Catholics, Baptists etc like to call these groups "cults", when their behavior and beliefs are very similar.
Why the judgement?
2006-10-30 07:24:33 · 26 answers · asked by Barrett G 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Keep in mind that all Christian denominations have beliefs that contradict the bible....in fact...the bible contradicts the bible.
2006-10-30 07:36:00 · update #1
Also keep in mind that unless you are a member of the Roman Orthodox Church....your "Christian" religion is also an "offshoot" religion.
2006-10-30 07:38:02 · update #2
And dude....just so you know....the Catholic church is not the same as the Roman orthodox church.
2006-11-06 06:25:42 · update #3
The Roman Catholic Church generally does NOT categorize other Christian religions as heretical. In fact, they include them within their Church. It's as though they tolerate the other Christians as being misguided and having lost contact with Rome.
Regarding the LDS Church, the RCC no longer accepts LDS baptisms (while accepting baptisms of protestant churches). That belief stems from the view that one must accept the Trinity (a doctrinal view held by most Christian churches).
What these Christian churches forget in castigating the LDS and JW is that prior to 400 A.D. the view of the Trinity was not widely accepted, and was in dispute with many early Christians accepting the view more similar to that taught by the LDS faith (that the Godhead is made of three separate individuals, as opposed to all in one).
2006-11-07 00:44:25 · answer #1 · answered by tortdog 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm LDS and I think that the Catholics see every other Christian religion as false and flawed and heritics. I'm not saying EVERY Catholic sees it as such, but some do. Protestants (again, I'm generalizing) tend to see anyone who isn't Protestant but is Christian as being a cult. I know a lot of people who don't even see Catholics as Christians. (totally weird) It's funny how we and the few JW's I know don't consider Catholics and Protestants as cults and evil doers, but just because we don't classify ourselves as Protestant or Catholic they assume we are a cult.
I think a lot of it comes from fear. For so long Protestants were the newest kid on the Christian block, and as such divided into different sects of belief, yet still had the same Reformation background in common. Then the LDS and JW's came on the scene and said that they were different and that they weren't part of the Reformation. In the case of LDS they/we believe we are/have the same organization as the "primative" or original Christian church, and that that church is just what God had intended for the Jews to have to begin with, and what followers of God had prior to the twelve tribes of Israel. Given some of the things that are believed/taught in the LDS church, I can see where it might give non-members who may be a little lax in their faith and used to just showing up on Sunday morning to be preached at, to be a little hesitant in welcoming with open arms the Church's teachings. It doesn't make them any less true, but it does require a certain level of committment and that can be scary for some.
2006-11-06 03:08:19 · answer #2 · answered by Tonya in TX - Duck 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, I would simply point out that in fact our beliefs really are not all that similar.
Mainstream Christians have a very different soteriology from JWs, and certainly don't accept the JW eschatology that only a hundred thousand people or so are truly salvageable. Nor can we accept the JW assertion regarding Jesus non-divine nature.
Likewise, Christians cannot accept the Mormon assertion that God the Father is a separate deity, was once human, and that there are carnal inferences involved in Mary's birth of Jesus.
We all have the centrality of Jesus, I suppose. But beyond that, Christianity and these offshoot religions have some important differences.
Edit: And since I am a member of the "Roman" church, I guess I still qualify as a non-offshoot!
2006-10-30 07:29:03 · answer #3 · answered by evolver 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
superior would not be the correct word... but... the Lost and deceived of Satan(LDS), and the JWs are not "christian" in any way... infact the LDS taught for over 150 yrs that Christians were evil and the enemy and that the Christian Bible was wrong... all the while never teaching from their own bible given to J.Smith (falsly claimed) by God...Now. to lure more into their cult they are saying that they are "christians" and even giving out King James Bibles... why do the not use the bible that God supposadly gave them...because it has been shown to be so riddled with mistakes tha it is kept from the majority of the cult...The do not folow the teaching of Jesus The Christ and put the greater emphasis on the unvarified claims of a known con man......
The Jws are under controle of The Watchtower orginization and do not recognize the diety of Christ... that alone voids any claim they might make to being '"christian". there are many other reasons esaly found on line for those who want to look.
Only those who come to God in The Way He proscribes and receive His free gift of Salvation are of The True Christian FAith... that also excludes the mahjority of those in the Roman Catholic as well and all of the popes and most all of the priests... in fact a priest can be kicked out or the RCs for telling any one their Salvation can be assured... and no pope has ever made the statement that he knew for sure that He was going to Heave(that Salvation was assured)... because to say so is against the law of that "church"... that alone is in direct oposition to the teaching of Jesus The Christ and taht alone is enough to void their claim to being "christain"...but there are some in the RCs who have, one their own, outside the teaching of the RCs, found The Truth and have come to God as He proscribes...so those do have the assurance of Their Salvation and are of The True Christian Faith.
