Jehovahs Witness, Why do people refer to this religion as a cult?

Question

I have noticed the word cult come out alot in any post that pertains to J/W's. I have also noticed that the J/Ws dont refer to any other religions as cults so I was just wondering why people would use the word cult when talking about J/W's?

John 17:14

14. I have given your word to them, but the world has hated them, because they are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.


Some of the answers were really hatefull and mean spirited. The word cult is so dirty and vicious. Is this the kind of persecution that Jesus was warning Jehovahs people about? You have to ask yourself that.

Matthew 22: 37-39

37 He said to him: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 The second, like it, is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’

Answer 1

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/20000622/
http://watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm

Answer 2

All religions are cults. Catholicism is a cult, Buddhism is a cult, Islam is a cult. they are all an same once you look at it. the purely project is that in in the present day's international the note "cult" is oftentimes linked with a faith that's appeared at as being diverse indirectly, structure, or variety. various people view Jehovah's Witnesses to be a cult because they do no longer have a good time vacation journeys, pass to warfare, take blood, and so on. yet once you look at it, all of those beliefs they carry pricey are in accordance with the Bible which they believe to be the note of God. So fairly their faith isn't "cult like" as a lot of people would imagine a cult will be in the present day. I advise they are not telling anybody to pass out and kill themselves like Jim Jones did. yet as I reported earlier, that's a faith, and sense technically all religions are cults, they're a cult also.

Answer 3

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a sect or a cult?

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.

Answer 4

To me calling a major religion a cult shows a dislike for that religion and a lack of knowledge. Perhaps it is the easiest way to negate the religion. Whether you like what they preach or not, they believe their teachings as much as any other religion and you can make a point that the Jehovah Witnesses follow the bible as well as any other religion too.

People call Mormons a cult too. Perhaps it is because the Catholics, Mormons or the Jehovah Witnesses are the top runners for being right.

Answer 5

Misinformed people refer to JW's as a cult because, unlike most professed Christians, JW's reject the trinity. However, JW's reject the trinity for one good reason. It is not supported by the Bible. There is not one single verse in the Bible where Jesus taught his followers that God is triune, and that the Father, Son, and holy spirit are co-equal and co-eternal in ANYTHING! Instead, Jesus taught that his Father is the only true God. John 17:3. At John 14:28, Jesus showed his inferiority to his Father by saying: "The Father is greater than I am." At 1 Cor. 11:3, it says that the headof the Christ is God.

It is incredible that some of the very same "Christians" who accuse Jehovah's Witnesses of being a cult are so deeply involved in clearly unchristian practices like:

celebrating holidays Christmas and Easter and other paganistic holidays.

adorning their buildings with the cross, a pagan symbol that predates Christianity by thousands of years.

participating in the world's bloodiest wars, even though Jesus said at Matt. 5:44: "I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you."

Jehovah's Witnesses are used to being called names like "cult" or "anti-Christian." However, that will not cool down their desire to help people know the truth from God's Word the Bible.

Thinkenstein below is a classic example of people who are misinformed about Jehovah's Witnesses.

Answer 6

the translation of the bible that we use is actually the "New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures" but many of us still use our good old fashioned King James Version. the NWT simply uses an updated language...it doesn't change the meaning of the passages.

We are not a cult, we simply adhere to the bible on all beliefs.

our official website is www.watchtower.org

if you think we're wrong for not celebrating holidays, look up each of the holidays in your encyclopedia's and read what your contemporaries and peers say about your sacred holidays...you'd be surprised.

ps
they refer to us as a cult, becuase they don't agree with our teachings or our techniques. they think that we're weird or wrong and so they label us.

we are not a cult. like most christians we believe in jesus, but we also believe in God and we teach that they are two diffrent persons.

we follow the bible, strictly, not a human being. we are not a cult.

Answer 7

Dear Youasked4it,

I've noticed also that many refer to Watchtower Witnesses as cult members.

That word certainly isn't biblical. That is why I try to make sure that I call jws by what the Bible calls them and that is FALSE prophets. Deuteronomy 18:20-22 tells us that if we are in doubt as to whether or not a message is from God then we look to see whether the message is fulfilled or NOT.

The Watchtower has on numerous occasions given a specific date for Armageddon. But those specific dates came and went without Armageddon taking place. Therefore the only possible conclusion to draw is that the Watchtower and its witnesses are FALSE prophets. Anything else is just a game of semantics.

