| Author | Message | ||
| Luzisbornagain Registered user Username: Luzisbornagain Post Number: 98 Registered: 7-2007 |
I was searching online and I bumped into this website dedicated in exposing and investigating cults and it lists all the mind control techniques that cults use to enable new recruiters and keep them loyal to the organization. It's not just speaking of religious cults, but all kinds of them and as I was reading it, SDA's use these same techniques as well, therefore making it a cult. Thought it was interesting to share. http://www.howcultswork.com/ (Message edited by luzisbornagain on August 22, 2007) | ||
| Reb Registered user Username: Reb Post Number: 619 Registered: 5-2007 |
I agree Luz that SDAs do use many of those techniques. At the beginning of my "rebellion" the Pastor of the SDA church that I still attend sometimes with my wife directed a sermon at me about not going to "outside" sources for information about Adventism and your salvation could depend on this. He said go to the Pastor or Church Elders not outside sources with your questions about Adventism, you could "lose" your salvation if you go to the wrong sources. He later admitted that the sermon was directed at me, (Duh!) because I had been reading Proclamation magazine and going on Websites like Truth or Fables and the Ellen White Research Project. He reminded me to keep my mouth shut about what I believe or I would be "disfellowshipped". In a previous meeting a few months ago he had waved a copy of Proclamation at me and threatened that I would be disfellowshipped if I continued to read Proclamation or have anything to do with "That Group in Redlands" as he likes to call FAF. He even went so far as to tell my that my wife would divorce me if I were disfellowshipped(Absolutely untrue I found out recently my was was afraid that I would leave her after leaving Adventism and I assured her that that would NEVER happen I would NEVER leave her, it's not about her it's about the TRUTH). So I have definetly experienced firsthand some of these things. I would have to say you have defintetly made a valid point, Luz | ||
| Lucybugg Registered user Username: Lucybugg Post Number: 78 Registered: 2-2007 |
Gee..I wish they'd disfellowship us and save us the time and trouble of asking to have our names removed... | ||
| Larry Registered user Username: Larry Post Number: 112 Registered: 5-2007 |
I am sure that Paul never used the word "cult" but he had strong things to say about those who would pervert the gospel. See Galations 1:8-9 If Paul were alive today, he would likely use the term. You have to have a heresy first, in order to have a religious cult (in the negative sense). | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1326 Registered: 9-2006  |
Luz, that is a great article and guide to how cults suck you in. Many business organizations use some of these same techniques. I don’t know about you folks but I see where many of these techniques are used by the Adventist to hook and then hold their pray and to hold their congregation in line and keep feeding the monkey. Many people just walk right in to these cults with eyes wide open because their life is not satisfying for one reason or another and to them it’s new and exciting and before long they are propagating the cult right along with the others because they now have purpose to an otherwise dreary life. The principles are the same whether it be a religious cult or having nothing at all to do with religion. I will tell you a story, about twenty five years ago my family had moved to this area I am now in, it is a small area so there is not a whole lot of choices of churches within my denomination to choose from, within denominations all churches are not equal as for as being satisfying and not within convenient driving distance and other factors that come into play that plague such outlying areas of geography. The word isolated is not far off. I did find a wonderful church with a wonderful fellowship of Christian believers in that community and denomination, but it was without a Pastor at the time, but we were very close nit. About six months later the church board did find a Pastor that would move to our little community from about 150 miles away. He seemed o.k. so the church folk welcomed him and his family with open arms. As time went on he began to introduce Amway sales to this impoverished communities church people and he began to use some of the same techniques as described in Luz’s article she pointed too. To not bore you further, I will make this story short from here. The final outcome of this was that it ripped that small community of precious believers apart completely, some left off attending church completely, the rift and the damage done to hearts is still present in that community and in its people today after 25 some odd years. It devastated that small close nit group of loving, kind Christian people. These people were showing the Love of Christ and producing the fruits of the Spirit right up until time that man came on scene. While this was going on, for some reason or another the men of that church would come to my house and pour out their heart to me about what was going on, I had a constant stream of traffic, I was like some sort of magnet for these people that were hurting and I tried to encourage them in the lord the best I could ,but I had no authority whatsoever, I wasn’t even on the church board, so all I could to is encourage them to hang on and try to do the right thing and hold the church together and do this without attacking that Pastor in any manner shape or form, so all I could do was put soothing balm on their wounds. Finally I hit bottom myself and left with my family, the loving Christian group that I had found when I went there was split asunder and gone and I was so sickened by the whole thing. Today, four of the men are not attending church at all; one of the men goes to the church I am now attending. That is four men who have left the wives to fend for themselves as far as church is concerned and many times the wife will follow the husband and not attend either. I only speak of the ones that I knew closely, many of the others I haven’t had contact with. I have shared this with you today so you can look at Adventism for what it is and the dangers of any cultic mechanism to do untold damage and suffering even among true Christians. To express in true example the dangers of not calling it what it is and to be able to identify the symptoms and in so doing to know that it is not a benevolent benefactor. Had I have known then what I know now, I would have taken a different tact in trying to hold that group together and instead of trying to salve the wounds of the wounded I would have been far more aggressive than I knew to be at that time. I know I have sounded aggressive to many of you in the past, but I refuse to molly coddle this Spirit behind Adventism. I am alert and becoming more alert all the time, I am alert to watch for these symptoms entering the church I attend at any time and I will be aggressive to