Knowing Why You Believe
Date: 2007-10-10 Title: Miscellaneous Cults Topic: World Religions/Mormonism Series: Who's God and Whose God?
Miscellaneous Cults Dr. Jim Denison "A cult…is a group of people polarized around someone's interpretation of the Bible and is characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith, particularly the fact that God became man in Christ Jesus" (Walter Martin, The Rise of the Cults). Basic traits: Authority figure Extrabiblical text Unorthodox theology, somewhat related to Christianity General characteristics: Presents a Jesus different from that of orthodox faith Claims new truth Offers new, non-orthodox interpretations of Scripture Cites non-biblical authority source(s) Rejects major tenets of orthodox Christianity Generally develops a changing, often contradictory theology Strong leadership, usually centered in a single person or group of persons Almost always offers a salvation by works Generally makes unsubstantiated prophetic claims
Hare Krishna: International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) History 15 century A.D.: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu developed The Doctrines of Krishnaism from the Hindu sect of Vishnuism Believed that Krishna is the chief God who manifested himself one time as Vishnu (opposite of classical Hinduism) Teaches that every individual must go through reincarnation to rid himself of the debt of karma Krishnaism made Hinduism appealing to the masses by personalizing god and our interaction with him Came to America by means of Abhay Charan De Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1965 o Founded ISKCON and led it until his death in 1978 Dr. Jim Denison is President of the Center for Informed Faith, www.godissues.org and www.InformedFaith.com. Copyright © 2011. Page 1
o Today a wealthy organization, with about 10,000 members in America Beliefs God: Krishna, who "creates all and enjoys all" was in the beginning o No real distinction between him and his creation o Jesus Christ is only Krishna's son Man: part of creation; can be absorbed into reality Central focus: this relationship Salvation: by self-denial and a series of works as prescribed by the cult Eternal destiny: absorption into reality after karma is cleansed and payment made
Transcendental Meditation (The Science of Creative Intelligence) History Founded by Mahesh Brasad Warma, later known as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born in India around 1910) After graduating from Allahabad University in 1942 with a physics degree, Mahesh became the disciple of the Indian religious leader Guru Dev; he taught Mahesh a meditation technique taken from the Vedas (part of the Hindu scripture) The Maharishi founded the Spiritual Regeneration Movement in India, 1958; came to America in 1959 and set up his organization here; today several million people in the U.S. and around the world have been taught these meditation techniques Claims Will improve health, self-image, productivity, intelligence, and creativity Supposed to have no religious basis or bias o In fact, has been ruled by a New Jersey federal court to be religious in nature, and thus enjoined from use in public schools (Civil Action No. 76-341) Maharishi claims that TM will make everyone "infallible," and derides the use of logic and rational investigation Beliefs God: a "supreme being," identified with nature, who dwells in the heart of every person Jesus Christ never suffered or could suffer; the theology of atonement is a misunderstanding of the life of Christ Man: in his true nature, the impersonal God Central focus: self-realization through Hindu meditation techniques Salvation: Hindu concept of oneness with reality Eternal destiny: oneness with reality
Children of God (the Family of Love) History Founded by David Brandt Berg (born Oakland, CA, Feb. 18, 1919) His mother was a prominent evangelist, his father a minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Dr. Jim Denison is President of the Center for Informed Faith, www.godissues.org and www.InformedFaith.com. Copyright © 2011. Page 2
David Berg became a pastor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, first in Arizona in 1949; left after a falling-out with the church leadership in 1950, and became embittered against all organized religion In 1968 he and his family moved to Huntington Beach, CA and developed a small following of people, basically from the counter-culture Convinced in 1969 that a great earthquake was imminent and California would slide into the Pacific Ocean, he and about 50 followers left California for Arizona; several years later the movement scattered across the country in small groups Today the "Family of Love" (their current name) boast about 25,000 members including children; Berg (Moses David, Father David, or King David) lives in Europe, oversees the group, and writes letters
