BELIEFS HELD BY CULTS:

1.      The group’s way is the only way to Heaven, salvation or enlightenment.
2.      The group is elitist, claiming it is the only one that has the truth, often
claiming a special revelation. Members are the chosen people and are
spiritually superior to other members of society.
3.      The group refuses to consider that it might be wrong.
4.      No outside religion, especially any traditional church, is accepted as
being valid.
5.      Such groups often have a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may
cause conflict with society.
6.      The group believes its exalted status or ends justify the means the group
uses to achieve the ends. This is even though such means might be considered
unethical or illegal by members of society, or members prior to their
indoctrination.
7.      Such groups are often anti-woman, anti-child, and anti-family. These
parties are often placed under duress in the group rather than being nurtured
and protected.
8.      Scripture is often taken out of context or used very sparingly to support
the group’s views. Narrow and unusual interpretations of the Bible are common.
Whole Bible teaching is avoided.
9.      Members who fail to remain faithful and leave the group have failed God,
will suffer for their decision, and will lose any and all hope of eternal
salvation.
10.     It is understood that former members must be avoided and treated with
suspicion, ridicule, and/or patronizing sympathy.
11.     Deny the deity of Christ

LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTS:

12.     The group focuses upon a leadership that members appear to display a
zealous, unquestioning commitment towards.
13.     Often the members’ allegiance is based upon the belief the leadership is,
or represents, the Messiah, an avatar, a prophet, or possesses a special
anointing from God.
14.     The group’s leadership is not accountable to any authorities (as
contrasted with ministers, pastors, priests or rabbis in mainstream religions
or leaders of non-religious groups).
15.     Significant, and sometimes total, decision making authority rests with the
leadership.
16.     The leadership of the group will impose pressure or may openly dictate,
sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act and feel. (e.g.
lifestyle choices, dating, marriage, employment, education, clothing, living
arrangements, child rearing, etc.)
17.     The leadership may avoid or brush off questions they don’t have scriptural
answers for.
18.     The leadership will often answer questions differently depending upon who
is the speaker and who is the listener.
19.     Obedience to the leadership is understood to be required and expected from
members.
20.     The leadership is often emulated by members. This may include such items
as similar mannerisms, clothing styles, modes of speech, hair styles, and
attitudes.
21.     Indiscretions and improper conduct by the leadership are often ignored or
covered up.

METHODS CULTS USE TO CONTROL THEIR MEMBERS:

22.     The group’s recruitment techniques are often deceptive.
23.     New members are often lavished with love and attention thereby creating an
attachment between the group and the new member. Later, further love and
attention depends upon the member’s good performance (ie. love is conditional,
not unconditional).
24.     The group’s leadership induces, accentuates, and manipulates feelings of
fear and guilt within its membership as a method of control.
25.     Members often experience feelings alternating between happiness at being
chosen to know the "truth" and the crushing weight of guilt, fear, shame, poor
self confidence, and poor self-esteem for "not measuring up" to the group’s
expectations.
26.     Mental problems, especially depression, are more common than in society in
general.
27.     Independent thought, rational examination of the group, asking questions,
expressing doubt, or expressing dissent are discouraged or even punished.
28.     Members are not to discuss any negative feelings or opinions they may have
concerning the group.
29.     There is little or no room for interpretation or deviation from the
group’s beliefs.
30.     The group’s doctrines are often vague, have inconsistencies, and illogical
thought patterns but are to be accepted without question, though not
necessarily understood.
31.     The group’s unwritten rules and traditions take precedence over Bible
scripture.
32.     Members are expected to distrust themselves and their own intuition but
instead place their trust completely in the group’s beliefs.
33.     A perceived flaw in the group is really only a flaw in the member.
34.     Members are encouraged or required to live with and socialize only with
other members of the group.
35.     Members are expected to reduce or eliminate contact with family, friends,
and other non-group individuals, activities or goals.
36.     Members’ isolation or avoidance of the outside world reduces or eliminates
the reality testing that such interaction could provide.
37.     The group weakens the members by making them dependant upon the group for
their social support structure.
38.     Members learn to understand that individuality is bad and conformity is
good.
39.     Members are expected to devote significant amounts of time to the group.
40.     The leadership maintains some form of is surveillance over the members.
Informers or gossips are used by the leadership as a method of surveillance
and control.
41.     The group often makes use of jargon or common words with special
definitions in order to confuse any outsider’s examinations of the group.
42.     Secrecy of the group’s activities is maintained with a wall of silence.
43.     Members are often kept in the dark concerning aspects of the group.
44.     The financial activities of the group are often shrouded in secrecy.

SOURCES:

The above list of cult characteristics is a compilation from several sources:
                Checklist of Cult Characteristics, Dr. Michael Langone, Executive Director
of the American Family Foundation, Inc. (http://www.csj.org/checklis.html)
                Marcia Rudin, list of cult characteristics, as quoted in the Encyclopedic
Handbook of Cults, p. 6.
                Unknown author, What is a Cult?
        David Stone, The Church Without a Name, Analysis of a Cult, pp. 246-255.
                Veterans of Truth, What Religious Cults Have In Common: (website: http://
ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/2x2info_namelesshousesect/whtcult.htm)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to ____ for the list of cult characteristics which in my opinion identifies the 2x2s. I'm sure not everyone would be aware of these characteristics being present, but there has been too much validation from too many for me to dismiss these. Left without the experiencesof others, I might not have noted all of them. The beliefs regarding salvation and Who Jesus is, plus the control, fear tactics, and deception were the big ones in our personal experience. 11/07

The dreaded "C" word


In the summer of 1996 we attended a Counter Cult Conference in St. Louis.
Here are a few of my notes:

One workshop dealt with:

Six Key Characteristics of a Cultic Church -

1. Authoritarian/controlling leadership - they diminish the
sanctity of the "priesthood of the believer." (Rev 1:5-6 "and from Jesus
Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead,
and the prince of the kings of the earth.  Unto him that loves us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and
priests unto God and his Father;..."  As priests, we have direct access
to our high priest, Jesus Christ.)

