Jehovah's Witnesses, naturally, deny that their religious organization constitutes a cult. Social psychologists, theologians, and mental health professionals tend to disagree. What follows will explore factors that identify some cult-like attitudes and behaviours exhibited by Jehovah's Witnesses. One way the Witness leadership exercises extreme control over its members is by promoting the belief that they are a chosen people in sole possession of “the Truth.” This is common among cult groups. Another high-control tactic used is that its members are not allowed to question or doubt the organization's leadership or to examine any information that is critical of the religion. The manner in which the organization's leadership, the Watchtower Society, emphasizes its self-proclaimed authority to members is a third factor that clearly identifies Jehovah's Witnesses as a religious cult.

In discussing dysfunctional religious groups, Booth (1991, 67) identifies several characteristics held in common. One of the main indicators is labeling the belief system as “the Truth”. This confers a special status upon members, that they have responded to God's invitation to have knowledge that is exclusive to the group, elevating them to a spiritual level above the rest of society. These distinctions between members and non-members allow the group to operate with a pseudo-superior attitude. As a case in point, The Watchtower states: “Jehovah's Witnesses invite everyone to. . . experience the joy that comes not only from having found a religion that surpasses all others but from having found the truth!” ( Vol. 116, No. 8, 6). Another issue of the same journal states: “Allow [Jehovah's] Witnesses to help you learn the truth about God's will for us today. Respond to God's call to discuss true worship” in its invitation to non-members to examine Witness teachings (Vol. 116, No. 7, 8).

Early in the indoctrination process, outsiders are encouraged by the Witnesses to critically examine their current beliefs, while at the same time being presented Witness beliefs. The initiate receives the impression that tolerance and respect for differences in opinion on religious matters are not only practiced by Witnesses, but are actually encouraged: “Truly, it is at least educational and mind broadening to understand what others believe and how their beliefs originated” and “people may strongly disagree with their religious beliefs, but that is no basis for hating a person just because he or she holds a different viewpoint” (WTBTS, 1990, 10). Once the person has progressed past the initial pleasantries, however, tolerance quickly evaporates. In describing Witnesses who disagree with Watchtower teachings or doubt the veracity of the belief system, it states: “apostate ones are judged with the greatest severity, they are disfellowshipped [excommunicated], no more to act as leaven [an undesirable influence] among God's people” (WTBTS, 1988, 45).

Witnesses are warned against “independent thinking”. This is done with convoluted reasoning that includes the idea that “the Devil” lures people to “pursue a course of pride” and that a symptom of pride is insubordination to directives of the Watchtower Society (WTBTS, 1995, 60). Booth believes this is the primary identifying mark of a dysfunctional system: “if you cannot question or examine what you are taught, if you cannot doubt or challenge authority, you are in danger of being victimized and abused” (1991, 62). He further notes that members of dysfunctional groups become hostile toward those who choose not to toe the line and use strict adherence to rules to absolve themselves of personal responsibility for hostility against dissenters, to achieve a sense of control, and render them helpless to choices imposed upon them by the groups leadership (Booth, 1991, 82). Even family members are expected to participate in the shunning that follows against disfellowshipped Witnesses. Stock phrases employed to excuse this behaviour are, among others, “it's so they will come back to their senses”, “they need to feel ashamed of what they have done,” and “we need to keep the congregation clean. ”

The organization insinuates itself into salvation, stating that anyone desiring to be saved must learn and practice the truth as taught by the faithful and discreet slave, the men at the helm of the Watchtower Society.

Witnesses receive constant reminders to “pay attention to the sayings of everlasting life” appearing in Watchtower publications. For instance: “Since Jehovah is an orderly God, it is reasonable that he would provide authoritative and well-organized leadership for his people” (WTBTS, 1995, 137). By reminding Jehovah's Witnesses of who is in charge, and expecting compliance and submission to its directives upon pain of excommunication, the Watchtower Society gives authority to itself. Since authority must be mandated, subjection to its authority also must be mandated (Johnson & VanVonderen, 1991, 66).

Jehovah's Witnesses boast that their members are decent, hard-working members of society, paying their taxes and abiding by the laws of the land. While these are commendable traits, they are not exclusive to Witnesses, nor do they completely free the organization from corruption among its membership. There are individuals who have benefited from the Witness way of life, having been helped to leave unhealthy lifestyles. It raises the question, though, whether these people have merely exchanged one dysfunctional lifestyle for another, given that Witnesses adhere so rigidly to the mandates of the Watchtower Society. Even though some individuals have improved their lot in life by becoming Witnesses, these in themselves do not negate the facts showing that Jehovah's Witnesses are indeed a religious cult.

The belief that they have “the Truth,” the inability to question or doubt teachings and the legislation of the Watchtower Society's authority over its members are factors that show that this belief system is a cult. The fact that the group is growing at a rate of 250,000 members annually demonstrates the necessity to educate people about how cults operate, who is at risk of being ensnared by them and what means exist to help friends and loved ones who become entangled in groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses. It is vital to explore the usefulness of anti-cult groups, and to support efforts at identifying practices used by cults in manipulating people to become members.

References:

Baron, R. and Byrne, D. (1987). Chapter 11, Group and Social Behavior: The Consequences of Belonging, Social Psychology: Understanding Human Interaction, 5th edition. Newton, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.

Booth, L. (1991). When God Becomes a Drug: Breaking the Chains of Religious Addiction and Abuse, Los Angeles, CA: Jeremy P. Tarcher.

Johnson, D. and VanVonderen, J. (1991). The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Minneapolis, Minnesota:Bethany House Publishers.

Revelation: Its Grand Climax at Hand! Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, 1988.

Mankind's Search for God, Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, 1990.

What Good Can Come from Discussing Religion? The Watchtower, Vol. 116, No. 7. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York.

Is Religious Truth Attainable? The Watchtower, Vol. 116, No. 8. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York.

Knowledge that Leads to Everlasting Life, Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, 1995.

Watters, Wendell W, MD, Deadly Doctrine: Health, Wellness and Christian God-talk, Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1992.