Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult?

Wolvo · Alley Cat Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 181

I have found these 14 characteristics of a typical cult and below are some questions regarding the behaviour of a cult.

My personal opinion is that the Watchtower Society fits into most of these characteristics, with the exception of 1& 14. Possibly part of number 10 fits, but not all. I feel that all of the questions posed should be asked of JW's and all of the further symptoms apply too.

But i wondered what others think? I have come across many writings like this over the years, it's incredible to me how the operation of the Society seems to befit a cult.

Marcia Rudin's 14 Common Characteristics of a Cult

1. Members swear total allegiance to an all-powerful leader who they believe to be the Messiah.

2. Rational thought is discouraged or forbidden.

3. The cult's recruitment techniques are often deceptive.

4. The cult weakens the follower psychologically by making him or her depend upon the group to solve his or her problems.

5. The cults manipulate guilt to their advantage.

6. The cult leader makes all the career and life decision of the members.

7. Cults exist only for their own material survival and make false promises to work to improve society.

8. Cult members often work fulltime for the group for little or no pay.

9. Cult members are isolated from the outside world and any reality testing it could provide.

10. Cults are anti-woman, anti-child, and anti-family.

11. Cults are apocalyptic and believe themselves to be the remnant who will survive the soon-approaching end of the world.

12. Many cults follow an "ends justify the means" philosophy.

13. Cults, particularly in regard to their finances, are shrouded in secrecy.

14. There is frequently an aura of or potential for violence around cults.

Commentary by Nori J. Muster

If you think you might be involved in a cult, ask yourself some serious questions about the group.

Do you have to change who you are to fit in, please others?
Do they set up a duality of "us" and "them" and tell you that people outside the group are bad, less important?
Do they treat "outsiders" badly or talk behind their backs?
Do they treat members badly?
Do they give a false impression to the public?
Do they predict that society is on the brink of destruction?

Further symptoms:

Cult leaders are often psychopathic and power hungry. They teach their followers that the outside world is evil; that the cult offers the only salvation. This creates an atmosphere of isolation, leading to hopelessness.

Cult recruiters target people with low self-esteem, presenting the group as a loving surrogate family. Members are taught to do whatever the family asks. They must repress their individuality and work for the good of the group.

New people may receive red carpet treatment, but once they are established members, they may be exploited and abused. They may alter their personalities to please authority figures and fit into the group.

Cult leaders preach that society is on the brink of destruction, reinforced by isolating their members and controlling the flow of information within the cult. They manipulate members with guilt and fear.

Cults try to portray themselves as benign and may hide undesirable aspects of their operation from the public and from members. Thus the stereotype of "blind" followers.

eleven · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 10:47 am Post subject:

Ok, so how does this distinguish between the JW's as opposed to:

the catholics
the lutherans
the methodists
the united church of Christ
the 7th day adventists
the mormons
the baptists
the presbyterians
the pentecostals
the non-denominationals
the new age churches
the episcopalians
the anglicans
the apostolic
the assemblies of God
the southern baptists
the church of the brethren
the byzantine
the charasmatic
the Christian missionary alliance
the Christian science church
the church of Christ
the church of God
the community churches
the congegational churches
the evangelical churches
the independent churches
the fundamental independent churches
the interdenominational churches
the Jehovah Christian witness churches
the lutheran ELCA churches
the lutheran evangelical synod church
the mennonite church
the united methodist church
the independent methodist church
the moravian church
the nazarene church
the orthdox church
the united presbyterian church
the USA prebyterian church
the salvation army church
the unitarian church
the united church of Jesus Christ
the church of various denominations
the wesleyan church

When the hell, are we gonna wake up and smell the coffee?
All of these religions came to be because some arrogant SOB didn't like what the other arrogant SOB said, so he branched out and started his own church.
Can we finally get over it?????

WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING!!!!!!!!!!

All we want is to love and be loved, and return home to the place from which we came. How hard is that?
Yet everyone thinks ONLY THEIR WAY is the ''right" way.
The only right way is to do it the way Jesus said-

Love the Lord your God with all your heart your mind and strength.
And love your neigbor as you love yourself.

How much freaking simpler could He make it???
_________________
Pain is inevitable;
misery is optional.

Wolvo · Alley Cat Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 181

Eleven,

All of the religions you have listed each have different characteristics. It would be impossible to put them all into the one box and say that they are all cults, or they are all not. Each one will have to be examined individually.

For me the JW's are all about mind control, you are told what you can and can't believe. If you disagree with what they teach, or you do not go along with a change in doctrine you are then disfellowshipped, which means ex communication with friends and family.

This is control. If some of the other religions you have listed exercise this same element of control then i would say that is a cult. If some of those religions uphold and encourage debate, without the fear of any repurcussions, then i would say that is a religion, rather than a cult.

Nobby · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:49 pm Post subject: