The explicit or implicit denial of any of the CENTRAL TEACHINGS makes the group a cult. Adding to the word of God, even by giving other books or prophecies, equal authenticity as that of the Bible, also must be considered as a cultic tendency. The central doctrines of Christianity, without believing in which one cannot be saved are Trinity, deity of Christ, atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross, bodily resurrection of Christ and the salvation be grace through faith. All belief systems that deny the gospel of Jesus Christ are false and thus lead people away from the true God. Satan will not agree to the fact that Christ came in flesh (1Jn 4:1-3). Unlike Satan, JESUS HAS THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE ON EARTH and has the legal authority to act on the earth.

Some other features the cultic groups are: SECRET nature of beliefs and practices, PARASITICAL use of Christian terminology, SPIRITUALIZING AND ALLEGORICAL method of interpretation to destroy bible while suing it. LEGALISTIC spirit enslaves. Lifestyle can make us cultic. Points to be noticed in this category include – AUTHORITARIAN leadership patterns, LOYALTY and commitment mechanisms, lifestyle, CONFORMITY patterns, persecution mentality, legalistic attitude. Can be right in all doctrines but if there is NO CHRISTIAN LOVE, everything is meaningless.

church is willing get rid of those ‘uncomfortable’ Biblical aspects which conflict with the values of the world. They adjust with the standards of the world. Many feels that we should not expect absolute truth from the Bible.

The secular psychological views are systematically propagated among theological students. Christian thinkers have become despisers not defenders of faith. The Word of God is commonly scorned as mythical, intolerant and fundamentalist. It derailed mission from the track of evangelism to social and economic developmental programs. They attempt to overshadow, vilify and pervert the simple message of Christ.

6. New Age movement, world church etc. Theological liberalism is the lubricant for the ecumenical machinery which aims at a world church.

Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines (Heb 13:9). Beloved believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confessed that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh

NEW BIRTH AND REBIRTH

The use of biblical terms out of context is becoming widespread in the secular media. The dictators are misusing the Christian terminologies in order to deceive the credulous or unsuspicious people. Christian new birth is being counterfeited as rebirth and reincarnation by the New Agers. Satan and his agents will quote the Scriptures incorrectly and out of context. Through propaganda they will anesthetize the people to the real issues, and emotionalize them to do evil things. In the information warfare in the cyberspace there will also be calculated efforts to acquire more and more power and wealth and also to deny power and wealth to others.

GHOSTS

Ghosts refers to the “visible appearance” of the disembodied soul or spirit of a dead person which has returned to haunt the living, seek revenge, communicate with the living may demon activity. The Bible does not teach that the spirits/souls of dead people wander around in a disembodied state and return to the living to haunt them. At death a person’s spirit/soul immediately goes to heaven if saved, hell if lost. It is a permanent assignment until the body is later resurrected and the consignment made eternal. Occult beliefs and practices take on an almost endless number of forms. And in recent years a “scientific discipline” known as para-psychology has developed which seeks to examine and explain supernatural phenomenon including: Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) (the ability to know something in the mind-especially before it happens without using the 5 natural senses. Mental telepathy (knowing the thoughts of another person). Telekinesis (the ability to move objects with the mind). Clairvoyance (being aware of objects and events without the use of the senses). The occult is a bit more sophisticated and accepted today but regardless of the form it takes it is still not of God! Keep in mind everything we see or experience cannot be explained. Always judge every belief or practice by the standard of the Word of God. The power behind the occult is Satan and his purpose are to discredit God and destroy his people. Matt. 12:22-27, Rev.13:1-18. Prayer and the power of the Spirit hold the key to prevailing over the occult. Contemporary Moral and Ethical Issues. What is right according to God’s Word instead of what the world says is right. God Himself is the only real objective perfect standard of determining what is right. And therefore, what is right is what God says is right in His Word. To be right(righteous) is to be in agreement with or conformity to God’s standard and perspective.

