# The Bible Speaks



## blhowes (Jul 20, 2008)

This is kind of a weird question to ask, but how do you spot a cult, or a church with cultic tendancies?

I started thinking about this question after checking out a website of a local church. It looked to be a church worth checking into. 

At the bottom of the page was a link to Maryland Bible College and Seminary. I followed the link, and they had some pretty interesting online courses available, using text books of some trusted authors.

At the bottom of the page was another link to Greater Grace World Outreach. I followed that link, read a little, then googled to find out more about it. Turns out Greater Grace World Outreach's founder was originally head of "The Bible Speaks", in Lenox, MA. Some serious accusations were leveled against him and his church, mind control and other cultic activities, and they ended up declaring bankrupsy after being taken to court.

I don't want to of course accuse the local church wrongly, but because of their affliation with GGWO, and by extension to "The Bible Speaks", common sense tells me not to pursue it. 

Anyway, back to my original question, and again I don't want to accuse this church of being cultic, but how do you spot a cult, when they look so good on paper (ie., their website)?

Interesting aside, before I started researching the church, I thought I'd listen to one or two of their sermons. I went to their sermon page, and all the links to the sermons were broken. I emailed the webmaster about it, my email was returned as non-deliverable. Perhaps that's best.


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## panta dokimazete (Jul 20, 2008)

> how do you spot a cult, or a church with cultic tendancies?


My thoughts:
1. Disregard for or hostility toward historic orthodoxy
2. Man-centered vs God-centered doctrine
3. Non-orthodox views of one or more persons of the Trinity
4. Individualistic exclusivity claims - "My way or Hell"
5. Focus on individualistic authority and allegiance "My way or the highway"
6. More focused on "signs and wonders" than Scriptural truth
7. Strong, almost exclusive, focus on eschatology/secret knowledge


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## blhowes (Jul 20, 2008)

panta dokimazete said:


> > how do you spot a cult, or a church with cultic tendancies?
> 
> 
> My thoughts:
> ...


Thanks for your thoughts. 

The church I was checking out may very well be ok (?) is ok, but their affilication with the group raises red flags in my mind.


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## panta dokimazete (Jul 20, 2008)

panta dokimazete to kalon katecete!


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## blhowes (Jul 20, 2008)

panta dokimazete said:


> panta dokimazete to kalon katecete!


Indeed.


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## Stomata leontôn (Jul 20, 2008)

panta dokimazete said:


> > how do you spot a cult, or a church with cultic tendancies?
> 
> 
> My thoughts:
> ...


Excellent!

But there's stage two: discernment.

The cult (all cults?) will claim to be alright on each of those seven points. Yes, they lie! They will claim to be the true "historic orthodoxy"; they may have an elaborate verbal system claiming they have the true take on the Trinity, they will deny they have secret knowledge, etc.


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