Spotlight on The Cults Essay byTony Hyman (2017

Spotlight on The Cults Essay byTony Hyman (2017) (Dr of Christian Education/Dr of Ministry) When one thinks of the term “spotlight” it generally conjures up an image of an old “sixties” rock concert or school play where the solo act had to be high lighted against the darkness of the less significant role players at any given moment.Or even a dagger in a murder scene would be highlighted with a spotlight an appropriate musical effect to bring out the real truth as to the demise of the unfortunate victim or scoundrel, whatever the case may be.Likewise; Christ also makes use of a metaphorical spotlight or “lamp” to bring out the truth against the darker side of any issue, for example, “I am the light of the world.Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”( Holy Bible; New International Version.Jn 8,12) In this context humans don’t have this power “Light is not a natural human possession.It comes from Christ.And it is not a seperable (sic) entity which may be possessed in itself...not an objective revelation which men may receive and hug to themselves.Jesus is the light.To have the light is to have Jesus.There is no light apart from a right relationship to Him.(Morris.The Gospel According to John. 438) Likewise, Christ uses light to bring out the real truths or intentions of any body of Christians or so- called believers. Again John reveals “12 I turned round(sic) to see the voice that was speaking to me.And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,13 and among the lampstands was someone ‘like a son of man’, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet with a golden sash round(sic) his chest.(Rev 1,12-13) An interpretation of this being that “It is evidently a night scene, as witness the lampstands and the stars, and yet it is a day scene, for behold, the countenance of the Son of man ‘as the sun shineth in his strength .’ John beheld as a vision, the Church in it’s present relation and responsibility to Christ and the world.The night all around is the world’s darkness.The only light shining upon that darkness is that which comes from the lampstands...The Church is here seen as the light bearer, with Christ as unifying Centre and directing Authority.Christ Himself in the midst of seven lampstands creates their unity.”(Campbell Morgan.A First Century Message to Twentieth Century Christians.16-17)But now typically of the human, their is a tendency to break away from this” unity”, and this is where we encounter the “cults” where, which can be defined “specifically as ‘ a religious group that denies one or more of the fundamentals of biblical truth.’.”( What is a Cult ?. gotquestions.org/cult-definition) If these lies are followed it “will cause a person to remain unsaved. A cult claims to be part of a religion. yet it denies essential truths…a Christian cult will deny one or more of the fundamental truths of Christianity while still claiming to be Christian. (Ibid) So it is evident that a cult is not only limited to “Satan worship or sacrifices animals .In reality, cults often appear as innocent groups who provide physical and religious assistance to a community.There are basically two kinds of cults...a manipulative group who controls its members completely and demands complete commitment and loyalty.The second kind ...who deviates from biblical Christianity.”(What is a Cult?gotquestions.org) This twisting of the truth of Scripture has the result “that Jesus was not God and that salvation is not by faith alone.A denial of the deity of Christ results in the view that Jesus’ death was insufficient to pay for our sins...faith alone results in the teaching that salvation is achieved by our own works.John addresses the teaching of Gnosticism 1 John 4:1-3).John’s litmus test for godly doctrine was ‘Jesus has come in the flesh’(verse 2)-a direct contradiction of 2 Gnostic heresy (cf.2 John 1:7)”(Ibid) Here John teaches us how to test these con artists, “Dear friends , do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.2.This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”(I Jn. 4, 1-3) Further he hits the nail on the head with “Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”(2 Jn.1, 7) What this entails or means “Paul mentions a divine gift which he (the Spirit my insert) designates as the ‘discerning of spirits’ (I Cor.12:10)…a special insight or a special ability to distinguish between true manifestations of the Spirit and counterfeit (Satanic) manifestations…manifestations in and through human beings who claimed to be prophets.(spokesmen for God)From the context of the Corinthian passage we conclude that not every believer had this gift…Persons thus gifted rendered an especially valuable service in a period when the church was surging with life and congregational worship was characterized by exuberant and divers spiritual activity”(Vaughan 1.2.3 John, A Study Guide.91).On the other hand “I Thessalonians 5:20-21 is more like that of the passage before us. In both of these passages every Christian is put under obligation to test prophetic utterances purporting to come from God…even the humblest believer has the capacity for doing this and that no spiritual endowment is required other than what is common to all Christians (cf.1 John 2:20, 27)(Ibid) Indeed we are truly blessed “20But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things…27.But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you. And ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth(sic), and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”(Holy Bible, King James Version.1 Jn.2,20,27) also “20.Despise not prophesyings.21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”(1 Thes. 5,20-21).This, of course, applies to normal Church life “The prophets were really the equivalent of our modern preachers. It was they who brought the message of God to the congregation. Paul is really saying, ‘If a man has anything to say, don’t stop him saying it.’ Verses 21 and 22 describe the constant duty of the Christian.He must use Christ as touchstone by which to test all things; and even when it is hard he must keep on doing the fine thing and must always hold himself aloof from every kind of evil.(Barclay. The Letters to …Thessalonians 241) With this “testing” or “proving) it’s vital to use discretion “important to understand what we mean when we start labeling certain groups”.( allaboutcults.org/religious-cults).It must be born in mind that the word “cult” has a very wide meaning “1. a specific system of religious worship ,esp. with reference to its rites and diety.2. a sect devoted to the beliefs of a religious or other cult.3.Sociol.a group having an exclusive ideology and ritual practice centered on sacred symbols, esp. one characterized by lack of organizational structure.4.intense interest in devotion to a person, idea, or activity: the cult of yoga.5.the person ,idea ,ect. arousing such devotion.6.any fashion; craze…”(Collins English Dictionary) Now in the context of (I John 4,1-3) “Ordinarily the word denoted a testing which carried with it the expectation of approval. It thus suggests as Blaiklock observes, ‘ a good and hopeful aim, a proving with the desire in mind that the object proved may stand the test.We are 3 not to be eager to impute error, to find fault and heresy where none is intended…not to apply tests and canons of our own invention, eager to demonstrate that all the rest are wrong n and we alone are right. Too often has orthodoxy shown that spirit, and antagonized where it might have reconciled, and spoiled all testimony to truth by a lamentable lack of love which belies truth(sic) quite as vital.”( Vaughan 1.2.3 John, A Study Guide.93) But then, as so often happens, a “religious” group also “deviates from biblical Christianity”eg the Roman Catholics “the Council of Trent restored the monarchical control of the Papacy.The authority of Scriptures and the doctrine of ‘justification by faith’ were both rejected.”(Grant. Outlines of European History.255)This raises a legitimate question as to the difference between the concepts, “Some say that there is no difference between a cult and religion, except in the number of followers that each have(sic).This is a fairly obvious claim...While it is true that some cults make similar claims that mainstream religions make-e.g. some cults predict the end of the world just as Christianity does...the cult has at its center a messianic, brainwashing , coercive and highly charismatic leader.Religions do have leaderssuch as popes priests, rabbis, and imans- but these leaders have a different personality compared to cult leaders...Mainstream religious leaders, for the most part, do not abuse, coerce and control their religious population in order to further their own agenda.They are there to transmit the teachings of that particular religion, whereas cult leaders stand as the source of truth and therefore have much more power to influence their subjects, usually at their demise.” (samwoolfe.com) Therefore “1. Cults, new as well as old, are usually started by strong and dynamic leaders who are in complete control of their followers. The power such leaders exercise is said to be supernatural and to come from either personal revelation or personal ‘anointing’ from some idea of God.2.All cults possess some Scripture that is either added to or which replaces the Bible as God’s Word…6.Often we find that leaders or officials of new cults are not professional clergymen. They may be self-selected through some inner ‘revelation,’ selected by the leader or governing body of the cult, …or group as a whole…One must obey each and every tenet of the cult and exemplify, in every way, ideal membership. Then and only then is one in a position to rise within the organization.”