Is Evangelical Christianity a Cult?
Author Bob Larsen states that the things cults share in common are: "(1) a centralized authority which tightly structures both philosophy and lifestyle, (2) a 'we' versus 'they' complex, pitting the supposed superior insights of the group against a hostile outside culture; (3) a commitment for each member to intensively proselyte the unconverted; and (4) an entrenched isolationism that divorces the devotee from the realities of the world at large."1
How does the above description not represent how the world views a large portion of the evangelical church? In fact, this is how I view a large portion of the evangelical church. I don’t believe that the majority of evangelicals have investigated the claims of scripture from an evidentiary standpoint. Further, I have not found too many pastors that don’t represent the outside world in the ‘we’ versus ‘they’ framework listed above. Commitment to proselytize the unconverted, we call “passion for the lost” and outreach. We seem to suspect that the non-Christian culture is hostile toward us. And although our service to the less fortunate members of our society is considered laudable by most, our view of science as espoused by the young earth creationist clearly divorces Christians from the realities of the scientific world at large.
In fact we are so separate from society these days the only accurate way to describe our situation is that “we have a social disease!” I’m imagining the melody to Gee, Officer Krupke! (In West Side Story by Bernstein and Sondheim). We shutter when we see Ned Flanders hit the scene on The Simpsons. What a scary caricature. However, unlike most Christians, Ned is consistent in how he acts maintaining the same persona behind closed doors. Indeed a man in whom there is no guile. A few questions might help shed light on this subject.
Why was Jesus so upset with the religious leaders of his day?
Weren’t the religious leaders that Jesus dealt with every bit as sincere to do their duty as religions leaders as pastors are today? Weren’t they zealous to fulfill the only revelation God had given at the time?
What are the things that we should do to embrace our culture?
How should we be in the world blending with culture but not stained by it?
What group structure or learning culture might avoid the cultic aspects of church culture listed above?
How can a pastor or Christian Leader transform from the cultic attributes listed above and what should the positive attributes look like?
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Bob Larsen's definition misses a key aspect of a cult: the world at large also isolates the members of the group and places them outside of the 'norm' (e.g., Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses)
ReplyDeleteThe norm in the 1st century classified people following "The Way" into the class "Cult Group" Also it may be the case that if one were to live in say Provo, Utah, they would be less likely to see the Mormans as a cult due to the large portion of the society that shared the Morman view. I think conclusion I'm coming to is that the labeling functions humans exhibit in groups inorder to differentiate themselves from other individuals is almost always harmful (as adults). I don't argue that labels aren't useful to children (e.g. little billy stay away from strangers, don't even talk to them). What I'm arguing is that we extend this labeling behavior into our adult lives and it is a roadblock to progressing into Christian maturity.
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