These may sound like silly questions but I have not read over this entire site and I'm not sure what the overall concensus is.

Were the churches of 1st century ( The ones Paul addressed in his letters of the New Testament) Christianity, dangerous cults?

How about the Synogogues of Judaism in the OT?


Thanks for the input! :)

is go to the main page for the Ross Institute and do some background reading on the characteristics that distinguish a dysfunctional/cultic group from one that is functional and healthy.

This article 'Evaluating Spiritual and Utopian Groups' by Arthur J Deikman MD is excellent. [www.deikman.com]

Then go to your New Testament and read Paul's descriptions of the gift of the Holy Spirit - which works in peace and does not sow discord.

Then you can answer your own question.

Finally, there was quite a diversity of Christian theologies from the First to the Fourth Centuries. Paul Brown's book 'The Body and Society' is fascinating, well worth reading.

Why thank you!!! :D

I will read the link and probably get the book as well. :wink:

Sparks has raised a good question here which touches on belief.

It is understandable for a person who has come out of an abusive cultic relationship not to "believe" in something or some "being" unless it can be scientifically proven. This position provides saftey and prevents the person from becoming susceptible to another abusive group.

Scepticism can be health or unhealthy. Healthy sceptisism contains the ingredients of logic, reason and intuition.

The key is to listen to oneself at the individual's appropriate time and ask: What do I believe in?

Oz

:idea: Check this out! [www.apatheticagnostic.com]

But a group can be cultic without even being religious.

Yes, there are political, commercial and meditation cults. Actually youve been subjected to mind control your whole life. Parents,schools,media,advertizing,peer pressure etc. But not all mind control is destructive.

but that does not mean it is a desirable, or even acceptable state of health.

Mind control is not desirable or acceptable either.

One has to set firm guidelines in the case of very young children, but we are supposed to respect human dignity and use age appropriate methods of conscious education as soon as possible, methods that foster alertness and autonomy.

Just because marketing and advertising use forms of covert influence doesnt let cults off the hook.

In fact, if you study the literature on covert influence as used by various cults, you actually do a [i:b286fa743e]better [/i:b286fa743e]job of protecting yourself from such means of influence when improperly used in society at large.

When someone thinks they know better than we do, what we need for our wellbeing and feels entitled to manipulate us without our conscious awareness, thats an insult.

I concur.

Well.. not necessarily. I guess it depends on what you define as "cult".

The definitions in some dictionaries are pretty broad.