how to identify a dangerous religious group

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HOW TOIDENTIFY A DANGEROUSRELIGIOUSGROUP

IIf you can’t think for yourselfor make a decision, thenyou’re in trouble. You are

responsible for what you believe.If you can’t walk away, thenthere’s a problem, period.” Those are the words of someonewho has walked the descendingstaircase of a dangerous religiousgroup. In the following pages,we’ll learn from his experienceand from others who have beendelivered from the darkness andfear of spiritual abuse.

Our hope is that these pageswill be read not only with othersin mind but with a careful lookat ourselves. The Scriptures warnthat the seeds of dangerousreligious thinking are not justaround us, but in us and amongus as well.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: Layne Kennedy/Adventure PhotoScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.© 1994,2002 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTSAs The Third Millennium Unfolds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2The View From Within . . . . . . . . . 3Was Christ Dangerous? . . . . . . . . . . 5How To Identify TheLeader Of A DRG . . . . . 6What Are The Marks Of A DRG? . . . . 11The Bait-And-SwitchMethod Of DRGs . . . . 16

From Christ To Another . . . . . . . . . 16From The Word Of God To The Word Of Men . . 18From Leadership To Tyranny . . . . . . . . . 20From Faith To Presumption . . . . . . 22From SeparationTo Isolation . . . . . . . . . 24From Salvation To False Trust . . . . . . . 26

What’s The Difference?. . . . . . . . . . 28Coming Out. . . . . . . . . 31

© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

AS THE THIRDMILLENNIUMUNFOLDS

TThe second millenniumseemed to sense itsown end. National

disasters, social upheaval,realignment of nations, andan unprecedented rate ofchange left the impressionthat a shuddering planetwas entering a historicpassage of life.

In addition to the darkclouds forming on thehorizon, there was a globalmultiplication of dangerousreligious groups who drewtheir strength from thegrowing expectation of acoming apocalypse.

Writing in the BostonGlobe, Sharon Moshavisaid, “Years after the AumShinrikyo cult released saringas on the Tokyo subway,killing 12 and injuring morethan 5,000, religious sects of all kinds are flourishinghere. . . . In today’s Japan,

a consumerist, secularsociety facing economicuncertainty, cults and so-called ‘new religions’ offer a spiritual balm that manyJapanese, especially youngpeople, find attractive.”

Moshavi went on toquote Toshi Yamakawa, aformer bureaucrat turnedspiritual writer, who said,“People increasingly arelooking for something to filltheir hearts, and dangerousreligious groups are justwaiting for them.”

The danger is not new.As early as the first century,the apostle Paul, toward theend of his life, wrote:

I know this, that after my departure savagewolves will come inamong you, not sparingthe flock. Also fromamong yourselves menwill rise up, speakingperverse things, to draw away the disciplesafter themselves (Acts 20:29-30).

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THE VIEW FROM WITHIN

IIt’s important for us to remember thatdangerous religious

groups have their logic. It’s a mistake to think thatthe religious fringe is madeup of irrational, fanaticalexpressions of misguided,uneducated victims.Religious splinter groups are usually fueled, in part,by a carefully reasonedattempt to renew the logic,faith, and personal sacrificethat has been claimed butlost by traditional religion.

With prophetic insightthat is often missing insurrounding society, thesegroups believe they can see the road ahead muchclearer than those who arecontent to ride the current of social drift. Articulate,authoritarian leaders exposethe dangers facing thosewho worship God withoutemotion, faith, sacrifice, or

obedience. With unsparingreason they point to parentsand pastors and wholedenominations that seem tohave been swallowed up ina loss of their “first love,”weak faith, blind hypocrisy,and spiritual lukewarmness.

From the inside out, themembers of such groups see themselves as far lessdangerous than those whohave a business-as-usualattitude. In the face of theiraccusers, it is obvious tothem that:

“We’re not crazy,you are. You are the ones who’ve lost touch with reality. You are theones who say you believe in God while living as if youdon’t. You are the ones whosay you believe that theBible is the Word of Godwhile failing to read andstudy and obey it. You are the ones who say youbelieve in life after deathwhile living as if materialprosperity is all that counts.”

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“We’re notthrowing away thefuture, you are. You tell us to open our eyes and see what is happening to us. You say that we arethrowing away our lives andgiving ourselves to a leaderwho doesn’t deserve ourcommitment. But you are theones who can’t see what ishappening. You don’t see thesigns of the times. You don’tsee where society is headed,where your love of money istaking you, and how full ofregret you’re going to be onjudgment day.”

“We’re not over-committed, you are.You say we are fanaticallyover-committed. But not likeyou. You are the ones whoare over-extended in materialdebt and over-invested ininstitutions and traditionsthat are headed for imminentcollapse and judgment. Youare the ones who believethat you can please Godwith token prayers, while

giving 99 percent of youraffection to your job, yourhome, your family, and your recreations.”

“We’re not theones who are rejectingChrist, you are. You sayyou believe in Him. But Hesaid, ‘If anyone comes toMe and does not hate hisfather and mother, wife and children, brothers andsisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be Mydisciple. And whoever doesnot bear his cross and comeafter Me cannot be Mydisciple’” (Lk. 14:26-27).