Beliefs Authority source: the letters of Moses David ("MO letters"); he is the prophet for this generation, and his correspondence is the literal guide for the movement Theology: there has never been a statement of belief issued by the Children of God; can infer from Berg's statements: o Jesus: created by God; no "Trinity" o Revolution: the group forsakes all "for Jesus," giving up all material possessions to the group and forsaking their allegiance to families; it advocates a revolutionary take-over of the current cultural systems Sex: Berg maintains concubines; the top leaders have sexual affairs with the girls in the group; "all things common" (Acts 2.44) applies to wives and husbands; will use sex to entice people to join or contribute to the cult ("Flirty Fishing")
Unity (Unity School of Christianity) History Founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore (Charles born 1854, St. Cloud, MN; he and Myrtle married in 1881) Myrtle was "healed" of tuberculosis and malaria in 1886 at a lecture led by E. B. Weeks o His statement: "I am a child of God and therefore I do not inherit sickness" o Myrtle believed the statement and recited it over and over; eventually she was healed Charles studied this and other eastern religions in detail, practiced his wife's meditation technique, and experiencing the healing of his withered leg Then he joined Myrtle in founding the Unity School of Christianity Following the Fillmores' deaths (hers 1931, his 1948), the leadership of Unity was taken over by their two sons, Lowell and Rickert, and subsequently experienced rapid growth Today headquartered at Unity Village in Lee's Summit, Missouri (suburb of Kansas City); claims some two million adherents worldwide Beliefs Claims that beliefs and belief systems are unimportant, and that their system simply works. However, it has a strong reliance on Christian Science and New Thought Dr. Jim Denison is President of the Center for Informed Faith, www.godissues.org and www.InformedFaith.com. Copyright © 2011. Page 3
God: Gnostic in general framework and method: Separates physical from spiritual Knowledge is secret and obtainable only by the few Spiritual is good, physical is bad God is impersonal; our goal is to reach oneness with him Jesus Christ was a human being who possessed the expression or presence of God Jesus refers to the man, Christ to the divine influence Bible: writings of men who in a measure apprehended the divine Logos, but these writings should not be taken as final
Central focus: on prosperity and happiness No one need be poor Charles Fillmore's rendering of the 23rd Psalm: The Lord is my banker, my credit is good He maketh me to lie down in the consciousness of omnipresent abundance; He giveth me the key to His strongbox. He restoreth my faith in His riches; He guideth me in the paths of prosperity for His name's sake. Yea though I walk in the very shadow of debt, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me: Thy silver and Thy Gold, they secure me. Thou preparest a way for me in the presence of the collector; Thou fillest my wallet with plenty, my measure runneth over. Surely goodness and plenty will follow me all the days of my life; And I shall do business in the name of the Lord forever. Salvation: unnecessary, since there is no sin, sickness or death; no need for the death of Christ on the cross to take away sin Eternal destiny: salvation following repeated reincarnation
David Koresh (Branch Davidians) History Began out of Seventh-Day Adventist movement Founded by Benjamin Roden Vernon Howell (David Koresh) took control after gun battle with Roden in 1987 Compound destroyed in battle with FBI agents on April 19, 1993 Beliefs: difficult to systematize, but the following seems clear: Koresh claimed to be the Lamb of Revelation He also saw himself as the new Cyrus ("Koresh" is "Cyrus" in Hebrew, and he named his son Cyrus). Thus he would be God's anointed one to "subdue nations" (Isaiah 45.1) He predicted that he would die a martyr in a gun battle with secular authorities, fulfilling seven seals of Revelation (6.1-17) Dr. Jim Denison is President of the Center for Informed Faith, www.godissues.org and www.InformedFaith.com. Copyright © 2011. Page 4
o First: white horse--conqueror, evil o Second: red horse--war o Third: black horse--famine o Fourth: pale horse--death o Fifth: suffering o Sixth: catastrophes o Seventh: return of Jesus Christ Thus he claimed that he and his followers would be resurrected to bring in the Kingdom of God
____________________ This survey follows closely the discussion of Hare Krishna, TM, Children of God and Unity in Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Understanding the Cults (San Bernardino, CA: Here's Life Publishers, 1982).
