Are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult?

To those JW's that are lurking:

If you were in a cult, how would you know? Cults don't call themselves cults. Scientology, The Branch Davidians and Jonestown cults didn't consider themselves cults.

Scientology even has an FAQ on their website that uses similar reasoning as the JW FAQ on the cult question. http://www.scientology.org/faq/scientology-and-other-practices/is-scientology-a-cult.html

So, how do you know? Well, there are some identifying marks of groups that take it from the harmless religion level to the level of a cult a.k.a. high control group.

Here are some identifying marks of cults:

**1 - Ruled by a man or group of men.**
YES - Governing Body

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2002203#h=12

**2 - Isolate you from your previous friends, family, and humanity*
YES - Bad Associations spoil useful habits

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102006152#h=28

**3 - Tell you they are the only way, the only truth, and the only ones that can save you.**
YES - JW's refer to their religion as "The Truth" and their teachings as "Sacred Secrets"

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011568#h=16

**4 - They use fear to persuade you to never leave them.**
YES - Armageddon, Disfellowshipping

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2008241#h=25 http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102008083

**5 - If you leave you are punished severely.**
YES - Disfellowshipping, shunned by friends and family

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102008083

**6 - Abuse is allowed because it favors a patriarchal society were men get privileges women don't.**
YES - Countless cases of abuse in the organization. Men are the only ones allowed to teach.

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102008084 http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/402015042#h=17

**7 - They require some sort of sacrifice.**
YES - No Blood transfusions, no hanging out at party/bar, no holidays, sacrificing time for field service

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2000447

**8 - They threaten you with lose of family, friends if you don't do as they say.**
YES - Disfellowshipping and/or marking

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102008083

**9 - They claim its not them, but God that wants you to act a certain way.**
YES - The Governing Body claims to be God's channel for communication.

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2002203#h=12

**10 - They claim they get their power by God.**
YES. - See above

**11 - They don't want you to read any literature that is against their cause.**
YES - The Governing Body discourages looking at literature and websites that are critical of the organization.

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102008064#h=14

**12 - They discourage, use fear, threaten, or order that certain medical procedures are not done.**
YES - No Blood transfusions, in the past they used to ban organ transplants too.

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2000447

**13 - They discourage education that they aren't involved in.**
YES - The Governing Body frequently goes on rants against higher education.

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011448#h=9

**14 - They are usually apocalyptic in their speech.**
YES - Armageddon

Reference: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2008241#h=25

For more information on cults, check out the B.I.T.E. model https://www.freedomofmind.com/Info/BITE/bitemodel.php to identify high control groups using mind control. Steve Hassan, a former member of the Moonie cult came up with it. The JW's qualify under most, if not all, of the model.