(Martin The New Cults.17-19)Also simply put, “Generally if a religious organization follows Jesus Christ, but denies or distorts essential Christian doctrines such as the Trinity, the resurrection, or salvation by grace alone, that organization is considered a cult. Traditional examples are Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, the Unity School of Christianity …All of these groups add to the simple gospel of Jesus Christ.” (allaboutcults.org/religious-cults). We will now put the lamplight or “lampstand” (Rev.1,12) on each of these cults, in order to understand their motives, and objectives. In the case with the Mormons, we go way back to where “The Church of Christ of Latter –Day Saints, or Mormonism as the movement is popularly called , was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith Jr (1805-44) in New York State, United States, as the Church of Christ. It became It became the Church of the Latter-Day Saints in 1834 and assumed its present title in 1838,”(Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia of New Religions.32)How it all started “In 1823, the teenage Joseph Smith Jr found previously hidden metallic records. often called ‘the golden plates’, telling the history of peoples who migrated to North America from the Holy Land at the time of the Old Testament prophets. Their divisions 4 and disobedience led to divine displeasure, disputes and to self-destruction documented by Mormon(survived only by his son Moroni, who hid Mormon’s account).Smith translated the text using special objects found with the plates and, with the secretarial help of Oliver Cowdery. The Book of Mormon was published in 1830.”(Ibid).Now true to Walter Martins characteristics of cults “either personal revelation or personal ‘anointing’ from some idea of God”( Martin The New Cults.17-19), we hear that “All this followed Smith’s desire to know which church to join. God cautioned him against joining any existing church and told him to wait for future guidance which, in a series of angelic visits, led to the founding of the new church.”( Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia…31-32)His family background seems to be rooted in a “mystic” environment “ born on December 23, 1805, in Sharon, Vermont to Joseph Smith, Sr., a struggling farmer, and sometime treasure hunter …Lucy Mark Smith, Joseph’s mother was a highly mystical woman who was given to unimaginable tales of exaggeration. Lucy’s father claimed experiences of divine visions from God.” allaboutcults.org/religious- cults) In all fairness though, “The average active Mormon is usually marked by many sound moral traits…amiable, almost always hospitable, and extremely devoted to his family and to the teachings of his church. Sad to say, however, the great majority of Mormons are in almost total ignorance of the shady historical and theological sources of their religion…shocked at times when the unglamorous and definitely unchristian background of the Mormon Church is revealed to them…that innumerable Mormon historians have for years either hidden from their people or glossed over in an attempt to suppress certain verifiable and damaging historical evidence.”(Martin. Kingdom of The Cults. eindtijdinbeeld.nl/EiB-...Web) With this treasure hunting background or education, Joseph Jr, “In 1823, according to his account, ..was visited by an angel who told him of thin golden plates containing an ancient record of God’s dealings with early American inhabitants.During this time, Smith was enamored of the ‘seer stones’ used in occult practices and gained some small reputation as a clairvoyant able to locate lost objects.”( allaboutcults.org/joseph-smith) Now “clairvoyance” is “ 1.the alleged power of perceiving things beyond the natural range of senses.”(Collins English Dictionary ), while a “ clairvoyant” amongst other powers, is able to “3. a person claiming to have the power to foretell future events.”(Collins…)Therefore in its very foundations it goes against the will of God, as stated in the accepted Scriptures“ There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch11. or a charmer, …consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard or a necromamcer12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord:…”(Holy Bible, King James Version.Deut.18,10 -12a) This occult path continues as the evidence unfolds “The seeds of what was later to become the Mormon religion were incubated in the mind of Joseph Smith Jr,.Joseph Smith Sr. was a mystic, a man who spent much of his time digging for imaginary buried treasure. This fact is, of course, well known to any informed student of Mormonism. Former Mormon historian Dr. D. Michael Quinn…documented the fact that both Joseph Smith Sr. and Joseph Smith Jr. were avid treasure-seekers…World View (1987), Quinn writes, ‘Joseph Smith, the founding prophet …had unquestionably participated in treasure-seeking and seer-stone divination and had apparently also used divining rods, talismans, and implements of ritual 5 magic”(Martin. Kingdom of The Cults…Web)To be sure this use of occult practices was just as unscriptural in the time of Joseph Smith as it is today “In the Old Testament, sorcery was punishable by death. It was in fact considered to be a form of blasphemy. Yet the Bible does not leave the matter there. Under the New Covenant, we find that Christ has made an end to the powers of darkness through His death on the cross.In 1 John 3:8 we read, ‘The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.’ And Paul confirms this in Colossians 2:15…Christ has brought all the verminous powers of darkness into the light and has trampled the head of the ancient serpent under his feet.”(Koch. Demonology Past and Present.100)Therefore “Occultism is not a hobby in which people may dabble…and become ensnared by the powers of darkness, whether through ignorance, through curiosity, or with a knowledge of the consequences involved”(Ibid) Nevertheless based on this occult foundation, “The priesthood is divided into two levels. Boys progress through the three grades of deacon, teacher, and priest within the Aaronic order (between the ages of about 12-19) before becoming an elder within the Melchizedek priesthood. Subsequently, elders may become a high priest.Priesthood applies only to males, for women share in priesthood through their husband; all women are expected to marry and produce children in a family group, the unit of salvation…Practically everyone. Latter-Day Saint or not, will be saved, in the sense that when humanity is resurrected and faces divine judgment each will gain the reward due for the endeavor achieved in life…obedient to the divine commandments made clear to them, especially in certain temple rituals.”(Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia of New Religions.34-35)Regarding “the Melchizedek priesthood” (infra) the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice was to replace the Old Testament “Aaronic order”, according to the Bible “11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come – one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?...18.The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 22.Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant”(Heb.7,11-22)With the result “The point of what we are saying is this. We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.”(Heb.8,1-2)Therefore the only “high priest” (infra) is Christ; not “elders may become a high priest”. Melchizedek is applicable to Christ alone “to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, …3.without father, without Mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.” (Holy Bible, King James Version. Heb 7,2-3) Also as prophesied “1.The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool…4. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent. Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”( Holy Bible, King James Version.Ps.110,1, 4) In the context of “Hebrews” (supra) “It is because Jesus Christ is of the order of Melchizedek that the representative of order is seen to be a model of the true. In other words, it is Christ’s priesthood that is the standard, not that of Melchizedek…the writer wishes to establish …the eternal priesthood of the Son of God rather than Melchizedek's, although the latter is implied.”(Guthrie.Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Hebrews.157) 6 The Nature of God is also not understood in that “The Mormon church sees God as the Supreme Being of the universe. However, He gradually acquired that position over a long period of time by living a perfect and righteous life. God the Father has a body (flesh and bones). (allaboutcults.org/what-do-mormons-believe).But the reality is “When we speak of the personal nature in (sic) God, of His intellect and will…it is important for us to bear in mind …Man has the faculties of mind and will, but we cannot speak of God as possessing these powers in the same sense. God …is Self-existent and independent; He is eternal and infinite…He is immutable, and His mind and will are unchangeable…Remembering all this, and applying it to God’s knowledge and volition, we come to the conclusion that to speak of God’s mind is to speak of eternally, independently…There is no limit.”(Hoeksema. Reformed Dogmatics.85) The only time God had “a body (flesh and bones)” (allaboutcults.org/what-doMormons-believe) is when He took on a human form as part of the Trinity. “The cross, the most universal image in the Christian religion offers proof that God cares about our suffering and pain. That symbol stands unique among all religions of the world. Many of them have gods but only one has a God who cared enough to become a man and to die.”(Yancey.Where is God When it Hurts?.226-227) The assertion is that“ human exist as spirit beings before their birth. At physical birth, bodies are given to these spirits…If the person lived by a satisfactory standard, (including the fulfillment of Mormon temple obligations) that person has the potential to become a god in the after- life. They can also produce ‘spirit children’ to populate a world of his own (like God did with the earth). Maybe its best that God responds to this kind of “knowledge” Himself, “2Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?3.Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you will answer me.”