Thread: Have you been in a cult before you got converterted by the Gospel ?

Mayflower,
One would need to define "cult".

Does the roman catholic church count?

For a short time I attended a local congregation of the Boston movement Church of Christ. At the time I never heard of them before. As I continued to attend their "studies", I became more and more aware that something wasn't quite right with their theology. And this at the time that I was steeped in Arminianism and Dispensationalism.

[Edited on 12-4-2005 by Greg]

Originally posted by Greg
For a short time I attended a local congregation of the Boston movement Church of Christ. At the time I never heard of them before. As I continued to attend their "studies", I became more and more aware that something wasn't quite right with their theology. And this at the time that I was steeped in Arminianism and Dispensationalism.

[Edited on 12-4-2005 by Greg]

OH Good someone else too. I attended an anti coc with my hubby (left a PCA church with some problems that needed help....) and am now in the OPC. The COC is weird no mater what branch, Boston, anti or liberal one is dealing with.

Originally posted by CalsFarmer
OH Good someone else too. I attended an anti coc with my hubby (left a PCA church with some problems that needed help....) and am now in the OPC. The COC is weird no mater what branch, Boston, anti or liberal one is dealing with.

I'll never forget the one Boston COC I spoke with at work years ago. We were talking about baptism, so I mentioned the thief on the cross who didn't have the opportunity to get baptized. His response was "But who's to say that he didn't get down from the cross, get baptized, and then get back on again. The Bible doesn't say". He was serious. Wow.

I practiced full-contact origami!!!


No.....

but I was a Master Freemason ("...may my throat be cut ear to ear...my body washed in the rough sands of the sea, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in 24 hours should I knowingly or willingly violate this my solemn obligation as a Master Mason....")

Originally posted by historyb
Does the roman catholic church count?

Money? Yes! Look no further than Indulgences.

Originally posted by trevorjohnson
I practiced full-contact origami!!!


No.....

but I was a Master Freemason ("...may my throat be cut ear to ear...my body washed in the rough sands of the sea, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in 24 hours should I knowingly or willingly violate this my solemn obligation as a Master Mason....")

Is a Master Mason the same as a 33rd degree mason?

Also, do the higher up types participate in satanic rituals?

3rd degree masonis Master,then you can go up to the York or Scottish Rite to get your 32,33rd degree.

Th Shriners actually kiss the Koran (but they do support a lot of hospitals).

The have their...
own name for God - The Great Architect of the Universe,
own prayers,
blood oaths,
rituals,
and a symbology of dying and being rasied back to life...

Does having your own cult count?? As a teenager I formed my own group complete with various doctrines about God and Christ. Having grown up in christian circles (Pentecostal, unfortanately), and having memorized much scripture as a child, I used that knowledge to my advantage in convincing a few people of some very twisted things.

I thank God he didnt just fry me on the spot for my haughty and blasphemous spirit.

Mike

Being a cult leader is even better than being a Rockstar...all the power and women you could imagine. Notice how these two factors (power and sex) play a role in most cults. All false religions rely upon the strength of depravity to promote it. True religion says take up your cross.

Before I got saved, I was a self-styled disciple of .....I hate to say it... SHIRLEY MACLAINE....."Out on a limb"

When I started believing in Christ exclusively I landed in an independent pentecostal pacifistic quasi oneness leftover from the Jesus Movement. After all that ironically he actually preached a gratia infusia Roman Catholic justification. In a sermon we were told that some other preacher had asked him if he was one of the 'two witnesses', he told us .....no.

At least it wasn't dispensational!

Originally posted by non dignus
Before I got saved, I was a self-styled disciple of .....I hate to say it... SHIRLEY MACLAINE....."Out on a limb"

When I started believing in Christ exclusively I landed in an independent pentecostal pacifistic quasi oneness leftover from the Jesus Movement. After all that ironically he actually preached a gratia infusia Roman Catholic justification. In a sermon we were told that some other preacher had asked him if he was one of the 'two witnesses', he told us .....no.

At least it wasn't dispensational!

Did you ever see the Far Side cartoon that showed a lizard sitting on a rock with another lizard commenting: (along the lines of) "I was Shirley Maclain in a prevous life".

I was (thankfully as you will see in a minute) put on an IFB bus every Sunday. My stepfather was an errant Nazerene...and my mother holds a mix of of christianity, Indian mysticism, gypsy superstition, "saved by the light", etc mixture. Her best friend was B'hai (that's how I got named Jamal...now ya'll know what the J is for in my signature).

I was a solipsist, but it cut down on my fellowship opportunities.


I then tried to convince myself of Skepticism, but I just couldn't beleive it!

:P

What's an IFB?

Well, I certainly do not consider myself to have been raised in a "cult" at all, but the Assemblies of God is just about as close as you can get in the "legitimate" evangelical sphere without approaching such!