SAI BABA

He was born in 1926 at Puttaparthi, A.P. At 10 he organized a Bhajan group to praise Shri Sai Bab of Shirdi, Maharashtra who died in 1918. He had prophesied that he would be reborn 8 years later. Baba believes he is the incarnation of the Sai Baba of Shirdi. He is called Ardhanarishwara. he prophesied that the next incarnation will be in Madhya Karnataka in 2021 when he dies at the age of 95. Because of his childhood symptoms relatives thought he was possessed with evil spirit. But exorcists could not do anything. TEACHINGS: Nature of God and world: World is superimposed on Brahman which is real. Man is essentially divine. Tat Twam Asi is the highest and holiest teaching. SIN is the ignorance of the true nature of oneself. SALVATION is the merger of atman into Brahman. Soul ends up by becoming one with god through liberation from the bondage of karma and the wheel of rebirth and death. Sai means reclining; "Since I recline on truth, I am called Satya Sai". " I am not the person performing the sacrifice. I am the person receiving the sacrificial offerings and awarding rewards". He claims to be an avatar. "Give me your mind fully and without reservations. then you become Bhaktas and will be liberated from grief". He defined his mission as preservation of Vedas, wisdom and righteousness; and salvation of devotees. He came to implant faith in the divinity of man and reestablishment of Vedanta and vedantic way of life in India and the world. Community bhajans are used to develop devotion. 'He is trying to reconstruct the ancient highway to god resorting peoples' knowledge of god and faith in the spiritual heritage of India and overemphasizing the basic principles of truth, righteousness, peace and love as keys to the spiritual growth of mankind'. He wants integration of world community based on those values. He claims to read the mind of the people who come to him; heals the sick, answers the prayers and materializes gifts. He is considered as the greatest living saint. He claims that all religions and names of gods are his. Hence his aim is not starting a new cult but train the people in the best tradition of Indian culture and spirituality.

They have widespread social service activities. His organization train 'soldiers of the spirit'. He believes man should use all skills for the welfare of the society. 'Service to humanity is service to God'. 'The hands that serve are holier than the lip that pray'. He teaches universal religion and all kinds of people come to him.

SHAMAN - SHAMANISM

Shamanism is the folk religion of Korea. Shamans are priests. There are 2 sorts of Shamans in Korea. 1. Shamans by heredity or learning. They receive education from the old master shamans and pass through certain initiatory ordeals. They are important in S.K. 2. Shamans by choice and gift of gods. They are important in N.K. When a person is chosen by gods to be a Shaman, he experiences sickness, dreams and ecstasies. Ecstasy comes through singing and dancing. They believe ecstasy repeats the experience of rebirth when Shaman experienced when god chose him to be a shaman. Literally ecstasy means 'standing outside' normal everyday experience or outside the physical world and becomes aware of powers and truths which cannot be known through the ordinary working of his senses.  Dancing in a ceremony worship is called 'Kut'. (Richard Cavendish The Great Religions NY Arco Publishing Co. 1980. pp 67-69). BELIEFS OF SHAMANISM. At the heart of shamanism is the belief that there is communion between gods and men. It is not man or nature which rules over all things in the world, life and death, good fortune and bad. They are all the acts of gods. Hence to control the nature or his own destiny man has to have right relationship with gods who are the source of power. For this a person must be able to persuade gods. Shaman religion makes this possible. Through their ceremonies of worship, they invite gods, entertain them, listen to their will or oracles and obey them. AIMS OF CEREMONIES: Through ceremonies people eliminate all evil fortunes and invite blessings, try to expel evil spirits and have diseases cured, try to comfort and purify the souls of the dead in order to send them to the other world so that they may not cause any disasters in this world. (David A Brown A Guide to Religions. ISPCK, Delhi. 1994.pp 46-50). WORSHIP PATTERNS OF SHAMANISM. The shamanic ceremonies of worship are related to two cycles of life: 1. The cycle of human ageing: On the occasion of marriage they have ceremony to get rid of misfortune, when a child is conceived to please the guardian of the new life, for riches and honors, and at person's death pray for the safe journey and entrance into the other world. 2. The cycle of the year: There are ceremonies in the spring to eliminate evil fortune for the entire year, for abundant harvest. large scale ritual consists of 12 sequences, each one calling on a particular god with a particular function. They are mainly to purify the place of worship and call down a host of gods, prayer for protection, expulsion of evil spirits, for blessings of wealth, for long life, for peace, worship guardian gods and offer sacrifices to all sorts of spirits in order that there may be no evil consequences. First, they call down the god who is the object of ritual. to invite the god Shaman starts to sing and dance to a special tune and rhythm to please god. gradually he reaches a stage of trance or ecstasy in which he is in communion with god and conveys the words of god. Then they pray for wealth, for blessings upon children, to guardian god who superintends the whole house hold, to drive out all diseases and evil fortunes and to secure wealth, peace and long life. (Smart Ninian The Religious Experience of Mankind NY Charles Scribners.1969 pp 98-109)