The logic of DRGs(dangerous religious groups)is never all wrong. Theerrors of judgment that can be so invisible to thoseon the inside are oftenopportunities for those onthe outside to learn lessonsof the heart. While thedangers are obvious, none ofus can afford to stop lookingfor the dangerous thinkingthat is present in all of us.

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WAS CHRISTDANGEROUS?

AAconcerned parent ofone of Christ’s firstfollowers could

have viewed Him asdangerous. He claimed tospeak in behalf of God, wascritical of honored religiousleaders, and asked for theobedience and trust of Hisfollowers (Mt. 10:35-37).

Yet Jesus wasn’tpredictable. He didn’t askHis disciples to sacrificetheir wages to build a biggerhouse for Himself, nor didHe merely talk a good line.He healed blind eyes andwithered limbs, and raisedthe dead. He walked onwater and calmed stormyseas. Over and over, in somany ways, He showedHimself worthy of afollowing—not just bytalking about faith and self-sacrifice and the endtimes,but by the miracles He did.He proved He was God’s

sacrifice for our sins when,after voluntarily allowingHimself to be nailed to anexecutioner’s cross, He rosebodily from the dead toshow that He was King ofkings and Lord of lords.

As part of His legacy, Heleft a band of disciples whowere willing to live and die

for their testimony thattogether they had seen Himalive after His resurrection.Together they bore witnessto One whose teaching andexample has become themeasure of those who aredangerous and those whoare not.

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A skillful leader can make any

argument soundplausible, but noimpostor can risefrom the dead.


HOW TOIDENTIFY THE LEADER OF A DRG

IIt would be helpful ifdangerous leadersunderstood and

declared their own motivesfrom the beginning. It wouldbe helpful if they made itclear that, unlike Christ,their intent was not to serve but to be served, not to give but to receive,not to love but to be loved.

It would be helpful if theywould always come from the“outside” rather than from“within.” But the Bible tellsus to watch ourselves andthose who arise from amongus to draw off followers afterthemselves (Acts 20:30).

Dangerous religiousleaders don’t let their groups know that they areslowly giving old words newmeaning, or that they areshowing a love that at somepoint will turn into rigid,

authoritarian control. They may not even realizethe extent to which they are flattering followers,exaggerating stories of God’s miracles, and claiming conversations withthe Spirit that are rooted intheir own imagination.

Yet eventually,individuals who havesacrificed everything tofollow a trusted leader beginto see and hear things theynever expected to see orhear from a man of God.Eventually the disciples ofJim Jones saw their reveredprophet throw a Bible on thefloor during a sermon anddeclare, “Too many peopleare looking at this instead ofat me!” (Cults In America,Appel, p.44). A formermember recalls, “He actually came out and said he wanted to be calledFather, and he wanted us topray to him. He wanted usto carry around his picturein our wallets” (The Lure

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Of The Cults, Enroth, p.56).At this point, however, a

price has been paid. Toomany sacrifices have alreadybeen made. Bridges havebeen burned. Commitmentshave been formed. It’s justeasier to give the leader thebenefit of the doubt and tobelieve, “This must be God’sway of testing our faith. Thegood of the group is at stake.Too many people would love to see us break up andadmit that we’ve been takenin. We know he told us thetruth about so many things.We just have to keep faith in God and keep going.”

It usually takes timebefore it becomesundeniable that the onethey’ve invested so muchtrust in is not the servant ofGod they thought he was.What a painful realization,what an embarrassment toadmit that this leader hasbeen leading them in thepath of “another Jesus,”offering “a different spirit,”

and teaching “a differentgospel” (2 Cor. 11:4).

Yet a growing number are going through theemotionally devastatingprocess of separating from

such groups. They arerecovering their freedom and sense of joy afterlearning firsthand of thedangers Jesus describedwhen He said:

Beware of false prophets,who come to you insheep’s clothing, butinwardly they areravenous wolves. You willknow them by their fruits.

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Denial occurs when people whohave sacrificed somuch feel a needto see things not as they are but as they want them to be.


Do men gather grapesfrom thornbushes or figsfrom thistles? Even so,every good tree bears goodfruit, but a bad tree bearsbad fruit. A good treecannot bear bad fruit, norcan a bad tree bear goodfruit. Every tree that doesnot bear good fruit is cutdown and thrown into the fire. Therefore by theirfruits you will know them(Mt. 7:15-20).It doesn’t feel good to be

suspicious. We have learnednot to doubt but to believe.It’s hard to accept that aperson who talks knowinglyabout the Lord, and whospeaks disparagingly of thedevil, could be dangerous.Yet Jesus taught us tobelieve that it is not bypeople’s words but by thefruit of their lives that wecan tell who they’ve beenspending time with.

One former member of a DRG says that our Lord’sprinciple of knowing a tree

by its fruit is one of theprinciples that helped himto see what he was involvedwith. Looking back, he says, “There were severalscriptures that were helpful.One was about judging theroots of the tree by the fruit.And I didn’t see any goodfruit growing. I saw onlydestruction. I saw peoplewho were getting worseinstead of better. Theyweren’t growing orbecoming responsible; they were becoming moredependent and morepsychotic. There was guiltand shame and badfeelings. There was no love involved. There was no forgiveness anymore.”

