Rhapsody -- that link finally loaded up for me this morning and I was able to view the video. My first impression was that what I was seeing didn't strike me as that different from the kind of behaviors one might see in the "fan" of a celebrity, e.g. Britney Spears.

My second impression was that no one can be a leader without a group of followers. What makes this man (potentially) into a "cult" leader is not what he says, it's how those around him respond to what he says. In his case, he's managed to attract a following and I'd be interested to know why that is.

I can see the business with the "666" aspect being an affront to those who self-identify as Christians but it didn't catch me on that level. Perhaps this is because I've invested some time in coming to terms with my own demons and I realize that much of what we perceive to be evil "out there" is nothing more than our own fears, biases, and prejudices projected outward from "in here".

I can see a certain degree of value in getting closer to the perceived enemy -- when one does, they may discover that that which they thought was so frightening and terrifying is not. Somewhat like discovering that the Wizard of Oz was only a little man behind a curtain, we realize that we have imbued the other with a great deal of our own personal power.

I did think it was disturbing to see the one young woman proclaim her minister as her god, but I've also seen that kind of behavior in a number of spiritual, religious, even political groups -- not to mention the aforementioned celebrity worship that is such an intimate part of the "American Way of Life".

Unfortunately, the news clip presents some of the more outrageous aspects of this group but it doesn't allow us to see their "works" (perhaps they feed the hungry or shelter the homeless or rescue teen prostitutes off the street) nor did it allow us to understand the motivations of the individual group members or their minister. As the clip notes in the opening sequence, the group looks like most any other evangelical group out there that is drawing together for a specific purpose. I didn't feel I grasped what that purpose was from the clip. It seemed more like the intent of the clip was simply to present this group as being weird, different, and therefore, potentially threatening or dangerous.

Do I see cult behavior? Yes. Is this group a cult? I think I'd want more information from impartial and unbiased sources before I could come to any conclusions for myself.