Dear Readers,
Have you ever asked yourself this, is there any difference between fundamentalist, high-control groups or cults? I personally don't think so. Some cults are less harmful than others. I see the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Christian denomination that I spent the first 22 years of my life in as being cult-like, if not an outright cult regardless of what religious scholars or cult experts say. I see the LDS Church as being cult-like. Most fundamentalist Christian denominations, sects, branches, splinter-groups or movements strike me as being cult-like, if not outright cults. Why the fundamentalists in particular, you may be wondering? Well, fundamentalist religious groups have tight control over their members. Their members must actively be involved in religious activities, nearly everyday of the week. Questioning one's beliefs or petitioning the group to change certain beliefs and practices that they find to be harmful or don't think are working is not tolerated and the person who challenges such views are subject to being excommunicated from the group and may even be shunned. Shunning is not just something that fringe groups do. The Jehovah's Witnesses have around 7 million members worldwide and they do actively engage in the practice of shunning which is required by the Governing Body who run the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. The Orthodox Mormons have around 14 million members, shunning is not a requirement by the Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although many ex-Mormons and post-Mormons don't have a relationship with their families, relatives or friends.
The JW's as an example of a cult-like or high-control group
Fundamentalist religious groups often love bomb new members. The JW's for instance in my experience, they love bombed each other at every meeting at the Kingdom Halls that I attended or at the various types of JW conventions that occur at very times throughout the year. I hated the love bombing thing, I always did. I never engaged in that type of behavior. Some individual JW's might just be trying to be nice and I can understand that, although when it is done to new converts, it seems to be very manipulative. The love bombing is to try and make you feel welcomed and accepted by the group, however if you should ever question or openly disagree with any of their beliefs or practices, the JW's are done with you. For instance, if you are LGBT and you decide that leading a life of romantic and sexual repression or gender dysphoria isn't for you, and you go and get in relationship with someone of the same gender who you are romantically and sexually involved with, especially if you legally marry someone of the same-sex or undergo a sex-change operation, then you will be kicked out of the Organization and shunned by all JW's worldwide. Such loving, understanding and Christ-like behavior, right? As a JW, you are not allowed to read the material of other religions or anything that is critical of the JW denomination. You can only really accept the scientific facts that don't directly contradict your beliefs. You must raise your children as Jehovah's Witnesses and cannot really let them make a choice to decide what they believe for themselves, if you do, the Watchtower Society considers you to be a "bad parent" and that you have doomed your child to die at Armageddon. Higher education is looked down upon by JW's, going to college is only necessary to learn a certain skill or trade so that you can support yourself, your not going to learn and expand your horizons.
Blood transfusions are not allowed, if you get a blood transfusion, then your going to be disfellowshipped. Celebrating birthdays or any holidays other than the Memorial of Christ's death as celebrated by the Jehovah's Witnesses around Passover will result in being disfellowshipped. You must complete trust in the governing body of seven men who run the JW denomination and in church leaders who are called Elders and in Ministerial Servants ( who are kind of like deacons) and in the branch, district, circuit and zone Overseers who overlook JW congregations in certain, counties, districts, states or countries. Every JW is required to go door-to-door on Saturdays regardless of gender or age until they die unless they become sick or too physically weak. JW kids are even encouraged to proselytize in schools, something I never did because I believed that it was inappropriate setting to do so. You are only allowed to have penile-to-vaginal sex as a heterosexual, monogamous married couple, anything else is punishable. Women who divorce their abusive husbands are often disfellowshipped and are considered adulteresses, if they ever remarry. You can take parts of blood, all the parts that you need to survive but many JW's don't understand this practice very well, so they tell doctors that they can't have blood by showing the "No Blood" cards that every Jehovah's Witness must have.
The JW's consider themselves to be the "truth" and all other religious groups are "false" and are being deceived by Satan and his demons who are also deceiving all earthly governments which is why JW's cannot vote. You cannot enter into the military as that is considered to be "murder" and you cannot own guns or serve as a police officer. Abortions are considered to be "murder", so you cannot have one or you will be disfellowshipped. You cannot throw rice at weddings which is an ancient pagan religious practice. You cannot salute the flag or sing the National Anthem because that is placing your country over devotion to Yahweh. They don't engage in interfaith activities because they might lead people to think that there is more than one path to the "truth" which is also why they can't donate to or work for the Red Cross, participate in scouting organizations. The Bible is considered to be the inerrant "word of God" and does not contain any contradictions.
Reading books by non-JW authors is discouraged and as I said, you cannot read literature from other religions or anything written by ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, especially that which criticizes the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. How can this be anything other than biased? Attending all the weekly meetings and at conventions at the Kingdom Hall is mandatory unless you become ill or if an emergency occurs. Praying at meals and reading the Watchtower and Awake! magazines and memorizing them everyday is required. You cannot purchase objects at garage sales as they might be possessed by a demon or cause you to go astray from your beliefs. Satan and his demons are wandering the earth and want to deceive you and make you do evil things, so that you won't be able to live on Yahweh's upcoming earthly paradise forever. You are to avoid loved ones who are non-JW's who refuse to convert into the denomination as much as possible and are discouraged to not to be friends or associates with non-JW's who refuse to convert into the denomination.
In cases of child molestation, the child and the pedophile must both admit to the Elders that the crime took place and you cannot call the police as that might make the JW denomination and Yahweh look bad. The United Nations is considered to be the " scarlet-colored beast in the Book of Revelations", as well as the " Babylon the Great or the Empire of all false religions" and will soon ban the practice of religion and start persecuting the Jehovah's Witnesses any day now, according to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society All non-JW's and ex-JW's are doomed to die at Armageddon if they are still alive when it happens. Only the JW's who survive Armageddon, the deceased JW's who died before Armageddon and the persons who died before JW denomination came into existence that have decided to accept the JW denomination as being the "truth" will get to live on Yahweh's reformed earth which is to be paradise, except for 144,000 of the leaders of the JW congregations as well as the governing body members will get to live in heaven with Yahweh and Jesus and rule with them as princes and judges over those living on the earth.
Cults don't allow disagreement or petitioning to change beliefs and practices. All non-members of the cult or high control group are viewed as "evil". Information outside of the group is unreliable and all information from ex-members is considered to be "lies". Associating only with members of the group is a requirement. Cults usually consider themselves to be the "truth" and have a strong level of emotional intolerance and prejudice towards people who belong to other religious groups. You must obey all dictates of the religious authorities of the group without question. Cults usually dictate jobs you can have, what television shows or films you can watch, who you can date or marry, how you can have sex or what sort of food you can eat. Cults usually shun ex-members or questioning members. There is so much more I could say, but I encourage you to do your own research on cults, high control groups, fundamentalist religious and extremist groups. Think about it.
Sincerely,
B.W.
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