because i have seen this argument laid out dozens of times, i decided to make a new thread for it. to say that a cult cannot be a church is like saying that a frog cannot be an amphibian. a cult composed of christians is a church where the leaders (shepherds if you will) are abusing their power, and the followers are letting them. to say that when the leaders abuse their power (or commit other sin) they are no longer God's leaders and therefore cannot be judged as leaders in God's church is like saying the law only applies to those who obey it. the especially harsh judgements spelled out in the bible for those leaders who abuse their position hang exactly and precisely over the heads of the leaders of the assemblies. i just wanted to lay that particular fallacy to rest, hopefully for good. dream on, right?
i only ask, please, those who have read this, do not use this particular fallacy to cloud whatever discussion is going on into a murky mass of misdirection.
ps: kudos to arthur for his spelling skills
