[knightofalbion]

Res: I'm sorry to hear you got ripped off. I can understand now why you're so wary.
As I say in my signature it doesn't matter what religion you follow, it's how you live your life that is the all-important thing.

I think I get your core point. How do you tell the good from the bad? You must establish what the 'teacher' is seeking.

Are they asking for money? Even a lot of money? Truth is free!, not something to be hawked or sold for profit. Anyone seeking to make financial gain is corrupt.

Are they advocating damnation/eternal hell etc? Is God a vicious, spiteful monster?! No of course not. There are certain eternal spiritual laws in place. In this instance, the law of Cause and Effect. We reap what we sow. It is an entirely self-regulating law. No vengeful God punishes 'you'. You create your own destiny through your actions. There are lower realms in the spirit world for everything must find its mark, but there is no eternal damnation. Anyone who says there is, doesn't know or understand the Divine.

Is the person displaying ego? There is no place for ego. The messenger is just that, the messenger. They are a channel for wisdom, not the source.

'By their fruit you shall know the good from the evil'. What is their message? Are they promoting goodness and kindness, kinship/brotherhood, peace and harmony? If there message is one of love and non-violence then they do understand the Divine and the nature of true religion. One must ask oneself is their message is going to make you a better person, if it is then it's worth listening to. If it isn't, then it's not.

As the words of the poem go
'YOU are the master of your fate,
YOU are the captain of your soul.'

That says it all.