However, some good may have resulted during the days leading up to May 21, 2011. Both Christian and conventional secular media outlets of every technology type began discussing end-time theories, referencing the Holy Bible and openly debating Christian doctrine. Some news commentators even dared orating God's name and - yes - the name of Jesus Christ too. That alone is a miracle unto itself. At work places, in malls and in other public places, God's Word was being bantered about, although mostly butchered and battered, but none the less, the world was paying attention to God for a brief moment. Just imagine how many people who never gave God a second thought were now wondering if this end time prophesy "could be real"! Hopefully Harold's prophesy, albeit unfulfilled, led many to seek Christ for the first time although I feel the verdict is still undecided if this event gave a boost or booted the lay perspective towards Christianity.
It's understandable, at least to me, how individuals can become obsessed with a theory, a philosophy, a belief, or a passion that blindly leads them down a path that conflicts with truths, realities, and known conventional wisdom. Just focusing on Christianity alone, history is replete with movers and movements that defied rational thought yet marched headstrong along convinced within themselves that they were right and the "world" was wrong. Some for the betterment of mankind while others not so beneficial. For example, the Great Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation, was the European Christian reform movement led by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other early Protestants, whom protested against the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the dominant Catholic Church, which led over time to the creation of the current day Protestant churches. Many Christians today believe that the Reformation was worthy and righteous even though it appeared, at that time, to conflict with the present day religious tenets. Worthy and righteous, that is, unless of course one was aligned with the Catholic Church.
My focus here is not to discuss major theological movements hence I should start with a man named Jesus or perhaps even further back in history to Abraham with whom God established His Covenant and bloodline leading to man's redemption through the blood of the Son of God. Rather, I'm curious about individual mindsets that proclaim to know God's truth, and who certainly have the truth of God's Word available to them via the Holy Bible, yet still manage to convince themselves to follow man's words instead of God's Word. This phenomena I label "Cult Mentality" and the followers of Harold Camping and his May 21, 2011 prophesy are the most current expose of this cult mentality. However, we do not have to go back too far in American history to find other examples of famous cult mentalities - do you remember David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, Jim Jones and the People's Temple, or Marshall Applewhite and Heaven's Gate? Now, Harold Camping's movement was tame compared to the consequences met by the followers of the above movements, but none the less, each shared the common denominator that every cult member made a decision to follow man's words instead of God's Word.
Perhaps here we should define the word "cult" as presented within, and to preserve space and typing tedium, I've selected a web site that, to me, sufficiently defines "cult" for our purposes. I'll give you all the time you need to jump there, to peruse, and to return....
For clarification, I am not broad-brushing Harold Camping's movement as a cult, far from it, nor is my purpose to debate the definition of a cult but perhaps rather to lightly examine / discuss how this cult mentality can dominate rational biblical thought and carry it to an extreme, or just to very subtle deviations from God's Word.
Whereas wise parents, teachers, and other counselors usually encourage young adults to challenge the status quo, to develop individual mindsets, to objectively compare other teachings, and to build independent thought upon an open exposure to all fields of learning, cult organizations tend to restrict, discourage, and prohibit its members from material not published or controlled by them. Infiltrating and conquering cult mentality is certainly easier said than done. To me, followers of the Mormon Church or Jehovah Witnesses are classic examples of cult mentalities that are extremely difficult to witness or evangelize to. For this reason it's obvious why their church elders require them to travel in pairs when they come "knocking at your door".
But when it comes to cult mentalities, we Christians are not fully insulated from the temptation of following man's words instead of God's Word. To illustrate: If every Christian followed and obeyed God's Word, there would be but one body of believers following Christ instead of the hundreds of different denominations that exist today. Organized religion has disorganized the Christian community and it's simply (actually quite complicated) because many Christians are also following man's words instead of God's Word. Examples of a church's departure from God's Word is not always extreme as represented by the Mormon Church or by the Jehovah Witnesses, nor is always as subtle as Harold Camping's prophesies, but none the less, cult mentalities prevail throughout Christendom.
The subject is salvation:
We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 15:11);
...that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) (NLT Eph 2:5);
God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (NLT Eph 2:8).
There is no better illustration of God's love for us than believing that it is only through His Grace that we saved from from the penalty of sin and and that we are all promised eternal life through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Christ Jesus. It is through Faith in Christ Jesus that we are set free and not through any of our works or deeds of our own. That calls for an AMEN!
And yet, just look how many denominational, and some non-denominational churches, feel the need to add man into the equation of God's salvation. Basically, for every different named denominational church, there is proposed something else that man must do (works) before one is even a candidate for salvation! It's as if "we" feel a need to participate, to earn salvation, else we are surely lost for eternity. It is precisely here where "cult mentality" permeates into the tenets of organized christian religion, where we follow mans words instead of God's Word! Let's look at how this works:
While Christians avow that through faith in Jesus' death, burial and resurrection we are promised our own eternal resurrection - and there should be a period (.) here - many denominations add at least one other criteria to God's Word, such as:
Baptism by water;
Asking for forgiveness of sins;
Speaking in tongues;
Tithing;
Attending church on on a certain day of the week;
Church attendance;
Receiving Sacraments;
Membership in the "true" church;
Living a holy life;
Absolution of sins before (or after) death.
There are other criteria imposed, I'm sure, but you get the idea. Maybe it's "human nature" that we feel the need to be in control to some level, or maybe it's the cult mentality wherein "we" don't even question church leaders as to why their tenets do not fully align with God's Word. More important, why do followers continue to follow man's words over God's Word? Satan certainly is playing a role here too!
So, before we Christians criticize or condemn Harold Camping or his devoted followers, perhaps some deep spiritual reflection is called for on our part; to pray that the Holy Spirit intervenes into our hearts to guide us through His discernment and perspective on where we are in relationship to God. Remember God loves us all and that... God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
However, if you still believe that you must do something, somehow, in some manner, perhaps through works, to receive salvation other than through God's Grace, then you should think twice the next time you are offered a drink of Kool-Aid.
