Somehow, this definition of a cult rings true:
I’ve always used my four-part definition of a cult (deifies man, humanizes God, ostracizes Scripture, and requires an extra-Biblical view of salvation.) But today I learned of another one that rings true: “You can always tell a cult from a religion. . .because a cult is just a set of rules that lets certain men get laid.” (From the short story “Always” by Karen Joy Fowler) For more information, see The Mormon Mirage 3rd Edition: A Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today (Zondervan, 2009). Also available as an audiobook and as an expanded-text E-book for Nook, Kindle and other reading...
Reason #77 — Because of the Earned Cultic Status of Mormonism
A significant number of people do not believe that Mormonism is Christianity, according to this poll. And a great many people, myself included, believe that Mormonism is a pseudo-Christian cult. In other words, it uses the language of the Bible, and bases many of its doctrines on peculiar-to-Mormonism-only explanations of Bible passages while claiming that Mormonism alone can interpret the Bible. So what are the other characteristics of a pseudo-Christian cult? Here is an excerpt from my book Why We Left A Cult: Six People Tell Their Stories (Baker Book House 1993.) The Archipelago of the Cults For more information, see The Mormon Mirage 3rd Edition: A Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today (Zondervan, 2009). Also available as an audiobook...
Reason #75: Can you uncult a cult?
What follows is the fifth of a five-part series that Zondervan published on their academic blog, Koinonia. The subject matter may repeat some previous “365″ posts, but I will nonetheless publish them for those who might not want to scroll back through all the previous posts. The Mormon Mirage 5 of 5 by Latayne C. Scott A Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today 5 of 5: “Can You Un-Cult a Cult?” I know that many people are unsure today of the definition of the word “cult.” When I was writing one of my books, Why We Left a Cult: Six People Tell Their Stories (Baker), several challenges arose. First, of course, was to formulate a working definition of a pseudo-Christian cult.1 Second (and, I thought at first, easiest) was...
Continuing to look at characteristics of cults
More characteristics of a cult (from Why We Left A Cult — Baker Books): 8. A claim to exclusive revelation and guidance from God. 9. A proclivity toward prophetic predictions, most of which do not happen when or how the group predicted. 10. Use of biblical terms with “new” meanings, derived neither from context, original language sources, nor historical usage. 11. A flexible theology that changes according to changes in culture and/or circumstances. (to be continued. For previous list items, scroll down.)
More Cult Characteristics
This continues our look at cults. In a previous post (scroll down for that blog entry) we saw the first four — and essential — characteristics that define a cult. These two additional characteristics complete the list of those “markers” that all pseudo-Christian cults have in common: 5. Elevation of a person to godhood, either by that person’s own earning of that status, or by the “becoming one with” God. (This is a variant of the aberrant view of God: see previous characteristic # 1.) 6. Devaluation of the Bible: either by claiming that it must be translated or interpreted only by the group, or by the ranking of the Bible below other writings of the group. 7. The last essential marker of a cult is its claim to administer...
