CULT DYNAMICS
by Larry Hall
"Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert;
go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not."
(Matt 24:26)

Cult is a four-letter word, especially to those groups who are so described by the orthodox Christian Church. To the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Moonies, et al., the term is offensive. Members of those groups cannot understand why they have been placed under the ugly "cultic" umbrella. Many Christians, as well, are unfamiliar with the word and do not know why it is used to identify any particular group.

There is a sociological use of the word cult that is occasionally used. The position states that whatever is normal to any given belief system is not cultic. This very general description places every religious believer on both sides of the fence at the same time. All adherents are considered normal while they are inside the group, but they are considered cultic when viewed from any other position or belief.

According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, a "cult" is defined in several ways. One definition states, "Formal religious veneration: WORSHIP. A system of religious beliefs and ritual; also: its body of adherents." ⁽¹⁾ But this definition has no more descriptive power than to separate the most devout atheist from any person who believes in a higher celestial power and authority.

Webster's second definition, however, approaches the word from a more specific theological standpoint. It states, "A religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also: its body of adherents." ⁽²⁾ From this position, only those groups that base their doctrines and practices on the Bible are considered normative, and all others are cultic.

Under this second definition, any group (whether it uses the term Christian or not) that is regarded as unorthodox or spurious should be considered a cult. Even though the word regarded is open to interpretation, unorthodox doctrines are not difficult to spot with even a mediocre knowledge of Scripture.

Many characteristics have been observed and isolated by Christian apologists and theologians. It is the goal of this article to properly define the word cult and establish a set of criteria by which true cultic members and leaders may be identified.

What Is a Cult?

According to the late Dr. Walter Martin (author of The Kingdom of the Cults), "A cult...is a group of people polarized around someone's interpretation of the Bible and is characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith, particularly the fact that God became man in Jesus Christ." ⁽³⁾

Dr. Ronald Enroth (author of Youth, Brainwashing and the Extremist Cults) gives us this description, "Cults are defined as religious organizations that tend to be outside the mainstream of the dominant religious forms of any given society. In this sense cults are not new to the American religious scene." ⁽⁴⁾

Josh McDowell says, "A cult is a perversion, a distortion of biblical Christianity and/or a rejection of the historic teachings of the Christian church." ⁽⁵⁾

And John Ankerberg adds, "A 'cult' is a counterfeit of the true faith of the Bible. It is an 'organized heresy.'" ⁽⁶⁾

Perversions, distortions, counterfeits, and organized heresies! All good descriptions of the cults according to the theological model. You will see all these traits in the examples that follow. To be classified as a cult, not all of the following characteristics need to be present; but in many cases, all of them will be. I have included appropriate Scriptures as needed, as darkness is always exposed by the light.

Angels of Light

Cult leaders often appear as "Angels of Light" and convince their followers that they are messengers of truth and wisdom. The Unification Church (Moonies) give us a fitting example.

"With the fullness of time, God has sent his messenger to resolve the fundamental questions of life and the universe. His name is Sun Myung Moon. For many decades, he wandered in a vast spiritual world in search of ultimate truth. He came in contact with many saints in paradise and with Jesus, and thus brought into Light all the heavenly secrets through his communion with God." ⁽⁷⁾

Mary Baker Eddy (founder of Christian Science) wrote, "I should blush to write of Science and Health with Key to the Scripture as I have, were it of human origin and I apart from God its author, but as I was only a scribe echoing the harmonies of Heaven in divine metaphysics, I cannot be super-modest of the Christian Science Textbook."⁽⁸⁾

BUT ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

The "Just-for-Profit" Prophets...

The cult leader is often regarded by his followers as a modern-day prophet or messiah. He is viewed as an infallible interpreter of Scripture, specifically appointed by God to receive special celestial revelations and guidance. He has divine authority that must not be questioned or violated. The prophet's words and writings are usually canonized and are regarded as equal to or greater than the Bible.

Volumes have been written on the false prophecies of the many modern-day charlatans. From the return of Christ by the Jehovah's Witnesses (which has happened so often I've lost count) to the 6-foot-tall, Quaker-style men on the moon professed by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

In 1967, Herbert W. Armstrong (former leader of the Worldwide Church of God) wrote, "Now other prophecies reveal we are to soon have [probably in about four years] such drought and famine, that disease epidemics will follow, taking millions of lives...That condition is coming! And I do not mean in 400 years-nor in 40 years-but in the very next four or five."⁽⁹⁾

Now, 31 years later, Armstrong is shown to be in error. It is ironic, though, that even when prophecies are proven false (and time takes care of ALL false prophets), many followers still remain with the cult. Their investment in time and money, along with the psychological bond to a dominant, charismatic cult leader is apparently too much for them to overcome.