Time will usually showthe fruit of a leader’s life.First impressions and words,by themselves, don’t say alot about motives. Yet lifehas a way of writing itsjournal about the purposesof our hearts. One such“commentary” is what the

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apostle Paul described as“the fruit of the Spirit.” Inhis letter to the Galatians,Paul said that those who arein a submissive relationshipto Christ are marked bylove, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, andself-control (Gal. 5:22-23).

The opposite of such fruit is seen in those who are more concerned aboutthemselves than others.Such persons use peoplerather than love them. Theirrelationships are marked bya critical attitude, conflict,impatience, insensitivity,rudeness, selfishness, failure to keep promises,and failure to control theirmouths, their anger, andtheir sexual desires. Suchevidence of someone’s spirit needs to be carefullylistened to, regardless of hiseloquence or ability to quoteScripture.

With such fruit of theSpirit in mind, we are wise

to ask the followingquestions about those weare relying on for leadership.1. Are they marked by

reverence and humility,or by brashness andarrogance? (2 Cor.10:18).

2. Are they gentle, or demanding? (2 Tim. 2:24-26).

3. Do they themselvesshow respect forauthorities (both friendsand enemies), includingthe Lord, parents,government, and evenSatan? (2 Pet. 2:10-12;Jude 8-10).

4. Do they show respectand love for otherleaders? (1 Cor. 3:1-9).

5. Do they promotepersonal discernment,growth, and maturity intheir followers, or dothey foster dependenceand submission? (Acts17:11; Eph. 4:11-16).

6. Do they exploit theirmembers financially?

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(1 Pet. 5:2; 2 Pet. 2:3).7. Is there evidence of

sexual faithfulness, orhave they left themselvesopen to question andrumor? (2 Pet. 2:14).

8. Do they lovingly andcourageously tell thetruth about sin, or dothey only tell their groupwhat they want to hear?(2 Tim. 4:3-4).

9. Do they sacrifice theirown interests for the well-being of their group, orare they carried like kingson the shoulders of theirfollowers? (Phil. 2:3-4).

10. Do they draw theattention and allegianceof their followers to JesusChrist, or do they focusattention on themselves?(Acts 20:28-31; 3 Jn. 9-10).

11. Do they lead by“throwing their weight around,” or by information,encouragement, andexample? (1 Pet. 5:1-4).

12. Are they willing to beviewed as brothers? (Mt. 23:8-12).

13. Is their group loved and hated because oftheir personal faith andallegiance to Christ, orbecause of the teachingsand interpretationspeculiar to the founder?(1 Tim. 1:3-7).

14. Do they keep theirmembers by love,example, and teaching,or by making themafraid to leave thegroup? (Gal. 2:11-21).

15. Do they meet thequalifications of aspiritual overseer, or are they gifted men ofquestionable character?(1 Tim. 3:1-7).

These questions addressissues rooted not merely in a leader’s words but in his or her attitudes and actions.They help us to see that theissue is not just doctrine, butthe spirit and fruit of theleader.

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WHAT ARE THE MARKS OF A DRG?

JJeannie Mills, a formermember of the Jim Jonescult and a survivor of the

Jonestown massacre, wrotethe following insight:

When you meet thefriendliest people youhave ever known, whointroduce you to themost loving group of people you’veencountered, and youfind the leader to be themost inspired, caring,compassionate, andunderstanding personyou have ever met, andthen you learn that thecause of the group issomething you neverdared hope could beaccomplished, and all of this sounds too goodto be true—it probably is too good to be true!Don’t give up youreducation, your hopes,

and ambitions to followa rainbow.False groups do not

draw their strength fromtheir errors. They drawstrength from their ability to counterfeit elements that are present in healthyreligious groups but aretreated differently.

1. Idealism. DRGs are often made up ofdisappointed idealists who have been burned intraditional churches. Theybelieve God has raised themup to accomplish whatothers have failed to do.Their vision is to recover thelost purpose of the church.

2. Authority. Thosewho are looking forunambiguous direction,boundaries, and security are drawn to the safety instructure that authoritarianleadership provides.

3. Enthusiasm. Peoplewho have had a taste ofdead orthodoxy will beespecially attracted to an

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enthusiastic spiritualexperience. Few discoveriesare more appealing thanfinding a group excitedabout what it has—even if the group is wrong.

4. Family. Within adangerous group there isoften an intense sense ofidentity and family. Familymembers are viewed asbrothers and sisters, unitedagainst the outside world.Their unity is not found inGod, however, but in their“father,” mentor, andteacher.

5. Biblical Emphasis.Many DRGs give muchattention to Bible study. But their learning is oftencarefully orchestrated byclever leaders who providetheir own interpretation ofScripture. Members arewarned about readingauthors who are outside of their group.

6. Sacrifice. Formermembers of DRGs say thatone of the things that was so

appealing was that thegroup asked them for asense of commitment andbelief that cost something.One member says, “Itdoesn’t start out that you arethe only ones who have thetruth, but that you are theonly ones making sacrificesfor the truth. I didn’t wantanything cheap. I wantedsomething that cost me formy commitment.”

7. Exclusivism. DRGmembers often develop thebelief that they alone havebeen entrusted with thetruth. The opportunity to be a part of a select group of God’s chosen servants isattractive.

