OTHER QUESTIONABLE RELIGIONS

WHAT IS ISLAM? Part 1

What do Muslims believe? 

 

Islam is considered one of the three Abrahamic faiths (along with Judaism and Christianity), is the world's second-largest religion, and was founded in the seventh century by Muhammad. More than one billion people around the world are considered Muslim.

Islam's origin is told as follows: Muhammad claimed the angel Gabriel visited him some 500 years after Christ. During these angelic visitations, which continued for about 23 years until Muhammad's death, this angel purportedly revealed to Muhammad the words of Allah (the Arabic word for "God" used by Muslims). These dictated revelations were collected in the Muslim holy book, called the Qur'an, that consists of 114 suras (or surahs, meaning chapters). 

While there are many subgroups within Islam, the three major groups include Shia (or Shiite), Sunni, and Sufi Muslims. Each practices Islam somewhat differently, yet all hold to the five pillars of Islam, the Qur'an as its holy book, and six key doctrines of Islam.

 

These five pillars include:

 

1. The testimony of faith (shahada): "la ilaha illa allah. Muhammad rasul Allah." This means, "There is no deity but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." A person can convert to Islam by stating this creed. The shahada shows that a Muslim believes in Allah alone as deity and believes that Muhammad reveals Allah.

 

2. Prayer (salat): Five ritual prayers must be performed every day. 

 

3. Giving (zakat): This almsgiving is a certain percentage given once a year (2.5 percent of one's income).

 

4. Fasting (sawm): Muslims fast during Ramadan in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. They must not eat or drink from dawn until sunset.

 

5. Pilgrimage (hajj): If physically and financially possible, a Muslim must make the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once. The hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar.

 

Here are some additional facts about Islam:

 

 

1. Muhammad was Allah’s principle prophet, which essentially placed Jesus on the same level as Muhammad, rather than being God’s Son.

 

2. Islam doesn’t believe in original sin. To them, man is not pre-disposed toward sin, but DO commit sins.

 

3. Allah has NO son, making the Trinity a false teaching.

 

4. They viewed Jesus as a spiritual guide; a prophet like Muhammad.

 

5. The Holy Spirit, rather than being the 3^rd person of the Trinity, is in fact, the Angel Gabriel.

 

6. Salvation is by the will of Allah thru man’s obedience to his law.

 

7. To escape Allah’s judgment man must fulfill the works of the Five Pillars listed above.

 

8. The Holy Bible is considered by them to be corrupted and full of falsehoods. The Qur’an is the only perfect Word of Allah.

 

9. The Bible is a wise book, but the Qur’an is the final authority.

 

 

As stated in point 6 above, a Muslim's entrance into paradise is based on one's level of obedience to these five pillars. Still, Allah may reject them. Even Muhammad was not sure whether Allah would admit him to paradise (Surah 46:9; Hadith 5.266). While Islam is considered a world religion and not technically a ‘cult’ as defined in THE KINGDOM OF THE CULTS, the Quran directly contradicts the teachings of Jesus. They adhere to anti-biblical theology, which brings their status as a religion into question. 

Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.compellingtruth.org; The Kingdom of the Cults by Dr. Walter Martin.

OTHER QUESTIONABLE RELIGIONS

WHAT IS HINDUISM? Part 2  

Since Hinduism does not share a unified system of beliefs, all that can be done here is to identify its main concepts in comparison with the Bible.

 

God: In Hinduism, God (Brahman) is believed to be unknowable, the one impersonal, ultimate, spiritual reality. Hindus claim that there are 330 million gods. The Bible, in contrast, teaches there is one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Spirit—who can be personally known. God is all-powerful and omnipresent but is not monistic (God as everything).

 

Creation: Hindus accept various forms of pantheism and reject the Christian concept of creation where God is separate from his creation (Genesis 1:1). According to Hinduism, Brahman alone exists; everything (the universe, earth, man, rocks, animals, fire, etc.) is ultimately an illusion (maya). Brahman caused the illusion of creation. There is no beginning or conclusion to creation, only endless repetitions or cycles of creation and destruction. History has no value since it is based on an illusion.

 

Humanity: The eternal soul (atman) of each human is supposedly a manifestation of Brahman mysteriously trapped in the physical body. A person must live repeated lives or reincarnations called Samsara before the soul can be liberated (moksha) from the body. On the other hand, the Christian God says each person is important. God created all people, including you (Genesis 1:26-27), so you could freely choose to know and love Him (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-10).

