“COPING WITH THE CULTS” & “WHAT ARE THEY?” WITH FORMER JEHOVAH’S WITNESS LORRI MACGREGOR

This show features former Jehovah's Witness for 15 years & now Christian author Lorri MacGregor. Lorri is the author of the book, "Coping with the Cults." She has appeared on "The John Ankerberg Show." When Canada forced MacGregor Ministries to change the ministry or shut down and Lorri decided that it was time to shut down MacGregor Ministries, the four ministry directors (Keith and Lorri MacGregor and Richard and Cheryl Schatz) formed MM Outreach Inc in Canada with Richard Schatz as president as well as a non-profit organization in the US to continue on the work. When Keith and Lorri retired in the spring of 2011, the work of the ministry has been carried on by the two remaining directors. Lori has since gone into retirement on the west coast of Canada with their extended family. The MM Outeach is now directed by Cheryl Schatz, who has a love for Jehovah's Witnesses and a call from the Lord (website: http://www.MMOUTREACHINC.COM) & the ministry has distributed free literature warning about the dangers of cults throughout Canada & the United States. The ministry has touched the lives of tens of thousands of people since it began in 1979. In many cases small ads have been placed in the classified section of various newspapers throughout the U.S. & Canada which offer free literature exposing the Jehohah's Witnesses & other cults (getting a very good response from the public). Likewise the MM Outreach has two links: http://www.jwinfoline.com (has many audio files of testimony & teaching tapes) & http://www.mmoutreach.org (many audio files with reports that people have found the Lord by listening to the audio testimonies of former Jehovah's Witnesses - in one case an entire family left the Watchtower Society). Lorri discusses how to identify a religious cult & discusses such groups as the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Seventh-Day Adventism, Herbert W. Armstrong's "Worldwide Church of God," & communal cults such as Rev Moon's "Unification Church," Osho Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh & his Rajneeshpuram, The Way International, Hare Krishna, the Divine Light Mission, etc. Lorri's book emphasizes the importance of defending the deity of Christ (Jesus is Biblically God the Son, second person of the Holy Trinity despite what the Jehovah's Witnesses & all the other cults say) & shares important tips for witnessing effectively with cultists. What is a cult? The quick definition is "organized heresy." By its primary dictionary definition, the term cult just means a system of religious beliefs or rituals. It is based on a farming term in Latin meaning cultivation. Sociologists and anthropologists sometimes use the term cult to describe religious structure or belief patterns with meanings (usually non-pejorative) unique to their disciplines. In modern usage, the term cult is often used by the general public to describe any religious group they view as strange or dangerous. Thus, cult can describe religious leaders or organizations that employ abusive, manipulative, or illegal control over their followers' lives. In addition to these usages, Christians generally have a doctrinal component to their use of the word. Cult in this sense, is a counterfeit or serious deviation from the doctrines of classical Christianity. In most cases the group claims to be Christian, but because of their aberrant beliefs on central doctrines of the faith (God, Jesus, and salvation), the organization is not considered part of orthodox, biblical Christianity.

This show features former Jehovah’s Witness for 15 years & now Christian author Lorri MacGregor. Lorri is the author of the book, “Coping with the Cults.” She has appeared on “The John Ankerberg Show.” When Canada forced MacGregor Ministries to change the ministry or shut down and Lorri decided that it was time to shut down MacGregor Ministries, the four ministry directors (Keith and Lorri MacGregor and Richard and Cheryl Schatz) formed MM Outreach Inc in Canada with Richard Schatz as president as well as a non-profit organization in the US to continue on the work. When Keith and Lorri retired in the spring of 2011, the work of the ministry has been carried on by the two remaining directors. Lori has since gone into retirement on the west coast of Canada with their extended family. The MM Outeach is now directed by Cheryl Schatz, who has a love for Jehovah’s Witnesses and a call from the Lord (website: http://www.MMOUTREACHINC.COM) & the ministry has distributed free literature warning about the dangers of cults throughout Canada & the United States. The ministry has touched the lives of tens of thousands of people since it began in 1979. In many cases small ads have been placed in the classified section of various newspapers throughout the U.S. & Canada which offer free literature exposing the Jehohah’s Witnesses & other cults (getting a very good response from the public). Likewise the MM Outreach has two links: http://www.jwinfoline.com (has many audio files of testimony & teaching tapes) & http://www.mmoutreach.org (many audio files with reports that people have found the Lord by listening to the audio testimonies of former Jehovah’s Witnesses – in one case an entire family left the Watchtower Society).

Lorri discusses how to identify a religious cult & discusses such groups as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Seventh-Day Adventism, Herbert W. Armstrong’s “Worldwide Church of God,” & communal cults such as Rev Moon’s “Unification Church,” Osho Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh & his Rajneeshpuram, The Way International, Hare Krishna, the Divine Light Mission, etc. Lorri’s book emphasizes the importance of defending the deity of Christ (Jesus is Biblically God the Son, second person of the Holy Trinity despite what the Jehovah’s Witnesses & all the other cults say) & shares important tips for witnessing effectively with cultists.

What is a cult? The quick definition is “organized heresy.” By its primary dictionary definition, the term cult just means a system of religious beliefs or rituals. It is based on a farming term in Latin meaning cultivation. Sociologists and anthropologists sometimes use the term cult to describe religious structure or belief patterns with meanings (usually non-pejorative) unique to their disciplines. In modern usage, the term cult is often used by the general public to describe any religious group they view as strange or dangerous. Thus, cult can describe religious leaders or organizations that employ abusive, manipulative, or illegal control over their followers’ lives. In addition to these usages, Christians generally have a doctrinal component to their use of the word. Cult in this sense, is a counterfeit or serious deviation from the doctrines of classical Christianity. In most cases the group claims to be Christian, but because of their aberrant beliefs on central doctrines of the faith (God, Jesus, and salvation), the organization is not considered part of orthodox, biblical Christianity.