False or true? You can tell that belief system is a cult when they give other books equal authority?

Question

with the Bible.

Answer 1

or traditions or the head of the religious group.

JWs follow the WTB&TS which is headed by the Governing Body and have many often conflicting "books" of doctrine
The LDS have the President. and their own press also, so too, many docrinal books but are more cohesive and non contradictory that the WTB&TS material. LDS is also twice as large.
The Catholics have the pope and traditions and have diverse publications often with complicated and explanation with vagary but are the oldest and largest of all cults.
Endless list of heretical bodies politic.

Here is the head of the Church:
Ephesians 5:
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (KJV)

Here is interpetation:
2 Peter 1:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (KJV)

Answer 2

False. The fact that a belief system has adopted a book of equal authority with the Bible shows they have wandered from the teachings of God into the teachings of man. To determine whether they are a cult, you have to examine the content of the Gospel message in the teachings.

Catholics have extra-Biblical books of equal authority with the Bible. While Catholicism is certainly not a cult, it is fair to say that it's heavily paganized and run by traditions of men, not God.

Today's Jews have adopted the Talmud as having the same (if not more) authority than the Bible. They have also strayed from the path.

Interestingly, there is a parallel within Islam, as well.

Answer 3

It seems to me we have to be carefull as to any books we claim to agree to what the bible teaches. Although when you uphold the doctrines of the bible you are labeled a fundie. We should understand that Jesus has appointed and approved all those that are his leaders. For instance if I came on R&S qouting E.G.White books and not the Holyscriptures then that could apply to me or any Adventist or any church. Now if I have qouted scriptures and then qouted something she said that agrees with scripture and based my theology on that, I am not wrong neither was she. If you don't agree that we are to honor our leadership and be subject to those whom the HolySpirit made overseers in the right, then you are wrong. So my answer to your question is false. Many are qouting the teachings of devils(fallen Angles) and have been suduced by their doctrines and make an apostate religion and leaders equal with God. Now this is a cult and this is dagerously wrong, let the word decide who is who not feelings.

Answer 4

yes, especially if the religion tells you you cannot find "the truth" about how to worship God without the aid of their bible aides and their organization. That in fact, if you read the bible alone, you will slip into a false understanding and religion.

This is what the Watchtower, a JW publication, has to say about reading the bible without the assistance of their organization:

Watchtower 8/15/81 "From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah’s people those who, like the original Satan, have adopted an independent, faultfinding attitude. They do not want to serve “shoulder to shoulder” with the worldwide brotherhood. (Compare Ephesians 2:19-22.) Rather, they present a “stubborn shoulder” to Jehovah’s words. (Zech. 7:11, 12) Reviling the pattern of the “pure language” that Jehovah has so graciously taught his people over the past century, these haughty ones try to draw the “sheep” away from the one international “flock” that Jesus has gathered in the earth. (John 10:7-10, 16) They try to sow doubts and to separate unsuspecting ones from the bounteous “table” of spiritual food spread at the Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s Witnesses, where truly there is ‘nothing lacking.’ (Ps. 23:1-6) They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home.
"But, strangely, through such ‘Bible reading,’ they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom’s clergy were teaching 100 years ago, and some have even returned to celebrating Christendom’s festivals again, such as the Roman Saturnalia of December 25! Jesus and his apostles warned against such lawless ones.—Matt. 24:11-13; Acts 20:28-30; 2 Pet. 2:1, 22."

Answer 5

Technically, the term "cult" is a mere synonym (albeit an insulting one) for "religion". Many belief systems are quite independent of religion, and so it would be inaccurate (or "false") to describe them as either a "cult" or a "religion".

For example, library science is a discipline which might be considered a "belief system". Library science does not give the bible higher authority than other books, yet library science is hardly a cult (or religion).


It is sad when religionists seek arguments where there are none. It seems useful to mention that Jehovah's Witnesses consider the bible to be the only inspired infallible means of knowing God's will and purposes. Jehovah's Witnesses have never presented their publications as inspired, and have never suggested that any part of the bible could be superseded by any human idea.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20000622/
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_02.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20001201/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/t13/

Answer 6

Any religious group which has a book which they claim has equal or higher authority than the Bible is a false cult.

Any group which denies the full Diety of the Lord Jesus is false cult.

Pastor Art

Answer 7

Well, when ANYTHING or ANYONE is given "equal authority" as the Bible or God it is a mark of a cult.
For example:

Mormons--Book of Mormon
Catholics--Tradition, Pope
Jehovah's Witnesses--Watchtower and its publications

The list of false prophets under these groups is numerous too.
Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, All the Popes, Russell, Rutherford and the Watchtower.

TRUE:
It's very obvious to someone who DOES follow after God--and NOT MAN--that those who choose to listen to these who are ADDING to the word of God are blindly following blantantly false and destructive cults.

Answer 8

This is true, their beliefs are based on whatever the watchtower society tells them. JW's are warned against independent thinking as the society calls it. They can even be disciplined or disfellowshipped for asking the wrong questions. They come to your home asking you if you want a free home bible study and they don't study the bible. The first thing they give you is watchtower literature. I thought when you have a bible study you use only the bible. They cannot function without that literature.

Answer 9

Not at all true. There are many cults that are entirely bible based. Branch Dravidian and Peoples' Temple were both great examples of that.
The demand that you surrender your thinking and surrender to the cult leaders authority is a much stronger indicator.

Answer 10

Quite true. No one can add to the words of God.
It may be a false religion, heretical, with enough time probably develop into being a cult.