Are JW a cult?

[seraphimbride]

Grace to you Mattthitjah,

Using the quote, ..."let him be acursed"

Let God curse him. We are not to judge others. It is for God to judge. Do you agree?

Where is the Christain love for our brothers? are our brothers only CHristians, or all of God's children???

Edited May 3, 2006 by seraphimbride

[seraphimbride]

Hebrew beauty,

Bravo! Well-said! A response made in love!!

Thank you

[ayin jade]

Seraphimbride, if you read the bible, you will see plenty of instances in which someone caught up in false teaching was denounced. We are to not even eat with false teachers. Read your bible and see for yourself how we are to watch out for false teachings.

JWs are a cult because they deny who Jesus is. They deny His salvational work and attempt to do their own salvation via works. You should be well grounded in the teachings of Christianity so you too will understand when a belief is a false gospel.

[Guest NewPilgrim]

seraphimbide. JWs claim to be christians and by that token we are called to Judge their teachings and their attitude and to deal with them accordingly. You may find this link of interest

[suzanagimpel]

WOJ,

Seems like you've answered your own question!!

The word "cult" tends to have a negative connotation, and a serious label attached to it. Personally, I feel it should be used with careful consideration. I dont think that every religion who does not believe in what a Christian believes, is necessarily, a cult. According to your own definition of the cult, JW does not fit it.

From: Dictionary.com

CULT

A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.

The followers of such a religion or sect.

A system or community of religious worship and ritual.

The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.

A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.

Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.

The object of such devotion.

An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.

Just to prove my point I picked, in my opinion, the most disturbing doctrine of the Watchtower Society:

The Watchtower Society claims that only the 144,000 individuals (a figure arrived at from the pages of the Book of Revelation) can actually understand the Bible. It is an organizational book -- a book given to an organization and not to individuals. It can be interpreted and explained only by God's own designated organization, the Watchtower Society. The organization's interpretations and explanations are found on the pages of the Watchtower publications.

If that is not a cult I don't know what it is anymore !

Love Suzana

Edited May 3, 2006 by suzanagimpel

[Guest The Chief]

Theologians Dr, R. C. Sproul and Tim Couch have identified ten characteristics that typically distinguish groups that fit into the category of a "cult." Here is their list:

1. An abrupt break with historic Christianity and it's confession. Cults usually view historical Christianity as being off-base for all those centuries since Christ until their founder came along.

2. Autosotericism. This is theologian lingo for "self salvation." Cults usually specify that salvation is obtained by following certain rules and regulations - those that are specified by the cult.

3. A deficient Christology. Christianity is premised on the belief that Jesus was God; if He was something less than God, then salvation by His death on the cross wouldn't work. Cults, however, take a lesser view of Christ. They might admire Him and view Him as greater than a human, but they don't consider Him as tghe one true God.

4. Syncretism. This is more theologian jargon that simply means the blending of different elements from several religions into one synthesized belief system.

5. An emphasis on their own distinctives. Rather than stressing the major doctrinal points of Christianity, a cult will put disproportionate emphasis on its distinguishing doctrines. Those things that mainline Christianity considers to be essential takes a backseat to the cult's unique characteristics.

6. Perfectionism. Most cults teach that it is possible for a human to be perfect a doctrine that flie in the face o Christianity's view that humans are sinful and can never chieve God's standard of perfection). Moral perfection is usually obtained by following the cult's prescribed conduct (doing some things and abstaining from others) and by adhering to the teachings of the cult's founder and leaders.

7. An extrabiblical source of authority. While many cults recognize the Bible as a sacred piece of literature, they have additional holy books. These other writings usually take precedence over the Bible (or they at least give the authoritive interpretation of the Bible). If there is a conflict between the two, the Bible comes in second place.

8. A belief in exclusive community salvation. A cult teaches that it is the only true church. Unless you believe in all it's teachings, you won't be saved. In contrat, a sect of traditional Christianity won't claim exclusive rights to salvation; most denominational differences don't pertain to the qualifications for salvation. According to the prevailing Christian viewpoint, joining a particular denomination is not a prerequisite to get to heaven. For most cults, however, you won't make it unless you are one of their members.

