No, Jehovah’s Witnesses are not a
cult.
(You had me at No! Case closed! BTW...what cult would
agree that they are a cult? They all say:“Trust us, we are not a cult!” They might even be
sincere in saying it, but it doesn’t neccararilly change the truth of the
matter.
Rather, we are Christians who do
our best to follow the example set by Jesus Christ and to live by his teachings. (As are many Christian groups, including
some who have left the JW organization)
What is a cult? (Let’s
define the word for you and then prove that we do not meet the definition we
provided)
The term “cult” means different
things to different people. (True…which
is why the best people to consult would be those who study cults, like Hassan,
Lipton, Festinger and other trained professionals, rather than say...Joe Sixpack)
However, consider two common
perceptions regarding cults and why those perceptions don’t apply to us. (again, selecting two perceptions rather
than focusing on what trained professionals mean when they say cult)
Some
think of a cult as being a new or unorthodox religion. (Yet as
Steven Hassan has pointed out, a cult is not a group with unusual beliefs, but
the level of control and undue influence)
Jehovah’s Witnesses have not
invented a new religion. On the contrary, we pattern our worship after that of
the first-century Christians, whose example and teachings were recorded in the
Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16,
17) We believe that the Holy Scriptures should be the authority on
what is orthodox in matters of worship.
(This is the claim of many religious organizations. Of course, it is not the
Bible that is the authority, but the interpretation of the Bible as provided by
the Governing Body…plus whatever other edicts they hand down that have no
justification at all from Scripture)
Some
think of a cult as being a dangerous religious sect with a human leader. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not look to any human as their
leader. Rather, we adhere to the standard that Jesus set for his followers when
he stated: “Your Leader is one, the Christ.”—Matthew 23:10.
This
definition strikes closer to the truth and JWs meet it 100%. While lip service is
giving that Christ is leader and nobody else, in practice the organization has
a very pronounced hierarchy of religious leaders: elders, circuit overseers,
branch overseers, that all answer to the Governing Body. JWs ultimately follow
the Governing Body and if they do not (or simply it becomes known they do not believe they are God’s
sole channel) they are shunned by their friends and family.
Whenever a JW
mentions the Governing Body or a member of the Governing Body, you can often
hear the reverence in their voice. If someone gives honest criticism toward
them, a JW will react very harshly. While the Governing Body has been a composite
leader since 1975, before that the Org was ruled by its charismatic Presidents:
Russell, Rutherford, Knorr/Franz. One man as leader vs a small group of men:
that does not make a difference.
Far from being a dangerous cult,
Jehovah’s Witnesses practice a religion that benefits its members and others in
the community.
(Tens
of thousands dead due to the blood transfusion ban and other bans over the
decades on fractions and organ transplants, suicides due to shunning, families
and friendships broken, the pressure to avoid higher education and make other
life choices…it is a dangerous group. Perhaps one of the most dangerous cults
in modern times).
For example, our ministry has
helped many people to overcome harmful addictions, such as the abuse of
drugs and alcohol.
Other
groups (even cults) can claim the same. The People’s Temple helped people in
this regard! Look at what happened to them in Jonestown.
In addition, we conduct literacy
classes around the world, helping thousands learn to read and write.
Yes,
but the catch is that there is an agenda to converting people. Other groups help people without any agenda,
just purely to help people…I know, I was involved in the Micah Initiative for a
couple years.
And we are actively involved in disaster relief.
We work hard to have a positive impact on others, just as Jesus commanded his
followers to do.—Matthew 5:13-16.
Many
groups are involved in disaster relief too, but don’t try to milk the PR from
it. Often, take Hurricane Andrew or Katrina for example, mostly JWs are helped
and then “encouraged” to send their insurance check to Watchtower.
