Cult
13 Quick Facts about Jehovah’s Witnesses
In December 1875, clothing-store owner Charles Taze Russell stumbled across a copy of Nelson Barbour’s magazine The Herald of the Morning.
Intrigued, Russell arranged to meet Barbour in Philadelphia.
Russell and Barbour hit it off.
In fact, Russell sold his chain of clothing stores to devote his life to Barbour’s ideas.
And shortly after that–in spite of a split with Barbour–the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization was born.
Here are thirteen key doctrines Russell taught.
1. God. God is a single person who doesn’t know everything and isn’t everywhere.
2. Creation. God created the universe, earth, Adam, Eve and Michael the Archangel. This took 42,000 years.
3. Sin. Once Adam sinned, the Paradise known as earth was ruined.
4. Redemption. God’s plan to restore Paradise would eventually lead to the crucifixion of Jesus. In the meantime, God needed a society to represent him. Think Noah, Abraham, Moses and David. These are the original Jehovah’s Witnesses.
5. Incarnation. When the time came, Michael the Archangel became a human. He became Jesus.
6. Crucifixion. Jesus did not die on a cross. He died on a torture stake.
7. Atonement. Jesus’ death atoned for all of mankind’s sin–except for Adam’s sin.
8. Resurrection. Since his body decomposed, Jesus rose from the dead as a spirit. Not a body.
9. The Trinity. Jehovah’s Witnesses declare Trinitarianism as a demonic doctrine. Pastors who teach the doctrine are antichrists in Satan’s church.
10. End Times. During Jesus’ 1,000 year reign, people will have a second shot at eternal salvation. All they need to do is follow the principles taught in the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
11. Election. Non-converts will be annihilated. Gone. Forever. Converts will live on a redeemed earth, that is Paradise restored. And a select group of 144,000 witnesses will live in heaven.
12. Eternal Life. Converts on earth have everlasting bodies that need sleep and food and water. The select in heaven are immortal–they have spirit bodies.
13. Ethics. Witnesses won’t pledge the American allegiance. They won’t go to war. They won’t accept blood transfusions.
Something to keep in mind: While the Witnesses may annoy the daylights out of us, we owe them a great deal of gratitude for our religious freedom–liberties they fought for and suffered to secure. Watch the documentary Knocking and you’ll see what I mean.
Sources:Watchtower, BBC, CARM, Knocking, Christianity Today
**Part of the Quick Facts on Christian Cults series.**
13 Must-Visit Websites on Debunking Mormonism
Want a quick and easy way to learn about the differences between Mormonism and orthodox Christianity?
Then check out this list of must-visit online resources:
1. CARM rolls out a clean, systematic page for everything Mormon. Everything that makes Mormonism a heresy, that is.
2. Mark J. Cares at CRI shares an alternative approach to reaching Mormons.
3. Book of Abraham Page. Find resources exploring the J. Smith claim that he discovered and translated a lost record by Abraham.
4. Of course, it’s always best to read the book everyone is critiquing. The official online edition of the Book of Mormon.
5. An official– but frisky–Catholic article on the problems with the Book of Mormon.
6. Writers from the Mormonism Research Ministry explore the trouble with Jospeh Smith’s First Vision, namely that their were ten versions.
7. A robust topical index of articles by the Tanners finds just about every hole there is to poke in the Mormon faith. [Warning: Hideous, pre-1992 website.]
8. Bringham Young University writer Alan Goff reviews Joseph Smth: The Making of a Prophet by former Mormon Dan Vogel. [Insightful reply.]
9. Wikipedia entry on Solomon Spalding who wrote the Manuscript Story…which some believe Smith plagiarized to write the Book of Mormon.
10. Recovery from Mormonism–a twisted website exposing the twisted doctrines of Mormonism. [If you can get through the wreckage you'll unearth provocative stories of ex-Mormons.]
11. A robust discussion board devoted to Mormonism.
12. Not strictly a website…Matthew A. Paulson’s book Breaking the Mormon Code at Google books. [Read it free, baby.]
13. And last but not least, the BBC’s report on baptism for the dead.
Did I miss any notable websites devoted to debunking Mormonism? Let me know.
**Part of the Quick Facts on Christian Cults series.**
13 Quick Facts on the Worldwide Church of God
For the most part, cults crop up and just get creepier.
Take Scientology or Theosophy, for example.
The Worldwide Church of God, on the other hand, took a shocking, dramatic turn for the better. In just one decade.
You’ll see what I mean in a minute.
1. Oregon, late 1920s. Herbert Armstrong, a newspaper advertising designer, accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.
2. Armstrong launched the Radio Church of God radio program on January 7, 1934, broadcast in Eugene, Oregon. The 30 minute program amounted to a church service…complete with hymns and sermon from Armstrong.
3. Armstrong respected the Bible immensely and must be commended for his zeal to preach from it–no matter how difficult the topic. Yet, he lacked the training or discipline to reconcile the Bible with tradition and experience. Thus his dive into legalism.
4. Armstrong believed that Christians should celebrate Sabbath on Saturday–not Sunday–since the Bible gave no command to move the holy day.
5. Since traditional Christianity was wrong on such a major topic, Armstrong reasoned it was wrong on others, too. He jettisoned orthodoxy.
6. Armstrong claimed that Americans and Britains descended from the Lost Tribes of Israel and that God was a family–Father and Son–not a Trinity.
7. He taught that the Holy Spirit was an impersonal force, much like Jehovah’s Witnesses’ teaching.
8. Armstrong taught salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, but also stressed obedience to keeping the Sabbath holy…a commandment he viewed as a test of the authenticity of a Christian’s salvation.
