The “leader’s” authority is not to be questioned. Actually, Jesus has all authority (Matt. 28:18), and if we trust Him, we should not question what He says. However, a cult figure today is not Jesus, and he does not have His authority, either. The real problem here is that no one is encouraged to ask questions. This dark atmosphere does not describe the churches of Christ. We are the one group that encourages people to think and ask questions. Several leaders from other religious groups (not regarded by many as a cult) have told their people essentially, “This is what we are, and this is what we believe. Just accept it.” We either give a Bible answer or ask for time to search for one because we are not a cult. Nevertheless, Paul did stress that we needed to be united in what we believe and practice (1 Cor. 1:10).
The eleventh criticism of cults is that they avoid critical thinking. This has already been dealt with. The twelfth deals with shunning and expulsion from the group, which has also already been addressed. The thirteenth one is at first a bit surprising—since it is “Gender Roles.” Okay, to what does this category refer?
The first answer is not that helpful. It states: “Control of gender roles and definitions.” It might have been helpful if an explanation or examples had been furnished. The reason for desiring more information is that the Bible sets forth gender roles. First of all, God made mankind male and female—two specific genders. New York may list 31 genders to choose from, but most folks know instinctively that such is fermented nonsense. God created the man to be the leader in the home and in the church (Eph. 5:22-25; 1 Tim. 2:11-14). These facts do not imply that women are not very bright or that men are. God created roles for each gender. Some are not happy with that, but God knows what He is doing.
The second statement is: “Severe control of gender roles sometimes leads to sexual exploitation.” Perhaps the author is thinking of David Koresh and the Branch Davidian compound, but he does not say so. It was rumored that Koresh had “slept” with several of the girls. Anyone who gets involved with a group that has its own compound, secrets, and an authoritative “leader” should be immediately suspicious. If those things are not enough, one should leave straightway any group that allows for sexual immorality under any pretext. Cults thrive on such ideas, but the church of the Lord does not so operate. We believe things should be open and honest in the sight of all men (because we are not a cult) and that nothing immoral should be advocated. No justification exists for violating these clear moral precepts. God means what He says (Heb. 13:4).
One television program years ago dealt with a “fictitious” cult, which justified committing sin (lying, adultery, etc.). The line that the cult repeated frequently, was: “A sin to end a greater sin is not a sin at all.” Almost anything the Bible calls a sin could be rationalized so long it was in hopes of getting rid of an even bigger sin. This philosophy is not remotely Biblical.
The last criticism of cults involved their dress. Many of them demand that their adherents maintain a certain “look.”
For instance, women might wear prairie dresses, and/or their hair in buns, and/or no makeup, and/ or the men might all wear white short-sleeved shirts, and/or without beards, or all wear beards.
This seems like the least objectionable feature of the 14 mentioned, but such a practice can be unnerving to others. God is able to take our individualities and make us all one; He does not need uniforms to accomplish that. We may express our personal preferences in the styles we choose—so long as they fit the definition of modesty. We are not a cult; so we do not impose hair-styles and garment standards on our members.
Having run through the list of things, we have seen that churches of Christ fail to measure down to the status of a cult in almost every area. The only one we could possibly qualify in is the second one, but even then we are not heavy-handed. We do not insist that we are right and that everyone else is wrong, but we are willing to discuss any subject. Of course, we believe we are right, but we are always willing to put those beliefs to the test. Of all religious groups in the world, we are the one who is willing to discuss what the Scriptures teach on any crucial subject. We are willing to engage in formal debate, if need be—in order to arrive at the truth. No cult is willing to do that.
Besides, what is the alternative? Do others know that they are wrong but refuse to come to a knowledge of the truth? Or do they not know a position is false but are unwilling to discuss the matter? How honest is either of these positions? Do they think that seeking truth is a waste of time? God does not. He said of His people Israel in the Old Testament that they were destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Truth is not a subject one should be blasé about.
The Website under consideration also says that any deviation from seven doctrines makes one a cult. Included are: 1) the Deity of Christ, 2) the virgin birth, 3) the physical resurrection of Christ; 4) monotheism, 5) the Trinity, 6) the gospel as the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and 7) salvation by grace through faith alone. The first six are true. The seventh one is contradicted by James 2:24. No passage teaches “faith alone.” Yet they would insist that anyone who does not conform to that is a cult. We are willing to discuss this point; are they?