Cults In America

Rev. Fr. George C. Papademetriou

Preface

The growing
numbers of religious cults which surround us utilize a variety of means
to draw people into their devious systems, their “doctrines of demons.”
Fr. Papademetriou has shown that their methods of attraction center
upon certain areas of human weakness. They dwell among peoples’
emotions and insecurities, particularly upon the spiritually sensitive
person’s gnawing doubt that he is truly serving God with his whole
heart. Then, dwelling upon religious emphasis, they utilize
highly-touted accounts of deep religious experience to draw in the net.

My own experience
in encountering people in these cults has demonstrated that they are
most successful in capturing a specific group of people. It is those
whom the Church has made aware of their need for God without teaching
them and drawing them into the practice of truly Orthodox worship and
spirituality.

The effective
protection of our youth revolves around that very issue of their
worship of the true god. From infancy we must ingrain theological
truth, the concept of the Holy Trinity and the incarnate Lord, in their
hearts. The ancient, the eternal worship and spirituality brings both
protection from errant cults and sure salvation.

Fr. Papademetriou
says, “Parents often make the mistake of not giving the proper
instruction to their children and not strongly imparting to them the
experience of our Christian Orthodox faith.” Sunday School and
occasional participation in the Divine Liturgy are not enough. We must
teach our children the stories of the heroes and heroines of the
Church: the men and women whose spirituality has shone brightly in the
darkness; the holy martyrs whose desire to be forever with the Lord
made all earthly joys dry and tasteless; the venerable bishops whose
commitment to the true faith preserved Orthodox theology whole and
entire. The holy story which is the life of the Orthodox Church must be
made ours and our children’s, so that some new story, some novel
doctrine and way of life may have no appeal.

These are crucial
days for the Church, and her youth are her future. Let us pay careful
heed to the wise words of this experienced, dedicated priest and
educator.

On this day of the commemoration of the beheading of the forerunner John the Baptist.  – Jack N. Sparks

Introduction

One
of the greatest concerns that religious people have today the influx of
new religions or, as some refer to them, ‘cults.’ First, I would like
to define what a cult is in order to better understand this subject
matter. Harper’s Bible Dictionary gives the following definition:
“Cults [are] systems of worship centering in devotion or homage to a
person or an object.”[1]

In the ancient world, fertility cults were very common, especially, in Western Asia; examples include the sun-god cults, pillar
cults, cults of the dead, bull cults in Crete, etc.[2]

Another definition is: “A cult is a religious perversion. It is a belief and practice in the world of religion which calls
for devotion to a religious view or leader centered in false doctrine. It is an organized heresy.”[3]

The
prevailing doctrine of past and present cults is the gnostic or secret
knowledge to attain salvation or perfection that they alone possess.
This is evident in early Gnosticism as well as in the
nineteenth-century cults such as Mormonism, Christian Science,
Jehovah’s Witnesses, spiritualism, theosophy and many more. Several of
these cults offer “special welfare” services to promote good will and
enable them to further their propaganda. Examples of such activities
include the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Christian Science Monitor, and
the Battle Creek Sanitorium of the Seventh Day Adventists.[4] Through these philanthropic activities they appear to be harmless to people in order to promote their religious propaganda.

There
are a great number of cults today; in fact, some say there are about
five thousand cults and three thousand ‘messiahs’ in America today. In
the present study I will limit myself to discussing several of the new
religions emerging during the last few years in this country.

Theology of the New Cults

The success of the present plethora of cults is due to the attention given them by the media.[5] The tenets are formulated by a ‘founder-prophet’ on whom the members greatly depend.[6] The cults “demand obedience rather than belief or understanding.”[7] The strong belief of the members in the supernatural character of their leader transforms the leader into an object of worship.
There is, “the reverence and worship that the disciples have invested in their leader”[8] changes the perception of reality. Lowell Streiker states:

“To worship a human being, to treat him as a god, to find freedom from stress in the adoration of a cult leader, requires
a considerable change in consciousness.”[9]

And that is exactly what they claim for their members, “new consciousness, altered perception, intense emotional states.”
Their motto is “stay high forever! Tune in! Drop out! End all downness!”[10]