ANIMISM

Animism and primitive religions which usually involve such things as astrology, witchcraft, sorcery, human sacrifice, spiritists, mediums, divination, magic, idolatry, immorality, drugs etc. Main cults. Religious group which deviates from orthodox Christian doctrine as taught in the Bible. A sect is usually seen as a division or party within a particular religion while a cult is viewed as itself comprising a religion. Cults normally seen as promoting and practicing some doctrinal heresies. Common characteristics of cults. Asserts that they are the only true way to God, claim to have new oral or written revelation in addition to the Bible, advance novel interpretations of Scripture, deny either the real humanity or the deity of Jesus Christ or both, attack orthodox Christianity, follow a strong cultic leader who gathers disciples, promote salvation by works, define biblical or Christian terms in non-biblical ways. The easiest way to discern if a religious group is a cult is to determine what they believe about the person and work of Jesus Christ.

ARMSTRONGISM

World Wide Church of God (Armstrongism) The World-Wide Church of God was found in 1934 by Herbert W. Armstrong. The mission of Armstrong is to restore the true gospel which has not, according to him, been preached from A.D. 69 right before the destruction of Jerusalem until 1934 when God appointed Armstrong for this task to prepare the way for the Second Coming of Christ when He will bring in the Kingdom. Basic beliefs. God - Armstrong teaches that there are many gods and the word “Elohim” (which is plural) proves it. God is a family with 2 members now. The Trinity is false doctrine. God is reproducing himself and man can become god. God the Father is supreme. God the Creator (Christ) is great but inferior to the Father. Yahweh was only Israel’s God not God the Father. The Holy Spirit is not a person but only the power of God. Scriptures. The Bible is God’s Word must be correctly interpreted by Armstrong who has the true Gospel and last word from God. Jesus Christ. Jesus became God’s son by virtue of the resurrection. Jesus is now one of the two gods in God’s family. Salvation - Salvation requires repentance and forsaking actual sins, faith, water baptism, observance of Saturday Sabbath, good works. No one is saved in this life. Salvation occurs at the bodily resurrection if the person has met the requirements and performed satisfactorily. Salvation is not an event but a process which starts at conversion. Being born again happens at the resurrection. Man’s ultimate destiny through self-reform and the resurrection is to become God. some people who died without Christ will be resurrected and given a second chance. Salvation comes as a result of the Second Coming not the first. True Christians will be resurrected and changed to become God while the wicked will die and be annihilated. Thus, hell and eternal punishment are not real. Basic practices. Armstrong teaches vehemently that the Christian practice or worshipping on Sunday is the mark of Beast (See.Rev.13) Thus they falsely teach that the Sabbath is the real day of worship for true Christians. Armstrong has also wrongly predicted the Second Coming of Christ in 1972. United States and Britain have taken the place on the ten lost tribes of Israel. Writings - “The World Tomorrow” magazine and many pamphlets outline the beliefs and practice of this cult. Scripture takes a “back seat” to Armstrong’s interpretation of it. Church worship on Saturday (Sabbath) like the Seventh-Day Adventists. Armstrongism is a strange mixture of unique false doctrine and false teachings from Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is very little truth mixed with great error.

