For centuries, this has worked. Such groups were able to keep their most esoteric beliefs, and the inner workings of their system, hidden from prying eyes. Actual entry to group meetings is often by invitation only, and only offered after a careful screening process to assure that the prospective member is ready for the “deeper” truths.
But the Web has thrown open the doors to these hidden sanctuaries, and has made information about the secret doctrines and practices of such groups available instantly to all who are looking for more information than they can squeeze out of the evangelists at their door. Disillusioned former members often put up websites outlining “the rest of the story” that most have only discovered in the past after it was too late to turn back.
Of course, just because such information is posted on the Web doesn’t necessarily make it The Gospel Truth either. Sometimes, former members of groups have unreasonable grudges and personal agendas that color their commentaries. What is most useful from such sources in the long run may well be the fact that most do not limit the information on their websites to personal opinion, but provide solid documentation. They will post scanned copies of original documents, excerpts from recorded messages in the form of sound clips or transcripts, reports from public news sources, and more. Thus readers are able to reconstruct some of the reasons for the opinions shared on the website and come to their own conclusions.
Religious Research on the Worldwide Web
There are a wide variety of websites on the Internet that critically evaluate the teachings and activities of certain religious teachers and groups. They are sometimes referred to as cult-watch sites. These sites represent a wide variety of perspectives on religious movements.
Secular Cult-Watch Websites
To the average secular—perhaps atheist or agnostic—observer, the bickering among Christian teachers and groups over doctrines, methods, and styles of authority may seem silly. Not wishing to get into any debate over these “in-house” differences, their concern about religious cults is limited in most cases to those they believe may be actually physically dangerous to themselves or others. A group which is alleged to be involved in physical or sexual abuse of children, or to be in danger of mass suicide within the group, or whose teachings—such as perhaps racial hatred—may possibly lead to physical harm to outsiders, is viewed with alarm. When such groups are profiled on secular cult-watch sites, the emphasis is usually on sharing documentation of those factors of the group’s activities that give evidence of such potential danger.
Religious Cult-Watch Websites
Many Internet websites that specialize in profiling and documenting the teachings and activities of various religious groups and teachers are created by those who have a particular religious doctrinal stance they wish to defend. They may define any group that deviates from the very narrow doctrinal “orthodoxy” to which they subscribe as a cult. Thus, the doctrinal teachings of such groups may receive a very thorough profiling on most religious cult-watch websites.
Ex-Member Cult-Watch Websites
Once an individual or a group of individuals manage to extricate themselves from involvement in a religious group that they are convinced held them in some sort of spiritual bondage, they may feel called to warn others to avoid the group. They may desire to reach out to those who are still in the group, and attempt to help them also “see the light.” In most cases, their primary focus is not so much on the error of the doctrines of the group that they left, but the methods used by the leadership of the group to keep them deceived. Thus, the material on most ex-member cult watch websites may emphasize historical documentation on the abuses of power exercised by the founder and/or later leaders of the groups, and incidents of deception used to mislead members.
Christian Apologetics Cult-Watch Websites
Apologetics: “A branch of theology devoted to the defense of the divine origin and authority of Christianity.” (Merriam Webster Online Dictionary)
While many religious cult-watch sites, as mentioned above, define a cult as any group which deviates from their own narrow doctrinal perspective, some Christian Apologetics sites take a broader view. While allowing for wide doctrinal variance across denominational lines, they start with the assumption that there is a minimum standard of “historical orthodoxy” to which a teacher or group needs to adhere in order to be accepted as authentically Christian. Any group which deviates from this standard may be considered a cult. Thus, much of the material on such Christian Apologetics cult-watch websites is devoted to comparing the doctrines of questionable teachers and groups to their particular broad definition of historical orthodoxy.
“Spiritual Abuse” Cult-Watch Websites
“Spiritual abuse is the misuse of a position of power, leadership, or influence to further the selfish interests of someone other than the individual who needs help. Sometimes abuse arises out of a doctrinal position. At other times it occurs because of legitimate personal needs of a leader that are being met by illegitimate means. Spiritually abusive religious systems are sometimes described as legalistic, mind controlling, religiously addictive, and authoritarian. The most distinctive characteristic of a spiritually abusive religious system, or leader, is the over-emphasis on authority. Because a group claims to have been established by God Himself the leaders in this system claim the right to command their followers.” (www.watchman.org/profile/abusepro.htm)
An increasing number of websites, as well as books available in Christian and secular book stores, have brought to the attention of the public the reality that abuse within some religious groups is not limited to just physical matters. When a leader or group uses claimed “authority from God” to harm the mental, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing of participants, the result is spiritual abuse. This can be just as dangerous and debilitating as physical abuse. Thus, much of the content on spiritual abuse cult-watch websites may be devoted to documentation of those factors in the teachings and methods of the groups and teachers under consideration which may contribute to the potential for spiritual abuse.
Another Perspective
All of these types of websites have merit. The reader will likely find sites from each variety helpful. Even if one does not agree with the website authors’ ultimate subjective evaluation of the teachers and groups that they profile, most include accurate documentation from which one can glean useful information.
The Field Guide website and this Field Guide book take a different point of view from all of the above. As the author, I am concerned about:
•Any religious organization, any leaders of such religious organizations, and any religious teachers that in any way insert themselves, their system, or their teachings between the individual believer and that believer’s immediate access to God—and to the simple truths of the scriptures.
•Any religious teaching which subverts the basics of simple faith in the teachings of Jesus as seen in the Sermon on the Mount—and turns faith and salvation and the daily Christian walk into a complex, convoluted process, through twisting of scripture, or through requiring or encouraging extra-biblical and unbiblical gimmicks and standards.
•Any teacher or religious group that distorts the simple truths of scripture to use for an illegitimate or evil purpose—whether it be to validate their own warped views such as rabid racism, to justify oppression of one group of people
