As I work with young people in high school it is always a joy to watch them grow from timid and/or immature young boys and girls into confident and mature young adults ready for University or College. I am also encouraged to know that most campuses have established Christian outreaches and peer groups ready to meet these new members and help them adjust to campus living. However what concerns me is that there are also a number of counterfeits ready to greet them as well. It is fortunate that most College and Universities have materials available to warn new students about dangerous religious groups but sadly sometimes these new students don’t get this information until it is too late. In our day of pluralism and political correctness it is considered discriminatory to speak out about certain groups and warn people about potential dangers presented by them. This type of information is not welcome in our public schools any more than the Bible is or the teaching of Creationism. It’s too bad. We should be preparing our young people to face the dangers that await them on our University and College campuses well before they get there.

So I offer you this. If you are young person looking forward to post secondary education or you know someone who is, then this is for you.

What is a cult?

Cults can be defined many ways depending on what you are comparing them to, but all definitions of cults share the following characteristics:

*A cult has a centralized authority (i.e. dominant charismatic leader(s) or governing body) which tightly cultures philosophy and lifestyle. In other words, the leader or leaders will use manipulation and/or emotional blackmail in order to get members to conform.

*A cult has a ‘we versus they’ complex, pitting the supposed “superior insights” of the group against a “hostile outside” culture. A cultic characteristic to look for is when a member will attempt to discredit any other group you may belong to.

*A cult has a commitment for each member to intensively proselytize (recruit) the unconverted. Members of these groups will be very aggressive at worst to very assertive at best in attempting to convince you to join them.

*A cult exhibits an entrenched isolationism that separates the member from the realities of the world at large. This usually involves several meetings a week in an attempt to fill all your free time to be spent with only them.

What are some examples of cults?

There are three major categories of cult groups that could be sub-divided into still more but for now, let’s just examine the three major categories which are: religious cults, self-help cults and occult groups.

Religious cults are those groups which are offshoots or variations of established world religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.). They will claim that the world religion that they represent somehow got lost along the way in history so they have restored it and now they alone represent the “true” religion. “Christian” cults always misrepresent the person of Jesus Christ. They may say, “He is the way,” but add, “We are the way to the way.”

Some examples of “Christian” Cults are:

*Jehovah’s Witnesses (aka The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)
They teach that Jesus is Michael the arch-angel and they are God’s visible organization for today.

*Mormons (aka The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS)
They teach that Jesus is the brother of Lucifer, God lives on the planet Kolob and they are the only true church today.

*The Toronto Church of Christ (aka The Boston Movement or Christian Advance)
This group is most active on college and university campuses, even banned from many for being too aggressive. They teach that you must be baptized in their church in order to be saved and they are the only true church today. (Beginning to see a pattern?)

*The Family (aka The Family of God or The Children of God)
They teach a practice of ‘free-love’ which involves recruiting members through prostitution and also involves including children in sexual acts. Still active in recruiting in malls and shopping areas posing as missionaries dressed as clowns raising funds for bogus missions.

*The Unification Church (”Moonies”)
Led by Rev. Sung Yung Moon who claims to be the ‘Christ’ for the church today. This group is famous for it’s practice of mass weddings and teaches that Moon and his wife represent the true family of God and, not surprisingly, they teach that they are the only true church today. They are also very active on campuses today.

*United Pentecostal Church (UPC)
Not to be confused with mainline Pentecostal churches, this group denies the Trinity. They teach that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are just different names for one person rather the orthodox teaching of God in three persons.

*Unity (aka Unity School of Christianity)
This group teaches a metaphysical reading of Scripture which requires one to read the Bible in one hand and their Metaphysical Dictionary in the other. They also promote necromancy (speaking with the dead) which is strictly forbidden in Scripture.

Self-help Cults

Self help cults do not make any “divine” claims about themselves or their leaders but they do claim to have answers to life’s problems and offer you the solutions, for a price that is. These groups usually offer free seminars to businesses offering to give tests and/or evaluations to their employees which will in turn always result in showing up negative traits or characteristics which the group can help them overcome, again, for a price. Some examples are:

*Scientology — Although they are called “The Church of Scientology,” they are not an offshoot of any world religion and are in fact are a self-help group which charges fees to it’s members. They will perform what they term as ‘auditing’ with you which is really an interview in which they ask you to reveal every personal sin you can think of that have committed in order to remove them from your consciousness. They call these ‘negative engrams.’ The goal is to remove all ‘negative engrams’ from your mind and reach a state of ‘clear.’ This will make you a better person they claim. It can cost you thousands of dollars to take each step toward ‘clear.’ If you choose to quit the program, and they don’t want you to, they will use all of the personal information you provided to them against you to blackmail you into staying. Students are a favourite target of this group.

