JW FOOL COMMENTS ON WHY I'TS NOT A CULT ! (page 2)

brotherdan

Funny...he lies through his teeth. JWs have freedom to choose their jobs? So can I work at a casino? How bout on a military base? What a propagandized piece of garbage!

jam

Brotherdan it,s funny you mention working in A casino. My son in law

works in A casino in Vages (Public relations). But he has been in the

borg all his life and never been appointed as A servant. (40 yrs. old).

Disfellowship 3 times in 40 yrs.

OnTheWayOut

"This might be a confusing definition for many, because cults can take on a wide variety of meanings."

That's why I always use the complete term, DANGEROUS MIND-CONTROL CULT, when speaking with people who aren't aware of the issues.

Bull shit the bible is the authority. It is pushed in the back ground and the drivel [not to imply the bible is not also drivel] that is the society’s publications is put to the fore front of all teaching. They use a few passages here and there to back up the drivel. Its a cult plain and simple. There is a central authority that tells its members what to do in every aspect of their life, and if they do not follow the directives then they are punished with removal. They use fear and intimidation to force its members to stay in line. They use redundancies over and over to impress on the minds of the followers the teachings and they use assemblies to give group mentality that this many people can not be wrong. Most of the points in this article are bull shit. No one in including the GB bennifits from donations? Bull shit. I guess old Ruthaford and his mansion in San Diago and sixteen cyl caddy was drudgery? This article is bull shit through and through. JWs are a cult and a scam. They are one of the worst religions on the planet up there with scientology and Islam.

Band on the Run

I wish there were another word for cult that is not perjortive. Maybe from his viewpoint, he is right. Beauty is the eye of the beholder. From my viewpoint, it is a cult. A dangerous one. It doesn't read as dorky as the WT. He highlights the good parts. Perhaps I emphasize the bad points. I am emphatically not neutral. My vehemence scares me. I feel my vehemence is deserved.

Juan Viejo2

You get what you pay for, and since Ezine articles are free, that's about what they are worth. Most of them have horrific spelling, grammar, and support. This article is so typical. Looks like he's pulled most of the text from past Watchtower press releases. And this little piece of crap is very timely: "Also, Kingdom Halls (where Witnesses meet for worship) are not owned by the headquarters or by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, but by the individual congregations, who have a great deal of autonomy in decisions of the congregation, including buying and selling of the Kingdom Hall itself, any improvements that will be made on the Kingdom Hall, times of meetings, etc. A democratic vote is taken in some decisions involving the Kingdom Hall and congregation expenses, along the lines of the aforementioned points and others, in many or most cases. Questions and comments involving such decisions are permitted by all members." Oh Yeah? Want to ask the folks at Menlo Park (CA) Kingdom Hall if this is the case. The Watchtower is not asking, but telling them what they are going to do. The Watchtower is working to get its name on their deed and supposedly is planning on selling the property - even though the local Witnesses like their Kingdom Hall just fine and don't want to move. And the locals get no say at all about what will happen to them or their Kingdom Hall. They tossed out the Hall's body of elders for taking a stand on this issue. New article tomorrow on this very subject at ex-jw.com. JV

satinka

Guess its why I believe JWs are brainwashed... if he believes what he writes. satinka

baltar447

Well I call it a high control religious group with cultish tendencies.

Retrovirus

A few more points: Vague terms such as "a confusing definition for many" and poisoning the well "religious opposers" are typical of wt publications. Using a single book as a basis for cult definition is simply an appeal to authority. So para 1, effectively that it is not a cult because there are no secret stages, proves nothing. That said, there are secrest, such as the Elders manual. Para 2, the freedom to choose work has been addressed; also discouraging higher education further restricts freedom of career. then this gem: "to what extent one wishes to associate with family who are not Jehovah's Witnesses" is a masterful evasion of outright lying, yet conveying a false impression. Who would think that shunning a family member who had left the religion was mandatory to remain in good standing? "Witnesses are not required to or encouraged to consult with elders or with anyone, before or when making personal decisions in life" Really? What if such a decision involves something defined as sinful or apostate? Also does not mention that if a jw is aware that another is pursuing such a course they must plead with them to consult an elder, or dob them in. para3 "Witnesses are not encouraged to leave their mates who may not be Jehovah's Witnesses, but to stay with them and work hard towards a good marriage" Superficially true, yet the pressure to influence the unbelieving mate and any children is relentless. I've seen it. There's plenty more, but no more time. As a non-jw I may be wrong on some or more; please let me know if I am. Retro

