Are Jehovahs Witnesses a Cult? (page 2)

JakeM2012

"It is precisely because of this close adherence to Bible teachings that the veneration and idolization of human leaders so characteristic of cults today is not to be found among Jehovah’s Witnesses. They reject the concept of a clergy-laity distinction. "

DATADOG,

I think you cyberly read my lips. The author is either as naive as they come, or well...., I hate to call someone a liar, they are grossly misinformed.

There seems to be several websites brought up here of individuals who are defending JW's or apologist. Is this a new trend that JW's personally are hosting their own propaganda site in support of the WTBTS? Or is it theocratic warfare that individual Branches are encouraging and supportive of?

Julia Orwell

Nope, jws are told not to comment or post on 'apostate' blogs. They are breaking a gb rule here, going against the directions for some reason of their own.

etna

Are they a CULT? YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Etna

Phizzy

The difficulty with the word "cult" is pinning down what definition of the word someone is using. The irony of them "dusting off Jesus" as someone said above, is of course, that they then are claiming to BE a "Jesus Cult", but of course, that is a lie too. They hardly mention the feller, let alone listen to His teachings.

I do not use the word cult to Jehovah's Witnesses, as you get bogged down in definitions, "we don't have one man as leader" etc, I prefer to call it a High Control, Mind Control Group.

They are hard pressed to deny that description.

Are JW's a Cult ? of course they are.

smiddy

Does being a member of a cult identify you as following one man/woman ? Not really

Cant it also mean following a group of men/women ? yes it could

Does it exclude you from following an organization ? NO

Do jehovah`s witnesses follow one man ? ( Jesus ? ) NO

They follow a group of men , who make up the governing body of jehovahs witnesses ,who dictate what to beleive and how to worship in their organisation.

Does that identify jehovahs witnesses as a cult ? MOST DEFINETLY

smiddy

nugget

Icsa classify them as a cult and had a special workshop all about them and they should know.

Phizzy

Also, interestingly, in some quite academic literature they are so identified, see for example Prof. A.A Hoekema's "The Four Major Cults".

He wrote this before the coming of the "Moonies", so his four are, Christian Science, Mormonism, the S.A.D's and of course JW's.

Vidqun

Scholars call those Israelites centering their worship around the temple in Jerusalem a cult. Why should JWs not be called a cult? The difference, they centre their worship around a GB.

HarryMac

I've been calling it a cult a lot lately.. so, yeah, it must be.

Seriously though, it had a much bigger and negative impact on my life than the kids who said "I'm an Anglican".

Designer Stubble

Judge for yourself, using this information from "Freedom of Mind" by Cult Guru Steven Hassan:

CULT: Tightly controlled, high-pressure social environment. Limit access to outside information (Page 3)

Some religious cults have “An elite group that claims to know the real meaning of Scripture” (Page 4)

They rail on about how all the other Churches are dead and unscriptural (Page 7)

Threatening Prophecies (Page 12)

“Love” depends on meeting expectations and goals (Page 13)

Demand for purity: Establishing impossible standards for performance, thereby creating an environment of guilt and shame. No matter how hard a person tries, he always falls short, feels bad and works even harder. (Page 17)

Sacred Science: The belief that the groups dogma is absolutely scientifically and morally true, with no room for questions or alternative viewpoints (Page 17)

Dispensing of existence: The belief that people in group have the right to exist and all ex-members and critics or dissidents do not (Page 17)

Cult control is a social process that encourages obedience and conformity. It discourages autonomy and individuality. The groups dogma becomes the persons only concern (Page 19)

Thought Reform: Create a tightly controlled system with a closed system of logic, wherein dissenters feel their questioning indicates something inherently wrong with them (Page 20)

Behavior Control (Page 22)
- Dictate with whom the member lives and associates
- Restrict leisure and entertainment
- Encourage group-think (not stumbling others)
- Impose rigid rules & regulations

Information Control (Page 23)
- Discourage access to non-cult sources of information - Internet, Critical Information, Former Members
- Keep members busy so the don't think and investigate
- Outsider versus insider doctrines
- Encourage spying on other members
- Extensive use of cult-generated information, including magazines and other media
- Misquotations, statements from non-cult sources taken out of context
- Unethical use of confession

Thought Control (Page 24)
- Members required to internalize the groups doctrine as “the truth”
- Instill Black and White thinking
- Good versus Evil; Us versus Them
- No critical questions about leaders, doctrine or policy allowed
- Alternative belief systems viewed as evil

Emotional Control (Page 25)
- Make the person feel that problems are their own fault – never the leader or group
- Excessive use of guilt – You are not living up to your potential
- Excessive use of fear
- Fear of the outside world
- Fear of losing one’s salvation
- Fear of leaving the group or being shunned by the group

Phobia indoctrination
- No happiness or fulfillment possible outside of the group
- Terrible consequences if you leave
- Shunning of those who leave, fear of being rejected by friends and family
- Never a legitimate reason to leave; Those who leave are weak, unspiritual, worldly or seduced by sex

Are Jehovahs Witnesses a Cult?

Share this