Documentary

[Faith1960]

I was watching The Histoy Channel tonight and saw part of their documentary on Jonestown. Following that documentary, another one came on about cults. In fact, it’s still on. I didn’t watch much of it but wanted to get some thoughts about what they said early on in the program. The narrarator spoke about Christianity and how during it’s early years, Jesus had followers who “claimed” He could walk on water, that He, himself, claimed to be the son of God and promised a new Kingdom. The narrarator said that in it’s earliest years, Christianity was regarded my most to be nothing more than a cult and wasn’t thought of as a mainstream religion until hundreds of years later.
The way the writers for The History Channel presented it, it certainly did sound as if Christianity was widely regarded as a cult that has turned into a mainstream religion but despite it becoming mainstream, is still a cult.
Thoughts? Please, let’s keep the bashing of the educational channels to a minimum.

 

[Durendin]

Yes, Christianity was by strict definition, a “cult” but that word has had it’s meaning changed from “a small gathered following” to be “sinister, evil and occult!” A “cultist” was a follower of the particular “creed” but now when you say “cultist” well, you get the idea?

Perhaps the only correct modern usage of the term is when a film gathers a cult following. Eventually, this following becomes the accepted norm and the concept of a small following is abandoned in favour for a wider acceptance. Same for Christianity.

 

[Church_Militant]

Yep…we began as a Jewish cult.

 

[Faith1960]

Yes, Christianity was by strict definition, a “cult” but that word has had it’s meaning changed from “a small gathered following” to be “sinister, evil and occult!” A “cultist” was a follower of the particular “creed” but now when you say “cultist” well, you get the idea?

Perhaps the only correct modern usage of the term is when a film gathers a cult following. Eventually, this following becomes the accepted norm and the concept of a small following is abandoned in favour for a wider acceptance. Same for Christianity.

Have you seen this documentary? The narrator made it sound as if Christianity is almost comparable, though not dangerous, to the cults they were discussing, citing Jesus’ followers “claims” (their word, not mine) that He walked on water and promised a new Kingdom but that after “hundreds of years” emerged as a “mainstream religion.” Right after that they went on to discuss the promises, beliefs and practices of Warren Jeffs, Jim Jones and others. How deeply has the history of early Christianity been researched?