Understanding the Cults

By Geoff Ashley

In almost every religious system, some beliefs go so beyond the boundaries of orthodoxy that they are classified as "cults" or "sects." This is particularly true in the case of the Christian faith.

A number of groups pass themselves off as "Christian" while rejecting central Christian doctrine. Among these, the most familiar are probably Mormonism (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and Jehovah's Witnesses. As these religions have denied essential elements of historic Christian belief, they are not classified as "denominations" or "branches" of Christianity but rather as unchristian cults.

Without going into great detail on the various errors of both groups and the Christian response to such errors, I want instead to provide a few helpful resources for those wishing to study the errors, especially for those who hope to evangelistically engage those who are enslaved to such doctrines.

Below are a few of the more pressing theological concerns of these particular cults¹ and some suggested resources.

Mormonism:

• Teaches that the Father was at one time a man, just like us, and BECAME a "god" (perhaps "God" depending on how they use it) at some point
• Teaches that the Father is flesh and blood
• Teaches that Jesus and Satan are equally sons of the Father
• Teaches that we (humans) can become gods and start the process all over again
• Rejects the Trinity by teaching multiple "gods"
• Rejects the virgin birth of Jesus
• Denies salvation by grace alone through faith alone by teaching salvation through works (including necessary membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Jehovah's Witnesses

• Rejects the doctrine of the Trinity
• Teaches that Jesus was created and thus a lesser "god" than the Father
• Teaches that Jesus experienced a non-physical "spiritual" resurrection and His return was a non-physical "spiritual" return which has already occurred
• Rejects the deity of the Holy Spirit
• Denies salvation by grace alone through faith alone by teaching salvation through works (including necessary membership in a church of Jehovah's Witnesses)
• Rejects the doctrine of hell and eternal judgment