Cults Topics
Does one's belief system and faith affect their life? Yes. One's outlook on life and the world (called a worldview) directly affects one's life.
Almost all cults have a "us against the world" mindset and claim they are being persecuted, even when they are not. Or claim that anyone who points out their cult behavior is "persecuting" them. For most cults, no one who has joined can freely leave, is one of the signs of a cult. For the three major cults: Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Scientology, practices include isolation: Separation from family, friends, and mainstream society, also shunning and social ostracism for anyone that departs the group.
Aberrant teaching - Aberrant Theology (not a cult, but has some erroneous teachings)
Major cults:
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) (Mormons) page
The New Age Movement overview page
The New Age Movement part 2 page
Reincarnation common to the Eastern Cut and Religions
Pagan cults page
Theosophy a New Age Cult
Astrology
Hypnosis: Heightened suggestibility, and reduced peripheral awareness. Highly Dangerous! This website knows two friend that paid to have Hypnosis 1) To stop smoking, they stopped smoking, but then they were trapped in a cult of the person doing Hypnosis 1) Paid to lose weight, did not lose weight was was likewise but then they were trapped in a cult of the person doing Hypnosis.
Steps to depart a Cult: One must close the door (by leaving the Cult), acknowledge that you were trapped (repent), and ask the Lord Jesus Christ for deliverance (it is freely given). Know that works salvation is "boasting", and ask God for His free forgiveness found in Jesus Christ's love, shown at the Cross. Finding ex-members from the Cult who are now Bible Christians can help; you are NOT alone. Shunning done by cults may hurt at first, but there is a world of loving Christians who do not do cult shunning. See God of the Bible page
The Occult is hidden, secret, or supernatural knowledge, psychic and often pagan practices. It is not science; it includes practices such as: astrology, dark magic, alchemy, and divination, often involving mysterious, paranormal forces. The Bible describes the evil one (adversary) as a lion seeking someone to devour. See 1 Peter 5:8. There are many open doors to occult activity; once done (in Ignorance or on purpose or for "fun"), this becomes an added barrier to salvation and can darken one's mind. One must close the door (stop the occult activity), acknowledge it was wrong (repent) and ask the Lord Jesus Christ for deliverance (it is given freely). See Revelation 9:21, Acts 19:18-19, and Deuteronomy 18:10-12. Key prohibitions are found in Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Leviticus 19:31, and Galatians 5:19-21
Pagan cults are on the rise in America
Paganism, including Wicca and various nature-based spiritualities, is experiencing a significant rise in the United States, with estimates suggesting over 1.5 million to 2 million adherents. This is a substantial increase over the past two decades. Driven by a shift away from Churchs but wanting spirituality, this growth is fueled by interest in environmentalism, feminist spirituality, and digital-age community, particularly on platforms like TikTok and Instagram have normalized witchcraft and modern paganism. This trend represents a broader, more diverse, and less centralized, rather than a single unified "cult," encompassing a variety of practices from neo-paganism to esoteric, earth-centered traditions. Yet with many of the dangers of both cults and the occult. Dangerous pagan cults, like other coercive groups, pose risks of psychological manipulation, financial exploitation, and physical harm, often led by individuals with narcissistic or antisocial traits. Dangers include the erosion of personal autonomy, isolation from support systems, extreme demands for loyalty, and potential violence or severe neglect. Pagan-oriented cults, like other high-control groups, pose significant emotional dangers, including the loss of free will, severe psychological distress (trauma, anxiety, depression), and the destruction of external relationships . They often exploit vulnerabilities through "love bombing" and manipulate members to sever ties with family, resulting in an "in-between" state of confusion, fear, and sometimes normalized violence after leaving. This is also from the National Library of Medicine at the National library in Bethesda, Maryland. Former members frequently suffer from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression due to the abusive environment. Cults aim to destroy the "old self," forcing members to abandon past relationships, hobbies, and identities to adopt a new, artificial persona. Members are often encouraged to sever ties with family and friends outside the group, causing severe isolation. Fear, shame, and guilt are used to maintain control. The decentralized nature of some pagan communities can lead to a lack of accountability, leaving members lost without proper spiritual guidance, which can sometimes lead to political extremism. There are many types: agan paths, or modern Neopaganism, comprise diverse nature-based, polytheistic, and reconstructionist traditions, including Wicca, Druidry, and Heathenry. These movements often focus on honoring nature cycles, honoring multiple deities, and, in some cases, reconstructing ancient pre-Christian European, Egyptian, or folkloric rituals.
Ref:
When Cults go bad:
*Some cults which ended very badly, due to their strong, dominating leader: (Intense isolation, charismatic leaders, and extreme, often apocalyptic, belief systems.)
Jim Jones Cult, Peoples Temple, ending in Jonestown, Guyana
David Koresh Branch Davidians ending in Waco, Texas
Marshall Applewhite cult Heaven's Gate ending in San Diego, California (UFO cult)
Order of the Solar Temple 1990's orchestrated mass murders and suicides (UFO cult)
Mountain Meadows Massacre by Mormons, and Brigham Young Danites, or "Destroying Angels", squad.
Fundamentalist LDS have killed departing members, J. Smith teaching about "blood atonement"
and many more.
Past MajorCults - when Cults change:
Seventh-day Adventism was listed among the major cults, largely due to its unique doctrines regarding Ellen G. White. By 1965, most Seventh-day Adventists had moved away from the cult teaching of Ellen G. White and were removed as a cult by many Christian scholars, like Walter Martin, widely regarded as a premier authority on cults.
The Worldwide Church of God (WCG), founded by Herbert W. Armstrong in 1934, Church was a cult, but underwent a radical transformation after 1986, renouncing its former unorthodox doctrines to become an evangelical denomination known todayas Grace Communion International (GCI). Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, GCI . Chruch teaches mainstream Christian theology, with approximately 550 churches and 30,000 members worldwide.
Current: The Worldwide Church of God (WCG) (a Cult) had a significant presence in Texas, with a major congregation and campus in Big Sandy. Following doctrinal changes and the rebranding to Grace Communion International in 2009, many former members in Texas joined splinter groups like the Church of God International (headquartered in Tyler), United Church of God, or Philadelphia Church of God.