ASTROLOGY AND HOROSCOPES

IN FACT, STAR SIGN IS ONLY FOR MANKIND GENERAL TRUTH NOT MEANT FOR PERSONAL ISSUES. DEVIL MADE IT PERSONAL AND GOD HATES IT. From ancient times many people have taught that the position and movement of stars and planets either controls or has a direct influence on the lives of people. According to astrology both a person’s destiny and the events in their lives are predetermined by the sign under which they are born. By consulting a horoscope one can learn of upcoming events and make changes accordingly. The practice denies God and His Sovereignty and looks to the stars for guidance, wisdom and advice. Astrology is condemned in scripture over and over again. (See Duet.4:19; Is.47:13-15; Jer.10:2)

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Christian Science is a religious cult which developed out of a society formed by Mary Baker Eddy in 1875 as a reaction against predestination and election as taught in her congregational church. Christian Science is neither Christian nor scientific. It rejects most Orthodox Christian doctrine and contradicts the facts of science and medicines. Mrs. Eddy was supposedly healed of her back injury by Phineas Quimby, a healer who used hypnotism and the power of positive suggestion to heal. Quimby called his approach “Christian Science”. Mrs. Eddy became his disciple and apparently used his ideas.  She claims divine revelation gave her The Writings of Science and Health and Key to the Scriptures. Christian Science is built on the denial of the basic realities of life and death. Basic beliefs - God. To the Christian Scientists God is the Diving principle, the all in all, the mind supreme, the infinite, incorporeal spirit, life-truth-love forming the triunity of God, the omnipotent I Am occupying all space, the one Father-Mother of all. Thus, Christian Science is pantheistic. Even though it rejects the Trinity, Christian Science falsely teaches that there are 3 gods in one. God - Father-Mother. Christ - the spiritual ideal of son. Holy Comforter - divine science. Scriptures. Although Mrs. Eddy recognized the teachings of Scripture, her special divine revelation from God was of higher authority and weight. Jesus Christ is a human while Christ is the divine idea. Is the child of Mary’s self-conscious communion with God. Is not God or eternal but simply the ideal truth did not really die. Was not bodily resurrected but only in thought. Is the ideal truth who comes to heal sickness and sin via Christian Science. Is Christ-the divine idea of which Jesus is the best human representation. Is not essential to Christian Science. Is the perfect example of the unity of man’s mind with the mind of God.          Salvation - Salvation is to be delivered from sin, sickness and death. Sin is not real. Sickness is an illusion. Matter is an illusion. Evil is an illusion. Salvation then is freedom from sin, sickness and death which are all conquered by denying their reality and existence. This basic teaching is almost like “mind over matter” - very metaphysical. Christian Science also denies the reality of hell, judgement and eternal separation from God. At worst, when people die, they cease to exist according to their doctrine. Basic practices. Christian Science focuses on divine healing - on restoring the lost art of healing as practiced by Christ. Freedom from the illusion of sickness, pain etc. is the goal. Followers of Christian Science generally avoid the use of doctors, medicine, surgery etc. The focus is more on physical healing than dealing with man’s sin problem.

DIVINATION/SOOTH SAYING (FORTUNE TELLING AND PALM READING)

Practice of foretelling and predicting person’s future, Diviners, soothsayers and astrologers all fall in this category. Many different devices, objects and practices are used including: palm reading, crystal balls, mirrors, Tarot cards, rock crystals, numbers. Fortune telling is fueled by peoples’ natural curiosity and the desire to know the future in order to alter circumstances, avoid calamity or take advantage of opportunities. People are looking to someone or something other than God for advice about the future. Know that God holds the future. 100% accuracy is required for those who foretell the future or they are false prophets.

DIVINATION

“By divination is meant the endeavor to obtain information about things future or otherwise removed from ordinary perception, by consulting informants other than human. While mostly directed to foretelling coming events, it is not confined to this, but may seek to find out, e.g., what is going on at home while the inquirer is abroad” (ERE vol 4. p.775).

