Jehovah's Witnesses are accused of being a cult but what exactly is a cult?

Question

Here on Yahoo! there have been many questions and answers saying JW's are a cult. But what, exactly, is a cult? It seems to me that "cult" is misunderstood and misapplied.

JW's do not hide themselves away in mountain retreats, hold women and children hostage, stockpile weapons and then commit mass suicide. JW's are not held in thrall to a charismatic leader. JW's do not have to give hundreds of thousands of dollars/pounds in order to progress up some mystical ladder to "perfection". They are law abiding, honest and decent people. Why then, the accusation?

Please check out the definition of cult and then provide evidence to support the idea that it applies to JW's. If it turns out that they are not a cult, then is there another description that should be applied? I mean something POLITE and ACCURATE. If you claim to be a Christian, please display some true Christian love while you think about the answer to this question.

I inadvertently sent this q 3 times - problems with my laptop / internet. Still, that means 3 people will get a BA!

I wasn't demanding people express anything Christian - merely suggesting that it would be good for Christians to avoid name-calling and 'having a go' at JW's. There's far too much hostility on the R & S site as it is, and that detracts from the Christian message.

Early Christians were thought of as a SECT, not a cult, by the Jewish people. (Paul, the mind of the apostle by A.N. Wilson).

Polite is something I do quite well, when I put my mind to it! Actually, I've been guilty in the past of calling JW's a cult but have since repented after doing some research. I do not believe they are a cult and the point of asking this q is to try to get other people to change their thinking.

Even though I was brought up as a JW I did not know the Witnesses used to devote Sunday's to picketing in front of Churches. Very interesting. Glad they mended their ways - after all, the churches of Christendom don't picket in front of Kingdom Halls!

Just want to mention that I have not given anyone a thumbs down - so if you've got one, it wasn't me!

Answer 1

What a tired old word 'cult' has become. It's lost all meaning - passed its sell-by date. Previous answers have given dictionary definitions and many examples of what a cult is, and Christianity is but one of myriad groups following a leader (Christ). Christians were called a 'sect' but that is just another way of saying 'cult'. In political circles, it would be called a 'party'. And a leading party would call smaller ones that opposed it a 'fringe' group, trying to minimise it and imply it wasn't worth bothering about. The way we use words actually says more about the users than it does the words.

You are right to point out that JWs don't fit the usual description of modern-day cults that are almost unanimously viewed as being dangerous. As with political parties, there are religious groups of all shades and hues, left, right, centre, inside, outside, upside-down and back-to-front. What's needed is a clear definition of what constitutes orthodox Christianity, then groups can be measured to see how they compare. Given that JWs delight in pointing out just how different they are, and in saying 'Christendom' (all Christian denominations except their own) is going to be destroyed by God at Armageddon, they should be pleased that 'Christendom' views them as a cult. They should be wearing it as a badge of honor. Yet they have produced articles denying that they are a cult! Nobody likes to be labelled a cult, you see, not even the rebels!

I suggest a more meaningful term for the JWs is that they are a pseudo-Christian group; 'pseudo' - supposed but not real, as in pseudonym, as in our assumed names here on Yahoo! But when a group claims to be bona fide, and, further THE ONLY bona fide Christian religion on earth, then the claim had better be true, or else it's an evil, cultish deception. And we all know who the father of deception is. Or perhaps 'quasi-Christian' would be good, because they do have some good, biblical beliefs and practices. The only difficulty with that, however, is that there are no degrees of being a Christian. One is either a Christian, or one is not. So, I elect pseudo-Christian. (No thumbs up from the JW ranks, of course.)

Answer 2

I do not call Jehovah's Witnesses a cultl; however, I do not call them Christians either because it is NOT the same faith. The Bible that JW's use has been rewritten by the Watchtower organization. The words are dramatically different so that it supports beliefs for them. I do not think they are horrible people, but I don't agree with their faith. A cult is something that will do their best to isolate themselves from family and society. A JW doesn't do this; however, I have heard situations where they have danced on this thin line very carefully. I have heard of JW's that suggested that someone separates from a family because they choose not to be JW. That is cult-like behavior. A person can obey all the laws that exist, but still be a member of a cult faith. The people that were in Heaven's Gate were not breaking any laws; however, by every way of looking at it, that was a cult and still exists today actually. The JW beliefs are dramatically different from other Christian faiths. Example, there is no celebrations of birthdays or anniversaries when others churches have no problem with this. There are other beliefs that do not match with Biblical doctrines. I hope this helps to see where someone is coming from. However, many times someone calls something a cult because they do NOT understand. If they do not get what someone is saying or believing, then they are automatically a cult in their eyes. This isn't Christian behavior and isn't something that I support.

Answer 3

This question seems surprisingly polite, so it will receive a surprisingly polite response...!

The vast majority of English-speaking people viscerally recognize that "cult" is an insult, even if some continue to pretend that it is merely a word with a definition. Its use might be compared with a grumpster who insists on calling his neighbors "animals", disingenuously scurrying for a dictionary to show that "homosapiens" is neither vegetable nor mineral. Who cares about the technical definition? The grumpster is still an insulting jerk (and perhaps a bigot if his insults repeatedly target the same group of "animals").

Regulars on R&S will recall that atheists insist that "every religion is a cult"; their argument is easily defensible etymologically. Do you happily accept that term as a simple word with a simple definition? Or do you recognize that the term is intended to insult and demean, rather than to describe objectively?

