Jenny,

Welcome! Glad to have you.

I have a friend who is a former JW and we both agree that there are many similarities between our (former) groups.

Have you checked out the following for more information on TFIs doctrines?
- http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Category:Beliefs
- http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/Category:Practices

Thanks so much Thorwald! I was curious when one of the group members said that Women prostitute themselves for Jesus. I've just seen that this is referred to as 'Flirty Fishing'.

I read another post where it sounds like education is also something the cult hinder, just like JWs

Thank you so much for the links, I will be reading them with great interest.

Jenny

You will find some similarities with the doctrines, but not many.

The similarities would be mostly in how both groups operate their heirarchical and disciplinary practices.

Both groups reject the Bible as the final authority on matters of doctrine and practice. For the JW's they have the Watchtower as the final authority, CoG/TF have the Mo-letters and Karen Zerby's & Peter Amsterdamn's writings.

Both groups teach their own peculiar escatological teaching (endtime doctrine) in which both have the "correct teaching".

Both groups see themselves as the only "true christians", or followers of God.

Within both groups child sexual abuse has occurred, however the difference within the JW's is that this was never an official doctrine, whereas with CoG/TF it has been.

Thanks Evanman,

I think you're right, now that I've read a little bit of the CoG ideology. Although JWs would say that the bible is their authority, which clearly isn't, as they have a plethora of books and mags they use to teach their doctrines, not to mention 'their' own bible.

Many thanks..............hope you don't me sharing some of this with my ex-JWs friends.

Jenny

No problem.

Of course JW's have been around for over a hundred years, whereas CoG/TF have only been around since the late 1960's.

Historically the have been other "sex cults", the Agape Community, The Oneida Community, Mormons, The Agapemonites, Battle Axes, Brothers and Sisters of the Free Spirit, The Fellowship of the New Life, The Philadelphians, Abbey of Thelema, April Farm Love Colony, Arizona Abode of Love, Aghora, The Cainites, Tantra, Set cult, Sabbateans, Doenmeh, Frankists, Dionysian cult, Daeva-Yasna, Cybele cult, Isis cult, Tammuz, Barbeloites, the Nicolaitans, Cult of Antinous, amongst others.

Incredible!

Interestingly enough, most (or all) of these groups see themselves as the only "true christians", or followers of "the one true God". This would almost be comical if it wasn't so sad.

Most of the cults I listed were NOT claiming to be "Christian"!

Abbey of Thelema--was Aleister Crowley's group (Satanists),

Tantra, Set cult, Doenmeh, Frankists, Dionysian cult, Daeva-Yasna, Cybele cult, Isis cult, Tammuz, Barbeloites, Cult of Antinous were all pagan,

Sabbateans, was a Jewish cult.

I didn't read your list initially but I'm sure most of your examples are not Christian because as a volunteer member of various Christianity based cults, you are biased. I was not referencing your list, I was referencing the entire spectrum of cults out there.

For an example, there are The Children of God (ever heard of them? Oh yeah! YOU JOINED THEM!), The Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics, Christian Scientists (yeah, there's an oxymoron for yah), The Branch Davidians, The Kingston Cult, The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, The Pentecostal Church (yeah they did it too), The New Apostolic Order in Messiah or the Twelve Tribes, The Christ Church (not a sex cult but they do kill kids for Jesus). That's just to name a few off the top of my head. If I have to research this, you're in big trouble.

Now, I your natural response is going to be to copy and paste an even bigger list of child abusing "pagan" cults from some web site but that is a pointless endeavour. Because I am not defending them. I hate them and fight them just as much as I hate and fight the cults you support.

Guess you should add the Anti-cult cult, as well!

No, actually you can't. Don't be stupid. Anyone who claims to be "anti-cult" yet remains part of any religion is a hypocrite. Religion is a key element in defining a cult. There is no leadership, scriptures or false god in my anti-cult/anti-religion crusade.

The definition you have quoted is dealing with religious cults.

There are non-religious cults, such as certain political groups.

There is also the "Cult of Personality".

A number of marxist regimes engage in this cult, they even have quasi-religious trappings.

Mao, Hoxha, Ceauscescu, Stalin, Lenin all had their worshippers. They used icons, had their "saints", "martyrs" etc.

People would go on "pilgrimage" Lenin's tomb to see the embalmed relics of the Father of the USSR with the hopes of gaining virtue from such a visit.






"Saint" Nicolai and "Santa" Elena of Romania.

Regardless of your off-topic images (ripped from Wikipedia's "Cult of Personality") and name dropping, you're still grossly incorrect. I am not a charismatic leader of any sort. I have no followers (Because I advocate individuals thinking for themselves. Anyone who blindly listens to me is just as dumb as your average christian douche). I live in mostly conventional manners. I have no religion and do not worship. Other than sleeping, showering and masturbation I have no rituals. Everything I say is based on science and I feel comfortable with anyone challenging my theories and am delighted to adjust my beliefs should I be found wrong. I've been devoted to a girlfriend in the past and I'm pretty committed to my principles. I do hang out with a group of persons who are of both artistic and intellectual interest but virtually nothing I do is could be considered cult-like.

The use of the term "Cult of Personality" is an entirely un-related subject. Appending the "..of Personality" to "cult" changes it's meaning significantly. Did you even read the page your ripped your images off of? And, sure, some of your nasty dictator examples did have "quasi-religious trappings" and their variations of "saints" and "martyrs" but it far from justifies corrupt christian (and other religious) cults and your apparent habit of joining them.

Here's an another, extended definition of the word:

Regardless of whether you feel I am in the wrong for not being a part of your perversion, one thing should be very clear: You are a member of a cult. I am not.

Sorry, I googled the images!