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theexodvs · 5 months

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“Cult” (n.) and “cultic” (adj.)

There is great confusion when describing certain groups and movements as "cultic." Since the most famous examples of cultic groups and movements in living memory include the Manson Family, People’s Temple, the Branch Davidians and Heaven’s Gate, the popular conception of a cult has become a centralized group with one leader with a type-A personality. This is not how most cultic groups take shape.

"Cultic" and "centralized" are not synonyms. They are entirely different concepts, and whether one group or movement is one has no bearing whatsoever on whether it is the other.

The United Pentecostal Church International and Pentecostal Assemblies of the World are both cults. They are part of the Oneness Pentecostal movement*. Note, the UPCI and PAW are not in fellowship with each other and have no official relations. This is because this movement is decentralized, encompassing various different groups that are united in few if any ways besides (some) similar teachings. Whatever leadership and governance model they have, shared or contrasting, is secondary, because Oneness Pentecostalism as a set of doctrines is itself cultic, meaning any group that espouses it is a cult by definition.

Christian Identity is a more pronounced example of a cultic movement that is decentralized. It is a white supremacist group that teaches that white people are the descendants of the ancient Israelites, and that "gentiles" (people who aren't white) can never be saved. Its footprint is almost entirely made of websites, prison gangs, and local congregations, which are not in fellowship with each other or with any larger group. I would hope any decent person would be opposed to this movement and its teachings, but an attempt to treat "cultic" and "centralized" as synonyms might keep one from recognizing CI as something that should be avoided.

Other decentralized movements that are cultic include the Word of Faith movement, the Men's Right Movement, dispensationalism, neurodiversity, the Sovereign Citizens movement, BDSM, the New IFB, kinism, and the Black Hebrew Israelites. Every group that is part of these is a cult, thought they may not be in fellowship with other groups within the same movement.

*The Oneness Pentecostal movement is not representative of Pentecostalism as a whole. Most of the world's Pentecostals belong to the Assemblies of God which has taught the Trinity for its entire existence. Pentecostalism is not necessarily cultic. Oneness Pentecostalism is.

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cherisunn · 2 years

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Jesus is speaking, but we must learn to distinguish God’s voice from the world. There is such a multiplicity of voices that try to speak into our lives and all of them are saying different things. We must pray for discernment, and not compromise our faith even when society lashes out on us.

2 Timothy 3:12 - Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

John 15:18 - If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

Matthew 5:44 - But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

#Christianity #United Pentecostal Church #UPCI #KJV #King James Version #persecution #Faith #Oneness Apostolic #perspective #Jesus Christ is the name of Father God #The Son #and The Holy Spirit.

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mostlyfrommemory · 1 month

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Broken

“This guitar is broken!” I said in exasperation to the young man I was helping move across town. “You can have it.” He said, looking nonchalantly at the tired old instrument with a large crack in the heel of the neck. I laid it in the back of my truck like a wounded soldier amongst the mirrors and pictures wrapped in moving blankets. This guitar had been neglected if not abused. I winced as I…

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findusinaweek · 10 months

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As an ex-pentecostal with Hashimoto's, caffeine crashes feel eerily similar to an exorcism.

#uncertain anxiety that makes you wanna puke #ex upci #chronic illness

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apostateoverrubies · 11 months

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How the fuck did Moses drop one-half of the commandments and not get instantly struck dead? God is biased af. Not even consistent with his ruthlessness.

#ex religious #ex christian #ex religion #religious deconstruction #deconstructing christianity #ex pentecostal #deconversion #ex fundie #exvangelical #ex evangelical #christian fundamentalism #ex catholic #ex mormon #ex upci #ex jw #ex jehovah's witness

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grayve-mistake · 11 months

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Hey so btw idk who out there could use this post but if you have like ridiculously long hair and you want it short but you can't cut it for whatever reason try putting it in a low ponytail at the base of your neck, flipping it towards your face, pinning it in place (try to make it as flat against your head as possible) and then put a beanie over it. It looks like bangs or short hair. You can also pin it into a part if you want it to look neater.