(Job.38,2-3)For sure there will be much to “answer” for, such as “Smith was an inspiring leader and many joined his community of faith, but while in prison in 1844 he was killed by an unruly mob opposed to his religious views, an event Latter- Day Saints viewed as martyrdom. A brief competition for leadership between Sidney Rigdon and Brigham Young witnessed Young’s triumph …Brigham led the Latter-Day Saints westwards until they finally arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley, Utah, in July 1847.”(Partridge and Melton.Encyclopedia of New Religions.33)Now they set about dictating to God where Christ should re-appear “In Utah, the original Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints prepared for Christ’s second coming…Alongside many Protestants, Latter-Day Saints were Adventist(believing in the return of Jesus), and millenarian (he would rule for a thousand years (with his Saints).But, crucially, Christ would appear in the United States. Zion, the site of The divine(sic) rule was American; the rest of the world was defined as ‘evil Babylon’. from which converts should flee in response to the message of the missionaries who were sent to many parts of Europe as well as to other parts of the United States.”(Ibid)Now where this idea of exactly when and where Christ will make His second appearance originated, is odd because according to the Bible “So when they met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?7.He said to them: It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”(Acts 1,7)According to Bob Utley, it remains an “unknown” to us “It is obvious that believers are not to try to set dates; even Jesus did not know the time of His return(cf.Mat 24:36…).Believers can know the general season, but they are to remain ready and active for the actual event at all times(cf.Mat 24:32-33).The twin 7 emphases of the NT about the Second Coming are to stay active and be ready. (Utley You too can Understand The Bible.ibiblio.com.) That “Jesus did not know” remains a mystery that man must just accept according to “…nor the Son, but only the Father.”(Mt 24,36)William Barclay offers this very interesting thought in this context “It is, therefore, clear that speculation regarding the time of the Second Coming is nothing less than blasphemy, for the man who so speculates is seeking to wrest from God secrets which belong to God alone. It is not any man’s duty to speculate; it is his duty to prepare himself, and to watch…Beyond these things, we cannot go-for God has kept the ultimate knowledge to Himself and to His wisdom.”(Barclay. The Gospel of Matthew Vol 2. 348-349On this same point, in the context of Mark’s Gospel which also reads “…nor the Son, but only the Father.”(Mk 13,32b); a point which is crucial because it questions Christ’s knowledge, or credibility, possibly to deny His place in the Trinity. A good explanation in defence or apologetics against such thoughts would be “While insisting upon His deity we must not ignore His humanity. It was in this latter light that He spoke these words. In His incarnation He assumed certain limitations which are a part of complete humanity, apart from sin. Indeed, sin is not a part of humanity as God intended it. And in His perfect humanity Jesus said, ‘ My doctrine [teaching] is not mine, but his that sent me’ (John 7:16).Again, ‘The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do:…(John 5:19).The heart of our answer is found in John8:26,28. ‘I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him…I do nothing of myself; but as the Father hath taught me…’(Hobbs.An Exposition of The Gospel of Mark.208) This is not something for “finite” minds to try and fathom out “The incarnation was a fact, but it is ever a mystery to finite minds. So in the Father’s good pleasure He had not ‘taught’ the day and hour of Jesus’ return. It is governed by condition(sic). And while the triune God knows when the condition will obtain, the Father during the incarnation did not reveal it. It is that which is set in the mind of the Father (Acts 1:7). One could draw the inference that the Mormons were cunning enough not the set a date for Christ’s return for the following reasons “Just as the Book of Mormon recanted the ancient history of the prophets, so it refocused contemporary events. Unlike groups who had disbanded or thoroughly revise their doctrine when Christ did not come, five factors saved the Latter-Day Saints from crushing disappointment; there was no single date for the end; new temple rituals were developed to focus religious energy; a significant majority survived the prophet’s death; European converts brought fresh blood, and new territory and leadership challenged them to survive.”(Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia…33)Nevertheless they still see fit to contravene Christ’s instructions “set in the mind of the Father” (Hobbs.An Exposition…208) with reference (Acts1,7). There can be no reason why this limitation should also not apply to the exact place where Christ would return to.How can “Christ …appear in the United States, Zion, the site of divine rule,…” (Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia…32-33) when no particular place in mentioned in the Scriptures, but rather “2. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.3.And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.(Holy Bible, New International Version. Rev 21,2-3) Not even Palestine for that 8 matter “Jerusalem of the NT is a metaphor for heaven (cf. Rev_21:2), not a city in Palestine.”(Utley.You Too Can Understand…) We look at some of the aspects of the Book of Mormon in general, “The Story of the Ancient People of the Book of Mormon purports to be a history of two ancient civilizations, which were located on the American continent. According to the Mormon version, the first of these great civilizations, named Jaredites, left the tower of Babel (about 2,250 B.C., by Mormon reckoning), and emigrated to the Western hemisphere. Thr Jaredites were destroyed as a result of ‘corruption’…The second group allegedly left Jerusalem somewhere in the neighborhood of-of 600 B.C. captivity of Israel.”( Martin. Kingdom of The Cults. g4er.tk/books/Martin-Walter-Kingdom-of-the-Cults.pdf.Web)We now encounter nothing less than blatant racism, under the flag of theology.This second group, “who came to America about 600 B.C., were righteous Jews, led by Lehi and later his son Nephi.This group eventually met a fate similar to the Jaredites and were divided into two warring camps, the Nephites and Lamanites (Indians).The Lamanites received a curse because of their evil deeds, and the curse took the form of dark skin. Racism is a charge that has been leveled at the Mormon Church throughout their history by a number of civil rights groups …Mormons reject such claims by pointing to a small number of African-American and Native-American members. The fact remains, however, that the god of Mormon elevates ‘white’ races as supreme and has demeaned African Americans as ‘unrighteous’.(Ibid).This “Bible” actually has chapters and verses telling us how God went about all this “they were white, and exceeding fair and delightsome; that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them’ (2Nephi 5:21).Post-1981 …Mormon have deleted the strength of the racist overtones by changing the word ‘white,’ in the original Book of Mormon; to ‘pure’ (cf.2 Nephi 30:6).6-12.The racism concerning African – Americans surfaces in Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses(7:8-12) and Book of Abraham (1:24),”(Ibid) Politics now shows its true colors regarding Brigham Young “In 1844, he was named president and prophet of the church, inheriting the authority of Joseph Smith…Less than ten years later, Utah was organized as a territory, and Brigham Young became its governor and superintendent of Indian Affairs. In addition to being the founder of the University of Utah, Young also organized the Mormon Tabernacle Choir…Brigham Young University is named after him.”( allaboutcults.org/brigham-young)Regardless of any denials to the contrary we still, find “Brigham Youngs comments found in the Journal of Discourses…a twenty-six volume collection of sermons of early Mormon authorities. Even though it is said that today’s Mormon Church places little value in them, they are still published by the Church’s … Publishing Company.”( Martin. Kingdom of The Cults….)Here we see a good example of indoctrination in line with “dynamic leaders who are in complete control of their followers. The power such leaders exercise is said to be supernatural and come from either personal revelation or personal ‘anointing’ from some idea of God.”(Martin.The New Cults…18) The true inspired Christian Bible reads as follows regarding “race” and who has the right to tell God who should be His children; and who not, “19.Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s 9 household.20...with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone .”(Eph 2,19) and “12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile- the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”(Rom10,12-13)The Greek word πᾶς (pas), clearly means. “1a) each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything…” (Thayer’s Greek Definitions) regardless of any differentiation due to race or “purity” as amended above in “the Book Mormon (cf.2 Nephi 30:6)” (Martin.Kingdom of The Cults... Web).Even “The ‘Lord’ of Joel 2:32 is the ‘Lord Jesus Christ’.Peter also appealed to Joel 2:32, in his Pentecost sermon, for the same reason Paul does here(Acts 2:21).Both apostles wanted to show that the door of salvation is open to (‘whoever’).” (Constable. Thomas, L, Notes on Romans. sonic.org …Web.)In the Book of Joel, we read “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance as the Lord has said among the survivors whom the Lord calls.”