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Are there any similiarities between WT and Roman Catholic Church?
by badboy 22 Replies latest jw friends
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fjtoth
Just for starters:
Catholics have a College of Cardinals and JWs have their Governing Body.
Catholics have a pope, and the JWs have a president who, at least in the recent past (Rutherford, Knorr), exercised authority considered to be infallible.
Catholics have clergy and laity categories, and JWs have their Governing Body members; "anointed class;" Bethelites; zone, district and circuit overseers; elders; pioneers; and others who are in a separate category from ordinary congregation publishers.
Catholics have archbishops, and JWs have zone overseers.
Catholics have bishops, and JWs have district and circuit overseers. This comparison may be a bit fuzzy, but there is some resemblance.
Catholics place their church above the Bible, and so do JWs.
Catholics practice shunning through excommunications, and JWs do the same through disfellowshippings.
Catholics for many centuries taught that salvation was dependent upon being a member of their organization. JWs teach that about themselves.
Catholics worship Mary, and JWs worship their "mother organization."
Catholics have their "saints," and JWs have their "anointed."
Catholics have their Vatican City, and JWs have their tax-exempt central headquarters buildings on vast properties in the state of New York.
The Catholic Church has great wealth, and the JW branches worldwide pull in more than a billion US dollars each year.
The pope is said to be "the Vicar of Christ," and JWs equate their leaders with Christ by claiming the WT Society is controlled by and speaks for Jehovah himself as his "channel."
Catholics claim the line of popes extends back to the apostles, and JWs claim their heritage can be traced back to the apostles through various groups such as the Lollards, the Waldenses and others.
For many centuries, the Catholic Church created a climate of fear by use of the Inquisition, the Jesuits, heresy trials and other authoritarian methods, and today JWs stir up fear in their members through heresy or apostasy trials, disfellowshipping committees and secret black lists of persons under suspicion.
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blondie
The WTS and the RCC are very similar regarding their stance current, past, official and unofficial regarding child molesters in their ranks.
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fjtoth
The Catholic Church forbids priests and nuns to marry. While the WT Society hasn't forbidden marriage, it has a record of frowning on marriage and childbearing during the 1940s and early 1950s and of not allowing persons to remain at headquarters if they decided to marry.
Catholic cardinals choose their pope behind closed doors, and the JW Governing Body members make their decisions on all matters behind closed doors.
Catholics make pilgrimages to Rome and to various shrines. JWs make pilgrimages (bus tours) to Bethel headquarters and branch offices.
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JAVA
As pointed out by fjtoth, the Tower and RCC share many things in common, except for one:
The Tower is very jealous of the RCC, and the RCC isn't that concerned or jealous of the Tower. No similarities there.
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integ
There are many similarities.
Integ.
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undercover
They both worship an invisible man in the sky who needs money?
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BrendaCloutier
Awesome comparasins!
Doesn't (or didn't) the Catholic Church use the term Apostate extensively? I believe it was a heinous excommunication offense.
Wait, I think they use the term "Hearesy"
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jaffacake
I was brought up a Catholic & went to a Catholic Grammar School until 17, some of the teachers were priests. In many ways I categorise the Catholic Church & JWs as very smilar doctrinally. Similar but at the same time very different. Catholics only claim pope's infallibility on some very specific areas of consideration, wheras WTS must be obeyed in everything.
I was brought up a Roman Catholic and was taught from the Bible that the Church had Gods authority, and that the Popes was infallible but only when making certain types of ruling about key doctrine, not in normal teaching or congregational issues.
I learned Catholic truth which had the following hallmarks:
- The hierarchy was an essential requirement for order in the Church
- We were discouraged from reading critical writing by ex-Catholics
- Other documents were presented as necessary in order to understand Scripture
- The leadership was a necessary link between God and the people
- Very apocalyptic; ie. prophecies of future events (eg end of the world & imminent possibility of Hell was apocalyptic for every individual)
- Doctrines changed significantly over time as Church claims special
insight from God. - Leadership demands loyalty, (despite Jer 17:5)
- Those outside (non-Catholics) were considered spiritually inferior
- Scriptural salvation (by grace not works) was given lip service. But the need to work for salvation (eg penances & purgatory) was guaranteed
- claims to be faithful & discreet slave
- misuses Acts 15 & Council of Jerusalem to claim authority
- idol worship
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Hondo
fjtoth, you're way out in left field on this one. First off, there are similarities between every religious organizaion in the world today, similar to the ones you state below.
