I don't believe the question is binary. All religions are cults its just a matter of degree.
Religion or Cult - How to Tell The Difference
by cofty 22 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Pams girl
I agree Cofty, there is certainly degrees of overlapping.
Hope you are feeling ok, and keeping warm with all the snow and cold winds. Paula x
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Fernando
Hey Cofty! Although coming from a different direction, I have come to exactly the same conclusion. BTW after a spiritual awakening and journey I now identify as SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious). I believe we are all born SBNR although not awakened spiritually. Religion is a later and illegitimate imposition which deliberately and by design steals our faith and salvation, sets us on a destructive and supremacist path of trying to attain self-righteousness, divides us, controls us, dumbs us down, imprisons our minds and free will, blinds us, radicalises us, abuses us and confuses us. As a result, and by design, most folk embrace baby and bathwater (or honey and arsenic) for a season, and then toss out both, without ever having had the opportunity to tell them apart and toss the bathwater (or arsenic). Although the Watchtower misrepresents the facts, rogue Judge JF Rutherford did actually teach and write repeatedly that ALL religion is a snare and a racket. It appears the notion of "false religion" versus "true religion" was a later invention of the WBT$.
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iCeltic
Over lapping, a term I've heard a few times recently :)
Most of my family were/are catholic and have treated me with nothing but respect, while I was a witness and when I left the witnesses, they didn't change at all toward me. My JW friends on the other hand..
Ive been reevaluating everything I think with regard to religion and the bible.
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Joey Jo-Jo
religion
You believe what you want
You wont be judged
its opened to debate
cult
we shower you with love
then we tell you that anyone that isnt part of the religion (cult) should be cut off
we are right, they are wrong
you are doctrinated to think only positive things about the religion (cult)
group mentality is implemented
we tell you what you should read which his what we write and recommend
doubt is a sign of weakness and bad leading to negative outcomes
if you leave a- family and friends shun you b-friends shun you c-you are killed
we implement phobias such as fear of armageddon and if you leave you will not be brought to heaven and will suffer a painfull death, second life will be of an inferior animal etc.
cofty: I dont like that graft, there isn't much in it. I will say that some religiouns are more a cult than others, e.g. some cults used low protein based diets and lack of sleep. But not all religions are cults.
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cofty
religion
You believe what you want
You wont be judgedReally? What religion do you have in mind? Speaking form personal experience of a very relaxed middle-of-the-road protestant evangelical church nobody was free to believe what they want.
Group thinking and dogma applies to all religions without exception
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Joey Jo-Jo
unitarian church...if i am not mistaken, some judaism religions, buddhism
edit: not unitarian, but I have read of some churchs where nobody judges you.
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Vanderhoven7
Distinguishing Marks/Practices of Cults of Christianity:
1. Claim Exclusive Divine Approbation
2. Reduce the Authority of Scripture
3. Ignore Accepted Principles of Hermeneutics
4. Distinguish Themselves Through Extra-biblical Doctrines,
5. Preach a gospel other than Paul's gospel
6. Establish Unbiblical Control Over Members.
7. Demonstrate Doctrinal Instability and Irresponsibility
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cofty
So could a Unitarian teach the deity of Jesus and still be welcome?
The chains are longer in some groups than in others but they are still chains.
As I said in the OP its a matter of degree.
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Joey Jo-Jo
I edited my post, its not that, something else.
Are you only going to argue about religions that are cults, what about buddhism?