Here are some things for anti-Witnesses to consider:

1. Is an insult likely to
...a) discourage a JW; or
...b) energize a JW?
2. Is an insult likely to
...a) add to the credibility of the insulter; or
...b) diminish the credibility of the insulter?
3. Does the use of insults
...a) bring reason to a disagreement; or
...b) bring emotion to a disagreement?
4. Does the use of insults seem Christlike?


Jehovah's Witnesses are unique, that is certainly a fact. But they are not a cult, and reasonable people roll their eyes at the insistence that they are. Much has been commented upon regarding the recent documentary film "Knocking"; Beliefnet.com asked the filmmaker outright "Are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult?". Here is his brief response, quite sensible it would seem.
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/218/story_21887_1.html

Ironically, it is probably in the best interests of Jehovah's Witnesses for their critics to continue to act like unreasonable bigots. The Witnesses become more unified against obvious persecution, persons of interest are intrigued by the virulence against 'peaceniks', and the few truly godly (but misdirected) persons among the anti-Witness community are forced to admit that their accomplices are not truly interested in being Christlike or allowing for any good within the Jehovah's Witness religion.

Fifty years ago and more, Jehovah's Witnesses changed some of their practices because they alienated people. Witnesses used to have Saturday meetings so that they could spend Sundays picketing in front of churches! It's about time that anti-Witnesses also change their outrageous practices. There seems little doubt, however, that anti-Witnesses will continue to besmirch and belittle and demean and disparage Jehovah's Witnesses.

John 8:44

Perhaps they cannot help themselves.

Ephesians 4:19

Answer 4

As you probably know, "cult" is used in a variety of ways. "Cult" can be a synonym for "religion," or "sect." In that sense, all Christians are in a cult.

There are also sociological cults, which is the meaning you seem to be talking about when you say JW's don't hide themselves in mountains and all that. But some people do think JW's are a sociological cult because of the pressure they use to keep people in. Namely, the threat of shunning by ones family and loved ones keeps people in as well as discouraging members from reading literature that is critical of their views.

But when most Christians say JW's are a cult, they mean something like this: A group that calls itself Christian while denying one or more of the fundamental tenants of Christianity. The issue that they're usually referring to is the Trinity. Many Christians think the Trinity is definitional to Christianity, and JW's are a cult because they deny the Trinity.

A few people use the word "cult" to mean nothing more than, "anybody who disagrees with me."

Answer 5

As far as I know they are of the protestant denomination...all Christians that are non-catholic are protestants (with few exceptions like orthodox, etc.) I guess some "die-hard" catholics may consider them to be a cult but I (raised catholic) do not. I'm sure that Mormons & JW don't see eye to eye and so may consider each other a cult. I'll give you a rundown on these denominations (from experience): (1) JW & many of the new age evangelists are very nutty. These people are usually dropouts of catholicism (or other protestant denomination) that couldn't hack it. They're usually former alcoholics, drug addicts, sexual deviants, etc, that need to be within a religion that narrowly defines everything for them and so makes it easier for them to avoid temptation.
(2) Mormons are 1st "made in the USA" religion! Instead of a Pope they have a President! Which is great, cause as we know, God is American! Joseph Smith Jr. decided that he had a chat with JC & his pops (God) and made a new religion. Of course, there are many subtle differences between all denominations; but in the end, all their disagreements can be expressed to the age old question: who's better Spiderman or Batman?

Answer 6

You know there was a time when the small conglomeration of 13 men (Jesus and his desciples) were technically a cult. Cult has no negative conotations. It is just an uncommon system of thought that a small amount subscribe to. It isn't a bad thing. Clinton managed to make it into a bad word when he raided Waco cultists.
Extremism is not synonomous with cult. Stop picking on JW's people, we are at war with Islam.

Answer 7

Well the dictionary doesn't help. All devoted religions are cults according to its definition. Personally, and from teachings in the Bible, JW is considered a cult due to its unorthodox beliefs. Such as: no hell, Christ was not God, and being ruled by a small council of fallible leaders writing rules as they go along. Not Christians, because true Christians believe in Christ's deity. If Christ was not God, (the God, not just a god) He could not die for anyone's sins but His own, and we are all unsaved. Like the JW's for example. They are just bound by unsound, false teachings, and like the Mormons, good, hardworking people, that will fill hell up to the brim most likely. Pity. Pray for them.

Answer 8

Well the organisation has set them selves up as being the only ones who hear from God for a start. And when they make mistakes they tell there participants that they have received new light from God. When in fact they are false prophets. Prophecy's actually if from God are 100% aaccurate as the Bible shows. So when the prophecy fails you know it's not from God. The organisation told various times for Jesus coming back and then when he didn't they said he came back invisibly. This was a false prophecy and not new light. What dose the Bible say we should do where false Prophets are concerned? And there's your answer to how you tell a cult. They don't measure up to Gods word, and when they tell an untruth they cover it up instead of repenting.

Answer 9

To CLOHERYAN1 We don't have to give ANY money for as long as we are witnesses...When you go to the Kingdom hall you will NEVER see any type of collection plate passed, nor any mention of MONEY....so i don't know where you got that ridiculous idea....we do donate money if we want too. And that goes to the watchtower society.

To answer this question simply...no we are not a cult in any form.

Answer 10

Apparantly whatever the prevailing religion deams a cult is a cult. It's happened all through history that way, in fact Christians were called a cult for hundreds of years.