Lost in life

Lost in Life- behind the scenes”Lost in Life” was written sometime after the Jonestown tragedy and other similar sad consequences. The song speaks of the disillusion that cults cause burning ones will and stifling ones ability to reason as the song says, “wisdom is scarce, and there is no where to run” Religion should not take us in that direction where common sense is traded for blind emotion. One should never be afraid of examining closely the facts logically and having the ability to reject what doesn’t make sense because it has nothing substantial backing it. That is why the song says , “the lights have grown dim” and “your well has run dry”
Some words about cults might help us to avoid them as the concerns about their damage was behind the inspiration of the song, “Lost in life”. First generally cults have three things in common as most studies have shown. !. A charismatic leader whose words are claimed infallible and has absolute power to change, even to deviate from the original teachings, and doesn’t bind himself to those teachings. 2. A clear deviation from the original beliefs and rules of conduct. 3.Isolation of their followers , forced conversion, and almost a mental, emotional and physical captivity. Totally enveloped in secrecy and alienation from family and loved ones. Cults may have these above elements in varying degrees and but not always to the same extremity.
Sometimes some groups are called cults as a way to discredit them because they haven’t conformed to the status quo even though they have logically presented evidence in support of their beliefs and lack of conformity and have given verification that they conform to the original teachings. Real cults use dishonesty to malign those they dislike, but dishonestly is not following the original beliefs and actions.
So then when did cults begin and can we identify them? We have to go back almost 2000 years for those who profess Christianity. It was said in the book used by them that this deviation was already raising its ugly head. The leader of Christianity illustrated it with “Wheat (being genuine worshipers) and weeds ( being imitation worshipers) ” , true and fake entities that would be developing all the way up to our time. The true being manifest in our time and the fake developing and being manifest starting at that early time around 1900 years ago (Matt 13:24-30,36-43). See also Acts 20:28-30, 2 Peter 2:1-3. 12-22, Jude 1:4.2 Timothy 3:5-7 The above texts talk about persons that would slip in and take over with “false teachers” and. “destructive sects”(cults). They would “act” contrary to original conduct and teaching and speak “Twisted things” They would “exploit” their members and live in “luxurious living ” at the expense of their followers. Note again. these cults would begin at that early time and true followers would be manifesting their development in OUR time. Read the above texts and reason with common sense.
So how would we identify them as cults? By their ACTS and TEACHINGS! Lets take a brief ride into history and see if we can identify the ACTS of cults. First here is a list of acts of deviation from the original conduct recommended.
1). The crusades
2). The inquisition
3).Burning people at the stake
4). sexual abuse of innocent children
5). Relocating abusers so they can abuse again
6).Teaching by some that Blacks were a cursed and an inferior race thus justifying slavery
7) ownership and sales of slaves by religious people including the Jesuits
8). A religious concordant with Hitler sanctioning his inhumane conduct against Jews and other innocent minorities because of their nationality , lifestyle, and religion.
9). Power struggles between religious leaders and organizations sometimes resulting in death, destruction and wars
10). Divisions into 45,000 different denominations worldwide sometimes by those seeking to promote their personal teachings and concepts rather than the original.
11). Leaders claiming to be infallible and wielding absolute power to promote their self-serving concepts that deviate from the original
12). Continually using exaggerated lies to persuade people and governments to act against those whom they distain, thus putting into question their own integrity to what is true. These kinds of religious cults have become one of the greatest resisters to the freedom of speech.
13). The sexual and immoral abuse of women by ministers who put on a pretense of being righteous, with so much more going on behind the scenes than just what we have heard in the media.
14). Jewish families who were kicked out of Spain because they faced death or deportation if they would not agree to conversion. They were uprooted from their homes put on ships to face the unknown, the same as blacks were, all done by religious people and sanctioned by their organizations.
Such self- righteousness and hypocritical conduct identify itself as the largest conglomeration of cults ever devised. These are not just mistakes that one makes. The above are practices by organizations and leaders that in many cases went on for centuries killing and destroying the lives of possibly millions of innocent people over centuries of time. Where was and is the conscience and compassion that a normal human being should have toward another person. And any good that was or is done doesn’t erase or sanction all these horrible things This is the short list, you only have to open the mind and look at history to see how really long such abuses and others have lasted and continued. These are just the tip of the iceberg.
The teachings of these cults would be good to also examine logically and in detail and can be done by looking at them with an open mind because how much good can come out of something so rotten as the above. One then can see how they crept in over time but were not part of the original teachings, not based on common sense, reasonableness and used to manipulate the masses and to pacify leaders egotistical ends.. Those teachings shall be discussed at a later time.
It was said very clearly in Matt 7:20, “Really, then, by their fruits YOU will recognize those [men].” What does common sense tell you are the above fruits of conduct, good or bad? Manipulative, controlling or respecting the dignity and freedom to choose of each person. Can the above be identified as Wheat or WEEDS. If you have any streak of compassion and common sense in you the answer is in the negative!
So as we have seen cults have been around for hundreds of years and the Jonestown tragedy was just another deviation within the cults that had already been in existence some starting close to 1900 years ago.
That is why Rev. 18:24 says, ” Yes, in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of ALL those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” As the song says , “Abandoned in your woe , Left to die upon the ground” All these cults that have developed, bear a responsibility for these horrible deaths due to their bad example and teachings. If they had fixed themselves to the original code of conduct bloodguilt would not have indelibly stained them as it does now! As the text says these entities that have developed and in existence today are BLOODGUILTY and their good deeds in no way erase the continued errors in teachings and ACTIONS that continue to pile on top of the immense mountain they have made.
There has been little mention of any organizations by name or persons but only the shoes they wore and still wear as they carried out some of the worst evils ever visited upon innocent human beings. You can determine in your own investigation if the shoe fits and upon whom!
In closing , remember the above texts make clear that an apostasy of sects and cults would begin right after the establishment of the Christian belief and would continue fragmenting into differing sects until our day when true followers would be made evident by their conduct and teachings.

Thanks to all of you for listening to our music. You can support Elton Hendrix Project by purchasing the songs you like at eltonhendrix.com  or  https://eltonhendrixproject.bandcamp.com