Only One Person Opinions #61

ATTITUDINAL PREMISES OF
EXCLUSIVE SEPARATISTS
--ARE THEY ALL CULTS?
written by Kenneth J. Wolf
(12/5/89; revised 4/6/02)
 
 

THE 10 PREMISES OF EXCLUSIVE SEPARATISTS

1  The Bible is infallible and inerrant.

2  Some group of Christians is also infallible and inerrant in interpreting, understanding, and applying the doctrinal truths of the Bible.

3  We are that group of Christians.

4  We will separate ourselves from and disfellowship any “so-called” Christians who do not agree with our exact interpretation, understanding, and application of the doctrines of the Bible.

5   We will separate ourselves from and disfellowship any “so-called” Christians who do not agree with the exact weight or emphasis which we put on each of the various doctrines of the Bible.

6  We will separate ourselves from and disfellowship any “so-called” Christians who do not separate themselves from or disfellowship any “so-called” Christians who do not agree with our exact interpretation, understanding, and application of the doctrines of the Bible or who do not agree with the exact weight or emphasis which we put on each of the various doctrines of the Bible.

7  No one within our group can question the infallible understanding of the doctrinal positions or emphasis held or expressed by our leader or our collective leadership without the danger of becoming “outsider sympathizers” and, in effect, preparing to fall outside our group.

8  Those outside of our group who question the infallible understanding of the doctrinal positions or emphasis held or expressed by our leader or our collective leadership are either; 1) At worst, in actual league with Satan Himself; or 2) At best, more dangerous than the liberals who always have been full dupes and mouthpieces for Satan.

9  We on the inside of our group of true Christians cannot battle “side-by-side” with any outsiders against liberalism, secularism, humanism, or even pure Satanism without having to “compromise” the faith.  All, who are outsiders of our group, who battle against these forces are neo-liberals, neo-secularists, or neo-humanists; because of their open rejection of the Biblical positions held by our leader or our collective leadership and cannot claim to be true Christians.

10  The outsider conservative Christians are in many ways more dangerous to the truth than the liberal dupes and the Satanists themselves, because they hold enough of the true positions to gather in the crowds, but do not hold and express “pure truth” as our group does.  Therefore, it would be better if outsider conservative Christians would just become liberal secular humanists if they are not going to walk in the perfect light as we do . . . and our cause would be better off for it!

***  The following is an observation by the author of the above premises to explain why I am not an exclusive separatist:  I can only agree with the first premise of the above premises . . . “The Bible is infallible and inerrant.”  I am not a liberal secular humanist, but rather a conservative Christian.  I am not an “insider” of any groups led by the dictates of an authoritarian leader or collective leadership.  Therefore I am an “outsider” to all of these various exclusive separatist groups of Christians; and there are many groups.  I first learned of one of these groups and at the time thought that they were “THE” group.  Then I found out that there was another group and then I learned of still another.  Each one says it’s particular leader or collective leadership heads the one and only faithful group of “true Christians”.  The above attitudinal premises are what I found to be the common denominator of all of these “WE ALONE” groups.

Some good doctrinal interpretations, understandings, and applications can be gained by studying the expositions of the inner circle and outer circle Christians inside some of these groups.  My disagreement with exclusive separatists is not always doctrinal beliefs.  My disagreement may be on the weight or emphasis the group places on particular doctrines.  However, my disagreement is always with the attitude of exclusive separatists and I speak of this attitude as originating with the group’s leader or collective leadership in the inner circle.  I generally find that although the Christians in the outer circle within the group go along, for fear of attitudinal premise number 7 above, most of them are just like the rest of us on the outside of the group . . . ever seeking to interpret the Bible, ever seeking to understand the Bible, ever seeking to apply the Bible; and knowing in their hearts that no man is infallible and inerrant . . . ONLY OUR GOD AND HIS WORD.

Are All Exclusive Separatists Cults?

