Published by The definition of a cult, according to the Compact Oxford Dictionary of Current English Definitions, is ”a small religious group regarded as strange or as imposing excessive control over members”. Jehovah’s witnesses are by the very definition a cult.
I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. Growing up, I was not only singled out at my school but also in the Kingdom Hall (equivalent to the church). My mother was viewed as “spiritually weak”. She couldn’t attend all five meetings a week because of her job. She also was married to a “nonbeliever”. So, even though we went to the meetings at least three times a week, went out on service, and followed every rule they put down, we were still not fit enough to be around them in a social setting.
So, I couldn’t have any unnecessary contact with “worldly children” and the children in the Kingdom Hall could not have any contact with me because I was “spiritually weak”. This made for a very lonely childhood. This, however, is not the reason I believe they are a cult.
Jehovah’s witnesses are governed by the Watchtower Society. They are given hundreds of pages to read every month out of their self-publicated literature. They do encourage Bible reading – with the aid of their articles. After reading the required articles, there is little time to sit down and read directly from the Bible.
Some of their better known regulations include refusing blood transfusions, not participating in celebrating any holidays, not serving in the military, not voting, not citing the Pledge of Allegiance, and not socializing with worldly people.
Many people would go to the Kingdom Hall the first time and be surprised at how nice everyone was and how normal everything appeared to be. Many Jehovah’s Witnesses, are in fact very nice individuals. Their actions are directed by the Watchtower Organization, however. So, if you were to attend meetings for a while and they have not detected spiritual growth in you, you would see a distinct change in behavior.
I know this from both sides of the coin. I have been banned from playing with children and children have been banned from playing with me. It is a hierarchy there. When I think back to my childhood, I see things even more clearly.
I remember hearing a million times “false prophets will not inherit god’s kingdom.” Then, when I got married and had children of my own, I decided to look a little more deeply into religion. I started with my own former religion. I learned very quickly about the past of Jehovah’s witnesses. They have false prophesied several times about the end of the times. One time they went down the the month in their prediction.
Why didn’t I learn this before? Any questioning of the organizations is called “apostasy” and grounds for being disfellowshipped. That, above all, is why I know that Jehovah’s witnesses are a cult.
good testimony, use it to he;p others stay out of this herecy, and use it to get people out of it.