When did the watchtower become a cult?

Gadget

From looking at various cult information, and warning signs of an unsafe group I beleive the jw's to be a cult, but how did they become one? It started as a religious periodical in the 1870s, and somehow progressed to being a faith, a religion, and then from there progressed to become a cult. When did this happen, and how?

logansrun

I don't think there is a sharp line seperating "cults" from "not a cult" groups. It's an evolution.

The early "Bible Students" exhibited some cult-like tendencies and flakey beliefs right from the beginning. Perhaps the "cultishness" of the JWs reached it's zenith when the mantle was given to Rutherford. Maybe they are more cult-like now than ever before. It's a very subjective question.

B.

JH

Well, by their own definition, a cult is any relgion that's not in the truth.

Did the Watchtower ever have the truth? With all the false dates, and bad advice, I don't think they ever had the truth, in my opinion, they always were a cult.

Matty

I remember that Spicey asked the same question some time ago on this forum and also WTO and you might be interested in the answers she got:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/59611/1.ashx

http://kent.steinhaug.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2418

edited to make 2nd link "clickable" - Scully
oops, never mind

heathen

I agree they were a cult from day one . Russel was nothing but a con man like most in the religious sector . All religion are cults .

ESTEE

Day 1..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ESTEE

Euphemism

The early "Bible Students" exhibited some cult-like tendencies and flakey beliefs right from the beginning.

That's a good point, Bradley.

I don't think that merely flakey beliefs make a group a cult... but the near idolization of Russell, to some extent, did. I think a big milestone on the way to becoming a cult was the period from 1908-1910, if my memory serves. That was when Russell openly and clearly contradicted both himself and the Bible by changing the New Covenant doctrine. A large number left. For those who remained, I would think that was when the cognitive dissonance really started. It was also around then, I believe, that Russell started insisting that they study only his books, and not the Bible.

The zenith of cultishness, I would guess, came in the 50's, when a much greater effort started to control personal behavior, and disfellowshipping started to be used on a wide scale. That was the point when the control became absolute.

Gerard

What is a major religion?

A major religion is defined as major mostly by their size in members and those practicing that particular faith.

What is a cult?

They teach that man makes himself right with God by doing good deeds and by following the teachings of the cult, and especially, of the leader.
They're leaders always claim to have new interpretaions of the Bible or new revelations which members must believe.
They lay claim to the Bible but distort what is in it to fit teachings which are not consistent to the Bible as a whole.
They believe that either Jesus Christ is not diety and lower Him to the level of man or they raise man to the level of Christ.
They believe that they were given special authority to separate from a major religion and are better qualified than the original faith.
www.ao.net/~jmo/john/personal/ one&only.html

got my forty homey?

I would say in my personal opinion that it would be the 1970's. This is when the many bans started over members lives. Cigarrette smoking, police officers, disfellowshipping, code words, lowering of high standards from earlier decade (field service hour quota's). Then the Eighties really tightened things up, the return of Presiding Overseers, frowning upon gatherings, the discouraging of college.

When did the watchtower become a cult?

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