Outback Jack Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 I found this post on another website. The original poster labeled the thread "Pot calling the kettle black?" I thought y'all might get a laugh out of it... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saw a Billy Graham article about cults last week and it struck me that we have many Christian cults in this nation. Westboro Baptist only being one of the most often in the news recently. From http://www.billygraham.org Members of religious cults often are strongly convinced that they, and they alone, are right, and everyone else is wrong. Unfortunately, members of cults also are often very hard to convince that they might be wrong. cults make their members feel very proud because they alone know the truth, and they become close-minded because they can't bear the thought that they might be wrong. Although cults differ, they share several characteristics. For example, cults often do not accept the Bible alone as God's Word, and may even say that other books (usually written by the group's founder) are also God's Word and of more value. Cults also commonly claim that they alone correctly interpret the truth and that Christian denominations and churches are wrong in their teaching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraphicsGuy Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 This is entirely based on hearsay, but I've "heard" that Billy's opinions have become far more liberal Xian as he's gotten up in years. He doesn't really agree with the old dogma and how his son runs the organization. The organization kind of holds him up as a figurehead, but don't listen to his actual opinions any longer... ...like I said, just what I've "heard" rumor wise from various sources... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathGeek Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 For me, this was and IS the stereotypical Christian cult... Just click this link and you'll see what I mean: A True Church And watch this video: A Video of them at a Graham Crusade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 A simple case of pot/kettle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Although cults differ, they share several characteristics. For example, cults often do not accept the Bible alone as God's Word, and may even say that other books (usually written by the group's founder) are also God's Word and of more value. Cults also commonly claim that they alone correctly interpret the truth and that Christian denominations and churches are wrong in their teaching. Interpretation: Christian Definition of Cult: Any religious beliefs that do not believe as we do. Oh no! Not at all! Not when your own group is so close to "cult" that you're not sure which side of the line it is but you KNOW it couldn't be anything as bad as cult. Then most professing Christians are CINOs. So far as the Old Order Mennonites are concerned, as a general rule, people who cannot be identified by outward appearance (plain clothing) as Christians are CINOs. And that is the vast majority of professing Christians. When they go to town there is nothing for them to tell the conservative Christians apart from the liberal Christians because they're all dressed the same (mainstream styles) and they all speak English. GG, according to what I read on history of fundamentalism, some fundies disowned Billy Graham decades ago because he cozied up to presidents and the likes in the mid-twentieth century. Now if definition of cult is a social group that isolates its members from outside society by severely discouraging social interaction with others to the extent that leaving is extremely difficult, then the Old Order Mennonites along with very many other Christian groups represented here are cults. If cult is a personality cult that springs up around a single leader in a very short time (1-3 years) and is then removed and isolated from outside society in a way so as to be socially and financially dependent on its leader, then we probably have very few represented here. By that definition the Old Order Mennonites are definitely not a cult. The difference is that in the first category people are allowed to interact freely with each other, set their own daily schedules, and live their daily lives without accounting to the leader for every minute of every day. There is even a certain amount of freedom to interact with outsiders in business and in the workplace. However, life is set up in such a way as to ensure that social life takes place within the approved sphere. In the personality cults, I understand that every moment of every day--waking and sleeping--are strictly monitored and scheduled by a hierarchical government. I'm looking again at the quotes in the OP. I didn't read the article but in my opinion those quotes seem like a decent outline for an academic study of any philosophical group. 1. What is their central belief that they all hold to? they alone correctly interpret the truth and that Christian denominations and churches are wrong in their teaching. 2. How do they feel about this belief? members feel very proud because they alone know the truth 3. What attitude to they hold toward people who do not share this belief? everyone else is wrong. 4. How do they respond to opposing points of view? they can't bear the thought that they might be wrong. 5. What resources to they use to support their belief? Bible other books (usually written by the group's founder) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Although cults differ, they share several characteristics. For example, cults often do not accept the Bible alone as God's Word, and may even say that other books (usually written by the group's founder) are also God's Word and of more value. Cults also commonly claim that they alone correctly interpret the truth and that Christian denominations and churches are wrong in their teaching. I'm not sure why he has a problem with them using other books in addition to the Bible. Do Billy Graham not like when people read what he himself writes? I did not know that there was any denomination that believed people should not read anything else than the Bible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Unfortunately Billy Graham interprets all religious groups except his as cults, which is typical christianity. Charles Templeton was the last honest televangelist. He was the second half to the crusades and was considered the greatest evangelist who ever lived. He quit Graham's crusades and became an atheist until his death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraphicsGuy Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Unfortunately Billy Graham interprets all religious groups except his as cults, which is typical christianity. He definitely used to, but there are a mess of Xians that have dropped him like a hot rock now. They judge and lambast him, say he's just senile now...typical Xian "love" for you. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx29MRL4L6c I'm impressed with his softer approach, but it could be as Christopher Hitchens says about him too: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=0M4DPWNi8KY I don't know if Graham meant to build the empire he has or not...it's just too bad all the Xians sluff him off like yesterday's garbage though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outback Jack Posted January 18, 2008 Author Share Posted January 18, 2008 For better or worse, the OP in the original forum has gone largely unnoticed. (I'd link to it but it's pseudo-public and protected by a fee.) I responded twice. These were my comments.... ----------------------------------------------------- I once saw the words "cult" and "religion" defined nicely once. It went something like this... Cult - A small religion Religion - A large cult ---------------------------------------------------------------- Of course, another way to handle it is like this.... ~~~~~Time travel back 1850 years to the eastern shore of the Med.~~~~~~~ Saw a Rabbi Greenberg article about cults last week and it struck me that we have many Jewish cults in this nation. These "Christians" only being one of the most often in the news recently. Members of religious cults often are strongly convinced that they, and they alone, are right, and everyone else is wrong. Unfortunately, members of cults also are often very hard to convince that they might be wrong. cults make their members feel very proud because they alone know the truth, and they become close-minded because they can't bear the thought that they might be wrong. Although cults differ, they share several characteristics. For example, cults often do not accept the Torah alone as God's Word, and may even say that other books (usually written by the group's alleged founder) are also God's Word and of more value. Cults also commonly claim that they alone correctly interpret the truth and that Jewish denominations and churches are wrong in their teaching. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (I wonder if anyone will get the subtle hint.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outback Jack Posted January 18, 2008 Author Share Posted January 18, 2008 I'm not sure why he has a problem with them using other books in addition to the Bible. Do Billy Graham not like when people read what he himself writes? I did not know that there was any denomination that believed people should not read anything else than the Bible. I think he might have been referring to Mormons, at the least. IOW the Book of Mormon. I can't, at this time, think of any other books which accept xtianity while still rejecting "the buy-bull". OBJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outback Jack Posted January 18, 2008 Author Share Posted January 18, 2008 Unfortunately Billy Graham interprets all religious groups except his as cults, which is typical christianity. I think that was the whole point of the OP! Charles Templeton was the last honest televangelist. He was the second half to the crusades and was considered the greatest evangelist who ever lived. He quit Graham's crusades and became an atheist until his death. Damn! Now I'm going to have to research him just to balance the scales against dipshits like Lee Strobel, who claim to have been atheist before seeing the totally convincing evidence that the holy buy-bull was 100% True. ETA: Sorry for the massive response by me and me alone (3 posts in a row!). I guess I'm just "in the spirit"! This other semi-private forum has several fundy's saying the darndest things, and they won't respond to criticism. I guess that I assume that I can just can vent freely here. TIA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 ETA: Sorry for the massive response by me and me alone (3 posts in a row!). I guess I'm just "in the spirit"! This other semi-private forum has several fundy's saying the darndest things, and they won't respond to criticism. I guess that I assume that I can just can vent freely here. TIA. I don't know what your acronyms mean, i.e. ETA and TIA, but yes, I think we are allowed to vent freely here. I have yet to be told that three posts in a row by the same person is not okay. I do it all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeFromReligion Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Unfortunately Billy Graham interprets all religious groups except his as cults, which is typical christianity. I think that was the whole point of the OP! Charles Templeton was the last honest televangelist. He was the second half to the crusades and was considered the greatest evangelist who ever lived. He quit Graham's crusades and became an atheist until his death. Damn! Now I'm going to have to research him just to balance the scales against dipshits like Lee Strobel, who claim to have been atheist before seeing the totally convincing evidence that the holy buy-bull was 100% True. ETA: Sorry for the massive response by me and me alone (3 posts in a row!). I guess I'm just "in the spirit"! This other semi-private forum has several fundy's saying the darndest things, and they won't respond to criticism. I guess that I assume that I can just can vent freely here. TIA. In regard to Lee Strobel, I was a believer in Christianity when I read his books and I thought they were lame even then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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