2006-10-30 07:40:23 · answer #4 · answered by IdahoMike 5 · 0⤊ 4⤋
It is unfortunate, but I think most members of religions, and those not affiliated with relgion, consider their beliefs superior to others. By criticizing other religions or beliefs they believe it somehow validates their own beliefs. I also think some people who behave like children and criticize other beliefs is because they are insecure about their own beliefs, are disrespectful and lack any resemblence of humility. However, I am certainly not the one to judge anyone, so who really knows.
2006-11-03 04:44:08 · answer #5 · answered by straightup 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I do not know either. Sometimes I find it amazing that everyone act as if they are the superior being .We as man created our own god, and this is not to imply there isnt one, it is to illustrate how if we dont agree with one concept of who god is, we create another one(religious sects) I believe in Jesus, I believe in buddha I believe in Krishna, and Marduk. Because for me the same principles of love apply, and this is the core of god, not in a church, a book, or a philosopher. But in spirit, the holy ghost Jesus what ever you want to call it. I embrace everyone, and conform to no religion, but accept all as being my religion, and not.(the void, the spiritual emptiness so that the spring may fill agian) I wish you well.
2006-10-30 07:47:40 · answer #6 · answered by fryedaddy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Trinitarians try to use the term "cult" like a sledgehammer to obliterate any thinking analysis of what the supposed "cultist" actually believes. Trinitarians embrace a bizarre, non-etymological, quite arbitrary definition of the term "cult" which includes anyone who does not believe that Jesus is God Himself, rather than the Son of God. Interestingly, pagans in the first century slandered Christ's followers with the insulting term "Atheist" (!) because the Christians had a somewhat different idea from the pagans about the nature of God.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe! Secular authorities in academia and government routinely acknowledge that Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian religion. With more than 16 million associating with Jehovah's Witnesses, the term "cult" seems very out of place in a fair discussion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians.
Sadly, Trinitarians seem more interested in perpetuating their human traditions, Greek philosophy, and Babylonish fetishes rather than reasonably examining the Scriptural definition of "Christian". In fact, the bible most closely associates being "Christian" with preaching about Christ and Christ's teachings. Review all the times the bible uses the term "Christian" and note that the context connects the term with:
"declaring the good news"
'teaching quite a crowd'
'open eyes, turn from dark to light'
"uttering sayings of truth"
"persuade"
"keep on glorifying"
(Acts 11:20-26) [The early disciples of Jesus] began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus... and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.
(Acts 26:17-28) [Jesus said to Paul] I am sending you, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God... Paul said: “I am not going mad, Your Excellency Festus, but I am uttering sayings of truth and of soundness of mind. ...Do you, King Agrippa, believe the Prophets? I know you believe.” But Agrippa said to Paul: “In a short time you would persuade me to become a Christian.”
(1 Peter 4:14-16) If you are being reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy... But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name
So why do anti-Witnesses try to hijack the term "Christian" and hide its Scriptural implications? Because anti-Witnesses recognize that it is the preaching work that makes it clear that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are by far the most prominent followers of Christ:
(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded
Learn more!
http://watchtower.org
http://watchtower.org/library/ti/index.htm
2006-10-30 09:38:46 · answer #7 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think Christians are misunderstood. The simple fact is that a Christian is supposed to be "LIKE" Christ. Meaning, whatever he tried to teach us we are to follow. We are NOT to HATE, but to love even our enemies. We are NOT to judge others, but we are to HATE their sin. We are NOT to punish others, for only God does this. We are temporarily in this earth until we die to either go to Hell or Heaven, depending on our relationship w/God and that is what Christians are SUPPOSED to live by. Many Chrisitans ARE hypocrites, unfortunately. They're like the player that gave men a bad name and we all have to be neutral to judging Christians. The beliefs MAY be similar, but they practice different things and there are some different beliefs within each denomination. For example... In a Catholic church a baby is "baptized" to be clean from sin. In the bible it says that "Children will inherit the kingdom of heaven", therefore for a child to be baptized is useless. Baptizm is necessary when the individual is making a choice to walk w/God. A baby cannot do that. See? Things like that. They differ from church to church, really. All God says is that we are to follow him and not break "man's" law, and follow the commandments and we find grace in him. Also, he says that we must accept Him as our Lord and Savior in order to see Him in heaven and have eternal life.
2006-10-30 07:33:03 · answer #8 · answered by ControVerse 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I just dont understand how JW's can claim that 144,000 of their church members are going to heaven automatically. I agree with them only celebrating the resurection.
LDS, I've heard of their church prophesising, but none have come true, same with JW.
I can acknowledge that Jesus may have visited the americas, but I just dont think so. I dont believe in any religion where everyone is not equal.
2006-10-30 07:28:24 · answer #9 · answered by ♫O Praise Him♫ 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
They were taught to believe like this from their leaders. When I was young, I went to a Grace Brethren Church. One day this little girl was talking about how catholics are going to hell for "worshiping" Mary. The adults in charge actually told her she was right! Shortly after I decided to get out of that hateful enviorment.
2006-10-30 07:29:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