Is it true that the name JEHOVAH or YHWH appears ZERO TIMES in the New Testament? Is it odd that Jesus did not use God's name NOT ONCE ... even in prayer? Not even to teach his apostles to use the Divine Name in prayer? What is the WTBTS take on that?
sacolton
JoinedPosts by sacolton
-
52
Jesus as Michael
by Kphoto inlet me start by stating that i'm not a jehovah's witness but have family who have been discussing it with me and i am hoping for a better answer than i have gotten thus far.
i can find no scriptural backing for jesus being the arch-angel michael.
in fact i find things that seem to show me that they are two distinctly different beings.
-
-
-
-
-
sacolton
Only if you agree with the rules:
1. The moderators are always right. They give us "food at the proper time" and "meat in due season"
2. When in doubt, re-read #1.
-
-
-
-
18
First time JWs have been at my door--post exit...
by Confession ini was actually at my friend's house.
since he's out of town a lot, i stop in to check the chlorine in his pool, get his mail, etc.
the doorbell rang.
-
-
sacolton
Just look at them surprised and say with a smile ...
"Oooooh! You're not a Christian group ... you're a CULT!" (laugh) (close door)
-
44
Are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult? (No Exit)
by sacolton inthere is simply no proper or honorable way to leave the cult.
period.
to leave is to fail, to die, to be defeated by evil.
-
-
sacolton
Group-think, Suppression of Dissent, and Enforced Conformity in ThinkingThe cult has standard answers for almost everything, and members are expected to parrot those answers. Willfulness or independence or skeptical thinking is seen as bad. Members accept the leader's reality as their own.
Ask a candid question,
Get a canned answer.There are two corollaries:
- A) Independent or critical thinking is discouraged, especially critical thoughts about the leader or the group or the cult's teachings.
- B) Positive thoughts and statements about the leader and the group are encouraged.
In cults, no criticism of the leader, his teachings, or his organization is seen as valid -- such criticism is always automatically wrong, just because it criticizes the guru, his teachings, or his group. (And of course such criticism of the guru or his group also breaks Cult Rule Number One, "The Guru Is Always Right".)
Try telling the WTBTS that 607 BCE is wrong.
In many cults, the attitude is, "Those who agree with us are 'saved'. Those who disagree with us, or criticize our group, our beliefs, or our leader, are 'the lost', or the 'unsaved'."
Likewise, in cults, there is a reversal of judgement. The cult itself is never judged, or subject to judgement; the people who comment on the cult are judged by what they say about the cult. People who say good things about the cult are deemed (by the cult) to be good people. People who say bad things about the cult are deemed to be bad people.
Group-think usually means no real thought at all; just repeat the buzz-words and slogans and follow the program. And group-think usually just means that the group thinks that the Guru is always right.
Another aspect of group-think is something that might be called "group-feel." The cult dictates what feelings or emotions good members are supposed to feel. Usually, all members are supposed to maintain a cheerful disposition all of the time, happily proclaiming that the guru and his teachings are just wonderful and will save the world, or some such thing. Anger is permitted only when criticizing non-conforming or under-performing cult members, or when faulting outsiders -- especially when condemning "enemies" of the cult and other outsiders who criticize the cult, and when condemning competing cults or groups. Otherwise, everybody wears a smiley happy face. Negative emotions about the cult or its leader are considered especially bad -- a sure sign that someone is failing the standards of holiness.
IrrationalityThe beliefs of the cult are irrational, illogical, or superstitious, and fly in the face of evidence to the contrary.
Many cults believe that God will answer all of their prayers and rearrange the world to suit them. They imagine that they get miracles from God on demand. (Often, their theology isn't too clear about just why they get miracles on demand when lots of other people obviously don't -- like the millions of sick and starving and tsunami-drowned people around the world.)
