Thursday 2 April 2009

Blinded by the Light 9 Answers to Everything - The Trap

One of the attractions of many cults is that they offer an answer to everything – every question you may have about God and his purposes, and where you fit in. A precise interpretation for every passage in the Bible, even the irrelevant ones. A complete set of beliefs covering every eventuality. It can be a comforting thought to have no uncertainty, to know exactly what to believe about everything. Unfortunately, many of the answers are wrong.


Which is it better to have, no answer or any answer? The cults would seem to prefer the latter, and come up with all sorts of contortions to explain every tiny point. The comfort of knowing there is always an answer can become the restriction of always checking our what you think you believe with the 'party line'. You can lose the ability to think for yourself.


If you look for a rigidly defined set of beliefs you are heading back to the law, and will soon find them a straightjacket rather than a comfort.


Previous posts in this series:

Introduction
Legalism: The Truth, The Trap, The Solution
Magic Formulas: The Truth, The Trap, The Solution
Answers to Everything: The Truth,
Further posts to come in this series:
Answers to Everything: The Trap, The Solution
Scripture Twisting: The Truth, The Trap, The Solution
Superstition: The Truth, The Trap, The Solution
Elitism: The Truth, The Trap, The Solution
The Need to See: The Truth, The Trap, The Solution
Conclusion

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