Modern-day prophets are not only a neat status symbol for the cults, but they are considered essential by others. According to the Mormon Church, "Salvation cannot come without revelation; it is in vain for anyone to minister without it. No man is a minister of Jesus Christ without being a prophet." ⁽¹⁰⁾

The Jehovah's Witnesses consider the entire body to be God's prophet. Remember, they are the ones that warned us that the year 1914 would be, "...the farthest limit of the rule of imperfect man. Before the end of A.D. 1914, the last member of the 'body of Christ' will be glorified with the head." ⁽¹¹⁾

The Watchtower tells us, "So, does Jehovah have a prophet to help them, to warn them of dangers and to declare things to come? This 'prophet' was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah's Christian Witnesses." ⁽¹²⁾

BUT ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE: "...the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)

The Bible Is Not Enough...

A common mark of many cults is the use of extrabiblical authority. All cults deny that God has given us the whole truth (if any at all) in the Bible alone. Their distorted theology and attempts to "make God in man's image" force them to search for new interpretations of Scripture.

While some cultic groups give token respect for the Bible and claim reverence to it, in reality they honor primarily their own interpretation of Scripture. In their perversion of God's Word, cult leaders invariably teach another doctrine concerning Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Gospel.

Again, the Jehovah's Witnesses are a perfect example. They have not only reinterpreted the Bible to give us the blasphemous New World Translation, but then they claim that it is inferior to other Watchtower publications, "...we find that people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself, but we see, also, that if anyone lays the 'Scripture Studies' aside, even after he has used them, after he has become familiar with them, after he has read them for ten years if he then lays them aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood the Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness. On the other hand, if he had merely read the 'Scripture Studies' with their references and had not read a page of the Bible as such, he would be in the light at the end of two years, because he would have the light of the Scriptures." ⁽¹³⁾

Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church, was of the opinion that many "plain and precious things" had been removed from the Bible after many years of copying and reprinting. According to Smith, "...the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passage so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible." ⁽¹⁴⁾

Joseph Smith then gave his followers a "New Translation" of the Bible but made it inferior to his Book of Mormon. According to Smith, " I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man could get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." ⁽¹⁵⁾

BUT ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE: "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:6-9)

Incidentally, the word accursed found in Galatians 1:8-9 is a transliteration of the Greek word anathema. The anathema curse was pronounced by the Apostle Paul to the preachers of a false gospel, and it means separated. The phrase accursed from Christ means to be separated from all benefits of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

Early in Christian Church history, the word anathema took on an ecclesiastical meaning and was applied to a person expelled from the Church because of moral offenses or persistence in heresy. The person who continued in stubborn rebellion against the Church was considered "devoted to destruction." ⁽¹⁶⁾

A "Newer and Higher" Truth...

I have always had a problem with anyone claiming a "newer and higher" truth. Does that mean the "older and lower" truth is now false? Such a contradiction, however, doesn't seem to affect the cults of our day. We are faced with a constant barrage of new revelations and discoveries that either deny the Bible or are meant to explain it.

Cult leaders promote the false assumption that God has revealed some special never-before-known truth about His plan for man. Such "revelations" usually come in the form of dreams, visions, or angelic messengers. Joseph Smith even claimed to have seen God the Father face-to-face. Such "truths" are considered by the members to be as accurate (if not more so) than the Bible because they are happening in this very special "end time."

Sun Myung Moon (founder of the Unification Church) proclaims, "I spoke with Jesus Christ in the spirit world. And I spoke also with John the Baptist. This is my authority. If you cannot at this time determine that my words are the truth, you will surely discover that they are in the course of time. These are hidden truths presented to you as a new revelation." ⁽¹⁷⁾

Victor Paul Wierwille (self-appointed guru to The Way International) makes the bold claim, "God spoke to me audibly, just like I'm talking to you now. He said He would teach me the Word as it had not been known since the first century, if I would teach it to others." ⁽¹⁸⁾

BUT ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE: "...If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:18-19)

Kick the King Off His Throne...

Satan's greatest desire has always been to destroy the deity of Christ. He knows that an improper understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ makes salvation impossible.