A corollary to all of this irrational nonsense is the implicit assumption that you are not supposed to criticize it. Cults often demand that people stop thinking logically and just "have faith". Cults consider it immoral, or at least a serious spiritual failing, for someone to say that the cherished tenets of the group are illogical and crazy. Cults will even claim that you are harming other cult members by questioning the craziness -- you are keeping them from going to Heaven, or you are weakening their faith, or you are leading them into temptation and to their downfall.
Suspension of disbeliefThe cult member is supposed to take on a childish naïveté, and simply believe whatever he is told, no matter how unlikely, unrealistic, irrational, illogical, or outrageous it may be. And he does.
For example:
- Fortunate coincidences are accepted as proof that God favors the Guru and his cult: "The Big Man upstairs is really looking out for us."
So the suspension of disbelief is also another veiled ego game, where the follower likes to believe that he is very important, involved in very important work, doing the Lord's Will and saving the world...
"If the leader and his religion are saving the world, and I follow the leader, then I am saving the world, which makes me very good and very important, and deserving of a place in Heaven."("But if the leader is a fraud and a con artist, then that makes me a gullible fool. So the leader must be a saint, because I'd rather not be a fool...")Cult members are playing spiritual make-believe, and they sure don't want to hear that their "guaranteed" ticket to Heaven is actually a counterfeit that they bought from a con-artist ticket scalper.
-
44
Are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult? (No Exit)
by sacolton inthere is simply no proper or honorable way to leave the cult.
period.
to leave is to fail, to die, to be defeated by evil.
-
-
sacolton
Indoctrination of members
Members have to learn and believe all of that dogma. The indoctrination can be anything from merely making people listen to sermons to prolonged intense study to industrial-strength brainwashing. Christian cults are notorious for having "Bible Study" meetings every night. Other cults listen to lectures by the leader, or meet to study his writings, or listen to his tapes, or watch videotapes...This is interesting because all JWs have to finish the Knowledge Book in order to be indoctrinated into the organization as a official Jehovah's Witness - after you meet with 3 elders to go over what you "learned" and finally baptism giving approval to the three important questions. I think it's safe to say the estimated time for one to enter Bible Study and The Knowledge Book - meet with elders and get baptised takes about six months to one year.
Instant Community
You get a ready-made extended family when you join the cult. Sometimes, you move into their living quarters upon joining, and really get an all-encompassing community. Or you just spend all of your spare time at the temple or center or meeting hall, only associating with other members, who are your new circle of friends.No Graduates
No one ever learns as much as the Guru knows; no one ever rises to the level of the Guru's wisdom, so no one ever finishes his or her training, and nobody ever graduates.
Cult-speakThe cult has its own language. The cult invents new terminology or euphemisms for many things. The cult may also redefine many common words to mean something quite different. Cult-speak is also called "bombastic redefinition of the familiar", or "loading the language".
1. The Governing Body
2. Paradise Earth
3. The Anointed -
44
Are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult? (No Exit)
by sacolton inthere is simply no proper or honorable way to leave the cult.
period.
to leave is to fail, to die, to be defeated by evil.
-
-
sacolton
Burger Time, only disfellowshipping? Not the fact that you must believe EVERYTHING that is handed down from 8 men in Brooklyn and to object to any doctrines is grounds for disfellowshipping or to even suggest an opinion outside the organization would label you as "apostate"? You must read only their literature to have insight otherwise you'll be in "spiritual darkness". You are encouraged to let only the F&DS do the thinking for you and individual thought is dangerous.
Still not convienced?
-
44
Are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult? (No Exit)
by sacolton inthere is simply no proper or honorable way to leave the cult.
period.
to leave is to fail, to die, to be defeated by evil.
-
-
sacolton
Insistence that the cult is THE ONLY WAYThe cult is the only way to Heaven, or world peace, or enlightenment, or clean and sober living, or do-it-yourself psychotherapy, or whatever the goal is supposed to be.
There are corollaries:
- Only the faithful will be saved.
- Only members of our church will be raised when the Rapture comes.
