Mind control cults use "loaded language" to control the thoughts, behavior, and the way in which their members communicate with one another. Members of cults take the terms they use seriously and use them often.
In his book, The Kingdom of the Cults, Dr. Walter Martin wrote the following:
"The student of cultism, then, must be prepared to scale the language barrier of terminology." (pg. 28)
In order to avoid being deceived and lead astray into following a false version of God and His Gospel, it is of extreme importance and responsibility for Christians to become aware and educated on the loaded language and the redefinition of Christian theological terms that are used by groups and members of professing Christian and non-Christian cult systems.
Additionally, in The Kingdom of the Cults, Dr. Walter Martin also wrote: "The cults capitalize on the almost total inability of the average Christian to understand the subtle art of redefinition in the realm of biblical theology." (p. 28)
There are many websites that have done a very good job of writing essays and creating guides to understand the terminology of professing Christian and non-Christian cult systems that use "loaded language" and redefine Christian theological terms. Some of the cult systems featured on these websites are Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientology, and Armstrongism, to name a few.
Here are the links to their websites.
Freedom of Mind Resource Center:
Mormon and Jehovah's Witnesses Terminology:
Scientology Terminology:
Scientology Glossary, Lingo, Acronyms (Tampa Bay Times)
Armstrongism Terminology:
Since I have a background within the system of Armstrongism, I've added just a few more terms that are not found in the above-mentioned websites, but are used as "loaded language" to not only control their members but to also lead people into following a false version of God and His Gospel by explicitly and implicitly proclaiming a polytheistic view of a family of gods or "God Beings".
"God is a family" and "God family" - This term is used to describe that the nature of the Godhead is composed of two supreme Beings. The Father and the Son (Jesus Christ) are the two supreme beings that comprise the “Godhead.” God is a divine Family which began with two, God the Father and the Word (Jesus Christ).
"spirit beings" - This term is often used in Armstrongism to not only describe the ontology of God, angels, and demons, but to also explicitly and implicitly proclaim the idea that human beings who are members of the offshoot splinter groups of Herbert W. Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God, will be transformed from flesh to spirit in the resurrection and will become God or gods (i.e. divine "God Beings") that will be added to the Godhead, which is also referred to as "the God Family".
"Your Ultimate Destiny" - This term is used in Armstrongism to explicitly and implicitly proclaim the idea that the ultimate destiny for human beings is to be transformed from flesh to spirit in the resurrection upon Jesus Christ's second coming, thus becoming God or gods (i.e. divine "God Beings") who will be added to the Godhead which is also referred to as "the God Family", and rule the universe in "The Kingdom of God". This is the actual "good news" or "gospel" of Armstrongism which they proclaim is "The Gospel of Christ" of "the soon-coming Kingdom and government of God".
"The Big Picture" and "focus on the Big Picture" - these phrases are used to inform current COG members that they "need to be willing to go through trials and tests in order to prepare for the reward of eternal life in the very family of God" and that they need to be "spiritually mature enough to go through the coming trials and tests and to faithfully "endure to the end" so that they may become a full son and daughter of God when Christ returns in glory". What this all means is that current COG members must never leave their organizations nor renounce the Armstrong theology (Armstrongism), if they do then they will not receive the reward of becoming God (i.e. "spirit beings" that are actually "God Beings"), ruling on Earth with Jesus Christ as kings and priests, and being worshiped as God (i.e. "God-Beings") in the Millennium by humans. Current COG members are also told that former members who have left their Armstrong COG splinter organizations and renounced the Armstrong theology have been deemed as people that have "fallen away" or "drifted into apostasy" and are destined for the Lake of Fire and annihilation.
In sharp contrast to this heresy that humans can "become God", the God of the Bible Himself declares in Isaiah 43:10 the following:
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
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