Is the Asembly of God a cult?
Posted by:
Grandma in FL
()
Date: September 23, 2005 08:19PM
Two years ago my daughter became seriously involved with a young man. Our family is Catholic, though my daughter and I are non-practicing. She is familiar with many other religions, and is blessed with friends from a variety of faiths who have always included her in their religious activities. Her young man said he was Christian, and was educated in private schools, yet he seemed very ignorant of religion and Jesus in particular. I was told that his mother was "crazy" and belonged to a church that was like a cult. Both my daughter and the young man agreed on this, and told me how the people in the church worshipped the pastor more than God. I asked him if he shared his mother's views, and he strongly denied any involvement at all.
However, now that they are married and have a baby, he lets his mother dictate everything. She was very upset that my daughter breastfed her baby, and did not have him circumcised. My s-i-l had a criminal history he hid from my daughter. He and other family members drink, take drugs, and abuse their wives and children. When my daughter fought with her husband over this the mother sent her to counciling with the AoG pastor, who told her God is working through the men to punish the women for their sins. He was far more interested in my daughter's lack of faith in their religion than in her husband's infidelity, unemployment, drinking, and abuse. When the baby was born my daughter moved back in with me, because she did not want the child subjected to the activities in the father's home. However she still held out hope that her husband would move out of his parent's house and away from their influence, and they could have a life together.
After many months of waiting, my daughter had enough and told her husband she was filing for divorce. The father picked the baby up from our home and refused to let my daughter see him again. He and his mother say that my daughter is the devil, and so are all of her relatives. When I first heard that I laughed and said I had called her far worse at times... but I soon found out they are SERIOUS. They believe the Devil has taken hold of my daughter and they need to protect her baby from her and the rest of our family (because we are catholic we are under control of the devil already). Unfortunately their ability to care for the child is so negligent it borders on abuse. They had little interest in him prior to this, so they do not know his likes or dislikes, or really, anything about him at all. They changed his diet from breastmilk (saying they made the change so he would not need his mother any more) and appropriate pureed and soft baby foods, to tap water and adult table food. They do not notice when he is ill, and they change or refuse to continue his medication.
We had to hire an attorney and now there is a custody battle. I understand the courts do not favor one religion over another, but it is our hope that they recognize that bringing a child up in a religion that causes it to believe its mother and her entire family are under the control of demons really is not in that child's best interest.