Dr. Jim Denison is President of the Center for Informed Faith, www.godissues.org and www.InformedFaith.com. Copyright © 2011. Page 5
Miscellaneous Cults Dr. Jim Denison "A cult…is a group of people polarized around someone's interpretation of the Bible and is characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith, particularly the fact that God became man in Christ Jesus" (Walter Martin, The Rise of the Cults). Basic traits: Authority figure Extrabiblical text Unorthodox theology, somewhat related to Christianity General characteristics: Presents a Jesus different from that of orthodox faith Claims new truth Offers new, non-orthodox interpretations of Scripture Cites non-biblical authority source(s) Rejects major tenets of orthodox Christianity Generally develops a changing, often contradictory theology Strong leadership, usually centered in a single person or group of persons Almost always offers a salvation by works Generally makes unsubstantiated prophetic claims
Hare Krishna: International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) History 15 century A.D.: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu developed The Doctrines of Krishnaism from the Hindu sect of Vishnuism Believed that Krishna is the chief God who manifested himself one time as Vishnu (opposite of classical Hinduism) Teaches that every individual must go through reincarnation to rid himself of the debt of karma Krishnaism made Hinduism appealing to the masses by personalizing god and our interaction with him Came to America by means of Abhay Charan De Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1965 o Founded ISKCON and led it until his death in 1978 Dr. Jim Denison is President of the Center for Informed Faith, www.godissues.org and www.InformedFaith.com. Copyright © 2011. Page 1
o Today a wealthy organization, with about 10,000 members in America Beliefs God: Krishna, who "creates all and enjoys all" was in the beginning o No real distinction between him and his creation o Jesus Christ is only Krishna's son Man: part of creation; can be absorbed into reality Central focus: this relationship Salvation: by self-denial and a series of works as prescribed by the cult Eternal destiny: absorption into reality after karma is cleansed and payment made
Transcendental Meditation (The Science of Creative Intelligence) History Founded by Mahesh Brasad Warma, later known as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born in India around 1910) After graduating from Allahabad University in 1942 with a physics degree, Mahesh became the disciple of the Indian religious leader Guru Dev; he taught Mahesh a meditation technique taken from the Vedas (part of the Hindu scripture) The Maharishi founded the Spiritual Regeneration Movement in India, 1958; came to America in 1959 and set up his organization here; today several million people in the U.S. and around the world have been taught these meditation techniques Claims Will improve health, self-image, productivity, intelligence, and creativity Supposed to have no religious basis or bias o In fact, has been ruled by a New Jersey federal court to be religious in nature, and thus enjoined from use in public schools (Civil Action No. 76-341) Maharishi claims that TM will make everyone "infallible," and derides the use of logic and rational investigation Beliefs God: a "supreme being," identified with nature, who dwells in the heart of every person Jesus Christ never suffered or could suffer; the theology of atonement is a misunderstanding of the life of Christ Man: in his true nature, the impersonal God Central focus: self-realization through Hindu meditation techniques Salvation: Hindu concept of oneness with reality Eternal destiny: oneness with reality
Children of God (the Family of Love) History Founded by David Brandt Berg (born Oakland, CA, Feb. 18, 1919) His mother was a prominent evangelist, his father a minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Dr. Jim Denison is President of the Center for Informed Faith, www.godissues.org and www.InformedFaith.com. Copyright © 2011. Page 2
David Berg became a pastor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, first in Arizona in 1949; left after a falling-out with the church leadership in 1950, and became embittered against all organized religion In 1968 he and his family moved to Huntington Beach, CA and developed a small following of people, basically from the counter-culture Convinced in 1969 that a great earthquake was imminent and California would slide into the Pacific Ocean, he and about 50 followers left California for Arizona; several years later the movement scattered across the country in small groups Today the "Family of Love" (their current name) boast about 25,000 members including children; Berg (Moses David, Father David, or King David) lives in Europe, oversees the group, and writes letters
