Are JW's a Cult?

100. Mass suicide.

Just individual suicide by refusing blood.

They couldn't possibly be a cult then, could they?

BA- Just askin'

PS- Knows the answer.

Themonster123

They are not a cult until you see the man behind the curtain. You don't need to know his name.

My brother (who is also an ex-JW) says they aren't ......He says cuz they don't follow any one specific man's teachings they aren't.

.....Just cuz we don't know them by name doesn't mean we arent' doing every single thing they do!!!

They use the same kind of reasoning. They say cults have a charismatic leader. They say they don't have that.
They had JF Rutherford after Russell. He qualified as a charismatic leader. Many cults follow someone who is dead.
They tell their members that they follow Christ. Many Bible cults do that, besides they hardly mention Christ, but mostly
Jehovah.

And as you point out, now there's the Governing Body.

They say their members think for themselves, so they aren't a cult. They tell them what to think for themselves. There's no
need to go to college or read religious materials outside of the WTS. Avoid the foolish knowledge of the world.

"Well, can you name even one of the members of the GB?"

To me, that was a big red flag- not of a cult- but of totally blind following. We don't even know the men who give us
marching orders, yet we spread their doctrine.

Nice list, nvrgnbk! I especially enjoyed this, and how it explains that the followers choose the beliefs because they want to believe, Fox Mulder style:

http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-cult_q4.html#cq_disturbed_followers

BS Organization is appropriate too.

didn't know BORG was synonimous with brooklyn org. I think they did have charismatic leaders such as Judge Rutherford or CT Russell at one time (if you want to call that charismatic) . I think it was Rutherford that actually started making all the rules of membership for his time , there was no society to vote on things like they have now .He also condemned religion , so where would that leave you anyway ? I'm think ,CULT .

I kinda look at them as being a Diet Cult. All of the cult ingredients are there, only less so.

Is Diet Coke Coke? I guess that's a question for the ages.

I kinda look at them as being a Diet Cult. All of the cult ingredients are there, only less so.

Is Diet Coke Coke? I guess that's a question for the ages.

I really like your colorful metaphor, underbeliever. However, I submit that they are, in fact, a super cult. They are masters at subtlety and double-speak. They have waged a powerful, even relentless one might say, propaganda war. Even if the world in general has paid little attention, they've convinced millions of faithful that they, and they alone have a monopoly on the Bible, God, and Jesus. It's nothing short of masterful.