9. A preoccupation with eschatology. Eschatology is the study of the end of the world. In the perspective of the time line of Christianity, most cults are brand-new (having been founded after Christianity has been rolling along for 1800 years or so). Cults often explain that their founder brought the last word from God to prepare mankind for the end of the world. With this prespective, cults often emphasize urgency about the end of the world.

10. Esotericism. Something is esoteric if it is beyond the knowledge of most people and understood by only a select group of individuals. This is what separates cults from traditional Christianity. Each cult claims that its founder and/or leaders have access to special truth that was previously hidden.

From "Guide to Cults, Religions, & Spiritual beliefs," by Stan Jantz and Bruce Bickel, pp 103 - 105

[elkieDannsa' Air An Drochaid]

Dear thechief,

Thank you for this information. So that, people can comprehend what a "cult" actually is and means.

People the to attack "the person" instead of "waht" the person is saying to try to justify their teachings, which is usually done by someone who is loosing the arguement by facts.

Thething is I am not wanitng in any way to be "superior?. I was raised for many, many years in this wathctower cult and educated my self after I had already left, to what and whom it was.

I had already seen by the time I left, firsthand, the cult behaviour, even subculture of the entire thing and its total hypocrisy from 1956 onward half a life time. It was the research that I found all the information, from ther own sources, too, that is was definately a cult with "groupthink and adherance tothe group, whom made it synonomous with God when they speak, they believe "they alone speak for JEhovah". But, actually Jehovah had already spoken for Himself in the Bible and Christ and the apostles and it all contridicted the watchtower when one reads the entire Bible, seeing the Nt could not possible teach waht they say excetp for their changing it to support themselves and trying to excerpt out of context scriputes...but, even this can't wiork with one who is honestly seeking God in Christ, as there are still so many scriptures that prove thier teachings false. They are apostate to Christ and calling everyine who won't agre ewith them apostate. But, an apostate is not one who won't willingly obey every wild rule of some manmade group, as you know, an apostate it someone or group that have gone against Christ, as HE reveaeled Himself and the Bible reveals Him, not as a man in the 1880's reveals him.

God bless you for adding this info, I hope people can be honest enough to consire this in their thoughts and comsider Christ as He claimed to be.

I had completely left off any wanting of self or taeching s of any man or men to be right. I humbled myself to God to believe if you seek HIM with your whole heart, you WILL FIND HOM, because HE said it I believed it and He did bring me to full knowledge of Him in Christ.

GOd bless,

elkie

[elkieDannsa' Air An Drochaid]

ALso, by reading the history of watchtower corporation and org. one will find, undeniably, that they had continued to be dishonnest about who they are and have patterns over a great amount of time , to shoe end dates and contridicting teachings over an over, it can only work if one willfully remains ignorant of their histroy adn the Bible to avtully TRY to not see how they are chaging the playing game in patterns over and over thruoght each generation, saying it is THIER GENERATION that WILL SEE TE END etc, makes more people think oh yeah it ME, and then they wait it out there.. I watched people do that all along over and over as the chosen generation changes, many have never been in it long enough or researched it deep enough to find the real truth. Even words like "TRUTH" have been coined in their mentally regulated(brainwashed) mindset to mean "our truth as we see it" not Jesus the Truth ,as HE said He was Trusht, not some mens concpte s and private revelations to conform others to, they misuse that scriputre is not of private interpertation ot mean you can;t EVER think for yourself, when actually they are following priovate interpetation to foloow the secret revelations of Russell and even some they have added alot their way.

It is NO ACCIDENT they continue to teell generations, YOU'RE THE ONE! over and over using the same tactics to snare them/

elkie

[elkieDannsa' Air An Drochaid]

when the conversation continually goes back to them preaching themselves, instead of preaching Christ sacrificied and risen from the dead for remission of sins , it is going against the focus of the Bible is CHRIST< not some org. Another fact is their totaly denial of his risen body, one thing I knew from the Bible all my life as I ahd read taht, and never wentto their apostate teachings on it.

elkie

[Brandli5]

Yes