IS MORMONISM A CULT?

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#CC9900" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="043005a0dwnjzk.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="EDWARD WATSONS WEBWORLD"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B> | </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>EDWARD WATS</B><B>ON'S WEBWORLD</B></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="INTRO"><U><B>INTRO</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id120.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="KNOWING TRUTH"><U><B>KNOWING TRUTH</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id121.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WHY MORMONS?"><U><B>WHY MORMONS?</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id122.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="INTELLECTUAL APPEAL"><U><B>INTELLECTUAL APPEAL</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id123.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PURPOSE AND USAGE"><U><B>PURPOSE AND USAGE</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id124.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ADAPTABILITY"><U><B>ADAPTABILITY</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id125.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WHAT IS MORMONISM?"><U><B>WHAT IS MORMONISM?</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id126.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST"><U><B>THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BIBLICAL EXPERTS"><U><B>BIBLICAL EXPERTS</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>IS MORMONISM A CULT?</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id129.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HISTORICAL REFUTATION VS SCRIPTURAL REFU"><U><B>HISTORICAL REFUTATION VS SCRIPTURAL REFUTATION</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id130.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CREDENTIALS"><U><B>CREDENTIALS</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BIBLICAL VIEW"><U><B>BIBLICAL VIEW</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id132.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PERSONAL NOTE"><U><B>PERSONAL NOTE</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id133.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOOK OF MORMON"><U><B>BOOK OF MORMON</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id135.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ABBREVIATIONS"><U><B>ABBREVIATIONS</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> IS MORMONISM A CULT?</div> <div> <A HREF="id118.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="INTRO"><U><B>Introduction</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id120.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="KNOWING TRUTH"><U><B>The best way to know the Truth</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id121.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WHY MORMONS?"><U><B>Why are we called “Mormons”? </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id122.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="INTELLECTUAL APPEAL"><U><B>The intellectual appeal of Mormonism</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id123.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PURPOSE AND USAGE"><U><B>What these books are for and how to use them</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id124.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ADAPTABILITY"><U><B>The adaptability of Mormonism</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id125.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WHAT IS MORMONISM?"><U><B>What is Mormonism?</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id126.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST"><U><B>The Church is the Bride of Christ!</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BIBLICAL EXPERTS"><U><B>The four types of biblical experts</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id128.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="IS MORMONISM A CULT?"><U><B>Is  Mormonism a Cult?</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id129.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HISTORICAL REFUTATION VS SCRIPTURAL REFU"><U><B>Historical refutation vs Scriptural refutation</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id130.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CREDENTIALS"><U><B>The issue of credentials </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BIBLICAL VIEW"><U><B>My view of the Bible</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id132.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PERSONAL NOTE"><U><B>A personal note</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id133.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOOK OF MORMON"><U><B>Coming back to the Book of Mormon</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>[MORMONISM. The Faith of the Twenty-first Century. Volume 1. Edward K. Watson. (Liahona Publications. Copyright © 1998 Edward K. Watson.) pp. lxxxi-lxxxiii. MORMONISM: Series Introduction. All rights reserved.]</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Is </B> <B>Mormonism a Cult?</B></div> <bR> <div>      We are often accused of being a “cult” by anti-Mormons. What is a “cult” anyway? Reputable dictionaries define “cult” to follow along the lines of, “a religious practice or worship usually with reference to its rites and ceremonies; a belief system [sometimes with rituals] associated with the worship of a deity; great veneration of a person [such as Mary]; an organization with a central authority figure; enthusiastic support for a person, thing or view; a body with zealous support for a cause; a minority belief; a group viewed by outsiders as heterodox; a group which engages in mind-control over its followers; any group that claims to heal human illnesses by possessing hidden knowledge and employs methods outside the boundaries of the traditional medical establishment.”</div> <div>      Any belief system is legitimately called a “cult.” Any belief system with a central authority figure like Jesus Christ is actually a “cult.” Any church which believes in Jesus is a “cult.” “The cult of Christianity” is repeatedly found in scholastic books. Any minority belief system is called a “cult.” Catholicism is a “cult” in Saudi Arabia. Baptists are a “cult” in China. Any organization or group dedicated to a person, cause/idea or thing is a “cult.” Fan clubs are “cults.” Any organization such as environmental groups, science groups, boy and girl scouts, <I>and humorously, even anti-Mormon groups are legitimately called “cults” by being devoted to a cause</I>, person or thing. Non-traditional medicines are “cults.” A Baptist who doesn't like Roman Catholicism may call it a “cult.” Likewise, a Roman Catholic who doesn't like the Baptist faith may call it a “cult” as well. </div> <div>      The usage of the word depends on who is using it and in what sense. Sociologists would define it to mean a small or new belief system. Psychologists would use it to refer to a mind-control group. Evangelicals use it to refer to any odd or [what they view as] heterodox group that believes in Jesus. Fundamentalists use it in reference to any belief system they don't like and is synonymous with “satanic.” The media uses it in reference to a doomsday group, mind control group, or to any odd belief system connected with a major faith such as Christianity. </div> <div>      Belief systems go through different stages. They all initially fall under the “cult stage,” then progresses to the “sect stage” to the “church stage” and finally to the “denomination stage.” What makes a belief system fall into each category has always been nebulous due to lack of consensus among the different fields involved. </div> <div>      Christianity was a “ cult” during the time of the apostles in the first century. Protestantism was a “cult” during Martin Luther's time by virtue of being a new and distinct belief system, by being a minority faith, by having a central authority figure, and by virtue the prior belief systems viewed them as heterodox.</div> <div>      <I>A true understanding of the word “cult” shows there's nothing wrong with using the word.</I> The problem is the word has fallen from grace and is being used to refer to fringe groups who practice mind-control over their followers. Even this understanding is inapplicable with Mormonism since it doesn't use any of the psychological markers of mind-control. There aren't any sleep-deprivation, isolation from family, extended fasting, stilling of doubt, chanting, repetitious prayer, multiple-day “retreats,” etc.</div> <div>      I find it humorous opponents of Mormonism use the word “cult” without understanding what it really means (1 Tim  1:6-7). <I>It is used as a derogatory term and is simply name-calling. They don't like us and so we're a “</I> <I>cult.”</I> They usually are surprised when accusing me of belonging to a “cult” when I respond with, “Why, thank you, and so are you.” <B>No honest Christian would distort the true meaning of the word. </B></div> <div>      We are supposed to have one mind but the divergence in opinion among the membership shows no such “toeing the party line” often found in mind-control groups. Hostility against conflicting opinion on numerous issues is usually absent in the church unlike those churches who constantly fight against us. It isn't really surprising independent researchers view the Fundamentalist Christian groups who attack us as being more like a mind-control “ cult” than Mormonism.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >1</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>[ENDNOTES]:</B></div> <bR> <div> 1.e.g. HT;  <I>Blind Faith</I> (Kay Marie Porterfield); <I>Casting the first Stone</I> (R. A. Gilbert).</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:ewatson@shaw.ca" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:ewatson@shaw.ca"><U>e-mail me!</U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>