Cults universally side with Satan in this very serious heresy. Mormons, for example, tell us that Jesus is a created being and the spirit brother of the devil. Christadelphians consider Jesus just one of many Elohim or created gods who were once mortal men. Jehovah's Witnesses believe He is a created being and none other than Michael the archangel. And Christian Scientists believe Jesus was just a man and that Christ is a "divine idea."

Without exception, the Jesus of the cults is always someone less than the eternal God of the Bible who became flesh, lived an earthly life, and died for our sins. Cultic groups go to great lengths to trample under foot the Living God and will someday feel His most severe punishment.

(Theosophy) "Jesus gave to the world fragments of teaching of value as basis for world religion, as did men like Buddha, Confucius, Pythagoras, etc. ...at a certain stage in the career of Jesus, the latter was taken possession of by the great Teacher, the Bodhisattva of eastern tradition." ⁽¹⁹⁾

(Unity School of Christianity) "Jesus Christ Himself was a parable, and his life an allegory of the experiences that man passes through in development from natural to spiritual consciousness." ⁽²⁰⁾

BUT ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE: "...believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." (1 John 4:1-3)

From Man to God

The "gods in embryo" doctrine as taught by the Mormon Church is certainly not a new phenomenon. Man's delusion about his inherent deity has been an integral part of paganism and the occult for thousands of years. The pantheistic world view claims that if god is everything and everything is god, then man must also be god. Hinduism teaches that good karma will allow a person to gravitate through successive reincarnations and eventual enlightenment and godhood.

The deification of man is an important, modern-day cultic teaching. After all, the promise of godhood is a very attractive concept to those who don't know God's plan. It should be remembered that visions of godhood got Lucifer kicked out of heaven. By selling this lie to Adam and Eve, it got them kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Satan has found a very fertile growing field for his idolatry in the minds of unregenerate man!

Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie explains the great Mormon hope, "That exaltation which the saints of all ages have so devoutly sought is godhood itself. Godhood is to have the character, possess the attributes, and enjoy the perfections which the Father has. It is to do what he does, have the powers resident in him, and live as he lives, having eternal increase." ⁽²¹⁾

Theosophists tell us that man, through his own efforts, evolves to a state of godhood (much like the eastern doctrine of karma). According to Krishnamurti, "Man is also equated with God, ...for you are God, and you will only what God wills; but you must dig down deep into yourself to find the God within you and listen to His voice which is your voice." ⁽²²⁾

BUT ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE: "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:...I am the LORD, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:5-6)

Work Your Way to Heaven...

One concept that is totally absent from all the cults is the gospel of the grace of God, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Cults always teach that salvation from eternal damnation depends upon earthly works and legalism. "Do this," "Follow that," "Don't drink coffee," "Shave your head and sell flowers at the airport," "Grab your kids and beat on strange doors for 3 hours each Saturday morning," etc. It may be baptism, obedience to temple rituals, special eating habits, or something else. But it is never taught that faith in Christ alone will save anyone.

As a result of the heavy demand for earthly works, there is never a total assurance of salvation. Cult leaders are able to use this legal doctrine to keep their followers in spiritual bondage, total obedience, and fear.

A good example of "works salvation" is found in the Worldwide Church of God, "Salvation, then, is a process! But how the God of this world would blind your eyes to that! He tries to deceive you into thinking all there is to it is just 'accepting Christ' with 'no works' and presto-chango, you are pronounced 'saved.' But the Bible reveals that none is yet saved." ⁽²³⁾

BUT ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." (Titus 1:15-16)

To Hell With the Christians...

When a cult leader announces himself to be the only true Christ, prophet, sage, or seer, he usually declares all other groups to be defective, dishonest, deceitful, and deluded. All opposing views are proclaimed to be satanic and corrupt. Orthodox Christianity is considered as nonsense and is generally viewed as wicked and apostate.

