So I am starting with my manual-format posts.
Many people are actually attending cults, but think they are going to church. Please, note that cult is not the same as occult, but some cults can be occultic sha. I am not talking of occult in this post, I am talking of cult in general.
So how do you know if your church is actually a cult?
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2. Attending other churches or fraternising with other Christian brings consequences like curse from God, poverty, etc. Since they cannot police their congregation, they often put a leash on them by threatening strange curses from God on them, should they leave the church, and go as far as invoking it.
3. The pastor does strange things like making church members bear his surname, sleep with several female church members without hiding it, and having several members as wives. This is self-explanatory enough. Many of these leaders are extremely charismatic. Many times, the leader sees the congregation as his followers or children. In many cases, the leader likes to sleep around, and even justifies his actions using anything he can lay his hands on.
4. There are rules in the church that are not in the Bible. Many of their doctrines are nowhere in the Bible.
5. Apart from the general bible, they have another bible, and another set of commandments that guard the doctrine of the church. Most times, in other to support the strange doctrines in number 4, they just have another book guiding them, along with the Bible.
6. Disobeying those rules leads to physical punishments like getting whipped, up to extreme ones like breaking a finger, etc. It doesn't matter your age, the existence of consequences should drive fear into you, and keep you grounded.
7. Sometime, you all live in the same compound or very close proximity to each other. This is done in order to keep tabs on you, and every aspect of your life. It might even be as extreme as you all calling yourselves one big family, you eat together, and put all your money together in order to have one big treasury you all draw money from.
8. You perform strange rituals. This can be one such as you all coming together to eat chicken without cracking the bone, and after, you all bury the bone at a location where you all must walk over. Once you guys jointly do something you feel odd, and don't have the confidence to tell people, it is most likely a strange ritual.
9. You fear the leader more than you fear God. The leader himself feels like God to you, most likely cos he has portrayed himself as the sole voice of God, and he is so domineering that you eventually begin to see him as God.
10. The thought of leaving this church drives deadly fear into you. This is because either you feel you will be dead cos they will send someone to kill you, kidnap you, force you back into the church, or even feel God himself will punish you with severe consequences because you left the church. So even though you want to leave, your mind is actually what keeps you there.
Of course, not all cults disguised as churches will have every single quality mentioned above. If your church has even just one of the qualities mentioned above, my dear, pick race. And don't worry, nothing will happen to you.
P.S: If you know Cherrywine, please, give her a hug and slimy wet kiss for me. She hosted me again last week, and I finished her sugar, grapes and moin moin. Isn't she the bomb?
I can't actually call names right now but many churches are just "cults" especially in africa. That's why it's good to visit other churches even once in a while and fraternize with other christians on spiritual basis in order to be knowledgeable and not ignorant.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to the "real blogging" Atilola
Jdy last posted...I’ll be a bad girl, I’ll prove it to you
I just can't wrap my head around the fact that a church will command you not to visit another church, and you will not see anything strange about it. I just can't.
DeleteYes, you are right about the qualities you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI was attending a particular church, and any day I don't go, I felt so afraid and uncomfortable and must inform the pastor why I cannot come. And we spend so much time in the church doing/talking on frivolous things: 10a.m-3pm, The day of special programmes, we close by 6pm! I mean, when I put together the time of praise, prayer and preaching, it is less than 2 hours, but the pastor had this charismatic way, of talking that you would not know when the time was going.!
Funny enough, the members were not much! I did not join any department yet, because of the nature of my work, which made the pastor to be angry and makes indirect comments on the pulpit. I didn't need any soothsayer to tell me to run and break every contact!
What baffled me most were the dreams. I was attacked in them by him and his followers, I would see myself in the church unwillingly, I would challenge and warn him in the dream. Then I knew, this was a CULT! Everyday, I pray breaking every covenant I might have entered unknowingly with the church for the one year I attended.
God continue to deliver His children. Amen.
Thank God you got out safe. Many people are not so fortunate. At least, many people can learn from your story. Hopefully, they won't be too neck deep
DeleteBear their leaders surname kwa?
