Are JWs a cult? I think it just depends upon how you define the word.
Even if they are not a cult by every sense of the term, they are certainly a 'High Controll Group'.
The way they controll the memberships information, demand large amounts of time from their lives, supress their own history, distort the truth in the publications, and how they feel that their leadership alone are the chosen ones are all things many would associate with cults. The fact that JWs are less aggressive in these areas than other controll groups only sets them apart with the degree at which they do these things, but it dosn't change that they do them none the less.
Jehovah's Witnesses are not a CULT ...
by Fatfreek 63 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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drew sagan
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Johnny
...and the Pope is not Catholic.
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heathen
A religious group which denies the essential doctrines of Christianity. The term is usually reserved for groups founded after 1750.
I'd have to say yes to that one . The WTBTS rejects the creeds that the mainstream religionists adhere to . Teachings such as trinity and a literal hellfire were some of those beliefs the WTBTS refutes .
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headmath
Gary buss
Sounds like my story. I thought the world around me was EVIL and I therefore elevated myself above them. What else could you do - die with them? There is a reward system in place. A JW must publicly SHUN the world in order to be accepted by their fellow JW. This is simply a " birds of a feather flock together" phenomina. It was started by Russell,.it will be destroyed by apostates
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mama1119
I think cult is putting it nicely
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DubBeachBabe
I agree with Drew that the JW organisation is more of a high control group than a true cult in its 21st century definition.
The term certainly is open to many interpretations. Christianity began as a cult by most definitions, if you think about the context of its origins. But I think one of the defining features of a truly scary cult is that a high-powered all-controlling personality heads it up (like Moonies, The Way International).
In that sense, JWs don't belong to a cult. (Or maybe I'm one of those exJWs in denial!)
What got to me the absolute most, when I was inside of it, was the presumptiousness of trying to control everyday things like what movies people watch, for heaven's sake, and what facial hair is permissible. How long a hem on a dress should be. Whether to do yoga (answer: never). Who may stay over at your house.
Anecdote: the only time I was ever personally visited by a pair of elders to discuss my 'conduct' was when a bunch of guys, brothers in good standing, stayed over in the living room of the house I was sharing with two other girls, all three of us in excellent standing, after a chaste dinner party! I shudder now when I think of that visit . My spare room is open to any friends, any time!
If you buy into that stuff then it's easy to unquestioningly not get a higher education, work part-time for the rest of your life, grow old without financial provisions, die on an operating table...
But then, there really are people who need and want that degree of 'guidance'. I'm just not one of them. My mantra is Don't tell me what to do! If I don't make my own decision then it's not my decision. And then it's not my life.
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RevFrank
Cult:...A person or group that has a following of a person, place, or thing........
Star Trek has a following.......Star Wars has a folloing.......Matel has a following......Superman has a following....Religions have a following, ects, so forth and so on.
These things are called cult(s). Cults are a wide subjects. So to break down the followings in the theological issues to orthodox, a cult is a following of those who lead off the christian dostrine in creating their own private interpretation of the Bible. "2 Peter 1:20.21," ...knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."
Russell did it; Smith did it, Arius did it.....
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XJW4EVR
A religious group which denies the essential doctrines of Christianity. The term is usually reserved for groups founded after 1750.
You said, "No" to this statement, and the stated:
To be fair, many religious groups have their own “essential doctrines”. This, therefore, could be highly subjective.
To be fair, the JWs deny nearly every basic tenent of Catholic, Orthodox & Protestant theology.
The JWs deny the Trinity, the Diety of Jesus Christ, the Diety & Personhood of the Holy Spirit, and the bodily resurrection of Jesus. These doctrines are unamimous in their acceptance by all of the branches of Christianity. Therefore, I would disagree with you on both statements.
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Rocky_Girl
I like this thread about the definition of the word cult and the common perception of the word "cult"
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Concerned JW
Yes it is an interesting thread showing the word "cult" is a transmogrified word and so is now used to indicate a "bad Religion" which is very subjective and open to people then directing it at a religion they personally dislike. Steve Hassan is a Jew and clearly does not define all religions by his definition of "Cult"
Originally the word "cult" specifically related to religions that had ritualistc practises but in recent years the ways to define it are wide-ranging, many and varied and also extremely subjective. The usage of "Cult" on this site seems to be directed at Jehovah's Witnesses specifically but also most religions seem to be also defined as cults on here because of their religious nature and recognition of God as a higher being.