What is a cult? This is a very significant question so we will tackle it and find the answer.
What makes this question important is that not only will there be clarification that UBF is a cult but also how to recognize any cult. So that when you leave UBF for good you won’t get entangled in another cult.
Here is a basic definition of cult from Google.com:
“a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.” (Google search)
In the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) they expand on that definition further by adding that it’s a system “exercising excessive control over members”
In summary a cult is a system created by a social group that devout worship to a person or thing while maintaining control over members/followers. The definition is pretty straight forward. However, when it comes to recognizing cults that is when things get a bit tricky.
There was an article I read by wikigoat which was made in the beginning of 2016 where he analyzed a cult. But it was not clear cut obvious at first hand that it was a cult. Joe even commented that “they engage in real public service [and] They appear to be far more rooted in their local community”
So the question now is how do I recognize a cult and what are the traits/characteristics of one?
An ex-member messaged me an article by Mike Bickle whom not only clear defines the traits of a cult but he also clearly debunks the concept of cults with bible verse/references. When you read the article it clear exposes the system that UBF and other cults that are common or uncommon utilize to fulfill their own agenda.
References/Sources:
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=cult (Google Search)
http://0-www.oed.com.torofind.csudh.edu/view/Entry/45709?rskey=oBhspy&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid (OED)
http://ubfriends.net/a-cult-from-south-korea/ (Wikigoat’s article on a cult)
https://ihopkcorg-a.akamaihd.net/platform/IHOP/759/211/20121118_How_To_Recognize_Cults_7_Characteristics.pdf (recommended Mike Bickle’s Article)
https://web.archive.org/web/20170321142138/https://www.ourgazebo.net/6-traits-of-a-destructive-cult.html (Another article that lists traits of a cult)
https://web.archive.org/web/20050309155522/http://wellspringretreat.org/journal/v9n2/cpyk2.html (Cult Susceptibility Quiz)
https://web.archive.org/web/20050221220949/http://www.ubf-info.de/ref/cults.en.htm (List of research institutions on cults in general)
http://www.icsahome.com/ (Another research institution that has intel on cults)
Here is another very good resource on cultic influence in America:
“Many people don’t realize that a high-pressure group doesn’t need to have a religious philosophy wrapped up in it to qualify as a destructive cult, and so incorrectly consider atheists and skeptics as automatically immune. Some people are even so insensitive as to suggest – wrongly – that a person “chooses” to be in a cult.
None of this is even remotely true: although people of all intelligence levels can be found in cults, the average cult member is above usual intelligence, with at least two years of higher education (and often an advanced degree). In fact, the more intelligent a person is, the more easily their intelligence can be used to rationalize illogical or even destructive beliefs.
People of all economic and social levels fall prey to cults, although the easiest target for recruiters is someone who has just gone through a major change – first-year university students, the recently bereaved, and those moving to new geographical locations are particularly vulnerable. We are most vulnerable at times of transition, during adolescence and as senior citizens.
The average cult recruiter seeks someone who is not only intelligent, but also competent and compassionate, with a thirst to make the world better. As far as “choosing” to join or stay in a cult, choice is not a factor when under the grip of undue influence – someone else is making all the decisions. But above all, cult members are certainly not stupid, gullible, or poorly educated.”
What Makes Us Susceptible to Undue Influence?