take action against any such symptoms in my church group and I won’t go down as I did before without a fight. I will fight for the well being of my sisters and brothers in Christ and that includes you all. There are times when we have to be militant, there were times when Christ had to be militant, it’s no fun to be militant because number one you will stand out like a sore thumb and become a target for rotten tomatoes. Luz, thank you for bring that article to my attention, I am trying to become knowledgeable about how to view Adventism and how to treat it. I am still learning and still seeking knowledge in this area because I am up to my knees in these same alligators and I feel that I am still in Gods school concerning Adventism and have not arrived at the place he wants me to be. So thank you. I feel like you folk on this net would understand what I am talking about whether or not you agree or not. I really don’t think too many of evangelicals have the potential for knowledge in this area as you have and so I feel I can be honest and open with an opinion. You all really have an up on the normal run of the mill evangelical because you been there, done that and got the t-shirt, an up, not in superiority but in knowledge of the cult and its ways. I think I have the tools I need, it’s just a matter of facing up to what I already know deep down in my sub-conscious mind and letting that get solidified and line up with the Bible and the Holy Spirit within. River | ||
| Patriar Registered user Username: Patriar Post Number: 323 Registered: 3-2005 |
"There are times when we have to be militant, there were times when Christ had to be militant, it’s no fun to be militant because number one you will stand out like a sore thumb and become a target for rotten tomatoes." River, that is so true. And you are so, so right. We MUST be firm. For many, this truly is a matter of life and death. I personally HATE and I do mean HATE confrontation. It is one of the hardest things I ever have to do. But it is necessary at times. Not always. Sometimes just simply sharing the Gospel or even just living it is all we are called to do, but those times when the tomatoes come flying, it's so wonderful to know I'm situated firmly in Christ. Every time when I FINALLY remember to run to Him for cover, He shields me with His Word. It's amazing how peaceful I feel when I'm in those pages... Patria | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1329 Registered: 9-2006 |
Patria, Its kinda like handeling a grenade, you need to know when to pull the pin and once you do you better not be too long in getting rid of it. River | ||
| Godssonjp Registered user Username: Godssonjp Post Number: 53 Registered: 1-2007 |
To piggy-back off of what Reb said about going to outside sources: a little different, but, anyway... The pastor at the SDA church I used to attend would say he was on the "watchtower" to look out for the evil and bad things for us. He said his responsibility was to warn us of what was out there so we didn't have to go find it for ourselves. While preaching he would "warn" us about all of the secular things happing in the world, ie. movies, tv shows, music and music videos, books, etc. then get very detailed descriptions of what WE should stay away from in every way possible. WHAT!? This would be a "special day" message. Then, the next sabbath, he would go back to EGW, last days, prophecy, and dissin' the Roman Catholic Chruch. Incredible. | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 164 Registered: 7-2007 |
River, you said that you are "trying to become knowledgable about how to view Adventism." Would it help perhaps, if you went to the nearest SDA church to their services (both Sabbath School and church service) for a couple weekends? You could watch everything and see how they conduct themselves. I think that's a good way to learn about them, and I'm sure you won't be decieved with the knowledge of the gospel that you have! Or do you not want to come within 10 miles of an SDA church?!  | ||
| Patriar Registered user Username: Patriar Post Number: 327 Registered: 3-2005 |
River: Exactly! Patria | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1333 Registered: 9-2006 |
Asurprise, I wouldn't feel at all right about lending a warm body to that mess. Observing them in church would only be observing the temporal aspects of them and I observe that all the time. As I said, I am in Gods school for Adventism, I will let him take me at his own pace. I get the heebee jeebees even when I pass there. I pass by an Adventist church I say "Feet don't fail me now" River (Message edited by river on August 23, 2007) | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 166 Registered: 7-2007 |
I thought you might react that way (How do you make a laughing face here? That would have been better to put here.) | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 4181 Registered: 3-2004  |
River, I like the way you use words and the phrase, "feet don't fail me now" is another way I like how you use words. God is awesome in how He made us and He will direct our feet, when necessary. Diana | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 1031 Registered: 8-2004  |
Looks like you figured out the smiley faces! I remember a sermon our local conference leader in the SDARM used to use fairly regularly warning that 'rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft' (true enough), and then explaining that this rebellion included attending any churches who taught what we 'knew' to be error. That included 'sunday churches', but in our case also included the poor, falling-into-apostasy SDA church. | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1334 Registered: 9-2006 |
Asurprise, You can make sort of a laughing face by inserting biggrin instead of a "happy" between the brackets. It looks like this  Is that what you were asking? River | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 2063 Registered: 10-2004  |
River, oh no, you mean you've been going to all the work of typing in the "happy" code just for a smile face? All you have to do is type a : followed by a ) and it'll automatically give you a smile face! Dianne, you can get all the different images and codes here: http://64.226.233.122/cgi-bin/discus/board-image-lister.cgi Jeremy (Message edited by Jeremy on August 23, 2007) | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1336 Registered: 9-2006 |
Yeppers, I been doing all that work!!! Thanks Jeremy  is there short cuts for the rest of the codes? | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 2064 Registered: 10-2004 |
River, the only other one I know of is for the frown--you can type a : followed by a ( to get this:  Jeremy | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 415 Registered: 6-2005 |
River, Feat! Lori | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1337 Registered: 9-2006 |
Lori, Ye wouldn't be razzin me nune would ye?? Would ye be tryin ta pull me leg with me feet, foot,feat, in me socks now would ye gurrell, now would ye Lassey? River |