Catholics have a College of Cardinals and JWs have their Governing Body.
Not even a close compaison. College of Cardinals are a representation of a world religion representing 1.1 billion people (1/6th of world population). The Governing Body hides themselves in a bldg in the middle of downtown New York controlling a pithy 6 million dillusional followers.
Catholics have a pope, and the JWs have a president who, at least in the recent past (Rutherford, Knorr), exercised authority considered to be infallible.
Again, no comparison. When all the major news networks cover, for a period of week, the death and election of a WTS president then I will agreee that there is a semblance of similarity.
Catholics have clergy and laity categories, and JWs have their Governing Body members; "anointed class;" Bethelites; zone, district and circuit overseers; elders; pioneers; and others who are in a separate category from ordinary congregation publishers.
No comparison, again. A simple priest only becomes a priest after he finishes up 4-6 years of theological study. He is not elevated to a higher position, as someone moving into an elder slot, simply because he has been around longer than someone else, or is a better speaker. Most, if not all of the clergy of the RCC, speak a foreign language (latin in most cases). Many are multi-lingual, such as the recently deceased Pope, John Paul II, and the new Pope, Benedict 16. Most of the Cardinals have doctorates in theology, such as Benedict 16. And so forth and so on... Again, no comparison.
Catholics have archbishops, and JWs have zone overseers.
No comparison. See above.
Catholics have bishops, and JWs have district and circuit overseers. This comparison may be a bit fuzzy, but there is some resemblance.
No comparison. See above
Catholics place their church above the Bible, and so do JWs.
Negative. I'd like to know where are getting you information.
Catholics practice shunning through excommunications, and JWs do the same through disfellowshippings.
Negative. First off excommunication is very rare and not publically announced. If someone were excommunicated, not many would know about it, let alone shun the individual. Disfellowshipping is not rare. An RCC is not excommunicated for smoking, or attending another church, or questioning what a priest, bishop, or even what the Pope has got to say. And, by the way, every church has a similar disciplinary avenue, but none use it as much as the WTS.
Catholics for many centuries taught that salvation was dependent upon being a member of their organization. JWs teach that about themselves.
Negative. Salvation is through faith and grace.
Catholics worship Mary, and JWs worship their "mother organization."
Negative. Mary is not worshipped. She is not God. She is honored as the mother of God.
Catholics have their "saints," and JWs have their "anointed."
No compaison. How do annointed become annointed. Flash of light, sound of thunder? It normally takes a person, through a great deal of scrutiny and question, years to finally be recognized as a saint. Mother Theresa is currently going through the process and will be lucky to reach saint status, if she does, in the next 20 years.
Catholics have their Vatican City, and JWs have their tax-exempt central headquarters buildings on vast properties in the state of New York.
Have not idea what you mean here. The Vatican is a country, the smallest in the world.
The Catholic Church has great wealth, and the JW branches worldwide pull in more than a billion US dollars each year.
Agree. Not sure what your point is here.
The pope is said to be "the Vicar of Christ," and JWs equate their leaders with Christ by claiming the WT Society is controlled by and speaks for Jehovah himself as his "channel."
Sort of agree with you here, although the Pope has never claimed to get direction through personal communication with angels, as the WTS claims the GB does.
Catholics claim the line of popes extends back to the apostles, and JWs claim their heritage can be traced back to the apostles through various groups such as the Lollards, the Waldenses and others.
RCC's can show a historical documented line a succession. Don't think JW's can. No comparison.
For many centuries, the Catholic Church created a climate of fear by use of the Inquisition, the Jesuits, heresy trials and other authoritarian methods, and today JWs stir up fear in their members through heresy or apostasy trials, disfellowshipping committees and secret black lists of persons under suspicion.
For many centuries, yes. Now, no. Men are imperfect. The RCC past is nothing shout and cheer about. Though through all the good and the bad the RCC has flourished. In contrast, The WTS/JW for past 100 years, and at present, is nothing to shout and cheer about. How many have died over the years because of the cultish doctrines of no blood transfusions, no vaccinations, and no transplants. The RCC has apologised for it's past indescretions. Will the WTS apologise for the death of so many (a good number of them children)? In the past 25 years there were 250 million new members. Converts come to the RCC and remain because of a faith and love for Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the WTS and JW's can't match this, and never will. Their Door-to-door antics are a failure and always will be. As a cult I give them another 15 to 20 years before its members finally figure it out and the organization self destructs.