Customer Reviews (1)

Professor Lane analysis of Masters isprovocative.
Shocking and stunning as usual. Legendary series by Lane is precise, honest, disturbing.Having read all his books, I can only say that I wish he was wrong. Dealing with reality is no fun.Lane's books are thestandard reference for true seakers and scholars. Especially Sant Mat. ... Read more

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Reinforcing the right of all to believe as they wish while giving practical advice on how to rationally deal with possible dangerous or alarming situations, this sensible guide addresses the concerns that arise when a loved one joins an unfamiliar religious group. Advice is interspersed with real-life scenarios that illustrate different ways to handle the situations that arise and the pitfalls to avoid. Stressing tolerance and understanding, this book will help maintain communication in the face of adversity and foster acceptance of a loved one's new way of life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Propaganda for the Church of Scientology
According to a 1993 agreement between the IRS and the Church of Scientology, the Foundation for Religious Freedom (the publisher of this book) is a "Scientology-related" entity.This means that the publisher is affiliated with the destructive group known as the Church of Scientology.This book is infused with cult propaganda under the guise of "dealing with other people's religions."They suggest that it would be great in schools and libraries, and that you contact them by phone or mail or email or just drop by and have a chat.DO NOT.

A REAL WINNER
I just read "The Cult Around the Corner," cover to cover, in one sitting.It is beautifully written, completely clear, dynamically designed and typeset, and has a great title and cover.I like that the book gives examples of positive action.I loved the analogy about beans in the chili.All in all - this book is a real winner.

Sane advice on dealing with religious choice
If someone you love has joined a religious "cult" or such a group has moved into your neighborhood or they are becoming active in your community or any similar situation occurs then this book is where you should start when wondering what to do.It is not an exposition about the beliefs of various religious groups nor what defines a cult from a religion or any such thing.Instead it deals with an all too common problem, people basing their understanding of a group on prejudiced things they have heard, gossip or similar information.It deals with the alienation that often follows when parents and friends don't understand why a person joins a different religious group.It also deals with how to recover that communication and recover the relationship.
This book guides you through various techniques to deal with this situation.The first and foremost is to be calm and find out about the group for yourself.There are various ways of doing this and the book covers all of them.It also covers the things not to do in a situation like this.
This book is a definite recommendation to anyone seeking guidance on how to deal with someone else's religious choices or anyone who may be thinking of making a change themselves.

The Cult Around the Corner
So much of our reaction to religions different from our own in this nation has been based on faulty information... or worse yet, NO information.Since Colonial times, many Americans continue to make assumptions and mistakes when encountering religous groups for the first time--especially when a loved one has just joined a little-known group.This book serves to correct that on-going problem--and does an excellent job.Easy and quick to read (I read it in less than three hours), it provides well-researched materials--and many interesting ideas and solutions.

I read this book for research... and even though I consider myself to be open-minded, I'm glad I did. I learned a lot!

An excellent guidebook
This is a sensible guidebook for anyone who is concerned about the religious choices of others.

Written out of the experience of helping thousands of concerned parents, friends, neighbors, etc., this book explains how to address the "problem" of a loved one joining a religion one doesn't fully understand.

Logically, the first recommendation is to "calm down" so one can be effective in addressing the situation. Then a range of choices are given... advice on actual steps one can take to restore or improve communication, and why that is important, pitfalls to avoid in these situations (like deprogrammers), how to communicate your concerns to your loved one without alienating him or trampling on his rights, etc.

Surprisingly enough, the book gives good advice for parents about how to prepare one's child for the myriad of religious choices out there! Very useful for just about any parent, I think.

Many varied real-life examples are given, along with their successful resolution.

No one religion holds the focus of this book, and it is not an overview of the religions of the world, but rather a basic guide anyone can use in restoring communication with a loved one who has joined a new or little-known religion. Advice on researching the religion is very clearly written and easy to understand and follow. Reading this book should be a first step towards resolving this sort of conflict.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is concerned about a loved one's religious choices. Also, I would recommend this book to anyone who has changed religions and may have relatives or friends who are concerned about this change - this book is sure to assist in fostering understanding and preventing a host of upsets in the future.

Every library should have a copy of this book, and I recommend it to mediators, religious leaders, family counselors, etc. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

An outstanding quick reference on Cults
This book will help prepare you to identify a cult from a Christian perspective. You will also learn how scriptures are twisted, and misrepresented and will be able to give a biblical answer. This book will help you gain the confidence and knowledge needed to present the Gospel. There is an excellent appendix at the end of the book on various groups.