 

Sin & Salvation: Hindus have no concept of rebellion against a holy God. There is no clear plan of salvation in Hinduism. Moksha (freedom from infinite being and final self-realization of the truth) is the goal of existence. Yoga and meditation are taught by gurus (religious teachers) and are supposedly ways to attain moksha. Hindus hope and strive to eventually leave the cycle of reincarnation. In contrast, Christianity teaches that one's personality, soul, body, and mind are important to God and unique. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person, not have people become a part of Him.

 

Jesus: Jesus is not seen as the Messiah, God's Son, or as physically resurrected. He was simply a man who realized his divine nature. In contrast, the Bible presents Jesus as God's perfect Son, holy, divine (second person of the Trinity), resurrected, and also fully human.

 

Hinduism stands in complete contrast with the Bible's view on many of the key issues of life. Hinduism is a system of belief that promotes worship of a multitude of gods. Ultimately, the Bible compels Hindus to leave their beliefs and come to faith in Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) and calls Christians to share the message of Jesus with Hindus whenever possible (Matthew 28:18-20).

Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.compellingtruth.org; The Kingdom of the cults by Dr. Walter Martin.

OTHER QUESTIONABLE RELIGIONS

What is Hinduism? - Part 1

 

Hinduism is the world's third largest religion. The origin of Hinduism can be traced back to the Indus valley civilization around 4000 to 2200 B.C. Much of its history is uncertain. However, it is clear that around 4,000 years ago a developed group of people lived in Northwest India. The major influences of Hinduism occurred when nomadic, Indo-European tribes invaded Northern India (around 1500 B.C.) from Russia and Central Asia. They brought the religion of Vedism (an ancient religion that included chanting and sacrifices). Their beliefs mixed with the local Indian native beliefs. Religious principles mixed, including the Hindu beliefs of reincarnation, multiple gods (polytheism), and the spiritual unity of humanity (monism or "one ultimate reality").

Over time, this religious mix of ideas grew through written scriptures known as the Vedas. Originally passed down orally, these ideas were written down between 1400 and 400 B.C. The Hindu scriptures are massive, and consist of:

 

1) The Veda: The oldest of the Hindu scriptures is the Veda, which literally means "wisdom" or "knowledge." The Vedas contain hymns, prayers, and ritual texts. The four Vedas are the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajuraveda, and the Artharvaveda.

2) The Upanishads: The Upanishads are a collection of writings composed between 800-600 B.C. that marked a change to mystical ideas about humanity and the universe, particularly noticeable in the idea of the Brahman and the atman (the self or soul). The Upanishads came to have a great influence on Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

3) The Ramayana: The Ramayana is one of the two major epic tales of India, the other being the Mahabharata. A sage-poet named Valmiki wrote the Ramayana that consists of 24,000 couplets describing the life of Rama, a righteous king who was supposedly an incarnation of the God Vishnu.

4) The Mahabharata: The Mahabharata is the second epic. It is the story describing the deeds of the Aryan clans. It consists of some 100,000 verses composed over an 800-year period beginning about 400 B.C. Contained within this work is a great classic, the Bhagavad Gita, or the "Song of the Blessed Lord."

5) The Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gita is the most sacred of all Hindu books and is also the best known and the most read of all Indian works in the entire world. This is despite the fact it was added late to the Mahabharata sometime in the first century A.D. The story in the Bhagavad Gita describes man's duty, which, if carried out, will bring nothing but sorrow. This story has had great impact on Hindu belief in its endorsement of bhakti, or devotion to a particular god, as a means of salvation.

 

            We will take a further look into Hinduism in the next posting. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: www.compellingtruth.org

OTHER QUESTIONABLE RELIGIONS

What do Seventh-day Adventists Believe?

 

Here are the main tenets of the 7^th Day Adventists, as listed on the website Learning Religions:

 

Baptism - Baptism requires repentance and a confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It symbolizes forgiveness of sins and reception of the Holy Spirit. Adventists baptize by immersion.

Bible - Adventists see Scripture as divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, the "infallible revelation" of God's will. The Bible contains the knowledge necessary for salvation.

Communion - The Adventist communion service includes foot washing as a symbol of humility, ongoing inner cleansing, and service to others. The Lord's Supper is open to all Christian believers.

Death - Unlike most other Christian denominations, Adventists hold that the dead do not go directly to heaven or hell but enter a period of "soul sleep," in which they are unconscious until their resurrection and final judgment.

Diet - As "temples of the Holy Spirit," Seventh-day Adventists are encouraged to eat the healthiest diet possible, and many members are vegetarians. They are also prohibited from drinking alcohol, using tobacco, or taking illegal drugs.

