I recently listened to Father John Valdez’s 10-part lecture series called Survival Course for Orthodox Christians, which offers a renewed take on Father Seraphim Rose’s lecture series of the same name. The talk on Eastern cults was especially helpful because Father John gave a list of signs that one has been deceived by a cult or false movement. I couldn’t help but notice that I had fallen for most of them to some degree in my secular past. Using Father John’s lecture as a starting point, I’d like to share seven of those signs with more detail.

1. The rules don’t apply to the guru In all cults and false movements, Lord Jesus Christ is either discarded or used as a nominal head, but the real head is a guru who prescribes a litany of rules and commandments for his adherents to follow....