![]() ![]() That seems needlessly harsh compared to passing on a morning cup of brew. Stranger than thinking God doesn’t want you to drink coffee? But declining blood transfusions means some TJs, even some TJ children whose parents refuse to allow a blood transfusion for their child, will die as a consequence. You probably think refusing blood transfusions is a strange belief. Mormons also see TJs as rather quaint and strange, with bizarre beliefs and practices, whereas Mormons are a lot more normal. What do Mormons think of JWs or TJs? (If you went on a foreign mission, you probably still think of them as “TJs” or Temoins de Jehovah.) Mainstream Christians kind of lump Mormons, TJs, Christian Scientists, and Seventh-Day Adventists into the category “strangely appealing American-born churches” or simply “cults.” Mormons see TJs as direct competitors (who else goes door to door looking for converts?). ![]() This is the gripping account of a fully active Jehovah’s Witness who grows up in Vancouver, BC, goes to China as a JW missionary (under the radar, of course), gets a job, recruits “Bible students,” then exits her church, exits her marriage, and moves to New York. This week’s offering is Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life (Viking, 2019) by Amber Scorah. There are things about leaving your own religion that you will learn only by studying how people leave someone else’s religion. Exit narratives throw an extra twist into the mix. The counter-cult movement has happened for a reason–to get back to biblical theology and to be rid of extra-biblical teaching.It is said, “He who knows only one religion, knows none.” In other words, there are things about your own religion you will learn and understand only by studying someone else’s religion. The Protestant Reformation happened for a reason: to get back to biblical theology and to be rid of extra-biblical teaching. But that isn’t the point of this comparison, is it? Well, they are right in that it does not focus on the dissimilarities which are many. The Catholics, of course, will complain that this chart is not fair or does not focus on the dissimilarities. There are many good things in the Catholic Church (i.e., doctrine of the Trinity, Hypostatic Union), but I find it disturbing to see the similarities between itself and the cults – regarding a final earthly authority, non-biblical teachings, claims to be the one true church, exaltation of Mary to semi-goddesshood, the use of images, and adding works to salvation. Goddess Mother who has populated this world with spirits who inhabit human bodies Mary has godlike abilities: able to hear and answer all prayers of all people all the time, intercede with God. Their church organization is one true church.Īll who are saved by grace through faith are in the true church. If it isn’t taught here, I don’t believe it. No blood transfusions, no hell, 144,000 go to heaven Many gods, god from another world, goddess mother, you can become a god. Purgatory, Penance, