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Signs that one is in a cultic organisation include preaching and sharing of teachings that re outside the bible for ChristiansChristian Apologist Reuben Kigame asked Chrsitians to be wary of preachers who prioritise demanding of gifts, operating in seclusion and selling miraclesHe urged Christians to deliberately read their bibles and pray for themselves more and discern the teachings they get on radio and televisionThe discussions about cults have dominated the social media spaces and the Kenyan public discourse at large.
Christians have called out their counterparts who misuse the bible for self-gains saying it is cultic. Photo: UGC.
Source: FacebookCults in KenyaThe conversation has been brought about by current happenings in the country where over 90 people, some buried in mass graves were exhumed from a vast parcel of land in Malindi, Kilifi county where controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie is reported to be having a church.
Mackenzie is in police custody over the mass deaths and it was stunning that some of his members that he had convinced to starve to death in the name of fasting to meet Jesus were holding on to the questionable faith despite seeing their counterparts dying.
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It was mindboggling to see even children brainwashed to hate education under Mackenzie’s tutelage defending the cleric, saying it was their own decision to follow his teaching, despite being below the majority age of 18 where one can give consent.
These happenings got many Kenyans trying to decipher what cults are and how do people fall deep into such organisations with unorthodox, dangerous and questionable practices.
Christian Apologist Reuben Kigame, speaking to TUKO.co.ke, helped break down key attributes of cults and advised Kenyans to be wary of manipulation whenever they see or encounter these signs and teachings respectively.
1. Non-biblical teachingsAccording to Reuben Kigame, Christians should waste no extra minute whenever they realise they are part of congregations being taught by a preacher who does not make reference to the bible.
He said that the bible was the basis of all Christian teachings and anything out of it must not be referenced as holy.
2. Reliance on dreams and visionsAs much as he acknowledged testimonies are key for the Christian faith teaching, he said, they were not worthy for the followers if they had no reference from the bible.
“When somebody begins relying on their experiences, dreams and visions as the core of the Christian faith, it is clear that they are magnifying themselves about the foundation of biblical teachings,” said Kigame.3. Rewards and property demandsKigame said that culticism in Kenya was nothing new, explaining that they did not begin with Mackenzie.
The scholar of Christian Apologetics cited TV programmes where individuals who refer to themselves as pastors to demand money and other gifts in order to pray and do miracles as earlier forms of cultic activities in the country.
“You can’t buy miracles because they are priceless and come from God and not people. It is own cultic preachers who will tell you to pay for miracles,” he explained.There have been questionable practices across different churches with preachers being put on the spot for selling oils and water they claim is holy and would solve their followers’ problems instantly.
Kigame, also a gospel musician, some time back produced a song calling out unbiblical teachings by self-proclaimed preachers and urging Christians to read the bible.
According to Kigame, religious sects that thrive in seclusion mostly, if not always are found to be cultic.
He said that such religious groups usually have secluded eating habits, dressing patterns and questionable teachings.
It is in seclusion where these questionable practices continue to be perpetrated just like the deaths that happened in Shakahola Forest under the leadership of Mackenzie who has been in and out of police stations and courts over such criminal allegations.
To overcome the tricks by cultic preachers, Kigame asked Christians to be discerning, stop believing everything they are taught either physically or through TV and radio.
“We all are able to read the bible and pray on our own and must not surrender these privileges to anyone else,” added Kigame.5. Calling pastors dad and mumKigame said the trend of calling spiritual mentors and leaders as parents was okay but then offered a thin line between adoring humans in place of God.
“It is OK to respect and
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