The scientific study of religion indicates that “man is a religious creature,”[11] that a “religious belief has always been supposed to rest on a leap of faith a leap from despair to promise.”[12] In recent years various sociological forces have emerged to question or overthrow traditional values. The birth-control pill,
the atomic bomb, and technology have changed the course of history and the lifestyle of people;[13] In the turmoil of social upheaval many cults have emerged to fill the vacuum.[14]

In
the meantime, modern science has become an object of mistrust as well.
The general trust in the goodness of science in the past has been
replaced by mistrust because of the pollution of the environment, the
constant threat of atomic war and nuclear destruction. Also, the
appearance of ‘new religions’ from the Orient, fragments of teachings
from ancient religions contributed to doubt about the truth of science
and religion. There is a metaphysical rebellion and a search for a new
world view Weltanschauung of modern man. The advancement of technology
and our expanded knowledge of the universe leaves man ignorant of
himself.[15] All these events and tranformations make modern man vulnerable to the cults.

The cultic religiosity is an amalgamation of oriental and western thought and practice that aims to make converts.

The Unification Church

It
has been claimed that the Unification Church theology is not Christian.
It is an “alloy of Christianity, Taoism, and Buddhism.”[16] The teachings of the Unification Church are set forth in the Divine Principle by Sun Myung Moon.[17]

Moon describes God in explicit anthropomorphic terms:

“God suffers, weeps, feels frustration, knows joy and happiness, even laughs. His will can be thwarted.”[18]

Concerning the creation of man, Moon teaches that God’s original intention was for Adam and Eve to unite and give birth to
sinless children and that the human race would be perpetuated and live in perfect harmony.[19]

God’s
will, however, was prevented from being fulfilled because of the
‘fall.’ It is reported that the Unification theology claims that Eve
entered into sexual relations with Lucifer. The subsequent conjugal
union of Adam and Eve was without God’s blessing, and hence all their
descendants are not children of God but children of Satan.[20] God made several attempts to restore humanity to perfection by sending several messiahs, but he failed.

According
to Moon, there were three stages for the resurrection or reconciliation
of humanity to God. First, the family of Abraham, the Jews, were
justified before God because of the observance of the Mosaic Law. God
never spoke to them directly because of their low spirituality,
communicating his message only through angels. The Jews never became
sons of God but only servants of God.[21]
The second stage is when God sent Jesus Christ, the Second Adam who
also failed in his mission of restoring humanity to sinlessness:

“Through him [Jesus of Nazareth],
God sought to restore the creation to himself, to begin the perfect
family whose sinless offspring would reunite spiritual and material
reality to himself. But the mission of Jesus was a failure … the
crucifixion is a sign of failure.”[22] Furthermore, ” … according to Divine Principle, because he was crucified, Christ was not able to marry and begin a perfect family of
man and therefore failed in his mission.”[23]

Of course, this is considered by Orthodoxy not only a heresy but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

The claim is that the third stage will complete the cycle of perfection. It is reported that “God again sent an advocate (Moon)
to earth, the Lord (Moon) of the Second Advent.”[24]
It is prophesied in the Divine Principle, that the Lord of the Second
Advent will be born in Korea, he will marry and have sinless children
and that “he and his followers will create a perfect family, a perfect
nation, a perfect world.”[25]
Political ideology and vague moralism are used here to accomplish the
purpose of the cult which is to bring all people under the slavery of
the Unification Church. In order to attract convert idealism is used:
“the two obstacles to the rule of God are “Godless communism and
illicit sex.”[26]
The price one pays to be in the cult is to become a slave to Moon, who
manipulates the person for his own personal gain and power. The
ultimate goal of this cult is the ‘unification’ of all humanity under
the control of Moon. To attain this purpose many means are used,
including deceptive methods.

