Jehovah's Witnesses are not a cult and here's why I think so (page 7)

carla

High control group or cult? Simply giving it a 'nicer' name doesn't change anything. It's like when the newspapers and tv started using words like 'assault' , 'sexual assault' or 'attacked' instead of rape. Rape is a harsh word and brings forth the real images of exactly what it is. Assault is more ambiguous, could mean fondled, or just touching, or any number of things except what it was, rape, a brutal act.

5go

To me it's just another religion no diffrence it's a bad one at that but still a religion. Scientologist on the other hand are a cult see operation snow white. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Snow_White

SWALKER

The Ex-Amish experience many of the same things we do when leaving their group, and have an even worse time adjusting than we do. They can't even drive cars or even know the value of money (you aren't allowed to keep money until you're a male 18 and up). How many people have you heard running around calling the Amish a cult? Not too many.

When I think of the Amish, I immediately think "cult"!!! Just because an organization has been around for hundreds of years and are relatively peaceful, doesn't mean that aren't a cult!

Here's what Rick Ross says about them:

"The Amish can be seen as a "cult" or exclusive sect, but they have existed in America peacefully since the 1700s."

It wasn't until I had been out a few years, that I could look back and see how much my life had been controlled. Today, I still find myself having to overcome "JW" mind contol.

Swalker

drew sagan

In my opinion, JW's are the most dangerous government subsidized and legitimized cult.

Believe it or not, there are groups that function legally that are much worse. I suppose you haven't met the Scientologists yet?

It is not the term that defines the group, it is the actions of the group that defines it. That is why I like "high control group". It defines the core actions of what makes up the group, mainly that it is a group that exercises high control on its members. I personally do not see how this in any way shape or form minimizes the unethical and hurtful policies of the Watchtower organization. To each his own I suppose.

To me its the differance between accusing somebody of murder, or accusing somebody of being a psychopathic bloodthirsty killing machine. Both accusations are similar in what they accuse the person of, but one is filled with loaded emotional language and the other is not.

In the context of this message board I have used the term cult many a time, but I know that the majority of people on this board have a similar understanding as to what defines the term. When taken out of the context of people 'in the know' it gets more tricky. Bring such language into a discussion with a JW and get ready to do battle over the implied meaning of the term itself rather than the practices of the organization.

OnTheWayOut

Bring such language into a discussion with a JW and get ready to do battle over the implied meaning of the term itself rather than the practices of the organization.

I beg to differ on this point. If you try to engage in a discussion of the practices
of the organization with a JW, they won't stay in the discussion for long. They
won't want to "do battle" at all.

Bring the four-letter "C" word into the discussion. Now the JW feels an obligation to
defend his precious organization. He will stay longer and give you more opportunity
to present the facts of how WTS fits the mold of a cult.

Either way, most don't listen. At least the cult accusation gets a rise out of them.
In peaceful settings of trying to reach a JW, a little at a time, the "C" word is
often avoided. That's just because you want to be able to go back and talk some
more with them, without them avoiding it. But I think that's the only exception-
the discussion that involves slipping little shots at the WTS in.

blueviceroy

The world in general is a cult , religions are just manifestations of that cultic mentality.

You must do this to succede , you must do that to be on our side . our side is the best side , the sneetches with stars are the best sneetches on beaches so on and so on.

The world tells us to believe what we believe , and we lap it up like kool-aid. WE are all victims of the best cult around , the USA.

I was conditioned by the world to believe things that were contrary to my true nature , I suffered trying to live under that conditioning.

seven006

“The last person to realize that someone is in a cult…is someone who is in a cult”-David Patrick Malone

Cheetos

This is redundant, the Witness's are a cult they are a cult cult cult cult and the GB are all mallet heads.

B_Deserter

Ok I've read a lot of the arguments and I agree with a lot of you. Yes, JWs are dangerous, there's no doubt about that. My problem is with the accepted definition of cult, it's too broad, and could be applied to just about every single religious group in existence, from Catholics to Bahai. The term cult is not typically used to describe religions like JWs, Mormons, etc, even though it could be. I also agree with the sentiment that "high control group" sounds too PC and "candy-coated," and using "cult" certainly gets the point across. I wish there was a term that was accurate and didn't sound so gentle, in fact one that sounds worse than a cult would be better.....

OnTheWayOut

"Coercive cult" or "mind-control cult" or "dangerous cult"

You can always use the complete term.

Jehovah's Witnesses are not a cult and here's why I think so

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