DEFINING CULTS This is long, so I have tried to give you the core points in the first 3 or 4 paragraphs. After that, you may wish to read on for some detailed discussion.
Difficulty in Definitions: Trying to define what constitutes a Cult is similar to botanists trying to define weeds from the general plant population. If you stick to tight fitting technical definitions and legalism, you will always find exceptions to the rules, and be left with an incomplete definition. Weeds are today simply defined as plants that most people do not want. Yet, when we see a weed, we seem to know it, and can eliminate it from our lawns and gardens.
Abandoning the old approach in favor of a new approach: Defining a cult requires that we go beyond strict legalism, black and white alternatives, rigid lines, all or nothing choices, good and bad labels, and focus on something that will enable us to achieve a tangible definition, and at the same time accommodate some level of flexibility to deal with the exceptions.
In human biology we cannot say that a cancerous cell is necessarily, all the time a danger, or that it is not a cell. Cancer cells are legitimate cells, a type of "species" if you will allow that expression, that attack our bodies as part of the natural progression of living organisms that compete for survival. Our bodies are dealing with all kinds of problems, including containing and killing cancerous cells. Rather, when cancer cells reach certain “levels” of extremes, in either location, quantity, or in their ability to get around our immune system, they then become life-threatening, requiring special treatments.
What then is a new or better approach to defining cults? I will get into that. But, I can say up front that defining a Cult versus a healthy Normal Group, is much like defining a Quack Doctor verses a Legitimate Doctor. Both may have many of the same drugs and treatments. But a Legitimate Doctor knows what is needed and in what proportion. A Quack may know, but likely does not know, nor does a Quack care about the proper treatment or dose level – a Quack only cares about money or power over his/her clients. Unfortunately, some Legitmate Doctors are not good in their profession, and some Quacks are very smart, and can come across as doctors. Likewise, a Cult takes what could be healthy social acts in very limited trace amounts, and provides such concentrated doses, and uses emotional treatments not helpful to the problems of the members, and over time will kill some members, and cause permanent damage to others.
Two Historical ways to define Cults: Typically, major religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism have sub-cultures within their belief systems that can and often are defined as ‘cults’ by virtue of their errant or odd system of doctrinal interpretation. Recently, we have seen how a large portion of Islam have disclaimed groups like Al Qaida and the Taliban as fanatics, radical cults, due to their misuse and errant interpretation of Islam. Doctrinal definitions are very poor, as they often are a battle between a super majority and a small minority – a battle of opinions and views.
The other way ‘Cults are defined is how they behave socially. As a result, psychologists, therapists and other related professionals can apply the term ‘Cult’ to any number of social groups and organizations. There are business cults, such as some network marketing schemes, there are medical-health food cults, political cults, racial and ethnic cults, religious and other types. Religious cults often dominate the population because they appear to provide the best breeding ground for cults to grow and flourish like cancer.
Lifton’s Criteria: Lifton uses 8 criteria to define a cult. I believe that he left some items out and used some items that are not truly and toally characteristic of a Cult, or not truly "defining" of cults alone. But, they are useful enough to discuss here. My argument is not so much about “strict” application of a criteria that could be a feature of non-cult groups, but my basis is that of DEGREES or EXTREMES. I will RATE the JWs based on the extent they appear to exhibit a “cult” trait or tendency:
1. MILIEU CONTROL the most basic feature is the control of human communication within and environment if the control is extremely intense, it becomes internalized control -- an attempt to manage an individual's inner communication control over all a person sees, hears, reads, writes (information control) creates conflicts in respect to individual autonomy groups express this in several ways: Group process, isolation from other people, psychological pressure, geographical distance or unavailable transportation, sometimes physical pressure often a sequence of events, such as seminars, lectures, group encounters, which become increasingly intense and increasingly isolated, making it extremely difficult-- both physically and psychologically--for one to leave. sets up a sense of antagonism with the outside world; it's us against them closely connected to the process of individual change (of personality)
Communication Control is used by political and religious cults. To the “degree” that communication is controlled, this will affect the level of danger. Our social media can control communication and is often biased, but within a cult, this control runs from the ‘fear’ of outsiders say, thus avoiding listening to them, to total communication blocking, as one would find in an isolated commune or compound. JW are clearing ‘fearful’ of outside information, but have access, and depending on each individual will expose themselves to non-Watchtower sources of information. In this, I rate them as a low level danger.
