RUTH A. TUCKER OIHER JUSPEL CULTS, ALTERNATIVE RELIGIONS, | AND THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT ae = ad — \ fee a ‘ a Pa a —_ aE - < li J - > ae unt Other Books by Ruth Tucker From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya Daughters of the Church (with Walter L. Liefeld) ONBe yates NOLO) Guan CULTS, ALTERNATIVE RELIGIONS, AND THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT ZONDERVAN is Another Gospel Copyright © 1989 by Ruth A. Tucker Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tucker, Ruth, 1945- Another gospel : alternative religions and the new age movement / Ruth A. Tucker. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-310-40440-1 1. United States—Religion. 2. Cults—United States. I. Title. BL2525.T82 1989 291'.0973—dc19 89-5628 CIP Softcover edition ISBN 0-310-25937-1. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New Inter- national Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Edited by Leonard G. Goss Printed in the United States of America 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 /*DC/ 1098765432 To my son Carlton who has encouraged and challenged me on this project from beginning to end Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2021 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/anothergospelcul0000tuck SON Da kK & 10 11 12 13 14 15 CONTENTS Preface Introduction CULTS, SECTS, DENOMINATIONS, WORLD RELIGIONS: DEFINITION OF TERMS HISTORICAL HERESY: UNORTHODOX MOVEMENTS OF PAST CENTURIES MORMONISM: THE LEGACY OF JOSEPH SMITH SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM: ESCHATOLOGICAL CONFUSION JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES: A RELIGION OF PROTEST CHRISTIAN SCIENCE: A DENIAL OF THE MATERIAL WORLD NEW THOUGHT AND UNITY: HEALTH AND HAPPINESS THE WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD: REINTERPRETING ISRAEL AND THE LAW THE WAY INTERNATIONAL: DENYING THE DEITY OF CHRIST THE CHILDREN OF GOD: EVANGELISM AND SEX PERVERSION THE UNIFICATION CHURCH: PROCLAIMING A NEW MESSIAH HARE KRISHNAS: TRANSPLANTED HINDUISM BAHA'I: A PEACE AND UNITY MOVEMENT OUT OF ISLAM SCIENTOLOGY: MIND-ALTERING PSEUDO-PSYCHOLOGY THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT: THE OCCULT MADE RESPECTABLE Appendix A: Lesser-Known Cultic Movements Appendix B: Cultic Statements of Belief Appendix C: Major Tenets of Orthodox Christianity Notes Bibliography Index 11 15 31 49 93 117 149 177 191 217 231 245 267 285 299 319 357 389 399 407 433 457 ax ON anon noe : ay 4 J wee PEON | diets [iw 7 et PAVNY a7 HORI) HEN e _ Po - by 7H : a ae 1 eT i) ALS i ee ~ Whe gti ar, ty fea Trtd Bur » eR OTE Se a soerrteot divs (Leet ‘iki : | Yeo oar na a rt _ <a er 2 et et Ne Ma) Te , 7 | n rer : : : - — ere } arr rrVsay "7 ¥ Bes. 3 Li : : 7 = ali t ie WER! i é Pt ery bake ioy a] ' , A i { As ; 5 A vas i fh ; 49) > i a : w y wes. | Mere Saw “ries > lies qt = a : = oo a: y 7 : ° os Res 4 in wa _ : ~ e aw a a tf : P ' - aN PREFACE Authors of books covering a wide-ranging topic such as this one are inevitably heavily dependent on those scholars and writers who immerse themselves in one segment of the topic. I am no exception. The work that Jerald and Sandra Tanner have done on the subject of Mormonism is an example of such scholarship. They have given their adult lives to jointly researching the topic and have pored over thousands of primary sources from the vast archives relating to the history, theology, and current controversies of that religious move- ment. I am deeply grateful to them for their commitment to the truth and to scholarly research. There are dozens of other scholars whose work has also played an important role in this volume. These scholars are in some cases members or former members of the religious organizations they have researched. In other instances, they have done their digging entirely from the outside. In all cases, it is greatly appreciated. Fawn Brodie, Donna Hill, Linda Newell, and Klaus Hansen are among those who have done significant research on Mormonism. Gary Land and Walter Rea have made valuable contributions in the area of Seventh-day Adventist studies. Raymond Franz, James Penton, and the Bottings have made similar contributions regarding the Jehovah's Witnesses. Three individuals stand out in their research on Christian Science: Stephen Gottschalk, Robert Peel, and Julius Silberger. Other writers whose work I found very helpful include James Freeman on the Unity School of Christianity, J. L. Williams on The Way International, Deborah Berg Davis on the Children of God, Larry Shinn on the Hare Krishnas, and J. E. Esslemont on Baha'i. Although this book is not one that contains personal reflections, much of the material is presented in light of my own discussions and interviews with members of alternative religions and the New Age Movement. I have also had the privilege of having members of such religions as the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, The Way International, the Hare Krishnas, Baha'i, and the New Age Movement speak to the seminary and college classes I teach on this subject. In addition, I have had the opportunity to tour the United States, visiting cult centers and