Let's listen to the Mormons, "We talk about Christianity, but it is a perfect pack of nonsense. It is as corrupt as hell; and the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century." ⁽²⁴⁾

"When the light came to me, I saw that all the so-called Christian world was groveling in darkness." ⁽²⁵⁾

"Brother Taylor has just said that the religions of the day were hatched in hell. The eggs were laid in hell, hatched on its borders, and then kicked on to the earth." ⁽²⁶⁾

According to Herbert W. Armstrong of the Worldwide Church of God, "...I found that the popular church teachings and practices were not based on the Bible. They had originated...in paganism. The amazing, unbelievable TRUTH was, the sources of these popular beliefs and practices of professing Christianity was quite largely, paganism and human reasoning and custom, not the Bible!" ⁽²⁷⁾

Theosophists proclaim, "...Christianity is now the religion of arrogance, par excellence, a stepping-stone for ambition, a sinecure for wealth, shame, and power; a convenient screen for hypocrisy." ⁽²⁸⁾

And according to Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church, "They [Christians] are against me. They are weak people. Those Christians are already out of the sight of God. God is leaving them, and they are destined to perish. The Christian world is now crumbling." ⁽²⁹⁾

To some, persecution of their cultic group is actually welcomed. It supports their contention that they are being persecuted because of their own righteousness and convictions.

The Watchtower speaks again, "By the fourth century C.E., that old Serpent, Satan the Devil, had brought forth his masterpiece of deception, the apostate religion of Christendom a Babylonish system hidden under a 'Christian' veneer. Christendom carries a heavy bloodguilt, having been deeply involved on both sides in World Wars I and II. Some political rulers in Christendom even used these wars as a pretext for slaughtering anointed servants of God [Witnesses]. These youthful martyrs, worthy supporters of Jesus' anointed brothers, will surely have a resurrection into the promised new earth." ⁽³⁰⁾

Pick and Choose

When cultic groups refer to Scripture to support doctrine, they invariably wrest it, misinterpret it, add to it, and take away from it. They tend to focus on one verse or passage of the Bible to the exclusion of others and without regard for the context in which the Scripture is found.

Such "proof-texting" or out-of-context doctrine is a clear violation of hermeneutical principles of Biblical interpretation. Biblical exegesis is valid only when the statement can be supported by the Bible in its entirety. "...In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." (2 Corinthians 13:1)

Dr. Walter Martin summed up the cultic practice this way, "A text without a context is a pretext...usually for a lie."

An example of out-of-context doctrine can be observed in the Mormon use of one obscure passage in 1 Corinthians 15:29, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?"  This sole passage has been used by the Mormon Church to allow their living members to be baptized for their non-Mormon dead relatives and give them a second chance at salvation.

A close reading of the passage, however, shows that Paul is not advocating baptism for the dead as the Mormons assume. Paul is merely acknowledging its presence among some of the pagan and non-Christian Corinthians and using it as an argument for the resurrection. Scripture is plain on the subject when it says, "...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (Hebrews 9:27)

Eisegesis (reading into a text one's own ideas) is another very serious cultic problem. Practically any doctrine you can dream up can be supported by Scripture if you manipulate the text and its meaning far enough. For example, follow my reasoning as I pick three nonrelated verses (Matthew 27:5, Luke 10:37, and 1 Corinthians 6:20) and read them together: "...he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Such twisting of Scripture makes it appear that self-destruction is condoned by Jesus. The idea may seem ludicrous, but it was this same kind of logic that permitted David Berg (Church of God also known as the Family of Love) to allow wife-and-husband swapping within his cult. He understood Acts 2:44 ("And all that believed were together, and had all things common;") to mean husbands and wives as well!

The Old Shell Game

Cultic groups are rather fond of spiritual deception. In order to gain favor with an unwary public and recruit new members for their cause, the use of false or misleading doctrines is common.

For example, Mormon missionaries at my door are not very quick to explain to me that their god has a body of flesh and bones or that he was once a man just like me. I get the feeling on occasion that the missionaries are just as ashamed of their doctrines as I am ashamed of their doctrines, but they are unable to get out gracefully!

Cults often deny the existence of a final judgment of the unrighteous. An eternal hellfire is a Biblical truth that scares the devil. He doesn't want you to believe in it, as that will only force you into making a choice for Christ in this lifetime!

Cultic explanations cover the gamut from soul sleep to annihilation to progression to godhood. Mormons teach that even the wicked will make it to the "Telestial Kingdom." They believe God's eternal punishment is just a temporary "burning out" phase that must be endured for only "one hour, one week, or one year, or an age." ⁽³¹⁾

Cults thrive on proselytism (recruiting members, usually with the offer of special inducements) and take glory in those they proselyte. Jesus spoke on the subject even in His day, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." (Matthew 23:15)

And you better not question them too loudly! Most cult leaders have very dominant and convincing personalities. They make heavy demands of their followers, all of whom are blind to their own bondage! Cults often demand total obedience and commitment by their converts.

