Are Jehovah's Witnesses REALLY a cult?

[zeb...@windstream.net]

*****Are Jehovah's Witnesses REALLY a cult?
(1/10/99)*******************************

Many people on these NG's refer to Jehovah's Witnesses as belonging to
a cult. Although they usually don't offer any supporting evidence for
their claim, they nevertheless continue to make those claims.

Does claiming something make it true? No, as Jesus so rightly shows us
in Mt 7:21-23. (claiming to be Christian, does not make you one) Thus
there has to be some basis for a claim, some proof, that what is said
represents reality.

Obviously, the place to start would be to examine the definition of
the word "cult", from a reputable reference source. Compton's
Dictionary (1995) gives the first definition as "1 a) a system of
religious worship or ritual".

Well that definition makes ALL religions "cults". So let's go on to
the second one:

"b) a quasi-religious group, often living in a colony, with a
charismatic leader who indoctrinates members with unorthodox or
extremist views, practices, or beliefs".

This sounds more like the definition of "cult" that you see in the
news, etc. Let's see if the JW's fit into that definition:

"quasi-religious group"...... Are Jehovah's Witnesses just halfway
religious, or seemingly religious, but really are not? Well, the JW's
have been accused of many things, but not being COMPLETELY religious,
is not one of them. Some even refer to them as being religiously
'fanatical', since they do so many religious things. (such as going to
people's homes and businesses and trying to discuss religion with
them. See Ac 20:20)

"often living in a colony"...... Jehovah's Witnesses are spread all
over the world, in just about every country on earth, even in
countries where religious activities are banned. They live as
individuals, mixed in with the general populace. You probably have
some as neighbors in your area right now. No, they are not consecrated
in one "colony".

"a charismatic leader who indoctrinates members..."...... Jehovah's
Witnesses primary leaders are Jesus and God. They have a legal
corporation in New York, and have a president of that corporation,
just like many other organizations have, but they do not fanatically
follow any man. They are taught from the Bible to observe this
structure of authority: 1 Co 11:3,

"Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and
the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." (NIV)

Yes they do have a structure similar to the first century
congregations with an "overseer" arrangement,
and with "Ministerial servants", etc, (1 Ti 3:1-10), just as churches
have pastors or priests and deacons, etc, in them.

"unorthodox or extremist views, practices, or beliefs" (given by a
charismatic leader)..... As we have seen, there is no human
"charismatic leader" among Jehovah's Witnesses, so this definition
wouldn't apply to them.

But Yes, the JW's do have different beliefs (BASED ON THE BIBLE) that
many other professed "Christian" religions have. But does having
"unorthodox" beliefs tag a religion as a "cult"? If that were true,
then Jesus and his followers were a "cult". His teachings were quite
"unorthodox" compared to the form of Judaism existing at the time. One
encyclopedia goes so far as to say that early Christianity WAS a cult.
The World Book Encyclopedia says:

"Christianity began as a cult within Judaism and developed into an
established religion."

If Jesus' establishment of Christianity made him a "cult", then
Jehovah's Witnesses, by following the footsteps of Jesus, would be
proud to be a Jesus' "cult".

But did Jehovah's Witnesses qualify as a cult based on that reference
book's definition? Not one part of that second definition applied to
Jehovah's Witnesses.

Thus by definition, Jehovah's Witnesses are not the "cult" described
in "1b" above. To call them that kind of cult is to be in error and
falsehood. And the God of the Bible wants His servants to observe the
"truth". As He said at John 4:23,24,

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will
worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of
worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must
worship in spirit and in truth." (NIV)

Sincerely James
The mental sicknesses
of the world
4/15/23
Goto jw.org