Originally posted by turmeric
What's an IFB?

Originally posted by Pilgrim
IFB=Independent Fundamental Baptist

Quote:

"I then tried to convince myself of Skepticism, but I just couldn't beleive it!"

That's a good one Trevor...I think I'm gonna have to use it.

"Is Calvary Chapel a cult ? "

It's more like a giant youth group.

"Did you ever see the Far Side cartoon that showed a lizard sitting on a rock with another lizard commenting: (along the lines of) "I was Shirley Mac Clain in a prevous life" ?



I love Far Side.

I was a big Edgar Cayce follower too. But I began to notice a pattern develop in reading his accounts of past lives recalled. For a donation, Cayce would do sleeping trances. The persons of past lives were usually famous historical people who were rich and powerful and often victimized by backward, unloving Christians.

First post

Read my bio. Raised in a Catholic family, then agnostic, and then embraced Islam. I was a practicing Muslim for 3 years before hearing the Gospel, which at first I thought was disgusting. Over time, the Holiness of God was impressed upon me by the brother sharing the Gospel with me and I saw how unholy Allah is.

I've been a Chrisitan for a year now. Praise God!

Originally posted by andeez2
First post

Read my bio. Raised in a Catholic family, then agnostic, and then embraced Islam. I was a practicing Muslim for 3 years before hearing the Gospel, which at first I thought was disgusting. Over time, the Holiness of God was impressed upon me by the brother sharing the Gospel with me and I saw how unholy Allah is.

I've been a Chrisitan for a year now. Praise God!

Welcome to the Board, and to the family! You're in for a wild ride!

First post

Read my bio. Raised in a Catholic family, then agnostic, and then embraced Islam. I was a practicing Muslim for 3 years before hearing the Gospel, which at first I thought was disgusting. Over time, the Holiness of God was impressed upon me by the brother sharing the Gospel with me and I saw how unholy Allah is.

I've been a Chrisitan for a year now. Praise God!

Welcome to the board! I was very glad to hear your testimony.

I was in the cult of selfishness. Hard one to get out of, but God is doing a good job working on me.

Originally posted by Saiph
I used to be a dispensationalist.

Let's pray

I was a wiccan for many years and belonged to a Gardinarian/Alexandrian coven (I just gave my testimony about this at Church a couple of Sundays ago, Yikes!!!). When I made the exodus out I was detoured by the Mormons for awhile. When God finally saved me I was involved in a Charismatic church but I didn't fully embrace it because of my past occult activity. I become Reformed while attending an Assemblies of God University. Here I thought I was the only Presbyterian or Reformed Christian for that matter with such an ecclectic background. All your comments have been very encouraging.

[Edited on 3-16-2006 by RTSbound]

Was once involved in the Armstrong Cult. Got hooked when I was a teen new to the faith. Up until I was 13, I thought Jesus Christ was just a cuss word my dad used when angry. I never understood He was a real person.
Years later after watching the John Ankerberg show when he had Dr. Walter Martin on his show exposing the false teachings of the top 10 cults in the U.S I was upset to learn my favorite teacher Herbert W. Armstrong on the list. Needless to say I wrote Ankerberg an angry letter and he sent me info about this false prophet and God in mercy used it to open my eyes.
Now fast forward some years later and still looking for a church I get involved in the Assemblies of God denomination and stay with them for about four years. But seeing their blatant hypocrisy and deceit that went on there I left and went on searching. I did start going to a small baptist church but never really felt that was where I needed to be so left them and joined a Charismatic tongue talking Spirit filled church. It was from the pastor there who shared with me the book by A.W. Pink, the Sovereignty of God and the Lord really opened my eyes then. After that I met a co-worker who was a member of a new PCA church in the town I lived in. I strted going there and became a member after a year there and learned more of the doctrine of Grace and God's Sovereignty.
It has been a long road getting to where I am now and I am still learning. God has been merciful to me and I am so thankful to Him for what He has saved me from and how He has preserved me into His Kingdom.

Originally posted by SmokingFlax
This is difficult, and embarrassing even to this day to admit ...but shortly after I was converted I fell under the influence of Brother Stair (from Walterboro S.Carolina) the self proclaimed "Last Day Prophet of God."

I wasn't "in" a cult but I can't deny that his radio broadcasts adversely affected me. I simply couldn't, at the time, refute what he was saying...I just didn't have the tools and/or knowledge at that point -and I believe that it cost me in different ways.

Honestly, I am ashamed and sometimes wonder if his teaching doesn't still affect me.

I used to listen to him on the shortwave years ago. I thought he was the real thing. lol
I once thought about moving to S.C to join his commune. Thank God I didn't.

Originally posted by Saiph
I used to be a dispensationalist.

Same here

I was deeply under the influence of theological liberalism in my early years at college.

I was SBC.