Do you think Jehovah's Witnesses are considered a cult?

Answer 1

No, Jehovah's Witnesses do not match any reasonable definition of the term "cult". It is primarily so-called "Christian" religionists who insist on applying the term to those who disagree with some facet of what they call "orthodoxy".

In particular, 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/e/ti/

Answer 2

Some define sect to mean a group that has broken away from an established religion.. Others apply the term to a group that follows a particular human leader or preacher. The term is usually used in a derogatory way, Jehovah's Witnesses are not an offshoot of some church but include persons from all walks of life and from many religious backgrounds. They do not look to any human, but rather to Jesus Christ, as their leader.
A cult is a religion that is said to be unorthodox or that emphasizes devotion according to prescribed ritual. Many cults follow a living human leader, and often their adherents live in groups apart from the rest of society. The standard for what is orthodox, however, should be God's Word, and Jehovah's Witnesses strictly adhere to the Bible. Their worship is a way of life, not a ritual devotion. They neither follow a human nor isolate themselves from the rest of society. They live and work in the midst of other people.

Answer 3

No one in a cult thinks they are in a cult, and it is such a broad term it can be quite offensive. However, there are over 3000 religions in the US that are considered to use persuasive coercion to manipulate the thinking of their members. To test if a religion is doing this there are 8 identifiers, and the Watchtower Society uses all 8 on its members.

Lifton first studied these and lists them as follows:
1. Environment Control. Limitation of many/all forms of communication with those outside the group. Books, magazines, letters and visits with friends and family are taboo. "Come out and be separate!"

2. Mystical Manipulation. The potential convert to the group becomes convinced of the higher purpose and special calling of the group through a profound encounter / experience, for example, through an alleged miracle or prophetic word of those in the group.

3. Demand for Purity. An explicit goal of the group is to bring about some kind of change, whether it be on a global, social, or personal level. "Perfection is possible if one stays with the group and is committed."

4. Cult of Confession. The unhealthy practice of self disclosure to members in the group. Often in the context of a public gathering in the group, admitting past sins and imperfections, even doubts about the group and critical thoughts about the integrity of the leaders.

5. Sacred Science. The group's perspective is absolutely true and completely adequate to explain EVERYTHING. The doctrine is not subject to amendments or question. ABSOLUTE conformity to the doctrine is required.

6. Loaded Language. A new vocabulary emerges within the context of the group. Group members "think" within the very abstract and narrow parameters of the group's doctrine. The terminology sufficiently stops members from thinking critically by reinforcing a "black and white" mentality. Loaded terms and clichés prejudice thinking.

7. Doctrine over Person. Pre-group experience and group experience are narrowly and decisively interpreted through the absolute doctrine, even when experience contradicts the doctrine.

8. Dispensing of Existence. Salvation is possible only in the group. Those who leave the group are doomed.

Answer 4

They are as much a cult of the first Christians. They went door to door, telling fellow Israelis that the religion they traditionally followed for hundreds of years was no longer valid. That they were no longer God's only blessed people. They were told that their religious celebrations, dating back hundreds of years, celebrations they knew honored God, were not valid. This cult, following the teachings of an itinerant preacher that was executed by the government for highly valid reasons, was bothering them in their homes.

The question to ask is are you acting like the Ancient Israelis. It was predicted that they would fall away, as it was about the Christians. It has now been 1900 years. Has Christians fallen as far away from the true worship of God as the Israelis had?

Answer 5

No, according to the scriptures they are the only true religion out there today. They do not meddle in the worlds affairs because we know from the scriptures that Satan is in full control of this whole world system of goverbment-1 John 5:19. They do not go to war because that goes against God's law, not to kill. They are sure that they would never kill one of their own brothers in the faith because they obey God as ruler rather than men-Acts 5:29. They do not salute the flag because that causes divisions among nations and they are involved in all the nations of the world and do not want to offend their spiritual brothers in other lands, nor support Satan in his quest to devide humans so that they go to slaughter themselves in battle. These are just a few of the things that Jehovah"s witnesses stand for, there are many more scripture based teachings that they observe, making them the true worshipers of Jehovah, the God of all the people..Oh, yes, one more thing-They dress right down to the scriptures.....KECK

Answer 6

Cults follow humans. Jehovah's Witnesses follow Christ John 17:6,26
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101989239?q=cult&p=par

Answer 7

"Cult" does NOT denote 'heretical' as some Christians here seem to think.