8. Indoctrination.An additional mark of manydangerous religious groupsis their use of sophisticatedmethods of recruitment andcoercive persuasion. Ratherthan allowing converts tomake decisions of faithbased on their own sense ofgood judgment, some groups

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break down individualthinking by one or more ofthe following techniques:

Isolation. Recruits areisolated from family, friends,and news media in order toscreen out opposing pointsof view.

Peer-group Pressure. Potentialconverts are subjected to intense persuasion bygroup members.

Love Bombing. Groupmembers give prospects anoverwhelming sense ofacceptance, belonging, andsignificance by “bombing”them with flattery, touching,and hugging.

Removal Of Privacy.Recruits are never left aloneto collect and discover theirown thoughts.

Sleep DeprivationAnd Fatigue. A person’sresistance is broken downby long meetings andextended work hours.

Games. Complex games are played for the

purpose of creating a sense of dependence on the rule-giving leader.

Mind Control.Members are conditioned to stop thinking and toaccept without question therevelations and doctrines oftheir leader.

Confession. The self-respect of the members isbroken down throughpersuading them to sharetheir innermost secrets withthe group.

Change Of Diet.Members are providedinadequate nutrition, whichbreaks down their resistanceand makes them vulnerableto suggestion.

Fear. Negative thoughtsor doubts about the group orits leader are said to be soul-threatening. Anyone leavingthe group is warned aboutharsh consequences.

Chanting AndSinging. Members aresubjected to constantrepetition, which blocks

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their rational thoughtprocesses.

ChildlikeDependence. The leader demands absolutesubmission to his control.

No Questions.Followers are taught toaccept without question the revelations andinterpretations of theirleaders.

Dress. Conformity of dress is encouraged tosuppress individuality.

Elitism. Every religiousleader outside the group issaid to be satanic or, at best, deceived by an evilconspiracy.

(Adapted from: The CultCrisis, Citizens FreedomFoundation.)

Such methods soundvery different from thoseadvocated by the apostlePaul, when with regard topersuasion he said:

A servant of the Lord mustnot quarrel but be gentleto all, able to teach,

patient, in humilitycorrecting those who arein opposition, if Godperhaps will grant themrepentance, so that theymay know the truth, andthat they may come totheir senses and escapethe snare of the devil,having been taken captiveby him to do his will (2 Tim. 2:24-26).

The result of DRGindoctrination tends tofollow a pattern. While all of us need to look fordangerous thinking in

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While all of us need to look for

dangerous thinkingin ourselves,

there are certainpatterns that

keep showing up in DRGs.


ourselves, there are certainpatterns that keep showingup in DRGs.• Dependence on gifted

leaders, who by claimingto speak for God putthemselves abovequestion.

• Misguided reaction to theexcesses, compromises,and hypocrisy oftraditional religion.

• Withdrawal from society,in the conviction that “we alone” are makingsacrifices worthy of God.

• Cutting off all outsidesources of informationand accountability.

• View of truth changesfrom what is honest towhat is in the interest of the group.

• Self-justification based on the belief thatoutsiders are under the control of Satan.

• Loss of freedom asindividual thoughts,feelings, and choices areincreasingly replaced by

group thoughts, feelings,and decisions.

• Loss of conscience as thegroup and its leadersdraw the individual intobehaviors (often sexual)that destroy moralcourage.

• Adjustment ofexpectations from whatwas originally promisedto what is received.

• Fear of leaving the groupunder the threat of loss of eternal life and reward.These are some of

the conditions that oftendevelop in groups that endup betraying the trust oftheir followers. We need tokeep in mind, however, theseductive way in which suchconditions develop. Theerrors of a group often showup slowly—through thetactic of “Bait And Switch.”It is the kind of deceptionthat can show up not only in others but in and amongourselves as well.

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THE BAIT-AND-SWITCH METHODOF DRGS

UUnethical businessesoften advertise low-priced products to

get consumers in the door.Once in, customers aresubjected to manipulativesales tactics designed to get them to leave withsomething other than what they came in for.

This bait-and-switchtactic is also characteristic of dangerous religiousgroups. Over and over the New Testament warns us not to fall victim to those spiritualleaders who describethemselves as somethingthey are not, as they try to“deceive . . . with persuasivewords” (Col. 2:4). For thisreason we need to takesome time to see whatDRGs often promise—and what the converteventually gets.

SWITCH 1: From Christ To Another

Members of dangerousreligious groups oftendisguise themselves asrepresentatives of Christ (2 Cor. 11:13-15). In time,however, they showthemselves to be serving“another Jesus” (2 Cor. 11:4).

One former member of a DRG says, “I think thedeception of the group isthat they want to be knownas just another Christiandenomination. They’re usingthe same terminology, sowhen they’re talking aboutGod or Jesus we assumethat they’re talking aboutthe God and Jesus of theBible. And that, I think, isthe number one deception,because we don’tunderstand that their Jesusis not the Jesus of the Bible.”

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BAIT SWITCH(true) (counterfeit)

Christ Another➠

➠


This same former DRGmember adds, “Jesus said, ‘I and the Father are one. I am God. If you’ve seen MeYou’ve seen the Father.’ Butin this particular group, thename was correct but Jesuswas the spirit brother ofLucifer. He was my elderbrother.”