It is reported
that the Divine Principle considers male and female as manifestations
of God’s nature and the sexual union of man and woman as completion of
God’s nature. It appears, also, that the Divine Principle polarizes two
gods as good and evil satanic and godly forces.[27]

The
Unification Church teaches that sex by nature is evil. Only Moon
selects the mates and blesses the marriages in order to restore
‘sinless children’ to God. According to Korean religious scholars the
practice of a monthly sexual rite called pikarume or blood clean sing,
to purify souls of Eve’s misdeed is advocated by several religious
sects in Korea, including that of members of the Moon church. This rite
consists of removing Eve’s sin by copulating with a sect leader to be
‘purified.’[28]

The Unification church denies the basic doctrine of the Creed:

“I
believe in one God the Father Almighty … And in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the only-begotten Son of God … very God of very God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial (homoousios) with the Father … And
in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life.”

The divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit has been very important to the Church throughout the centuries. Orthodoxy guards
this faith with the blood of the martyrs and saints. Saint Gregory the Theologian states that Christ:

“…
is called Son because he is identical with the Father in essence; and
not only for this reason, but also he is of him. And he is called
only-begotten, not because he is the only Son and of the Father alone,
only a Son, but also because the manner of his Sonship is peculiar to
himself and not shared by bodies.”[29]

The fall in Orthodox theology is “the sin of selfishness and disobedience.”[30] The Orthodox view of the fall or ‘original sin’ is clearly stated by Bishop Maximos Aghiorgoussis. He says:

“Man failed in achieving the purpose of his creation; he failed to achieve his destiny, his theosis. He tried to become a
‘god without God.’ This is his sin; this is the cause of his fall.”[31]

Humanity
is liberated from sin and death by the Divine Logos who took up our
human nature. “Through his incarnation Christ destroys all obstacles
which separate man from God, which do not allow man to achieve his
destiny, theosis … Through his cross he washes up the poison of the
serpent.” The cross is a victory and not defeat. “Adam’s bones are made
alive again on Calvary.”[32] Through his death and resurrection Christ restores man to the vision of the glory of God.

The Children of God

It is reported that the most radical of the contemporary cults is that known as the Children of God or the Family of Love.
Once they have emerged as a new religion “with their own ‘scriptures,’ ‘prophet,’ and practices.”[33] The founder of this new religion is David Brandt Berg, known as Moses David.[34]
The claim is made that “a child of God believes that his leader
receives regular divine revelation from God.” Berg puts these
regulations and practices into writing for his disciples. They are
called ‘Mo Letters.’ To a member of the Children of God, a ‘Mo Letter’
is as important as the Bible, possibly more important.[35] He claims, “You could even rebuke the devil in the name of David and he will flee. No power in the world can stand against
the power of David.”[36]
The saddest thing about the Children of God is that they believe that
they are given divine license to disregard both moral and legislated
law. The world is rotten and is compared to Pharaoh’s Egypt. They
consider themselves “at war with the rest of the world; they are exempt
from its rules.”[37] The ‘Mo Letters’ are reported as using “foul or pornographic language,”[38] and the leader advocates “shocking sexual behavior.”[39] This cult condones polygamy and disregards all sexual mores and the moral conduct of the Christian religion and the American
social order.[40]

These teachings by Berg are those which an Orthodox theologian describes as sin. Regarding original sin, Kokkinakis states:

“Man’s
functionings lost their primordial beauty and meaning … Brutal
feelings sprang out of the depths of his being. Bestiality replaced
morality. Virtue gave place to vice.”[41]

It is in Christ and through Christ that we find redemption and no other prophet or god. The Church recognizes the Scriptures
that were delivered unto us by our Holy Fathers and no others.

Hare Krishna

The cult of Krishna was founded in New York in 1965, by A.Bhaktivedanta, who is known as Swami Prabhupada. It originated in
the Hindu religious tradition.[42]

According
to Hindu theology, Brahman is God the creator. He is the central
Godhead in all Hinduism. Shiva the Destroyer stands for life itself and
pure energy of force. Shiva destroys “in order to make room for new
creation.” Vishnu is the Preserver. He is always benevolent and is a
conservator of values.[43] Krishna is the incarnation of Vishnu and is a very popular hero-god among the Hindus.[44]

It is no doubt that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a religion that seeks to make converts.[45] The Krishnas advocate that Lord Krishna is the ultimate manifestation of Brahman.[46] In the U.S. the Krishnas believe that they were freed from moral law, and they scorn the law of the nation because the feel
that they are above the law.[47]

