PART 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CULTS

In a Baptist publication, the following article was found concerning the connection between strong cultic activity and weak churches.  "A new study by University of Washington sociologist Rodney Stark finds that religious cults and sects are strongest where Christianity is weakest.  California ranks 46th in the nation in church membership, but holds third place in the number of cults per million residents.  Oregon is 45th in church membership and 6th in cult membership."  The great Apostle Paul wrote, "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be greatly shared in by those who believe and know the truth."

In this generation in which we now live we are visibly seeing this prophecy literally come to pass through the form of various cults which have invaded our nation.  Today within the United States, cults can be found in almost every city across the land.  From our nation's beginning its been a haven, a breeding ground for a large variety of faiths, sects, cults and utopian religious communities.  America's ever increasing variety of religions has accelerated with the influx of immigration from the East, as well as the West.

Like waves dashing against the shoreline; the masses have changed the religious landscape of our society.  There has always been a flux, a mixing, a revising, and a newness, or at least new to our land, but old to others.

If America was ever predominantly (mainline) Protestant, Catholic and Jewish, it is no longer.  In some cases, the cults  have even successfully overrun complete towns and gained control of the local governments.

One case in point is the incident in Antelope, Oregon when the Guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his cult group completely took control of the community and renamed it, Rajneeshpuram.  Even our every day lives are being affected by cults that run local businesses and own large corporations.  Many of these same cults are very large land owners which have even caused some churches to purchase land from them in order to establish New Testament Churches.  Buddhist masters bless the legislatures and serve in the armed forces as chaplains, Krishnas build exotic temples, and in the field of journalism, the Moonies have become magnates and Christian Scientists offer electronic news.

This study on the cults is not intended to destroy or attack any one person in particular, but simply to reveal their characteristics and expose their doctrines and practices and compare them to what the Bible teaches.