A couple of weeks ago I had a phone call from an elderly relative. He was anxious about a text he had received warning him that his Apple Pay account was about to be closed because of ‘suspicious activity’. To resolve this situation, it said he had to click on a link that would allow him to change his password.
Concerned that his Apple Pay facility was about to be suspended, he called me to ask for advice. When I told him it was a scam, he asked me how I knew. I said: ‘Because you do not have an Apple Pay account!’
We have all had a suspicious texts, calls, and emails and sometimes they are obvious scams, but occasionally they are a little more difficult to detect.
Religious Scam
How do we spot a religious scam? How, do we as Christians, know that what we are being told is true or false? This is an important question. Why do we believe what we believe? Have we done our due diligence in checking the facts, or do we believe something because someone who appears to know more than us (known as an argument from authority) tells us it is true?
Whilst doing an open-air this week, I was asked by a young woman, who described herself as ‘spiritual’, how I know the Bible is true? I was also asked by a Muslim woman how I know the Bible has not been changed. I confidently replied to both saying that I know the Bible is true and it has not been changed because I have checked the facts! I encouraged them to do the same and gave them some literature that would help them to do that.
As Christians, fact-checking should not be a problem. Ours is not a blind faith, but a reasonable faith. We welcome, and encourage, skepticism and questions – there is nothing to hide and nothing to fear. Sadly, the same cannot be said of those in so-called ‘Christian’ cults.
What are you scared of?
“In Jehovah's organization it is not necessary to spend a lot of time and energy in research, for there are brothers in the organization who are assigned to that very thing, …” Watchtower 1967 Jun 1 p.338
Have you ever tried to give a Jehovah’s Witness a piece of literature? They are so reluctant to take it from you. They are so scared that what they read may contaminate them or get them into trouble with Jehovah, but where did they get those ideas from?
Why is it that the Governing Body of the Jehovah’s Witnesses warn their adherents against reading anything that is not sanctioned by the Watchtower? Why are cult members told not go onto the internet? What are they afraid of? Surely if they are in the ‘truth’, there is nothing to fear from examination, the truth would surely prevail.
“Thus, “the faithful and discreet slave” does not endorse any literature, meetings or Web sites that are not produced or organized under its oversight. … For those who wish to do extra Bible study and research, we recommend that they explore “Insight on the Scriptures…”.”
Kingdom Ministry Sep 2007 p.3
Those caught in the new religious movement net are often told that they should just trust their leaders, and to just have faith. When confronting Mormon Missionaries with facts, they usually respond by saying it is not about facts, it is about faith. This makes them sound spiritually superior, but their response is in fact pure folly.
Faith is not blind, it does not exclude reason, and it does not fear facts. The reality is that people caught in these groups unknowingly commit the logical fallacy of appealing to authority. Their faith is not in that which they have proven true for themselves, but rather their faith is in those who claim to have the truth.
“Since Jehovah God and Jesus Christ completely trust the faithful and discreet slave, should we not do the same?”
Watchtower 2009 Feb 15 p.27
This leads the cult members to not believe anything coming from us, because their faith is in them. The question of whether something is true, or even biblical, is totally irrelevant to them. Truth is that which comes from those in whom they have put their faith, the Governing Body or the Prophet etc. This leads to them accepting, without question, quotes like this:
“We are determined to be loyal to Jehovah and to his organization. This organization has never disappointed us and always gives us an abundance of pure waters of truth from God’s Word.”
Watchtower 2011 Jul 15 p.12 Simplified Edition
It wouldn’t take much ‘fact’ checking for them to see that what is being said here is complete nonsense. But when your faith is in the leaders, who tell you not to question but to blindly follow, you just close your eyes, grit your teeth, and carry on.
What is Truth?
This was the question that Pontius Pilate asked Jesus (John 18:38). Was this a genuine question or did Pilate, as many do today, believe that all truth is relative?
Most cult members never ask the question ‘is it true?’ neither do they believe all truth is relative – they just accept that truth is whatever their leaders tell them. This is incredibly dangerous and no more than a deadly religious scam.
How they need to be set free by the truth – the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It is He who says:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. John 14:6
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