Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult? (alternate title: Balls, Cuts, and Dudes - Oh My!)

by cognisonance 21 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Phizzy

  I find it counter-productive when talking to, or about, Jehovah's Witnesses to use the word "Cult", as it does not convey immediately to most people the ideas that I am trying to get across.

  What I wish people to understand is that they use the B.I.T.E method, and that though on a local level most JW's are in some measure sincere, some are even very loving and Christlike, but the Leadership run it like a cult and ultimately it is a money-making Scam.

  To get diverted form this by discussing what I mean by "cult" is to waste time, and maybe never get my points across.
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  Band on the Run

  Use of the word "cult" bothers me. It has a perjorative usage. With my very close friends, I use the term. I try to use words that connote a cult, such as isolaationist, high control, over reaching, unique doctrines that no other Christians share, destroyer of family, demands loyalty no matter what, discourages education, knows very little Bible info b/c it is never studied. WT lit is studied. Arrogance in expecting God to destroy the universe, demoter of Jesus to a mere angel, many failed predictions, dangerous doctrines applied to blood, vaccines, and meds. Wikipedia states that four or five religions emerged around the same time period and are what we would call wacky. I can only remember the Mormons and JWs. The scholarly term is New Religious M ovement.

  Status religions are ancient which is one reason why Christianity claimed a connection to Judaism. I laugh whenever I think about an angel of the Lord appearing to Joseph Smith in Westchester County, New York.