The Krishna devotees believe the following eight points which seem to be helpful to their followers. They are:

‘Hare
Krishna’ means the holy name of the godhead; ‘Rama’ refers to Prince
Rama, a hero who struggles to regain his throne. Some of these
doctrines seem to be attractive. The goal of the Krishnas, however, is
to enslave people and to use them to attain their goal, which is power
and wealth.[49]

Hare
Krishna also teaches the myth of reincarnation. This doctrine which was
put forth by Origen, was condemned by the Church. The first anathema
against Origen in the Fifth Ecumenical Synod (A.D. 533) clearly
condemns reincarnation as an evil doctrine and warns the Orthodox
Christians against falling prey to false prophets.

Though there are
many similarities between Krishna and Christianity, the fundamental
difference remains very deep: Christ Jesus is the only Lord and Savior
of the world. Christ destroyed the idols of polytheism including those
of Krishna.

Scientology

The
founder of Scientology is the philosopher and science fiction writer
Lafayette Ronald Hubbart. It claims to be a religion that promises its
members clear thinking and happiness in this life. In his book,
Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, he describes a system
called ‘processing’ the effort to erase bad memories or scars which he
calls ‘engrams.’ The book also advocates incarnation. But it “mentions
neither eternal salvation nor God.”[50] This cult has been described as the “largest mental health organization in the world, the science of knowing how to know.”[51]

As
we stated earlier, the doctrine of reincarnation was condemned by the
Christian Church at the Fifth Ecumenical Synod (A.D. 553). “If anyone
asserts the fabulous pre-existence of souls and shall assert the
monstrous restoration which follows from it, let him be anathema”
(First Anathema). This holds true for both Scientology and Hare Krishna
who erroneously teach reincarnation.

The Divine Light Mission

This
cult is a conglomerate of the well-known religions and their
scriptures. That is, the Torah, and all the Old Testament, the New
Testament, the Koran and the Bhagavad-Gita, and because it was founded
in India, Bhagavad-Gita, the Hindu scripture, is emphasized more. Guru
Maharaja Ji is the founder and claims to be God.

The group claims that the Guru Maharaja Ji is ‘Lord of the Universe’ and is worthy of honor and worship by his devotees.[52]
It is said that “while the philosophy of the young Guru Maharaja Ji …
has no elaborate theology, what theology it has reflects Hinduism, not
Christianity and Judaism, from whose ranks come the masses of its
membership.”[53] The god of the Mission is closer to the concept of “infinite power and energy” of the Hindu religion than to the God of reason
and will, who is the creator of the universe and has a plan for it.[54]

The
Divine Light Mission is clearly condemned by Scripture. “Yet for us
there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we
exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things and through
whom we exist” (1 Cor. 8.6). Only Jesus Christ is the Logos of God who
was incarnated for the salvation of the human race (see John 1.4).

Drugs and Religions

Several mystical religions make use of drugs to attain mystical experiences. It is said that G.K. Chesterton remarked that
religious syncretism is “religion gone to pot.”[55] This can literally be said of contemporary cults.

From
ancient times the Oriental religions used potent drink in sacrifice as
a hidden energy of the gods. The ancient Indian deity ‘Soma’ was one of
the most important deities. Soma as a drug was secretly prepared from
an unknown plant “and traditionally it was pressed, mingled with milk,
and drunk on the same day.” Soma is much like hashish. In Rig Veda we
read: “I have drunk soma; I have become immortal.”[56]
The purpose of soma is to intoxicate the mystic who sees visions and
lights. Finally, the mystic attains the ultimate goal of nihilism or
nirvana. Orthodoxy denies these visions as evil and self-deceptions. In
the Christian tradition, the vision of the divine uncreated light is
attained through prayer, fasting and spiritual vigilance, that is, by
waging war against the devil.

Cult Practices and Life

It is evident that the cults are syncretistic in character and doctrine. They are an admixture of oriental religions with
some Judaeo-Christian flavor.

