How To Identify A False Prophet/Religious Leader and False Religious Sects!

How To Identify A False Prophet/Religious Leader and False Religious Sects!

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In this turbulent end times, it is necessary to always be spiritually discerning in order to identify false prophets/religious leaders who are pretending as genuine servants of Lord Jesus Christ. Don't be deluded by false prophets/religious leaders.

A religious sect refers to a group of people with different religious beliefs typically regarded as heretical from those of a larger group to which they belong. 

A religious sect may share some overarching beliefs with other Christian denominations but has its own beliefs, traditions and rituals as well.

A religious cult or sect can be broadly defined as formal religious veneration or a system of religious beliefs and its body of adherents or a religion regarded as unorthodox (spurious).

A religious cult or sect also refers to great devotion to a particular person, object or idea as well as group of people united by devotion or allegiance to an artistic or intellectual movement or figure.

A typical religious sect or cult has a charismatic, unaccountable religious leader, persuades by coercion and exploit its members, economically, sexually or in some other ways.

What are the most common features shared by religious cults or sects?

1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability

A charismatic leader, who increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose power. 

That is a living religious leader, who has no meaningful accountability and becomes the single most defining element of the group and its source of power and authority. 

2. A process of indoctrination or education is in use that can be seen as coercive persuasion or thought reform commonly called brainwashing. 

The culmination of this process can be seen by members of the group often doing things that are not in their own best interest, but consistently in the best interest of the group and its leader.

3. Economic, sexual and other exploitation of group members by the false religious leader and the ruling coterie. 

The destructiveness of religious cults varies by degree, from labor violations, child abuse, medical neglect to, in some extreme and isolated situations, calls for violence or mass suicide.

¶ What are the warning signs of a potentially unsafe religious group or false religious leader?

1. Self-Righteousness: There is a general tendency for dependence on gifted spiritual leaders, who by claiming to speak for “God” put themselves above question and perceived to be “holy” perpetually. 

Also, view of truth changes from what is honest to what is in the interest of the deluded religious group. 

In essence, the false religious group or false prophet/religious leader is always right or perfect without any blemish (self-righteousness).

2. Loss of Freedom and Perversion:

Through gradual manipulation, individual thoughts, feelings and choices are increasingly replaced by group thoughts, feelings and decisions. 

Also, there is a tendency for loss of conscience as the deluded religious group and its leadership draw the new members into perverted behaviors (often sexual) that destroy moral courage.

3. Bait-and-Switch Tactic: The grand delusion of deceptive religious sects is usually the adjustment of expectations from what was originally promised to what is received. 

This pervasive tendency end up in betraying the trust of the deluded followers. 

4. Manipulative Dependence: Through chanting and singing, new members are manipulatively subjected to constant repetition, which blocks their rational thought processes. 

The false prophet/spiritual leader demands absolute submission to his control and the deluded followers are taught to accept without question the revelations and interpretations of their false spiritual leader.

5. Induced Fear: The pervasive tendency of deceptive religious sects is that negative thoughts or doubts about the particular religious group or its false spiritual leader are said to be soul-threatening. 

Therefore, anyone leaving the false religious group is warned about harsh consequences, loss of eternal life and reward or untimely death.

6. Manipulative Mind Control: New members are tactically conditioned to stop thinking and to accept without question the revelations and doctrines of their false spiritual leader. 

The self-respect of the new members is manipulatively broken down through persuading them to share their innermost secrets with the group.

7. Intense Love Bombing: Committed sect members tactically give new prospects an overwhelming sense of acceptance, belonging and significance by “bombing” them with flattery, touching, hugging and false feeling of communal love. 

Through removal of privacy, new recruits are not left alone to discover their own thoughts.

8. Isolation Strategy: New recruits of deceptive religious sects are usually isolated from their real family members, close friends and News media in order to screen out opposing points of view. 

9. Family Perception: Within a deceptive religious sect, there is often an intense sense of identity and “family” perception. 

Perceived “family members” are viewed as “brothers and sisters,” united against the outside world.

Their unity is not found in Lord Jesus Christ, however, but in their false spiritual “father,” mentor and sole teacher.  

10. False Biblical Emphasis: Some deceptive religious sects give much attention to Bible study. However, their biblical learning is often carefully orchestrated by clever leaders who provide their own false interpretation of Scriptures. 

The deluded members are warned about reading authors who are outside of their secluded religious group.

11. Religious Exclusivism: Deluded members of deceptive religious sects often develop the false belief that they alone have been entrusted with the truth. Therefore, the opportunity to be a part of a select group of God’s chosen servants is attractive.

12. False Indoctrination: A distinct mark of many deceptive religious sects is their use of sophisticated methods of recruitment and coercive persuasion. 

This ensures the breaking down of individual thinking rather than allowing new converts to make decisions of faith based on their own sense of good judgment. 

Through peer-group pressure, potential converts are subjected to intense persuasion by fellow sect members.

13. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.

14. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement.

15. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions. 

16. There is no legitimate reason to leave the false religious group. Former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.

17. Former members of false religious groups often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.

18. There are records, books, news articles, or broadcast reports that document the abuses of the false religious group or false religious leader.

19. Deluded followers of a false prophet/religious leader feel they can never be good enough or perfect if they leave the false religious group.

20. The false religious group or false religious leader is the exclusive means of knowing perceived “truth” or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

In conclusion, it is vital not to fall victim to hypocritical spiritual leaders who describe themselves as something they are not, as they try to deceive many people with persuasive words. 

As ravening wolves in sheep clothing, they often disguise themselves as representatives of Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), however, later on, they show themselves to be serving the grand deceiver known as Lucifer or Satan (2 Corinthians 11:4).   

 Author: Evangelist Olusola Awolaja