I have the short green hair of my dreams now but beanies were my literal lifesaver before I got to that point so if this is helpful for someone else out there I'll be glad

#life hacks #trans #genderfluid #transmasc #nb #genderfluid tips #trans tips #trans life hack #ex pentecostal #ex apostolic #ex upci #i have pictures of me doing this when i still had long hair if anyone wants them btw #in case written instructions aren't enough #long hair #short hair #hairstyle #hairstyles #hair tricks

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asinglesock · 1 year

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when starchild from ghost quartet said "when I was a baby, I was blessed by a stranger / in waters I didn't understand / and now I'm infected with disbelief and blasphemy / I'll never have a holy land / I am a ghost in the eyes of my God" that felt targeted :/

#a sock speaks #bitter work #I've been attended churches that are open communion for anyone who's baptized #and I was baptized but with a non-Nicene formula #the upci usually baptizes adults or kids old enough to choose but I was baptized really young #how much choice is involved if you're baptized at age 3? not much more than if you're baptized as a newborn #but I guess you can be baptized by immersion at 3 and that makes a difference #and like. I wish I'd had a Nicene creed-observant baptism as a baby. I'd be okay with someone choosing that for me.#but as an adult I feel like I have to act out of deep conviction if I'm going to be rebaptized.#for one thing it's a pretty serious step theologically #for another I have to have my mind completely made up because it will be an emotional scar to my parents #getting baptized in secret seems to go against the whole point of being baptized #but do I believe in trinitarian doctrine firmly enough to claim it as a matter of conviction?#I took a pneumatology class to try to figure it out but tbh it's not helping #I think I can confess the Apostles' Creed and I'm less confident about the Nicene Creed but I think maybe??#but I'm not sure that my interpretations of the creeds match up correctly #wandering through the wilderness for a few years could be bearable but it's much harder to think you'll spend the rest of your life there #this is not my home. this is not my home. where is my home? when can I go home?

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frenchlifestylevera · 7 months

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Preloved Fashion is a perfect way to

- a unique style

- spend less

- help to save our planet by zero waste

- give a second life to vintage pieces

- reduce fast fashion demand

.

Do you like secondhand clothes?

.

#50plusfashion #secondhandfashion #vintagefashion #sustainablefashion #thriftstorefashion #consignmentfashion #prelovedfashion #ethicalfashion #slowfashion #capsulewardrobe #minimalistfashion #thrifting #resale #upcycling #circularfashion #zerowastefashion #fashionover50 #styleover50 #agelessfashion #womensfashionover50 #maturefashion #fashionbloggerover50 #fashionistaover50 #womeninstyle

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dark-nekofear · 7 months

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it's so incredibly isolating being a trans guy with an ex pentecostal background. it doesn't matter who I talk to no one really seems to grasp what it was like or understand how it's affected my entire life. so even after a decade I continue to heal alone, sifting thru sparse memories & questioning my sanity

#vent #tw religious trauma #ex pentecostal #ex upci #shut up rox

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archivergb · 7 months

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P1 2. Chinatown Blazer/ Champagne Corset / Ex Bf Skirt / Eloise Blazer used as a skirt.

#my sewing #upcy #upcycling #handmade

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sunwarmed-ash · 5 months

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Heyyy, me again, I'm feeling curious now

8: Talk about the thing you are most proud of.

9: Talk about little things on your body that you like the most.

14: Talk about a vacation.

22: Talk about your worst fear.

36: Talk about your guilty pleasures.

hi!!!!!!!!!!! 💜😍

8: My view of myself. I have been through my fair share of trauma, toxic relationships and bad home lives for me to spend a good portion of myself internalizing my pain and hating myself for it. 2020 was an all time low and it's been a long crawl to how I feel about myself now. But I really am proud of myself. for not giving up. for reaching out and getting help. for continuing to find the things that make me happy and release the things that don't. for continuing to do the long slog of tasks that keep me running so I can help other people <3

9: Aww i like this one alot! okay so obvi I love my tattoos, I love the colors and all the thought and meaning behind them. But I also really like how my piercings look in my ears and face haha. Weirdly enough Ive also grown to like my scars. I'm still fucking here despite everyones attempts and thats pretty powerful to see :D uh last thing, hmmm, oh! i have this weird collection of freckles that I think looks like a stick figure dude cheering

14. LOLOL okay so my dad likes to say how he has this black cloud because every time we try to go on vacation or him specifically something goes wrong. While this is coincidentally true, he is also a super negative person so its really his attitude that dooms him.

anyway the first time we tried to go to disneyworld hurricane Frances wiped out florida. we defaulted to SOUTH DAKOTA to see Mt. Rushmore...... when we finally got to go to disney a year or two later my bag got flagged because my mom can't live a second without her hairspray and shoved two cans in my bag. post 9/11 they were REALLY paranoid about hairspray 🤦‍♀️

another time we went to lake tahoe and the fucking place nearly burnt down. the smoke and ash was so bad i broke out in a physical rash and couldnt breathe. also it was the vacation i got my first period so it was arguably the WORST vacation ive ever been on lol

22. worst fear is def dolls. Like those ventriloquist puppets are the worst imo and then its like all porcelain dolls. fucking nasty creepy things do not need to exist 😆

36. oh man, making my blorbos queer and then dooming them by the narrative, making my blorbos fuck, uhhhh, every version of spiderman everything ever, my 90s and 00 emo bands, upcying everything I can to save the earth another few minutes

🌮taco bout asks

#taco bout asks #max answers #ash answers

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cherisunn · 2 years

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John 10:10

King James Version

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

#John 10:10 #KJV #King James Version #The Holy Bible #Serpent #Devil #Swine #Viper #Christianity #Abundant life #UPCI #United Pentecostal Church International #Thief

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mostlyfrommemory · 3 months

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Rich People Things

How important is money to you?