Then, showing where the group’s focus moved to,she says, “The founder wasa prophet. They would tellus that he was called by God as a prophet torestore Christianity. Thelonger I was involved with this group, the morepredominant he became.

So much of our teachingwas more about him, hisdoctrines, and the things hetaught instead of what theBible or what Jesus taught.”

Trustworthy Christianleaders realize that theyhave no higher calling thanto point others to the Christof the Bible. They make it

clear that our only hope of salvation is found in His death for our sins, inHis resurrection from thedead, and in His return for His own. Genuinerepresentatives of Christ are not occupied withanything or anyone who has superseded the Son

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What the Bible teaches about Christ:1. He is God in the flesh (Jn. 1:1-14).2. He is our Creator (Col. 1:16).3. He is our Sustainer (Col. 1:17).4. He is our Savior (Jn. 3:16-18).5. He is our Judge (Jn. 5:22-23).6. He is our Example (1 Jn. 2:6).7. He is our Advocate (1 Jn. 2:1).8. He is our Intercessor (Rom. 8:34).9. He is our Teacher (Mt. 23:8,10).


of God. Their focus is not inpolitics, education, activities,or buildings, but rather inthe One who alone deservesfirst place in our hearts andlives (Rev. 2:1-7).

Don’t expect falseteachers to deny Christ “up front.” Few leaders ofDRGs want to be known asenemies of Christ, and fewwant to believe that they are. Look instead for theswitch. Look for the eventual,gradual transfer to the leaderand away from Christ.

SWITCH 2: From The Word Of God To The Word Of Men

He’s 19, a recent collegedrop-out, and the passion of his life is a “believers’fellowship of brothers andsisters” he recently met. He’sconvinced that they represent

the true family of God. Hebelieves they’ve been raisedup in the last days to preachthe pure, uncompromisedWord of God.

He knows his Bible farbetter than any of his oldfriends. He seems to have a Bible verse for everything.What he doesn’t realize isthe extent to which he wasgiven the switch. The switchwas so seductive that he stilldoesn’t realize that many ofthe Bible verses he is usinghave been pulled out ofcontext. They have beencarefully selected by histeachers to support thegroup’s doctrine.

Author and DRG expertRon Enroth says, “Virtuallyall of these religious groupsquote the Bible and makereference to Jesus. They will emphasize that theirparticular group thinks veryhighly of the Bible. Whatthey usually do [however] isdownplay the significance ofScripture, distort Scripture,

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Christ AnotherWord of God Word of Men

➠➠

➠


and sometimes, but notoften, completely dismissScripture. They will takeverses out of context. Theywill use proof-texts, and theywill very often substitute orprovide additional truth,additional revelation fromanother source.”

One former member of a DRG didn’t discover theswitch until after gettinginvolved in the group’sheadquarters. He says, “My main questions camewhen I was working at theirheadquarters in New York. Istarted reading Romans andGalatians, by themselves,without their books.Typically, they read

the Bible, but they read itwith a lot of other books to explain it. So when Istarted reading Romans andGalatians alone, it dawnedon me that there was thistalk about living by the Spiritand freedom and followingGod in a personal way as

opposed to rules, andstructure, and law. Then I discovered that there wereother leaders who also werecoming up with some of thesame conclusions in theirresearch—that there weredifferences between the Bibleand the organization. Andthese men eventually startedgetting thrown out becausethere was a lot of paranoia.

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What the Bible teaches about itself:1. The Scriptures—not traditions—are to be our

authority (Mt. 15:3-9).2. The Scriptures are to be used to determine the

accuracy of our teachers (Acts 17:11).3. The Scriptures are to be carefully studied and

interpreted (2 Tim. 2:15).4. The Scriptures are an authority to which we should

not add, and from which we should not subtract (Rev. 22:18-19).


If anyone disagreed with themain leadership body—evenin the slightest—they’d panicand the witch hunt wouldstart.”

SWITCH 3: From Leadership To Tyranny

In 26 years of life she hadnever heard anyone talk likethis man. The first time sheheard him speak, she wasconvinced that he was aprophet. His deep-set eyesmoved searchingly amongthe flock he called hisfamily. Never had she seensuch love or heard the Bibletaught with such authority.Before long she was trustinghis judgment more than her own.

In the beginning, heoffered leadership. Butsomewhere the switch was

made to tyranny. Instead ofleading by example, he ledby intimidation. Instead ofshowing the gentleness ofthe Spirit, he was brash anddemanding. Instead of beingcareful not to go beyond the Bible, he mixed his own opinions with Scripture. Instead of helping his members grow in personal maturity anddiscernment, he encouragedthem to regress into childlikedependence on him. Insteadof recognizing that Godprovides many leaders forHis church, he claimed tohave the sole authority tospeak on behalf of God.Instead of sacrificing hisown interests for the group,he used them to feed hisinsatiable appetite foradmiration and approval.

One former member of a DRG says, “I was veryimpressed when I first joinedthe group because they keptemphasizing that we coulddo any kind of research or

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Christ AnotherWord of God Word of MenLeadership Tyranny

➠➠➠

➠


ask any kind of question wewanted to have answered.Everything was open andaboveboard. But after I was in for a few years, I discovered that wasn’t thecase. People who questionedtheir leadership or theirauthority were thrown out.They were treated like evil

people. They were slandered.There was no freedom to askquestions once you were amember, once you were in.They demanded absoluteloyalty to the leadership.”

Unfortunately, suchleadership can show upclose to home. Ron Enrothsays, “I think there’s apotential danger in evennormal Christian churches to slide in the direction ofextremism, to slide in the

direction of what I callabusive churches. And one of the primary dangersignals is when the pastor,the leader in a church like that, begins to intrude into the personal lives of the members of thecongregation, begins todictate to them how they

should dress, what theyshould eat. And also beginsto control and manipulatemarriages and the intimateaspects of male-female,husband-wife relationships.When there’s an intrusioninto the personal lives ofparishioners in the name of God, in the name ofshepherding, you begin tomove in a direction that Ithink is unhealthy. You beginto cross a line from genuine

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What the Bible teaches about God’s leaders:1. They lead by example (1 Pet. 5:3).2. They lead by serving (Lk. 22:24-27).3. They lead by kindness, gentleness, and patience

(2 Tim. 2:24-26).4. They lead by rightly interpreting and applying God’s

Word (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16).


shepherding to control.”Concerning such a leader,

the apostle John wrote:I wrote to the church, butDiotrephes, who loves tobe first, will have nothingto do with us. So if Icome, I will call attentionto what he is doing,gossiping maliciouslyabout us. Not satisfiedwith that, he refuses towelcome the brothers. Healso stops those who wantto do so (3 Jn. 9-10 NIV).

SWITCH 4: From Faith To Presumption

He was intelligent,sensitive—and hurting. His parents were splitting up because his dad hadbeen unfaithful. Whatconfused him was that his

dad had been a leader in their church’s youthdepartment for years. Hismom sang in the choir.

Now, during his secondyear of college, so much oflife didn’t seem to makesense. Everything seemed so unsure. He felt empty. He had been dating a girl he cared about. But he was no longer sure that hewanted to get involved in a close relationship withanyone—ever.

A visit to a friend’s “Bible study group,” however, struck a deep,responsive chord. The leadernot only projected warm,fatherly confidence, but healso talked about a kind of faith that is as big andmiraculous as God Himself.

He knew immediatelythat this group had what he wanted. They seemed tohave real faith in God. Theywere alive, and loving, andconfident that God wouldprovide for all of their needs.

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They seemed to reflect the faith that first-centuryChristians possessed. They were claiming rightsthat the lukewarm, faithless,tradition-encrusted church-at-large had long since failedto accept.

Yet, what the studentcouldn’t foresee was theswitch that would occur.He was drawn in withquotations from the Bibleabout miracle-working faith.He came wanting faith. Hewalked away with a taste ofpresumption. He walkedaway thinking that faith is“what we can believe Godfor” rather than a willingnessto believe what God has

said. The teacher failed totell him that God wouldmove mountains in responseto faith only if God said Hewanted a mountain movedby faith.

The right kind of faith maintains a childlike,

reverent, humble posturebefore God (Lk. 17:1-10). It is rooted in what God hassaid (Rom. 4:18-22), not inwhat the “believer” trustsGod to do. The right faithrecognizes that God can do anything, and that Hisresources are unlimited (Mt. 6:25-34). But it alsorecognizes that He reservesthe right to determine theterms and timing by which

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What the Bible teaches about faith:1. Right faith means believing that God is willing and able

to do what He said He would do (Rom. 4:20-21).2. Right faith acknowledges that God knows what

is best for us (Job 42:1-6; Mt. 26:39; Rom. 8:26; 2 Cor. 12:7-10).

3. Right faith responds to what God has told us to do(Lk. 17:1-10).

4. Right faith lets God be God and trusts in His wisdomand goodness (Rom. 11:33-36).


He will provide for us (2 Cor.12:7-10; Phil. 4:10-13).

One of the identifyingmarks of false teachers isthat they tend to be brazenlyself-willed, arrogant, andeven irreverent in the use of their alleged spiritualknowledge and authority.Real faith doesn’t “believeGod” to respond to ourevery spiritual whim, desire, or demand. Real faith trusts God to keep allof His promises—in His ownway and in His own time.

SWITCH 5: From Separation To Isolation

The DRG “family” oftenfollows a predictable patternof self-imposed isolation,fence-building, and burned

bridges. Once again,however, the process movesfrom that which is biblical to that which is dangerous.

DRG authority RuthTucker says, “Isolation and separation are realdistinctions that we need to make. Never in theBible do we see a Christiancommunity that is isolated.It’s always out in the world.And there’s always a senseof community, even betweenone group and another. That is something we oughtto look for. But separation issomething the Scripture callsfor. And I think that if there’sanything to say about thecontemporary church is thatwe don’t uphold this ideal of separation. Our youngpeople live just like theyoung people of the world.”

It is that very failure thatDRGs often point out. Andin the beginning the call to“come out and be separate”is timely. In the beginningthe group is taught to see

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the errors of traditionalchurches which so blur theline between the world andthe church that no cleardistinction remains. Newconverts rightly learn thatGod’s people are to bedifferent—distinct andidentifiable.