(Joel,2,32). This “Spotlight on Cults” now focuses to another scenario namely “Divine Science” ( allaboutcults.org/christian-scientist.).This was a concept conjured up by a lady “According to Christian Scientist literature, Mary Ann Morse Baker was born in 1821…a frail youngster who suffered many illnesses”(Ibid)She had a normal Christian Protestant childhood “Her parents, Mark and Abigail Baker, were devoted members of a Calvinistic Meeting House at White Rock Hill, New Hampshire. At the age of 16, Mary was admitted into membership of her parents’ Congregational Church at Sanbornton Bridge, New Hampshire. Mary’s first marriage to George Glover, though happy was short. Her husband died of yellow fever after only six months.”(Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia…39)However, after this, it is as if the tests of Job are placed before her “she subsequently had a son, George. The years that followed were a period of extended sickness and pain, compounded by the harsh and unfaithful treatment she received at the hands of her second husband, Daniel Patterson…Mary subsequently obtained a divorce in 1873 on grounds of desertion.”(Ibid)After this “she moved from New Hampshire to Massachusetts and founded the Christian Science Association. It was there that she published her foundational book, Science, and Health with Key to Scriptures. In 1877, she married her third husband, Asa Albert Eddy, and together they officially founded CCS” (allaboutcults.org/christian-scientist), which is short for “The Church of Christ, Scientist(Also referred to as CCS).”(Ibid) But unlike Job in the Old Testament who stuck to his guns through faith in God no matter what hardship life could throw at him “5My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you 6.Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes”(Job.42,5-6).Then “After Job prayed for his friends the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.”(Job.42,10), we now find Mary challenging the Scriptures after a miraculous recovery from “In February 1866 …suffered some form of spinal dislocation as well as internal injuries.” (Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia…39)According to these extracts from her writings in Science and Health... “as adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life. (Baker Eddy Science and Health...497)But subjectively “Christian Science interprets the Bible in light of Mrs. Eddy’s writings, particularly S&H, in which she interprets the Bible according to her metaphysical presuppositions. (allaboutcults.org/christian-scientist)The word “metaphysical” means “…2.based on abstract reasoning 3.abstruse or over-theoretical4. incorporeal ; supernatural.(Collins English Dictionary)We learn that “A man named Phineas Quimby influenced Mary Baker Eddy in the 10 area of spirituality in the 1860’s.Mary…visited him, seeking healing from an illness she was experiencing. ‘Dr’ Quimby is perhaps the real initiator of Christian Science.” (allaboutcults.org/christian-scientist)It is here where Mrs. Baker Eddy shows her true colors as we enter her “metaphysical” realm, compounded with a “consensus of opinion in Eddy’s day that her writings were not original. On the counts of plagiarism from Murray’s Reade rand from Quimby, the impartial observer must find Eddy guilty.” (Martin.Kingdom of The Cults...Web).She completely followed “The Metaphysical Religion of Hegel by Francis Lieber...For Hegel and his true disciples, there is no truth, substance, life, or intelligence in matter, all is Infinite Mind.Thus matter has no reality, it is only the manifestation of spirit...Therefore science is spirit..., for God is Spirit(85). We find practically the identical in Mary’s (S&H) “There is no life, truth, intelligence, or substance in matter.All is Infinite Mind. and its infinite manifestation, for God, is all in all...Spirit is God, and man is His likeness.Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual (468)( Martin.Kingdom of The Cults...Web).Besides blatant plagiarism, the whole concept borders on the verge of insanity, no matter who’s idea it is.This is nothing other than “Gnosticism”, as Walter Martin explains “Christian Science is an ingenious mixture of first –century Gnostic theology, eighteenth – century Hegelian philosophy, and nineteenth –century idealism woven(sic) into a redefined framework of Christian theology with an emphasis upon healing the body by the highly questionable practice of denying its objective reality.Hence, it is unnecessary for Christian Scientists to think of themselves as sinners in need of a salvation they believe is already theirs by virtue of the fact that ‘man is already saved’ because he is a reflection of the divine mind...Christian Scientists are conditioned to believe in the nonexistence of the material world even though their senses testify to its objective reality.” (Martin.Kingdom of The Cults...Web). Another” creation” by Mary is her amendment to the “Lord’s Prayer” as stated in (S&H) with suggested comparison to the accepted Biblical version in Matthew Chapter 6,9-13. “Here let me give what I understand to be the spiritual sense of the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father which art in heaven Our Father-Mother God, all – harmonious Hallowed by Thy name. Adorable One. Thy Kingdom come. (sic) Thy kingdom is come;Thou art ever-present. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Enable us to know,-as in heaven, so on earth-God is omnipotent , supreme Give us this day our daily bread; Give us grace for today; feed our famished affections. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And Love is reflected in Love; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from death. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory’forever. For God is infinite, all –power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All.”( Baker Eddy, Mary. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.mbeinstitute.org...Web) She obviously thought she could do it better than Christ’s version; because,“Let it not be thought by anyone that Eddy did not aspire to equality with Christ as some of her eager followers contended, for, in the Christian Science Journal of April 1889, Eddy allowed the 11 claim made on her behalf to the effect that she was equal , as chosen successor, to Christ.In a book entitled Christ and Christmas (...1884) appear pictures and captions of both Eddy and Jesus Christ.That the two are considered at least on the same level, if Eddy is not to be regarded higher, is plain to see.” (Martin.Kingdom of The Cults...Web). This so-called “equality” or “equal level” with Christ even manifests itself in a scenario analogous to that of Christ’s resurrection after three days in “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men be crucified and then on the third day be raised again”(Lk 24,7).Mary conveniently also imagines herself in a similar situation, even approached by an “Angel” similar in Lukes account at the empty tomb.The difference being, that Mrs. Baker Eddy’s account is a total figment of her imagination regarding the truth behind a fictitious miraculous recovery from a fall on ice mentioned above “She named her discovery Christian Science ...Eddy’s two statements, the interested reader will note, substantiate each other in every detail, it is therefore unfortunate that they should both be falsehoods.Eddy never discovered Christian Science in the manner claimed, never was in danger of losing her life in the manner described, and never ‘rose the third day healed and free,’ as she maintained... Dr Alvin M.Cushing, the attending physician at Eddy’s ‘illness’ denied under oath ...that he ever believed or said that she was in a precarious physical condition.” (Martin.Kingdom of The Cults...Web). In Luke’s account the “two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning” (Lk.24,4) specify that man is “sinful”(Lk 24,7) however, Mrs Baker Eddy and her Gnostic followers beg to differ with Scripture, “delivered into the hands of sinful men”(Lk 24,7), regarding sin, even in the widest sense , including the very Nature of God and the Trinity “Christian Scientists believe God is ‘All –in all’ and think of God in terms of Principle rather than as a person.They reject the idea of God as three persons in one, but accept the essence, though multiform in office.: God the Father-Mother; Christ the spiritual idea of sonship; divine Science or Holy Comforter.’ They regard sin and evil as having no objective reality.There are 2,000 churches in 80 countries, 120 which are in the UK.Estimates of world membership are between 350,000 and 450.000”(Partridge and Melton.Encyclopedia of New Religions 40)May God have mercy on all these people’s souls for refusing to accept the fact that “8.If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us...10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”(I Jn 8,10).It is “Currently ...run by a five- person Board of Directors, headquartered at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts.”( allaboutcults.org/christian-scientist.) Continuing on this path of the “antichrist, which you have heard is coming and now is already in the world”(1 Jn 4,3b), we meet “Charles Fillmore (1854-1948) and his wife Myrtle (1845-1931).The Fillmores were students of Emma Curtis Hopkins, who was at one time an associate of Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of *Christian Science.”(Partridge and Melton.Encyclopedia...42)The debate whether or not Mary Baker Eddy was the actual founder has already been addressed above , rather the focus here will be on the “The Fillmores...who created, over the course of the twentieth century, a successful worldwide spiritual movement, which is now known as the Unity Movement.”( allaboutcults.org/unity-school-of-christianity) The Unity Movement is “Heavily influenced by many other religions.Unity attempts to incorporate the best parts of all religions, cults, and beliefs. Additionally, it has many similarities with other cults arising in the mid-19th century such as Christian Science, although the teachings differ at various points.