NECROMANCY

“Death increases rather than diminishes a man’s magical powers, including his prophetic faculties. Hence we find the widespread practice (of which indeed, shamanizing might be considered a variant) of consulting either the souls of the dead in general or the soul of a particular dead man, or his corpse” (ERE vol 4. p778). “In most if not all cases, the spirits thus consulted are given offerings of various kinds to win their favor and induce them not only to foretell, but to make things turn out as the inquirer wishes” (ERE vol 4. p778). There are numerous mechanical means of divination. There is also divination by nature such as astrology, numerology…natural medicine etc.,

ISKCON

Western version of Eastern mysticism which takes many different forms such as Divine Light Mission, Bahai, Transcendental Meditation. Yoga and Zen Buddhism. All of these have roots in Buddhism or Hinduism. This cult developed in the 15th Century A.D. from the Hindu sect of Vaishnavism. It is known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON. Krishnaism centers around the worship of and devotion to one god (Krishna) out of the many gods although they are all really one and the same (Monism) It teaches reincarnation whereby people go through successive lives to pay for their bad Karma (accumulated evil actions) Basic beliefs - God. Krishna is the original supreme “God” out of which all others emanate or are manifested. Scripture - Bhagavad-Gita. Jesus Christ - To Krishna Jesus is not God but only one of his sons or masters who achieved divinity. Salvation - Salvation is by works and good deeds to atone for one’s bad Karma. It takes many successive lives to do so. Sacrifice and self-denial are efficacious in dealing with one’s bad Karma. Salvation comes when one’s good deeds outweigh his bad ones and he has paid for all his penalty which is a form of cleansing from evil. Then salvation comes with the end of the cycle of reincarnation as oneness (Nirvana) or God-consciousness (Divine Inner Light) is realized. It is a state of blissful non-existence of self. Krishnas look within themselves to find the good and “god”. Basic practices - Krishna practice yoga (a system of exercises for controlling mind and body) transcendental meditation and asceticism (self-denial) as the way to achieve Nirvana by getting into touch with the god within you. Chanting of “mantras” and forms of mind control are also prevalent.

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

Jehovah Witnesses was founded in 1872 by C.T. Russell and given its most prevalent name by J.F. Rutherford in 1931. It is also known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society; the International Bible Students Association and its followers are sometimes called Russellites. The focus of Jehovah’s Witnesses is on the Second Coming of Christ, The Battle of Armageddon, The establishment of a “new world order” in the millennial kingdom. Basic beliefs. God - The only genuine personal name of God is Jehovah who is everlasting. Jehovah’s Witnesses deny Trinity, the full deity of Jesus Christ, the personhood of the Holy Spirit who is just a force. The Scriptures - The Jehovah’s Witnesses recognize the Bible as the Word of God as it is correctly translated in their own New World Translation of 1961. Russell’s Studies in the Scripture are also essentially viewed as God’s Word. The Bible however, means what Jehovah’s Witnesses say it means! Jesus Christ is a god, is a created being, God’s first son, is actually the incarnation of Michael the Archangel was in his pre-human state Lucifer’s brother who rebelled against God. Jehovah’s Witnesses use misinterpretations of John 1:1; John 14:28; Rev.3:14; Prov.8:22, and Col.1:15, to try and prove that Jesus is not the eternal co-equal of God the Father. Salvation - The soul does not continue to exist after death and hell is not real according to Jehovah’s Witnesses. One will be saved and recreated by God to live in a body forever or be annihilated and cease to exist. Christ offered his human body on the cross as the sacrifice for sin which purchased for mankind earthly life and blessings which had been lost because of Adam’s sin. Heavenly blessings (eternal life) await only the 144,000 elect Jehovah’s Witnesses. Basic practices - None of the prophetic dates and events prophesized by Jehovah’s Witnesses have proven true, and yet they still predict dates and the cult still grows. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not use alcohol or tobacco, allow divorce, permit blood transfusions, vote or honor the flag. Writings - It is to the Watch Tower and Awake that Jehovah’s Witnesses look for authoritative interpretation of Scripture and doctrine. Like Roman Catholicism and Mormonism, the Jehovah’s Witnesses place their own writings and pronouncements on an equal level with the authority or Scripture. State that in contrast not one word of prophecy in Scripture has ever failed! Since the prophecies of the Watch Tower are false so are its teachings. Don’t argue verses and theology until the authority issue is settled. Is the Bible or the Watch Tower true?

