Are Mormans and Jehovah witnesses occults?

Question

what is the definition of an occult, anyway?

I MEAN CULT!

Answer 1

They are cults... JW's have a tight hold on their people and everyone spies on each other to make sure you walk that fine line. you can not research any other religion or become friends of people they call of the world or worldly. Yes they are cults .

Answer 2

Occult has nothing to do with "cults" and is not necessarily associated with devil worship. Occult means "secret" or "hidden," and generally refers to supernatural or mystical beliefs and practices. Specifically, the word "Occult" is most often used to refer to the Western Mystery Traditions -- Astrology, Tarot, Kabbalah, Alchemy, and Ceremonial Magick. These practices are not evil, but because they are on the fringe, outside mainstream religion, they are often regarded with suspicion. We fear what we do not understand.

The word "cult" originally just meant a religion or sect devoted to a particular deity or person. Now, it has come to mean "any religion I disagree with." It can also mean any religion with an oppressive doctrine which tries to control the lives of its members, but again this is not the original definition of the word. A cult is just a religion which hasn't yet gained mainstream acceptance. Every religion starts out as a "cult."

Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing whatsoever to do with the Occult. They are Christian sects. They are, however, often called "cults" by more "mainstream" and fundamentalist Christians (some of whom really need to look in a mirror before applying the word "cult" to others). Because some of their beliefs are not consistent with other Christian sects, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are not accepted under the umbrella of mainstream Christianity. Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, reject the doctrine of the Trinity (which is nowhere in the Bible, and actually contradicted by the Bible!) for this reason, they are called a "cult." They deserve the title no more and no less than any other Christian denomination, in my opinion.

Answer 3

Yes they are both cults.
Counterfeit Christianity is probably the best description I can give for a cult. Counterfeit Christianity is an imitation of real Christianity. Bible terms like "Jesus Christ, Resurrection, Salvation, and Atonement" are used by the Cult, but the various cult groups have assigned entirely different meanings to these terms.
Like counterfeit money which is sometimes difficult to detect, so it is difficult to detect counterfeit Christianity, since it looks like the real thing. Experts examining counterfeit money often hold it up to a strong light and look for identifying marks. Counterfeit Christianity also has identifying marks, which can be seen when, held up to an even stronger light, the light of God's word, the bible.
We are at an advantage if we know what to expect from a cult. Cultists are very well trained to appear "Christian", and indeed believe they are the true churches, and you need the deliverance! Therefore, be bold and ask the question, "do you believe the group you represent is the only true church on the face of the earth?"
If they reply that they are, or if they are evasive, making remarks like "Well, every church has a measure of truth but...", you have made an early detection of a Cultist.
Every true Christian, if asked the same question, regardless of his denomination, would reply that the true church is comprised of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and HE (not some organization) is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, (John 14:6). No legitimate denomination would claim that they alone and their members have salvation exclusively, but the cults (the counterfeits) do.

Answer 4

Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with spiritism and the Occult.

Sometimes they have been called "a cult", that is something completely different and does not accurately describe JW's.

Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians and are organised like the Christian Congregation was in the NT. They have no human leader, but have bodies of elders or overseers that watch over each local congregation and a body of elders or overseers that watch over all the congregations, like the apostles and older men in Jerusalem did in the first century CE.

Answer 5

Mind control and forced severe discipline mark cults. Islam is a good example of a billion strong cult that successfully intimidates its (ex-)members on pain of death and by forcing 5 times a day prayers at exacting times, a form of mind control in some countries like Iran by the religious militia. Some (not all Mormon) like Warren jeff's community can be called cults using the same principle. Freemasonry had cults too since freemasons were under pain of death until recently not to reveal secrets.
The "occult" is different on the other hand and refers to use of esoteric or supposedly "hidden" knowledge for magical purposes like spells or dabbling in witchcraft, etc. The practice is forewarned in Judaism and Christianity as being soul-endangering and leading to the subjugation of one's will to the devil and his angels.

Answer 6

the Occult is an underground group that worship satan and mess around with black magic.

a cult, is a relatively small religious group that usually fall somewhere near christianity. They usually have very strict rules and rely on these rules to fulfill their beliefs.
theres a lot of other things that classify a group as being a cult. and the scope of cults can go from fairly normal to extremely dark and scary. Technically speaking, mormons and jehovah's wittnesses fall under this category, but so do a lot of protestant groups.

