OK, I need your help on this one. Is this a cult to be worried about? Has anyone heard about this or recognise what's going on here? If you've seen similarities to other cults then I'd like to know who.

https://thelastreformation.com/

My brother is getting sucked into this for various reasons I won't go into. Basically he's unhappy with his life and either just works or spends time with other Christians. He's a born again Christian and has been for quite a few years. He's always been into evangelical happy clappy churches. Apparently this group claims it can cure cancer, homosexuality and autism by casting out demons. We're worried that my brother will give up his job, house, life, marriage and then just go off preaching, trusting in God and lose everything. Apparently they have been promoting such ideas and some of their followers do that. My mother is convinced that he's already decided to do this and is just trying to figure out how to make it happen.

The way my brother describes this church is that it's like Christianity when it first formed, when it wasn't a man-made social structure of rituals controlling people. My brother has a strict definition of what a cult is and says that this isn't one. As far as I can see it is a cult because it's all based on one personality driving it. Which also means that it isn't like the early church (unless you count Jesus, if he even existed).

My brother jumps head first into things 100%, so if I ever talked to him about this I would use the socratic method of questioning. After all, there are questions that he just would not be able to answer. For example, how would he know that he was not being misled by Satan and that this wasn't Christianity? If cancer and autism is caused by demonic possession, then how can medical science work? It's either one or the other.  So more questions like this would be appreciated if you come up with any.

Looks like a cult to me.

Intervention.

I don't know anything about them which is hardly surprising given how disinterested I am in religion. But the picture on their website speaks for itself. It makes my hair stand on end. It's definitely a cult. Probably run by someone exploiting it's members or someone being on a massive ego trip. The latter is the more alarming option, since you never know where an overblown sense of self is going.

(July 28, 2016 at 5:21 pm)quip Wrote: Intervention.

Hardly works in situations like that. I knew quite a few people having fallen for some religious snake oil vendor. No matter how hard their relatives tried, the only result was removing them even further from their loved ones.

(July 28, 2016 at 5:23 pm)abaris Wrote:

(July 28, 2016 at 5:21 pm)quip Wrote: Intervention.

Hardly works in situations like that. I knew quite a few people having fallen for some religious snake oil vendor. No matter how hard their relatives tried, the only result was removing them even further from their loved ones.

That's my worry. I have one card to play. He throws himself into things 100%. He's had a crisis of faith in the past and says that he understands why some people do not believe. All I can do is to ask him a few questions that throw enough doubt on the whole situation using the Socratic method. It would require staying absolutely calm throughout and not raising my voice at any point or showing any stress. All I could do is hope to plant some seeds that may grow with enough time.

Good luck Mathilda.

Hope your brother snaps out of it eventually.

When adults choose to be willfully ignorant, it is pretty much impossible to try and help them. If your socratic method works, that'd be the best, but even if it fails don't lose hope, rather prepare yourself to support him when he needs to get back on his feet again. It might sometimes be better to let them stumble and fall a bit before they learn their lesson

All religions are cults.

Quote:

Quote:The only difference between a cult and a religion is the amount of real estate they own

(July 28, 2016 at 6:18 pm)Mathilda Wrote: That's my worry. I have one card to play. He throws himself into things 100%. He's had a crisis of faith in the past and says that he understands why some people do not believe. All I can do is to ask him a few questions that throw enough doubt on the whole situation using the Socratic method. It would require staying absolutely calm throughout and not raising my voice at any point or showing any stress. All I could do is hope to plant some seeds that may grow with enough time.

The best advice I can give is to talk to an expert. There are psychologists specialising in that kind of stuff. Don't do anything on your own and don't let anyone do something on their own. Seek advice first.

If other christens are calling it a cult, more than likely it's a cult. Click on the links.

Baptisms in trash cans and speaks in tongues.

https://revolutionforjesus.com/2016/06/1...formation/

Another christen take on the cult.

http://gccsatx.com/torben-sondergaard-la...ation-cult