MAGIC, SCIENCE AND RELIGION

“Religion on the other hand is opposed in principle both to magic and to science, since its fundamental assumption is that the course of nature and of human life is controlled by personal beings superior to man. Towards such beings conciliation must be employed, whereas to exert mechanical control is the object of magic and science, though the former often essays to control spirits, treating them however exactly as if they were inanimate agents. Finally, the human race is assumed to have passed through an intellectual phase in which they attempted to force the great powers of nature to do their pleasure, and had not yet thought of courting their favor by offerings and prayer” (Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, vol 8. pp.245-246).

“Magic conveys the notion of power by whatsoever means acquired, wielded by the magician as his own, and not as that of a higher being whose cooperation is only obtained by supplication and self-abasement. On his view prayers and sacrifices are magical processes just in so far as a constraining power is attributed to them; and he asks, ‘have analogous beliefs in the magical powers of a rite even yet disappeared from Christianity’?” (vol 8 p. 246).

MOONIES (THE UNIFICATION CHURCH

Moonies (the Unification church) The Moonies are a religious heretical cult founded by the Korean Rev.Sun Myung Moon to promote the unity of Christianity in the one true church. “The Divine Principle” published in 1957 is its “Bible” Moon claims to have had a vision from Christ urging him to complete the redemption mission which Christ did not finish during his earthly ministry. Basic beliefs - God. God is living and eternal and man is one with God. In fact, man is the visible expression of God. God is masculine and created the universe as his female counterpart. God in the Unification Church is simply man in his exalted state. But he is not the God of the Bible. The Holy Spirit is a female spirit who is the true mother of all people. The Divine Principle and the teachings of Rev. Moon supersedes the Bible. To Moonies: Jesus Christ is not really God. Jesus was a man without original sin who attained some deity by realizing God’s ideal for man. Christ failed in his redemptive mission to bring in God’s Kingdom. The cross was a mistake and not part of God’s plan. Jesus did accomplish physical salvation - that “messiah” is Rev. Moon. Christianity should be replaced by the Unification Church. The spiritual fall happened when Eve had sex with Lucifer and the physical fall when she had sex with Adam. Evil and sin are basically selfishness which originated with Satan. All people will eventually be saved. Christ must come again to establish his kingdom on earth and to marry a physical bride. Salvation is restoration of the physical order of things on earth centering around marriage and human reform. Redemption is through restoration not biblical re-birth and regeneration. Rev. Moon is a contemporary example of a false Christ.

MORMONISM

Mormonism is the name given to the religious cult or sect known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - Day Saints. Joseph Smith founded Mormonism in 1830. Smith claims to have received the Book of Mormon from God which contains the true teachings. The Mormon church is advanced as the only true church because all others have fallen away from the true faith. Mormonism believe that God has a “flesh and bones” body and is really only a man who achieved deity - something all men can do. Mormons reject the Trinity and teach that there are 3 distinct Gods:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Other false concepts of God include that: God has multiple, eternal wives, God the Father in a human body had sex with the Virgin Mary and Jesus was their physical child, God is in the process of developing, there are many “gods”, Men can become “gods”, God is not omnipresent. Scriptures - To Mormons the Bible is the Word of God only to the extent it is correctly translated. But the Book of Mormon and the teachings and doctrine of the Mormon church are also the word of God.

