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July 07, 2005
Living in a Cult Paradise
We aired our series that focused on destructive cult groups the second and third weeks of June. Our guest was Rev. Hisoka Murakami, pastor of the Kyōto Assembly of God Church and also spokesman for the victims' group in the Seishin Chūō Church sexual abuse scandal (see the 4/28 & 5/7 posts). We noted in our discussion that there are several different kinds of destructive cult groups, among which are religious cults, political cults, cults related to money and finances, agricultural cults, etc. And, as we anticipated, there was a great response to those broadcasts, including several requests for information and some personal consultations.
In a somewhat related matter, it seems to me that there've been an unusual number of cases in the news lately where people have fallen victim to fraud schemes. There are probably lots of people who've watched that and say to themselves, "How could those folks have fallen for that trick so easily? I'd never be fooled by something like that!" However, that very sentiment is the heart of the problem. The reason is that swindlers don't usually come to us in the obvious evil guise that we might expect. To the contrary, to all appearances, they're people of genuine goodwill. But that very thing is the mark of a swindler.
Destructive cults are the same way. Their prime targets are people who've just finished school and are making their debut as new members of society, or those who -- filled with elation -- have passed their entrance exams and gotten into the school of their choice.
Cult groups' favorite trick is the use of what are called "mind control" techniques and there's no one who's completely immune to the influence of these. In fact, the ones who are most susceptible to them are those who think, "They'd never fool me!" People whose lives are in transition are the most likely to be enticed. However, if you look at our society in general, it would appear that the whole country is now in a time of transition. That alone might well account for the increase in power that these cults are enjoying.
The mind control technique that cults utilize usually consists of a set of principles administered in three stages: "unfreezing," "changing" and "refreezing."
Once these initiates become full-fledged members of the cult, they will continuously do and say things that defy common sense. Unfortunately, there's not a similar set of principles that can undo this programming and deliver people that have become cult "robots." Consequently, the work of rescuing people from cults is an extremely difficult endeavor.
- Unfreezing -- This is the stage where the personality is destroyed.
- Change -- The "self" having been destroyed, the individual is like a "blank slate" upon which can be implanted the new cult personality.
- Refreezing -- This is the stage at which the implanted cult personality is reinforced and crystalizes.
The problem of these destructive cults has already reached the point where it can no longer be ignored. Within existing church activities, there's now a need to actively implement a program to protect members from cults and educate them about simple ways to identify the marks of a cult group. Here are a few simple points that can be used to recognize a destructive cult:
- Misleading information. The organization's signboard doesn't clearly give its real name at all, or uses another name that may be slightly more accurate.
- Fear as the focus of persuasion. After inciting feelings of fear within you, if they offer to resolve your problems all at once, extreme caution is warranted.
- Intentional falsehood. Be suspicious if the information they give you about the world in general is all wrong.
- Refusal of outside help. If they refuse you permission to consult with someone else, take warning. In the face of doubt or perceived problems on your part, they will invariably refuse any request for outside help.
Of course, the best way to discern a counterfeit is constant contact with "the real thing." In II Corinthians, chapter 11, the Apostle Paul talked about false teachers at work in his own day. They seemed to everywhere. "And no wonder," he said, "for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light" (vs. 14). If you stay intimate with God's Word and walk daily in the light of it, you'll be able to tell the difference between Truth and the "false light" the cults offer.
On October 10th and 11th, we'll be holding our first seminar on the cult problem in both Tōkyō and Ōsaka. Our lecturer will be Rev. Murakami. I'll be announcing the details for the event later, but I ask you to lift up the entire project to the Father in prayer. Have another blessed week in Y'shua's precious name. Shalom!
Kenichi Nakagawa
Posted by HarvestTV at 07:32 PM | Comments (0)