Theo school this week: Is it a cult or sect?

darth frosty

Sorry wife just called and said a friend of hers is giving this talk on the theo school this week. For those still in is this from the reasoning book and what pages are covered?

Ironically I no longer have a reasoning book!

St George of England

This week:- rs p201 par 1-6

Next week:- rs p202 par 1 - p 203 par 3

***

They are advocates of God’s Kingdom, not of the political, economic, or social system of any nation of this old world.

It is true that Jehovah’s Witnesses had their modern-day start in the United States. The location of their world headquarters there has helped to make it possible to print and ship Bible literature to most parts of the world. But the Witnesses do not favor one nation over another; they are found in almost every nation, and they have offices in many parts of the earth to supervise their activity in those areas.

Consider: Jesus as a Jew was born in Palestine, but Christianity is not a Palestinian religion, is it? The place of Jesus’ human birth is not the most important factor to consider. What Jesus taught originated with his Father, Jehovah God, who deals impartially with people of all nations.—John 14:10; Acts 10:34, 35.

How is thework of Jehovah’s Witnesses financed?

By voluntary contributions, as was true with the early Christians. (2 Cor. 8:12; 9:7) No collections are ever taken at their meetings; they do not beg for money from the public. Any donations from interested persons are used to further the worldwide work of Bible education conducted by the Witnesses.

Witnesses are not paid to go from house to house or to offer Bible literature on the streets. Love for God and for neighbor motivates them to talk about God’s loving provisions for mankind.

The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, a legal religious corporation that is used by Jehovah’s Witnesses, was incorporated in 1884 in accordance with the Nonprofit Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Thus, by law it cannot be, and it is not, a profit-making enterprise, nor do individuals make a profit through this Society. The Society’s charter states: “It [the Society] does not contemplate pecuniary gain or profit, incidentally or otherwise, to its members, directors or officers.”

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a sect or a cult?

Some define sect to mean a group that has broken away from an established religion. Others apply the term to a group that follows a particular human leader or teacher. The term is usually used in a derogatory way. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not an offshoot of some church but include persons from all walks of life and from many religious backgrounds. They do not look to any human, but rather to Jesus Christ, as their leader.

A cult is a religion that is said to be unorthodox or that emphasizes devotion according to prescribed ritual. Many cults follow a living human leader, and often their adherents live in groups apart from the rest of society. The standard for what is orthodox, however, should be God’s Word, and Jehovah’s Witnesses strictly adhere to the Bible. Their worship is a way of life, not a ritual devotion. They neither follow a human nor isolate themselves from the rest of society. They live and work in the midst of other people.

CULT - Another case of REDEFINING words to fit WT reasoning.

George

fokyc

According to the CD-ROM and the KM schedule this is for NEXT week!

week beginning 11th October 2010

Talk No. 2:

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a Sect or a Cult, and How Old Is Their Religion? (rs p. 202 ¶1–p. 203 ¶3)

St George of England

Sorry about the formatting problems when copying & pasting from CD-ROM

George

serenitynow!

If you really think about it though, even according to the WT definition of a cult they still qualify. They don't follow 1 human leader, but 1 group of human men. Given the way that they've been so emphatic about following the FDS/GB, they cannot rightly say that they don't have a human leader. They don't physically live apart from others, but with all the rules about not mixing with "worldly" people, they are very much isolated.

wannabefree

My wife was scheduled this talk, I offered "Combatting Cult Mind Control" for research purposes, she didn't take me up on the offer.

LostGeneration

sect to mean a group that has broken away from an established religion

That is what you did WT when you broke off from the adventists...

They neither follow a human nor isolate themselves from the rest of society

Not in a commune but they separate from everyone else socially. How isolated is the witness kid who has to go to the library or out in the hallway every time there is a birthday or holiday activity? How many times is it pounded in to their heads that "worldly association" is bad and they can only have friends "in the truth" Even then, they have set up a tattle tale community where dissenters and sinners are blackballed either officially or by marking.

darth frosty

Thanks for your replies, will show this to the wife when I get home.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Cult/sect

Potayto/potahto

Technically, I suppose they would be a Judeo-Christian apocolyptic sect incorporating mind-control cult techniques.

Theo school this week: Is it a cult or sect?

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