Answer 7

Occult is something forbidden in the Bible and Witnesses have zero to do with it... whether it means the mystery of believing in a burning place called hell or any sort of spiritism, they have nothing to do with it... They based all of their beliefs on the truth of the Bible or else it's a no-go... so if it's not in the Bible, they don't believe it... You could say however that because of the fact that they worship the Father the way that He wants to be worshipped since the last required sacrifice ever, namely the death of His beloved and only-begotten son meaning that He was the only one that He created by Himself; as the rest, of all creation, they created together... and the Word was with God and the Word was "a" God!!! but most translations opted to drop the article as though it would make the one created as powerful as the Creator but they will answer for that soon... So yes! the fact that they worship Him the way He wants to be worshipped, in spirit and truth! means that they alone give Him the true cult which means worship...
There are however many false "cults" such as the Mormons who put their faith in Joseph Smith more than in what they do in the Bible since the Bible makes it clear that nothing more should be added to it... Nothing! I hope that this answers your question... and that the next time you see a Witness you will give them half an ear! They don't bite and are very nice people! who really listen not only to the voice of Jesus but to the whole truth of what he came to earth to teach!!! How else are we to learn? By men who lie to fullfill their own selfish agenda??? God forbid!!!

Edit:
About the one who just answered above me... saying that a cult is in a specific area; she has no idea how true that is even though she has no idea of what she is speaking about as all Witnesses on earth, I mean, worldwide, will all tell you the same truth of the Bible, which is what they all believe and agree with, not one smokes, commits adultery, lies, kill, or anything else the word of God condemns; On the other hand it's so difficult to find any two christians or any other man-made religion to agree on everything; that I don't believe I have ever met two who did!!! Only the Witnesses are all over the planet with the very same beliefs that Jesus had... this is why they are said to go in that narrow door; that they are no part of the world of Satan who makes Christian war against Christians, etc, in the name of God!!! Just think about it long enough and you will see the common sense truth of it all; and might get the true sense of it once and for all. The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one... YOU have a brain... take a Witness and question him or her all that you want; then another and so on... then do the same with any other religion... Let us know wuich ones made the more sense and which ones agreed in all ways with their brothers whom they are commanded to love with their whole heart, not to slaughter in wars... Go ahead!! Do it!!! For your own peace of mind!!! In the name of the TRUTH!

Answer 8

My personal opinion is that they are NOT cults. I do realize that a lot of people from mainstream Christian churches would not agree with me, but that's my belief. I think of a cult as a group that often has a leader that is trying to make people follow him and what he wants (often being quite bad things). I will admit, from my personal experience, I feel that people in the Mormon church are misguided. They follow teachings that I don't believe are true... But I wouldn't call them a cult (same as I would say that some mainstream Christian churches as well as Catholic churches, etc etc are misguided as well).. They (all these groups) have SOME things right, but far from everything.

Now.. for cults, I would think more of groups like the one that David Koresh led, etc.

As for Occult, that is a different word. I think Occult refers to things of the devil, etc.

Answer 9

According to http://www.m-w.com this is the definition of cult

1 : formal religious veneration : WORSHIP

2 : a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents

3 : a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also : its body of adherents

4 : a system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator

5 a : great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (as a film or book); especially : such devotion regarded as a literary or intellectual fad b : the object of such devotion c : a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion

According to this, pretty much everyone is in a cult. I personally do not know enough about Mormon beliefs to say one way or another. I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and can tell you that while according to this list we and everyone else are cultists, in the more common usage no we are not. Generally when someone refers to a cult, at least when I hear it, they are refering to a group worshiping a man. We worship God.

Answer 10

I cannot speak for Mormons but I was baptised as one of Jehovah's Witness about 5 years ago. Looking back I didn't believe I was part of a cult but after leaving and reading more about them they could be labeled a cult however, using the definition of cult so could many other religions.

Answer 11

What Is A Cult?

Cult Defined!
http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/YAHWEHFrank/CultDefined.html