Lorri and Keith MacGregor have been in full-time ministry since 1979 and their experience is reflected in her writing as she gives answers to some of the most misunderstood aspects of the cults. If you are looking for an easy to read quick reference guide on cults, this small book will equip you to defend the gospel and expose false teaching.We highly recommend this book for bible study groups as well as for personal study. You can also contact MacGregor's website and ministry - mmoutreachinc.org to get the book. ... Read more

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Major World Religions and Modern Cults (Compared with the Holy Bible)

The author, Gilbert Tripp, focuses on the beliefs and practices of many religious groups in his easy-to-read, thought-provoking book. He slowly and persuasively makes his way through the various points in a friendly manner. This book is ideal for personal or classroom study. At an affordable price of only $14.95, it should be in every library.

Some of the subjects and sub-subjects covered are:

Chapter One: From the Beginning; The Creation Account vs. Myths of Cultures Surrounding the Hebrews

Chapter Two: The Patriarchs: From Adam to Moses

Chapter Three: Ancient Judaism: (Circa 1600 B. C. - 33 A.D.)

Chapter Four: Christianity: Christianity vs. Christendom; Prophecy and Promise Fulfilled; The Gospel of Jesus Christ; Early History of Christ's Church; Rapid Growth of Christ's Church; Persecution of the Church of Christ; Worship of the Church of Christ; Church Organization According to the Divine Pattern; Autonomy of the Church of Christ; Jesus' Warnings; The Apostasy Begins; There Were Many Early Warnings

Chapter Five: The Apostasy: Departures from the Lord's Pattern; The Departures Increase; Departure from Scriptural Authority

Chapter Six: The Mother of Harlot -Rebellion's Child: Dear Reader (Personal Letter from the Author); The Catechism vs. the Holy Bible; Catholic Doctrines[Original Sin and Infant Baptism; Clinic Baptism; Auricular Confession; Absolution of Sins; Religious Rituals (Ceremonial Acts); Special Holy Days; The Lord's Supper, A Memorial or a Sacrificial Offering? Praying for the Dead; Clergy and Laity; Innovations in the Worship; The Church Sells the Privilege to Sin (The Sale of Indulgences; Financing with Indulgences); Purgatory; Praying to Mary, the mother of Jesus; The Immaculate Conception; The Assumption of Mary]; The Apostasy- Summary

Chapter Seven: The Call for Reform (The Birth of Denominationalism: The Reformation Movement

Chapter Eight: Restoring the Pattern

Chapter Nine: The Major Eastern Religions: Islam [Five Pillars of the Islamic Faith; Islamic Etiquette and Diet; Islamic Women; Islamic Jihad; Thomas Jefferson's Quran; Washington and Jefferson's Judgment of the Islamist Fundamentalists]; Hinduism; Buddhism ... Read more

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Chris Mikul has collated information and writing about strange lives, eccentrics, and "beacons of shining if erratic brilliance in a world of sensible conformity." This book is the end result, a series of fascinating essays which chronicle a diverse spectrum of real people whose lives have been governed by inner voices, sexual aversions, bovver, interplanetary heroics, and UFO magazines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A pleasant book about unbalanced people
This book covers lots of nice little stories about true believers of unbelievable things.It covers everything from hollow earth enthusiasts to people who question the germ theory of disease and people with sex behaviors and beliefs so goofy you'll wind up feeling REALLY secure and happy with your own personal life.It's a great book for the guest bathroom, since each chapter is short and breezy.Lots of fun re-reading it, too.If you like reading about cults and cult-like beliefs, you'll like this book. ... Read more

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This book takes a practical approach to studying the cults, focusing attention on 12 of the primary representative cults or categories of cults. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Bigoted rambling from a confirmed bigot
Ron Rhodes in thought, deed, and action is a unrepentant bigot. As with all of these counter-cult evangelical gas bags (Ankerberg, Martin, Carlson, Decker, etc.) he sees no problem lying in order to trash people with whom he disagrees. It is doubtful if he has the intelligence or intellect to read the Bible let alone understand it.

But it is his need to lie in a (failed) attempt to prove his point which exposes his claim to be a Christian as an outright fabrication. Ron Rhodes is no more of a Christian than Mohammad Atta but his intent is the same: To sow strife and hatred among people.

He belongs to a tradition of Christianity which fosters and grows hatemongers, bigots, and worthless human refuse who walk through this world attacking people they do not understand.

