Is this a rumour or the offical line: the Catholic Church to which I belong, states that the Mormons are a cult, can someone confirm or deny this? The ones that I have met have so clean-cut and nice they remind me of the people out of the movie: Pleasantville, out of another era./Just Asking - seoul62........
Mormons refer to the Catholic Church as the “whore of babylon”. The Catholic Church holds the highest level of disdain in the mormon church. Does that tell you how they feel about it?
Further, EVERY other church on this planet is dead wrong, in their eyes, and according to their founding leadership.
But, they will tell you that they are tolerant.....uh-huh.
Are they a cult?
Their leader/s may claim a special, exclusive ministry, revelation or position of authority given by God.
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They believe they are the only true church and take a critical stance regarding the Christian church while at the same time praising and exalting their own group, leader/s and work.
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They use intimidation or psychological manipulation to keep members loyal to their ranks. This could be in the form of threats of dire calamity sent by God if they leave; certain death at Armageddon; being shunned by their family and friends etc. This is a vital part of the mind control process.
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Members will be expected to give substantial financial support to the group. This could be compulsory tithing (which is checked); signing over all their property on entering the group; coercive methods of instilling guilt on those who have not contributed; selling magazines, flowers or other goods for the group as part of their “ministry”.
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At the same time bible-based cults may ridicule churches that take up free-will offerings by passing collection plates and/or sell literature and tapes. They usually brag that they don’t do this. This gives outsiders the intimation that they are not interested in money.
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There will be great emphasis on loyalty to the group and its teachings. The lives of members will be totally absorbed into the group’s activities. They will have little or no time to think for themselves because of physical and emotional exhaustion. This is also a vital part of the mind control process.
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There will be total control over almost all aspects of the private lives of members. This control can be direct through communal living, or constant and repetitious teaching on “how to be a true Christian” or “being obedient to leadership”. Members will look to their leaders for guidance in everything they do.
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Bible-based cults may proclaim they have no clergy/laity distinction and no paid ministry class - that they are all equal.
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Any dissent or questioning of the group’s teachings is discouraged. Criticism in any form is seen as rebellion. There will be an emphasis on authority, unquestioning obedience and submission. This is vigilantly maintained.
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Members are required to demonstrate their loyalty to the group in some way. This could be in the form of “dobbing” on fellow members (including family) under the guise of looking out for “spiritual welfare”.
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The RCC does NOT recognize the Mormon baptism as valid, IIRC.
it is not how you look that makes u a cult - it is what u believe.
“Is this a rumour or the offical line: the Catholic Church to which I belong, states that the Mormons are a cult, can someone confirm or deny this?”
If you read this thread from an ex-mormon recovery site:
http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon457.htm
You will see the typical despair (even suicidal) that is a classic definition of what a cult is.
I’ve asked repeatedly for someone to post a website devoted to suicidal recovering Lutherans, but no takers yet. (other denominations will also suffice to prove the point).
The Catholic Church does not consider Mormon baptisms to be valid due to their difference in understanding the Trinity.
I do not think the Catholic Church throws around the term "cult" as it comes from the Latin "cultus" which means religion. Of course in English the word cult has its own connotations.
Yes, they are a cult because they don’t follow the true Christian faith, but their people are good people and usually moral and upright. Their teachings are just off the wall.
Originally, it meant the daily activities people do to express their faith; it shares the same root meaning as "cultivate" and "culture," and it is not derogatory. It means "religious practice."
However, in the last half-century especially the word "cult" has taken on increasingly negative connotations: first, merely a "minority" or "out-of-mainstream" religion; and then, worse, a group organized by an abusive guru-figure who uses psychological manipulation, the threat of violence, and actual violent coercion to control his followers.
Now to the question of how Catholicism regards Mormonism: we see it as being strikingly different from historic Christianity, and we consider both its extra-Biblical scriptures and its rites and sacraments to be invalid (i.e. they are not scriptures or sacraments in the Catholic sense.)
This does not imply any judgment against individual Mormons. The Catholic Catechism teaches, "Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church." In other words we recognize truth and virtue wherever they are found.