According to the Mormon Church, "When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done. When they propose a plan it is God's plan. When they point the way, there is no other way which is safe. When they give directions, it should mark the end of the controversy." ⁽³²⁾

We Have Been Warned...

Jesus warned us all that the day would come when false Christs would seduce the church, "...Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." (Mark 13:5-6)

Over 30,000 young devotees fell on their faces in worship of their "perfect master" in Houston, Texas. A young guru had just proclaimed loud and clear, "I am the lord of the universe." ⁽³³⁾

Bonnie Thielmann, a onetime "daughter" who lived with the Jones family recalls her experience, "Jim Jones claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. One of the evidences he would give was the apparent stigmata. At the climax of our meetings, he would hold up his hands, and blood would stream from his palms." ⁽³⁴⁾

Jim Jones was eventually responsible for the suicide deaths of more than 900 souls in the People's Temple compound in Guyana.

There are hundreds of cult leaders who now profess to be the Messiah! I believe the prophecy of Jesus in Mark 13:5-6 is now being fulfilled! "...Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

There's a Job to Be Done

The cults have been very busy. The Jehovah's Witnesses alone spend over one billion man-hours per year spreading their false doctrines around the world!

With over three thousand cults and tens of millions of their followers in the United States alone, the Christian Church should be very alarmed. If it is true that the cults are the "unpaid bills of the Church," the Christian community has a lot of work to do!

References:
(1) Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, 1977, p. 277
(2) Ibid.
(3) Walter Martin, The Rise of the Cults, p. 12
(4) Ronald Enroth, Youth, Brainwashing, and the Extremist Cults, 1977, p. 168
(5) Josh McDowell/Don Stewart, Handbook of Today's Religions, 1983, p. 17
(6) John Ankerberg, News & Views, newsletter #0484, 1984, p. 1
(7) Sun Myung Moon, Divine Principle, p. 16
(8) Christian Science Journal, January, 1901
(9) Josh McDowell/Don Stewart, Handbook of Today's Religions, 1983, p. 25 (from The United States and British Commonwealth in Prophecy, Armstrong, 1967, p. 184)
(10) Compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 1976, p. 160
(11) Josh McDowell/Don Stewart, Handbook of Today's Religions, 1983, p. 25 (from The Time Is at Hand, 1906 ed., p. 77)
(12) Duane Magnani, The Watchtower Files, 1985, p. 68 (from The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197)
(13) Walter Martin, Jehovah of the Watchtower, 1981, pp. 24-25 (from The Watchtower, September 15, 1910, p. 298)
(14) Church History, 1:8 (from Joseph Smith's "New Translation" of the Bible, 1970, p. 7)
(15) History of the Church, November 28, 1841, Vol. 4, p. 461
(16) Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, copyright 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers
(17) Sun Myung Moon, Christianity in Crisis, p. 98
(18) Irvine Robertson, What the Cults Believe, 1991, p. 108 (from The Way: Living in Love, Whiteside, 1972, p. 178)
(19) Dave Breese, Know the Marks of Cults, 1975, p. 75 (from Modern Theosophy, Shearman, 1952, pp. 201-202)
(20) Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults, 1985, p. 285 (from Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, Unity School of Christianity, p. 150)
(21) Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1979, p. 321
(22) Krishnamurti, At the Feet of the Master, p. 10 (from Handbook of Today's Religions, Josh McDowell/Don Stewart, 1983, p. 87)
(23) Josh McDowell/Don Stewart, Handbook of Today's Religions, 1983, p. 24 (from Why Were You Born?, Armstrong, p. 11)
(24) Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 167
(25) Journal of Discourses, Vol. 5, p. 73
(26) Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p. 176
(27) The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, Pasadena: Ambassador College Press, 1967, pp. 294-298
(28) H. P. Blavatsky, Studies in Occultism, Theosophical University Press, n.d., p. 138
(29) Ronald Enroth, Youth, Brainwashing, and the Extremist Cults, 1977, p. 120 (from a speech by Reverend Sun Myung Moon to his followers in October 1974)
(30) Revelation - Its Grand Climax At Hand!, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, 1988, p. 102
(31) Keith L. Brooks, The Spirit of Truth and The Spirit of Error, 1985 (from The Plan of Salvation, Morgan)
(32) Josh McDowell/Don Stewart, Handbook of Today's Religions, 1983, p. 68 (from Improvement Era, June 1945, p. 354)
(33) Dave Breese, Know the Marks of Cults, 1986, p. 15
(34) Dave Hunt, The Cult Explosion, 1978, p. 252

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