Is it safe to refer to all groups of exclusive separatists as cults?  No, not necessarily!  Leaders of cults claim that members of the gatherings can only learn the truth from them.  A cult leader tells the gathering that they should not study other resources outside of the meetings to test whether or not the leader speaks the truth in his interpretations of the bible.  (A bold cult leader will even include the Bible as an outside resource, if the followers are "ignorant" enough to try and interpret it for themselves without the leader's guidance!)  Cult leaders claim that all other Christians, who are outside of the cult, are wrong!  A cult leader keeps the congregation or "members" totally dependent on his or her teachings; even to the point that it is considered a sign of extreme spiritual weakness to miss meetings where the truth is delivered by him or her.  The "GUILT TRIP" can be layed on very heavily by a polished cult leader.

A Cult's Psychological Weapon

A cult is a unity of people under the authority of an authoritarian charlatan (almost totalitarian charlatan; if it were not for the constant emphasis that anyone can leave the group at any time).  However, with a cult, if one of the followers ever leaves; he or she will be shunned by the other followers who choose to stay.  "THE SHUN" is the ultimate psychological weapon of cult leaders to keep their followers in line and keep their "arrogance level" at a fever pitch.  When misguided Christian babies are constantly told that only they have access to the truth and that all of their family, past friends, and present work associates who are outside of the cult are mushrooms in the dark, their egos swell to montrous proportions.  "Let the rest of the world stumble around in darkness--for we have the light of truth!"--is the cry of the cult.

Cult Leaders are Never Wrong!

A cult leader will never utter the words "I was wrong about something I said a while back."  This would be an overt admission that he or she is not entirely infallible.  The chain of devotion in the one way relationship between the followers and the cult leader would be severely damaged if the cult leader was ever seen as a mere human being by the followers.  All of these characteristics of cults, listed above, are products of the art of mind control and brainwashing that have been put into practice by government leaders and cult leaders around the world for centuries.

Why Do Communities Have Cults?

Cultists generally do no noticeable harm to the community in which they set up shop, with the exception of the harm they do to their family members and past friends who do not understand how a particular cult can so entrap their loved ones.  All cults have a few truths that are obvious to the followers, that are not being trumpeted by the Christian denominations and Christian congregations around them.  It is said that cults are the result of the "UNPAID BILLS" of the church (with "the church" being the name for the body of Christ or body of all believers).  Whenever and wherever some truths are glossed over, fumbled or simply ignored by the local churches; cults will flourish!

If You Are In a Cult--STAY THERE!

Are all exclusive separatists cults?  NO!  Are all cults composed of exclusive separatists?  YES!  This distinction must be totally understood if one is to recognize the differences between exclusive separatists and cults.  Would I advise all cult members to leave their cults?  No, because they would then infiltrate the local churches with their legalistic attitudes of self-righteousness posturing as "humility".  If you are in a cult--STAY THERE!  Liberty breathes more freely when those who do not fully appreciate it are enslaved to an isolated system that does not practice it and they are kept from contaminating the rest of society.  If you are not in a cult, STAY OUT OF THEM!  Cults destroy families and friendships.  Trying to deprogram a cult member is one of the most heart-wrenching experiences one is likely to encounter; especially if the one who is programmed by a cult leader is a loved one.  The longer one is enslaved in a cult, the unhappier they are if they are ever prematurely liberated from the cult by their own actions or the actions of loved ones.  If they are not yet ready to come out of the cult, the timing is right for them to stay in the cult.

Should We Abandon a Loved One to a Cult?

Never tell a cult member that they are in a cult.  The shock of contemplating such a truth is enough to push some cult members over the edge.  "DO UNTO OTHERS, AS YOU WOULD HAVE OTHERS DO UNTO YOU".  The golden rule is the best prescription for treating cult members.  If you were once in the cult yourself and are being shunned by its members; take the high ground that the master took two thousand years ago.  Love them, forgive them and speak well of them (not well of their cult); and do all of this UNCONDITIONALLY!  The cult member does not have any concept of unconditional love (else they would not "shun" others, causing so much hurt to family and past friends).  They will not know what is hitting them when they face unconditional love.  If God wants a Christian out of a cult and joining the rest of the body of Christ; HE will do it HIS WAY and in HIS TIME!  If God does not want a cult member out of a cult, you are not going to be able to extract them from their kind.  LEAVE IT ALL IN THE HANDS OF THE LORD!  God has a plan and that plan is perfect.  We don't always have to understand it to have the capacity to appreciate it.
 
 

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