they have many similarities like claiming to be the only way. while fundamentalists claim to be biblical, that's because like many cults, they interpret parts of scripture in a way that supports their preconceived views such as the idea of a young earth. And many cults also have a preoccupation with benign activities like dancing or receiving a blood transfusion, which is all about gaining control.
2007-12-26 18:06:02 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians.
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?article=article_04.htm
2007-12-27 17:32:16 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
JW's are not a cult.
Let me define the word "cult" for you since you obviously don't know the definition. A cult is a religion that is said to be unorthodox or that emphasizes devotion according to a prescribed ritual. A cult usually follows a living human leader, and often its adherents live in groups apart fom 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 leader nor isolate themselves from the rest of society. They live and work in the midst of other people. And of course, our leader is Christ. :)
I'm sure if you re-word the question, it would be appreciated by many.
Jenny
2007-12-26 18:17:50 · answer #2 · answered by aseptic technique 5 · 8⤊ 0⤋
it quite is a large question! I truthfully have in no way been a factor of cult yet i be attentive to how annoying it quite is to have a metamorphosis. i grow to be baptized as a new child and when I made my determination to be baptized returned, I knew that i grow to be doing the ideal component yet I had this quite bizarre feeling that i'm going against each thing that my mum and dad had tried to do for me. I knew that it quite is a determination i had to make for myself, and no remember how plenty my mum and dad needed to save me by applying baptism, my salvation isn't with reference to the baptism. So, there is fairly some relearning even for the individuals who've been Christians from the formative years and stayed with it. i for my area walked far off from God as quickly as, and that i'm so chuffed He did no longer provide up on me. it quite is been discovering ever in view that. Intimate own courting with God is astounding, I truthfully have plenty gratitude in the direction of what Jesus did for me on the circulate.
2016-10-09 05:43:49 · answer #3 · answered by ashwini 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your question is based on the wrong premise that JWs are not Christians.
Who is a Christian? Is it someone who believes that Jesus is God Almighty? Someone who believes in the Trinity?
Neutral definition in the dictionary;
Chris·tian [kríschən]
noun (plural Chris·tians)
- believer in Jesus Christ as savior: somebody whose religion is Christianity
(Microsoft® Encarta® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)
2007-12-26 20:29:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 0⤋
Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians since they admit that Jesus is the son of God who gave his life so that our sins could be forgiven.
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life. " -- John 3:16
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
Jehovah's Witnesses are not a cult since they don't have a human leader (their leader is Jesus Christ), they don't isolate themselves (they actually go from door-to-door) and their beliefs are based solely on the Bible (this is what makes them true Christians).
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20040301/article_02.htm
2007-12-26 22:13:49 · answer #5 · answered by Alex 5 · 6⤊ 0⤋
You are mistaken.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe what the bible says, that is Jesus is the way.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
2007-12-27 05:16:04 · answer #6 · answered by keiichi 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You defame God just like Satan did...Satan will be destroyed for his rebelliousness. Maybe you should ask for forgiveness, repent and turn to serving the true God Jehovah.
2007-12-26 18:25:31 · answer #7 · answered by debbie2243 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Most (maybe not all) fundamentalist groups are cults. Wesboro Baptists...Jim Jones...Billy Graham....Benny Hinn...cults...cults...cults.....
2007-12-26 23:44:06 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
They believe Jesus is God come in the flesh. So the answer to your question is, "no." In fact, the following religions do NOT believe that Jesus is God come in the flesh.
Islam
Jehovah Witnesses
Mormon Church of Latter Day Saints
Judaism
Christian Scientists
Scientology
Unification Church
The Way International
Buddhism
Hinduism
Jainism
Sikh
Bah'ai
Traditional Chinese
African/ Diasporic Religions
Taoism
Zoroastrianism
Wicca
Hellenic Reconstructionism
Kermetic reconstructionism
Asatru
Animalism
Druidism
Celtic reconstructionism
Finnish neopaganism
2007-12-26 18:10:40 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 6⤋
I AGREE WITH SCHNEB
Jw IS A CULT
THEY ARE AN AFFRONT TO TRUE BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY AND THEY DO NOT FOLLOW THE BIBLE. THEY DENY THAT THE LORD JESUS IS JEHOVAH, DESPITE OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE IN THE BIBLE, MAKES THEM 100% CULTIC. THEY SPEW LIES TO SUPPORT SUCH DEVIANT PRACTICES. LOOK, FROM ISAIAH 40-45, JEHOVAH WHO SPOKE WAS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, YET MANY JW CHOSE AND WILFULLY IGNORE THE MULTITUDE OF EVIDENCES.
I WOULD INVOKE A COURT ORDER TO MAKE THE CHILD A WARD OF COURT AND CONTINUE ON WITH THE SURGERY AND BLOOD TRANSFUSION. IF THE PARENTS WANT TO DAMN THEMSELVES WITH DEVIANT DOCTRINES, SO BE IT. WHY SHOULD A CHILD BE FORCED TO DIE?
YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM QUID THAT I WILL BE THE FIRST TO MAKE THE CHILD A WARD OF COURT AND TO RECEIVE BLOOD TRANSFUSION WHEN IT IS NECESSARY! SO ALL YOU JW, MAKE SURE YOUR DAUGHTERS COME UNDER MY SCALPEL.
THE WHOLE OF THE SCRIPTURE SPOKE OF ABSTAINING FROM BLOOD, ABSTAIN FROM EATING BLOOD. IT IS IN THE FOOD LAWS, IN LEV 17 AND ACTS 15. IT IS ABOUT FOOD, FOOD, FOOD . .
2007-12-26 23:38:07 · answer #10 · answered by A T O M I C Jw slayer 1 · 0⤊ 7⤋