interviewing members at key locations, including the Christian Science headquarters in Boston; the Watchtow- 9 ANOTHER GOSPEL er complex in Brooklyn; the Unification Seminary in Barrytown, New York and the Unification headquarters in New York City; the Hare Krishna commune in Philadelphia and the Golden Temple in West Virginia; the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette, Illinois; the compound of Rajneesh in Antelope, Oregon; the Worldwide Church of God in Pasadena; the Mormon Temple and tabernacle in Salt Lake City; the Unity School of Practical Christianity in Lee’s Summit, Missouri; the Reorganized Church of Latter-Day Saints in Independence, Missouri; The Way International in New Knoxville, Ohio; and Scientology centers in both Los Angeles and Clearwater, Florida. I have also been privileged to work closely with my editor at Zondervan, Len Goss, and to benefit from both his library and his expertise in the area of alternative religious movements. Despite all the help I have received from the writings of other scholars, and from both the years of teaching I have done in this field and the personal interaction I have had with members of alternative religious movements, I offer this book with a solemn recognition of my own limitations. Yet, it is my hope that the reader on completing this volume will have grasped the essence of these movements and will be stimulated to dig deeper into this fascinating subject. 10 INTRODUCTION Bob is a high school science teacher and the father of three teenagers who manages to spend time in his off hours working with disadvantaged youth in his community. His quick wit and genuine concern for-others was apparent from the first time I met him—the very type of individual I would feel good about being one of my son’s teachers. He has been in my home on different occasions, and I always feel challenged by his sharp mind. Dolores is a black woman in her late forties and lives a few blocks from my home. Her two children are out of school and working. She is prim and proper, in comparison to her laid-back and slightly scruffy husband. She is easy to talk with and eager to help, but I’m not always sure she is being straight with me. I sometimes ask myself, what is her hidden (or not so hidden) agenda? Yet, I like her, and we've had some good times together. Janice is a college student I became acquainted with a few years ago. We spent much of a weekend together and talked about a lot of things that we cared deeply about. She was real—the type of person I knew I would enjoy spending more time with. When we said “good-bye,” we hugged, with tears in our eyes. It was the last time we saw each other. Bob, Dolores, and Janice are the kind of ordinary people that you would expect to meet on an airplane, at an adult education course, or at a church social. But to many people they are not ordinary. They are cultists. Bob is a Mormon. Dolores is a Jehovah's Witness. Janice is a “Moonie.” In attempting to understand the Mormons, the Jehovah's Witnesses, or the ‘““Moonies,” it is imperative that we get to know adherents of these movements as individuals—as people. If we perceive them only as nameless faces who are part of a movement or organization, we have failed to take the first and necessary step of reaching out to them in a meaningful way. In cross-cultural evangelism overseas, missionaries are admonished not to ridicule other religious beliefs or practices. When a missionary visits a sacred shrine where shoes are to be left at the door, it would be unconscionable to defy the custom. Yet, these “cross-cultural” courtes- ies are often blatantly ignored when they pertain to situations within our own culture. We often ridicule or mock the unorthodox religious 11 ANOTHER GOSPEL beliefs of people in our own communities, because cultists do not deserve respect. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are called “intellectual hillbillies” by one prominent writer, and a film expose of Mormons depicts their beliefs in tactless comic cartoon characters. People—Bob, Dolores, and Janice—are, and ought to be, preemi- nent in any discussion of variant religions. Of course, doctrine is the determining factor in judging whether or not a movement is unortho- dox, but it is the personal touch that is the determining factor that prompts an individual to become an active member of such a movement. Studies have repeatedly shown that people do not join a religion on doctrinal grounds. Rather, they join because they have found caring people and warm fellowship. People are important from a historical perspective as well. It is crucial to know who the people were who founded and developed these religious movements. What were their character traits? What claims did they make to visionary experiences? Were there inconsis- tencies between teachings and practice? How have their teachings compared with Scripture? The lives of the founders of any religious movements are important for study, but far more so in the case of the “cults” or variant religious movements. Unlike Luther, Calvin, or Wesley, the founders of these groups have invariably claimed special revelation from God. Luther's doctrine is affirmed only so far as it