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Post by civic on Jul 8, 2023 9:52:25 GMT -8
With all the choices of online groups I find this very informative and something we should all consider. And we must remember the online forums are not the church and do not have the biblical authority they claim to have over their members like the local body has over its members. That is equivocating. This is from got questions.
"The word sect comes from the Latin word secta, which means “school of thought.” It is a subjective term that may apply to a religious faith or denomination, or it may refer to a heretical splinter group. Sometimes, the connotation is one of disapproval, similar to the “destructive heresies” spoken of in 2 Peter 2:1, though there are no consistent or accepted exemplars to use to identify a sect.
Sects are found in all religions. Islam has Sunnis and Shias, Judaism has Orthodox and Karaites, Hinduism has Shiyaism and Shaktism, and Christianity has Baptists and Lutherans. These are all examples of religious sects, and they can be thought of as “branches” of different religions. There are also non-religious sects, such as capitalists and socialists among economists, or Freudians and Jungians among psychiatrists.
In contradistinction, the word cult always carries a negative connotation. There are specific criteria used to identify a cult. In Combatting Cult Mind Control, deprogrammer Steven Hassan singles out what he refers to as “destructive cults,” which he defines as “a pyramid-shaped authoritarian regime with a person or group of people that have dictatorial control. It uses deception in recruiting new members (e.g. people are NOT told up front what the group is, what the group actually believes and what will be expected of them if they become members).” Hassan also correctly points out that cults are not only religious; they may also be commercial or secular in nature.
Hassan developed the BITE acronym, which describes the components employed by destructive cults using mind control. BITE covers the following areas of control:
Behavior Control: An individual’s associations, living arrangements, food, clothing, sleeping habits, finances, etc., are strictly controlled.
Information Control: Cult leaders deliberately withhold or distort information, lie, propagandize, and limit access to other sources of information.
Thought Control: Cult leaders use loaded words and language, discourage critical thinking, bar any speech critical of cult leaders or policies, and teach an “us vs. them” doctrine.
Emotional Control: Leaders manipulate their followers via fear (including the fear of losing salvation, fear of shunning, etc.), guilt, and indoctrination.
From a Christian perspective, a cult is any group that follows teachings that contradict orthodox Christian doctrine and promote heresy. Under this definition, the Watchtower Society and the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are both cults.
Because not all cults are immediately recognized as such, and some people may easily confuse cults with sects or denominations, it is critical to follow the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11: "Now the Bereans . . . received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Always research the beliefs of a group before committing to it, examine its behaviors and doctrines in light of the Bible, and beware of the methods listed in the BITE model. Talk to members, but refuse to be coerced by them. Importantly, if something doesn’t seem right, don’t do it."
What are your thoughts and experience with online groups ?
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Post by papalandshark on Jul 8, 2023 10:03:35 GMT -8
I've only run into one Bonafede cult that rises too all four of those points. Well...two if you count the Marines.  Fortunately my sense of humor pretty much guarantees that I'll tick off any leader prior to them getting any sort of hooks in me. |
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Post by civic on Jul 8, 2023 11:02:21 GMT -8
I've only run into one Bonafede cult that rises too all four of those points. Well...two if you count the Marines. Fortunately my sense of humor pretty much guarantees that I'll tick off any leader prior to them getting any sort of hooks in me. And you have a good quality of discernment which is a good thing my friend. |
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Post by papalandshark on Jul 8, 2023 11:02:24 GMT -8
I once read an article claiming that in the beginning "Christianity" or "The Way" was considered an atheistic cult that ate babies.
Atheistic because it was monotheistic in nature and denied the Caesars. Baby eaters because it was a common practice to "expose" unwanted children...and the Christians would sneak into the areas where this was done and steal those very children and raise them as their own. Ah...those early Christians. Making friends and influencing culture where-ever they went. Or were chased.