Equality - There is no racial discrimination in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Women cannot be ordained as pastors, although the debate continues in some circles. Homosexual behavior is condemned as sin.

Heaven / Hell - At the end of the Millennium, the thousand-year reign of Christ with his saints in heaven between the first and second resurrections, Christ and the Holy City will descend from heaven to earth. The redeemed will live eternally on the New Earth, where God will dwell with his people. The condemned will be consumed by fire and annihilated.

Investigative Judgment - Beginning in 1844, a date originally named by an early Adventist as the Second Coming of Christ, Jesus began a process of judging which people will be saved and which will be destroyed. Adventists believe all departed souls are sleeping until that time of final judgment.

Jesus Christ - The eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ became man and was sacrificed on the cross in payment for sin, was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. Those who accept the atoning death of Christ are assured eternal life.

Prophecy - Prophecy is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Seventh-day Adventists consider Ellen G. White (1827-1915), one of the church's founders, to be a prophetess. Her extensive writings are studied for guidance and instruction.

Sabbath - Seventh-day Adventist beliefs include worship on Saturday, in accordance with the Jewish custom of keeping the seventh day holy, based on the Fourth Commandment. They believe that the later Christian custom of moving the Sabbath to Sunday, to celebrate the day of Christ's resurrection, is unbiblical.

Trinity - Adventists believe in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While God is beyond human understanding, He has revealed Himself through Scripture and His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

            Upon looking over the main beliefs of this denomination, we find that they agree with the Christian theological viewpoint on most topics. The main tenets of Christendom are being followed. There are two groups of the 7^th Day Adventist Church; one being considered Traditional & the other considered Evangelical. The Traditional seems to be more legalistic, while the Evangelicals look to line up pretty much with regular Evangelicals. There are a couple items that seem a little “different” should we say. Those “different” thoughts are in red above. They are referred to by some as “heterodox” or “unorthodox” beliefs; not in agreement with mainstream Christian doctrine. Having said that I don’t see these discrepancies as cultic. Neither does a large portion of Christendom.

            Ellen G White, the founder of the denomination, was considered by its’ constituents to be a prophetess. She was considered to have the proper interpretation of Scripture; but they consider the Bible to be inerrant & superior to White’s writings. In her lifetime (1827-1915) she wrote 180 books. I’ve seen the warning that her writings should be compared to actual scripture from the Bible to verify their validity. Her book, The Great Controversy, one of her first, chronicles the history of sin from beginning to end. Her writings were considered supplemental to the Bible. A means of helping the members of the church understand the scriptures. 

The general consensus of the majority of theologians is that while the 7^th Day Adventists are not a full-fledged cult, they are neither an authorized Christian denomination. The “experts” seem to agree that they should be considered a “sect” ^[1] of the Evangelical Christian Church, yet not an official denomination because of the few doctrinal differences. 

The latest statistics I found regarding the Traditional vs Evangelical churches of this “sect” shows that 80% of the people consider themselves to be part of the Evangelical branch of the Adventist church, while only 20% consider themselves to be part of the Traditional branch. The Evangelical branch is very close to the Protestant set of beliefs. There is of course always the possibility, as there is with any religious group, that an individual church body could stray from the main tenets of Christendom. However, this doesn’t make the entire overall group cultic. Perhaps just a church or two, but that all depends on the individual churches beliefs.

 

Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,                                                                                                                   RL Keller                                                                                                                                Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.learningreligions.com

^[1] (Christian Churches, other) a subdivision of a larger religious group (esp the Christian Church as a whole) the members of which have to some extent diverged from the rest by developing deviating beliefs, practices, etc. [sect. (n.d.) Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014. (1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014).]

THE 10 MOST DANGEROUS CULTS IN THE U.S.

What is the United Pentecostal Church? Part 2

While many false teachings have arisen out of the Pentecostal movement, Oneness Pentecostalism is certainly one of the most deceptive and heretical. Rather than embrace the triune nature of God as revealed in Scripture, Oneness Pentecostals, such as the United Pentecostal Church, create for themselves a God they can “understand” and in doing so end up with another gospel and a heretical concept of God. They hold to a form of modalism that, while correctly asserting the biblical truth that there is only one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4), fails to recognize the plurality of the Godhead (Genesis 1:26; Matthew 28:19–20; Mark 1:9–11; John 1:1; John 8:17–18; John 14:16: John 15:26; John 16:13–15: 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2; Revelation 1:4–6).

