Post on 17-Aug-2015
Apologetics SeriesCults Overview
What is Apologetics?Defence of Christian faith
What is Cult?
• Latin word: cultus = adoration
• Interfaith Coalition of Concern About Cults:
• A cult is a movement or group with a self-appointed, messianic, usually charismatic, leader who uses followers' veneration upon him or her to coerce, indoctrinate and control members.
Occults
“knowledge of the hidden / paranormal”
• Astrology
• Demon worship & consultation
• Fortune telling
• Horoscopes
• Spells
• Tarots Cards
• Voodoo
• Witchcraft
• Satanism
• Palmistry
• Necromancer
• All-knowing leadership.
• No room for differences.
• A new and better way.
• Down on Christian doctrine.
• Scriptures get an added twist.
Characteristics
Characteristics
• "Christians are wrong.”
• Works prove faith.
• Salvation is a big unknown.
• No exit.
Spiritual Warfare
Muslim will surpass Christians by 2050 due to fertility rates and people switching faiths.
Religions in Malaysia
The Examples
The Sky Kingdom (Kerajaan Langit)
JonestoneMass Suicide
FLDS
Marshall Applewhite
Cultic View of Jesus1.Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons)2.Jehovah's Witnesses3.The Unification Church (Moonies)4.The World Wide Church of God (Armstrongites)5.The Way International 6.The Unitarian Church 7.The Mind Sciences (Christian Science, Religious Science, Unity, Theosophy, etc.)
Who Can Be Targeted?
They are recruited
Who Can Be Targeted?
• Young People
• Intelligent
• Articulate
• Family
• Old people ($)
• Healthy People
• Dependent
• Unassertive or have a low tolerance for ambiguity
• People who are idealistic or have a strong desire for spiritual meaning
• An impaired ability to criticise what one is told or hears
• The belief that 'it would never happen to me!'
Who Can Be Targeted?
How Cult Operate
Recruitment
• Recruit People through ads in magazines and newspapers, public exhibitions, trade fairs, universities, night classes, sports clubs, hairdressers, and the list goes on.
• About 60% of ex-members say they were actually recruited by a family member or friend!
• Gather information about the potential new member. This information is used in two ways. First, the member can pretend to have similar interests and values to pretend to be like the potential member. This is a very powerful way to create an intimate bond.
• Secondly, the cult member uses the information to make the potential new member an offer they cannot refuse. The offer may be an invitation to coffee, dinner, a free talk, a seminar and so on. The topic, of course, would be exactly what the new recruit is looking for…
• Sign up a course…
What we need to do?
• Pray
• WOG
• Share