CULT
"THE AGREEMENT I MADE WITH YOU IS, YOU SHOULD
NEVER WORSHIP FOREIGN GODS” (2 K 17:38)
A.
What is a cult?
The
word cult, in the literal sense, is "respect, honor, veneration".
It
comes from the Latin word "cultio, -ionis", and Spanish, culto, which
has the same meaning as "veneration".
So,
honoring and venerating the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is so popular among
Roman Catholics, is referred to in an official document titled, "Marialis
Cultus."
However,
the loose meaning of cult is defined as “a belief system that supports the
official belief and worship of the many or majority of people.
In
this wide definition or meaning of cult, we believe that the Christian belief
is also a cult, and, since Roman Catholicism belongs to the Christian belief,
it is also a cult, for the reason that the predominant belief and worship of
the majority of the 7 Billion present population of the world belongs to
paganism (= 2/3 or 66.6% of the world's population), while the Christian belief
belongs to the remaining 1/3 or 33.3% of the present population. More than half
(60%) of Christians belong to the religion (=sect) Roman Catholicism.
As
such, it comes out that the majority of the world's population who believe in
paganism, Christianity, including the specific religious sects of Roman
Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism, are all cults, if we believe this
wide definition of cult. If it is bad to have a cult, according to the opinion
of most members of the established religious sect, it is bad to be a Christian,
or to be a Roman Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox, since in the eyes of the
pagans, all of these are cults.
This
is the logic of this argument:
All
those that do not belong to the belief of the majority is cult.
Christianity
does not belong to the belief of the majority.
So, Christianity is a cult.
B. Right Attitude towards cults?
What should be the right attitude when it comes to joining
or having a cult?
1.
If you join, or if you happen to belong to a cult, what are the two or several
things that you should look for, or to remember so that you can understand and
be sure that the cult you belong is not a bad cult?
The
two good criteria or signs regarding a good cult:
1.1.
Regarding the basis for the doctrines to be believed within the cult -
A
good cult must have a good basis for the doctrines that are believed, taught
and followed within a cult.
The
best basis for a religious belief in God is the very word of God, which is true
and can be trusted by man (Ps. 12:6-8; 18:30,; 19:7; Ps. 30:5; Dt. 32 :4; 2
Sam. 22:31) and not the words of men, or the false doctrines of men (Is. 29:3;
Mt. 15:8-9; Col. 2:22- 23).
That
basis must be written, like the words of God written in the Bible (2 Jde.
17:17; 1 Cor. 4:6; 1 Thess. 4:2; 2 Thess. 2:15) that must be "read , heard,
and known" (Rev. 1:3).
So
that the word of God will always be pure and pristine, and the doctrines
written in the Bible, the Bible should not necessarily be interpreted or
explained in the way of man, after all everything that is written has already its
own explanation and interpretation that can be found in the Bible itself (2
Cor. 1:13), and there is no need to get an explanation or interpretation
outside of the Bible or from somewhere else.
Jesus Christ's support for the use of the
word of God is clear as written in the Bible: "Blessed are those who hear
the word of God and obey it" (Lk. 11:28). So, it is important for someone
who is a believer in God to listen and follow everything that is written, and
not to look for or listen to explanations or interpretations, and to agree with
them.
A cult whose beliefs or doctrines have clear
rules written down, like the Bible, is dangerous. Even the cult is dangerous,
whose written basis needs to be interpreted and explained by someone else,
whose explanation or interpretation he takes outside of what is written, in
another book, or in another person's explanation. If this is what is happening
in your cult, that cult is a bad cult and you should avoid and shun it.
1.2.
With regards to money -
Every
group, association or organization of people always needs money to spend when
the group has to pay or have expenses.
However,
if the money or fund of the group, association or organization is bank
deposited under the name of only one person, who is the leader of the group,
and not in the name of the group and members of the group, that cult is
dangerous or risky for the members to join. Lastly, if the group's funds or
money is being held by one person and the one who knows is the leader only,
there is a great risk that the leader can decide where to spend the funds and
the members don't know where that will be spent. It is the members who make the
contribution, but the leader is the one who spends. The result of that cult is
that the leader is the one who becomes rich, but the members are the ones who become
impoverished because of unceasing contribution, as Prophet Jeremias said at the
time (Jr. 5:26-31). If so, a cult like that is an evil cult that should be
avoided and rejected.
2.
If you may have joined, or became a member of a bad cult (with a solid and
clear basis of doctrines being believed and the administration of funds is
clean and correct), you should not be afraid that you have joined with that
group even if the members are few. The predominant concept of the majority of
people is that when the group members are few, that group is not approved by
God and it is a sin to join that group when the group is against the majority.
This
does not mean that the many and the majority of people who are in one belief,
whether it is official or not, that is what God approves or that belief of the
majority is the right one.
Let's
note the great proof that can be found in the holy Scriptures that says that
God does not always agree with the majority belief that is always right.
God
said, "If Yahweh opened his heart to you and chose you, that didn't happen
until you were a nation of the future; you are the ones closest to the poor
nations" (Dt. 7:7).
Jesus
Christ himself believes in the power of the least or the few: he called his
disciples as one “small flock" (Lk. 12:32), the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven (Mt. 18:1-4), the little children (Mt. 19:13-14), regarding the two paths,
the narrow and the wide road (Mt. 7:13-14), the protection of God at the time
of Prophet Isaiah and Elisha (Lk. 4:25-27), and those in the majority of people
who are crying out for Jesus to die (Mt. 27:20-26).
So,
when it comes to religion, let's get rid of the wrong belief that those who are
in the majority or the majority are always approved by God and have the right
belief, and the said or minority (minority) are the ones who are guilty and
evil.
C.
Conclusion.
If
you're always afraid of joining a cult, or being threatened if you join a cult,
here's what you need to know:
If
there is a good (HDLP) and bad (LDLP) cholesterol, there is also a good and bad
cult, depending on the bad basis of the belief system and how funds are being administered
within the cult.
It
is the obligation of people to join a good cult and to avoid a bad cult, for
the well-being and harmony of society.
Because
the worship of God that is not supported by many people are called cults, hence
don't feel bad, or be afraid or wary if you are called by people as a cult. But
the proof that we are in a good and correct cult, which does not bring or cause
danger and perversion to the majority. We do not have to the right to join any
person to agree with our beliefs or accept our doctrines. However, we have an
obligation to be a light in the midst of all people (=Lumen Gentium), so that
the peace of God may be sought and shared in their lives, regardless of their
lifestyle or belief.
