Why Cults Prosper

 

These past 2 weeks, it has been crazy busy with a vacation to see my brother get his doctorate degree. Also on the 18th, I begin working 3 days a week at my summer job. So with all this busyness plus trying to finish a book by the end of summer has led to a lack of posts. I'm sorry there hasn't been much content lately but hopefully that will resume soon. Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog. 

Today's post is directly from my book that I'll be releasing in August about cults and false religions. This chapter deals with the puzzling questions of why these dark and suspicious cults grow.

*taken from the book, Study of Cults and False Religions.

 

A question that has often wondered through my mind is why do these cults prosper? Why do these false religions have millions of followers? From much research, here is what I can conclude.

1. Love of Darkness

John 3:19–21“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

A person that desires to live an immoral or even self-centered lifestyle will flee and forsake from the truth because light and darkness are separate. One cannot be a content Christian that dwells in darkness and sin. God and the Bible will call followers to live a righteous life. This makes our sinful flesh not want it. So foolishly instead of recognizing God’s moral law, they choose to embrace a false religion that excuses or pacifies their sin. The most common group of people that do this are materialists.

2. Spiritual Immaturity

1 Peter 2:2“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.”

“The period in our Christian lives when we are most vulnerable to the subtlety of false religion is when we are in spiritual infancy.”
— Dave Breese

The Christian that does not grow will be in danger of falling to other false religions. It is imperative of the new Christian to grow and be firmly planted in the right doctrine. Because when they are not, they are in imminent danger of being carried away with wrong doctrine.

Ephesians 4:14“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

The key to spiritual growth is placing your foundation of beliefs within the Word of God.

3. Deceitfulness of Cults

Ephesians 4:14“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

Just as Satan deceived Eve in the garden, cults seek to deceive others into following their religion. Cults leaders are good at deceiving others away from the truth. They have manipulative forms of communication that try to persuade someone into their religion by means of emotion, charismatic personality, authority, and fear.

4. Spiritual Longing

An important truth we must understand is that every human has within their heart, the innate hope of a loving and real God. People naturally hope that their life has meaning and purpose.

         Psalm 42:1–2“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God…”

Every person has a void in their soul that can only be filled with a relationship with God. This longing desire is the fuel that energizes the growth of most cults. These cults promise spiritual satisfaction and peace. So in an attempt to fill that void, they follow (sometimes blindly) a false religion just to give a peace to their hearts and to fulfill a burning longing in their soul. Perhaps this is the biggest reason cults prosper.

Understanding this should ignite a fervor in our hearts to reach the lost and tell them about a God that loves them. A God that will bring peace and joy to their heart. A God that will fulfill that longing desire within their heart. A God that paid our sin debt. A God that wants to be our Lord and Savior.

The greatness of our God is the reason we have a lasting hope that goes beyond the grave!