Modalism is basically the teaching that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are simply different ways God manifests or reveals Himself to humanity. It fails to recognize the distinctions that clearly exist between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, as well as their eternal relationship that Scripture reveals to us. Contrary to John 1:1, Oneness doctrine denies the pre-existence of Jesus Christ despite the fact that this verse clearly teaches that Jesus is God and that He was with God and was God from the beginning. They acknowledge that Christ is God but ignore the part of this verse that clearly establishes the pre-existence of Christ and makes a clear distinction between Christ and the Father as do many other verses of Scripture.

Their false view of God’s nature then leads them to misunderstand what it means to be “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38). The result is that they make water baptism “in the name of Jesus” a requirement of salvation and thus teach baptismal regeneration. They also add to that troublesome teaching that one must be baptized a specific way using a specific formula or wording in order to be saved. By adding to the gospel these requirements, as well as the false teaching that speaking in tongues is the evidence that one is saved, they end up with a convoluted gospel full of error and based on a misunderstanding of what Scripture really teaches.

The United Pentecostal Church recognizes that its teachings are not in line with most Christian denominations. We know that because they state on their website that “in our day, the Apostolic Pentecostal movement is distinctive for its teaching of the Oneness of God, the New Testament plan of salvation, and aspects of practical holiness.” In other words, like other cults the leaders of this movement are fully aware that what they teach is not in line with what is normally referred to as orthodox or biblical Christian doctrine.

Still another troubling teaching of the United Pentecostal Church is their concept of holiness and the legalistic standards they impose on people. For example, their view of holiness means that women cannot wear jewelry or make-up, that women must let their hair grow long, and that men must have their hair “noticeably short.” Also school students are forbidden from participating in shows, dances, dance classes, and theatre—and even prohibited from wearing gymnasium clothes. While Christians are called to be holy, the United Pentecostal Church’s definition of what is holy, like its other erroneous teaching comes from a misunderstanding of the basic principles of biblical hermeneutics.

The UPC’s statement of faith makes it clear that there are areas where their beliefs are acceptable and orthodox in that they do agree with the teaching of Scriptures. However, they go astray in very fundamental and essential areas. They essentially deny justification by faith. They add baptism and speaking in tongues as requirements for salvation. For baptism to be effective it must be done using the phrase “In the name of Jesus” and must be administered by an ordained Oneness Pentecostal minister. This essentially means that only those who embrace Oneness doctrines and practices will go to heaven, again another typical teaching of this type of “Christian” cult.

Like most cults, the United Pentecostal Church believes they are restoring biblical doctrine and biblical teaching that had been lost due to the corruption of the church throughout the centuries. Rather than recognizing that God in His sovereignty has preserved the true “apostolic doctrine” throughout the history of the church, they believe they are restoring biblical truths. The fact is all they are doing is reviving the ancient heresy of modalism that has been rejected by Christians every time another “new” group of false teachers begins to proclaim it.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

THE 10 MOST DANGEROUS CULTS IN THE U.S.

What is the United Pentecostal Church? Part 1

 

The United Pentecostal Church is a Oneness Pentecostal denomination that was formed in 1945 when the Pentecostal Church Incorporated and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ merged. Their website says that they “grew from 521 churches in 1945” to “4,243 churches and daughter works in 2010.” The United Pentecostal Church claims to be “among the fastest growing church organizations since it was formed in 1945.” Because United Pentecostal Churches are normally congregational in government, there can be some differences among individual churches. As a self-governing church body, each congregation elects its own pastors and leaders. The denomination’s headquarters is in Hazelwood, Missouri.

The roots of the United Pentecostal Church and what is known as “Oneness Pentecostalism” can be traced back to the early days of the Pentecostal Movement, which began in the early 1900s in Topeka, Kansas, based on the teachings of Charles Parham. In 1906 the Pentecostal Movement gained popularity during the Azuza Street Revival led by William Seymour. While it was rejected by mainline Christian denominations, the movement continued to grow, and its followers began to form their own Pentecostal organizations or denominations. One of the first was the Assemblies of God, which was formed around 1914.

The teaching that became the basis for Oneness Pentecostalism can be traced back to a Pentecostal camp meeting held in Arroyo Seco, California, either in late 1913 or early 1914. While at the meeting, a Pentecostal pastor named John Scheppe had what he believed was a divine revelation from God. As he meditated that night, he believed God revealed to him that baptism must be done in the “name of Jesus only” and not in the name of “the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Like most cult leaders, his revelation and “new doctrine” did not come as the result of the careful study of Scripture but instead was based on a subjective revelation he believed to be from God. Soon after, several other Assembly of God pastors began teaching this “new revelation” that would become the basis for Oneness Pentecostalism and “Jesus name only baptism.”