corresponds with the Bible. That he claimed to have had personal encounters with the devil is regarded with interest or amusement but is not incorporated into a creed or a body of belief. The same, however, cannot be said for Joseph Smith. A significant portion of his doctrine is not confirmed in Scripture, but is openly declared to be new revelation for “latter-day saints.” Thus his claimed experiences with the angels or heavenly personages are regarded by his followers as far more than an amusing episode in his life. The only “new” revelation that Christians, who hold the Bible as their only source of authority, claim is valid is that which is found in Scripture itself. Jesus certainly came with a “new” message. His followers were dubbed “the cult of Jesus,” and with good reason. They were the followers of a “prophet” who had a radically different message to proclaim. Why should a Jew—or much less a Gentile— have accepted his message? What basis do Christians today have for accepting the message of Jesus? One important basis is his very life and character. Jesus himself is his own best claim to deity. He had authority within his very person to access the throne of God the Father and to offer “new” revelation. Jesus is the focus of any true Christian belief system, and his life and ministry is open for scrutiny. This is well illustrated by the evangelistic focus of E. Stanley Jones, the great Methodist missionary to India. “I defined Christianity as Christ,” wrote Jones, in reference to a debate 12 INTRODUCTION with a Jain scholar. “If you have any objections to make against Him, I am ready to hear them and will answer them if I can.” On another occasion when being challenged by a Hindu, he responded, “My brother, I am the narrowest man you have come across. I am broad on almost anything else, but on the one supreme necessity for human nature I am absolutely narrowed by the facts to one—Jesus.”! Is it not fair to put the lives and ministries of others who claim new revelations and teachings to the same test? Indeed, some leaders in variant religious groups have suggested that very notion themselves. Joseph Fielding Smith, a historian and one-time presiding prophet of the Mormon church, made this very challenge concerning Joseph Smith: “Mormonism .. . must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God divinely called ... or he is one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground.”? This same challenge must be made about prophet-founders of all the variant religious movements who claim new revelations and authoritative writings. Indeed, there is no middle ground. This does not mean that they must be judged by the very standard of sinless perfection that characterized Jesus, but it does mean that their lives and ministries should be above reproach. An unfortunate aspect of studying the lives of these men and women is that in the past there has been a severe want of historical objectivity. Among the followers there has been a predilection to treating these prophet-founders as supersaints who could do no wrong, and among the opponents the very opposite approach was taken. The Joseph Smiths, the Ellen G. Whites, the Charles Taze Russells, and the Mary Baker Eddys were viewed across the board by many critics as degenerate scoundrels and tools of Satan who were utterly incapable of honorable deeds. Joseph Smith, for example, was deemed to be “entirely destitute of moral character” by an early writer, and that assertion has been repeatedly quoted as fact in books on Mormonism by contemporary writers on cults. Such unwarranted slurs are inappropriate. With all his character flaws and heretical beliefs, Smith had, at least outwardly, many redeeming qualities. And it is important for the student of alternative religions to realize this. What was it in his personality and character that impelled so many people to be drawn to him? What can be learned from his life and outreach that can help explain why modern “prophets” and charismatic leaders draw so many followers? In making these judgments, the modern writer is aided immensely by the vast amount of solid historical research that has been done by scholars in recent years—especially scholars within the movements or in some instances ones who have recently come out. Mormons, especially, are to be highly commended for their honest scholarship, and it behooves “cult” researchers to pay close attention to their contributions to the field. 