Yes or No----Do You Believe That JWs Are A Cult? (page 10)

garybuss

I agree with Margaret Singer. I don't like the word cult. I try to not use it. It's too ambiguous. I prefer to list the behaviors like the shunning, the claim to exclusive access to God, the claim of possessing the most sacred of all of the sacred writings while to my knowledge they possess no ancient artifacts, control of information and communication, planned spontaneity, like love bombing, us vs. them mentality, obsession with personal confession, prohibition against questioning the origination of the teachings, having a unique language, placing the value of the teachings over the value of the people the teachings are supposed to benefit, and the ability to accept or dispense with people at will without any accountability

If the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation owns this profile, then they fit Robert J. Lifton's eight criteria to quality them as a high control totalistic group, a closed system. See EIGHT CRITERIA OF THOUGHT REFORM *

(* THOUGHT REFORM AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TOTALISM, Robert Jay Lifton, The University of North Carolina Press 1961, 1989 ed.)

Valis

yes

Thirdson

Yes, absolutely.

Sabine

I just read Singer's book "Cults in our Midst" last week, but all I have to do is re-read my daughter's suicide note to confidently say YES they are a cult. Any group that can make you feel so separated from god that you would take your own life is in my opinion a cult.

FlyingHighNow

I believe JWs are a mind control outfit that resembles a cult in many ways.

Heather

nobody told me

When I was in----no

now out for 2 years YES!!!!

I ike to add that they are a bunch of merciless ,mindless, haughty, cowards.

Will Power

If you don't like the word cult, and prefer "high control group" then you must add the word

dangerous

in big red letters.

minimus

GARYBUSS-----Then, yes or no????

garybuss

Min, I might have missed the post where you define the word, cult. Did you? For this question I don't care how others define the word. I am interested in how YOU define it. Otherwise it's a bit like asking me if your shirt is blue without my ever having seen it.

If I answer that they are not a cult to my definition, and then not tell you what my definition is, it is meaningless.

If I answer yes, they are a cult to my definition, without telling you that definition, it is also meaningless.

If you give me your definition and ask me if I think they are a cult by your definition, I will be glad to give you my opinion. GaryB

garybuss

I still like Margaret Singer's breakdown of the elements of a cult.

1. The cult is authoritarian in its power structure.

2. The cult's leaders tend to be charismatic, determined, and domineering.

3. The cult's leaders are self-appointed, messianic persons who claim to have a special mission in life.

4. The cult's leaders center the veneration of members upon themselves.

5. The cult tends to be totalitarian in its control of the behavior of its members.

6. The cult tends to have a double set of ethics.

7. The cult has basically only two purposes, recruiting new members and fund-raising.

8. The cult appears to be innovative and exclusive.

http://www.factnet.org/rancho5.htm?FACTNet

Maybe some here can fill in how the Watch Tower Publishing Corporation has qualified under these headings from their own experience and observations. GaryB

Yes or No----Do You Believe That JWs Are A Cult?

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