How To Determine Improper Religions and Cults

Do you will have a adverse impression of faith? Many individuals do, and it is as a result of improper religions are so frequent these days. What’s extra, many individuals get sucked into improper religions, pondering that they’re being “saved” and that they should “save” others. Even when we’ve not encountered improper religions but, we or our family members would possibly encounter them sooner or later, so it is vital to know the right way to differentiate correct religions from improper ones. These requirements are literally actually much like differentiating correct individuals from improper individuals, so even when faith would not concern you, you possibly can lengthen these requirements to individuals basically.

For a fast background on why I wrote this text, I grew up in Toronto, Canada, and I bear in mind throughout my scholar years, our academics would inform us to respect all religions. My classmates have been fairly multicultural and had various non secular beliefs, together with Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu, however most have been atheists.

I had a fairly impartial thought of faith till round highschool, after I began listening to about all of the loopy issues that non secular individuals do, resembling battle, terrorist assaults, and suicide bombing. These all gave me a adverse impression on faith. It wasn’t till after college, after I began studying about Buddhism, that I modified my adverse bias in direction of faith as a result of I encountered a correct instructor named Venerable Jing Kong. This previous week was the second 12 months anniversary of his departure, so this submit is in honour of that.

From Venerable Jing Kong and his scholar, Venerable Chengde, I discovered concerning the variations between correct and improper religions, and so as to assist others keep away from improper religions, I wrote this submit. Whereas these requirements are largely from the angle of Buddhism, they need to have the ability to be prolonged to different religions and to individuals basically. If even one in every of these purple flags exist, we’ve got to be very cautious.

Improper non secular leaders will usually brag about themselves and put down others.

Correct non secular leaders will usually speak about their lack of cultivation and the way they nonetheless haven’t fully practiced all the non secular teachings. Additionally they reward different sects, leaders, and religions.

For instance, an improper non secular chief would possibly say, “When you don’t keep right here by my facet, you and your loved ones would possibly entice catastrophe. When you depart right here, you can’t come again.”

A correct non secular chief would by no means wish to offer you strain. They might aid you really feel relaxed. They need to be warm-hearted and delicate to others’ emotions.

For instance, Buddhism has 5 fundamental precepts: Don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, don’t lie, and don’t drink alcohol. Buddhism additionally teaches us to eradicate the 5 psychological positions: greed, anger, ignorance, conceitedness, and doubt.

If a spiritual chief has a horrible mood, or is a pervert, or expenses cash for courses, or provides you strain to donate, or will get drunk, or makes you doubt your self, these are all purple flags. Improper non secular leaders don’t emphasize or apply these precepts and teachings. They may even say they’re above them.

A correct non secular chief would emphasize the precepts and non secular texts. They might usually say that they haven’t practiced them properly and are nonetheless working laborious to enhance. They lead by instance.

Improper non secular leaders usually concentrate on non secular ceremonies that assist deceased souls or that may eradicate sins and adverse karma. These items are laborious to confirm, and the chief would not clarify the logic behind it, so followers have a tendency to only take the chief’s phrase for it. The chief would possibly then brag about their “outcomes”. Since followers do not actually perceive what’s taking place, they usually simply blindly belief the chief’s phrases, it is fairly superstitious.

Correct non secular leaders would educate individuals on the right way to assist deceased souls and cut back adverse karma, which is thru our ethical cultivation. Correct non secular leaders would additionally clarify the aim behind these non secular ceremonies and the way they assist deceased souls (by inviting these souls to take heed to sutra lectures on the occasion) and the way they assist to eradicate adverse karma (by bringing out virtuous ideas and vows from individuals). These ceremonies wouldn’t be the principle focus although; they might occur at sure dates within the 12 months. The primary focus is on ethical schooling.

All non secular texts speak about the right way to domesticate morality so as to achieve a greater afterlife. As college students of a faith, we have to examine the texts and imagine within the texts (versus believing in what individuals say). If we hear completely different individuals saying various things, we have to verify with the texts to see which is appropriate.

For instance, if a Buddhist chief says, “I can transcend the diseased soul of your member of the family to the Western Pure Land,” we have to have the sense to know that the texts by no means mentioned something about others serving to you to go to the Western Pure Land. The texts say that solely you your self can determine in the event you go to the Western Pure Land, and the situations are perception, vow and chanting Amitabha. It doesn’t say different individuals can transcend your soul there, so we will choose this particular person to be an improper non secular chief.

Normally, it is freshmen who most simply get deceived as a result of they by no means studied the texts or know to check the texts. After they hear these large claims, they get overly excited and lose their sense of rationality. The non secular chief may not ask for a price, however these individuals really feel so grateful that they will donate some huge cash. Thus, if we will make investments time in a faith, we have to really examine the texts and test if the non secular chief cites the texts and function fashions the teachings.

