I'm always skeptical when people refer to fringe religious groups as "cults." You know, Christianity was a heretical Jewish cult in the first century, and look how that turned out.
The word cult was thrown around in Sunday papers this weekend following the raid of Tony Alamo Ministries, and again, I chose against using the word. The guy certainly seemed odd, and allegations of a child pornography ring at his religious compound didn't help. But those were allegations, and Fouke, Ark., wasn't Jonestown or Rancho Santa Fe.
I'm still not ready to call Alamo a cult leader, but I am willing to say he is absolutely bonkers, at least theologically. Last night he did exactly what no person in trouble should do: He opened his mouth, and to a reporter no less. And, boy, he's got some wild ideas.
An excerpt of the blog post from John C. Williams at the Arkansas Times, who interview Alamo, is after the jump:
Not surprisingly, Alamo categorically denied charges of child pornography and polygamy that have ...1
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