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Post by civic on Jul 8, 2023 11:04:24 GMT -8
I once read an article claiming that in the beginning "Christianity" or "The Way" was considered an atheistic cult that ate babies. Atheistic because it was monotheistic in nature and denied the Caesars. Baby eaters because it was a common practice to "expose" unwanted children...and the Christians would sneak into the areas where this was done and steal those very children and raise them as their own. Ah...those early Christians. Making friends and influencing culture where-ever they went. Or were chased. yikes |
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Post by papalandshark on Jul 8, 2023 11:06:41 GMT -8
I've only run into one Bonafede cult that rises too all four of those points. Well...two if you count the Marines. Fortunately my sense of humor pretty much guarantees that I'll tick off any leader prior to them getting any sort of hooks in me. And you have a good quality of discernment which is a good thing my friend. Tell me how cool I am. No...don't. No...do. My desire for attention needs close watching. Hehehe. But appreciated, Civic |
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Post by civic on Jul 8, 2023 11:07:47 GMT -8
And you have a good quality of discernment which is a good thing my friend. Tell me how cool I am. No...don't. No...do. My desire for attention needs close watching. Hehehe. But appreciated, Civic You are a good egg my brother in Christ !  |
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arial
Junior Member
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Post by arial on Jul 8, 2023 11:09:43 GMT -8
With all the choices of online groups I find this very informative and something we should all consider. And we must remember the online forums are not the church and do not have the biblical authority they claim to have over their members like the local body has over its members. That is equivocating. This is from got questions.
"The word sect comes from the Latin word secta, which means “school of thought.” It is a subjective term that may apply to a religious faith or denomination, or it may refer to a heretical splinter group. Sometimes, the connotation is one of disapproval, similar to the “destructive heresies” spoken of in 2 Peter 2:1, though there are no consistent or accepted exemplars to use to identify a sect.
Sects are found in all religions. Islam has Sunnis and Shias, Judaism has Orthodox and Karaites, Hinduism has Shiyaism and Shaktism, and Christianity has Baptists and Lutherans. These are all examples of religious sects, and they can be thought of as “branches” of different religions. There are also non-religious sects, such as capitalists and socialists among economists, or Freudians and Jungians among psychiatrists.
In contradistinction, the word cult always carries a negative connotation. There are specific criteria used to identify a cult. In Combatting Cult Mind Control, deprogrammer Steven Hassan singles out what he refers to as “destructive cults,” which he defines as “a pyramid-shaped authoritarian regime with a person or group of people that have dictatorial control. It uses deception in recruiting new members (e.g. people are NOT told up front what the group is, what the group actually believes and what will be expected of them if they become members).” Hassan also correctly points out that cults are not only religious; they may also be commercial or secular in nature.
Hassan developed the BITE acronym, which describes the components employed by destructive cults using mind control. BITE covers the following areas of control:
Behavior Control: An individual’s associations, living arrangements, food, clothing, sleeping habits, finances, etc., are strictly controlled.
Information Control: Cult leaders deliberately withhold or distort information, lie, propagandize, and limit access to other sources of information.
Thought Control: Cult leaders use loaded words and language, discourage critical thinking, bar any speech critical of cult leaders or policies, and teach an “us vs. them” doctrine.
Emotional Control: Leaders manipulate their followers via fear (including the fear of losing salvation, fear of shunning, etc.), guilt, and indoctrination.
From a Christian perspective, a cult is any group that follows teachings that contradict orthodox Christian doctrine and promote heresy. Under this definition, the Watchtower Society and the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are both cults.
Because not all cults are immediately recognized as such, and some people may easily confuse cults with sects or denominations, it is critical to follow the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11: "Now the Bereans . . . received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Always research the beliefs of a group before committing to it, examine its behaviors and doctrines in light of the Bible, and beware of the methods listed in the BITE model. Talk to members, but refuse to be coerced by them. Importantly, if something doesn’t seem right, don’t do it."
What are your thoughts and experience with online groups ?
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arial
Junior Member
Posts: 60
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Post by arial on Jul 8, 2023 11:23:33 GMT -8
On another forum I came across a fellow who was always quoting and posting videos from a group calling itself of all things, C.U.L.T. It is an acronym and I no longer remember what it stands for. From what this poster was saying and the videos I looked up because I had a might eerie feeling about it, the poster himself was barely touching the edges of Christianity without one iota of understanding. And he would become very upset if anyone tried to help him out in showing him anything. It was run by one man, who imo was beyond creepy. Before I posted this, I looked it up again so I could give more info but I can no longer find it. So I apologize for that. Have you or anyone else heard of it?
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Post by Redeemed on Jul 8, 2023 11:24:57 GMT -8
With all the choices of online groups I find this very informative and something we should all consider. And we must remember the online forums are not the church and do not have the biblical authority they claim to have over their members like the local body has over its members. That is equivocating. This is from got questions. "The word sect comes from the Latin word secta, which means “school of thought.” It is a subjective term that may apply to a religious faith or denomination, or it may refer to a heretical splinter group. Sometimes, the connotation is one of disapproval, similar to the “destructive heresies” spoken of in 2 Peter 2:1, though there are no consistent or accepted exemplars to use to identify a sect.
Sects are found in all religions. Islam has Sunnis and Shias, Judaism has Orthodox and Karaites, Hinduism has Shiyaism and Shaktism, and Christianity has Baptists and Lutherans. These are all examples of religious sects, and they can be thought of as “branches” of different religions. There are also non-religious sects, such as capitalists and socialists among economists, or Freudians and Jungians among psychiatrists.
In contradistinction, the word cult always carries a negative connotation. There are specific criteria used to identify a cult. In Combatting Cult Mind Control, deprogrammer Steven Hassan singles out what he refers to as “destructive cults,” which he defines as “a pyramid-shaped authoritarian regime with a person or group of people that have dictatorial control. It uses deception in recruiting new members (e.g. people are NOT told up front what the group is, what the group actually believes and what will be expected of them if they become members).” Hassan also correctly points out that cults are not only religious; they may also be commercial or secular in nature.
Hassan developed the BITE acronym, which describes the components employed by destructive cults using mind control. BITE covers the following areas of control:
Behavior Control: An individual’s associations, living arrangements, food, clothing, sleeping habits, finances, etc., are strictly controlled.
Information Control: Cult leaders deliberately withhold or distort information, lie, propagandize, and limit access to other sources of information.
Thought Control: Cult leaders use loaded words and language, discourage critical thinking, bar any speech critical of cult leaders or policies, and teach an “us vs. them” doctrine.
Emotional Control: Leaders manipulate their followers via fear (including the fear of losing salvation, fear of shunning, etc.), guilt, and indoctrination.
From a Christian perspective, a cult is any group that follows teachings that contradict orthodox Christian doctrine and promote heresy. Under this definition, the Watchtower Society and the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are both cults.
Because not all cults are immediately recognized as such, and some people may easily confuse cults with sects or denominations, it is critical to follow the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11: "Now the Bereans . . . received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Always research the beliefs of a group before committing to it, examine its behaviors and doctrines in light of the Bible, and beware of the methods listed in the BITE model. Talk to members, but refuse to be coerced by them. Importantly, if something doesn’t seem right, don’t do it." What are your thoughts and experience with online groups ?
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 Live is His word and cults won't stand a chance against you. This is the first time I've ever heard of online cult. I think it would be kind of difficult to control anyone over the internet. The only one that I've had Direct contact with was Alamo Christian Foundation back in 1969. They would send out a group to cruise around Hollywood Boulevard In the guise of witnessing but we're actually recruiting you into their cult. They had a bus they would take you to their ranch to live and to work for them making Decorated Levi jackets to sell the celebrities. And they had complete control over you. I let him pray for me down on Hollywood Boulevard but told them I couldn't hop on the bus with them at the moment but to meet me there next week on Tuesday. lol Yeah they weren't going to get this hombre to fall for that  |
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Post by civic on Jul 8, 2023 11:29:28 GMT -8
With all the choices of online groups I find this very informative and something we should all consider. And we must remember the online forums are not the church and do not have the biblical authority they claim to have over their members like the local body has over its members. That is equivocating. This is from got questions. "The word sect comes from the Latin word secta, which means “school of thought.” It is a subjective term that may apply to a religious faith or denomination, or it may refer to a heretical splinter group. Sometimes, the connotation is one of disapproval, similar to the “destructive heresies” spoken of in 2 Peter 2:1, though there are no consistent or accepted exemplars to use to identify a sect.
Sects are found in all religions. Islam has Sunnis and Shias, Judaism has Orthodox and Karaites, Hinduism has Shiyaism and Shaktism, and Christianity has Baptists and Lutherans. These are all examples of religious sects, and they can be thought of as “branches” of different religions. There are also non-religious sects, such as capitalists and socialists among economists, or Freudians and Jungians among psychiatrists.
In contradistinction, the word cult always carries a negative connotation. There are specific criteria used to identify a cult. In Combatting Cult Mind Control, deprogrammer Steven Hassan singles out what he refers to as “destructive cults,” which he defines as “a pyramid-shaped authoritarian regime with a person or group of people that have dictatorial control. It uses deception in recruiting new members (e.g. people are NOT told up front what the group is, what the group actually believes and what will be expected of them if they become members).” Hassan also correctly points out that cults are not only religious; they may also be commercial or secular in nature.
Hassan developed the BITE acronym, which describes the components employed by destructive cults using mind control. BITE covers the following areas of control:
Behavior Control: An individual’s associations, living arrangements, food, clothing, sleeping habits, finances, etc., are strictly controlled.
