Wherever there are people who are experiencing difficulties, whether those difficulties are spiritual or physical, there are those who have a genuine desire to help.

However, there are also those who prey on the needy, who look for a soft target, and who will suck whoever they encounter dry, like a vampire in the dead of night.

Spiritual Workers.

Cults range from large international pseudo religions, through to charismatic messiah/preachers who, along with their followers have established a compound/commune on a few acres of wilderness, or an abandoned farm.

The purpose of the cults is usually two fold, money and control. Cults seek to control their followers, and cults seek to take money from their followers.

If a cult cannot either control us, or steal our money they will seldom want to have anything to do with us.

Pseudo Religions.

Genuine religions, regardless of their nature or brand do not require money, in any form, to provide us with spiritual knowledge, wisdom, guidance, or awareness.

Genuine religions do not limit the amount of spiritual knowledge which they will freely impart on us, and genuine religions do not limit the amount of time which we can freely access their priests or ministers.

One method which we can use to establish if a religion is a genuine spiritual organisation, or a pseudo religion is to compare.

We can establish a benchmark by walking into our local Catholic Church (for example), and asking the local priest whatever questions we may have, spiritual or otherwise. We may need to go back to the priest many times before we have all of our questions answered, as our questions will grow.

Whether we agree or disagree with the information which is provided to us is unimportant, what is important is that we have established a benchmark for ourselves.

We can then use our benchmark to determine if other 'religions', are genuine spiritual organisations, interested in our soul, or if they are only interested in our wallet.

Preacher/Messiah Cults.

The charismatic Preacher/Messiahs seem genuine, and are often very persuasive. The Preacher/Messiahs will paint a picture which will make us feel welcome and loved. The Preacher/Messiahs will usually demonstrate a sense of family and belonging which is almost irresistible to the alienated and lonely souls whom the Preacher/Messiahs target.

Often the Preacher/Messiahs will portray themselves as special, as chosen and as messengers from God. The standard which we need to apply here is fairly simple. We need to remember that God wants nothing from us, other than to be who we are. We need to remember that none are special, or chosen above any others including ourselves. We need to remember that all are able to communicate with God, if we allow ourselves to communicate with God.

Often the Preacher/Messiahs will explain that we need to free ourselves form our worldly possessions. There are times when we would be far better served spiritually, by freeing ourselves of our worldly possessions.

To free ourselves of our worldly possessions is our choice, and a choice which is exercised by many, in many different ways which do not involve spirituality.

If we choose to free ourselves of our worldly possessions we may free ourselves of our worldly possessions not by giving our worldly possessions to the cult, but by giving our worldly possessions to a creditable and worthwhile organisation, such as The Salvation Army for example, or we could just put our worldly possessions in storage.

Whatever we decide, we can be free of our worldly possessions and ready to follow the Preacher/Messiah if this is our choice, and if the Preacher/Messiah still wants to know us.

Charlatans and Snake Oil Salesmen.

Charlatans and Snake Oil salesmen, are not really selling us anything, and they are certainly not giving us anything. However, Charlatans and Snake Oil salesmen can usually make us believe whatever they want us to believe, which is usually what we want to believe.

Charlatans and Snake Oil salesmen are successful, because Charlatans and Snake Oil salesmen understand what we want to believe, and they allow us to believe that they are providing, what we want, what we seek and what we hope is real.

Not all 'New Age' practitioners are Charlatans and Snake Oil salesmen. Not all television Evangelists are Charlatans and Snake Oil salesmen. Not all Internet Ministries are Charlatans and Snake Oil salesmen.

Charlatans and Snake Oil salesmen will for example, take money from people who can not afford to buy a new pair of shoes, and use that money to build palatial homes, and churches/television studios to further their divine work, 'praise the lord, thank you Jesus and Amen'.

Genuine spiritual workers who are interested in the souls, not the wallets of others do not charge for their 'tangible' services, beyond what is reasonable to support themselves.

Genuine spiritual workers do not and would never charge for 'intangible' spiritual work such as 'new age' spiritual knowledge, guidance or prayers and well wishes.

Pray For Pay.

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