Sect or cult?

by Cady 65 Replies latest jw friends

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  Cady

  So I finally decided to get my a** to the library and read some real research on cults. The book I'm starting with is "Psychodynamic Perspectives on Religion, Sect and Cult."

  In the introduction they mention Margaret Thaler Singer's definition of a destructive cult as an organization in which:

  1. A leader claims divinity or special relationship with God. (The GB consist of members of the 144,000 - at least that was the case when I left - which obviously this would apply to.)
  2. A leader who is the sole judge of a member's actions or faith. (This is iffy - the JC ends up being that way, but I'm still not sure of this one...)
  3. Totalitarian governance. (Totalitarian: centralized and dictatorial: relating to or operating a centralized government system in which a single party without opposition rules over political, economic, social, and cultural life. Yep, fits.)
  4. Totalistic control over member's daily lives.
  5. Exclusivity and isolation.
  6. Development of deep emotional dependence.
  7. Prohibition of critical analysis and independent thinking.
  8. Utilization of methods of ego destruction and mind control (such as everything that brings pleasure is wrong lol, ey?)
  9. Exploitation of a member's finances (hmm...I don't know - I may get yelled at for this one, but I don't think the jws are as intensive in this area as some more "mainstream" religions.)
  10. Underemployment and exploitative working conditions.

  I didn't comment on all of them b/c I don't think there's even a question on some.

  What I'm wondering about is this: the jws fit very well into the above criteria. But later, when defining the distinction between a cult and a sect, Halperin says: "The cult differs from the sect in its totalistic preoccupation with its leader. Within a sect the theology of the parent groups retains its ability to restrain any excesses on the part of sect leader. Within sects, the leader is usually not granted infallibility over every aspect of the member's lives and authority is delimited by dogma. While the sect leader may live in a grandiose manner, the individuals' privations and loss of autonomy are less complete. Moreover, within the sect, the leader as well as the individual member are bound by the group's ideology. Within a cult, responsibilities descend and privileges ascend leading to the creation of a a closed system based on the 'installation of guilt for doubt and coercion for faith' (RT Barnhouse, personal communication, 1980)" (p. xxi).

  The way in which jws never quite fit the pure def of a "cult" is that there isn't one idealized or deified leader. And the gb are expected to be the best example of a jw - they're not (theoretically) above the law themselves. Ideas?
• 

  defd

  Main Entry: cult Pronunciation: 'k&lt Function: noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: French & Latin; French culte, from Latin cultus care, adoration, from colere to cultivate -- more at WHEEL 1 : formal religious veneration : WORSHIP 2 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents Main Entry: sect Pronunciation: 'sekt Function: noun Etymology: Middle English secte, from Middle French & Late Latin & Latin; Middle French, group, sect, from Late Latin secta organized ecclesiastical body, from Latin, course of action, way of life, probably from sectari to pursue, frequentative of sequi to follow -- more at SUE 3 a : a group adhering to a distinctive doctrine or to a leader By these to definitions I would have to say we are both. D.
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  Gerard

  The way in which jws never quite fit the pure def of a "cult" is that there isn't one idealized or deified leader.

  
  I disagree with you. The "leader" is the Watchtower. Remember: Kingdom interests' (WTBTS of NY, Inc) first and its voice is the will of Jehovah.
• 

  AuldSoul

  Cady,

  Hi! And I'm glad you do research. One thought on this:

  A leader who is the sole judge of a member's actions or faith.

  According to JW teachings, Jesus is only the judge of such things at Armageddon, not before. The elders are judges, but they are given criteria (law) by which to judge that is often not based on the Bible. The law they are given comes from the Governing Body who retain absolute teaching authority and absolute authority in matters of judgment.

  It is a cult, in the darkest sense of the term. People, especially apostates, seem to shy away from applying this term to JWs. I hear people say that JWs are not like the Branch Davidians. I call bullsh**! They don't do the identical things, but they are very much alike. Cults prey on people who are easy to persuade and use emotional appeal, as opposed to logical appeal, to win adherents. Cults are determined by their authority structure and by the impacts on those under authority. By this criteria, JWs are the worst kind of cult. The fact that their authority is so absolute that they could order mass suicide and many would comply should be enough to prove it.

  If the Catholic Church ordered mass suicide you would see mass exodus or just failure to comply. If the Governing Body ordered it I would not be surprised if 3,000,000 and more people ceased to exist.

  AuldSoul
• 

  Lady Lee

  A leader claims divinity or special relationship with God. (The GB consist of members of the 144,000 - at least that was the case when I left - which obviously this would apply to.)

  A leader who is the sole judge of a member's actions or faith. (This is iffy - the JC ends up being that way, but I'm still not sure of this one...)

