From: The Cult Crisis, Citizens Freedom Foundation.

False groups do not draw their strength from their errors. They draw strength from their ability to counterfeit elements that are present in healthy religious groups but are treated differently.

1. Idealism.
DRGs are often made up of disappointed idealists who have been burned in traditional churches: They believe God has raised them up to accomplish what others have failed to do. Their vision is to recover the lost purpose of the church.

2. Authority..
Those who are looking for unambiguous direction, boundaries, and security are drawn to the safety in structure that authoritarian leadership provides.

3. Enthusiasm.
People who have had a taste of dead orthodoxy will be especially attracted to an enthusiastic spiritual experience. Few discoveries are more appealing than finding a group excited about what it has - even if the group is wrong.

4. Family..
Within a dangerous group there is often an intense sense of identity and family. Family members are viewed as brothers and sisters, united against the outside world. Their unity is not found in God, however, but in their "father", ment and teacher.

5. Biblical Emphasis.
 Many DRGs give much attention to Bible study. But their learning is often carefully orchestracted by clever leaders who provide their own interpreation of Scripture. Members are warned about reading authors who are outside of their group.

6. Sacrifice.
Former members of DRGs say that one of the things that was so appealing was that the group asked them for a sense of commitment and belief that cost something. One member says “It doesn’t start out that you are the only ones who have the truth, but that you are the only ones making sacrifices for the truth, I didn’t want anything cheap. I wanted something that cost me for my commitment.”

7. Exclusivism.
DRG members often develop the belief that they alone have been entrusted with the truth. The opportunity to be a part of a select group of God’s chosen servants is attractive.

8. Indoctrination.
An additional mark of many dangerous religious groups is their use of sophisticated methods of recruitment and coercive persuasion. Rather than allowing converts to make decisions of faith based on their own sense of good judgement, some groups break down individual thinking by one or more of the following techniques:

Isolation. Recruits are isolated from family, friends, and news media in order to screen out opposing points of view.

Peer-group Pressure. Potential converts are subjected to intense persuasion by group members.

Love Bombing. Group members give prospects an overwhelming sense of acceptance, belonging and significance by “bombing” then with flattery, touching, and hugging. Removal or Privacy Privacy.. . Recruits are never left alone to collect and discover their own thoughts.

Sleep Deprivation and Fatigue. A person’s resistance is broken down by long meetings and extended work hours.

Mind Control. Members are conditioned to stop thinking and to accept without question the revelations and doctrines of their leader. Confession. The self-respect of the members is broken down through persuading them to share their innermost secrets with the group.

Fear.. . Negative thoughts or doubts about the group or its leader are said to be soul-threatening. Anyone leaving the group is warned about harsh consequences.

Childlike Dependence. The leader demands absolute submission to his control.

No Questions. Followers are taught to accept without question the revelations and interpretation of their leaders.

Elitism. Every religious leader outside the group is said to be satanic or, at best, deceived by an evil conspiracy.