Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Dangerous Cult?

by UnDisfellowshipped 38 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  Honesty

  Naaahh, they are the most loving and friendly people in the entire world.

  Just ask one of them.
• 

  Borgia

  To get this straight: Is the doc "knocking" therefore a cult movie?

  Cheers

  Borgia
• 

  The Dragon

  I am sure they would never say sucha thing about themselves..and their competetiors are going to insist they are to try to get you to follow them...Oops...looks like you may have to do your own research and draw your own conclusion and answer to that..or risk being decieved by your chosen leaders and the things they tell you.

  Isn't freedom of choice fun?
• 

  orangefatcat

  Yes indeed the Jehovah's witnesses are a dangerous cult. But the regular witnesses have really no idea of that brainwashing. No question about it. Their own literature is evident of it.

  If the Governing Body had it their way they would literally stone to death a disfellowshipped individual with out any hesitation and that is what they are saying.

  Further more the GB as stated have gone far beyond the resons laid out in scripture to why they would disfellowship a person for having a personal feelings of ones own mind, or smoking or masturbating, using drugs, these were not reasons for treating a person as a tax collector as the scriptures says. Let allow to disfellowship them.

  Obviously the WTBTS manipulate through constant baggering that if the witnesses don't conform to their (GB) belief of what is scriptual they condon families to formulate hatred for the disfellowshipped person in the home.

  Perhaps the Governing Body in their addlated state have forgotton one fundamental teaching of Christ , Christ Jesus fullfilled the ancient Jewish laws and made them obsolete by his death and as Paul stated in Romans 10:4

  Rom 10:4

  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth

  so here it is evident that going beyond what is written is quite applicable to the JW organization.

  They not only destroy the inner core of family but at the same time they forget that the greatest commandment of all is to Love God and in loving God they are required to forgive those who err.

  didn't Christ say in one converstation with Peter as to how many times one must forgive their brother , Jesus stated in

  Mat 18:21

  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

  Mat 18:22

  Jesus saith unto him, Isaynotuntothee,Untilseven times:but,Untilseventy timesseven.

  so how much simpler can it be?????

  There is only one instance in the bible of a person being removed from the congregation in Corinth.so the WTS takes that one instance blows it out of proportion to the rest of the bible and then develops an idea of disfellowshipping. We no longer live under Jewish law.

  however in the meantime they do nothing about the poor and innocent children being sexually abused be it sodomy buggary or any form of molestation or intercourse, that are by the law of God and the land punishable to the furthest extent of the law yet are not reported to the authorities and they let them freely within the confines of the JW congregations and the congregations are not informed of a molester in their midst is irreprehensible and they have the gull to say that they are the only one and true faith on this planet.

  .

  oh I get so angry I could spit at one of them and then that would make me no better than them but I better be careful of what I think or else....

  Orangefatcat
• 

  R.Crusoe

  Who posted this?
• 

  R.Crusoe

  Who posted this?

  I just typed a sizeable response and before submitting my entry the page just disappeared! This has happened at JWO half a dozen times. What's that all about ? Am I hitting a key or something? Seems odd!
• 

  AK - Jeff

  I think that the two vital aspects that a group must have to be a true "cult" is for the members to be physically or geographically removed or separated from society at large (i.e. Jonestown, Heavens Gate, Branch Dividians, Moonies, etc).

  Also, I think that a group must demonstrate a clear pattern of financial exploitation where members come to rely upon the group and leadership for physical needs.

  Arthur - I must respectfully disagree here. Two of the worlds leading experts on cults, Lifton and Hassan, do not agree either. Cults are not interested in where they separate you, they are interested in how they separate you from society. They all do it with mind control and constant insistance on conformity and uninamity of thought. As for financial exploitation, there is some of that in most of them, but control is the issue with cults, not always greed.

  The Manson Family did not make the leader rich. Charles Manson was calculating and cold in his efforts to control and drive others, in that case to murder and mayhem.

  Yours, is my opinion, a typical misunderstanding of the basic forces behind cults, which is precisely why so many are able to capture the recruits they do. In fact, in this article, the writer mentions that many mainstream churches are taken in with the idea that the unity of the cults looks attractive to them. They too miss the point.

  http://www.culthelp.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1198&Itemid=5

  Not intended as critique of your comments. But failure to understand the insidiuous nature of cult influence is what allows so many to become victims of them.

  Jeff
• 

  IP_SEC

  moshe said it all.
• 

  Sasha

  Dangerous to my mental health. That's for sure.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Jeff's link led me to this link (http://www.culthelp.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=354&Itemid=8)
  Let's think of how a Moonie's reflections can be applied to JW's as a dangerous cult:

  Reflections of a former MoonieGleenings from the best-selling book by Steven HassanCombatting Cult Mind Control