This is called an ‘age of messiahs’ and it is said that “each campus has its share of gurus, and young people are flocking
to join religious movements that are often cults.”[57] It was stated that in 1975 there were communal living centers in 120 cities and recruiting teams in 150 colleges throughout
the country.[58]

The
crucial questions are what attracts young people to enter the strange
and fanatical life of the cults? Why are young people joining these
far-out, extreme religions? There are several reasons. The most obvious
loneliness and boredom. People join the cults “to escape
self-dissatisfaction, loneliness, and boredom.”[59]
When people run out of strength and personal endurance to accept life’s
hardships, they climb the band wagon of the cults to carry them
through. When people experience uncertainty and hopelessness, they are
the most suspectible to religious cults or occults. Streiker aptly
states that “when there is great want and frustration, men and women
will turn to powers greater than themselves for aid and comfort.”[60]

One must realize that those who worship a cult leader have been exposed to some “personal trauma” that has set them back and
out of balance emotionally. “They have sublimated their instinctual feelings.”[61]

The
frightening thing about the cults is that the victims would not
question the actions and life of their leader. “It makes no dif ference
what the facts are. The need to believe is so great for the cultist
that he will ignore what tends to discredit the founder prophet.”[62]

How
are these young people attracted to the cults and how are they
recruited? The recruiters are told to watch for those who are lonely.
Those who carry a backpack and a guitar are “symbols of rootlessness,”
and are special targets for recruitments.[63]

The
young recruits, usually of the opposite sex, invite the prospect to
coffee or dinner and to have a joyful time. The young people do not
decide to become members of the particular cult; they become involved
in them. They are showered with love and affection; they share dinner,
followed with music, a lecture, and the painting of a beautiful world
in an atmosphere of peace. At the end of the evening they are invited
to a weekend workshop and to spend time with the new friends. In fact
religion or the name of the leader is not even mentioned.[64]

The
new recruit at the weekend retreat receives so much attention that
there is no time to think about what is happening to him or her. The
young person is kept busy lectures, calisthenics, sharing and
confessional sessions, and a lot of singing. By then, the person might
get an idea of what he or she is getting into and the direction this is
taking, but he is not allowed to talk to anyone or openly discuss the
situation. If he or she has a strong commitment in the outside world,
he or she may say no to the next step, that is, to the workshop.[65]
These recruits are young in their early twenties and for the most part
are college educated. “They are lonely, college-aged men and women,
some living away from home for the first time in their lives. Many are
recovering from a recent personal crisis, such as a breakup with a
boyfriend or a girlfriend, an academic or job-related setback …
overcome by adulthood and its responsibilities.”[66] The cult-recruiters would deceive and even “use sexual charms to recruit.”[67]

Once
the recruits come to the center, the proper atmosphere is created by
providing a separate room where one receives constant reinforcement in
the new life. For instance, the Hare Krishnas would tell them: “Don’t
worry about school or your job. It does not matter. Krishna will take
care of everything.”[68]

You see, it is not so much religiosity that the young cultists are seeking, as it is a better and more fulfilling way to live
their lives. Cult leaders know this well”[69]
and take advantage of the young people. Dr. Saul Levin says they are
not religious but seeking the fruits of religious experience “Peace,
happiness and self-fulfilled is the highest purpose anyone can choose
for his life, the creation of a better world.”[70]

One must notice that “a cult holds out nirvana (absolute happiness) as an attainable goal. It promises the revelation of truth
and the fruits of experience in increasing degrees, as a novice grows toward maturity in his faith.”[71]

The
recruiters and those soliciting money to further the cause of the cult
use every means including deception to attain their goal. They call it,
‘heavenly deception.’ It is said that if they can only look one in the
eye for five or ten minutes while they talk or sing, they are able to
hypnotize the person and then he or she will believe everything they
say.[72] It is evident from what we are told by those who have fallen prey to the cults that “religious cults do expoit youth and
ought to be held accountable for the techniques they use to convert and control their members.”[73] Characteristically, “cult recruiters are trained to flatter, to give false confidence to those without confidence.”[74] They also use sexual charms to recruit young people to their camp.[75]