( allaboutcults.org/unity-cult) 12 With this, we must return to where “The Unity Church got its start through an illness. Myrtle had developed tuberculosis and was searching for anything that would heal her. After attending a lecture by Dr. Eugene Weeks, a disciple of Quimby’s New Thought teachings, she learned about metaphysical healing…What emerged was the Unity School of Christianity, named after Charles heard a voice say to him, ‘Unity.’ This name was appropriate, as the Fillmores’ religious philosophy was a mix of New Thought. Christian Science, Divine Science, Hinduism, Theosophy…Spiritualism, etc. To quote Charles, they ‘borrowed the best from all religions.”( What is the Unity Church / Unity School of Christianity? gotquestions.org/unityschool- Christianity)Their beliefs are “not to be confused with Unitarian Universalism or Christian Science, although they have many beliefs in common.Unity has its headquarters at Unity Villiage, near Kansas City, Missouri.”(Ibid)Unitarian Universalism “may be traced...to the radical anti-Tritarians of the sixteenth century who were active on the continent...the 1948 Massachusetts Universilist Convention radically redefined ...universal salvation, the label was ‘refashioned’ to mean a ‘universal world religion.’ a syncretistic blend of various global faith positions.”(Martin.Kingdom of The Cults...Web)This is a separate institution entirely, although “The followers are encouraged to remain in and practice their respective religions... ‘We see the good in all religions and we want everyone to feel free to find the Truth for himself wherever may be led to find it,’(Modern Thought, 1889,p.42).”( allaboutcults.org/unity-school-ofChristianity)In particular “Unity School of Christianity emphasizes ‘mind cure’, believing that human illness can be relieved by exercising mind over matter.”(Partridge and Melton.Encyclopedia...42)This is all because “Myrtle Fillmore claimed to have been cured of tuberculosis in 1886 after listening to a New Thought lecture, and using the affirmation ‘I am a child of God and thereforeI do not inherit sickness.” (Ibid) They are not a body of Christ, or a Church in the Scriptural sense “The Unity School is non-credal, claiming to bring together ideas from a variety of religious traditions.It emphasizes training rather than worship, and is not a church.( Partridge and Melton.Encyclopedia...42-43).Why they are a cult basically, is because they believe that: “God is a principle, not a personal God, and the ‘force’ of love in all people and things. Jesus the man represents the path toward a higher consciousness. Jesus the Christ is the universal love and wisdom within all of us- the perfection of consciousness- independent of religious beliefs The Bible is not the inerrant Word of God nor final authority. The fall of man is spiritual amnesia from his evolution toward the divine correctable changing thought patterns from negative to positive thoughts, which is the process of salvation. There is no literal heaven or hell but created by a person’s thoughts, words, and actions. Reincarnation is the means by which believers are regenerated for eternity.” (allaboutcults.org/unity-cult). In rebuttal to some of these assertions or beliefs from a Scriptural point of view, not all, as some are so obviously bizarre or Blasphemous, to say the least; that one is compelled to concur with Paul, in this context as well, “ 18.Do not deceive yourselves. If anyone of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a ‘fool’ so that he may become wise.19.For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.”(1 Cor.3,18-19) Regarding “The Bible is not the inerrant Word of God” (allaboutcults.org/unity-cult) We are referred to “ The Unity site claims that ‘the Bible is Unity’s textbook. But this statement is deceptive…Unity does not view the Bible as infallible or literal. The founders of Unity saw the Bible ‘as history and allegory and interpreted it as a metaphysical representation of 13 humankind’s evolutionary journey toward spiritual awakening. ’They claim to consider it inspired, but they clearly did not come from a perfect, unchangeable God (Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17).The term inspired appears to refer to human inspiration rather than ‘God-breathed’ (2 Timothy 3:16). (What is the Unity Church / Unity School of Christianity? gotquestions.org/unity-school-Christianity).So the Bible tells us “God is not man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.Does he speak and then not act?Does he promise and not fulfill?(Nu 23,19)In the New Testament “7.Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.8.Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.9.Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.”(Heb 13,7-9a).And of course Paul’s Letter to Timothy, including us “All Scripture is God- breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”(2 Tim 3,16) Considering “ The fall of man is spiritual amnesia from his evolution...” (allaboutcults.org/unity-cult).This would mean that the events pertaining to Adam and Eve in Genesis Chapter 3 are pure fiction and that man is in total control of his or her destiny.In the Unity magazine called “Modern Thought...April 1889” , this same concept is explained as follows “The present grows out of past like a tree whose roots are not intertangled with its branches but lies peaceably underground’The future is an equation into which our thought enters as a most important factor; by it we must create ourselves daily in the image of our Creator.Hope holds thought shut in herself since to think an ideal, is to commence already, the future realization of it.Finally, thought holds love, for to conceive an ideal, is to think for another as well as ourselves, and tends to realize for all.”(Modern Thought. amazonaws.com/truthunity/monthly- magazine/1889-04- modern-thought.pdf)Rick Warren addresses this “self-help” method to salvation “Many people try to use God for their own selfactualization, but that is a reversal of nature and is doomed to failure. You were made for God, not vice versa, and life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not your using him for your own purpose. The Bible says, ‘Obsession with self in matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us into the open, into a spacious, free life.’ (Romans 8:6. Msg) I have read many books that suggest ways to discover the purpose of my life. All of them could be classified as ‘self-help’ books because they approach the subject from a self-centered viewpoint.Self-help books, even Christian ones, usually offer the same predictable steps…Consider your dreams. Clarify your values. Set some goals…Aim high. Go for it…Involve others. Never give up…”(Warren. The Purpose Driven Life 18) Of course there is nothing wrong with being a success “But being successful and fulfilling your life’s purpose are not at all the same issue! You could reach all your personal goals, …a raving success by world’s standard, and still miss the purpose for which God created you…The Bible says, ‘Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding, your true self. (Matthew 16:25.Msg) ’” (Warren.The Purpose Driven…18-19)The same is said in another way “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Holy Bible. New International Version.Mt.16,25) The concept that “There is no literal heaven or hell...” (allaboutcults.org/unity-cult), is based on the belief “that ‘heaven and hell are states of consciousness, not geographical locations.We make our own heaven or hell here and now by our thoughts, words, and deeds.’ However, Jesus said, ‘This is how it will be at the end of the age.The angels will come and 14 separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”(Matthew 13:49-50)…Hebrews 9:27 ”( What is the Unity Church / Unity School of Christianity? gotquestions.org/)This literally means that “At that time the true character of all people will be revealed and judged.Meanwhile, God’s church represents God’s kingdom present on earth., not as a separate isolated group, but as God’s people living in the midst of evil people influenced by Satan.”(New International Version, Disciple’s Study Bible.1193)There is no escape man will “face judgment’(Holy Bible, New International Version Heb 9,27).One way or the other “A time of eternal punishment awaits unbelievers.See note on Rev 20:11-15.” (Holy Bible, New International Version, Disciple’s Study Bible.1581). According to The Book of Revelation “The lake of fire is the second death15.If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”(Rev20,14c-15)A gruesome scenario; where“The second death is identified with the lake of fire.It is thus a synonym for hell.It is second death in that it involves a final separation from God.All people die once.The wicked die a second time with no hope.” (Holy Bible, New International Version, Disciple’s Study.1655). Next, we have “God is not a personality but a spiritual energy “force” or principle of love”(Unity School of Christianity. probe.org/unity-school-of-christianity/)This Blasphemy continues with “Charles Fillmore in his book, Jesus Christ Heals, says that ‘God is not loving. God is love…from which is drawn forth all feeling, sympathy, emotion, and all that goes to make up the joys of existence. ’Fillmore goes on to say, ‘God does not love anybody or anything. God is the love in everybody and everything. God exercises none of His attributes through the inner consciousness of the universe and man.’ In other words, God is not a personal being but an energy or force that expresses itself as a pantheistic love that permeates all things.”(Ibid) This illusion is easily rejected with “It’s obvious that Unity’s understanding of who God is has fallen victim to its own syncretism. Unity, while attempting to identify itself as being biblical has offered too much on the ‘altar of tolerance’ and, thereby, has prostituted itself on the bed of other gods.”