Now jws who come to my door will rattle off the dates that have been prophesied but then they say that "Everybody makes mistakes." Yes, everybody makes mistakes but God does not make mistakes.

For His glory,
JOYfilled

Answer 8

Jehovah's Witnesses are NOT a cult and anyone who has actually done any kind of research concerning Jehovah's Witnesses knows this. People who oppose Jehovah's Witnesses like to use the word 'cult' because this word has a general negative connotation. They are counting on people who are not familiar with Jehovah's Witnesses to simply accept this false label and then ignorantly repeat what they have been told.

The following shows how this label is completely untrue:

Cults are regarded as being small, local groups. In contrast, Jehovah's Witnesses currently number over 7,ooo,ooo and can be found in almost every country of the world.
http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/

The World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses is in New York. Located there is the Governing Body, a central group of experienced elders who oversee the worldwide congregation.

Jehovah's Witnesses - Their Worldwide Organization and Work
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/good-news-from-god/jehovahs-witnesses-organization/
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Cults are also regarded as encouraging their adherents to live in groups apart from the rest of society. Many also think of cults as being secretive about their activities or having something to hide.

In contrast, Jehovah's Witnesses live and work in the midst of other people. They have nothing to hide. In fact, they desire to tell anyone who is willing to listen about everything that they believe.

Their book Jehovah's Witnesses—Proclaimers of God's Kingdom correctly notes: "Jehovah's Witnesses are in no sense a secret society. Their Bible-based beliefs are fully explained in publications that are available to anyone. Additionally, they put forth special effort to invite the public to attend meetings to see and hear for themselves what takes place."
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Cult members are also associated with following living human leaders.

Yet Jehovah's Witnesses do not look to any human, but rather to Jesus Christ, as their leader. Jehovah’s Witnesses follow what Jesus taught and put it into practice:

See: "Who is Jesus Christ?"
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/good-news-from-god/who-is-jesus-christ/

That is what it means to be a Christian. Accordingly, Jehovah’s Witnesses strive to adhere strictly to the precepts established by the first Christians.

Jehovah's Witnesses base all of their beliefs, their standards for conduct, and organizational procedures on the Bible. Their worship is a way of life, not a ritual devotion.
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Rather than relying solely on hearsay and running the risk of parroting bad information, Jehovah's Witnesses encourage people to investigate this further FOR THEMSELVES. This way, one will be in a position to be properly informed as to the true faith and beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The best way to find out more about Jehovah's Witnesses via the Internet is through the pages of their official website:

Jehovah’s Witnesses—What Do They Believe?
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201008/what-do-jehovahs-witnesses-believe/

Recommended Related Articles:

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a Cult?
http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/are-jehovahs-witnesses-a-cult/

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Really a Cult? - Showing How This Label is Incorrect
http://defendingjehovahswitnesses.blogspot.com/2011/08/are-jehovahs-witnesses-really-cult.html

Answer 9

Lots of answers but not one person here has truly educated themselves about this cult and that is why all the answers are what I call surface answers about this religion. Most all Christians think if they educate themselves on just the Bible they have educated themselves about JW's and that is why you will see all the Bible quotes. Yes the Bible is of the up-most importance but there are times one must go past that and look at nonJW supported web sites and read what this cult does to families and it is then you will see it for what it really is. My family will NEVER be the same because of what this cult has done. I did not have to study the Bible to realize that. Please go to these sites and see for yourselves. Not just once or twice but at many different times to get a feel of what is going on. Why do I call JW's a cult member? Because any religion that brakes up families is a cult. Period!!! The family folks, that is what it is all about. Leaving your family to go to theirs and they do not give one darn bit about the people their newest member leaves behind, (we non-witnesses are controlled by the devil) other than relentless conversion attempts by your totally lost relative into their flock. We do not need the Bible to get that, we need an education by looking past the Bible but having the Bible there when we need it for strength. shellback

Edit update: Line Dancer above? Need I say more? I rest my case. shellback.

Answer 10

I find it interesting that the answerer who criticizes Thinkenstein can not say exactly how he is misinformed. This is because he accurately represents Jehovah Witness beliefs, history, and practices. Please take time to read the links he provided as well as the ones I have. The truth about the Watchtower organization is available to all who will listen. Last time I checked not one denomination in the National Council of Churches recognized the Jehovah's Witnesses as Christian, and NCC standards are very low for such a designation. Watchtower leadership has been so very dishonest with their followers and yet the followers choose to believe this small group of leaders over every other source of information. If they are not a cult, the word "cult" means nothing.