 Are We A Cult?, Thoughts/Points to Ponder |
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 Jan 6 2007, 10:10 AM
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 PrincessDrRe  Group: Financial Donor Posts: 9,011 Joined: 8-November 04 Member No.: 712 Gender: f  |
On the History Channel recently there was a look back at Cults and the "havoc" that they have wrecked on lives/the US in the past years. They looked at Jim Jones and Jonestown, Charles Manson and the Family, Shoko Asahara and the Sarin in Tokoyo, and finally David Koresh and the Branch Davidians (whom they continually linked to Seventh-Day Adventists).
Thoughts? How far are we (SDA's) from being a cult? What is the difference between a cult and a religion? How do you know that we (SDA's) are not a cult? Thoughts?  HISTORYCHANNEL.com<<<---***Click Here to See the synapsis of the Investigation/Report*** Addendum to OP Question: "Back to the definition/characteristics.... what do cults do??" This post has been edited by PrincessDrRe: Jan 7 2007, 10:41 AM -------------------- *"Some folks use their ignorance like a umbrella. It covers everything, they perodically take it out from time to time, but it never is too far away from them."*
PrincessDrRe; March, 2007 ~"Blood = Meat, Face = Meat, Internal "Organs" = Meat - you can try to make it cuter; but it's still meat...."~ PrincessDrRe; September, 2007 *(NOTE: Any advice given by Re' Silvey, MSW is not to be taken as medical/mental health advice. Although trained to be a counselor, currently employed as a therapist, and currently pursuing her PhD in Counseling Psychology (ABD/I) - she is not your assigned therapist. Please consult a mental health professional of your choice for a face-to-face consultation.)* |
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Jan 6 2007, 10:41 AM
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 Heiress Josey Group: Charter Member Posts: 9,020 Joined: 20-July 03 From: DC Metro Member No.: 6 Gender: m |
QUOTE(PrincessDrRe @ Jan 6 2007, 11:10 AM) [snapback]167944[/snapback] On the History Channel recently there was a look back at Cults and the "havoc" that they have wrecked on lives/the US in the past years. They looked at Jim Jones and Jonestown, Charles Manson and the Family, Shoko Asahara and the Sarin in Tokoyo, and finally David Koresh and the Branch Davidians (whom they continually linked to Seventh-Day Adventists). Thoughts? How far are we (SDA's) from being a cult? What is the difference between a cult and a religion? How do you know that we (SDA's) are not a cult? Thoughts? HISTORYCHANNEL.com<<<---***Click Here to See the synapsis of the Investigation/Report*** I meant to watch that program. I've seen one like it by the HC before, not sure if it is the same one. 
-------------------- WELCOME to BlackSDA from seraph|m, a BSDA Charter member.
Please Join us in The Married Forum and/or Sabbath School Lesson Study forums. Then, come join us here, Live Chat Lesson Study ,for our Friday night study @ 8pm CST/9pm EST. The lesson can be found at Sabbath School Network (SSNET) Motto- "Weapons of Mass Distraction, Have No Place Here. " "Qui tacet consentire videtur," Are not official staff mottos and are not endorsed by BSDA Management. |
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Jan 6 2007, 11:05 AM
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#3
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PrincessDrRe Group: Financial Donor Posts: 9,011 Joined: 8-November 04 Member No.: 712 Gender: f |
It was excellent! They went into the history that "everyone" knows and the deep areas that are normally left out. I was quite surprised by the information that I learned from the documentary.
....that's what got me to thinking.... 
-------------------- *"Some folks use their ignorance like a umbrella. It covers everything, they perodically take it out from time to time, but it never is too far away from them."*
PrincessDrRe; March, 2007 ~"Blood = Meat, Face = Meat, Internal "Organs" = Meat - you can try to make it cuter; but it's still meat...."~ PrincessDrRe; September, 2007 *(NOTE: Any advice given by Re' Silvey, MSW is not to be taken as medical/mental health advice. Although trained to be a counselor, currently employed as a therapist, and currently pursuing her PhD in Counseling Psychology (ABD/I) - she is not your assigned therapist. Please consult a mental health professional of your choice for a face-to-face consultation.)* |
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Jan 6 2007, 05:51 PM
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#4
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PrincessDrRe Group: Financial Donor Posts: 9,011 Joined: 8-November 04 Member No.: 712 Gender: f |
Thoughts...anybody?
-------------------- *"Some folks use their ignorance like a umbrella. It covers everything, they perodically take it out from time to time, but it never is too far away from them."*
PrincessDrRe; March, 2007 ~"Blood = Meat, Face = Meat, Internal "Organs" = Meat - you can try to make it cuter; but it's still meat...."~ PrincessDrRe; September, 2007 *(NOTE: Any advice given by Re' Silvey, MSW is not to be taken as medical/mental health advice. Although trained to be a counselor, currently employed as a therapist, and currently pursuing her PhD in Counseling Psychology (ABD/I) - she is not your assigned therapist. Please consult a mental health professional of your choice for a face-to-face consultation.)* |
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Jan 6 2007, 11:38 PM
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 5,000 + posts Group: Members Posts: 5,963 Joined: 27-March 04 Member No.: 339 Gender: m |
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QUOTE(PrincessDrRe @ Jan 6 2007, 05:51 PM) [snapback]168008[/snapback] Thoughts...anybody?    The answer is no to your original post question...there may be an abundance of things that separate Adventism from mainstream Christianity, things that may not even be found in scripture, but that doesn't make it a cult, it's just divergent views...belief in another God other than Jesus Christ would make it a non-christian cult...
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Jan 7 2007, 12:34 AM
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#6
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PrincessDrRe Group: Financial Donor Posts: 9,011 Joined: 8-November 04 Member No.: 712 Gender: f |
Ah...so the fact that Branch Davidians are "associated" with the SDA Church does not in itself make the SDA Church "the cult" - but it's the worshipping of another....
Hmmm....
-------------------- *"Some folks use their ignorance like a umbrella. It covers everything, they perodically take it out from time to time, but it never is too far away from them."*
PrincessDrRe; March, 2007 ~"Blood = Meat, Face = Meat, Internal "Organs" = Meat - you can try to make it cuter; but it's still meat...."~ PrincessDrRe; September, 2007 *(NOTE: Any advice given by Re' Silvey, MSW is not to be taken as medical/mental health advice. Although trained to be a counselor, currently employed as a therapist, and currently pursuing her PhD in Counseling Psychology (ABD/I) - she is not your assigned therapist. Please consult a mental health professional of your choice for a face-to-face consultation.)* |
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Jan 7 2007, 12:35 AM
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#7
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5,000 + posts Group: Members Posts: 5,963 Joined: 27-March 04 Member No.: 339 Gender: m |
QUOTE(PrincessDrRe @ Jan 7 2007, 01:34 AM) [snapback]168059[/snapback] Ah...so the fact that Branch Davidians are "associated" with the SDA Church does not in itself make the SDA Church "the cult" - but it's the worshipping of another.... Hmmm.... yup...that is why they say JW's are a cult...they don't accept the full deity of Christ... 
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Jan 7 2007, 07:26 AM
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 1,000 + posts  Group: Charter Member Posts: 2,251 Joined: 20-July 03 From: Prague, the Czech Republic Member No.: 19 |
OK... back up....
What is the definition of a cult??? Give at least six characteristic, pLEEz -------------------- This is how change happens: someone hurts, and sooner or later decides to do something about it.
--TRAITOR by Matthew Woodring Stover - p.29 |
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Jan 7 2007, 08:16 AM
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#9
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5,000 + posts Group: Members Posts: 5,963 Joined: 27-March 04 Member No.: 339 Gender: m |
Cults
The word cult comes from the French culte, and is rooted in the Latin cultus, which means "care" and "adoration." That idea comes from the Latin cultus - the past participle of colere, which means "to cultivate." The word was used in the sense of "to worship or give reference to a deity." (1) Today, the term "cult" can refer to: : formal religious veneration : worship : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator <health cults> a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion Source: Merriam-Webster Definition The term's ambiguity makes it necessary to determine in what sense the word is used. A sociological definition will differ from a religious one, and a Christian definition will differ from, say, the Mormon or Islamic view. http://www.apologeticsindex.org/c09.html |
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Jan 7 2007, 08:33 AM
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#10
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1,000 + posts Group: Charter Member Posts: 2,251 Joined: 20-July 03 From: Prague, the Czech Republic Member No.: 19 |
OK.... so in answering the orignal post we'll take the third one down:
a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents ------Then, are we a cult??? We are unorthodox, yes. We don't claim to be spurious (false, pretending to come from one source but actually coming from another) but then no group CLAIMS to be spurious. Back to the definition/characteristics.... what do cults do?? -------------------- This is how change happens: someone hurts, and sooner or later decides to do something about it.
--TRAITOR by Matthew Woodring Stover - p.29 |
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Jan 7 2007, 08:51 AM
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#11
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500 + posts  Group: |
QUOTE(PrincessDrRe @ Jan 6 2007, 05:51 PM) [snapback]168008[/snapback] Thoughts...anybody? I am sure that in the first century AD there were 12 men with A Leader that would be defined as a cult. It doesn’t bother me what label mankind applies to me, as long as I know that heaven labels me otherwise. The school of thought I was schooled under was there is nothing wrong about the word “cult”, it is the way it is said with a curl of the tongue. A person could say “dog” in a nice way, or one could, or with a curl in their voice say “dog” as in dumb dogs that would not bark of which the bible informs us. |
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Jan 7 2007, 09:59 AM
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#12
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Heiress Josey Group: Charter Member Posts: 9,020 Joined: 20-July 03 From: DC Metro Member No.: 6 Gender: m |
QUOTE(HUGGINS130 @ Jan 7 2007, 12:38 AM) [snapback]168047[/snapback] : The answer is no to your original post question...there may be an abundance of things that separate Adventism from mainstream Christianity, things that may not even be found in scripture, but that doesn't make it a cult, it's just divergent views...belief in another God other than Jesus Christ would make it a non-christian cult...There are things taught in every denomination that may not be in scripture. Men with even the best intentions make mistakes in teaching. It is one of the issues we deal with being human. -------------------- WELCOME to BlackSDA from seraph|m, a BSDA Charter member.
Please Join us in The Married Forum and/or Sabbath School Lesson Study forums. Then, come join us here, Live Chat Lesson Study ,for our Friday night study @ 8pm CST/9pm EST. The lesson can be found at Sabbath School Network (SSNET) Motto- "Weapons of Mass Distraction, Have No Place Here. " "Qui tacet consentire videtur," Are not official staff mottos and are not endorsed by BSDA Management. |
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Jan 7 2007, 10:39 AM
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#13
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PrincessDrRe Group: Financial Donor Posts: 9,011 Joined: 8-November 04 Member No.: 712 Gender: f |
QUOTE(LeePaDee @ Jan 7 2007, 10:33 AM) [snapback]168091[/snapback] ...Back to the definition/characteristics.... what do cults do?? That could also be included in the OP and I'll "edit" to add that...because that is also a part of what concerns/baffles me. What do cults do that "differs" from us (SDA's)? QUOTE(Ed White @ Jan 7 2007, 10:51 AM) [snapback]168093[/snapback] I am sure that in the first century AD there were 12 men with A Leader that would be defined as a cult. It doesn’t bother me what label mankind applies to me, as long as I know that heaven labels me otherwise. The school of thought I was schooled under was there is nothing wrong about the word “cult”, it is the way it is said with a curl of the tongue. A person could say “dog” in a nice way, or one could, or with a curl in their voice say “dog” as in dumb dogs that would not bark of which the bible informs us. Personally - and my opinion differs from yours...but there is no way to say the word "cult" and it not seem either kooky, nutso, or bad. Again...JMO. QUOTE(seraph|m @ Jan 7 2007, 11:59 AM) [snapback]168106[/snapback] There are things taught in every denomination that may not be in scripture. Men with even the best intentions make mistakes in teaching. It is one of the issues we deal with being human. With this I also agree.....
-------------------- *"Some folks use their ignorance like a umbrella. It covers everything, they perodically take it out from time to time, but it never is too far away from them."*
PrincessDrRe; March, 2007 ~"Blood = Meat, Face = Meat, Internal "Organs" = Meat - you can try to make it cuter; but it's still meat...."~ PrincessDrRe; September, 2007 *(NOTE: Any advice given by Re' Silvey, MSW is not to be taken as medical/mental health advice. Although trained to be a counselor, currently employed as a therapist, and currently pursuing her PhD in Counseling Psychology (ABD/I) - she is not your assigned therapist. Please consult a mental health professional of your choice for a face-to-face consultation.)* |
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Jan 7 2007, 04:24 PM
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#14
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 5,000 + posts Group: Charter Member Posts: 9,761 Joined: 21-July 03 Member No.: 44 Gender: f |
QUOTE(PrincessDrRe @ Jan 6 2007, 11:10 AM) [snapback]167944[/snapback] How far are we (SDA's) from being a cult? What is the difference between a cult and a religion? How do you know that we (SDA's) are not a cult? Thoughts? Cult...  Cult tendacies...
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Jan 7 2007, 04:30 PM
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 5,000 + posts Group: Administrator Posts: 11,145 Joined: 21-July 03 From: Northern California Member No.: 47 Gender: f |
I agree Cheryl. We are far too comfortable with conformity. We definitely show some tendancies.
QUOTE(MsHoly1 @ Jan 7 2007, 02:24 PM) [snapback]168186[/snapback] Cult... Cult tendacies... -------------------- TTFN
Di And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose---Romans 8:28 A great many people believe they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.-- William James It is better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.- Mark Twain |
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