Is American Christianity a cult? ((only serious answers need to reply))?

Question

In your opinion why does it appear that American Christianity has become the love child of Capitalism, individualism and greed. I have purused the ghettos of Christian television and have become appalled at the heresy.

Prosperity Preachers like Creflo Dollar, Jamal Bryant, Keneth Hagin, Oral Roberts and Fred Price and etc depict God as a grand slot machine; If you tithe to the church GOD will bless you with a Benz, Bentley, new house, car and more bling bling.

It seems that the thesis of there message is that to have those things are a sign of divine blessings and favor. DOES THIS POP-CULTURAL MESS BOTHER ANYONE BUT ME??????

Does it even bother anyone that these beautiful celebraty preachers who dress like characters on soap operas are not even smart and do not have earned accredidated degrees? Can't congregants make a case to sue them for spiritual malpractice? I think the gospel that they preach is the equavelant of spiritual homocide. (murdering the spiritually weak)

Answer 1

It is very unfair to judge Christianity as a whole in America based solely on the messages of televangelists. Most preachers in most pulpits across America do not preach a gospel of prosperity. There will always be people who will use the Gospel of Christ for their own gain. These people are in it for the money. Anyone who is into anything for the money will find a way to get on television if they can.

In fact, I have found many good televangelists, too. Not everyone is a Jimmy Swaggart.

While I do agree that the message of many of these prosperity preachers is a false gospel, that does not give it a cult status. A cult is about control. Cults teach that everyone but them is going to hell. They manipulate people, often using family and friends as weapons, especially if one ever wants to leave. The gospel of prosperity is not about that at all.

Yes, I am annoyed by the message so many are teaching, but I am not outraged. First of all, there is some truth to the message, just not to the degree they proclaim it. God does expect us to tithe to our church. It is one way that we place our faith in God. God promises us that if we trust Him, He will take care of us. This includes our finances. However, God does not say that He will make all of us rich beyond our wildest dreams, only that He will provide for us in need. Of all the false doctrines that are taught out there, the gospel of prosperity is one of the less "homicidal" ones. It at least teaches a biblical discipline. The only thing wrong with the message is the expectation attached with it. (That and the fact that so many of these preachers are getting rich off of this message). Personally I believe that the message, "once saved, always saved," is much more sinister. If people are not aware that they can turn their backs on God they are not prepared for the spiritual onslaught that Satan has prepared for them. That is the equivalent of spiritual homicide.

Answer 2

You make a very good point.

"Prosperity Preachers" are to modern day Christianity as the money changers were to Jesus (Matthew 21:12) - scourge of the earth.

Humans are a very strange breed of beings. Humans seem to always want what is easiest to get. Adam and Eve were put out of the Garden of Eden never to return because God gave them everything they needed and they wanted more.

It is always easier to look somewhere else or to someone else when things get rough. Even when things aren't rough we seem to want more. The 'wanting of more' is the human condition no matter where you turn. Those who have 'want more', those who have not 'want more'.

Mankind does not seem to get the fact that God loves us and does not favor us one over the other because you dropped $20 in the plate and I only gave $5. All through the Bible it tells stories of people who have had nothing and have been blessed. Mankind's blessing comes from faith in God not money.

'Prosperity Preachers' are indeed cultist simply for the reason that a cult is a group or sect (people) bound together by veneration of the same thing (money), person (prosperity preacher), ideal (get something for nothing), etc.

It is the job of the strong to protect the weak, therefore keep this subject in the forefront of peoples minds and even though there will still be those who follow there will be more who will question.

Answer 3

The definition of a cult: Devoted attachment to, or extravagant admiration for, a person or principle. All religions are cults. The problem is that religion has become a very lucrative business and everyone is jumping on the band wagon. Our God Concept is being exploited by the religions. Religions with all their different sects now total 1500 and there will be more by this time next year.

Answer 4

Here is Schismata . Shipwrecked, flogged, slandered,chase from city to city, stoned. This is a very short list of actual account of what happened to messianic trusters of the Promised Seed of Abraham.
Yeshua spoke of what was to come to His. Read the text aka Bible, using concordance. Be as a Berean in Acts

Answer 5

"Christian television" has nothing to do with Christianity in America.

Pop-culture certainely bothers me; so do people with no theological knowlege who make rash generalizations about things they don't understand.

Go to a conservative theological semenary and say the name of Oral Roberts or Pat Robertson; wear running shoes when you do this (you'll need them).

Answer 6

Well if you really want a definition:

cult [kuhlt] –noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
7. the members of such a religion or sect.
8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.
–adjective
9. of or pertaining to a cult.
10. of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie.
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[Origin: 1610–20; < L cultus habitation, tilling, refinement, worship, equiv. to cul-, var. s. of colere to inhabit, till, worship + -tus suffix of v. action]
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It is Just Like a Christian to Hear only what they want to...
Anyway you are being unchristian by rabble rousing another follower of christ. Some of the most respectable people I know are Mormon. But on to you...
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You seem to not understand that "christianity" is a cult. Look at the definition and compare I can o so for you if it hurts you to think...

#1) You go to Church every Sunday, Pray before eating and sleeping, have funeral and marriage "rites", You chant in large groups to beg a Deity for mercy and help... So killed by your own definition so far lets see what else I could come up with off the top of my head...

#2) So uhhh You Greatly respect lets see Jesus, God, The Cross(your symbol for him...), The church its self, certain clothing that defines your holy men, a book cover, not to mention all of the "angelic representations that seem to be sooooo very fancied. Doesn't seem to be getting any better for you...

#3) Well it looks like all you have to do here is look up at answer #2...

#4) Yes you have a name for your cult, Yes you have a name for your sect., "Parish"

#5) I shouldn't even have to begin on this one...

#6) Hmmm yup that's it exactly. The next time you go to the door of my home and try to curse me to my face, A.K.A. "your heart is as black as mud, but could be as white as snow..." There will be a very bad side effect that I will not begin to get into...

#7) This means you...

#8) Hmmm healed through the power of prayer. I've heard it before...

#9) the worship as a whole.

#10) Im pretty sure there are some nasty flicks that you just can't live without owning... don't forget te different bible types and the books on tape that are not the bible but reference to them... I'm pretty sure there is a DVD bible now and don't forget the sadomasochist "passion of christ"
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I shouldn't have to go on from here, but knowing the christian doctrine you have already stopped reading because it is unfamiliar and as such scary to you. Forget this word and its use because you are in the same bracket as all other organized crime, I mean religion, ooopppppsss.

As for the aspect of people abusing a religion it has been done for years, but when you are not on T.V. the word is Conartist. Something that the government can punish you for... Luckily charges are not brought up against "religions" because stupid people tend to believe anything. Hey look a dead bird is flying over there... Stop trying to post propoganda for your belief unless you are willing to hate the entire religion for saying:

"That's right my good altar boy"
"God is good, god is great, put some money in my collection plate"
"Here is the cure for evil deeds I call it prayer!!!"
"Your heart is as black as mud..."
"If you tell me your problems they will go away..."
"God gives me the power not grey skull..."
"Do you believe in Jesus?"
"Yeah, he's that guy that mows my lawn right???"
"happy easter."
"Do the thing, you know, Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet, Cigars just point at these thing vaguely..."

Just in case you are wondering i will outright kill the next idiot shows up to my door on The Day of the Dead and tells me "God Bless" I think you are confused this is not your holiday give it up... Oh, and by the way you pronounced it wrong it is said "LESS"

Answer 7

i agree with answerer number 1 - all religion in some shape or form is a CULT.

Answer 8

All religion is a cult

Answer 9

All religions are cults.