There is an all too human temptation of pride in thinking of one’s self as part of an exclusive righteous elite, a spiritual remnant who hold tightly to “absolute truth”. The epistemological focus of this kind of devotion is on “The Word” and/or internalized epiphanies. A concomitantly fideist tendency to reject science (The Mechanics of Providence) as mere “man’s knowledge” is taken as an expression of devotion. Above all sectarians know that their words are “right” and everyone else is “wrong”, even other Christians; in fact especially other Christians! As I have indicated in my last post, this apparent epistemological arrogance surfaces in the mind of the sectarian as the epitome of humility because he, in his opinion, is conforming to Divinely revealed “blueprints” and simply mouthing God's words. That such “blueprints” have to be appropriated, read, interpreted, evaluated and implemented by the fallible mind of the sectarian never seems to enter the sectarian’s arrogant and proud head. He will claim that The Bible and/or The Holy Spirit underwrites all he says; thus are logos and mythos horribly abused to underwrite an epistemology of arrogance. Oh the irony of it all!
Strong sectarians have little regard for serious relations with “outsiders” for their own sake – outsiders are considered evangelism fodder and the sole reason for seriously relating to them is to get them into the sect. Relations are severed when it becomes clear to the sectarian that an “outsider” is argumentative and/or a lost cause. The sectarian may become sullen and belligerent toward the dissenting outsider whom he considers to be opposing God's very words spoken through his mouth.
Such are my unpleasant experiences with those on the sect-cult spectrum.
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