The
potential recruit is administered a heavy dose of love, peer approval,
and “contact high” atmosphere. Members of the opposite sex are
instructed to make new recruits by showering the person with
“attention” and “flattery.” Visitors to the cult centers will observe
that people receive no more than five hours of sleep which is much less
than they were used to.[76] The diet is “high-carbohydrate, low protein” and frequently vegetarian. This unfamiliar habit of sleep, and diet “contributes
to a sense of distance or removal of ordinary life.”[77]
The familiar musical tunes are used and the Iyrics are changed to
hypnotize the victim. The constant condemnation of the world as satanic
and the guilt of the sinfulness of the world makes it easier to
convince young people of the safe surroundings. The dancing, chanting,
incense, etc. alter the state of consciousness, and suggestibility of
the mind is increased.[78]

Dr.
Virginia Jolly, a psychiatrist, states that “dancing, chanting, prayer,
singing and meditation can alter the state of consciousness just as
surely as hypnosis or drugs. When the cults get a recruit to chant or
meditate, or do any other thing that changes his state of mind, they
can then easily implant new ideas, new realities, and begin to control
thought process.”[79]

There are several brainwashing tactics that were used by the Chinese prison camps in Korea, by the military in training, and
by the religious cults:

Some Suggestions to Parents

I do not doubt that “religious cults do exploit youth and ought to be held accountable for the techniques they use to convert
and control their members.”[81]
Both parents and youth ought to be aware that once somebody enters into
one of these religions they Iose their free choice, which is a
fundamental doctrine in Orthodoxy. Reason and free will constitute
man’s image of God according to our Orthodox Christian faith.

The experts in the area of cults advise us to keep alert. Dr. John G. Clark, Jr., a psychiatrist, warns us how to recognize
a cult. He lists the following:

1. All the groups have a living leader who is demonstrably wealthy.
2. Their systems of government are totalitarian.
3. The beliefs of all these cults are absolutist and intolerant of other systems.
4. A cult’s interest is very low or nonexistent in encouraging individual development toward some kind of satisfactory individual
   adult personality.
5. Almost all of the cults emphasize money-making in one form or another, but few concentrate very much on demeaning, or self
   denigrating activities or rituals.

Dr.
Clark tells us that there are two types of groups in the religious
cults. One group consists of the “chronic schizophrenics, border-line
personalities whose problems get them involved,” and the other is a
group of normal, developing young people on the way to becoming adults
who have fallen into traps.[82]

The deprogramming technique is:

1. to discredit the authority figure of the cult leader;
2. to
   present contradictions (ideology vs. reality): for example “how can he
   preach love when he exploits people.” The breaking point of the person
   from the cult is when one begins to listen to reality and begins to
   express opinions, including those about the cult;
3. the final step in the transference begins when the former cultist identifies with the deprogrammers and talks against the
   cults.[83]

The
problem today is that there are no strong role models and our society
is not clear on the issues, especially the difference between good and
evil. The human need to belong to a special group, to have friends, to
have security, and to feel important should be understood by parents
and church people. These should be within the confines of the Church
and the family. We must understand the youth in that “their energy and
enthusiasm need constructive channeling. They need direction and
discipline and a clearly defined purpose in life. They need to be
taught how to think for themselves and to develop their own systems of
self-discipline.”[84] The contemporary religious movements reach “to the heart of man’s search for spiritual transcendental experience his need
for ritual and structure.”[85]
These are provided to the individual by our Holy Orthodox Christian
Church if only he takes advantage of the opportunity. The great variety
of rituals and the rich symbolism of Orthodoxy fulfill all the human
needs and offer personal redemption.

Dr. Martin Orne, a psychiatrist, finds the reason for joining the cults is our “whole culture” that “created a society of
instant everything, where happiness is a primary goal instead of a by-product .”[86]

The
question must be boldly asked: is the family a healthy enough
institution to encounter the cult threat? We honestly state that “it is
in society’s primary institution the family where most social problems
begin and end and where cultural myths and realities must ultimately be
confronted.”[87]
The Orthodox family is the haven for the individual where all his needs
are fulfilled. The family is the strong fortress that gives one love,
happiness, and security. The strong family ties and clear personal
identity with the Christian commitment will help one to arrive at his
goal unharmed. Our vision is to attain salvation in Christ, who is the
sole Messiah and Logos of God.