2. MYSTICAL MANIPULATION (Planned spontaneity) extensive personal manipulation seeks to promote specific patterns of behavior and emotion in such a way that it appears to have arisen spontaneously from within the environment, while it actually has been orchestrated totalist leaders claim to be agents chosen by God, history, or some supernatural force, to carry out the mystical imperative the "principles" (God-centered or otherwise) can be put forcibly and claimed exclusively, so that the cult and its beliefs become the only true path to salvation (or enlightenment) the individual then develops the psychology of the pawn, and participates actively in the manipulation of others the leader who becomes the center of the mystical manipulation (or the person in whose name it is done) can be sometimes more real than an abstract god and therefore attractive to cult members legitimizes the deception used to recruit new members and/or raise funds, and the deception used on the "outside world"
This criteria is clearly a religious and at times a political or business feature. Again, one can see how this criteria might be manipulated in degrees or extremes. The JW religion does this to the extent that it is made to seem Jehovah is behind their every move and organizational advancement. I rate them mid-level in extreme on this, because there are cults that goes to greater extremes.
3. THE DEMAND FOR PURITY the world becomes sharply divided into the pure and the impure, the absolutely good (the group/ideology) and the absolutely evil (everything outside the group) one must continually change or conform to the group "norm" tendencies towards guilt and shame are used as emotional levers for the group's controlling and manipulative influences once a person has experienced the totalist polarization of good/evil (black/white thinking), he has great difficulty in regaining a more balanced inner sensitivity to the complexities of human morality the radical separation of pure/impure is both within the environment (the group) and the individual ties in with the process of confession -- one must confess when one is not conforming
This criteria is almost entirely used in religions. The more extreme and dangerous, the more the demands for purity in every detail of life. JWs are clearly among the most dangerous in this regard. I rate them high level in their purist theology and practices.
4. CONFESSION cultic confession is carried beyond its ordinary religious, legal and therapeutic expressions to the point of becoming a cult in itself sessions in which one confesses to one's sin are accompanied by patterns of criticism and self-criticism, generally transpiring within small groups with an active and dynamic thrust toward personal change is an act of symbolic self-surrender makes it virtually impossible to attain a reasonable balance between worth and humility a young person confessing to various sins of pre-cultic existence can both believe in those sins and be covering over other ideas and feelings that s/he is either unaware of or reluctant to discuss often a person will confess to lesser sins while holding on to other secrets (often criticisms/questions/doubts about the group/leaders that may cause them not to advance to a leadership position) "the more I accuse myself, the more I have a right to judge you"
This criteria is almost entirely well suited in religious cults. The degree to which one is forced to confess and submit to religious authority determines the degree of being a dangerous cult. Groups like Jim Jones People’s temple used confessions to blackmail members, especially those who would pose a danger to the organization. JWs, with their Judicial Committee and Total Shunning tool are highly dangerous to members. While confessions, to my knowledge, are not used for blackmail in the financial sense, they are used strongly in the emotional sense, and JWs who confess ‘sins’ are subjugated to powerful mind-control. Even years after a person leaves the JWs, guilt, doubt, fear, and uncertainty about new decisions often leave some emotionally paralyzed and unable to move on in life. The JW religion is at a high level rating in this criteria.
5. SACRED SCIENCE the totalist milieu maintains an aura of sacredness around its basic doctrine or ideology, holding it as an ultimate moral vision for the ordering of human existence questioning or criticizing those basic assumptions is prohibited a reverence is demanded for the ideology/doctrine, the originators of the ideology/doctrine, the present bearers of the ideology/doctrine offers considerable security to young people because it greatly simplifies the world and answers a contemporary need to combine a sacred set of dogmatic principles with a claim to a science embodying the truth about human behavior and human psychology
This criteria is well suited to both political and religious cults. This criteria alone, above and beyond all other criteria, embodies the root core of the Watchtower religion. The JW leaders are experts in maintaining a rigid environment where critical thinking and questioning are prohibited, and the mystical Governing Body and the even more mystical ORGANIZATION are the real god of the JW. I rate them at a high level of danger in this criteria.
6. LOADING THE LANGUAGE the language of the totalist environment is characterized by the thought-terminating cliche (thought-stoppers) repetitiously centered on all-encompassing jargon "the language of non-thought" words are given new meanings -- the outside world does not use the words or phrases in the same way -- it becomes a "group" word or phrase
This criteria is among the more “fuzzy” in my opinion. Professional groups, such as engineers, lawyers, doctors, etc. all have a collective and unique level of expressions and language used among their respective professions that is not common to the lay-person. But, the defining point here is how the ‘unique’ or ‘loaded’ language affects thought control. I rate the JWs at about mid-level for this criteria. Yes, they have a certain level of loaded language that affects their mentality, but it is not as all-consuming as other more dangerous groups.
