Jehovah's Witnesses---A Cult or Not?

by minimus 160 Replies latest jw friends

  • OUTLAW
    OUTLAW

    I`m sitting here laughing my Ass off..

    You guys are argueing with JWD`s original Crazy Man..

    "Brown Boy"..

    Now S.O.M..

    Your not going to get anywhere with him..

    He`s Crazy!..

    ...............

  • mrsjones5
    mrsjones5

    SoM, I wouldn't bite you even if you were the last creep on earth...lol

    kiss my black a$$

    no love lost there

  • Lillith26
    Lillith26

    Good for you MrsJones- I wouldn't put that in my mouth either... you dont know where is been.... Yuk! LOL

  • OUTLAW
    OUTLAW

    Josie..

    Don`t give him any Idea`s..

    He`s bad enough with the ones he`s got..

    ...............

  • Son of Man
    Son of Man

    Just one last comment........Most of their teachings are "TRUE". They are misled in some areas as all are. So they are NOTset-apart from mainstream Christianity. All faiths believe they are the "true" faith and "true" church. Only The Kingdom of GOD is the TRUE CHURCH. No others are nor ever will be.

    Bite me is not a literal thing Mrs. Jones. kissy poo to you too lol.......xoxo

  • mrsjones5
    mrsjones5

    The nerve of that SOB. I am on topic and he say's I'm not cuz I'm not agreeing with his freakin drivel. I refuse to call him SOM anymore...he's SOB from now on.

    Yeah, peace out SOB

  • Son of Man
    Son of Man

    The nerve of that SOB. I am on topic and he say's I'm not cuz I'm not agreeing with his freakin drivel. I refuse to call him SOM anymore...he's SOB from now on.


    What did I say? Gee Whiz take a chill pill

  • The Almighty Homer
    The Almighty Homer

    Love bombing

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Love bombing is the deliberate show of affection or friendship by an individual or a group of people toward another individual. Critics have asserted that this action may be motivated in part by the desire to recruit, convert or otherwise influence .

    As of 2005, the phrase can be used in two slightly different ways.

    • Members of the Unification Church , and perhaps members of other groups, use or have used the phrase themselves to mean a genuine expression of friendship, fellowship, interest, or concern.
    • Critics of cults use the phrase with the implication that the " love " is feigned and the practice is manipulative . "Love bombing" is often cited by critics as one of the methods used by some cults and religions to recruit and retain members.

    The history of the term

    The term was used within, and is often associated with, the Unification Church , especially the San Francisco Bay area church known as the "Oakland family." In 1999 testimony to the Maryland Cult Task Force, Ronald Loomis, Director of Education for the International Cultic Studies Association , reflecting his belief that the term was not invented by critics, asserted: "We did not make up this term. The term 'love bombing' originated with the Unification Church, the Moonies . It’s their term. Another group that’s active on many Maryland campuses, the International Churches of Christ , also uses that term." [1]

    Though the term was already widely used by the media at the time, the Unification Church used it at least as early as 1978. Sun Myung Moon , founder of the Unification Church, used the term "love bomb" in a July 23, 1978 speech (translated):

    "Unification Church members are smiling all of the time, even at four in the morning. The man who is full of love must live that way. When you go out witnessing you can caress the wall and say that it can expect you to witness well and be smiling when you return. What face could better represent love than a smiling face? This is why we talk about love bomb; Moonies have that kind of happy problem." [2]

    Former members of the Children of God , including Deborah Davis , daughter of the founder of the Children of God, [3] and Kristina Jones , daughter of an early member, [4] have used the term in describing the early days of the organization.

  • Georgiegirl
    Georgiegirl

    Does the label really matter? If so, why?

    I find this enormously interesting since I just finished alot of research for a major paper I'm writing on cults. One thing that sticks in my head was something I read - "One Man's Cult is Another Man's Religion". Another point was made that many sects that started out as cults have become mainstream religions. In my personal opinion, that is what we see happening with the WTS now. It is evolving. It still retains major cultish characteristics and beliefs. Unlike scientology, it lacks the $$$ and the ability to quarantine its members which means that little by little, freedom of thought is inevitably creeping in and people are leaving. Are they God's organization here on earth? No. One only has to look objectively and do the research to know that. However, remember that people IN a cult NEVER know they are in a cult. The cognitive dissonance is too great to see and accept the reality.

    There are alot of destructive cults at there. The videos I have watched, people I've spoken with, and things I've read are appalling, and frankly, make the WTS pale in comparison.

  • drew sagan
    drew sagan

    This reminds me of something Ray Franz wrote:

    On the points they present, opponents of the Witness religion are quick to categorize it as a “cult” and speak of members being “brainwashed.” One thing that I believe each of us needs to recognize is our own personal responsibility in accepting error. We cannot fully divorce ourselves from responsibility for our decisions, even though misleading information contributed to the decision. There are always reasons for our having accepted claims that were only partly supported, motives for what may be called a passive acceptance.

    Without a doubt, the Watchtower uses misinformation, intimidation, and fear to gain control of its members. However, those who actually chose to join the group (as opposed to those 'born in') had reasons for believing what they were taught. I was young at the time, a bit naive, and simply displayed more trust than I ever should have. Of course, I actually enjoyed those early years with the JWs a great deal. It brought me very little in the way of immediate pain. I did not suffer until years later, after I had been subjected to that lifestyle for about 4-6 years.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit