Is the Church of Christ a religious cult?

[KLP]

Relatively small minorities ruling a country are not that unknown in history...would not have thought it would have been that hard to imagine how such a thing happens based on history. Maybe like in Iraq there is a coup and a purge ala Saddam.

[Ivy]

KLP do you think my responses to the list of cult signs fit the NICOC experience? I think in all fairness they don't qualify for
full blown cult status.

[B.H.]

Relatively small minorities ruling a country are not that unknown in history...would not have thought it would have been that hard to imagine how such a thing happens based on history. Maybe like in Iraq there is a coup and a purge ala Saddam.

True but this is the Church of Christ we are talking about. They can't get one congregation to work with another congregation without finding some fault. At least the Shi'te minority in Iraq could team up and had a history of martial experience. And the whites in South Africa and Rhodesia stuck together because of the fear the blacks would kill all of them. Turned out not to happen (at least not in S.A. to a large degree) but the fear kept the whites together for a long time.

Being told your going to hell because you use more than one cup, use and instrument, use bible classes, ect is as scary as being told you are not being granted membership in book of the month club if you don't buy at least three books a year.

[B.H.]

KLP do you think my responses to the list of cult signs fit the NICOC experience? I think in all fairness they don't qualify for
full blown cult status.

I don't think any of the CoC groups do either. I think a lot of them are toxic to the intellect and the soul but they are not cults.

[KLP]

KLP do you think my responses to the list of cult signs fit the NICOC experience? I think in all fairness they don't qualify for
full blown cult status.

I thought your analysis and evaluation was pretty fair and honest.

Cults generally are driven/started by a charismatic personality that cannot be challenged. Speaking as a PK, I can say that it is rare the CofC preacher attains this status. Usually the preachers are trying to move up to a wealthier congregation or at least trying to not get fired. But once they are at the big places they tend to stay and can gain a good bit of power in that congregation...like a Dee Bowman or John Kilgore in the Houston area for instance. These guys tend to stay for decades at one congregation and have a lot of influence and control. And they tend to be charismatic and popular. So those kinds of places get a bit more of that cult thing going.

[B.H.]

KLP, did you ever buy or read the book Dee wrote on preaching?

[Shrubbery]

Cults generally are driven/started by a charismatic personality that cannot be challenged. Speaking as a PK, I can say that it is rare the CofC preacher attains this status. Usually the preachers are trying to move up to a wealthier congregation or at least trying to not get fired. But once they are at the big places they tend to stay and can gain a good bit of power in that congregation...like a Dee Bowman or John Kilgore in the Houston area for instance. These guys tend to stay for decades at one congregation and have a lot of influence and control. And they tend to be charismatic and popular. So those kinds of places get a bit more of that cult thing going.

I've definitely noticed our preacher has more sway in recent years. He was the preacher of our previous congregation for many years, and when we spawned a new congregation, we took him with us. Now we're a decent size and he's an elder (there are 5 elders for about 140 members). He's not necessarily the defacto leader, but he definitely has a lot of sway. He also isn't afraid to step on toes, as he doesn't really have to worry about getting fired. He's been with this group for a long, long time. He's also an excellent/interesting speaker, so people like to listen to him. The congregation is very well off (we're all engineers, and there is always the joke of, "It's not rocket science... although in this group that wouldn't be a problem anyway."), so he gets paid well and gets time off from preaching pretty regularly, since they make sure all the elders preach and teach (considering those to be requirements of elders), and they like to have a regular member preach now and then.

I don't think my group is quite getting a cult thing going, but I could certainly see it happening that way in the future. Right now it's still normal NICOC behavior.

[Ivy]

KLP do you think my responses to the list of cult signs fit the NICOC experience? I think in all fairness they don't qualify for
full blown cult status.

I thought your analysis and evaluation was pretty fair and honest.

Cults generally are driven/started by a charismatic personality that cannot be challenged. Speaking as a PK, I can say that it is rare the CofC preacher attains this status. Usually the preachers are trying to move up to a wealthier congregation or at least trying to not get fired. But once they are at the big places they tend to stay and can gain a good bit of power in that congregation...like a Dee Bowman or John Kilgore in the Houston area for instance. These guys tend to stay for decades at one congregation and have a lot of influence and control. And they tend to be charismatic and popular. So those kinds of places get a bit more of that cult thing going.

The NICOC experience is pretty unique. You as a PK saw things I didn't....more of the inside scoop. Dee Bowman preached at my childhood church so I knew of him, but not John Kilgore. I remember other big names but I'll not bring them up here. I remember them all as kind, decent people. I do recall that preachers generally didn't stay too long at congregations; someone would usually get upset about something and it would be time for them to move on. That had to be hard on the preacher's families. And I never personally saw anyone rise to cult status......the elders were always ready to pull the plug for any reason on whoever might be in the pulpit. There was no job security at all.

[KLP]

KLP, did you ever buy or read the book Dee wrote on preaching?

no, I wasn't interested...though I have heard him read a few passages at times or excerpt bits in the past for bulletins.

[Moogy]

Ivy said:
8. The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members’ participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before they joined the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities). DOES NOT MEET

Ivy,
There were unethical things we were expected to do. Like calling a pregnant woman and telling her she needs to divorce her husband because she was previously married and didn’t have a scriptural divorce that time. Like “visiting” an errant brother to tell him he was going to hell if he kept practicing homosexuality. I could go on, but these are the worst ones that I remember.