Information Control: Cult leaders deliberately withhold or distort information, lie, propagandize, and limit access to other sources of information.
Thought Control: Cult leaders use loaded words and language, discourage critical thinking, bar any speech critical of cult leaders or policies, and teach an “us vs. them” doctrine.
Emotional Control: Leaders manipulate their followers via fear (including the fear of losing salvation, fear of shunning, etc.), guilt, and indoctrination.
From a Christian perspective, a cult is any group that follows teachings that contradict orthodox Christian doctrine and promote heresy. Under this definition, the Watchtower Society and the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are both cults.
Because not all cults are immediately recognized as such, and some people may easily confuse cults with sects or denominations, it is critical to follow the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11: "Now the Bereans . . . received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Always research the beliefs of a group before committing to it, examine its behaviors and doctrines in light of the Bible, and beware of the methods listed in the BITE model. Talk to members, but refuse to be coerced by them. Importantly, if something doesn’t seem right, don’t do it." What are your thoughts and experience with online groups ?
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 Live is His word and cults won't stand a chance against you. This is the first time I've ever heard of online cult. I think it would be kind of difficult to control anyone over the internet. The only one that I've had Direct contact with was Alamo Christian Foundation back in 1969. They would send out a group to cruise around Hollywood Boulevard In the guise of witnessing but we're actually recruiting you into their cult. They had a bus they would take you to their ranch to live and to work for them making Decorated Levi jackets to sell the celebrities. And they had complete control over you. I let him pray for me down on Hollywood Boulevard but told them I couldn't hop on the bus with them at the moment but to meet me there next week on Tuesday. lol Yeah they weren't going to get this hombre to fall for that I’ve witnessed the control first hand as if they are the church with the authority from Jesus to reprimand and control its membership . |
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Post by Redeemed on Jul 8, 2023 11:36:14 GMT -8
To me online forums are just a place to share information, which was the reason the internet came into being. Never for one second did I think they could possibly have any sort of resemblance to the church. What's cool about Christian forums is someone shares something like this topic for instance that you may never have heard of before, and truckload of information is at your fingertips so you can make up your own mind. These Strange And Dangerous Cults Maintain Active Websites You Can Visit Right Now |
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Post by civic on Jul 8, 2023 11:38:43 GMT -8
To me online forums are just a place to share information, which was the reason the internet came into being. Never for one second did I think they could possibly have any sort of resemblance to the church. What's cool about Christian forums is someone shares something like this topic for instance that you may never have heard of before, and truckload of information is at your fingertips so you can make up your own mind. These Strange And Dangerous Cults Maintain Active Websites You Can Visit Right NowDitto |
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Post by Redeemed on Jul 8, 2023 11:44:11 GMT -8
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 Live is His word and cults won't stand a chance against you. This is the first time I've ever heard of online cult. I think it would be kind of difficult to control anyone over the internet. The only one that I've had Direct contact with was Alamo Christian Foundation back in 1969. They would send out a group to cruise around Hollywood Boulevard In the guise of witnessing but we're actually recruiting you into their cult. They had a bus they would take you to their ranch to live and to work for them making Decorated Levi jackets to sell the celebrities. And they had complete control over you. I let him pray for me down on Hollywood Boulevard but told them I couldn't hop on the bus with them at the moment but to meet me there next week on Tuesday. lol Yeah they weren't going to get this hombre to fall for that I’ve witnessed the control first hand as if they are the church with the authority from Jesus to reprimand and control its membership . I know what you're talking about been there done that. But the differences is we could have closed that web page anytime we wanted. On top of that there's some real hardcore opposition that do battle with them day after day after day. They put up with the insults, the mockery, Name-calling and they never give them an inch. They're not being controlled in the slightest. Take our buddy from Florida for instance. |
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Post by civic on Jul 8, 2023 17:34:58 GMT -8
On another forum I came across a fellow who was always quoting and posting videos from a group calling itself of all things, C.U.L.T. It is an acronym and I no longer remember what it stands for. From what this poster was saying and the videos I looked up because I had a might eerie feeling about it, the poster himself was barely touching the edges of Christianity without one iota of understanding. And he would become very upset if anyone tried to help him out in showing him anything. It was run by one man, who imo was beyond creepy. Before I posted this, I looked it up again so I could give more info but I can no longer find it. So I apologize for that. Have you or anyone else heard of it? I'm not familiar with it but I will try and see what I can did up. |
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