In time, however, DRGsemphasize separation not so much to protect the groupfrom error as to make surethey don’t see the light. One former DRG memberrelates this kind of mindcontrol and “informationmanagement” when he says,“One of the ways that theycontrol you is throughisolation of information.You’re not supposed to readcertain things. Especially

things from ex-members ofthe group. That is ‘apostateliterature.’ That [they tell us]is hate literature. So[through] informationcontrol . . . they isolate you from certain types ofinvolvements in groups andfriendships. They isolate you

in their own little world withtheir five meetings a week.They tell you how to think,and what’s right. They tellyou that if you leave, yourlife is going to fall apart andyou’re going to lose God inyour life.”

Again, in the beginningsuch separation soundslogical, biblical, andnecessary to protect thegroup from being pressedinto the mold of the existing

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What the Bible teaches about separation:1. Right separation does not remove us from social

contact (Mt. 9:13; Lk. 7:34; 1 Cor. 5:9-11).2. Right separation does not put us above accountability

to an outside world (1 Tim. 3:7).3. Right separation involves cleanness of heart, not just

cleanness of body (Lk. 11:39).


social order. Yet in time asubtle switch often occurs.In time the isolation is usednot to protect the group fromerror but from the truth.

Right separation involvesa separation from the sinsof a society, not from thesociety itself.

SWITCH 6: From Salvation To False Trust

They had carried signs inthe Fourth of July parade.Onlookers had throwninsults and empty beer cans at them as they walkeddown Fifth Avenue withposters that read, “Repent—The End Is Near,” “Jesus IsComing.” All who read themrecognized the message:

Salvation is the only answer.Only those who turn to Godcan expect to escape thejudgment.

From all appearances,this was a group of peoplewho knew the way toheaven. But appearancescan be deceiving. Noteveryone pointing the way toheaven is going there. In thiscase a switch had occurred.Members came into thisgroup with a desire to escapethe coming judgment. Theycame with a desire to escapethe consequences of theirsins. But the salvation theylonged for remained only awish. Instead of experiencingthe confidence that salvationis a gift received by gracethrough faith in Christ alone,the group members hadunknowingly accepted adifferent gospel. Disgustedby the hypocrisy they hadseen among Christians whoclaimed faith without anychange of life, they believedthat salvation is a result of

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repentance and a willingnessto turn from all known sin.They freely quoted that“faith without works isdead,” but somehow missedthe logic of the apostle who,just as forcefully reasoned,

“But to him who does notwork but believes on Himwho justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted forrighteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

Such groups are right about our need forrepentance, obedience, and sacrifice. But they aredesperately wrong in theirassumption that God rewardsthose who turn from theirsins to escape the comingwrath. There is nothing wecan do to receive salvation

except believe the truthabout our sin and the truthabout who Christ is and whatHe has done for us.

Looking back, one former DRG member says,“Salvation within this group

is based on works. So it’s afeeling that you’re pleasingGod by doing all these goodthings. But the assurance Ihave [now] is the assuranceof who Jesus is and that Iwill spend eternity with Him, not because of whatI’ve done or because of whatI do, but because of whose I am, because He has paidthe price for my sin, andthat because of His love I’m one of the chosen onesadopted into His family.”

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What the Bible teaches about salvation:1. Salvation is the result of what we believe, not the

result of what we do (Rom. 4:5).2. Salvation is by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).3. Salvation is meant to result in good works (Eph. 2:10).4. Salvation is missed by those who, while having a zeal

for God, try to win God’s approval on the basis oftheir own right actions (Rom. 10:1-4).


WHAT’S THEDIFFERENCEBETWEEN THERIGHT KIND OF CHURCH AND A DRG?

BBy now you’ve realizedthat a group isn’tnecessarily good just

because it’s religious. “So,”you ask, “how can I tell a good religious group from a bad one?” Here are some comparisons thatdemonstrate the differencebetween the right kind ofchurch and a dangerousreligious group.

1. The right kind ofchurch stresses the authorityof Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17).DRGs often emphasize theauthority of leaders whoclaim to have receivedadditional messages fromGod.

2. The right kind ofchurch is directed bypersons who lead with

strong but gentle example, instruction, andencouragement (2 Tim. 2:24-25; 1 Pet. 5:1-3). The leadersof DRGs often dominate by the strength of theirpersonality, and by fear,rules, and threats.

3. The right kind ofchurch teaches godlyrelationships within society(1 Cor. 5:9-11; 1 Pet. 2:11-17). Some DRGs requiretotal withdrawal from societyexcept for purposes ofgaining money or converts.

4. The right kind ofchurch encourages love andrespect for family members,while recognizing that afamily member’s disregardfor Christ may producedivision (Mt. 10:34-37; Eph. 5:22–6:4). Many DRGs insist on contempt for nonmember parentsregardless of what thoseparents think of Christ.

5. The right kind ofchurch keeps its focus onChrist (1 Cor. 1:10-17;

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2 Cor. 4:5-6). DRGs oftenshift that focus to the personand teachings of their leader.