As the new “movement” gained followers, it caused a division in the newly formed Assembly of God organization. Recognizing the unbiblical nature of this teaching, the Assemblies of God rejected this unbiblical doctrine and affirmed the biblical doctrine of the Trinity at its Fourth General Council in October 1916. This led to the Assembly of God banning approximately 150 pastors from the denomination, those who had been teaching this unbiblical doctrine. A few months later several Oneness Pentecostal pastors met in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and started their own organization known as the General Assembly of the Apostolic Assemblies. That was the beginning of the Oneness Pentecostal movement and eventually in 1945 two of the many Oneness Pentecostal organizations merged to form the United Pentecostal Church.

Often referred to as “Oneness Pentecostals” because of their denial of the triune nature of God, the denomination was formed around a heretical teaching known as ‘modalism’. Because they deny the true nature of God as revealed in Scripture and embrace other unbiblical teachings, this group is best classified as a cult rather than a true Christian denomination. Like other cults such as Mormonism and Jehovah Witnesses, this form of extreme Pentecostalism denies the true nature of God and in reality preaches a different gospel than true biblical Christianity.

Claiming to teach “the apostles’ doctrine,” the teaching and doctrine of the United Pentecostal Church is based on poor exegesis of Scripture and the misreading and misinterpretation of certain Bible passages. This forms the basis for their heretical teaching on the nature of God and the doctrine of salvation. The heresies taught by this group include the denial of the triune nature of God as revealed in Scripture, as well as the teaching that one must be “baptized in Jesus’ name” to be saved and that true salvation is evidenced by speaking in tongues. These teachings come from a long history of misreading Scripture.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org

 

 

THE 10 MOST DANGEROUS CULTS IN THE U.S.

What is the Unification Church?

 

The Unification Church is a cult founded by Rev. Sun Myung Moon (1920–2012), who started it in Seoul, Korea, in 1954. The official name of the Unification Church is the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (founded as the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity); it is currently led by Hak Ja Han, Moon’s widow.

Unificationism immediately became controversial, as Moon believed that the Bible could not be understood without the aid of his book Divine Teaching, which he claimed was divinely inspired. Moon amassed quite a fortune for himself as the leader of the Unification Church—by the time he died in 2012, he was worth millions. Moon led his followers, sometimes referred to as “Moonies,” to do many bizarre things. The Unification Church spent $48 million to produce an anti-communist movie. The movie flopped. Perhaps the movement is most notorious for the mass wedding of 3,000 couples in 1992.

The Unification Church is a false church. First, let us compare what the Bible says about false teachers to the life of Sun Myung Moon. According to 1 Timothy 6:3, teaching that is from God leads to holy and righteous living. Moon was accused of sexual impurity on numerous occasions. Moon was also convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to prison. The apostle Jude warns the church about men who would turn grace into a license for ungodly behavior (Jude 1:4).

Second, the Unification Church is characterized by false, unbiblical theology. According to Moon’s teaching, man is visible God, and God is the invisible form of man (see Hebrews 2:6–8 for a clear refutation of this). In fact, Moon crowned himself the “King of Peace” in 2004 and claimed to be the Messiah and Savior of the world; he also claimed his wife was the Holy Spirit. The purported goal of Unificationism is world peace through the creation of “true families.” Rev. Moon and his wife presented themselves as the “True Parents” and the first to have children who were sinless. Unificationism teaches that dead people can return to earth for a second chance to atone for some of their sin.

Unification theology denies the Trinitarian understanding of the Godhead (see Titus 2:13). Furthermore, Unificationism denies that Jesus was raised physically from the dead (see 1 Corinthians 15) and denies His divine nature (see Hebrews 1:1–3). Deliverance from sin, according to the Unification Church, is based on human effort and making restitution, directly contradicting Ephesians 2:8–9: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” In this religion of works and the denial of the deity of Christ, the Unification Church joins the myriad of cults and false religions that have these same two things in common.

Aside from the deceptive tactics and mind-control practices of the Unification Church, the movement is dangerous because their theology directly contradicts Scripture. Followers of Sun Myung Moon’s teachings trust a false messiah and are deceived into false understandings about God, about Jesus, and about life after death. How unfortunate that people are attempting to work their way to heaven, when Jesus Christ has paid the complete penalty for their sin on the cross. How tragic that Moonies follow a self-serving (and dead) leader rather than the self-sacrificial (and risen) Christ. 

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory, 

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.gotquestions.org