If you applied steve hassans book to Jesus and his followers, given he said you had to leave family, told a rich man to give up all his money and follow him, in fact told most of his followers to leave their jobs and follow him only living on what they could get as donations would Jesus and his followers be defined as a cult by steve hassan?
The difference here Reniaa is that Jesus was God- or for the sake of argument here the Son of God. Indisputably sent from the Father. Not a cult-leader. Many groups today- of which the WT is a top offender- are claiming to be the channel to Christ...demanding those sacrifices Jesus spoke of to be made for that leader or organization- in the name of Christ.