Is The Jehovah’s Witness Religion A Cult?

Lets put aside what “apostates” claim, and check with actual Social Psychologists.

Its an important question to clear up.

Nobody would willingly join a group which robs them of their freedom, their minds, and does harm to them. And yet, there are approximately 500,000 groups in the world that are recognized as cults, with 0.5-3% of individuals being involved in a cult at some point in their lifetime.

Jehovah's Witnesses, smiling as the world burns

Jehovah’s Witnesses, smiling as the world burns

What is a cult?

Its interesting that the JW.org website gives the reader their own definition of what they think a cult is, then says “We don’t do those things, therefore, we cant be a cult”. But, of course, people in cults don’t recognize that they’re in a cult. And the last thing that the leader(s) would do is acknowledge that they are in one.

Watchtower’s rebuttal of the cult claim is flawed:

  1. Some think of a cult as being a new or unorthodox religion. Jehovah’s Witnesses have not invented a new religion. On the contrary, we pattern our worship after that of the first-century Christians, whose example and teachings were recorded in the Bible. We believe that the Holy Scriptures should be the authority on what is orthodox in matters of worship.

  2. Some think of a cult as being a dangerous religious sect with a human leader. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not look to any human as their leader. Rather, we adhere to the standard that Jesus set for his followers when he stated: “Your Leader is one, the Christ.”​

However, what “some people” think is not important. What is important is what a cult actually is.

An unorthodox religion, isn’t necessarily a cult. Cults dont even have to be religious in nature. There are political cult, self-help cults, UFO cults… cults are distinguished by their practices and the level of control the leader(s) has/have on its members.

A cult doesnt even need to have a leader. It can have a group of leaders, or could even an ideology without a leader (Islamic State/ISIS).

In order to recognise if a group is a cult, there are clues from social psychology.

According to the Cult Education Institute, there are specific warning signs to look out for when considering whether a group might be a cult. Cults are characterized by the following warning signs:

  1. Absolute authoritarianism without accountability

  2. Zero tolerance for criticism or questions

  3. Lack of meaningful financial disclosure regarding the budget

  4. Unreasonable fears about the outside world that often involve evil conspiracies and persecutions

  5. A belief that former followers are always wrong for leaving and there is never a legitimate reason for anyone else to leave

  6. Abuse of members

  7. Records, books, articles, or programs documenting the abuses of the leader or group

  8. Followers feeling that they are never able to be “good enough”

  9. A belief that the leader is right at all times

  10. A belief that the leader is the exclusive means of knowing “truth” or giving validation

Cults are dangerous because they typically rely on deceptive and authoritarian practices to make members dependent on and obedient to the group. Cults often cut members off from family, and other forms of social and financial support and pose both physical and psychological risks to members of the group.

Cult expert and former cult member Dr Steve Hassan developed the BITE Model of Authoritarian Control which used to identify abusive relationships and high control groups. The BITE Model is an acronym for the methods cults use to influence its members: Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control. A group doesnt need to meet every one of the criteria, but the more factors they have in common, the more likely the group you’re involved with is a cult.

Behavior Control

  1. Regulate individual’s physical reality

  2. Dictate where, how, and with whom the member lives and associates or isolates

  3. When, how and with whom the member has sex

  4. Control types of clothing and hairstyles

  5. Regulate diet – food and drink, hunger and/or fasting

  6. Manipulation and deprivation of sleep

  7. Financial exploitation, manipulation or dependence

  8. Restrict leisure, entertainment, vacation time

  9. Major time spent with group indoctrination and rituals and/or self indoctrination including the Internet

  10. Permission required for major decisions

  11. Rewards and punishments used to modify behaviors, both positive and negative

  12. Discourage individualism, encourage group-think

  13. Impose rigid rules and regulations

  14. Punish disobedience by beating, torture, burning, cutting, rape, or tattooing/branding

  15. Threaten harm to family and friends

  16. Force individual to rape or be raped

  17. Encourage and engage in corporal punishment

  18. Instill dependency and obedience

  19. Kidnapping

  20. Beating

  21. Torture

  22. Rape

  23. Separation of Families

  24. Imprisonment

  25. Murder

Thought Control

  1. Require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth
    a. Adopting the group’s ‘map of reality’ as reality
    b. Instill black and white thinking
    c. Decide between good vs. evil
    d. Organize people into us vs. them (insiders vs. outsiders)

  2. Change person’s name and identity

  3. Use of loaded language and clichés which constrict knowledge, stop critical thoughts and reduce complexities into platitudinous buzz words

  4. Encourage only ‘good and proper’ thoughts

  5. Hypnotic techniques are used to alter mental states, undermine critical thinking and even to age regress the member

  6. Memories are manipulated and false memories are created

  7. Teaching thought-stopping techniques which shut down reality testing by stopping negative thoughts and allowing only positive thoughts, including:
    a. Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking
    b. Chanting
    c. Meditating
    d. Praying
    e. Speaking in tongues
    f. Singing or humming