9. Armstrong prohibited WCG church members from voting, serving in the military, marrying after divorce, visiting doctors, using cosmetics or observing Christmas, Easter and birthdays. This focus on rules eliminated grace from sermons. Members became legalistic and snubbed other Christians.
10. As God’s apostle leading the one true church, Armstrong demanded loyalty to his brand of doctrine and church governance. If anyone objected or rebelled, they were expelled or fired.
11. Central to Armstrong’s teaching was prophetic speculation, namely when the Great Tribulation would occur. Each decade, from the 30s to the 80s, he warned of it’s imminent approach. The good news was that Jesus would appear shortly after the Tribulation.
12. Shortly before Armstrong died in 1986, he appointed Joseph Tkach as successor. Tkach took to tweaking WCG doctrine, emphasizing faith in Christ and not laws, relaxing restrictions and realizing Armstrong’s prophecies couldn’t be back by Scripture. Many hardliners split.
13. Tkach died in 1995. His son Joe became successor and finished the migration into mainstream evangelicalism. In April 2009, the Worldwide Church of God changed their name to Grace Communion International.
Question to ponder: If such a dramatic turnaround could occur with the WCG, could it also happen among the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses? Let me know what you think.
**Part of the Quick Facts on Christian Cults series.**
13 Quick Facts on 13 Christian Cults and Sects
Thought I forgot about this series, eh? Nope. Just let her simmer on the back burner.
Anyway, I still want to round her out with 13 posts.
So, I thought now would be a good time to pull all the articles out there into one tidy, little post…
And show you what’s on the horizon.
And just so you know, the point behind this series: Intellectual pleasure. Satisfaction. An odd curiosity?
See, until I started this series I knew very little about the differences between cults like Scientology or sects like Fundamentalism.
So, it’s good ground to cover.
Anyway, here’s where we’re at and where we’re going. Hope you’ll stay along for the ride.
Intro: Revising the American Religion Most of what you know as American Christianity is scarcely Christian in any traditional way.
Unitarians Secrets on Unitarianism–from what they think of the Trinity to famous Unitarians.
Rosicrucian File this under controversial. Conspiratorial. Bizarre. Trivial. Wherever you file it, know this: This is serious stuff some people lock-in on.
Fundamentalism Take a peek at this North American phenomenon.
Pentecostals Want to know who the 13 most famous Pentecostals of all time are? Read on.
Seventh-Day Adventists Why they observe Saturday as Sabbath and their connection to David Koresh.
Theosophy Their original purpose was to investigate, study and explain mediums and their claims. It’s changed a tad since 1875.
Scientology Quite likely the most ruthless, terroristic, litigious and lucrative cult the country has ever seen. [Good comments on this one.]
Spiritism 13 disturbing facts about this ancient religion.
Swedenborgians Founded in the 18th century after rationalist and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg, this cult enjoys a small, but exotic following.
World Wide Church of God Normally, cults crop up and just got creepier. The Worldwide Church of God, on the other hand, took a shocking turn for the better.
Mormons List of 13 must-read websites dedicated to exposing the differences between Mormonism and orthodox Christianity.
Jehovah’s Witnesses Thirteen key doctrines clothing store owner Charles Taze Russell taught through his religious society know as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Christian Science [Before the end of the year. Maybe September. Could be sooner. You never know with me.]
13 Quick Facts about Theosophy
“When one sees eternity in things that pass away and infinity in finite things, then one has pure knowledge.” Bhagavad Gita
That’s the quote that greets you on the home page of The Theosophical Society of America…
A society founded by one Helena Blavatsky and one Colonel Olcott in 1875.
The original purpose behind the society was to investigate, study and explain mediums and their claims.
After several developmental stages, however, including a dive into Eastern religions, the nuts and bolts of the society came down to three declared Objects:
1. To form a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color.
2. To encourage the comparative study of religion, philosophy, and science.
3. To investigate unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in humanity.
Here are ten more quick facts on the religion of theosophy:
4. Blavatsky said, “Theosophy is the shoreless ocean of universal truth, love, and wisdom reflecting its radiance upon earth. . . . The Theosophical Society was formed to show mankind that it exists.”
5. Theosophists believe One Life pervades and sustains the universe.
6. The universe is the manifestation of an eternal, boundless and immutable Reality beyond the range of human understanding.
7 Matter and consciousness are the two polar aspects of ultimate Reality.
8. An intelligence that is both immanent and transcendent is the basis of all laws of nature. “Deity is Law,” said H. P. Blavatsky.
9. The visible universe is only its densest part. The entire universe is made up of invisible worlds that dictate the physical.
10. Both the visible and invisible universe are evolving to greater expression, awareness and unified consciousness–including you.
11. The human consciousness (spirit or soul) is in essence identical with the one supreme Reality. Our consciousness also connects you and I.
12. The gradual unfolding of this latent divine Reality within us takes place through reincarnation. This is the law of karma, by which we weave our own destiny through the ages.
13. The human pilgrimage takes us from the One through experience of the many back to the One. When you reach that place, you are enlightened and can make sense of the Gita’s statement that kicked off this discussion.
Legend has it that Blavatsky told some Theosophical students that the real purpose of the Society was to prepare mankind for the World Teacher…
A statement like that brings into into the realm of fringe Christianity. In other words, a cult. I don’t know. Any theosophists out there who can identify the truth of that statement?
**Part of the Quick Facts on Christian Cults series.**
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