When the Buddha was on Earth, he and his college students had supernatural powers that arose from deep meditative focus. Nevertheless, the Buddha forbade his college students from utilizing supernatural powers to assist individuals. The reason being as a result of ghosts even have supernatural powers. If Buddhists academics use supernatural powers, then individuals wouldn’t have the ability to differentiate a correct Buddhist instructor from evil ghosts who’ve possessed an individual. The Buddha solely taught and helped individuals by lecturing and schooling; that’s one thing malevolent ghosts can’t do. Subsequently, correct non secular leaders will solely assist individuals by lecturing and schooling, not by supernatural strategies.

Some improper non secular leaders like to indicate off supernatural skills. They’ll predict your future or learn your previous. Then you definitely really feel like they know all the pieces, and also you’ll view them like a God. In actuality, they’re possessed by an evil ghost, they usually most likely search to revenue off you or benefit from the feeling of getting worshippers.

Some improper non secular leaders will say they’re a sure Buddha or God or Spirit manifested in human kind. However within the historical past of Buddhism, any time somebody says they’re a sure Buddha manifested in human kind, that particular person then “passes away” peacefully shortly after. The rationale was already talked about earlier than: Buddhas assist individuals by schooling. As quickly as individuals assume they’re some type of God, they lose curiosity in studying and as an alternative need the “God” to make use of supernatural skills to assist them. Thus, if somebody says they’re a sure Buddha or God in human kind, however they’re nonetheless right here after some time, that’s an improper non secular chief.

In Buddhism, succession is very vital. Each sect has a protracted line of patriarchs. For instance, Pure Land Buddhism has 13 patriarchs which can be publicly acknowledged by the Buddhist neighborhood. A correct non secular chief research from an acknowledged line of patriarchs. They will usually cite their academics’ teachings.

An improper non secular chief would possibly say stuff like, “Sooner or later, I instantly acquired enlightened.” If they appear to know quite a bit and do not speak about studying from an acknowledged instructor, they’re most likely possessed by ghosts. Once more, the Buddhas do not use supernatural powers to assist individuals as a result of they do not need followers to lose their sense of rationality.

It is also doable that an improper non secular chief will say that they discovered from a sure acknowledged instructor. On this case, we have to go a step additional and examine if they really usually cite that instructor’s teachings and apply them, similar to in the event that they cite and apply the non secular texts. A correct instructor will all the time cite and apply the texts and their academics’ teachings.

For instance, Venerable Jing Kong was a really well-known and well-respected Buddhist chief. As a result of his fame and nice variety of followers, many individuals tried to make use of his identify to realize cash or fame. Individuals will say they’re his scholar or are working for him as a solution to entice followers, however in actuality, Venerable Jing Kong would not find out about these individuals doing these items, and he by no means talked about, not to mention endorse, these individuals in his lectures.

Observe that in the event you occur to understand somebody is likely to be a part of an improper non secular group, it is crucial to not oppose them or make them really feel like you might be proper and they’re improper. We’ve got to place ourselves of their footwear. They belief their non secular chief and have been in that group for some time. If somebody instantly tells them that what they’re doing is improper, it is a laborious message to swallow.

To present an analogy, think about you’ve got been ingesting soda for a few years. Sooner or later, somebody tells you, “Do not you recognize that soda is horrible on your well being? I am telling you, you gotta stop proper now!” However you’ve got by no means heard this information earlier than, and you actually loved ingesting soda all these years. In the event that they make you’re feeling actually uncomfortable, you would possibly oppose not out of logic, however out of emotion.

As their member of the family or good friend, our duty is to share vital data that we all know in a humble and caring method. We will point out that we lately discovered about some requirements for correct and improper religions, and share a few of these requirements, however we should not straight say, “Based mostly on these requirements, do not you recognize your non secular group is improper?” That is opposing them and making them really feel like they’re improper, which is able to make them oppose us. As an alternative, we will allow them to replicate themselves.

We additionally mustn’t be rushed for fast outcomes, or else we’ll turn into aggravated and controlling in direction of them, which once more creates battle. Finally, there is not one appropriate solution to advise, however the precept is that we must always allow them to really feel revered and cared for, and we should stay humble and affected person.

Since improper religions are quite common these days, realizing the distinction between correct and improper religions may also help us and our household and buddies from getting duped or damage.

Correct non secular leaders are humble and mild; they diligently examine and apply the non secular texts, they usually come from an acknowledged line of academics. They search to profit individuals by schooling. Improper non secular leaders are boastful and provides others strain or fear. They do not apply the ethical teachings from their non secular texts, and what they are saying or do usually contradicts the texts. They may additionally exhibit supernatural powers as a result of they’re involved in getting worshippers, not college students.

If we encounter individuals who is likely to be in an improper non secular group, we should not criticize them or shock them by telling them that they’re improper. We ought to be respectful, humble, variety, and affected person within the communication and advising course of.