A Shell of the Truth, Stuffed with Lies

With a new generation of Health and Wealth -- also called Word-Faith -- teachers gaining widespread acceptance in mainstream Christianity, CRI President and Bible Answer Man, Hank Hanegraaff, is warning that their doctrines promote a "wildly distorted perception of what it means to be a Christian."

Hank calls the growing influence of the Word-Faith movement "one of the greatest threats to Christianity from within." He says he is especially concerned by the striking similarity between occult ideas popularized by secular authors like Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, and the writings of mega-church and T.V. preacher, Joel Osteen.

The Threat from Within

"Although Byrne and Osteen have noteworthy differences," Hank notes, "they agree that 'You are the Master of the Universe, and the Genie is there to serve you.'"

"For Byrne, the Genie is the 'law of attraction,'" Hank contends. "For Joel Osteen, it is the Word of Faith. Osteen writes, 'the moment you speak something out, you give birth to it. This is a spiritual principle, and it works whether what you are saying is good or bad, positive or negative.'"

In Word Faith theology, this principle is supposedly so powerful that even God is bound by it. But to make this point, Word Faith teachers have to twist God's Word. For instance, Osteen claims that "Scripture tells us that we are to 'call the things that are not as if they already were.'" However, Romans 4:17 says that it is actually God -- not us -- "who calls things that are not as though they were."

"Tragically," Hanegraaff adds, "Joel Osteen isn't the only Word Faith teacher who twists Scripture in order to advance dangerous doctrines." A host of prominent preachers have employed similar techniques, and Hanegraaff says they are plunging Christianity into an ever-deepening crisis.

Reaching the Deceived

"People flock to Word Faith churches because they are drawn to the promise of unparalleled prosperity and good health," Hank says. "But they don't see that people have swallowed the cyanide and are now sick and dying because the promises are empty."

Noting that Word Faith teachers operate using outward trappings of Christianity, Hank warns that "millions have fallen for a shell of the truth, stuffed with lies."

The good news is that many people are leaving the Word Faith movement and over the last fifteen years so many people can give credit to CRI (The Christian Research Institute) for being instrumental in getting them out of the movement. Hank says, "By God's grace, we will continue to minister to people who've been deceived by this counterfeit gospel."

(From Equip newsletter - Christian Research Institute, Vol. 21, Iss. 3 - April 2008)

I recently sent away and received the audio adaptation of Hank's highly acclaimed book, Christianity in Crisis. It uses the faith teachers' own words to expose their dangerous heresies. I highly recommend you visit Hank's website at www.equip.org to obtain this audio adaptation.

Teach Your Children Well!

Following is a list of questions you may ask about a group. Take the time to answer as many as possible to help you identify problem areas and whether the group is a cult or not.

• What is so appealing about what the group offers?
• Does the group make its members feel good, fearful, or guilty?
• Does the group leader have a special charm and persuasion that its people find inexplicable and hard to resist?
• Do the people in the group seem a bit too friendly, loving, smiling, and happy?
• Do the people in the group visit or call and offer to help with almost anything?
• Does the group claim to have a special mission or calling that is unique and not found elsewhere?
• Does the leader claim to have unique powers, vision, knowledge, or other abilities?
• How many leaders have left the group, and for what reasons?
• What is the group's reputation in the community?
• Are there any checks and balances to the leadership and power structure?
• Does the group have a constitution or laws of government?
• How many meetings does the group have each week? Is attendance mandatory?
• Do the people talk about their pastor all the time, as though he were next to God?
• What is the group's view on leadership authority and discipleship?
• What is the group's view on dating and marriage?
• Does the pastor encourage the flock to read different Christian authors, or attend seminars and conferences sponsored by other churches and organizations?
• Is there an isolationist or elitist mentality?
• If the group is independent or non-denominational, to what associations does it belong?
• Have any other local pastors or civic leaders heard any complaints about the group?
• Check with selected religious or secular organizations that keep an eye on such groups. Do they know this group? Have they heard any complaints?
• Is the group affiliated with a larger, well-known and reputable organization?
• What are the credentials of the leader?
• How do your parents, other relations, or close friends feel about the group? Do they have reservations?
• Is the church rabidly separatist?
• What are the finances of the group? Is there secrecy? Does the leader live differently from the followers, drive a better car, take longer vacations, live in a nicer house, than people of comparable education and experience?
• Does the group motivate its members mostly through fear and guilt?
• Who invited you to the group or to the meeting? Was it a total stranger (if so, be very cautious)?
• Have any articles been written about the group? Any books?
• Do you know of any criminal investigations concerning the church or its leader?
• Was there a split in the group and why did it split?
• Are there disgruntled former members?
• Do the disgruntled former members, more or less, tell a similar story of why they left? Did they leave because they disagreed with either the teachings or the practices of the group or its leader?
• How was the disagreement handled?
• Does your "gut level" feeling about this group tell you from time to time that something is wrong?

We must ask and we must teach our children to ask such questions if we are going to cult-proof them and keep them out of the hands of false teachers.

(from Cult-Proofing Your Kids by Dr. Paul R. Martin)