*Est — Erhard Seminars Training claims you to clear your mind of all stresses and worries making you a more productive person. Also known as Life-Stream or Life-Spring. their method is similar to Scientology in that they require you to give personal information about past sins. They will teach you that these are not sins at all but rather the negative guilty feelings that you possess are in fact the real problem. You must sear your conscience and remove guilt by gradually performing acts that violate your conscience in order to be encouraged by the group to feel good about it instead of guilty. Also you must remove any negative influences from your life, meaning that if anyone, family, friends or even spouse object to your behaviour, then you must cease to associate with them. These groups also target students offering to improve your personal performance and grades through these methods.

Occult groups

Some occult groups are easy to identify and others are not so easy. For example, The Church of Satan is readily identifiable but some other lesser known groups such as The Process are not because they operate as a secret society. Role-playing game clubs are difficult to identify as dangerous groups because many are harmless and have gained public acceptance but there are some which can be dangerous. All Wiccan groups are to be avoided by Christians. Many Wiccan groups can disguise themselves as benevolent environmentalist groups so if you plan on joining a ‘Save-the Earth’ club, make sure you ask lots of questions about the core teachings and beliefs of the group before joining.

Now if you are heading off to College or University or are already there and you are saying to yourself, “I could never get caught up in a cult. I have nothing to worry about,” then please take a few moments to take this true or false test. Just direct these statements to yourself and answer true or false:

True or false?

1. I am considered to be bright in most things.

2. I am curious about the world around me.

3. I have been a leader among my friends at school.

4. I have been a member of a group and consider myself a follower.

5. I have times when I doubt myself and my abilities.

6. I am afraid of the future sometimes.

7. I am considered idealistic by people who know me.

8. I enjoy being liked and receiving compliments.

9. I sometimes like taking risks.

According to Judy Israel, a contributor to the book “Cult and Consequences” (published by the Jewish Federation Council of Los Angeles), if you said true to even three of these questions, you are a prime candidate for a cult. Whether you agree with her or not, the point is that cults contain all kinds of people — including those who thought they’d never join a cult.

Who gets involved in cults and why?

No one joins a cult. People join groups which meet their felt needs (feelings of loneliness, isolation, abandonment, etc.) at certain times of their lives. As demonstrated by the test, almost anyone can get involved in a cult. This is because everyone at some time or another undergoes significant stress in their lives at which time they are vulnerable. This means you!

Students away from home for the first time going to college or university are the favorite targets for cult recruiters. Students away from home are…lonely, away from friends and family, isolated, looking for friends, emotional support, and affirmation. Cults will provide the things you are looking for in what is know as “love-bombing.” That is, all the members of the cult will shower you with affirmation and tell you how special you are and make you feel better about being away from home. You can expect to be approached during orientation weeks, move-in time at residence, and during exams.

How can I identify a cult?

Beware of recruiters who approach you in pairs. They do this to keep each other accountable and “with the program.” Beware of recruiters who say that their group is non-denominational and believes all the same things that you do (assuming you told them that you belong to a religion already). Beware of recruiters who invite you to a weekend retreat before you’ve even gotten to know anything about the group. Beware of recruiters who are evasive when you ask questions. That is they try to change the subject or they say that when you come to their meeting you’ll get all the answers you need.

Bill Perry, in his book They’re Not Christian?, gives Christians four mathematical terms for identifying cults:

Adding to - Sources of Inspired Authority
Subtracting From - Person & Work of Jesus Christ
Multiplying - Requirements of Salvation
Division of - Relationships With Family & Friends

Cult-proof Yourself!

— Trust your instincts.
— Keep in mind that cults deliberately keep their true nature hidden.
— Everybody is vulnerable at some point in their life so if you get involved in a cult, don’t be embarrassed and stay quiet, get help!
— If approached by a group, make sure all your questions are answered - it’s your right!
— Remember, any legitimate group will be happy to tell about their beliefs and how their group is organized.
— Be cautious about giving out your last name and phone number until you have investigated any organization.
— Avoid going to group retreats until you are comfortable with an organization.
— Beware of excessively friendly people. They may be using a technique known as “love bombing” to create a false sense of family or belonging.
— Anyone who causes you to defend your moral beliefs or values could be a threat.
— Remember why you went to College or University in the first place. If any group is keeping you from reaching your educational goals, then it is time to leave.

Protect Yourself!!

If you feel that you are being harassed, then you probably are. Tell Someone! Go to your campus SAC office or Chaplain Office to find out what groups are safe to join.