- Only our sect will survive Armaggedon.
- Only our church has the correct interpretation of the Scriptures.
- Only our leader has the New Wine for the New Bottles.
- Only our leader has the New Technology of the Mind.
For instance,
- "In the last days of the world, the people will be divided into the Servants of the Lord, and the Servants of the Anti-Christ. Members of our church are the Servants of the Lord, and we will be taken up into Heaven during the Rapture. Non-members will be listed in the roll call of the Anti-Christ." [Jehovah's Witnesses]
- "Only our church has received this special new revelation from the Lord."
- "Our leader is the only one with the magic formula for World Peace."
- "Only our group is going to Heaven." [Heaven's Gate cult]
- "Our leader is the anointed Messenger from God. And yours isn't. So there."
- "Only we have The Game and the great new social organization that reliably produces clean and sober man-days." [Synanon]
- "Only our leader has discovered 'the secrets of the Ancients'."
- "Only our church has the correct understanding of the Bible."
- "Only our church follows the commandments of the Lord correctly."
- "Only our leader fully understands this new technology, this great new science of the mind." [Scientology]
The cult and its members are special
Brother, do they ever believe they are special:- "We are different from ordinary people."
- "Only another cult member understands."
- "Our cult is so special that only another cult member can even understand how wonderful it is."
- "We are special because we have the new technology."
- "We have the new dispensation."
- "Our leader is the new messiah, and only he has the new wisdom, which he is giving to us."
- "Our organization is a wonderful new movement that is sweeping the world. We will usher in a new age of peace and enlightenment."
- "Our organization is the latest manifestation of God's generosity towards mankind." [Moonies]
- "We are God's Chosen Children."
- "We are the wave of the future."
- "We have been trained, processed, audited, purified, or prepared in ways that no one else has."
- "No non-Scientologist has ever seen a thetan, much less checked it for electricity, so how could anyone possibly disprove this [L. Ron Hubbard's] theory?"1
In spite of the fact that the individual cult members are often told that they are very stupid and foolish, the cult members are also told that they were very smart and very lucky, on the whole, to have joined the cult. Frequently, the cult members even regard themselves as The Chosen -- the elite, chosen people who will do something grand like save the world, usher in the New Age, or go to Heaven.
Cult members believe that what they are doing is of higher purpose than anything anyone else is doing. Other people are just living, breathing, working, paying the rent -- but the cult is transforming, building, achieving, doing great things, even saving the world.
Evil cult leaders find it easy to manipulate their followers by telling them that they are special, chosen by God, and that what they are doing is of special importance, that they are doing the Will of God as they work for the cult for free. And the cult leader will tell his followers that they are much smarter and more honest and spiritual and moral than the outsiders who won't join the cult. What the cult leader is doing is, of course, manipulating people by appealing to their egotism. The attitude of specialness naturally reinforces the cult doctrine of "you can't ever leave the cult", because if you do, then you won't be special any more, and you won't be doing the Will of God anymore.
Induction of guilt, and the use of guilt to manipulate cult membersCult members can be faulted, and made to feel guilty, for anything and everything, from their sexual desires to their weakness in getting tired and making mistakes after 16 hours of working for the cult for free. Many cults use public confession or self-criticism sessions to induce more guilt. Errors and sins committed in the past are also a fertile ground for inducing guilt, especially since the cult member can not now do anything to change or fix the past. This guilt can, in turn, be used to control the minds of cult members: "You thought that was a good thing to do? Your mind is useless. Your mind is corrupted. Just do what you are told, and quit trying to think so much."
The cult also induces guilt by holding up an ahuman, impossibly lofty standard for the perfect member. The members can't ever live up to the standard, so they always feel guilty and inadequate. See the item An Impossible Superhuman Model of Perfection for more.