7. DOCTRINE OVER PERSON every issue in one's life can be reduced to a single set of principles that have an inner coherence to the point that one can claim the experience of truth and feel it the pattern of doctrine over person occurs when there is a conflict between what one feels oneself experiencing and what the doctrine or ideology says one should experience if one questions the beliefs of the group or the leaders of the group, one is made to feel that there is something inherently wrong with them to even question -- it is always "turned around" on them and the questioner/criticizer is questioned rather than the questions answered directly the underlying assumption is that doctrine/ideology is ultimately more valid, true and real than any aspect of actual human character or human experience and one must subject one's experience to that "truth" the experience of contradiction can be immediately associated with guilt one is made to feel that doubts are reflections of one's own evil when doubt arises, conflicts become intense [/i]
This criteria can be in political cults, but is more common to religious cults. The JW leadership has exploited this criteria to a great extent. JWs almost routinely shut out their feelings when it conflicts with the teachings and practices of the organization. The “problems” people have with any teachings and practices are routinely turned around to the person to force them to accept that they are the problem, and not the organization. I rate the JW religion high on the scale for this criteria.
8. DISPENSING OF EXISTENCE since the group has an absolute or totalist vision of truth, those who are not in the group are bound up in evil, are not enlightened, are not saved, and do not have the right to exist "being verses nothingness" impediments to legitimate being must be pushed away or destroyed one outside the group may always receive their right of existence by joining the group fear manipulation -- if one leaves this group, one leaves God or loses their transformation, for something bad will happen to them the group is the "elite", outsiders are "of the world", "evil", "unenlightened", etc. sensitivity to the complexities of human morality the radical separation of pure/impure is both within the environment (the group) and the individual ties in with the process of confession -- one must confess when one is not conforming[/i]
While this criteria can be in political groups, it is best suited to religious groups. This criteria is clearly a deep-rooted phenomenon of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. And even if they are mildly rated on the first seven of Lifton’s criteria, this one alone makes the JWs very emotionally and mentally dangerous. I rate them close to being as extreme as the Jim Jones or David Koresh groups in this criteria.
What then is a CULT?: We can see these criteria in various social organizations. A woman who joins the National Organization of Women (NOW) may find difficulty with the group should they question, debate, and then be forced to leave the group. A man may experience this were he to join some animal rights group, and then later get caught eating a Big Mac. Any person might encounter this with certain right-wing or left-wing political groups. But, when you talk to someone who has left ‘Controlling’ cult-like environments, you will find varying degrees and extremes of the above criteria.
A cult is a group or organization that reaches the extremes of the above criteria, and the degree to which they have lasting affects on former members, is the degree of the danger they hold for members. A cult is a group or organization that more easily exploits the above criteria to the level of controlling members, making it harder and harder to leave, and move on to another life.
A cult can be measured by the extreme and degree of harm it creates. If no harm is caused, then the group or organization is like a plant that everyone likes and wants to keep around, and it likely among the majority accepted in society. As a group or organization moves from the ‘no-harm’ category, and becomes more and more extreme, then to the degree they cause harm, they become like weeds that fewer and fewer people want to keep, and are likely not among the majority in society.
Keywords: Degrees; Extremes; Harm; Control; Time are the essentials by which one might judge and define a group or organization to be a cult:
Degree: The level to which they exploit certain criteria.
Extreme: The extent to which they become emotionally and mentally dangerous
Harm: The net results that hurt members and former members.
Control: The power that an organizations exercises to keep members from leaving
Time: The exposure within the organization, the personal submission, and the time required to heal after leaving the group.
Conclusion: Our bodies need lead and arsenic. Our bodies use trace amounts of these elements and compounds. Our bodies likewise need vitamin A. Yet, if any of these and other useful elements are taken in concentrated doses, over prolonged periods, and exceed the levels we need, then they become TOXIC, and can kill us. Some of these can, with “Time” be reduced and our bodies returned to normal, depending on which toxin we are talking about.
So, essentially, a Cult is like a Quack Doctor, it takes some normal things, and then with criminal intent, administers these in TOXIC forms in ignorance or with malice of forethought to harm memebers. This is, to me, precisly what makes the Jehovah's Witness religion a cult of moderately dangerously proportions. - Amazing