13 ANOTHER GOSPEL To some scholars the only appropriate text on “cults” is one that is theologically oriented, which this is not. The purpose of this volume is to present a historical and contemporary overview of alternative religious movements. It is not an apologetic for orthodox Christianity. That endeavor is left to the theologians. There are occasional re- sponses to particular variant beliefs in the text, and a synopsis of the cardinal doctrines of the faith with biblical references is presented in an appendix, but such is not intended to be a definitive defense of traditional orthodoxy. Nor is this text sociologically oriented. Commendable studies have been done on alternative religions from a sociological perspective, but these studies do not correspond with the characteristics that deter- mine whether a movement is a “cult” or alternative religion from an orthodox Christian perspective. Indeed, from a sociological perspec- tive, Mormonism today would be far less cultic than many fundamen- talist fringe churches, which subscribe to historic orthodoxy. Yet, there are sociological features that are common to variant religions—fea- tures that are particularly prominent in the developmental stages of such movements. These are noted where applicable throughout the text. This book then is a volume that tells the story of the development of alternative religions, focusing on key individuals, important events, and doctrines and practices that deviated from historic orthodoxy. It also brings these movements up to date by presenting significant current issues and controversies, and it recounts how many of these groups have expanded worldwide and sought to enter the mainstream of “respectable” religion. 14 Chapter 1 Cults, Sects, Denominations, World Religions: _ Definition of Terms The Cults Are Coming, The Cult Explosion, The New Cults, Those Curi- ous New Cults, Understanding the Cults, Dealing with Destructive Cults. All are recent book titles that grab our attention. Other books on the same subject offer an even more menacing warning: The Youth Nappers; The Mindbenders; Youth, Brainwashing, and the Extremist Cults, and Let Our Children Go. The very word “cult” conjures up images of kidnappers and brainwashers who are out to get us. The word “cult” has unfortu- nately become a pejorative term that sometimes reflects more on _ the speaker's attitude than on the subject being spoken about, and it is a word that is of questionable value in study- ing religious groups that have devel- oped in recent generations outside the beliefs of historic Christian ortho- doxy. Nevertheless, it is a word that has become part of our vocabulary and it is difficult to deal with the subject of unorthodox religious movements without making use of it. Defining a Cult What is a cult? A cult is someone else's religious group that does not agree with mine. That may be a light- hearted definition, but it does have a ring of truth to it. Because religion is so personalized it is often difficult to objectively sort out what is true and what is false. There are many variable factors to consider in determining whether a religious group ought to be categorized as a cult, a fundamental- ist fringe movement, a sect, a denom- ination, or an entirely different world religious tradition, and there are un- avoidable inconsistencies. Some reli- gious groups that are frequently cate- gorized as cults (eg., Seventh-day Adventists) are far less “heretical” than religious groups not generally placed in that category (e.g., Unitar- ians). There is a need to classify unorthodox belief systems, but it is unfortunate that some groups have been stigmatized as cults, while other groups are graced with more respect- ability by being classified as denomi- 15 ANOTHER GOSPEL nations or world religions, when their orthodoxy is equally or even more highly questionable. Because of the indecisive nature of the term, some observers have re- fused to use it entirely. J. Gordon Melton, who has served as the direc- tor of the Institute for the Study of American Religion, takes this posi- tion: “I no longer break groups into cults, sects, and denominations. | find myself saying, ‘This is a New Thought religion,’ ‘This is an occult religion,’ and ‘These are Hindu-type religions.’ In lumping them together, we assume that all cults have similar characteristics, and they don't.”? Yet the term “cult” is one that is widely used in the media and in religious circles, and is no doubt a part of our vocabulary that will not quickly die. When asked if the term should be dropped from usage, Jim Sire of InterVarsity Press responded, “We should if we could, but we can't; I think we're stuck with it.”? Indeed, it is a word that is here to stay, and for that reason it needs at least a provisional definition—a_ definition that can be derived in part from the features that many cults have in common. A “cult” is a religious group that has a “prophet’-founder called of God to give a special message not found in the Bible itself, often apoca- lyptic in nature and often set forth in “inspired” writings. In deference to this charismatic figure or these “in- spired” writings, the style of leader- ship is authoritarian and there is frequently an exclusivistic outlook, supported by a legalistic lifestyle and persecution mentality. There are many other “cult” characteristics, but the above would fit such groups as 16 the Mormons, the Jehovah's Wit- nesses, the Seventh-day Adventists, Christian Science, the Unification Church, and The Way International. But even with groups that exhibit these characteristics there are sig- nificant differences in their ‘“‘cultic score meter.” This is determined largely by the extent of heresy that is found in the “inspired” writings. El- len White's writings, for example, would be considerably less heretical than would Joseph Smith’s. It is even true that, except for her defense of such doctrines as the Investigative Judgment, many would not view them as heretical at all. Others have offered definitions of cults that are worth considering. Jim Sire defines a cult as “any religious movement that is organizationally distinct and has doctrines and/or practices that contradict those of the Scriptures as interpreted by tradi- tional Christianity as represented by the major Catholic and Protestant denominations, and as expressed in such statements as the Apostles’ Creed.’ Sociologists have tended to define cults more in terms of lifestyle, prose- lytizing practices, and authoritarian leadership, rather than in terms of belief or by any standard of ortho- doxy. This means of identification, however, can be very misleading, as Brooks Alexander of the Spiritual Counterfeits Project contends: In the first place the concept of “cult” should not be equated with the inten- sity of commitment or involvement which is characteristic of the so called high demand groups, religious or secu- lar. Nor is aggressiveness or proselytiz- ing cultish in itself. Both of these qualities—in one form or another— CULTS, SECTS, DENOMINATIONS, WORLD RELIGIONS are basic to authentic Christianity. . . . These two qualities in particular are worth singling out because they have apparently been the basis for mislabel- ing some groups as cults. Two groups which have occasionally been the tar- get for such mistaken identification are “Jews for Jesus” and Campus Crusade for Christ The difficulty of defining “cultists” was demonstrated very passionately in a debate_.in the Ontario, Canada Legislature over,a proposed bill that was designed to deal with members of cults. One member of that body made a compelling speech in opposi- tion to singling groups out as cults: I know people, friends of mine, who did what I thought were irrational acts when they were 16 or 17 years of age. They went off to convents and semi- naries. They renounced worldly goods. They took a vow of poverty. They gave up the automobiles and the hockey sticks and the football games that I wanted and thought were important. They didn’t want to go out with girls. They wanted to go into a seminary. How strange, I thought. How can they do that? They wore funny clothes. They had values the rest of the society didn't have. Were they a cult? No, they were Jesuits. I think, quite frankly, the Jesuit order in Canada and in the world has proved its value to our society. According to sociologist and cult researcher Ronald Enroth, there are “at least three basic approaches in defining cult: a sensational or popu- lar approach, a sociological approach and a theological approach.” While virtually no one utilizes one ap- proach exclusively, these are effective categories to consider. “A sensational approach to cults is built on journal- istic accounts in the popular press which frequently focus on the dra- matic and sometimes bizarre aspects of cultic behavior. A_ sociological definition includes the authoritarian, manipulative, totalistic and some- times communal features of cults. A theological definition involves some standard of orthodoxy.” The ap- proach used in this book is weighted toward the theological, with consid- eration of the sociological and sensa- tional approaches as well. Fundamentalist Fringe Movements The type of movement most closely identified with cults (and _ often termed a cult) is the fundamentalist fringe movement. Sociologically these groups fit very closely into a cult category, but doctrinally they are essentially orthodox, believing in the authority of Scripture, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and other cardinal tenets of historic Christianity. In methodology and practice, however, these groups are generally authoritar- ian and led by domineering leaders who maintain strict control over their followers’ personal lives. An example of such a group is the Faith Assembly, located primarily in Indiana and other midwestern states. This Pentecostal fringe movement was founded and led by Hobart Free- man, who had been active in main- stream evangelical circles until he established his own church and reli- gious movement. He received gradu- ate theological degrees from South- ern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville and from Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana, where he was employed as a profes- sor until he was fired on theological 17 ANOTHER GOSPEL Newspaper reports of deaths in Faith Assembly grounds. His headquarters and moth- er church were located in the “Glory Barn” in a small town near Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it was there in 1983 that reports began surfacing about an inordinate number of deaths within his congregations. The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel reported that “At least 52 people—most of them babies and_ children—died while they or their parents were 18 following the teachings of the Faith Assembly, a new rapidly growing church that teaches members to avoid doctors.” Faith healing was not the only controversial aspect of this fringe group. In an article entitled “Faith Assembly Rejects Dissent,” reporters Jim Quinn and Bill Zlatos write that “Members are taught there is a pow- erful reward for those who follow the