I was just listening to a documentary while driving. It was about the Salvation Army past and present. What caught my attention was the similarities between the S.A. and the JWs...
Firstly was the music and how they stubbornly shunned popular and ever changing musical trends by writing and playing their own exclusive hymns for over a century.This made the church inward looking and ignorant to social change which inevitably led to losing touch with the wider world.
Initially they preached but as times moved on they relied on growth via families and keeping the family separate from the world.
A sociologist who was interviewed said that new churches (cults if you like) when they first form, make extreme rules and regulations in an attempt to separate themselves from the traditional Christian religions, to set themselves apart. But as time goes on these rules are eased and church goes into the religious phase where they steer towards the main stream.
The final comments were basically saying the S.A. are in crisis trying to be relevant in this ever changing world.
There was much more but I was concentrating on driving!
Anyone else noticed the similarities?