What would you do if you were rich? I mean so rich that you could eat slow food anytime you wanted. If I were rich and famous I’d only drink ice cold Topo-Chico in glass bottles. I’d wear a brand new pair of socks to church every service. Rich people can do things like that. I’d probably get a gold tooth too. Not right in the front, but off to the side where you could still see it but only when I…

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#Alabama #ALJC #Apostolic #Apostolic Creative #economics #God&039;s economy #jesus #life #money #personal devolopment #personal growth #Real estate #rich #self discipline #UPCI #wealth #WPF music #Zane Wells

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findusinaweek · 10 months

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Feeling nostalgic. Not that I miss the UPCI, but wow. The absolute hype of spending 6-8 hours in a religious fervor, the glossolalia and screaming, and dancing and crying. Feeling every emotion so strongly and then getting worn out, eating Denny's at midnight and sneak listening to Rihanna in the motel after youth convention. I would like to feel something that strongly again. I've crossed the last border of doctrine, blasphemy. There was no Holy Ghost. But it felt good, in the moment. I would not go back. It's time for another haircut.

#ex upci #feeling nostalgic. overcaffinated at work listening to rihanna.

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wraenata · 9 months

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About a post you recently reblogged, what's wrong with wickcipher's "Speaking in tongues" animatic? /gen

Oh damn. Ok I didn't realize it would come off that way I'm so sorry. Their animatic is AMAZING and I LOVE IT! What incredible work! And the song does really fit!

It's just, the song that makes me not want to watch it more than once. Cause ugh, of the whole speaking in tongues thing. Cause I came from a cult where that was everywhere. And if you've ever been to a service like that, you probably be like, what the heck is wrong with these crazy people!

Imma put the rest under the cut if you're curious. But just know that it's literally just the lyrics of the song that make me uncomfortable! The art and the animation and the shots they chose, are absolutely amazing. An incredible masterpiece.

Ok cult stuff under the cut

Ok so the cult I came from was the UPCI which is a sect of Christianity that is pentecostal and apostolic. There are VERY specific rules to salvation, one being you must receive the holy ghost, otherwise known as speaking in tongues.

In the Bible speaking in tongues was actually someone speaking another language they did not know, in order to prophesy to foreigners in their own language. Its supposed to be divinely inspired.

In my life I have NEVER witnessed someone speak in tongues in another language. It was ALWAYS gibberish. I have seen "interpretations" of said gibberish, but never an actual language spoken.

So the thing will all these sermons I had to go to, people are jumping and shouting and running laps around the sanctuary and screaming and wailing and crying and rolling on the floor (there's an actual term, holy rollers lol) or just straight up fall over (slain in the spirit) and let me tell you, it is very overwhelming.

Especially when I didn't have it. I mean someone at camp praying with me told me I got it but I never believed it. It didnt feel like I thought it would, like how i saw other people behaving. And I never did again. So you're feeling all this pressure to speak in tongues as well. Oh yeah and people praying for you are pressing their hands down on your body and forehead screaming tongues in your ear and spitting in your face if they decide you need to be prayed for, if you need to "break through" Cause it's REQUIRED for salvation. And oh boy did my church preach hellfire and brimstone and rapture fear.

So like, that's just a tiny bit of my experience, but just, speaking in tongues makes me really uncomfortable. (Last year my dad wanted me to go to his church as a fathers day gift for him, it was awful lol. He asked again this year I said no way)

Now I know there's not any actual speaking in tongues in wickciphers animation, but just hearing the words said out loud so many times, it just makes me feel bad.

It has nothing to do with wickcipher or the animation! I really hope that comes across! They are incredible! It's literally just the song lyrics!

So yeah, I hope this clears up any confusion! I just got cult trauma lol. You may have seen me talk about it in tags sometimes too. I really should go back to therapy though lol. (Honestly I'm pretty good now but ya know, the memories are still there)

#wren askbox #wren screams at 4 am #tw religion #tw cult #tdlr its literally just the lyrics!#everything else and wickcipher are amazing!#fffff i hope i didnt make anyone feel bad with that fffff sometimes i tag ramble my trauma without thinking

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nahalism · 2 years

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everyone has the potential for greatness, but some people really took that seed and said lemme make it *lackluster*. no conscience. no brought-upcy. no mindset. ://

#p

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