  8. Rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism

  9. Forbid critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy allowed

  10. Labeling alternative belief systems as illegitimate, evil, or not useful

  11. Instill new “map of reality”

Information Control

  1. Deception:
    a. Deliberately withhold information
    b. Distort information to make it more acceptable
    c. Systematically lie to the cult member

  2. Minimize or discourage access to non-cult sources of information, including:
    a. Internet, TV, radio, books, articles, newspapers, magazines, media
    b. Critical information
    c. Former members
    d. Keep members busy so they don’t have time to think and investigate
    e. Control through cell phone with texting, calls, internet tracking

  3. Compartmentalize information into Outsider vs. Insider doctrines
    a. Ensure that information is not freely accessible
    b. Control information at different levels and missions within group
    c. Allow only leadership to decide who needs to know what and when

  4. Encourage spying on other members
    a. Impose a buddy system to monitor and control member
    b. Report deviant thoughts, feelings and actions to leadership
    c. Ensure that individual behavior is monitored by group

  5. Extensive use of cult-generated information and propaganda, including:
    a. Newsletters, magazines, journals, audiotapes, videotapes, YouTube, movies and other media
    b. Misquoting statements or using them out of context from non-cult sources

  6. Unethical use of confession
    a. Information about sins used to disrupt and/or dissolve identity boundaries
    b. Withholding forgiveness or absolution
    c. Manipulation of memory, possible false memories

Emotional Control

  1. Manipulate and narrow the range of feelings – some emotions and/or needs are deemed as evil, wrong or selfish

  2. Teach emotion-stopping techniques to block feelings of homesickness, anger, doubt

  3. Make the person feel that problems are always their own fault, never the leader’s or the group’s fault

  4. Promote feelings of guilt or unworthiness, such as:
    a. Identity guilt
    b. You are not living up to your potential
    c. Your family is deficient
    d. Your past is suspect
    e. Your affiliations are unwise
    f. Your thoughts, feelings, actions are irrelevant or selfish
    g. Social guilt
    h. Historical guilt

  5. Instill fear, such as fear of:
    a. Thinking independently
    b. The outside world
    c. Enemies
    d. Losing one’s salvation
    e. Leaving or being shunned by the group
    f. Other’s disapproval

  6. Extremes of emotional highs and lows – love bombing and praise one moment and then declaring you are horrible sinner

  7. Ritualistic and sometimes public confession of sins

  8. Phobia indoctrination: inculcating irrational fears about leaving the group or questioning the leader’s authority
    a. No happiness or fulfillment possible outside of the group
    b. Terrible consequences if you leave: hell, demon possession, incurable diseases, accidents, suicide, insanity, 10,000 reincarnations, etc.
    c. Shunning of those who leave; fear of being rejected by friends and family
    d. Never a legitimate reason to leave; those who leave are weak, undisciplined, unspiritual, worldly, brainwashed by family or counselor, or seduced by money, sex, or rock and roll
    e. Threats of harm to ex-member and family

As you can see, according to social psychologists, and cult experts, the Jehovah’s Witness religion can accurately be described as a cult. Scoring high on all four factors of control, especially Emotional control.

I remember when I left the Jehovah’s Witness faith and first read Dr Hassan’s book Combating Cult Mind Control. Initially, I didn’t believe the religion was a cult, although I did acknowledge that it had “cult-like tendencies”. The reason was that I didn’t actually know what a cult was. I thought my JW upbringing and environment were normal — I was simply used to it. I didn’t want it to be a cult. But after studying further, I had to face the facts: I was raised in one.

I remember feeling as though my entire life had been a lie; it felt as if someone had died. A religion — a cause I had felt so devoted to for over thirty years, a faith I had defended even during my school days, enduring taunts, bullying, and ridicule — all for nothing?

However, accepting this fact was the single most important step I ever took in my life, and especially in my recovery from JW indoctrination. It made me question everything. And so began a journey of self-discovery, of experimentation, of relentless truth-seeking in order to make sense of my experience and to carve out a new, authentic direction in my life. I invite you to do the same.

You were — or are — in a cult. But that comes with certain benefits that most people in the “real world” will never have. For one, it instantly makes you the most interesting person in the room. Some ex-JWs feel embarrassed that they were once part of a high-control group, or cult. But to people in the real world, it’s fascinating — they’ll likely have lots of questions and be genuinely intrigued by you and your story. You’ll never find yourself short of conversation.

Secondly, being a former cult member often makes you more loving and loyal towards the friends and family who remain in your life. Many of us lost our parents, siblings, and even our children. As a result, you may find that you place greater importance on the family ties you form after leaving — becoming more forgiving, less judgemental, and more caring.

Cherish it. Own it. You’re about to have the time of your life…

“Being a former cult member, instantly makes you the most interesting person in the room.”