( Ibid)The concept of “syncretism” is an attempt or “quest for reality, when seen in the light of the pressing need for men and women of different races , cultures and backgrounds to learn to understand each other and work together for the common good, that provides the major incentive for a syncretic approach to religious differences. or even for dreams of the eventual emergence of one universal world-religion…”(Anderson. Christianity and World Religions…16-17) This, of course, is a useless quest, simply because; no matter how morally perfect one purports oneself to be, the reality is “17.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved18. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”(Holy Bible, King James Version. John 3,17-18)So in opposition to this only route “the syncretic approach may be defined as ‘the view which holds that there is no unique revelation in history, that there are many different ways to reach the divine reality, that all formulations of religious truth or experience are by their very nature inadequate expressions of that truth and that it is necessary to harmonize as much as possible all religious ideas and experiences so as to create one universal religion for mankind.”(Anderson. Christianity and World Religions. qt Hooft.17) This cult also accepts “when a body dies, the soul passes into the bodies of lower 15 animals or other human beings, in a rotating cycle. This continues until purification is accomplished. Then the soul passes to Nirvana(Buddhism) or Brahma (Hinduism). ( allaboutcults.org/unity-school-of-christianity)According to Buddhist belief “The first is Truth of Anguish-that suffering is intrinsic to all human experience. The second is the Truth of the Arising of Anguish- that it comes from a desire to possess, to be and to become that amounts to a positive craving (tanhā).The third is the Truth of the Stopping of Anguish of Anguish- that the only way of escape is by firm resolve to have done with all attachment to, and craving for, the transient, and to embrace in their place the fourth Aryan Truth, which consists in the discipline of the Aryan Eightfold Path. This alone can lead man to Nirāna, a state of passionless peace, which is the ultimate goal of all Buddhist teaching.”(Anderson.Christianity and World Religions.87.In the case with Hinduism “What you do in this life determines the ‘suit’ you will wear in the next…If I have lived according to the principles of dharma (the moral and righteous life), I can look forward to my next life…cruel to others in this life, I will be the recipient of cruelty and misfortune in the next…the ultimate spiritual aim of Hindus is release from this cycle of samsara,…birth and rebirth …misery and struggles. This is moksha (liberation), the goal of the religious life…Hence, Brahman, ultimate reality, the source of all that is-Godcould be discovered by looking within oneself.”(Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia of New Religions.158) Unity School of Christianity “teacher that the individual lives a number of lifetimes within one existence...Charles Fillmore rejected the standard understanding of reincarnation as described by the Hindu or the Buddhist. He could not accept their respective teachings regarding the Law of Kharma or the Transmigration of the soul .For him reincarnation was much more simple way for God to offer man a second chance at perfection.”(Unity School of Christianity. probe.org/unity-school-of-christianity/)The Law of Kharma means “First , since all suffering is the result of evil done in a former life, a sufferer is something akin to a criminal..Secondly. the law of karma inexorable.If a man is born an outcaste or a leper…he has brought it on himself; and since karma must work itself out, it is useless or worse to try to help him…This is orthodox Hinduism.”(Martin. The New Cults.371)The ultimate result being according to “Article 22 of the Unity Statement of faith... ‘the repeated incarnations of man to be a merciful provision of our loving Father to the end that all may have opportunity to attain immortality through regeneration , as did Jesus.’”(Ibid)All these beliefs are to be rejected because, “the Bible tells us that we die once and then face judgment(Hebrews 9:27)The Bible never mentions people having a second chance at life, or coming back as different people or animals.” (allaboutcults.org/unity- school-of-Christianity) As far as” immortality through regeneration,as did Jesus”(supra)The Bible tells us that Christ “had no sin”(Holy Bible, New International Version.1 Pet 2,22)Christ did not need to be “regenerated” . Regeneration applies to mortals like us ;“As long as a man is born of blood or of the will of the flesh, he can have no power to become a son of God(cf.John1:12,13).The natural man is from below ;Christ is from above.Whoever is born of the flesh is of the world ;but Christ and His kingdom are not of the world(cf.John 8:23)…Such is the judgement of Scripture upon natural man.(Rom 3:10-18).Hence , it is the emphasis of Scripture that in order to enter into the kingdom of God a man must be born again, and must be born of water and of the Spirit. This also implies that this rebirth , or regeneration . cannot be established by any work of men or by the power of man’s will. This impossibility is already implied in the term rebirth, or 16 regeneration, No more than any man can be efficient cause of his own natural birth out of the flesh, no more can he be efficient cause of his own spiritual , second birth and conception. He cannot renew himself.”(Hoeksema. Reformed Dogmatics.452-453) Also “We do not become Christ , or God. We do not realize our own innate deity. We are creatures who can be made whole in the sight of God through the sacrifice of His Son. We cannot attain Christhood. Jesus Christ was the only Godman (Romans 1:3,4)…We as created beings will never become God; instead, those of us who have received Christ will in future receive glorified human bodies and live forever with God, worshiping and serving Him(1Corinthians 15:42-56; Revelation 22:15)(Martin.The New Cults.365-366)As Paul promises “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable.” (I Cor.15,42)We only have our first life to consider “6.The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life. and peace.7. the sinful mind is hostile to God…9…And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”(Rom 8, 6,7b,9b)In spite of this fact “Estimates of membership varied from 75.000 to 1,000,000 in 1998.”(Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia of New Religions.43) Still, with the 19th century, we shine the light on “Charles Tazz Russell…founder of what is now known as the Jehovah’s Witness cult…was born on February 16, 1852, the son of Joseph L. and Anna Eliza Russel, and spent most of his early years in Pittsburg and Allegheny, Pennsylvania, where at age of twenty-five he was known to be the manager of several men’s furnishings stores.”(Martin. Kingdom of The Cults…Web)However before this “At an early age, he rejected the doctrine of eternal torment probably because of the severe indoctrination he had received he had received as a Congregationalist, and as a result of this act entered upon a varied career of denunciation aimed at ‘Organized Religions.’ In 1870, at age of eighteen, Russell organized a Bible class in Pittsburg, which elected ‘Pastor’ of the group.”(Ibid)A Congregationalist belongs to a Church which “speaks of a form of church government. ‘Episcopal’ church government is rule by bishops, ‘Presbyterian’ church …by elders, and ‘congregational’ church …by the congregation. Episcopal …usually includes a hierarchy over the local church, and Presbyterian government sometimes does as well. Congregational government nearly always avoids hierarchy, maintaining that the local church is answerable directly to God, not some man or organization. Congregational government is found in many Baptist and non-denominational churches.”( What is a Congregational Church / Congregationalism? gotquestions.org/congregationalism). Further investigation reveals that “Russel reacted against the Congregational Church, …but was brought back to faith in Christ as a result of a sermon on the second coming. Exited by what he had heard, Russel developed a deep interest in Adventism and began to gather a study group around him in Pittsburgh. The beliefs of Russell’s circle differed from those of the Adventists in one important respect: Jesus’second coming would be spiritual and invisible rather than physical.”(Partridge and Melton.Encyclopedia of New Religions.40)In the case with Adventists “Seventh-day Adventism has its roots in Adventism, a 19th-century movement that anticipated the imminent appearance (or advent) of Jesus Christ.The Adventists were also called Millerites…founded by William Miller, a false prophet who predicted Jesus would return in either 1843 or 1844.”( What is Seventh-day Adventism (SDA),...? gotquestions.org)However, “When Miller’s prediction…failed to come to pass,the Millerites disbanded in dismay…known as ‘the Great Disappointment.’But then a couple of Miller’s followers claimed to have visions to account for the failed prophecy. Instead of coming to earth, Jesus had entered the heavenly 17 temple-thus, Miller was right, after all, they said, except his prophecy had a spiritual fulfillment instead of a physical one. One of the seers who covered for Miller was 17-year-old Ellen G Harmon…Ellen soon became a beacon of hope for disillusioned Millerites.She united Adventist factions and became the spiritual guide for a new religious group.In 1846, Ellen married James White, an Adventist preacher…The Adventists under Ellen G .White’s influence became Seventh-day Adventists.”(Ibid)They are called “Seventh-day” because according to one of Ellen’s many visions ,Christ won’t physically return to earth until “Christus moes die hemelse heiligdom reinig van die sondes van Gods kinders…Nik sanders as die gruwel van die Sabbatskending, die invoering en viering van Sondag as rusdag in plaas van Saturday deur die Christendom. Christus sou nie na die aarde terugkeer voordat …die onderhouding van die Sabbat op die sewende dag van die week nie.” [Christ must first sanctify the Heaven because of the sin committed by his followers in that they honor the Sunday as the Sabbath instead of the Saturday which is supposed to be the real Sabbath ,7th day].