I think there's a lot of truth in the idea that the only difference between a "cult" and a "religion" is its popularity.

But there are other more specific attributes of a cult as opposed to a legitimate religion, some of which do apply to JWs.

The biggest one is the way they deal with non-believers. They interact with people outside their faith only to try to convert them- it is very much a closed system. If you are a 'sinner' or decide to leave the faith, your family will turn away from you, your friends will be encouraged to never talk to you again, etc. This is very cult-like behavior, and similar to another well-known cult; Scientology. (Which labels anyone critical of their beliefs as "Subversive Persons", and pressures members to "disconnect" from all family members who are hostile to their faith.)

Also, central to their faith is a belief that The End Is Near- and indeed has been near ever since they were established, with frequent revision further into the future of how near. While not everyone who believes in imminent apocalypse is a cult, many cults do. It is a good way to make people drop everything else in their lives in favor of involvement in your cult: convince them that it will all be destroyed very soon anyway.

Answer 8

First of all, Jehovah [JHVH] is the Name of the only true God. (Ps. 83:18; Ex.6:3) Hence his witnesses are those who bare witness to his name and the commmision/command given by his Son, Christ Jesus, to preach and teach 'the good news of the kingdom' for a 'Witness' to all the nations [world]. (John 17:3, 6, 26; Matt. 24:14; 28:19, 20)

(Isa. 43:10-12) "YOU are my WITNESSES,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “even my servant whom I have chosen, in order that YOU may know and have faith in me, and that YOU may understand that I am the same One. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there continued to be none. 11 I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior.” ASV, NW

Now, some define sect to mean a group that has broken away from an established religion. Others apply the term to a group that follows a particular human leader or teacher. The term is usually used in a derogatory way. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not an offshoot of some church but include persons from all walks of life and from many religious backgrounds. They do not look to any human, but rather to Jesus Christ, as their leader.

A cult is a religion that is said to be unorthodox or that emphasizes devotion according to prescribed ritual. Many cults follow a living human leader, and often their adherents live in groups apart from the rest of society. The standard for what is orthodox, however, should be God’s Word, and Jehovah’s Witnesses strictly adhere to the Bible. Their worship is a way of life, not a ritual devotion. They neither follow a human nor isolate themselves from the rest of society. They live and work in the midst of other people.

To say that Jehovah's Witnesses are cults, is saying that Jesus, "the faithful and true witness" along with "great a cloud of witnesses" in the Bible were cults as well. (See: Rev. 3:12; Heb. Chpt. 11; 12:1)
According to the Bible, the line of witnesses of Jehovah reaches back to faithful Abel. Hebrews 11:4–12:1 says: “By faith Abel offered God a sacrifice of greater worth than Cain . . . By faith Noah, after being given divine warning of things not yet beheld, showed godly fear . . . By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed in going out into a place he was destined to receive as an inheritance . . . By faith Moses, when grown up, refused to be called the son of the daughter of Pharaoh, choosing to be ill-treated with the people of God rather than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin . . . So, then, because we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

With reference to Jesus Christ, the Bible states: “These are the things that the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God.” Of whom was he a witness? He himself said that he made his Father’s name manifest. He was the foremost witness of Jehovah.—Rev. 3:14; John 17:6.

Interestingly, some of the Jews asked whether the activity of Jesus Christ represented “a new teaching.” (Mark 1:27) Later, some Greeks thought the apostle Paul was introducing a “new teaching.” (Acts 17:19, 20) It was new to the ears of those who were hearing it, but the important thing was that it was the truth, in full harmony with God’s Word.

The modern-day history of Jehovah’s Witnesses began with the forming of a group for Bible study in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., in the early 1870’s. At first they were known only as Bible Students, but in 1931 they adopted the Scriptural name Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Isa. 43:10-12) Their beliefs and practices are not new but are a restoration of first-century Christianity.

Answer 9

Within the Christian religion, the number one belief that is used to define whether a group is a "cult" is where they they stand on the issue of the Lordship and Deity of Jesus. The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus is a created being, not God Himself. He was once the archangel Michael. They teach that he was not divine - not God come in the flesh. By the Christian definition of a "cult" they would be included as one.

I will leave it to others to debate whether the JWs are right or wrong in their beliefs.

Answer 10

I don't consider any religious org a cult. The label is used by self-righteous folks who are just plain intolerant of other beliefs.
*cough* Christi *cough* ans.

(I'm meaning the far right conservative flavors)