2006-11-26 10:21:38 · 18 answers · asked by rambo 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jehovah's Witnesses do not meet any reasonable definition of the term "cult".
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/e/ti/
http://watchtower.org/library/ti/index.htm
2006-11-26 13:59:08 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
No, they are sincere Christians, who take the time and effort to preach the good news about God's Kingdom to all the inhabited earth. We are not a cult. We do not poisen our brothers and sisters as Jim Jones did with his followers. We do not live in communes and use weapons of force to control each other like David Koresh did. We do not commit mass suicides like "Heavens Gate members did. Those were cults.
Jehovah's Christian Witnesses live in homes with their families like every major religion. We obey the laws of all governments as long as they do not conflict with God's laws.
There are now more than 6.5 Witnesses worldwide. Eleven million attended our Memorial celebration in April. This is what Christendom calls the "last supper"
A cult has relatively few members and their members do not preach about God's Kingdom worldwide. They do not even know what it is or what it will do for true Christians in the near future.
Jehovah's Witnesses build their own Kingdom Halls, without hiring contractors. Some are built in just 3 days.
We are a government recognized religion and many have praised us for our unity and love for each other. Jesus said this would identify true Christians.
We refuse to participate in warfare of any kind. We are "peaceable with all men"
If all people were Jehovah's Witnesses, there would be no war or terrorism. Everyone would love their neighbor as themselves and there would be no racism or hatred.
Think about that the next time wars claim the lives of so many, and how many churches condone it.
2006-11-26 11:13:58 · answer #2 · answered by Micah 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I think by definiton a cult is a group who follows the teaching of some person, for instance, the Branch Davidians with David Koresh (sp?). Some people call Jehovah's Witnesses a cult because they started out with Charles Russell, in fact they were once called Russellites. But, it is not true that they presently follow any persons teaching, they are very Bible centered and study it constantly
2006-11-26 10:32:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
I am tired of people saying we as Jehovah Witnesses are a cult. a cult worships a man and follow him and do what he wants. many have killed them self's for the man, like jim jones. we follow Jehovah and Jesus Christ. we live in our own homes and pay bills like you do. we are a religion. we follow the bible. we love our neighbor as we want to be loved. they laughed at Noah when he was building an ark and he said it was going to rain. when they found out the Noah was right and the door was closed because Jehovah closed the door and they could not get it. remember Jesus said they hated him and they will hate us. we are doing what Jesus commanded us to do at Matthew 28 verse 19 and 20. also read ps 83 verse 18
2006-11-26 12:05:14 · answer #4 · answered by lover of Jehovah and Jesus 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
All religions (including Jehovah Witnesses) are cults. Definition of a cult = devoted attachment to a person or principle. The religions refuse to admit it but they're all cults.
2006-11-26 10:28:54 · answer #5 · answered by The professor 4 · 1⤊ 5⤋
no, i would not consider them a cult. in my opinion it is wrng, but i am catholic. some people lead great, healthy lives as jehovahs witnesses, and god asked us to love all his children, so i don't have anything against them.
2006-11-26 10:34:12 · answer #6 · answered by Val 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I don't think that they are a cult I believe that they just believe what they believe.
2006-11-26 10:30:02 · answer #7 · answered by teresa.edmonds@sbcglobal.net 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
All religions are cults. The big ones just don't have the stigma.
Technically, JWs are Christians. They believe in God and Jesus. They just have different dogmas and superstitions...none any more provable or reliable than any other.
2006-11-26 10:24:28 · answer #8 · answered by Scott M 7 · 4⤊ 3⤋
Yes, JW's are in a cult.
The cult has changed words in the Bible to meet their doctrines.
They believe that they are the only ones going to heaven.
While they respect the teachings of Jesus Christ, they deny His deity.
The cult has predicted the end of the world in the past. The dates of the "end" have come and gone, which makes the JW's a religion of False Prophets.
2006-11-26 10:26:38 · answer #9 · answered by Bobby Jim 7 · 1⤊ 7⤋
They walk around with really really stupid literature. It is so embarrassing. That is the definition of a cult: something that is really embarrassing, done in a blatant manner by several people, while not intoxicated.
2006-11-26 10:45:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