Guilt induction is a very powerful tool for manipulating people's minds. In his study of Communist "brainwashing" of American and British prisoners during the Korean War, Edward Hunter wrote:
The Reds had found that the easiest way to subdue any group of people was to give its members a guilt complex and then to lead them on from self-denunciation to self-betrayal. All that was required to put this across was a sufficiently heartless exploitation of the essential goodness in people, so that they would seek self-sacrifice to compensate for their feelings of guilt. The self-sacrifice obviously made available to them in this inside-out environment is some form of treason. Brainwashing, From Pavlov to Powers, Edward Hunter, page 169.
For example, the brainwashers would criticize a white prisoner for having lived a live of luxury, never caring about the fate of the poor Negroes, being just an uncaring heartless monster who went along with the Capitalist agenda because he personally benefited from it, even if it was killing others. Then the confused white fellow had to confess all of that in public self-criticism sessions. Then, to make amends, he had to do something like snitch on a fellow prisoner, or memorize and espouse Communist dogma. And then it went on and on like that until a few prisoners had switched sides.
Margaret Thaler Singer also wrote that one of the essential ingredients of any effective brainwashing or mind control program is "Create a sense of powerlessness, covert fear, guilt, and dependency."
Thus, any cult that combines guilt induction with confession and self-criticism sessions has a good start on a mind-control or brainwashing program. The cult will simply offer the member some other form of self-sacrifice, usually a life spent fund-raising or recruiting or working for free.
-
44
Are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult? (No Exit)
by sacolton inthere is simply no proper or honorable way to leave the cult.
period.
to leave is to fail, to die, to be defeated by evil.
-
-
sacolton
No ExitThere is simply no proper or honorable way to leave the cult. Period. To leave is to fail, to die, to be defeated by evil. To leave is to invite divine retribution.
Members are often taught that all kinds of bad things will happen to them if they leave: They will lose all of the spiritual progress that they made while they were in the cult, or they won't be able to get into Heaven, or the Devil or demons will get them, or they will relapse and die of drugs and alcohol... That is another standard cult characteristic: The Cult Implants Phobias, and more of the usual threats and fears are listed under that item.
Obviously, if everybody leaves the cult, then the phony guru's game is over. So he is the one who really has reason to fear people leaving.
The Scientology "Code of Honor" includes these items:- 2. Never withdraw allegiance once granted.
- 3. Never desert a group to which you owe your support.
And Scientologists who are members of the "Sea Org" (sea-going organization) sign a billion-year contract, swearing to serve the cult leader L. Ron Hubbard in all future reincarnations for the next billion years. How's that for not ever leaving the group?
In some cults, members are told to absolutely avoid any contact with people who have left the cult. They are told that the departees are evil and dangerous, and must be shunned and ostracized. Good Scientologists may not have any contact with people who have been "declared Suppressive Persons." Jehovah's Witnesses may not talk to or associate with those who have been "disfellowshipped." Likewise, good Moonies may not communicate in any way with those who have left. That is an act of self-preservation for the cult: They don't want to risk their members being told some sensible things by people who were lucky enough to get out.
Such ostracism also acts as a strong deterrent to people who may be thinking about leaving. Cardigan, in "Mainstream Cults," makes the point that the fact that every member of the cult knows for certain what will happen if they leave is a potent psychological threat. It goes beyond a vague, remote, "you'll burn in Hell for eternity" threat. It's an immediate, here-and-now threat: "We will not associate with you ever again. You will be completely cut off and totally alone." No one wants to risk being completely ostracized by his or her friends. And since most cult members associate almost exclusively with just other cult members, such ostracism means being cast completely adrift, and left totally friendless and alone.
In the Jehovah's Witnesses, Jehovah 'sifts out' those not truly 'in the truth', those without 'the right heart condition' which is why people leave or must be "disfellowshipped". In the eyes of the cult, no one leaves for legitimate reasons.
A corollary to the "No Exit" rule is the demonization of those who leave:
- They are evil, weak, and selfish.
- They are stupid and foolish.
- They are wandering in darkness, unable to see.
- They are traitors, quitters, turn-coats, disloyal, deserters.
- They have sold out.
- They are Enemies of the Cross.
- They have chosen Evil over Goodness.
- They are losers, trying to throw stones at winners.
- They didn't chant enough, or they didn't meditate enough, or they didn't do enough yoga.
- They weren't really trying.
- They didn't follow the procedures correctly.
- They were unable to resist the temptation to sin.
- They hid their problems, and didn't reveal them to the group.
- They couldn't overcome their cravings for sex, alcohol, or drugs.
- They couldn't give up their attachments to money and possessions.
- They couldn't be honest.
- They were always stupid, real losers.
- They never could get it right.
- They are the spawn of Satan.
- They were always trying to destroy our movement.
- They were never a part of us to begin with.
- We are much better off without their bad influences.
Olin's story also illustrated several other common cult characteristics, besides No Exit:
- The Guru is always right. Everything Chuck Dederich said was always right, period. His orders, or his lastest fad, were to be followed without question, even if it meant being sterilized or aborting a much-longed-for baby.
- You are always wrong. Olin actually felt bad -- guilty -- for standing on his principles and speaking up for what he believed was true and right, and choosing to not participate in the evil any longer. He was made to feel like a deserter and a traitor for choosing right over wrong, truth over falsehoods, and freedom over slavery. "I couldn't even look at him [Chuck Dederich] -- I felt like such a traitor."
- That "You are always wrong" attitude also clearly shows in the demonization of those who choose to leave.
- Likewise, the cult members gave us lots of examples of Ad Hominem and Personal Attacks On Critics.
"You are a piece of dirt if you dare to criticize our cult, the Founder, or his wonderful teachings. And you are insane if you are thinking about leaving the wonderful cult."
When Olin criticized the faults of the cult, they responded by calling him a "motherfucker" and an "asshole". And Dede and Pete agreed that Bill Olin "had gone totally crazy" when he decided to leave Synanon. - Grandiose claims and bombastic idealism. "We are special. We are the wave of the future. The United Nations could learn something from us. Only we have a style of life worth living. Everybody else is dying of loneliness and boredom, while we build Heaven on Earth."
- Sacred Science. "We have the new technology, the panacea, that will save the world -- The Synanon Game."
- Confession sessions. "The Game" and "The Stew" were just modified confession or self-criticism sessions, very similar to the Red Chinese brainwashing self-criticism sessions where they reversed the logic and everyone had to criticize someone else. In The Game and The Stew, everyone ganged up on one person at a time, and ripped them to shreds. Then they would "flip the box" and lavishly praise the person they had just crushed. Then they would rotate the target to someone else and repeat the routine until everyone had had his ego destroyed.
- Pseudo-democracy. You can voice your opinion, and even scream it in Game sessions, but your opinion doesn't really matter and will actually change nothing.
- Royalty and The Inner Circle -- "Saint Charles" Dederich, "Princess Jady Dederich", 'Prince Dede', the "Homeplace heavies", and "The Big-Shot Game". Any purported "equality" in the cult is a hoax.
Everybody is equal, but some people are more equal than others.
And the slogan was "Character is the only rank", but that wasn't how things really worked. - Different levels of information -- The general membership didn't know everything that was happening; that knowledge was reserved for the inner circle.
- Which brings up, Dual Purposes. Synanon began as an idealistic drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, and ended up being whatever Charles Dederich said it was. Lastly, he said it was a religion and a research project exploring how Synanon could supply the leaders with rich, luxurious, elegant lifestyles. (No joke. That's the literal truth. That's what he said.) At the end, "fine dining" -- two-hour, multiple-course dinners of the finest available cuisine -- was one of the inner circle's major daily tasks.
- True Believers and Inability To Tolerate Criticism. They all intensely believe in their cause -- they believe that it is perfect, and they can't stand any doubts or criticism of their group or its activities.
