I am on this discussion board for support because I am meeting with the local JWs to discuss Scripture and hopefully plant seeds of doubt that will eventually lead to them leaving the organization.
You may also know that my mother was raised in a different cult , and was df’d for marrying my father (an outsider). This caused great suffering in our family, and we were shunned for many years. I have been researching my own roots, and have discovered some amazing similarities between the two cults which I would like to share with you. This is not to minimize the pain that any of you have gone through, or are going through right now. Rather it is to assure you that you were not alone in being a part of a cult, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Maybe you are still an active JW. If you are reading this, notice the similarities between these CULTS and consider the organization that you have dedicated your life to.
Name of Cult: Taylorites/aka Exclusive Brethren
Founder: J. N. Darby (1800-1882), whose rejection of the authority of the Church of Ireland, in which he was ordained, led to the founding of the Brethren movement. He was a man of great brilliance and vanity, casting himself in the role of the apostle Paul. In 1820 that the ‘Plymouth Brethren’ movement started when a group of Christians met in Plymouth, Devon, in England, for worship and the breaking of bread without the support or use of ordained ministers.
Similarities to WT: a group of independent Christians meeting together, under the leadership of a dynamic leader, rejecting the other church options of the time. They call themselves Brother and Sister.
Early Schisms: In 1848 there was a deep division between Darby and the Plymouth brethren. Darby insisted on separating from people who disagreed with his interpretations of Scripture, and a significant number followed him and became known as ‘Exclusives’. They believed in a universal worldwide network of fellowships, with strong central leadership and a tight control of members.
In contrast, the Plymouth Brethren were called ‘Open Brethren’. For them, each local assembly is independent and believers locally are themselves directly responsible to the Lord, not a human leader. This represents a major difference between the two sections of the Brethren movement. Note that I have been involved in the past with the Open Brethren and they were absolutely not cultic.
F. E. Raven assumed leadership when Darby died but within eight years a major division took place. Those who disagreed with Raven formed a separate assembly. After Raven’s death (1903), his group was led by James Taylor Sr (1870-1953). He insisted that the discussions of the brethren in formal assembly were equivalent in importance to Scripture. Further divisions occurred in 1920, 1935, 1951, 1960-61, and 1970. James Taylor Sr was succeeded by his son James Taylor Jr who died in 1970. James Symington then assumed the Taylorite leadership, followed by John Hales of Australia.
Similarities to WT: divisions among leadership over doctrinal matters, leading to many offshoot groups
Bible Translation
: Darby’s New Translation has the status of original holy writSimilarities to WT: Producing their own doctrine-supporting translation
Location:
There are assemblies in 288 cities, approximately 27,000 members worldwide, mostly of European descent, in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Argentina, Trinidad, St Vincent, Barbados, Jamaica, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and India. All meetings, whatever the native language, must be conducted in English.Similarities to WT: a drop in the bucket compared to orthodox Christianity
Scripture undermined: In theory, Taylorites acknowledge the Bible’s authority, but in practice they compromise it. Raven wrote, ‘If I had to live over again I would study Scripture less and pray more. The great thing for a Christian is to get into his closet and pray. Prayer and meditation’ The statement tends subtly towards subjectivity and places the thoughts of a man above the Word of God.
The Bible’s sufficiency is also undermined. For example, Taylor Sr taught that the Holy Spirit speaks in meetings of the brethren in addition to what is inspired and recorded in the Bible. He insisted that the Holy Spirit is giving us truth today which was not given to the apostles. This ‘new light’ weakens the authority of the Bible over the lives and consciences of the members. They better not reject the teaching given by the ‘man of God’. Therefore members must give total allegiance to their leaders. Significant titles are given to their leader such as ‘the Lord’s representative’, the ‘contemporary Paul’, the ‘great man’ , ‘God’s representative on earth’. John S. Hales was described publicly as ‘the personification of the Holy Spirit’. This status was bolstered by the claim that ‘new light’ was being given to members by God, uniquely through him. As a consequence, the leader’s interpretation and application of Scripture are regarded as binding on members.
Similarities to the WT: New light (yes they use these same terms!), elevation of Men over the the Bible. Allegiance to men as being God's representative and channel of truth.
Legalism:
teaching on ‘separation’ is based partly on 2 Corinthians 6:17 and Amos 3:3. Taylor Jr developed this teaching, appealing to 2 Timothy 2:19-22 as their ‘Magna Carta’. These verses are regarded as the divinely given basis for disassociating oneself from ‘evil’. Separation is compulsory, especially where there is disagreement concerning doctrine and practice as taught by the ‘man of God’. Contact with those in the world should be minimal. In 1959 Taylor Jr began to further develop the ‘separation’ teaching, urging that members should not eat with non-members. Ten years later a member estimated that Taylor had given 150 new ‘directives’, and others were later added. The result is legalism, with consciences bound by human regulations rather than by the Bible.Examples:
Members must not attend religious services outside their exclusive movementNo joining a trade union or a professional association.
They can't live in the same building with non-members; even a semi-detached house is unacceptable as it shares a common wall! This is applied to paths or drive-ways to houses and even to sewers.
"Wordly" business links are also prohibited. They are dependent on one another for employment and financial security.
TV, films, radio, novels, public swimming, a mobile phone or CB radio are all banned. Computers as well as faxes are outlawed. In 1982 their leader, James Symington, maintained that computers are linked to the Antichrist. As a result, many members changed careers to comply with this ‘truth’.
No life insuranceRestrictions on travel
Where possible education should be within the cult. College/university is prohibited.
No house pets.
Beards and moustaches are forbidden
No dating. A couple who want to court and marry must obtain the approval of the ‘man of God’. .
Similarities to the WT: like the Pharisees in the New Testament who distorted and added to the Law, placing a great burden on the lives of Jews, this group also goes beyond the Bible to create burdens on its followers
That is all for now, next post I will discuss one of their key control practices: Disfellowshipping! I hope some of you found these ramblings interesting,
TS