ReplyDeleteOmo this list is heavy!
If a church has 1 of these na to pick race true true o,no waiting for any explanation!( Cos the leaders/older members may cook one fine explantion for you.
It is very well o.
Welcome back
The things that happen ehn, you will be shocked.
DeleteAs a community we need to find ways to use our faith in positive ways. Thank you for writing this post. Peoples' eyes have seen o. God help us all!
ReplyDeleteI just pray those people come out. It is always difficult to break free from cults.
DeleteWhy will i not want want to break the chicken bone kwa? Na that one dey sweet pass na
ReplyDeletelool oo
DeleteOut of all the points made, it is the chicken bone that caught your attention, abi. Typical of you.
DeleteWith number 7 thats what was practiced by the early christians and it is in the bible so in principle any church that practices this is going by the bible. Thats why we have the story of Ananaias and Sapphira. So I disagree that the presence of any one of these makes it a cult. It has to be more than one alt least. Most modern day pentecostal churches abuse the concept of faith anyway. The pastors use it to encourage the members to be gullible. Thats why some of these pastors are able to manipulate the women and sleep with them without any member being able to challenge the pastor because they will be cursed for going against what God has decreed. After all if Abraham by faith could sacrifice his son to be murdered then what sacrifice is more than giving up your child to be murdered. Any other sacrifice is nothing at compared to Abraham's sacrifice if its "from God".
ReplyDeleteI think you have this whole post really twisted. If in these days, a church wants all its members to live in the same compound, or on the same street in an area on the mainland, and actually COMMANDS you not to live anywhere else or there will be consequences, then it is a cult... that is what I am talking about in that point. No one forced Ananais and Sapphira to give their money out, which is why Peter was even more angry, because they were NOT FORCED. In number 7, they are FORCED or COERCED, with consequences.
DeleteThis post is not about what God said or did not say. I am not qualified to argue for God. This post is about cults that masquerade as church.
"Once you guys jointly do something you feel odd, and don't have the confidence to tell people" - this is actually how people get hooked up on such places. I guess being unaware of the truth is in itself the biggest cult - the society of ignorance!
ReplyDeleteYes. Ignorance actually kills.
DeleteNigerians need to read this. There are so many churches nowadays that practice the above and even more. We need to read the bible more instead of depending on what we are told alone.
ReplyDeleteFor some people, the bible is just there for cosmetic purposes. The pastor's word is law.
DeleteSpot on.I still wonder why people get involved in such 'churches'.Are they blind? Or in trance-like states? I really beats me!
ReplyDeleteAs pet projects mentioned, it is because many people were ignorant before they got there.
DeleteHmmm...that bearing the preacher's surname made me laugh and gave me pause both at the same time. Folks be doing that????
ReplyDeleteWhy are you embarrassing me on blogsville, using style-style to tell people that I'm a broke-ass with few cubes of sugar and I starved you when you came to stay? Nne, warn yourself. Lol. Always a pleasure hun.
Ehn na. In nigeria, us, and many countries, it happens.
DeleteLool, u ain't serious. I had a great time.
I agree with your post!
ReplyDeleteLord have mercy on us! The thing is once folks start attending the church, only the grace of God can set them free! Cause the conviction is deeep!
PS Christy it will be nice to read how you broke loose/left the church xx
@1+The one.
DeleteIt was a gradual process. First I REFUSED to join any department as a worker! That is where the ULTIMATE control is. If possible AVOID filling your details on any MEMBERSHIP form, it is a way of entering into covenant unknowingly. They always have a valid reason for that, please don't be moved by their cajoling.
I used WORK as an excuse, if I lose my job, would I be able to pay tithe and offering? or would they feed me?
I joined my relations to offer thanksgiving in their church, for any occasion. I came from a family, so they don't expect me to ignore them!
Opportunity came for me to move out from my old house to another location, I grabbed it and ran away from them as far as possible, and changed my number! You can change your number if you can and STOP visiting them. When they come visiting, find an excuse to go out, and don't welcome them happily.
