Imagine this: One "declares" himself a Baha'i while in high school. He is active in the local community, then goes away to university where he redoubles his efforts to teach "the faith" by hosting firesides, and manning an information table at the university...for 7 years.
After graduation, said individual "pioneers" to Mexico...where he teaches hundreds of seekers, and helps to establish new assemblies.
In the course of the next 15 years, this believer sacrifices all he owns and cherishes to "raise the standard". He is renowned as a teacher...and travels to more than 50 countries as "travel Teacher" and pioneer. He "opens" an area of Northwestern Russia, the size of Germany and France put together, to the faith.
He pays his "huququllah".
He sings in the choir at the "world congress", in 1992. Only then, does he begin to wonder at certain improprieties and secretive decisions which are made in committee and have affected his life for years.
He is admonished to "desist" from making further inquiry into allegations.
He is barred from attending community events.
He is stripped of "voting rights", because he dares question authority.
He resigns from "the faith", to pursue, "independent investigation of Truth", as was taught by the faith's founder.
He embraces what he considers to be the TRUEST form of his faith...only to be informed that the "NSA", and "House of Just Us" has declared him a covenant breaker.
As a result, the hundreds of people he taught and brought into this faith are ordered to shun him.
He is now, persona-non-grata around the world. His years of sacrifice and painstaking travel teaching are erased. ("Let the name Moses be erased from all public buildings." Pharoh Ramses in The Ten Commandments)
Is this not, then, a Cult?
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