Eight Questions for Evaluating Religious Movements – Part 2

In the previous installment I indicated that, based on my decades of studying various faith groups and belief systems, I have determined eight key questions that Christians need to ask to adequately evaluate religious movements. I am convinced that there exists a desperate need for believers to investigate the tenets and practices of any faith group they may encounter. This is especially the case before they commit themselves to join, or financially support, a church, mission organization, parachurch group, educational institution, or any other kind of religious organization.

In part one of this two-part article, and in this second installment, we are considering those eight questions for evaluating a religious movement. In Part 1 we looked at the first four questions which were:
(1) What is the religious movement’s basic worldview?
(2) What does the religious movement believe about God?
(3) Does the religious movement affirm the full deity and humanity of Christ?
(4) Does the religious movement rely on the Bible alone for its authority?

To read Part 1 go to this link on our website: www.marketfaith.org/2016/04/eight-questions-for-evaluating-religious-movements-part-1

In this, Part 2, we will examine four more important questions for evaluating a religious movement.

Question #5 – Does the religious movement follow one individual leader (or small group of leaders) and use only that leader’s teachings or biblical interpretations?
Nearly every major cult or sectarian group I have ever studied, and that includes hundreds, was started by a single charismatic individual who was able to attract followers to his or her teachings. In most cases, that leader is regarded as a modern-day prophet, apostle, messiah, guru, or some other exalted divinely ordained title.

Here are just a few of the most notable examples. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded by “Prophet” Joseph Smith, Jr. The Jehovah’s Witnesses movement was founded by “Pastor” Charles Taze Russell. The Armstrongist movement was started by modern “Apostle” Herbert W. Armstrong. The Unification Church is based on the claims of its late “Messiah” Sun Myung Moon. Christian Science sees its founder, Mary Baker Eddy, and her books, as absolutely essential for understanding the real “metaphysical” meaning of the Bible. Scientology regards its late founder or “Source,” L. Ron Hubbard, as a modern genius whose writings and lectures provide total answers to the problems of humanity.

In any case, if a religious movement depends, for its new and better spiritual truths, on the authority of one supposedly divinely inspired leader, to provide the only genuine interpretation of the Bible, then Christians must beware! No single individual, or small cadre of special persons, can claim to have a corner on truth, or the understanding of Scripture. The wise Christian draws on the studies and resources of various qualified Bible interpreters to help her arrive at a sound conclusion about doctrine and behavior.

By the way, this principle also applies to churches and groups that may be orthodox in their theology, but nonetheless elevate a pastor or leader to a level of unhealthy spiritual authority.

Question #6 – Does the religious movement affirm fellow Christians as authentic brothers in Christ, or does it consider itself as the one true church, and its adherents as the only true (or truest) believers?
Some years ago I encountered a group of enthusiastic young Christians who were distributing literature and witnessing to people on board a subway train. When they started talking to me, I immediately identified myself as a Christian and asked them what organization they represented. They indicated they were members of the Atlanta Church of Christ, an affiliate of a larger (and now defunct) conglomerate of congregations called the International Churches of Christ (ICC).

Soon after we began to talk, I realized that, though I told them I was a believer, they did not accept my testimony as authentic. They told me that, though I had faith in Jesus as my Savior, to be saved, I needed to be baptized by immersion by their church, and join their fellowship. In other words, they did not regard me as a brother in Christ, but still lost.

This kind of ecclesiastical exclusivity is often manifest in cults and many sectarian groups (like the ICC). However, we must never lose sight of the fact that our salvation is not tied to membership in any religious movement or church, nor is it dependent on any external ritual, such as baptism. Our salvation is entirely by grace through faith by receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Faith in Jesus is the only level of exclusivity the Bible recognizes. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” He did not specify any special church as the way, the truth, or the life.

Any organization asserting that it is the only true fellowship of Christian believers, or even the “best” church, has a distorted view of what a church is. No one body can make the claim to be God’s only earthly institution. True Christians can be found in many denominations and local congregations.

Question #7 – Is the religious movement open about all its beliefs and practices, and are its finances made public?
Recently, advertisements appeared in our community about a special lecture series at a local conference center led by a “world renowned” scholar in the field of biblical prophecy (I had never heard of him). The ads promised he would give clear and biblically based explanations of the symbols and prophesies mentioned in the Scriptures which foretell the events of the end times and the return of Christ. It all sounded very interesting, and I am sure many well-meaning Christians attended.