Finally, prayer! I was always praying, because the dreams were oppressive. But God gave me the strength to overcome.
It was/is not easy, until the scales falls from someone eyes. Such pastors are always crowd pleasers, jovial, knows how to flatter, all in the bid to lure people into their cage and shut it! All they want is CONTROL!
This much I said in an older post of mine:
http://mytorts.blogspot.com/2013/11/control.html
@ 1+ the one: yes, it is the grace of God o. It is very difficult, cos the fear they feel is very strong.
Delete@ Christy: you were really courageous.
DeleteReally really courageous!
DeleteThanks a lot for sharing Christy and thank GOD for your salvation! xx
This is very scary but so true
ReplyDeletePeople have no idea what they drag themselves into
At least, this post should be able to help someone that might almost be affected in future.
Deletedeep stuff.. real deep.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to your analysis.
Always refreshing to read
.xxx
We thank God for inspiration.
DeleteWell written. I couldn't have said it better. But, some people can be so naïve as to follow through with all these shit!
ReplyDeleteThe ignorance is really shocking, but such pastors are always very charismatic, and they have an amazing aura.
DeleteI made a post on my blog about a pastor with some of the above qualities. most of the list above is just so true and its pathetic... using the general overseers surname among other things. Mercy Lord!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember. I was pissed at the level of ignorance.
DeleteThe most important thing is to first of all know who you are in Christ Jesus
ReplyDeleteand to read the bible and know that the word of God is the final arbiter or authority
else you could be deceived.
Thank God for His grace and mercies that are new every morning.
Unfortunately, this is not the case for many.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWow interesting but I am not surprised. I live in UK and I went to an african church I had been invited to. I thought ok, this person is always ringing and texting so let me even go to this church. Anyway to cut the long story short, I went to the church and yeah the pastor seemed jovial and all but what really amazed me was the fact that the whole sermon really had no main focus. I could not even say or point out exactly what the real topic of the sermon was because the pastor seemed to be jumping from one topic to the next and from scripture to scripture and all these passages didn't event relate. Anyway after the service I didn't go straight home as I went to a friends house. Next thing I get a call from the pastor saying they are in front of my house as they came to pay me a visit. I was like first of all, I'm not home and its kind of inappropriate to show up at someones doors step without informing them. Anyway, he asked me when I would be home and I blatantly said I do not know. Well this church rang me consistently for like a whole month and one day I picked up and told them to piss off!
ReplyDeleteWow. In front of your house without informing you? What if you were working at home, or something they did not envisage?
DeleteWell my point is no one needs to force or convince anyone to be part of a church, let the spirit of God lead and direct that person. Im tired of all these churches that seem to be in competition as well for who has more church members. I won't mention names but like another church that seems to be focused on hooking up all the singles. Then the silly statements some christians make when they say, if you come my church, your life would never be the same again. No its, when you give your life to God, your life won't be the same again. This doesn't mean all your problems would go away, it simply means that you will have peace and salvation and you will begin to look at life a different way. Unfortunately a lot of so called educated people go to some of these churches and don't seem to want to use their own brains to think. Its all about what pastor said but people really do need to ask themselves what is God saying... You may not have the spirit of discernment but one thing that will never fail you is you friend, 'the Bible' and by that I'm talking about the real one oh, not the one your pastor/church wrote. I didn't even know that churches made laws (Your pastor no be Moses)!
ReplyDeleteIt's true. Many people mix things up like mad. When we have the presence of the Holy Spirit, many things get clearer.
DeleteHahahah! Girl, you had me at adopting the pastor's last name! LOL! Say what now????
ReplyDeleteAhn ahn, See you. very common sef. Dint it happen in the Ajao estate church, where the 'jesus' is now in prison?
Delete
ReplyDeleteI do not have much faith in the supernatural, but sometimes we allow myself to believe in something that was very cool. I made a post on my blog about a pastor with some of the above qualities. most of the above list is just right and its pathetic ... using their general overseers among other things. God's mercy!
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