(Müller.Die Vernaamste Sektes in ons Land.13-14 [The Significant Sects in our Country South Africa].This is supported by “among other things, that worship should be conducted on the ‘seventh day’(the Sabbath) instead of on Sunday…Some Seventh-day Adventists believe identically to orthodox Christians. other than holding the Saturday Sabbath.”( What is Seventh-day Adventism (SDA...? gotquestions.org/Seventh-Day-Adventism.)Of course what actual day the Sabbath falls, is not that important in the New Testament. “Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.’(Lk.6,5).Also Paul “5.One man considers one day more sacred than another, another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.6He who regards one day as special does so to the Lord…”(Rom.14,5-6). The reason why Sunday is generally accepted today is that “In the New Testament the early church continued to hold a special day of worship. Shortly after the ascension of the Lord Jesus, the early church began to worship on the first day (the Lord’s Day) instead of the seventh (the Sabbath).The reason for this was both practical and theological. The early Christians continued to worship at the Temple or in the synagogue on the Sabbath until persecution drove them away. It seems logical that they would move their special day to the …which they celebrated their Lord’s resurrection, the first day (Ac.20:7).This pattern was well established within a few years (1 Co.16:2; Rev1:10)Divers attitudes about holy days remained (Ro 14:5-6), but Paul clearly forbid Christians to judge one another on the basis of the day or manner of their worship(Col 2:16-17) as long as Christ was truly worshiped. The important thing is that they lived ‘to the Lord’ every day (Ro 14:7-8). (Holy Bible, New International Version. Disciples Study Bible.94) From these roots “Like the…Millerites, Adventists and others, Russell predicted the date of Christ’s return. His first chosen date of 1874 failed to materialize and was advanced to 1878.Disappointment inevitably followed and Russel began to teach that Jesus had in fact returned in 1874, but invisibly, and that the elect would be taken to heaven in 1914.”(Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia of New Religions.41)In his lifetime “In 1879, Russell founded Herald of Christ’s Presence and Zion’s Watch Tower, which became monthly publications.In 1884, the Zion’s Watch Tower and Tract Society were officially formed. Russell served as the president until he died in 1916.Russell also authorized a series of books called ‘Studies in Scriptures.’ which became the basis of the Jehovah Witness theology.” 18 ( allaboutcults.org/jehovah-witness) Basically “As a speaker, Russell swayed many; as theologian, he impressed no one competent; as a man, he failed before the true God…In the of his writings and lectures Russell denied many of the cardinal doctrines of the Bible-the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the physical resurrection and return of Christ, eternal punishment, the reality of hell, the eternal existence of the soul, and the validity of atonement, to state a few.” (Martin.Kingdom of The Cults…Web)Although superior theological training is not the only qualification in teaching or witnessing for Christ, Paul is the view that Timothy must make use of the services of “reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”(2 Tim2,2)Also a little further on; to “present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”(2 Tim 2,15).The meaning or interpretation here is, “The transmission of Christian truth must never be left to chance and is clearly not committed fortuitously to every Christian…Two qualifications are therefore demanded: A loyalty to the truth, i.e. a loyalty which has been proved, and an aptitude to teach (cf.1 Tim.iii.2)…Plummer's comment that we have here ‘the earliest trace of a theological school’ is suggestive. The passage, however, gives no support for the Roman Catholic claim of a deposit of truth infallibly handed down.”(Guthrie.Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, The Pastoral Epistles.138139)The Greek word for “qualified” or “able” (Holy Bible, King James2.Tim.2,2) is “hikanos” meaning” 1) sufficient 1a) many enough, enough 1b) sufficient in ability, i.e. meet fit.”(Thayer’s Greek Definitions)In all fairness, it becomes quite apparent that ‘Pastor’ Russell fell far short of these requirements for the simple reason “The honest fact is that Russell had no training or education to justify his interpretation of Scripture.By this is not meant that great education is a necessary qualification of exegesis, but when a man contradicts practically every major doctrine of the Bible he ought to have the education needed to defend(if that is possible) his arguments. ‘Pastor’ Russell did not have that knowledge or even the qualifications for ordination by any recognized body.”(Martin.Kingdom of The Cults…Web). He was self-ordained in that “The title ‘pastor’ was assumed-not earned- and to document this fact we quote from Novenber1,1916, edition of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle: ‘Although he styled himself a ‘pastor’ and was so addressed by thousands of followers all over the world, he had never been ordained and had no ministerial standing in any other religious sect than his own.’. Psychologically, the man was an egotist whose imagination knew no bounds and who is classified (by his followers) along with the Apostle Paul, Wycliff, and Luther as a great expositor of the gospel (Ibid)This imagination that “knew no bounds”(supra) included beliefs that his “Witnesses believe in one God, whom they call ‘Jehovah’. They reject the doctrine of the Trinity, seeing Jesus as ‘a mighty one but not almighty as Jehovah God is’.Jesus is seen as ‘the first of Jehovah God’s creations’(Colossians 1:15).The Holy Spirit is not regarded as a person but rather as ‘ God’s active force ’that enables God’s people to live for him. The great future hope to which all Witnesses look forward will only be realized after the cataclysmic end-time battle known as ‘Armageddon’.(Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia of New Religions.42)The Bible does not say that God “created” Christ it says “ He is the image of the invisible God the firstborn over all creation.”(Col.1,15)The correct interpretation here being “Col 1:15 ‘He is the image of the invisible God’ …To see Jesus is to see God. The invisible God has become visible! Deity has become man (cf Joh 14:9)… ‘ the firstborn of all creation’ …This phrase is not to be understood as Jesus being the first creation(#4).This would have played into the hands of Gnostic teachers, who taught that Jesus the highest angelic level next to 19 the high god.It must be interpreted in its Jewish OT setting.Jesus was deity’s unique son(cf Joh 1:18;Joh 3:16…),yet Jesus was always Deity (cf…Joh1:1…).He became a human in time, at Bethlehem, so that fallen mankind could comprehend and understand Deity(cf Joh 1:14; Joh 1:18).(Utley.You Too Can Understand... ibiblio.com.) After Russell’s death in 1916 “the helm of leadership was manned by Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford who acquitted himself nobly in the eyes of the Society by attacking the doctrines of ‘organized religion’ with unparalleled vigor , and whose radion talks , phonograph recordings, numerous books, and resounding blasts against Christendom reverberated down the annals of the organization until his death on January 8 , 1942.”(Martin.Kingdom of The Cults…Web)His judicial title is actually quite authentic which “he did hold from the days of his early legal career, when he was a special judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Boonville, Missouri.”(Ibid)Under Rutherford there was re-scheduling concerning Christ’s return “ In1920. he published his most celebrated volume, Millions Now Living Will Never Die. Rutherford moved away from 1874 and even 1914 and maintained that 1925 was the time when the rule of God would be established on earth…It was also during Rutherford’s presidency in 1931 that the name ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses ‘ was adapted. Rutherford was succeeded by Nathan Knorr (190577).Under his presidency a number of significant doctrinal books were produced, including Let God Be True (1946)…In 1961 , the New World Translation of the Bible was published, which is used by all Jehovah’s Witnesses. Other versions are regarded as secondary.”(Partridge and Melton. Encyclopedia of New Religions 41) From the Jehovah Witness point of view “The NWT is produced and published by an ‘anonymous’ translation committee of WBTS. The NWT is regarded as the best and only translation of the Bible because ‘the translators held so closely to what is in the original Bible languages.’ In addition , the ‘governing body’ of the WBTS is regarded as God’s only true channel of accurate biblical interpretation…This means that there is no salvation apart from the WBTS…However , the NWT is not a legitimate translation , and merely reflects Jehovah Witness theology, especially its bias against the deity of Jesus Christ and the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.”( allaboutcults.org/jehovah-witness)We find deliberate distortions in the case “For example John 1:1 in the NWT reads , ‘and the Word [Jesus]was a god. All other legitimate Bible translations say , ‘and the Word [Jesus] was God.’”.The legitimate accepted meaning in this context being, “The high point is reached in the… affirmation: ‘the Word was God’.Nothing higher could be said. All that may be said about God may fitly be said about the Word.This statement should not be watered down…John is not merely saying that there is something divine about Jesus. He is affirming that He is God. and doing so emphatically as we see from the word order in the Greek.”