2. Elitist tendencies - You need to be in that church to be saved.  If
you ever leave the church you will be lost/damned to hell.

3. Legalism - badge of self righteousness.  Over emphasis of form - even
good things such as prayer/Bible reading.  Focus on externals such as
observing written or unwritten rules of dress or appearance and
abstaining from certain activities.

4.  Inappropriate discipline - shame based

5.  Improper motives - instilling fear, guilt.

6.  Misplaced loyalties - willingness of lay members to put leaders on a
pedestal.

Another workshop dealt with post-traumatic stress encountered by some
leaving a cultic group and their need to be free to talk about the good
things as well as the bad things they encountered in the group.

- They sometimes are going by feelings of peace or confusion, and are
hiding questions of "what if?"  (Recently someone asked us what were
they to do if this "way" was wrong?)  Many have asked themselves the
question "what if this "way" is right?  Dealing with these questions is
very important.

- To some, their identity was secure in the roots of the system, and it
could take a while before they place their security in Christ instead of
the system.
                       
- It was suggested that should you take someone (who has left a cultic
group) to a church, you should explain the differences ahead of time. 
Some differences might be: the structure of the service;  the way
offerings are collected, etc.  They need to feel free to "observe"  or
"participate."

- It's helpful to have contact with someone who can talk their
language/understand where they are coming from to support them through
this time of stress.  Some can weather this alone, but it helps to have
someone to walk alongside you.

- To some, speaking against the church they are considering leaving is the
same as talking about them and they find this offensive.  Be a good
listener.

- Looking at the similarities of other cultic groups helps identify their
own group.  (I remember how astonished I was in reading about different
cultic groups when I found so many similarities.)

Joan Daniel

Not all denominations claim to be the ONLY true church; thankfully! In choosing a church I'd certainly be asking if they are the "only."

(How does that go? "Once burnt, twice shy?" Something like that?)

In Lorri MacGregor's book COPING WITH THE CULTS she writes:

>>"Counterfeit Christianity"--an imitation of real Christianity--is probably the best description we can give for a cult. .....Like counterfeit money which is sometimes difficult to detect, so it is difficult to detect counterfeit Christianity since it looks like the real thing.

EARLY DETECTION AND THE TRUE CHURCH

We have an advantage if we know what to expect from a cult. [Admin. Note: Without this advantage it can be easy to get involved in a counterfeit group.] Cultists are very well-trained to appear "Christian," and indeed believe that they are the true church and you need the deliverance!

Therefore be bold and ask the question, "DO YOU BELIEVE THE GROUP YOU REPRESENT IS THE ONLY TRUE CHURCH ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH?" If they reply that they are or if they are evasive, making remarks like, "Well, every church has a measure of truth *but*..." you have made an early detection of a cult.

Every Christian if asked the same question, regardless of his denomination, would reply that the true church is comprised of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He (NOT THE ORGANIZATION) is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE (John 14:6). No legitimate denomination would claim that it and its members alone have salvation *exclusively*, but the cults (the counterfeits) do."<< (from pages 9, 10 & 11 of Lorri’s book)

In her book Lorri identifies many counterfeit groups, among which are:

Jehovah's Witnesses
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (The Mormons)
Christadelphians
Cooneyites (Two by Twos)
The Way International  [Not to be confused with the 2x2 "Way"]

There are many wonderful books written that might assist you in understanding
how cults work. There are two I recommend often, THE SUBTLE POWER OF SPIRITUAL
ABUSE by J. Johnson, also COMBATTING CULT MIND CONTROL by S. Hassan.

These sorts of group (2x2s included) teach you fear. You have no eternal
security -- i.e. you fear for your salvation. Your picture of God is one of
Him standing above looking down with a piece of chalk in one hand, and an
eraser in the other. If we do something good, He writes it down on the board;
however, if we watch TV or don't attend a mtg. -- He erases the one He
previously wrote down. At that rate, you are in constant turmoil just
wondering where you are today. In my case, I'm sure I often was minus many
marks!! It's so wonderful to know that we who have trusted Christ don't have
to be concerned about our salvation -- it is secure and it is settled and
sealed.

With the groups who rely on fear, you know if you leave the group -- you need
to get back to it. You live in constant fear. Of course you couldn't possibly
go to another church -- you've been warned away from them all your life. The
only possible choice is to return to meeting. It is like an addiction -- you
can't live with the rules -- yet you can't live with the fear. Many choose to
ignore anything that smacks of God or religion and instead put it on the back
burner. Those are ones I really feel a burden for but sometimes they are just
as hard to reach as those immersed in the 2x2 dogma.

It is difficult to talk to those who are still in meeting. I've had many
reactions in the time since we've left. I've had those who absolutely will not
listen, some get very angry, some get defensive, some listen and it seems they
understand -- but once they get with others in the group -- they get sucked
back into the 2x2isms, and there are those who are glad to have the
information. It reminds me of the parable of the sower and the seed!!  Jan/98

- Joetta