The Challenge of the Cults (and New Religions)
This like most of Ron Rhodes book was an excellent book. It selects a few of the organizations that people attempt to pass off as religions and exposes them as cults. It gives the history and the doctrines that these organizations originated from and believe and then Rhodes who seems to be an expert in this area exposes them and not only does he expose them, he backs his exposition up with scripture. This is a must read and will help you to confront the deception of false Christs and lying doctrines with clear and well-grounded truth of biblical Christianity.

Excellent insight into the Cults
Ron does a great job of arming readers with all the right ammunition to counter false doctrines and provides wisdom for how best to lead people to the absolute truth of God.Very well done.

Some Integrity Please
My objection to this type of book is does nothing but create divides.For example he lists one religion as a cult that currently is the fourth leading religion in the United States.The pace it is setting it will be a world religion within a 100 years.Not bad for a cult.Just to set the record straight the dictionary defines a cult as a 1.System of religious worship and ritual.2.Devoted attachment to a person or principle3. a sect.

Under that definition every organized religion is a cult.That would include Evangelical Christians as they espouse Bible and Being Saved.

Disappointing and rather sloppy scholarship
Mr. Rhodes' five "essential" doctrines of Christianity as found on pages 22-23 are wide of the mark. Not all mainstream denominations of Christianity, particularly more liberal ones, would agree with his conclusions. His assertion that the doctrine of the trinity is a "biblical fact" is nothing short of laughable considering the church did not fully develop or embrace the doctrine of trinitarianism for over 3 centuries after Christ's death. And only after intense debate.

With respect to the specific religions he includes in his book, I can only speak to the Unitarian Universalist chapter as that is the religion with which I'm most familiar. Some of Mr. Rhodes' facts are easily refuted and his conclusions are sometimes downright insulting.

For example, "Past Unitarian Universalists include five U.S. presidents..." In fact, there has never been a UU president as the denominations merged in 1961. He names Thomas Jefferson as a Unitarian Universalist. Jefferson was raised an Episcopalian and later in life belonged to no specific religion although his writings do contain Unitarian ideals. There have been four presidents who belonged to Unitarian churches when the Unitarian faith bore little resemblance to UU practice today.

Mr. Rhodes contends that UUs "have little respect for the Christian Bible." That would be his opinion and one which would not hold up to scrutiny. UUs do indeed respect the Bible and other sacred religious texts, they just do not use it the same way Mr. Rhodes does.

Mr. Rhodes states that most UUs deny that there is an afterlife. He sites a document that isn't even accepted as the definitive statement of UU belief by all, or even most, Unitarian Universalists.

Mr. Rhodes contends that UUs are intolerant towards Christians despite their professed belief in religious tolerance. He does not explore the meaning of religious liberalism or differentiate between acknowledging Christianity as a valid faith path while failing to appreciate a conservative Christian proclaiming UUs as evil, sinful, faithless people destined for eternal damnation. Why should anyone tolerate intolerance?

If his other chapters are as misleading as this one, I would recommend anyone interested in cults seek a different source. Clearly Mr. Rhodes' purpose in writing this book was not scholarship, but to elevate his own religion by showing disdain for others. Even if that means shoddy research and erroneous conclusions. ... Read more

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The papers in this volume illustrate the interplay between the studies of classical archaeology, religion, history, and musicology. The eight papers by the young scholars and their Nestor, Richard Hamilton, offer a fresh look at various aspects of ancient cult, including the use of the word cult in the academic disciplines of Archaeology and the History of Religion; the introduction of Asklepios to Athens, and a detailed study of the same god's sanctuary on the south slope of Akropolis, where it will be demonstrated that the layout of the early sanctuary on the east terrace was carefully designed after one central monument. The book also contains an innovative study of the Philippeion at Olympia, where it is argued that the tholos with its sculpture was a proto-type for the use of divine images and royal ideology by Hellenistic rulers. Other papers include a statistical approach to the illustration of baskets on Classical votive reliefs, a theoretical study of the role of music in ancient Greek cult, and analysis of the use of the chorus as one of the most important expressions of ancient cult in Sparta. ... Read more

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Created as a symbol of imperial power by the south Indian conquerors ofOrissa in the 12th century, the temple of Jagannatha endures as one of India'sgreat monuments and centres of pilgrimage. This authoritative study assemblesall the evidence, old and new, to produce a definitive account of the buildingand its cult.Topics include Puri as a Sacred City of Light and its major festivals; thearchitecture, sculpture, and associated paintings of the Temple; and a newanalysis of the origins of the extraordinary icons worshipped in it.The only exhaustive account of this major shrine, this study includes unique19th century and contemporary photographs, the latter revealing features inits ongoing restoration. Its new, integrated interpretation of the Purusottamacult places its iconography firmly in the traditions of Hindu festival art. ... Read more