(Morris.The Gospel According To John.76-77) In true character of the cults, as already mentioned,(supra) “dynamic leaders who are in complete control of their followers…from either personal revelation or personal ‘anointing’ from some idea of God ”(Martin.The New Cults.18),followers of this organization ,for example, where a leader is the only one who interprets the God’s word. “Rutherford also approached at times the inflated egotism of his predecessor Russell , especially when in his pamphlet Why Serve Jehovah ? he declared in effect that he was the mouthpiece of Jehovah for this age and that God had designated his words as expression of the divine mandate. It is indeed profitable to observe that Rutherford , as do all would-be ‘incarnations of infallibility,’ manifest unfathomable ignorance of God’s express injunctions , especially against the preaching of ‘any other gospel’ (Galations1:8-9).(Martin.The New Cults17-18) Evidently, Judge Rutherford in all 20 his “wisdom” rejected Paul’s warning to us all “8.But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you., let him be eternally condemned.9….other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned.”(Gal.8-9)These are not just idle words “Paul specifically used this term to show the seriousness of the false teachers’ gospel by consigning them to God’s wrath.”(Utley.You Too Can Understand…Web)But regardless of this, sadly ; “they believe in the veracity of the Bible, however, the New World Translation contains language that has been changed from the original texts and manuscripts, including words not found in the ancient texts and articles not even existing in the original languages themselves” (wicwiki.org.uk/mediawiki/index.php/..Web) Regarding the exclusive name “Jehovah”, according to Walter Martin “No reasonable scholar, of course, objects to the use of the term Jehovah in the Bible. But since only the Hebrew consonants YHWH appear without vowels, pronunciation is at best uncertain, and dogmatically to settle on Jehovah is straining at the bounds of good linguistics. When the Witnesses arrogantly claim then to have ‘restored’ the divine name (Jehovah), it is almost pathetic. All students of Hebrew know that any vowel can be inserted between the consonants (YHWH or JHVH), so that theoretically, the divine name could be any combination from JoHeVaH to JiHiViH, without doing violence to the grammar of the language in the slightest degree.” (Martin.Kingdom of The Cults…Web)They are truly on a crusade as it were “for many years the Watchtower has been fighting a vain battle to redefine biblical terms to suit their own peculiar theological interpretations.”(Ibid)Therefore “Hence the question arises as to the proper vocalization and pronunciation of the name. The answer to this question can only be conjectured, and Hebrew scholars have suggested different possibilities. Without pretending to be able to solve this problem, we regard it not improbable that the original pronunciation of the name was Jahweh...”(Hoeksema. Reformed Dogmatics. 68) Still “The form Jehovah, though is very commonly used.It is used in King James Version …(Genesis 22:14;Exodus 6:3; …Isaiah 12:2;26:4).It is also used, and strenuously promoted by, the Jehovah’s Witnesses…to the extent that any other name or title for God is viewed as borderline idolatry or outright heresy. With all of that said, it is not crucial to the Christian faith for the proper pronunciation of YHWH to be known. Both the Old and New Testaments, inspired by God, use generic terms for ‘God’ and ‘Lord,’ including El, Elohim, and Adonai (Hebrew); and Theos and Kurios (Greek).If the authors of Scripture, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were allowed , to use these terms, it is not wrong for us to refer to He as ‘God’ or ‘Lord’ either…it is highly unlikely that ‘Jehovah’ is the correct pronunciation of YHWH. Further, it is far more important to know God through faith in Jesus Christ, than it is to know the correct pronunciation of His name in Hebrew.”( Is Jehovah the true name of God? gotquestions.org/Jehovah) We now focus on a few more crucial issues which The Witnesses have regarding the normal understanding of Christianity specifically, “.3)Jesus Christ died on a stake instead of an actual cross.” (wicwiki.org.uk/mediawiki/index.php/…Web)The Greek for “cross” in the New Testament is “stauros- From the base of G2476; a stake or post (as set upright), that is, (specifically) a pole or cross (as an instrument of capital punishment); figuratively exposure to death, that is, self-denial; by implication the atonement of Christ: - cross.”(Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries)This is the word used by Christ where He says “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me is not worthy of me.” (Holy Bible, King James.Mt 10,30) This same Greek word occurs throughout the New Testament with exactly the 21 same meaning “and hence used for the crucifixion of Christ … (Eph_2:16; Heb_12:2; 1Co_1:17, 1Co_1:18; Gal_5:11; Gal_6:12, Gal_6:14; Phi_3:18). The word is also used to denote any severe affliction or trial (Mat_10:38; Mat_16:24; Mar_8:34; Mar_10:21).”(Easton’s Bible Dictionary) At the sentencing of Christ by Pilot, “They all answered , ‘Crucify him’” (Holy Bible, New International Version.Mt 27.22b)Now the Greek word “stauroō stow-ro'-o is used meaning “ From G4716; to impale on a cross; figuratively to extinguish (subdue) passion or selfishnesscrucify.”(Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries) Clearly Pilot was a Roman “governor”(Mt 27,11) and as the saying goes ‘when in Rome do as the Romans do’ and their method of execution was a crucifixion, which meant that “The condemned one carried his own cross to the place of execution…outside the city, in some conspicuous place set apart for the purpose.”(Easton’s Bible Dictionary)Typically “ Among the Romans…The one to be crucified was stripped naked …laid down …His arms were stretched along the cross-beams, and at the center of the open palms, the point of a huge nail was placed…driven home into the wood.Then through either foot …one over the other, another huge nail tore it’s way through the quivering flesh.”(Smith’s Bible Dictionary)There is certainly no mention of a “pole’ or stake” option in “stauroō” (supra) being used by the Romans. although “the asserting that Jesus was killed on a stake rather than a cross is merely another misunderstanding of the original language which has been broadly imposed on all verses containing its uses…Historically, the Roman Empire, legally responsible for this lethal punishment, used crosses, not stakes.” (wicwiki.org.uk/mediawiki/index.php/…Web) Another illusion of theirs is “the cataclysmic end-time battle known as ‘Armageddon’. At the conclusion of this conflict, faithful Witnesses will enjoy God’s promised salvation. There will be two categories of the saved: the ‘little’ flock; or 144,000 and the ‘great company’ or other sheep whom Jesus referred in John 10:16.Jehovah’s Witnesses aim to spend whatever time they can going from door to door seeking to share their faith and distributing the Watchtower….They are called ‘publishers’, and numbered 6,350,564 in 2000.”(Partridge and Melton.Encyclopedia of New Religions .42.)The truth regarding the “144,000” is “Then I heared the number of those who were sealed:144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.”(Rev7,4) Once again they are wrong in that they think “will rule with King Jesus in the heavenly sphere, They quote Revelation 7:4 and 14:1,3, but neglect to notice that the 144,000 are the tribes of Israel(Jews),12,000 of each tribe, and are in no sense to be construed as anything else.This is not figurative ; this is actual because the tribes are listed by name.”(Martin.Kingdom of The Cults…Web). As far as the Jehovah’s Witnesses are concerned, they are shooting themselves in the foot so to speak, in that “ only 144,000 Jewish members of their organization will be privileged to reign with Christ Jesus. The argument that they are spiritual Jews is invalid because even if they were, which they aren’t they would be ‘children of Abraham’, not Israel,’ and there is a vast difference in interpretation at this point(Galatians 3:29).Ishmael, the father of the Arab race, the ancestor of Mohammed, the founder of Islam, was a son of Abraham(Genesis 16) after the flesh even as Isaac was the father of Jacob…Abraham’s seed differs from the selection of Israel’s stock…The texts are clear that Israel after the flesh is mentioned and not spiritual symbolism; therefore, the 144,000 conjecture pertaining to 22 kingdom rule as advanced by Jehovah’s Witnesses crumbles under the light of Spiritual truth.(Ibid) Regardless of Biblical facts to the contrary which clearly proves the Jehovah Witness movement in line with “…as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come…”(2 Jn 2:18), they continue to spread satin’s web in “Kingdom Halls…Only those who feel they are part of the ‘little flock’ are permitted to take the bread and wine at the annual Memorial Communion.In 2002, only 8,661 partook of the sacrament out of a total worldwide attendance of 15,597,746.”(Partridge and Melton.Encyclopedia of New Religions.42).Currently “several men lead the Jehovah’s Witnesses ‘theocratic’ organization, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society(WBTS).The organization is based in Brooklyn, New York. (allaboutcults.org/jehovah-witness…).And with that, we must heed Paul’s sound advice to the Ephesians and turn out the spotlight on these Cults because they obviously “are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”(Eph.4,18). Works Cited Anderson, Norman. Christianity and World Religions, The Challenge of Pluralism.InterVarsity.Leicester:1984.Print. allaboutcults.org/religious-cults. 2017.Web allaboutcults.org/christian-scientist.2017.Web allaboutcults.org/jehovah-witness.2017.Web. allaboutcults.org/joseph-smith. 2017.Web allaboutcults.org/brigham-young 2017 Web. allaboutcults.org/what-do-mormons-believe. 2017 .Web. allaboutcults.org/unity-cult.2017.Web allaboutcults.org/unity-school-of-christianity.2017.Web. Baker Eddy, Mary. 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