Parents often make
the mistake of not giving the proper instruction to their children and
not strongly imparting to them the experience of our Christian Orthodox
faith. Streiker aptly expresses the danger of being wishy-washy about
our religious convictions. He states:

“How
can anyone find a fixed point of reference in a stress-filled world by
reacting to such an attitude as that reflected in the often-heard
parental cop-out: ‘I don’t believe in forcing my children to do
anything they don’t want to do. I think they should have the right to
think for themselves, to decide on their own values and beliefs. I
think that when they are adults they can choose their own religion.’ If
parents who feel this way would only realize that they are telling
their children: ‘I really don’t care what you believe or how you choose
to behave as long as you don’t hurt yourself or embarrass me. I just
make out the best I can from day to day. I don’t know what I believe;
so how can I encourage you to follow in my steps?’ How much better it
would be if we admitted our own lack of faith to our children instead
of patting ourselves on the back for our superiority to those who
compel their children to conform to parental standards of faith and
practice.”[88]

This
very well states the responsibility that we have as parents to teach
our faith to our children with conviction and commitment. Your child
may resist your suggestions to abide by your values, but a child seldom
does anything as an alternative to a parental example and wish. “Love
your child enough to cut the cord.”[89] That is, allow your child to make decisions and, in the process, make mistakes. Your love and concern will be expressed in
your wise parental guidance as he or she develops into adulthood.

Our
pastoral concern should be to share with our people especially with the
youth the dangers that are out there awaiting them. Young people should
know that a visit to a strange place may cost them their personal
freedom. They should always remember that cult members do not say they
are recruiting for some far-out cult they just invite them to a
lecture, an evening with young people, or to a retreat. It will be days
before they find out that they are slaves to some religious leader who
manipulates young people for his own wealth and power.

Exhort young people to always have Christ and the Church as their guide. If they are lonely, encourage them to talk to their
parents, to their priest, to a church school teacher, to anyone they know from the church.

Saint Paul says to keep the tradition paradosis for Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He gives us salvation
and life everlasting.

To gain control of the young people the cults use:

1. debility, that is, physical and psychological exhaustion, to the point that one is not able to resist;
2. dependence, that is, the young people are barred from TV or reading the newspapers in order to be completely dependent on
   the cult leaders for every kind of information;
3. dread!
   that is the fear of satan is so strongly implied the devil is around
   you even if a person thinks of his parents they attribute it to the
   devil. It is a “guilt trip” in order to completely control and
   manipulate their young minds. Young people are sent to the world to
   collect money by dubious methods, such as that referred to a ‘heavenly
   deception’ to bring in millions of dollars.[90]

The
danger of these cults is that young people are trained to be completely
obedient even if the action is destructive to society. They possess an
“armory of knives, bows and arrows, and slingshots which male cult
members had learned to use with great accuracy.”[91] The danger is to themselves but also to society.

Be aware!

The
contemporary religious cults, demanding fanatical loyalty to their
leaders, pose a threat to young people. In their recruitment ‘heavenly
deception’ is used because cults often work through fronts which appear
to be youth clubs or youth discussion groups, and the young people may
not realize that they are being trapped. Be on you guard![92]

To
young people we recommend the following: Always be skeptical of
strangers who invite you to coffee-fellowships, lectures retreats,
entertainment, or workshops. Ask bold questions about what they believe
concerning religion and philosophy of life. Always be on your guard and
do not accept evasive answers. Ask how they spend their day and why
they are not in school. Keep away from groups that place heavy emphasis
on fund raising, give utter devotion to a single leader, and demand
complete control of its members “Do not ever join a group which asks
you to fill out a financial statement or donate your material
possessions or warns you not to tell your parents that you are
involved. Be suspicious of communal living and of all ‘religious’
groups which do not meet in established religious buildings of the kind
with which you are familiar.”95

Keep away from all
strangers at all times. If you are lonely or in trouble, always talk to
your family or to your priest. Learn to pray in your Orthodox way, be
strong in your faith, and place all your trust in Jesus Christ our
Lord.

http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7075.asp