What makes a cult (in the pejorative sense)?

by Vanderhoven7 53 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  carla

  What is missing from this post? Elderberry and his 'loving' opinion.

  Yes Vanderhoven! if there is no graceful way of leaving you are in a cult. I don't care if you are in a garden club and on half says you deserve to die if you plant x over z and we don't want anything to do with you ever again! guess what? that garden club was a cult.

  Most churches and their members would welcome you and wish you to stay but understand the need to move on and wish you well. They would be happy to see you in the store and might even ask if you are happy in your new church but harbor no ill will of your choice. The body of Christ has many parts in most places. Minor disagreements mean nothing in the big picture. Most jw's cannot even understand what I just said, mine can't .
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  LongHairGal

  CARLA:

  So true. And, yes, your JW couldn’t understand any of this to save his life.

  While not being able to leave gracefully is the number one tell-tale sign of a cult, there are other things. There is next-level intrusiveness and no boundaries. This is in every area you can think of, including your choice of employment.. God help you if you don’t look out for yourself! ..The attitude towards women is abominable. There is no real concern for the individual and quite frankly they couldn’t care less if you are breathing.

  I think when you are in a cult it’s a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. Only when you are Out does it become crystal clear what you were a part of!.. I know I felt this way.
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  Vanderhoven7

  Any religion which ostracizes former members through mandated shunning is a cult. Jehovah's Witnesses needlessly break up families and call their evil shunning practices “Jehovah's loving provision”. Stay far away from this brand of counterfeit Christianity.
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  Sea Breeze

  Cults try to make you form a maladaptive relationship with group leadership. It could be any group. Once that happens, the original rationale for the formation of the group to begin with is lost and irrelevant.