————————————————————————————————
David Upton attends Westmount Park Church (Associated Gospel Churches). He has been researching and teaching Christians about cults and dangerous religious groups for over fifteen years and lives in Toronto with his wife Heather and son Caleb. If you would like him to come and speak to your youth group or Bible study group, he can reached by writing to ApologeticResponse@rogers.com

With Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday fast approaching, I’ve been thinking a lot about Christ’s resurrection and life and death in general. A co-worker of mine got a call at work today telling her that her father had passed away. I don’t know her well enough to know what religion she professes, if any, but it did get me thinking, “What book could I recommend to someone who is going through what this person is going through right now?” So I went through my book shelves and found the book that comforted me at a time in my life when my own father was dying of cancer, Resurrection by Hank Hanegraaf [Word Publishing, 2000].When I was 17, I used to tell my friends, “When I finish High School I’m going to become THE MASTER-ALL-BEING OF TIME, SPACE AND DIMENSION! Then…. I think I’ll go to Europe.” Well so far I haven’t done either of those things. I’ll never accomplish the first and I’ve lost interest in the second. Yes, I was going to live forever because at that age I had already cheated Death twice. I was invincible! My mother tried to tell me that it was God who saved me because He had a plan for my life. No, No. I would have none of that! I was going to live forever and so were my friends! That is until one of them died in a tragic car accident. Death had entered my realm of experience and at age eighteen, I attended my first funeral.

Now that I’m middle-aged, it seems that I’m attending funerals a little more frequently than I did when I was younger. Death seems to be a regular topic of discussion these days among peers and family members. It’s not a subject that we really like to talk about, especially when it involves someone close to us who doesn’t know the Lord, but we have to. Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is the Good News that we have to share. This is the gospel that Paul preached and said, “is of first importance.” Without the resurrection, we have no hope.

When we share the gospel and the hope that we have with the dying to help them toward God, we will face tough questions like, “How do you know Christ really rose from the dead?” or, “How do you know that there is a Heaven and Hell?” and “What will they be like?” Hank Hanegraaff looks at these tough questions and breaks the tension in this area by answering some humorous (yet legitimate) questions posed by children, such as, “If heaven is perfect, won’t it be perfectly boring?” and, “Will God raise pets and platypuses from the dead?”

Resurrection is one of Hank Hanegraaff’s best selling books so far, and with good reason. Although his previous books such as ‘Christianity in Crisis’ and ‘Counterfeit Revival’ may have been best sellers and award winners, Resurrection is THE book that all Christians can read without taking sides. Despite some “sanctified speculation” in some of Hank’s answers to tricky questions, no group of readers will be able to accuse him of being “divisive” or “mean - spirited.” With over twenty-five endorsements from some of North America’s leading Christian communicators (such as Josh McDowell, Dr. Charles Stanley, and Dr. John D. Hull, (former Senior Pastor our own People’s Church here in Toronto) it’s easy to see why this book is a best-seller. But of course it’s not endorsements that really make Resurrection a best-seller.

“Without the bodily resurrection of Christ, you may as well tear up your Bible, terminate your preacher, and torch your church because Christianity is false and there is no hope for salvation and immortality. Paul goes so far as to say, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Corinthians 15:32). The physical resurrection of Christ is the very capstone of our faith. Without it, Christianity crumbles.” [ Resurrection, pages 95-96].

Indeed, it is the irrefutable fact that Christ rose from the dead that gives us, as believers, the assurance of our own resurrection and eternity with Him. Hank defends the resurrection of Christ and creation and answers assorted other questions regarding the afterlife such as, “Are reincarnation and resurrection mutually exclusive?” He quotes liberally from Joni Eareckson Tada (who also wrote the forward), Lee Strobel and Norman Geisler. This would not be a book by Hank Hanegraaff without his signature “Charting The Course” , letting the reader know up front what to expect (no bait-and-switch tactics here). And we could question the authorship as well if this book did not also include Hank’s “Memory Dynamics” use of acronyms to assist the reader in retaining the information given.

“This volume by Hank Hanegraaff speaks popularly in order to achieve maximum appeal. But this does not mean that he sacrifices important conclusions drawn from recent scholarship. He distills the work of many recent scholars, both pro and con, dispensing numerous conclusions along the way. He does so in a format that is easily digestible. Prepare yourself for an enjoyable journey from Jesus’ resurrection to the bliss of heaven, as believers share with each other and their resurrected Lord.” [Dr. Gary Habermas - Professor and Chair of Philosophy and Theology, Liberty University]

“Perhaps due to the sheer meaninglessness of naturalism, there has been a resurgence of interest in life after death in popular culture. And there has also been a growth of scholarly interest in a number of subjects relevant to life after death. In Resurrection, Hank Hanegraaff has sifted through the literature and compressed it into a well informed, interesting, and readable treatment of one of life’s most important issues: What happens to us when we die? This book clears up a number of contemporary confusions about life after death and it provides sure footing on which to build one’s expectations of life beyond the grave. [Dr. J.P. Moreland - Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University]

What happens to us when we die? Hank’s answers may not be enough to convince a hardened skeptic, but this book, if nothing else, will serve as a springboard for discussion. Always pray. Never cease praying. Share your burden with others who can pray with you and for you. Share the gospel and share Appendix A of this book titled, ‘Receiving the Resurrected Redeemer,’ if nothing else. Christ died for you and those you love. We owe Him nothing less than our lives.