Beliefs Authority source: the letters of Moses David ("MO letters"); he is the prophet for this generation, and his correspondence is the literal guide for the movement Theology: there has never been a statement of belief issued by the Children of God; can infer from Berg's statements: o Jesus: created by God; no "Trinity" o Revolution: the group forsakes all "for Jesus," giving up all material possessions to the group and forsaking their allegiance to families; it advocates a revolutionary take-over of the current cultural systems Sex: Berg maintains concubines; the top leaders have sexual affairs with the girls in the group; "all things common" (Acts 2.44) applies to wives and husbands; will use sex to entice people to join or contribute to the cult ("Flirty Fishing")
Unity (Unity School of Christianity) History Founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore (Charles born 1854, St. Cloud, MN; he and Myrtle married in 1881) Myrtle was "healed" of tuberculosis and malaria in 1886 at a lecture led by E. B. Weeks o His statement: "I am a child of God and therefore I do not inherit sickness" o Myrtle believed the statement and recited it over and over; eventually she was healed Charles studied this and other eastern religions in detail, practiced his wife's meditation technique, and experiencing the healing of his withered leg Then he joined Myrtle in founding the Unity School of Christianity Following the Fillmores' deaths (hers 1931, his 1948), the leadership of Unity was taken over by their two sons, Lowell and Rickert, and subsequently experienced rapid growth Today headquartered at Unity Village in Lee's Summit, Missouri (suburb of Kansas City); claims some two million adherents worldwide Beliefs Claims that beliefs and belief systems are unimportant, and that their system simply works. However, it has a strong reliance on Christian Science and New Thought Dr. Jim Denison is President of the Center for Informed Faith, www.godissues.org and www.InformedFaith.com. Copyright © 2011. Page 3
God: Gnostic in general framework and method: Separates physical from spiritual Knowledge is secret and obtainable only by the few Spiritual is good, physical is bad God is impersonal; our goal is to reach oneness with him Jesus Christ was a human being who possessed the expression or presence of God Jesus refers to the man, Christ to the divine influence Bible: writings of men who in a measure apprehended the divine Logos, but these writings should not be taken as final
Central focus: on prosperity and happiness No one need be poor Charles Fillmore's rendering of the 23rd Psalm: The Lord is my banker, my credit is good He maketh me to lie down in the consciousness of omnipresent abundance; He giveth me the key to His strongbox. He restoreth my faith in His riches; He guideth me in the paths of prosperity for His name's sake. Yea though I walk in the very shadow of debt, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me: Thy silver and Thy Gold, they secure me. Thou preparest a way for me in the presence of the collector; Thou fillest my wallet with plenty, my measure runneth over. Surely goodness and plenty will follow me all the days of my life; And I shall do business in the name of the Lord forever. Salvation: unnecessary, since there is no sin, sickness or death; no need for the death of Christ on the cross to take away sin Eternal destiny: salvation following repeated reincarnation
David Koresh (Branch Davidians) History Began out of Seventh-Day Adventist movement Founded by Benjamin Roden Vernon Howell (David Koresh) took control after gun battle with Roden in 1987 Compound destroyed in battle with FBI agents on April 19, 1993 Beliefs: difficult to systematize, but the following seems clear: Koresh claimed to be the Lamb of Revelation He also saw himself as the new Cyrus ("Koresh" is "Cyrus" in Hebrew, and he named his son Cyrus). Thus he would be God's anointed one to "subdue nations" (Isaiah 45.1) He predicted that he would die a martyr in a gun battle with secular authorities, fulfilling seven seals of Revelation (6.1-17) Dr. Jim Denison is President of the Center for Informed Faith, www.godissues.org and www.InformedFaith.com. Copyright © 2011. Page 4
o First: white horse--conqueror, evil o Second: red horse--war o Third: black horse--famine o Fourth: pale horse--death o Fifth: suffering o Sixth: catastrophes o Seventh: return of Jesus Christ Thus he claimed that he and his followers would be resurrected to bring in the Kingdom of God
____________________ This survey follows closely the discussion of Hare Krishna, TM, Children of God and Unity in Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Understanding the Cults (San Bernardino, CA: Here's Life Publishers, 1982).
Dr. Jim Denison is President of the Center for Informed Faith, www.godissues.org and www.InformedFaith.com. Copyright © 2011. Page 5
