Okay, this looks like Russian. We should get Alex on this. Lol. Unless House wants to tell us.

“Cult” would encompass the Catholic Church for sure (“The Guru is always right”), Big Brothers (“Mentoring”), the Marines (“aggressive recruiting”), Republicans and Democrats (“Inconsistency & Contradictory Messages”), the Cub Scouts (“Indoctrination of members”), Microsoft (“Money-Grubbing”), and all Postmodernists (“belief equals truth”). I truly prefer the classic definition of “Cult” used by Walter Martin (“Kingdom of the Cults”) which I discuss in my blog here >>

Christians once used “cult” to designate groups making false claims to be Christian in doctrine, like the JW’s.

I wish the secular culture had come up with their own word before they thoroughly secularized “cult”. Something like “poopy-heads”, so we could still use “cult”. Now we (Christians) have to come up with a new word that means what “cult” is supposed to mean.

Well, the “peer pressure” is a little this-way-then-that when dealing with the High Schoolers & even college groups. It reminds me somewhat of those schools of fish you see on the Discovery Channel–they all zip this way, then that, and does anyone understand how they do it all at once?

At a practical level, it means sometimes they’re all “on board” with our ministry efforts, then suddenly they’re all “on board” against our ministry efforts. But it isn’t a Xenos thing, it’s truly an age thing. The difference is that at Xenos, hopefully, we’re able to promote their maturity and teach them how to think independantly (i.e., critical and biblical thinking) enough so they don’t swing too far “out there” — frankly, we’ve done a darn good job of it. Our college graduates are successful professionals and productive, well-adjusted members of society–now, with good marriages!

These kids are not only engaged in public schools & hobbies & jobs, they excel, by-and-large. And more often than not, when they get involved here, those who were indifferent, lazy or depressed become achievers in a remarkable fashion.

So if it is “peer pressure” — and who can deny it happens? — it’s pretty good “peer pressure” compared to what normally occurs in the halls of the high school.

I highly recommend it.