  Just because the leader is a group of men doesn't mean the application deoesn't fit. These are a group of men who on the whole are looked to as the leader. They have found a way to have absolute power. When they print something or announce it everyone is expected to obey without question. They have placed themselves as a mediator between God and men (actually just a group - 144,000)

  Totalitarian governance (Totalitarian: centralized and dictatorial: relating to or operating a centralized government system in which a single party without opposition rules over political, economic, social, and cultural life. ; Yep, fits.)

  yes it fits

  Totalistic control over member's daily lives.

  The WTS/GB controls what JWs do, whom they associate with, marriage and practices within the marriage, discipline of children; who they are allowed to talk to and acssociate with; what to wear; what kind of medical treatment to accept, even what to think. This list goes on and on.

  Exclusivity and isolation.

  According to them the only road to salvation is throught them (thought that was Christ but they have a different spin). They are the sole spokesmen for God on earth today

  Development of deep emotional dependence.

  "Where else are we to go?"

  Prohibition of critical analysis and independent thinking.

  Once a person is baptized any serious questioning of JW doctrine is called apostasy. If a person comes to a conclusion through their own Bible study that the WTS is wrong they are branded an apostate and DFed. But later the WTS changes their "new light" to agree with the individual's research there is no apology. There is no acceptance of responsibility for the damage done to the person. They are accused of "jumping ahead" of the organization.

  Utilization of methods of ego destruction and mind control (such as everything that brings pleasure is wrong lol, ey?)

  Yup.

  Exploitation of a member's finances (hmm...I don't know - I may get yelled at for this one, but I don't think the jws are as intensive in this area as some more "mainstream" religions.)

  They may not be as intensive outwardly because it is more subtle. JWs are encouraged to leave high school and take up the pioneering work. Those who do go on to persue higher education are often marked within the cong. Family men are also encouraged to do just enough work to take care of the essential family needs and use the reat of their time in service (do more, more and more) Of course, this results in low paying jobs. And lately the WTS has become quite blatant in requesting funds from the R&F

  Underemployment and exploitative working conditions.

  See above. Many become sick as a result of the perssure to perform. Those with businesses are "encouraged" to hire other JWs. And many get taken advantage of. All JWs work in distributing the litterature for free. Those who go to Bethel work unreasonable hours with no pay (the pittance they get cannot be called a salary). The get no benefits for time served. Special pioneers who have worked for years get no benefits. Now the elders are told that if someone decides to sue the elder for mishandling a problem the elder is on his own - after he has followed the direction provided by headquarters!!! All work - no play or benefits - pretty exploitive
• 

  Cady

  Awesome points all...esp AuldSoul, what you said about the 3 mill jws who would prob cease to exist if the gb ordered a mass suicide. That hit home b/c I think it's very true. And G., I hadn't though of the WTBTS as a "leader" but you're right, it's the godhead. And LadyLee, your points about financial exploitation are well taken.

  I tend to argue very strongly against that for which I believe, at least in this matter, b/c I'm always concerned that my personal anger is clouding my judgement. I see that at times in class. We were reading Skinner's "Walden Two" and I kept seeing mind control and the rest of the class was on a totally different bent. I've begun to realize more and more that I'm going to have to do my grad school work on cults (well, "new religious movements" is the pc term) and so I know I'm going to have to eradicate that personal hatred or I won't make it. Even though I totally believe jws are a destructive cult, my personal belief doesn't quite equate to respected research.

  Halperin closes the intro with a quote from Yeats that's amazing:

  The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

  The best lack all conviction, while the worst

  Are full of passionate intensity.

  Surely some revelation is at hand;

  Surely the Second Coming is at hand.

  The Second Coming!...

  And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

  Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?
• 

  AK - Jeff

  If not a pure cult by definition - certainly Jw's have cultish idealisms.

  Sects are less intrusive I would think - and less isolationist -

  How about calling them a destructive cult-sect?

  If the Wt leaders announced that 'A' had started, like Koresh did, the witness ilk would react in much the same way, IMHO. They would quit jobs, hide out with other JW's, and wait to die or survive. And whatever commands came from the GB, they would follow to the T. I can't find a true difference between that and the way the Davidians worshipped Koresh.

  I vote CULT!

  Jeff
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  heathen

  I think def'd made a good point in showing the actual definition of cult . All religions are cults by that definition . From what I understand it was actually coined by the "orthodox" church of england in an attempt to defame other sects .The WTBTS is a very secluded cult they demand members to only associate with other members they demand complete and total obedience , their dogma even causes people to die in situations of medical emergency . The only time they reported child abuse to authorities is when the government passed laws requiring them to do so .They apparently had no conscience over it and did victimize the victim in many cases .
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  TheListener

  What about high control group?
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  zen nudist

  when I was existing JWs I read many cult deprogramming books and I was struck by the fact that if Jesus were a real person, he would perfectly fit their definitions of a cult leader and early christianity would be no different from anything they call a cult today.