according to 30% of the following definitions.
that leaves 70% that show quite the opposite.
so -- are they a cult?
Steve Hassan is a Jew and clearly does not define all religions by his definition of "Cult"
What does being Jewish have to do with the way a person defines the word cult?
By the definition provided above, some Jewish groups would be considered cults while quite a few Christian groups and most eastern religions would not be considered cults.
I don't understand your statement here.
this is a common reply to any evidence given about false doctrines taught by the witnesses.. we all know that every religion has its faults and scandals.
so why do we tolerate these imperfections in those faiths and not in the witnesses?.
my answer: because other faiths admit that they are basing their doctrines on faith alone or tradition.
Who says that the Isrealites were God's chosen people? The Isrealites? Isn't that the same thing?
as jehovahs witnesses we were taught that the truth (belief) unifies every aspect of our lives and is of paramount importance.
are other like religions like this also?
do they emphasize belief to the same extent?.
sweeping statements? - where? I'm particularly interested in pentecostalism because I have been following godrulz' reasoning and holding it up to what i vaguely know of the religion. Initially I was actually going to test catholicism as I am more familiar with that and JWs condemn them a lot.
If you are only researching pentecoastals, then you cannot generalize with the word "religion." The sweeping statement is that "religion" is - ether based on belief alone or not - when you are basing research on just one religion.
You do know that godrulz was never a JW, correct?
my hypothesis in part addresses that this is perhaps what religion is about - lifestyle rather than beliefs.
My statement was my answer to your question - based on religion in general. I have no knowledge of the pentecostal faith. I misunderstood your premise; I thought you were trying to make a statement about religion, not just one specific religion.
re: case studies - I was under the impression from your second post that you were writing a case study, my mistake
Hmm - Some academic disciplines are like this too. some commercial organisations too, political ones too. I'm trying to put religion on a plane with other fields of human activity where they were before the enlightenment separated them into a tight little corner and investigate my question from a much broader perspective and hope to elucidate what holds many JWs in even when their beliefs have broken down.
I've always held that religion and politics are more alike than not.
What will observations of JWs tell you about pentecostals?
this is a common reply to any evidence given about false doctrines taught by the witnesses.. we all know that every religion has its faults and scandals.
so why do we tolerate these imperfections in those faiths and not in the witnesses?.
my answer: because other faiths admit that they are basing their doctrines on faith alone or tradition.
Rocky the point in your post I think is key is that they can't question.
Yes, that is my point! But what do others think? I used to think that all religions operated this way - believe or you are gone. But I constantly question the existence of God with the religion I currently associate with and I am always welcome and encouraged to express my questions for discussion.
Witnesses use imperfection in other faiths to prove they are false religion, and then explain their own imperfection away as being "human." I was hoping for some thoughts on this seemingly hypocritical standard.
according to 30% of the following definitions.
that leaves 70% that show quite the opposite.
so -- are they a cult?
I like this thread about the definition of the word cult and the common perception of the word "cult"
this is a common reply to any evidence given about false doctrines taught by the witnesses.. we all know that every religion has its faults and scandals.
so why do we tolerate these imperfections in those faiths and not in the witnesses?.
my answer: because other faiths admit that they are basing their doctrines on faith alone or tradition.
This is a common reply to any evidence given about false doctrines taught by the Witnesses.
We all know that every religion has its faults and scandals. So why do we tolerate these imperfections in those faiths and not in the Witnesses?
My answer: Because other faiths admit that they are basing their doctrines on faith alone or tradition. And, a lot of other faiths allow dissention and discussion among their followers. Therefore, I would caution any potential convert to really check out whether questioning and discussion is encouraged in the new group. Because, face it, every belief system is based on one of two unprovable doctrines - that God exists or that God does not exist.
as jehovahs witnesses we were taught that the truth (belief) unifies every aspect of our lives and is of paramount importance.
are other like religions like this also?
do they emphasize belief to the same extent?.
my case study re is religon only to do with belief is going to be based on pentecostalism.
If you are going to make a sweeping statement about what religion is based on, you should research more than one sect of one branch of one religion. In my opinion, religion is more about lifestyle than belief. There is a large group of "believers" who are not well versed in what their religion teaches, yet feel attached by the way of life that is connected to that religion. Only high control, fundamental religions are so obsessed with their followers accepting every doctrine and belief.
Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't case studies supposed to provide all of the information about a certain situation and allow the person/people reading the study to come to a conclusion based on the information? If you are researching and writing a paper to prove a point, then you are writing an essay or thesis. So, are you writing a case study, or an essay or thesis of some sort?
i was reading terry's experience of running into dubs at the car wash and his feelings aftewards.
thought i'd share my experience on a new thread instead of interrupting his.. i saw some dubs yesterday myself.
better stated - i thought i saw some dubs.. sunday mornings for me since leaving the jw faith consist of going to either a starbucks or a locally owned coffee shop and enjoying my coffee, danish and newspaper in a nice leather chair with ottoman.
It is funny how much they stand out to us former JWs, yet other people barely notice them unless they try to push literature. Sort of like when you drive a certain kind of car and forever afterward you see them everywhere.
i'm sort of angry right now.. no, not angry..... i'm shaky.
at least, when i lift my cup of coffee to my lips, sitting here at starbucks, my hand is trembly.. i hate that!.
the power they have to still reach me on some hidden point that hides in the corners of my very being.... .
You did well. I am sure they heard the sincerity and the emotion of your experience in your voice. That is worth so much more than a string of information that they are prepared to blow off as apostate lies. Good job.
Though, I'm sorry you had to endure that rush of panic and pain. It does get better with repeated contact. They come to my door all the time, so I have gotten used to it.
[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>normal</w:view> <w:zoom>0</w:zoom> <w:trackmoves /> <w:trackformatting /> <w:punctuationkerning /> <w:validateagainstschemas /> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:saveifxmlinvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:ignoremixedcontent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext> <w:donotpromoteqf /> <w:lidthemeother>en-gb</w:lidthemeother> <w:lidthemeasian>x-none</w:lidthemeasian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>x-none</w:lidthemecomplexscript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables /> <w:snaptogridincell /> <w:wraptextwithpunct /> <w:useasianbreakrules /> <w:dontgrowautofit /> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark /> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp /> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables /> <w:dontvertalignintxbx /> <w:word11kerningpairs /> <w:cachedcolbalance /> </w:compatibility> <w:browserlevel>microsoftinternetexplorer4</w:browserlevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont m:val="cambria math" /> <m:brkbin m:val="before" /> <m:brkbinsub m:val=" " /> <m:smallfrac m:val="off" /> <m:dispdef /> <m:lmargin m:val="0" /> <m:rmargin m:val="0" /> <m:defjc m:val="centergroup" /> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440" /> <m:intlim m:val="subsup" /> <m:narylim m:val="undovr" /> </m:mathpr></w:worddocument> </xml><!
[endif][if gte mso 10]> <style> /* style definitions */ table.msonormaltable {mso-style-name:"table normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"times new roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif].
over the last couple of years, i have done a lot of reading, and rather than answering my questions, it has made me think even more - particularly about god and the bible.. when i was kicked out of the wtbts, it was because of my personal belief in jesus.
Believers believe because they want to.
Well said, startingover. I don't think this is a bad thing as long as they don't use that belief to hurt others. Though, I would like to see more believers admit that they believe because they choose to despite the lack of evidence instead of insisting that there is no other reasonable conclusion.
