Is it fair to call the Assembly a CULT?

[Brian_Steele]

A few other things also, after reading more of this thread.  Indeed, I'm alive and well in Washington, married, child, loving life! I love the Lord and have been active in a church for the 10 years since being here.  Hey and Howdy also to Susan McCarthy.  I hope all is well with you.

Now to the topic.  There are theological definitions and sociological definitions of cults.  Lifton's criteria define social means of manipulation and control.  In this regard, a group may have othordox doctrine but cultic practices.  

Other people hold a theological definition of cults: those groups that differ significantly from orthodox Christianity are "cults".  

In my estimation, much (not all) of the doctrine I learned from the Assembly was orthodox.  However, the practices (at the time of my involvement) were distintly cultic and meet the criteria for a manipulative, totalitarian, unhealthy system.  

It could be said that, doctrinally, the Assemblies are more sound that Mormons and, accordingly, less theologically cultic.  However, many (not all!) Mormon Stakes and Wards are less socially cultic than the Assemblies with less manipulation and control over members.  

God Bless.

[MichelleDJ]

I don't see how the doctrine of an organization could be sound when the freedom that should have been taught as a major aspect of that doctrine was completely lacking!

[editor]

Dear Friends:

I would like to ask all of you to take 10 steps back from this whole thing, in your mind's eye.  Remove yourself from it, and pretend that a broken confused Christian, who is experiencing all of the events at the Assembly, but at another church, has come to you for counsel.  You can see that this person is sincere, but also confused and hurt.  As a strong, mature believer, who has advanced insight into the truth of God's word, you want this person to break free from any sort of bondage, and have joy and liberty in Christ.

This broken, confused brother has told you:

• The leader of his group is an adulterer and an immoral man
• All of the money is kept secret and is handled only by the immoral leader
• The leader's son is a wife beater and has his own, very dysfunctional life
• The leadership was all handpicked by the immoral, money loving leader
• Hundreds of former members of the group have identical stories about abuse and control
• 2 best-selling books and numerous articles by a Christian author called the group "Abusive"
• Every other Evangelical church in town counsels people to stay away from the group
• A national cult expert, and several leading Christian Cult awareness groups have called the group a cult, and former members have actually been de-programmed.
• There is a website about this dear confused brother's group, that has thousands of pages of testimonies that all point to the fact that something is seriously wrong

How would you counsel this person?

If this person turned out to be you, would you take your own counsel?

Take Six Weeks Off!

Brent

[Mark C.]

Hi Everyone!
  Now we are really thinking and posting clearly!  Thanks Brian, Brent, and Others for your contribution.
    The standards for orthodox Christian teaching is very limited, if we use people like CRI to define it for us.  All one needs to not be considered a cult theologically, by CRI, is a correct understanding of who God is and a belief in the atonement of Christ.  The Bible does not separate teaching from practice, as some cult watching groups do.  Loving practice must be included with orthodox theology or you have false Christianity.  Paul said knowledge, without love, was like a clanging cymbal and also that it can destroy a brother's faith.
   Assembly merit salvation teaching would be considered aberrant by CRI, not cultic, but the way the Assembly combined their false holiness message with their other group oriented control practices' it combined for quite the toxic message!
   I would even go so far as to say that if you have a perfectly orthdox view of who God is and then distort that image in practice you change our loving God of calvary into a heretical image.
   A bro. from the Assm. recently told me that in the Assm. he learned a view of God as one who was always seeking to condemn him.  The distorted teaching, combined with the group practices, led him into abandoning his faith (who wants to believe in a God like that?).  I think he will get his faith back as he understands the grace of God in truth and what it reveals of the wonderful love of God for us!
                                        God Bless,  Mark

[Arthur]

How about taking a six day break from the bulletin board?  Heh.  Sometimes I think it's not so good to spend so much time thinking about these things.  I took a six hour break once, and my mind began to wander off of the assembly and such ilk.  
Whoa...real life...  I started having flashbacks of what it was like before ever being in the assembly.  I started to remember what it was like to think normal thoughts, and that life can actually be fun and not constrained by assembly thoughts... I got a chance to take the funky goggles off.  I'm liking it.  I'm thinking that this bb is necessary to help deal with things so that we can finally put it all behind us--and that's the goal isn't it?  And I've met with some people in person that I haven't talked to in almost two years.  We're at peace now.  Still have more people to talk to.  Face to face is better than virtual any day of the week, trust me.  I hope to one day say adios, and move on to that big blue room just outside my door and get a tan or something instead of this computer-monitor pale that I have now.

Arthur

[Rudy]

My feelings pretty much to a tee.
However, conspiracy theory, the assy
is present. fact. they are either seeking
help or seeking to hinder. plausible fact.
therefore brethren, what shall we do.
i have stated before and still acknowledge
that i do not have my leave from this business.
Hey, that's me. i know how to make up
my own mind and hopefully, dear "plain"
readers, you can also.

[Kimberley Tobin]

wow, in my short time in one of the so-called "assembly" fellowships, i've never felt forced in any way by the leadership with regards to "rules" and the like...well, except that all have a duty to do what "overseers" do (i.e. no clergy-laity).
i find some practices i read in these msgs kinda surprising. my take...the place i go to ain't a cult. and since i've never been to the others, i wouldn't know.
something i've noticed though--visitors from other assemblies find us in our "natural" settings (out of the meetings) odd, as if we didn't know some code or something. hmmm...

It is easy to not see the underlining teaching that defines the assembly as a cult as a new member.  The first 1-3 years (depending on how difficult it is to get the new member "committed") the older members do not inform the new member as to the "cult-like" tendancies of the assembly.  But be assured, your assembly "leading brothers" and "workers" were hand picked and hand trained by George himself (or his disciples.)  The teaching is all the same in every assembly.  Don't be fooled.  If you are in any assembly - you are in a cult.  There are no two ways about it!  Don't be deceived.  There are a lot of reputable churches out there that are not secretive about their finances, their teachings and are do not practice authoritative control amongst the "committed" sheep.  Save yourself years of grief.  Get out of there AND FAST!

[freebird]

Calling it a cult is a non-issue for me.

It was certainly unhealthy and that was enough!