as a person
Care about yourself as a person and as a Jew. Caring about yourself as a person means that you will not allow anyone to take advantage of you, that you will not be victimized, that you will not be compromised. Caring about yourself as a Jew means that you will
conversion
We hope so! The first and most important safeguard is to realize that anyone can end up in a cult. Momentary crisis situations make people vulnerable. When you acknowledge that it can happen to you, you will be more aware and less gullible. This is especially significant considering the deceptive,
cult
On the contrary, cultists are bright, idealistic, caring individuals. They get “hooked” because they believe they will be doing important work for the betterment of mankind. Nobody joins a cult; they join a cause! Intelligent people also have needs, frustrations and disillusionment. It is more a matter of feelings than
cults
Stressful circumstances such as school problems, loss of a romantic relationship, confusion over career goals, financial pressure, disillusionment, etc. can cause sudden vulnerability. Needy people are not as discerning as they might ordinarily be, and are easy prey for a deceptive, alluring recruiter.
cults and missionary
“Joining” is a gradual process that starts with a personal contact by an appealing, friendly individual. Recruiters look for lonely, depressed, confused, vulnerable people. They offer help, friendship, love and “quick answers” to complicated problems. The vulnerable may feel that their needs are being met and come to depend upon
cults
Both cults and missionary groups continue to grow at a rapid pace. Twenty years ago there were a few thousand members of a handful of cults and not more than a few thousand Jews in missionary groups. It is estimated that more than 20 million people have been involved in
cult
What is a cult? The following is the MERRIAM-WEBSTER English Language Learners definition of a cult.: a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous : a situation in which people admire
after 10 years
A number have left in disillusionment. Most are still in the cults. These days we hear people say that their sons and daughters (and sometimes mother and fathers) have been in cults 10, 12 and 15 years.
cult leader
We can’t know what they really believe, but their acts speak for themselves. Many leaders of religious cults claim to be G-d’s special messengers, prophets, Jesus, the Messiah, or G-d Himself. For example, Jews believe that “the messiah” will bring about peace for mankind. This appears
characteristics
Cults or more specifically, destructive cults, are characterized by the following differences from mainstream groups: 1. In religious cults the leader is the central focus of belief. In mainstream religions, G-d is the central focus. 2. Cult recruitment includes deception and concealment of identity and requirements of affiliation. Mainstream
belief
Some of them are undoubtedly "in it for the money," but most are probably very sincere in their belief that only people who believe as they do will go to heaven; all others will go to hell forever. Since they believe this so sincerely, some of the missionaries
israel
Yes. An increasing number of Christian missionary groups - most of them based in the United States - have targeted the Israeli Jewish population for conversion, and "Jews for Jesus"-type churches now exist in every large Israeli population center. For more information about Judaism, explore our site www.jewsforjudaism.
Jews for Judaism offers individual and group sessions with people who are searching for spiritual meaning, dating an individual who is of another faith or thinking about converting to another faith.
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