by Gerard 14 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
"Many religious scholars, though, see a broader definition of religion and the Raelians fit it, they say, just as Scientologists, Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons do. "
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/raelians030103.html
Edited by - Gerard on 3 January 2003 15:40:29
Instead of the word "cult," considered by religious scholars to be the most derogatory term of their field, modern sects are known as "new religious movements" in academic lingo. Just because a belief system is young does not make it wrong, scholars say.
I'm sometimes rather uneasy about the word "cult" because often the people who use this derogatory term are members of a pretty nutty religion themselves, albeit a much older more established and socially accepted one!
Believe extraterrestrials created humans. The Elohim will not come back to Earth until there is world peace and an embassy has been built in Jerusalem.
I think the above is the scariest thing of all about this crazy guy. Doesn't the bible say that the antichrist will sit in the temple and declare himself God?
"Yesterday's cult is tomorrow's religion,"
Arguably the ultimate goal of every cult: legitimization and social acceptance...except for JWs.
A century ago, Americans considered Mormons cultists, in part because of their polygamous ways. But now, many prominent Americans belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Mormons (who no longer advocate polygamy) are officially mainstream.
"Officially" as determined by other authoritarian structures, which includes getting enough of your own members into that "structure" to make official sanction feasible. JWs will never do this.
Usually, successful new religious groups are evangelistic and aggressive about recruiting members, and maintain a fairly low level of tension with mainstream society, Melton said.
Maintaining a high level of tension has always been one of the hallmarks of JWs: religion is a snare and a racket, Supreme Court appeals, non-participation in any and all political activities, refusal of blood transfusions...anything that suits the moment to make JWs conspicuously different from mainstream society.
The WTS wants to be a cult, likes being a cult and will always be a cult...just so long as you don't CALL it a cult.
Gerard, very interesting info. Thanks for the post!
Craig
The WTS wants to be a cult, likes being a cult and will always be a cult...just so long as you don't CALL it a cult.
Absolutely spot on onacruse! Social acceptance means that the Witnesses no longer "mirror" first century Christians.
Watchtower 15 February 1994 Page 5:
"Evidently, this new group established by Jesus Christ was considered by some to be a religious group with radical views and practices that clashed with what was accepted in those days as normal social behavior. Undoubtedly, many today would have considered the Christians a destructive cult."
Because of this attitude of likening themselves to Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul and their followers, Jehovah's Witnesses would be very uneasy if they were accepted by the establishment. This would blur the edges between them and other religions, ruining the precious "no part of the world" tag.
The Raelians are based in Quebec; One day as I was driving across a bridge into Montreal I saw this immense billboard that showed the head of your typical X-Files alien and with bright letters read: "The true face of God."
Seven years ago, Raelians payed up to $100,000 to Claude "Rael" Vorilhon -who by the way, dresses as if out of a Star Treck movie- to have him send their genome (their own genetic sequence) telepaticaly to a far-away planet, where they suposedly make a clone of you with your own memories and live eternal life. When I explained him that experience and memories are not encoded by DNA, he just told me: "That's when faith is needed".
An artist's impression of "Yahweh" - the man Rael met with.
Warp 10... Engage!
Edited by - Gerard on 5 January 2003 13:47:0
I was a Raelian once, but because of conflicting views, I was de-raeled.
Warp 10... Engage!
ROTFLMFAO
LMAO@ No-One!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good one!!!!!!....rocky220
Being genetic experiments could explain alot when it comes to our evolution. Sitchin has very good and well thought out theories on this subject. Unfortunately he's a nut case like the rest of them. Let's see if these people commit suicide with another passing comet. As for the "cult" word, I think people forget that Christianity was nothing more than a cult back at its beginings.
edited to add: Scientology is just about the same as this "new religion". Higher level scientology believes that your afterlife is spent on a distant planet. The have all kinds of strange rituals to go with that as well.
Edited by - gsx1138 on 3 January 2003 22:45:45
