Do you think there are Christian churches that are like cults?

Question

Please make sure you understand what I'm asking. I am *not* asking if you think Christianity itself is a cult. I am asking if you have come across certain churches or groups of Christians who behaved in ways that were similar or the same to that of cults and cult members?

My goal with this is to help me seperate in my own mind this type of Christian from Christianity as a whole.

The reason I ask this is because I have experienced this and want to know if others have experienced the same. I don't get this feeling from Catholics. I really only get it from a very specific type of Christian/Church.
If you answer please answer the following- 1) Your own religion/belief system/idealogy.
2) yes or no to the question.
3) why you think yes/no , and/or your own experience with such a church/person.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks so much for your thoughtful answers. Jagfire, your definition of a cult is incorrect.

Samuel, I actually studied the signs/definition of a cult when I was involved in such a 'church'. The one you present isn't exactly accurate. Penny and others are more accurate.

I like your answer Nina. It reminded me of one of the few happy memories I have of being a Christian - the times when it was just about wanting to live up to a standard of Jesus, not because he was going to "save me from eternal damnation!!!", but because he was good and pure and wanted the best for me and everyone. Not about a religion, or a book, or anything else, but about doing the right thing because it's the right thing.

Answer 1

Well, in distinction from a religion, a cult is a group that claims to be Christian, yet denies an essential truth of biblical Christianity. So, to directly answer your question, YES.

The two most common teachings of cults are that Jesus was not God and that salvation is not by faith alone. A denial of the deity of Christ results in Jesus’ death not being a sufficient payment for our sins. A denial of salvation by faith alone results in salvation being achieved by our own works – something the bible consistently denies.

Often we think of a cult as a group that worships satan, sacrifices animals, and takes part in evil, bizarre, and pagan rituals. In reality, though, most cults appear much more innocent.

Answer 2

All religions has a certain cults. For expressing and communicating with each other we need language or other acts. So rites and rituals belong to most of the social communication.
If we want to express spirituality it is the same. We need than some symbols and rituals, some cultus. The only thing that is important is to see the reality through the cultus. Not the cultus, not the rites and rituals will give you happiness. They are only instruments.
If a religion stress to much on the cultus, you can ask yourself questions if you are at the right place to find spiritual development.
Cultus, rites and rituals are helpful instruments, but not more than that.
Vital

Answer 3

Yes. There is a group that preys on naive freshman who don't know many people and want to make friends. They're called the International Church of Christ. They are really friendly at first and invite you to a Bible study. When you arrive, you're outnumbered. There's a lot of pressure to tell them some sins you've committed. This way they can emotionally blackmail you later. In their services, they preach hate and how all these various groups are going to hell. I was brave and got away from them after four meetings. I've known girls who were less fortunate. One girl turned away from them, but since all the girls on her dorm floor were involved in it, they ostracized her. What the hell kind of Christianity is that? If someone believes in what Jesus said, they are Christians, but that doesn't automatically mean their points of view have to align 100% with what organized churches say. I believe in the words of Jesus (not the doctrines the Councils of Nicea formulated later or all Church doctrines) as presented by the Gospels. I don't accept the book of John because he wrote after Jesus had lived. I don't attend church regularly. I'm a lapsed Catholic who prays & meditates (Buddhism) daily.

Answer 4

I had a group of friends who got involved in a contemporary worship-style church, you know, the sort where there's a band and a balding twentysomething in a sweater talking about how Jesus changed his life. But as they got more involved, it got creepier and creepier, and it kind of went in the Amway direction where you're supposed to either recruit your friends or ignore them. One guy ditched us for the church, the other two came back around and found a different place to attend.

So emphatically yes; there are definitely Christian churches that are pretty cultish. I was surprised at how subtle it was at first and how ordinary the church seemed. (I went twice.) Maybe the fact that it wasn't part of a larger organization could have been a tip-off, but I don't know.

Answer 5

1. No belief system
2. yes
3. Cults usually come from a christian background. They start out like any other christian church. Then the leader of that church lets his ego take over and it becomes a cult. Look at Jim Jones or any of the others and you will see I speak the truth.

Answer 6

yeah yeah and yeah. there are christian churches that are far right wing in the south and its totally a cult. christianity as a whole should not be blamed on organized religion governed by man because we have all sorts of hangups and motives. i think its best to learn about the history and the bible on your own follow your gut feeling on the divine inspiration and then find a place that matches your own ideologies. find a comfortable place that isn't like a cult. thats what im trying to do. right now it isnt in church for me, but in the friendship of other people and sharing in love...because if Jesus came down now i think hed be pissed that people take advantage of what he did and his message to pursue their own agendas..

Answer 7

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse is an excellent book on this topic.
Yes, some churches can be cultic feeling even though their fundamental doctrines are sound. Pride and Ego are root problems with a lot of issues.

God bless you-
My new American Blessing- may your lights be green and your lines be short.

Answer 8

merriem webster says a cult is:

1 : formal religious veneration : WORSHIP
2 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents
3 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents
4 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator
5 a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b : the object of such devotion c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion


you be the judge but technically every religion can be regarded as a cult. so the question is one you should ask yourself 'what works for you?'

Answer 9

I am a christian and i must admit that i'm not a very religious person. i do believe in God and I've met other christians that are more concerned with god but I don't think they went so far as to behave as they are part of a cult. at least i hope not. Anyway our religion does not incourage this.

Answer 10

Q1) Christian.
Q2) Yes.
Q3). Yes. A group becomes a cult when they try to cut you off from mainstream society, ie mentally, financially, physically. Also they try to take your choices away from you. They might also try to convince you that their group is the only group that will go to heaven. That, to me, are warning signs that a particular group may be a cult.

Hope this helps, kind regards Penny xx