  • The Moonies do a very thorough job of convincing people that former members are satanic and that even being in their
    presence could be dangerous. [p.3]
  • It is ironic that whereas Moon's stated goal is to unify the world, many of his strategies foster jealousy and spite among
    leaders, virtually insuring a lack of unity. [p.23]
  • The more people opposed us, the more committed we felt. [p.24]
  • It was as if we were God's army in the middle of a spiritual war--the only ones who could go to the front lines and fight
    Satan each day. [p.24]
  • The Moonies wanted to keep me from pursuing some disturbing questions about the validity of the "time parallels" used in
    the "History of Restoration" lecture. I had discovered some glaring inconsistencies. It was dangerous for someone in my
    position in the organization to ask questions that couldn't be answered. [p.25]
  • Indeed, it was my ideals and my own fantasy of an ideal world that had lured me into the Moonies. Those ideals ultimately
    enabled me to walk out and publicy condemn cult mind control. [p.33]
  • In the United States, cults exert tremendous economic clout by buying up huge blocks of real estate and taking over hundreds
    of businesses. [p.36]
  • They indoctrinate members to show only the best sides of the organization. Members are taught to suppress any negative
    feelings they have about the group and always show a continually smiling, "happy" face. [p.41]
  • In some cults, members are systematically made to be phobic about ever leaving the group. Today's cults know how to
    effectively implant vivid negative images deep within members' unconscious minds, making it impossible for the member to
    even conceive of ever being happy and successful outside of the group. [p.45]
  • In the same way, cult phobias take away people's choices. Members truly believe they will be destroyed if they leave the
    safety of the group. They think there are no other ways for them to grow--spiritually, intellectually, or emotionally. They are
    virtually enslaved by this mind control technique. [p.46]
  • Everyone, like it or not, is vulnerable to mind control. Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone needs affection and attention.
    Everyone is looking for something better in life: more wisdom, more knowledge, more money, more status, more meaning, better
    relationships, or better health. These basic human qualities and needs are exactly what cult recruiters prey upon. It is important
    to remember that for the most part, people don't join cults. Cults recruit people. [p.48]

  • The Moonies do a very thorough job of convincing people that former members are satanic and that even being in
    their presence could be dangerous. [p.3]

  Simple Enough. WTS convinces followers that anyone who leaves is apostate. They convince them that "apostate" can mean
  that they are under the influence of the Devil. They are far worse than regular "wordly" people. Even saying hello to them can
  be bad.

  • It is ironic that whereas Moon's stated goal is to unify the world, many of his strategies foster jealousy and spite among
    leaders, virtually insuring a lack of unity. [p.23]

  The first part, "unify the world." That sounds like the goal of WTS. The second part, "jealousy and spite among leaders."
  Well, read Ray Franz's books and comment on that. Locally, there is infighting among elders and jealousy of those appointed
  and those not appointed. The WTS strategy includes spying and turning each other in for disloyalty.

  • The more people opposed us, the more committed we felt. [p.24]

  One word- PERSECUTION

  • It was as if we were God's army in the middle of a spiritual war--the only ones who could go to the front lines and fight
    Satan each day. [p.24]

  JW's are told not to judge people (wink, wink) as goats, but they tell of field service experiences where Satan tried to hold
  them up from reaching that next house. Their job or their family opposed their assignment from God, as if Satan was using
  those entities. "Theocratic warfare."

  • The Moonies wanted to keep me from pursuing some disturbing questions about the validity of the "time parallels" used
    in the "History of Restoration" lecture. I had discovered some glaring inconsistencies. It was dangerous for someone in
    my position in the organization to ask questions that couldn't be answered. [p.25]

  You must accept the doctrine and not "doubt" it. Don't read the WT with a critical viewpoint. Elders and upper management
  types must always show complete trust in the doctrines.

  • Indeed, it was my ideals and my own fantasy of an ideal world that had lured me into the Moonies. Those ideals ultimately
    enabled me to walk out and publicy condemn cult mind control. [p.33]

  The "ideal world" is a lure of door-to-door JW's. Ray Franz in ISOCF discussed the materialistic goal of Paradise as a primary
  replacement for the Good News of God's Kingdom. Many are freed from WTS because they don't see the "Spiritual" paradise
  that they are told they are in.

  • In the United States, cults exert tremendous economic clout by buying up huge blocks of real estate and taking over
    hundreds of businesses. [p.36]

  Certainly this is true in NYC. The corporation makes billions and that's economic clout.

  • They indoctrinate members to show only the best sides of the organization. Members are taught to suppress any negative
    feelings they have about the group and always show a continually smiling, "happy" face. [p.41]

  Don't teach recruits about failed prophecy or what leaving the group can do to you.

  • In some cults, members are systematically made to be phobic about ever leaving the group. Today's cults know how to
    effectively implant vivid negative images deep within members' unconscious minds, making it impossible for the member
    to even conceive of ever being happy and successful outside of the group. [p.45]

  Everything "worldly" is evil. That neighbor or coworker seems nice, but he's not dedicated to Jehovah.

  • In the same way, cult phobias take away people's choices. Members truly believe they will be destroyed if they leave the
    safety of the group. They think there are no other ways for them to grow--spiritually, intellectually, or emotionally. They are
    virtually enslaved by this mind control technique. [p.46]

  No comments necessary

  • Everyone, like it or not, is vulnerable to mind control. Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone needs affection and attention.
    Everyone is looking for something better in life: more wisdom, more knowledge, more money, more status, more meaning,
    better relationships, or better health. These basic human qualities and needs are exactly what cult recruiters prey upon.
    It is important to remember that for the most part, people don't join cults. Cults recruit people. [p.48]

  Virtually nobody looks to just join JW's. They go out and get them.