25 ATTRIBUTES OF A CULT - How does the WTS rate?

cantleave

This list is taken from a college course called “The Psychology of Fundamentalism”offered by the University of Texas
1. the leader is charismatic and often militaristically demanding
2. the leader is always right
3. elitism, the leaders treated as royalty or a sense of awe, hierarchical, authoritarian power structure
4. lower members get no respect, or get abused
5. leader is not held accountable for his actions or the actions of his authority structure
6. leader will not tolerate or receive criticism, but leader criticizes all others
7. there is no exit
8. if members exit they are considered rebellious, out of the will of a higher power or the leader
9. members do not have any association with members that have left the group
10. there are no graduates from the “program” or group, just deserters or evil people
11. there is cult speak (a language many others can not understand)
12. personal attacks on critics or those who are not in the group
13. solidarity within themselves, no outside allegiance or association
14. use of guilt to manipulate members
15. the leaders of group are self absorbed
16. instant community
17. members unable to tell the truth
18. money grubbing
19. newcomers don’t “think right” and need to be trained
20. system of punishment and reward
21. intrusiveness
22. sense of powerless, dependency, covert fear, guilt
23. members and leaders are imbalanced or mentally ill
24. thought stopping language, clichés, or slogans
25. demands of ultra loyalty or ultra trust in the groups process and others

LostGeneration

WT nails pretty much every one of them. They get a pass from most JWs on point one though, no charasmatic leader unless you count 7 boring old codgers as exciting.

One thing they got right was doing away with one leader and going to the GB format, many JWs don't think they are a cult because they don't have a Jim Jones at the top.

happyexjw

25/25

I have seen on a fb jw page how they are accused of being a cult and then listing simular things that you have which resembles a cult and they still cannot identify themselves to the list even though its obvious, its their mind set, they are the 'truth' they can see it with any other cult but they cannot through conditioning see link themselves to the same cultistic behaviour.....that make them 1000% cult

Lady Lee

The charismatic leader-by-committee actually does fit.

Ever seen how enthralled JWs are when they know a speaker is a GB member? Even if he is dull and boring they can say they were there when so-and=so gave the public talk. How exciting for them.

Sometimes it isn't the charisma of the person(s) but rather what people impose upon them.

Found Sheep

CULT!!!

N.drew

# 15 For that I will tell a story. A brother who is still a brother

told me about supper time at Bethel. He told me when soup was served

at supper, usually it had to be eaten cold because the "brother" from

the Governing Body would go on and on about something or other

(and they hadn't of read it already a hundred times in the Watchtower?)

So #2 rule of Christians is to love your neighbor as yourself. So I was wondering

why the brother was not wondering what was going on with that? GB loves cold soup?

N.drew

FYI He did not say he heard it a hundred times, I thought it.

simon17

The charismatic leader-by-committee actually does fit.

Ever seen how enthralled JWs are when they know a speaker is a GB member? Even if he is dull and boring they can say they were there when so-and=so gave the public talk. How exciting for them.

Sometimes it isn't the charisma of the person(s) but rather what people impose upon them.

No, not really. You're describing #3 (people view leaders with awe). The leaders themselves are pretty boring and reclusive almost.

The really interesting question, if you gave this list to a JW, how many would THEY identify as being true. Ten?

baltar447

I think this whole list is pretty dead on, although JWs in the religion aren't likely to see it.

dgp

I would say that the Watchtower is now one step ahead of other cults in that it does not (anymore) have one single "enlightened" leader, but a caste, and a system is in place to bring new ones into the caste. Technically, then, "anyone" can make it to the top. When it's only one individual who controls everything, then his is the fault for everything, and this individual "neutralizes" (kills) every potential competitor, so that the organization dies when he dies; but when it's several individuals, then no one is to blame for anything personally, and, as in George Orwell's 1984, "the party" becomes "immortal". It's not Lenin or Stalin anymore, but the Politburo.

By the way, I'm glad that such a course is taught in universities. Other people will learn to spot cults.

25 ATTRIBUTES OF A CULT - How does the WTS rate?

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