WTWizard

1. There are no secrets in the religion. Everything is out in the open. That is, until you are baptized. At which point there is pressure to pio-sneer. And you will be expected to be exemplary to avoid stumbling others.

2. Witlesses are free to choose their employment and associate with non-witless family members--until the hounders decide that certain jobs "stumble others" or their non-witless family members show no interest in becoming witlesses. At which point, it is no longer true.

3. Witlesses are not urged to separate from mates that are not witlesses. Instead, they are hounded to death to make their mates become witlesses.

4. Participation is not all or nothing. However, according to their own doctrines (that you only find out about once you become a full-blown member), you cannot attain to salvation if just one element is deficient.

5. All medical care is open to witlesses. Just try telling Danny Haszard this--"for the sake of the Kingdumb", too many people neglect little health issues because the Kingdumb is at hand. Also, they don't disfellowship for taking blood any more. They only view you as disassociated, which does the same thing.

6. Witlesses train each other to discern right and wrong. Only to have the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger continually changing this, and they are required to adjust to that change. Even if the Bible says otherwise, you are still required to go by and teach the bad doctrine until the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger itself fixes it.

7. Training as a witless benefits one in secular employment. That is, if you like the most inefficient way to spread a message and the colossal waste of time going from door to door for no pay. And you don't even get proper techniques to give speeches--they are all canned. Hardly helpful in secular work.

8. Doctrines of cults are inflexible. Just like the doctrines about "scriptural divorce". Just like the principle of shunning people for breaking petty rules or questioning the leaders. Just like the doctrine of "Even if your leader is wrong, and you can prove it wrong using their own Bible, you still have to go by and teach the bad doctrine until the leaders themselves change the doctrine--sometimes to something even worse.

9. The witlesses have decentralized control--a blatant lie. This is one fact that even many active witlesses do not know. Whatever decisions they make at headquarters are relayed to branches throughout the world, and they are required to abide by such decisions. Exceptions may be made if a doctrine threatens legality of the "religion", but only on paper.

10. There are multiple avenues of appeal on judicial hearings. It's just that, once you use one avenue, all others are redundant and will lead to the identical conclusions.

11. There is nothing exotic about the worship of the witlesses--that is, until you start cross-examining the religion with the Bible that they claim to abide by. Is it actually in the Bible that Christians are supposed to be going from door to door? And, is it scriptural that most members are going to reject Jesus during the Memorial? And mysticism--what about that myth that Adam's "sin(??)" means we all owe God to just plain give up our lives and waste it in service? That is common with all Christianity, but the witlesses take it to the extreme after bashing other religions for mysticism.

12. Individuals can contribute suggestions directly to headquarters. It's just that they will not be answered (a few might be, with much hype--even that could well be fake). And, you will probably hear from Brother Hounder if you make such a contribution--in the form of a judicial committee for "apostasy".

13. The witlesses have no financial obligation to local congregations or headquarters. They are only hounded to death. And recently, they are getting more aggressive at that. Debit and credit cards (so you can go into debt contributing), guilt trips, "suggested" quotas where you will be viewed as "weak" if you don't make your "suggested" donation, and various threats are used to coerce people into donating. And, if ample donations are made and the congregation accounts reach around $3000, they bleed the account to headquarters. A vote is taken about this in the form of resolution, but anyone voting against it will be in for hounding.

I would say that the witlesses are a cult--and liars to boot.

JW FOOL COMMENTS ON WHY I'TS NOT A CULT !