However, I noticed when I read the promotional pieces, they never identified who was sponsoring the lectures. I did a bit of research and eventually learned who was behind it all. It was (just as I had suspected) a certain denomination that has some rather unusual doctrinal distinctives, particularly about the end times. It was obvious that the group had obscured its sponsorship, because it knew that if it publicized it many informed Christians would not attend.

Christians should always be wary of religious movements, churches, or events that do not clearly and candidly reveal their doctrinal perspectives. Frankly, as in the example above, obscuring or hiding doctrinal teachings or practices is unethical. We need to ask plainly why any movement would not want prospective members to know who it is and what it believes. One way, as we mentioned before, to investigate the group’s beliefs is to look on its website for a statement of faith.

The other and perhaps most controversial area plaguing evangelical Christianity, in my opinion, is the lack of candor, and even outright fraud, by certain groups in raising and managing finances. The secular world looks with scorn at evangelicals, mainly because of the many financial scandals in the ranks of high profile preachers. Of particular concern is the unethical, and often fraudulent, fund raising techniques employed by certain television preachers – most of whom are advocates of the Word of Faith theology.

For instance, the other day I read about a prominent pastor of a large Word of Faith church in Florida. She is asking viewers of her television show to send in a special “seed” offering to her ministry, and promising that God would return it back to them in multiplied financial blessings and physical healings. When I hear those kinds of unethical and unbiblical solicitations, I wonder what would happen if I gave the “seed” offering to my local church instead of her ministry. Would it work the same to get the blessings and healings? I guess not since my church does not send specially blessed prayer cloths (actually small pieces of cheap fabric) to its donors as does that preacher.

The point is, any church or ministry that solicits funds under false pretenses does not deserve our support. Also, any movement unwilling to submit its financial records to public scrutiny should be questioned. Unfortunately, all too many churches and religious organizations keep their financial practices, income levels, and staff salaries, hidden from their members and donors. As Christians we should expect the highest standards of accountability and stewardship of the resources by any Church or organization claiming to be Christian.

Questions #8 – Does the religious movement emphasize experience over revealed truth?
In the 1960s, the well-known evangelistic organization Campus Crusade for Christ (now called Cru) developed a witnessing tool called The Four Spiritual Laws. It was a simple, easy to use booklet for sharing Christ and leading someone to make a decision to accept Him. One page of the booklet had an interesting little diagram of a train. The train consisted of an engine labeled “FACTS,” a coal car labeled “FAITH,” and a caboose labeled “FEELINGS.” The page explained how we always should be careful to put our faith in the facts of the Gospel message, and not in our feelings. The train will run without the caboose, but not without the engine. The FACTS of the Gospel are true whether we feel anything or not. FEELINGS we may experience should follow the FACTS and our FAITH in them.

That being said, many religious movements focus on a personal experience, or experiences, to verify the truth of their beliefs. In other words, they supply an individual with some kind of subjective emotional or mystical feeling, then follow it with a doctrinal explanation. This experience focused faith tends to circumvent one’s rational thinking ability to accept whatever the movement’s leaders assert as true.

This, of course, is a dangerous way to evaluate the truth claims of any belief system. Experiences and feelings can be manipulated and fooled. Our feelings and perceptions, whether internal or external, can be misleading. For example, in Lake Wales, Florida, there is a street with a steep slope called “Spook Hill.” (It’s the same street where Spook Hill Elementary School is located, whose mascot is Casper the Friendly Ghost.) The street has that strange name because if you stop your car at the bottom of the hill, put the transmission in neutral, and let off the brake, something weird will happen. Your car will gradually start rolling up the hill!

Now we know cars don’t roll up hill. There is this thing called the law of gravity. But it sure feels like you are moving up that slope (I have been there). The point is, feelings and perceptions are subject to illusions, delusions, and manipulations. Any religious movement that places experience over the revealed truth contained in the Bible, or interprets the Bible in light of an experience rather than facts, should be viewed with great caution. We do not want to submit our minds and spiritual lives to someone or some group that may lead us astray by self-validating experiences and feelings, rather than objective biblical facts.

Conclusion
So these are the eight questions I believe discerning Christians should always ask in order to evaluate the truth and integrity of a religious movement, church, individual teacher, or ministry. I hope you will read these and share them with others who may be contemplating joining or studying a new faith. In my opinion, any religious movement worth committing our lives to, should give clear and positive answers to each question.

© 2016 Tal Davis