Yes or No----Do You Believe That JWs Are A Cult?

minimus

I believe they are "cultlike" but I don't think they are a "cult"........And you?

detective

cult. yup. absolutely. cult-city. welcome to cultville. cultorama. cultalingadingdong.

mineralogist

I don't believe they are a cult ... i'm quite sure they are!

Just reading Steve Hassan combatting cult mind control

shotgun

They fit the definition...even they're own of what a cult is..so yes

In my unprofessional, fuzzy opinion, no. I can go along with the label "high-control group", but there's too much diversity of thought and too many people who are JW who break JW rules for me to consider them a cult. They also lack that single human leader with loads of charisma and charm.

talesin

Generally accepted definition of a cult:

1. It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members

2. It forms an elitist totalitarian society

3. Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma

4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds
recruit people

5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society

In answer to your question (if you check the research, scholarly books list JWs as "cult")

YES

Winston Smith :>D

Yes.

Steve Hassan's book Combating mind control defines them as a cult.

Steve admitted that he at first did not know they were a cult until he was exposed to the inner workings of the group from x-jw's, such as Dogpatch

And shotgun is correct as well. The WTS meets it's own definition of a cult as well:

"followers of men"

While a JW may not know who the current president of the WTS is, they make life altering decisions based on men's creed and not the bible;

i.e., acceptable blood compenents, alternative service, 1935 the end of the call to the 'little flock', shunning..., you get the idea.

undercover

Are you positive in your opinion, Stilla? LOL

I used to say no, but I'm leaning toward yes more and more. I don't like the word cult, because in the strictest sense all religions are cults, but in the mind-contorl sense, the WTS does seem to fall into that category. The fact that we can't just walk away without fear of losing family or being ostracised shows that JW's minds are set(controlled) against another JW that dares to try to leave and be independant of their control.