6. The right kind ofchurch shows respect even for those people andinstitutions they believe tobe under the influence ofSatan (Rom. 13:1-7; Ti. 3:1;1 Pet. 2:13-17). DRGs often encourage scorn andcontempt for outsiders.

7. The right kind ofchurch acts with integrity atall costs (2 Cor. 4:2). DRGsoften operate by the rulethat anything that protectsand promotes the group isallowable.

8. The right kind ofchurch requires its leaders tomaintain a high standard ofmoral purity (1 Tim. 3:1-13;Ti. 1:5-9). DRGs often allowtheir leader to live “abovethe law.”

9. The right kind ofchurch makes personal faith in Christ the solerequirement for salvation(Gal. 3:1-7; Eph. 2:8-9).

DRGs almost always makeadditional requirementssuch as baptism orobedience.

10. The right kind ofchurch teaches that giving is to be done on a voluntarybasis (2 Cor. 9:7). DRGsoften spell out the givingrequirements, or demandthat property be assigned to the group.

11. The right kind ofchurch encourages membersto judge for themselveswhether they are being ledin a manner consistent withthe Bible (Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Jn. 4:1-6). DRGs oftendiscourage or even forbid

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The right kind of church makes

personal faith in Christ the

sole requirement for salvation.


any critical or analyticalthinking.

12. The right kind ofchurch recognizes andaccepts all who confess thename of Christ in faith andpractice (1 Cor. 3:1-9; Phil.1:15-18; 2 Jn. 7-11). DRGsoften recognize only theirown membership.

13. The right kind ofchurch teaches biblicalprinciples, which in turnencourage personal growth,thought, decisions, andmaturity (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:1-3). DRGs often create a sense ofdependence, which in turnallows the leader to make all important decisions.

14. The right kind ofchurch avoids manipulativetechniques of persuasion,while believing in the abilityof the Spirit of God to workin people’s lives through theWord of God (1 Cor. 2:3-5; 2 Cor. 2:17; 10:1-6). DRGsmay use techniques ofbehavior modification

similar to those used onprisoners of war.

15. The right kind ofchurch is loved or hatedbecause of its identificationwith Christ and His Word(Mt. 5:11; Jn. 15:18-21).DRGs are usually loved orhated because of what theyadd to or subtract fromChrist and His Word.

Because of themultiplication of cults that will mark the end of this millennium, the wordsof the apostle Paul areespecially timely:

I know this, that after mydeparture savage wolveswill come in among you,not sparing the flock. Alsofrom among yourselvesmen will rise up, speakingperverse things, to drawaway the disciples afterthemselves. Thereforewatch, and remember thatfor three years I did notcease to warn everyonenight and day with tears(Acts 20:29-31).

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COMING OUT

OOne mark of a DRG isthe power it holdsover members whose

better judgment tells themthey need to get out. Oneformer member says, “Ittook me months to get upenough courage to say, ‘I’m leaving. This is wrong.It’s going against myconscience. I’ve got to get out of here—regardlessof the consequences.’ And I had to do some seriouspraying because I wasafraid. I was afraid of losingeverything. There’s no otherplace to go. They quote John 6:68 [where Jesusasked His disciples if theywere going to leave Him].And Peter said, ‘There’s noone else to go to but to You,because You have the words of life.’ But when they say that, they’re saying that we can’t leavethe group. There’s no placeelse to go. There’s no life

outside the organization.”But according to DRG

expert Ron Enroth, “Thegood news is that peoplecan leave these groupssuccessfully. There is lifeoutside of the cult. And the best news is that it ispossible for them to have agenuine relationship withGod through Jesus Christ. I have seen so many livestransformed by the goodnews of the gospel. Formany of these people, thegood news of the cult hasbeen bad news. They needto experience the grace andforgiveness of God. Theyneed to experience freedom,not bondage. I have seenpeople leave groups and in a period of days,overnight sometimes, have a life change that is very dramatic, veryevident, and very exciting.”

But for some the road is rough. One woman whomade the break says, “I wasvery angry with God for a

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while. The anger anddepression that I wentthrough were enormous. I can remember havingsuicidal thoughts andthinking that everything Ihad wanted was practicallygone, so where was I goingto go from here? I took adrive one time and reallycontemplated and prayedand asked God to give methe courage to take my lifebecause I thought thingswere in such disarray that it would never, ever comeback. But God is faithful,and He has brought me intoa relationship with Him andwith a group that is reachingout and helping others. It’sjust amazing what He hasdone in my life!”

God can break thebondage! As one formermember says, “I thought if I left the group I would be leaving Jesus Christ. Ithought I would be leavingthe work of God. I thoughtGod would forsake me. But

now I know a God who isbigger than all that. He ismerciful and forgiving. I’mso glad to have Christ in mylife because He’s directing it.He’s giving me peace. He’sgiving me a purpose forliving. And He’s workingeverything out for His good.That’s why I have brighthope for the future.”

There is hope. But first the DRG member must acknowledge the sin of giving to a man, woman,or organization the honorthat belongs to God alone.How thankful we can bethat for such sins Christdied! How thankful we can be that Christ then rose from the dead to give new life to all who will trust Him—the onlyOne who deserves to becalled Teacher—to lead us to the only One whodeserves to be called Father (Mt. 23:8-10).

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how to identify a dangerous religious group

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