Jesus Christ - not the eternal son of God and 2nd person of the Trinity, not fully God and full man, the first-born of the spirit children of God who was born physically by the sexual union of God and Mary, greater than all others but only a special man who attained deity by reason of his special birth, obedience and devotion. Salvation - Mormons recognize the atoning death of Christ on the cross for sins but do not to its full biblical meaning. Christ’s death on the cross assures the bodily resurrection of all people - thus they teach a form of universal salvation. Adam’s sin in the Garden was good because it gave him the potential to be like God! All men pay for their own sins, not Adam’s. There is no hell or eternal punishment in Mormonism. All will be saved, but some to higher levels than others. Salvation comes by - faith in Christ, baptism by immersion, laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit, obedience to the laws and ordinances of Mormonism. Salvation is thus by works in Mormon teaching. Eternal life is the power to achieve godhood and have offspring in heaven eternally. The president of the Mormon church is considered to be a “living prophet” who continues to receive new revelation from God and who is the authority in the Church. Among other things Mormons practice baptism for the dead. Historically, polygamy has been allowed and encouraged at least among leaders of the church. Distinctive writings and observances. As already noted, Mormons accept the Bible if correctly translated but believe it has been hopelessly corrupted over the years. By some estimates the Book of Mormon has been changed or revised almost 3000 times! Many of the changes are in direct contradiction to earlier editions. There is no historical or archaeological evidence to support the authenticity or reliability or the Book of Mormon. The morality and credibility of Joseph Smith is also subject to serious question. Baptism for the dead, polygamy by church leaders and the ideas of eternal, celestial procreation in marriage are among the more prominent ideas in Mormonism.  Indoctrination, severe discipline, fear tactics and threats are all used to keep Mormons in Mormonism. The upright moral standards of Mormons cloud and mask the hideous doctrine of the cult.

NAGA CULTURAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE – SPIRITS CALLED TIGERS

In the Naga society some persons are called “tigers”. That is, there is a co-relation between that person and a particular tiger. It is a spirit relationship. If the tiger becomes sick and dies, then that person will also get sick and die. If the tiger eats flesh, then that person will feel the taste of the flesh. Such persons are said to have some special powers.

OCCULT

Dealing with the Occult - Occult which is by nature and definition that which is mysterious, secret, hidden, concealed. The occult seems to deal with mysterious/secret rituals, powers beyond the normal human senses, the supernatural realm of demonic forces include Satanism, Spiritism (Necromancy), Witchcraft (sorcery, drugs, magic arts), Astrology and horoscopes, Divination/soothsaying (fortunetelling/palm reading), superstition, Ghosts. Animism and Primitive religions. There are only two possible sources of supernatural power in the world-God and Satan). Satan as ruler of this world system and evil age has been given great freedom to work his evil ways. In recent years there has been a marked increase in occult activities which has given rise to pseudo (false) sciences such as para-psychology which attempts to explain supernatural phenomena in scientific ways. Satan is more active than ever in these “end times” 1 Tim.4:1-2. Movies have popularized the occult and many people are fascinated by the unknown “dark” side of life. The occult promises to fulfill the lusts of the flesh and the mind. All of these occult practices are seen in many primitive religions. Satanism refers to the worship and following of Satan. It may involve: witchcraft, drugs, secret societies, rituals, drinking of blood from animal or human sacrifices, sexual immorality and perversion, denunciation of Christianity and the church, disregard for all law, order and authority, “the church of Satan” which promotes materialism and the pursuit of pleasures of all sorts especially sexual ones. Spiritism(spiritualism) is the belief in the eternal life of spirits in another world with whom it is possible to communicate via a human medium or spirit. In the OT Spiritism is sometimes called necromancy. The hope is to learn something of value in this life from the spirit of world. Spiritism uses trances and seances in the hope of calling up the spirit of a dead person to materialize and talk. Spiritism is specifically condemned in Scripture (Deut 18:9-12). 1 Sam 28:1-24 cannot be used to support the practice for it was God who caused Samuel’s spirit to appear to announce judgement which shocked everyone including the medium! Saul was condemned for his action. (1 Chron. 10:13-14) Moses and Elijah who appeared at the transfiguration were also summoned by God (Matt.16:1-13). These were not disembodied spirits but were in glorified, resurrection bodies. Luke 16:19-31 strongly teaches against non-communication between the living and the dead.