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Christianity,
Cults and World Religion Definitions |
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below will give you a basic outline of some of the key doctrines
of Christianity and what other cults and sects believe about
them. If you are interested in a cult or religion that is not
listed below, please
email us.
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Founder/Leader | Foundational Documents |
God is... |
Jesus is... | The Holy Spirit is...
Method of Salvation |
Death and Beyond | Other Beliefs
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Religion:
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Agnosticism, Atheism,
Evolutionism, Humanism, Materialism, Secularism |
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Category:
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Cult |
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Click here to download a free study guide prepared by Dr. Jerry Johnson of First Family
Church of Overland Park, KS.
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Click here to
see what's on the CD set "Similarities and Differences of Belief
Systems"
A must have for every library!
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Founder/Leader: |
This area has different titles to it because these categories all are essentially the same.
Even though there are differences between the above six categories, their core beliefs and values are
the same. The subject of a Christian world view comes into play here. As with examining non-Christian
religions, it becomes necessary to look at how a person views different things. For example: What is
truth? Where did the universe come from? Are miracles possible? Is man just a highly evolved animal?
These type of questions are what you will need to deal with when looking at these systems of belief.
For the purpose of this section, all of the above groups will be referred to Humanists.
The beginning of this movement in Western culture came in the period known as the Renaissance
from about 1400 to 1600. It was during this time that the first serious questioning of the Church by
scientists. Galileo carried this stigma with him for a long time. Galileo was a believer in God.
Jealous and scared university professors whose beliefs and teachings were challenged by Galileo found
them selves to be unable to answer him. They turned this into a "church" vs.
"science" matter so the church would take up their battle and attack and by this they would
be seen as heroes and keep their positions. Galileo's heliocentric view of the solar system was seen
to be in direct contradiction to Psalm 104:22. Thus was the beginning of the idea that the Bible and
Science would be forever incompatible. The Bible was no longer seen as a 100% reliable source to find
truth.
The next period of History from 1600-1800 is known as The Enlightenment. It was during this
period that science became the ultimate tool for the seeking, understanding and learning of truth.
Philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, David Hume and Immanuel Kant began to take their toll on the populous.
These men taught us to deny the possibility of miracles and to see man as the highest thing in the
universe. They taught us to scoff at the church and the Bible. Even with all this people in general
still believed in God because there was no good alternative to explain life, the universe and
everything.
The next division of time from 1800- the present time is termed by some as the Modern Age.
During this time Charles Darwin introduced the theory of evolution. This spread like a cancer
throughout Europe and the US. This was finally the one piece of the puzzle that the Humanist was
looking for to make his religion complete. There is no scientifically verified data that proves this
today, yet it is taught in Schools, colleges and universities like it is as well established as the
Law of Gravity. See the Evolution
Page for more information on this subject. During this time the Bible, the Deity of Christ, the
Virgin Birth, Miracles, and the existence of God began to be openly attacked by liberal writers,
philosophers and educators in colleges and universities. Today this continues under the guise of
liberalism and the tolerance movement.
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Foundational
Documents: |
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There is no one foundational document. You would need to read the works of the above cited authors,
philosophers, scientists and many more. The following documents however serve as a rallying point for
humanists all over the world. To help in understanding the foundational assumptions of these groups,
read the "Humanist Manifesto I."
This was written on 1933. Click on it to view it. This was updated 40 years later in 1973. Click
on "Humanist Manifesto II"
to read it. To put it in layman's term here is a list of
"Humanist Affirmations."
Click on it to view. It would be good to take time to read these, these are the philosophical
base and guiding momentum for most schools, colleges and universities today as well as liberal
politicians!
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God
is... |
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Humanist have an anti-supernatural bias built into their belief system. They reject an notion of God
or any deity. Matter in one form or the other is the only thing that has existed forever and that will
exist forever.
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Jesus
is... |
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In general, most Humanists see Jesus as a good moral teacher whose followers exaggerated his claims
and messages until things got way out of hand and people begin making up God-myths about him and
stories of miracles. From there it snowballed. People kept adding stories and myths and that is
how we have the Christian religion we know today. They maintain that we know very little of his
actual historical life because of the lack of reliable records. (The New Testament, the writings
of the church fathers and other early Christians are considered unreliable because they accept
the existence of God and believe in the supernatural and therefore must be deemed to be worthless.
This is a very closed minded way of thinking. For example, if a humanist were to meet God and attempted
to tell other humanists that there was indeed a God, anything he said would automatically be considered
unreliable and not trustworthy simply because he accepted the existence of God.)
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The
Holy
Spirit is... |
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The Holy Spirit is not considered to exist in these belief systems.
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Method
of Salvation: |
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Humanists believe that, by using scientific method and rational analysis of life's issues, man can
solve all of his own problems. They believe that man is capable of creating a perfect world of harmony,
peace, justice and perfection while maintaining a sense of caring for the individual. Man's salvation
will come from the mind and work of man himself.
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Death
and Beyond... |
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When a person dies there is no continuance of that person. He or she simply ceases to exist and that
is all.
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Other
Beliefs: |
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If you have not read it, see
"Humanist Affirmations."
Empirical Sciences are looked up to in an almost god-like manner by humanists.
There is a strong anti-supernatural bias that rejects God, miracles or anything beyond this physical
universe.
Evolution is seen as a FACT.
All truth is relative. In other words the is no ultimate authority for truth. Truth is what
ever you make it to be. It all depends on the times, cultures, and circumstances you live in. A
humanist will say that "There is no absolute truth." This is a contradiction in itself in
that it becomes and absolute truth itself! Millions of them quote and accept this and do not see the
flaw in the logic of this.
Religion is seen as something that had been good for mankind in the past but, now we have
evolved beyond the need for supernatural religion. Religion and those who believe in God are seen
as a negative influence in society and get in the way of the way humanists see the world must become.
In their own words from Humanist Manifesto II:
We believe, however, that traditional dogmatic or authoritarian religions that place revelation,
God, ritual, or creed above human needs and experience do a disservice to the human species."
"Promises of immortal salvation or fear of eternal damnation are both illusory and harmful."
"We find insufficient evidence for belief in the existence of a supernatural; it is either
meaningless or irrelevant to the question of survival and fulfillment of the human race."
"No deity will save us; we must save ourselves."
Man is seen as having unlimited potential for good and to develop or evolve into a virtually
perfect being with the ability to cure all of the world's problems.
Death is final, there is nothing that survives a human after death. There is no immaterial or
spirit part to man.
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| Referenced from Christianity, Cults
& Religions, 1994 Rose Publishing |
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