ALL RELIGIONS ARE CULTS
When we look at the definition of cult, we find that Judaism and Christianity both fit the mold of a religious cult. When we look at how cults begin and how they function, it is easy for ex-religionists to see how all religions fit that mold. And with respect to the issue of toxic religion, it is easy to see how the issue of indoctrination, a key feature of cults, applies to religion.

Cult-like doctrines and behaviors are always found in Old/First Covenant religions that emphasize common worship under the direction of a charismatic leader or leaders. Leaders with irresistible charisma are common to all cults — including Judaism and Christianity.

COMMENTARY ON CHARISMATIC CULT LEADERS: The strong attraction and deep affection that religious people have for their leaders is symbolically represented in the Genesis story where Eve and Adam eat fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Adam and Eve symbolically represent Old/First Covenant religionists who choose to listen to false prophets instead of eating God’s words (i.e. fruit of the the Tree of Life.  In this story, God forecasts the tendency to seek out and follow religious leaders when he says that Eve’s (i.e. the church’s) desire will be for her husband (i.e.  religious leaders).

This story is a parable that anticipates unrestrained submissiveness to religious leaders. God calls it lust that is found in the world of religion, and all religious people, both men and women, are ensnared by it. But it isn’t just religious followers who are ensnared by lust. Religious leaders are part of the equation. The praise, submission and money that people give to their leaders is an enticing aphrodisiac that fuels their desire for intimacy with their followers. Having people seek and pay for their teaching every Saturday or Sunday boosts and sustains  pride in a toxic way that religious leaders cannot resist. And so it is right to say that false prophets are temple prostitutes. And like any prostitute, they need to look good (i.e. they need to practice religion and tell people what they want to hear) in order to maintain their attractiveness. They fit the classic definition of scribes and pharisees to whom Jesus spoke woes if all people speak well of them.

The financial stability of all religion depends on the charisma of the leader. As soon as the leader loses favor with his/her followers (i.e. those who listen to his/her teaching, praise and esteem them, and support them financially), they stop listening, stop giving money, and remove them from the congregation. When this happens, the followers look for another charismatic leader and the leader tries to recruit other followers. These are the hidden dynamics of what religious people euphemistically call evangelism and church planting.

We find this principle in Old Testament references to cult prostitutes who symbolically represent religious leaders who sell religious — not sexual — services (e.g teaching, supervision of religious ceremonies and rituals, etc.) in a religious setting (e.g. temple, shrine, church, etc.). We also find these religious leaders in the New Testament where Christians find it impossible to symbolically interpret prostitutes and harlots as religious leaders engaged in commercial religion. Their indoctrination into literal interpretation of the Bible and  their unwavering trust in their religious leaders will not allow them to see the symbolism.

The common feature of Judaism and Christianity that qualifies them as cults is that they always have cult leaders (e.g. Apostles, Bishops, Elders, Overseers, Rabbis, Priests, Pastors, Popes, Missionaries and Evangelists). This contrasts with the distinctive feature of the New Covenant which is that God teaches people directly through his spirit without a human teacher. Thus, in Biblical language, the Old Covenant is the deviant religion because religions always have human leaders. Therefore, the New Covenant is the desired standard against which the deviant religion (i.e. cult) is compared. God has special names by which he identifies these religious leaders: Serpents, Devil, Satan, Adversary, Demons, Evil Spirits and Anti-Christs.

The other defining feature of Judaism and Christianity that qualifies them as cults is the ever-present cultic practice of communal worship. Singing, praying, eating, worshiping and doing many other kinds of religious activities together on a regular basis are the social glue that keep cults and religious organizations strong.

STUDY TIP: See this link for what God says about religious traditions.

Cult leaders and religious leaders understand this principle and always make it a key feature of their practices. Cult members reinforce one another to believe that what they are doing is right and quietly but effectively pressure/coerce (i.e. abuse through social power and control) one another to remain faithful to the cult because their personal security is dependent on the vitality of the organization. Their personal identity is totally embodied in the identity of the cult (i.e. religion.)

Because New Covenant disciples worship in spirit and truth, they do not buy into the rules, deceptions and practices found in religious cults for the following reasons: