I remember sitting in church one Sunday, caught in a moment of unusual clarity. The band was playing. People were singing with passion—some jumping, some weeping, others with their hands raised high as if grasping for heaven. The words on the screen were deeply emotional and poetic: “Break every chain,” “Set a fire down in my soul,” “We surrender all.”
And for a moment, I looked around and thought, “If I were an outsider, I would think this is a cult.”
That’s a jarring sentence, I know. Especially for someone who deeply believes in Christ and the truth of the gospel. But the thought was honest. What we do in church can look—and feel—wild to someone not familiar with Christian faith. It’s loud, it's expressive, and it speaks in a language full of metaphors and phrases that sound foreign to the average person walking in from the street.
So let’s talk about it.
Let’s break down why church can look like a cult from the outside—and why, once you understand what’s happening, it’s actually the furthest thing from it.
🎭 What Does a Cult Look Like?
To begin, we need to acknowledge the cultural baggage around the word “cult.” In today’s world, “cult” often brings to mind things like:
✅ Charismatic leaders demanding blind obedience
✅ Secret meetings or strange rituals
✅ A separation from “normal” society
✅ Manipulative control or emotional coercion
✅ Members speaking a language outsiders don’t understand
✅ Intense, ecstatic group behaviors
Sound familiar? To someone with no experience of Christianity—or even someone who’s been hurt by religion—walking into a passionate worship service can feel like walking into something uncomfortably close to that checklist.
People raising their hands. Speaking in tongues. Singing phrases like “washed in the blood” or “God, we give you our whole lives.” For someone who’s never read the Bible or experienced faith in Jesus, this can feel intense. It can feel… weird.
And that’s okay to admit.
🧐 Why Do Christians Act So Strange?
Let’s start by naming the elephant in the sanctuary: Christians can look strange. But so can anyone when they’re deeply devoted to something the world doesn’t fully understand.
Imagine someone who has never watched sports stumbling into a championship game. Grown adults are painting their faces, screaming at TVs, weeping when their team loses. Or someone watching fans at a Taylor Swift concert belting lyrics, crying, and wearing glittery friendship bracelets. No one questions that passion.
The difference? Those kinds of emotional displays are socially accepted. Religious devotion, in contrast, is often viewed with suspicion—especially when it doesn’t look polite or reserved.
So what are Christians actually doing when they sing, lift their hands, or speak words like “hallelujah” and “worthy is the Lamb”?
They’re worshipping.
Worship is a response. A response to a God who has rescued, loved, forgiven, and adopted them. The expressions may vary—some people jump, others kneel, others cry—but the heart behind it is deep gratitude. To the untrained eye, it may look like chaos. But to the one being healed from years of pain, it’s surrender. To the one who’s been forgiven much, it’s joy. To the one who once felt alone, it’s finally belonging.
🧠 But Isn’t It Mind Control?
One of the top concerns people have when they hear “cult” is the idea of control—mental manipulation, suppression of questions, or discouraging dissent. So let’s be honest: some churches have done this. Some religious leaders have abused their power. And when that happens, it’s toxic—and dangerous.
But that’s not Christianity.
That’s a distortion of it.
Biblical Christianity is built on freedom. Jesus never forced anyone to follow Him. He invited. He welcomed. But He never manipulated.
In fact, some of His most powerful moments came when He allowed people to walk away:
“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.” —John 6:66-67
Real Christianity encourages people to think, question, explore, wrestle. It doesn’t demand blind loyalty. It invites faith rooted in relationship, not fear.
✅ In cults, you're punished for leaving.
✅ In Christ, you're loved no matter what.
🗣️ “Church Talk” and Christian Lingo
Let’s talk about the language.
Walk into any church and you’ll hear phrases like:
✅ “He set me free”
✅ “I plead the blood of Jesus”
✅ “Spirit-led”
✅ “Born again”
✅ “On fire for God”
It sounds foreign—and it is. Christianity has a rich, poetic vocabulary rooted in Scripture and history. But just like any community or subculture, it has developed its own way of communicating.
Does that make it a cult?
Not at all.
It makes it a culture.
Just like gamers have their own terms, or tech workers speak in acronyms, or athletes talk about “going beast mode,” Christians have developed words to express deeply spiritual realities. It can sound strange until you’re part of it. But once you understand it, it’s not about exclusion—it’s about expression.
🧍♂️Why Do People Lift Their Hands?
One of the most visually “cult-like” moments in a church service is worship—especially when people are lifting their hands, closing their eyes, swaying, or even kneeling.
Here’s what you’re really seeing:
✅ Raised hands = surrender and reverence
✅ Closed eyes = focus and intimacy
✅ Kneeling = humility before God
✅ Dancing = joy and freedom
✅ Tears = healing and honest connection
It’s not a show. It’s a heart responding to something eternal.
And yes, some people are more expressive than others. That’s okay. God created different personalities. Some people are loud. Some are still. Some shout. Others sit in quiet awe. But all of it is worship.
🤯 But Isn’t It Irrational?
Another question outsiders may ask: “How can so many people believe something that can’t be scientifically proven?”
It’s a fair question. Faith, by definition, involves belief in things unseen. But that doesn’t mean it’s blind.
Christians don’t check their brains at the church door. Faith in Jesus is grounded in history, logic, fulfilled prophecy, eyewitness testimony, and personal transformation. It’s not a leap into darkness. It’s a step into light.
Still, the mystery remains. And that’s what makes it beautiful.
“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” —1 Corinthians 1:18
Yes, Christianity can seem foolish from the outside. But for those who’ve experienced the love of God, it is everything.
🕊️ What You’re Really Seeing: A Family in Worship
When you walk into a church and see people singing with passion, laying their burdens down at the altar, praying together, or crying during a song—what you’re seeing isn’t groupthink.
You’re seeing a family.
A broken, diverse, imperfect, rescued family.
You’re seeing people who’ve battled addiction, abuse, shame, doubt, and depression—but have found healing in Christ. You’re seeing single moms clinging to hope, former skeptics weeping with joy, and people who were once lost, now found.
It may look strange. But that’s because love often does.
💬 So If You’re Thinking “This Feels Like a Cult”…
Let’s end with this.
If you’ve ever walked into a church and felt like an outsider looking in—confused, overwhelmed, even suspicious—you’re not alone. And you’re not wrong for feeling that way.
But don’t stop there.
Ask questions. Get curious. Talk to someone. Read the Gospels. Listen to the heart behind the words. You might be surprised at what you find.
Yes, church can look strange from the outside. But on the inside, it’s a place of grace. A place where the hurting are healed. Where the dead come to life. Where the broken are made whole. Not by manipulation. Not by fear. But by the overwhelming love of a God who stepped into our mess to bring us back home.
And that—no matter how strange it looks—is beautiful.
🙏 Final Reflection
If you’re a believer, remember what church looks like to those who haven’t experienced Jesus. Don’t get offended by their questions. Meet them with grace.
And if you’re reading this as someone who’s unsure about faith or hesitant to step into a church, take this post as an invitation—not to blindly jump into something, but to thoughtfully explore it. The weirdness you see might just be worship. And the words you hear might be exactly what your heart has been longing for.