- Cloned copies of the leader -- the "little Chucks".
- Isolationism or separatism. The cult has a siege mentality of "us versus them out there." And there is no reality outside of the cult. Life outside of the cult is seen as absurd, shallow, lonely, hard, boring, and pointless.
- Enemy making. Anybody who won't do what the cult wants is an enemy of the cult. Olin mentioned the county planning director, whom Olin found to be an okay guy when he went and talked with him, or Gambonini, the rancher next door, who had done nothing to Synanon. --Which, in turn, revealed the growing paranoia of the cult. And even the old-timer Synanon member William Olin himself was labeled "no longer on Synanon's side" for telling the truth about some of the faults of Synanon.
- -- Which shows yet another cult characteristic: You Can't Tell The Truth.
- Cult-speak, Slogans and Thought-terminating Clichés.
- "Character is the only rank."
- "Pressure always reduces quantity but improves quality."
- "We are tacking towards population compression."
- "All projections are valid."
- "Take a strong position."
- "Flip the box."
- Denial. True believers deny the truth, and cannot tolerate any criticism.
- Isolation, ostracism, and shunning of splitters.
- A system of rewards and punishments. When Olin announced his desire to leave, all respect, praise, and positive feedback vanished. He was subjected to numerous rounds of torment and torture, verbal assaults and psychological attacks, as well as ostracism and shunning. Olin was also punished by the group attacking his co-worker, Bob Greenfeld, for Olin's "crime" of leaving.
- Obligation and reversal of reality. Even though William Olin was a non-addict "lifestyler" and a successful architect who had joined Synanon because he had believed in it as a utopian social movement, and even though Olin had given Synanon his life savings and had worked for Synanon for free for ten years, the cult claimed that Synanon had given him everything, and that he was "just a sour, ungrateful asshole."
Note the statement that Olin would starve outside of Synanon. There was no recognition of the reality that he was a competent non-addict architect who was quite capable of making a living and taking care of himself outside of Synanon. That little "you will starve" slur also smacks of Phobia Induction -- trying to make Olin afraid to leave. And, it may also be the other cult members giving voice to their own suppressed fears that they would starve if they tried to leave the cult.
- Conditional friendships and conditional love. Your "true friends for life" who give you "unconditional love" will withdraw their "love" in a flat minute if you violate the cult's rules, and fall out of favor, by doing something stupid like saying that you want to leave. Your own wife might even immediately divorce you.
- Members get no respect. They get abused. The rank-and-file membership worked more than full time for wages that ranged from $2 to $25 per week, while the inner circle explored elegant lifestyles and fine dining. And still, the leader Chuck Dederich often berated the members by saying that he was forced to support all of their incompetent lazy asses. That's another example of "You Are Always Wrong.", and it's also an example of "You Owe The Group".
- And then Synanon was extremely intrusive, and violated people's personal boundaries and invaded their private lives to an unwarranted degree, even for an organization that was supposedly a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. The leader Dederich said that he didn't want any more children around, and he actually felt entitled to order all of the men (except himself) to get vasectomies, and the pregnant women had to get abortions -- even women who really wanted their babies, and had been trying to get pregnant for years.
-
14
Will there be 4 meeting days this week? Or,will one be cancelled?
by RULES & REGULATIONS inthe memorial is this saturday evening march 22,2008. will they cancel any of the meetings or will they still have the book study,ministry school,and sunday meeting?
isn't that alot of meetings in one week?
now i know why i rarely attend!
-
-
sacolton
For the first time in nine years, I'm going to hold my own Communion. I'll buy some unleavened bread and wine.
I'll read:
1 Corinthians 11:24
Matthew 26:26-28
Mark 14:22-24
Luke 22:19-20
1 Corinthians 10:16-17
1 Corinthians 11:24-26
John 6:53-54
Then I will eat the bread and drink the wine. Say a prayer and give thanks.
Anyone else doing theirs at home?