Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1 1988 Page 94
Confessions of a Cult Watcher*
Ronald Enroth, Ph. D.
Westmont College
Abstract
The author's work has been criticized by some as ―anti-cult‖ because, as a
Christian, he makes value judgments about cults which point out the dangers of
involvement He in turn criticizes the apathy and naiveté of many Christian leaders
and intellectuals who defend cults.
The letter began, ―Dear Ron Enroth (Garbage Pig) 2 Timothy 2:3.‖ That unusual salutation was a
clue to what would follow. In scribbled, disjointed handwriting, the anonymous letter writer
rambled and raged about what a terrible person I was because of something I had supposedly
said about his pastor/leader. ―You are the scum of the earth,‖ the letter continued. The writer
claimed to have a message for me from the Holy Spirit. ―No swine has a soul... no pig goes to
heaven ...Baby, you gonna die.‖
The police took that deranged threat very seriously. I had to take security precautions at home
and at my office. Fortunately, I don't receive many letters quite that menacing. However, anyone
who is a student of what Robert Ellwood calls ―emergent religion‖ will soon discover that the
researcher's life can be full of surprises and bizarre encounters. For example: the aerogramme I
received from a man in Australia. The letter read. ―On this day the Lord God of Israel gave me a
nine word message with direction to send out this message worldwide to all mankind. The
Message: Satanism And Religion Are One And The Same Thing.‖
I remember a time when I spent a day, along with several other writers, as a guest of the
Unification Church at their seminary in New York SM. We had been told that Reverend Moon
would not be available for an interview and that he was not on campus that day. Midway through
the afternoon, as I was browsing in the seminary library, the Unificationist student who had been
assigned as my guide came running down the hall in search of me. ―The rumor is out that Father
is on his way to campus. I thought you might like to see him.‖
Ifs not every day that one gets to see a messiah and so I followed my Moonie host outside to the
driveway in front of the main building. At any moment the limousine carrying the Lord of the
Second Advent was scheduled to arrive. I will never forget the scene. The entire student body,
faculty, and staff had gathered to greet their controversial Korean leader. There was excitement
in the air and great anticipation on the faces of the followers. Later, I was to recall that moment
when I observed in one of my writings, ―A god in the flesh is easier for some people to believe
in.‖
As a Christian sociologist, I believe it is essential to work at integrating my faith and my
discipline. I do not think it is possible (or desirable) to achieve a value-free sociology, whether
one is a Christian or an unbeliever. Because of their commitment to objectivity (at least in
theory), secular sociologists are offended by evangelicals who distinguish ―true‖ religion from
―false‖ religion. For the Christian cult watcher, determinations of ―truth‖ and ―falsehood‖ are vital
to the preservation of orthodoxy. Secular social scientists avoid making evaluative statements
about the belief systems and practices of cults and new religious movements. The Christian
scholar, on the other hand, has an obligation -whenever it is appropriately possible -to affirm
the proposition that God has revealed himself in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ, and that his
word, the Bible, serves as our only baseline when comparing conflicting truth claims.
Confessions of a Cult Watcher*
Ronald Enroth, Ph. D.
Westmont College
Abstract
The author's work has been criticized by some as ―anti-cult‖ because, as a
Christian, he makes value judgments about cults which point out the dangers of
involvement He in turn criticizes the apathy and naiveté of many Christian leaders
and intellectuals who defend cults.
The letter began, ―Dear Ron Enroth (Garbage Pig) 2 Timothy 2:3.‖ That unusual salutation was a
clue to what would follow. In scribbled, disjointed handwriting, the anonymous letter writer
rambled and raged about what a terrible person I was because of something I had supposedly
said about his pastor/leader. ―You are the scum of the earth,‖ the letter continued. The writer
claimed to have a message for me from the Holy Spirit. ―No swine has a soul... no pig goes to
heaven ...Baby, you gonna die.‖
The police took that deranged threat very seriously. I had to take security precautions at home
and at my office. Fortunately, I don't receive many letters quite that menacing. However, anyone
who is a student of what Robert Ellwood calls ―emergent religion‖ will soon discover that the
researcher's life can be full of surprises and bizarre encounters. For example: the aerogramme I
received from a man in Australia. The letter read. ―On this day the Lord God of Israel gave me a
nine word message with direction to send out this message worldwide to all mankind. The
Message: Satanism And Religion Are One And The Same Thing.‖
I remember a time when I spent a day, along with several other writers, as a guest of the
Unification Church at their seminary in New York SM. We had been told that Reverend Moon
would not be available for an interview and that he was not on campus that day. Midway through
the afternoon, as I was browsing in the seminary library, the Unificationist student who had been
assigned as my guide came running down the hall in search of me. ―The rumor is out that Father
is on his way to campus. I thought you might like to see him.‖
Ifs not every day that one gets to see a messiah and so I followed my Moonie host outside to the
driveway in front of the main building. At any moment the limousine carrying the Lord of the
Second Advent was scheduled to arrive. I will never forget the scene. The entire student body,
faculty, and staff had gathered to greet their controversial Korean leader. There was excitement
in the air and great anticipation on the faces of the followers. Later, I was to recall that moment
when I observed in one of my writings, ―A god in the flesh is easier for some people to believe
in.‖
As a Christian sociologist, I believe it is essential to work at integrating my faith and my
discipline. I do not think it is possible (or desirable) to achieve a value-free sociology, whether
one is a Christian or an unbeliever. Because of their commitment to objectivity (at least in
theory), secular sociologists are offended by evangelicals who distinguish ―true‖ religion from
―false‖ religion. For the Christian cult watcher, determinations of ―truth‖ and ―falsehood‖ are vital
to the preservation of orthodoxy. Secular social scientists avoid making evaluative statements
about the belief systems and practices of cults and new religious movements. The Christian
scholar, on the other hand, has an obligation -whenever it is appropriately possible -to affirm
the proposition that God has revealed himself in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ, and that his
word, the Bible, serves as our only baseline when comparing conflicting truth claims.
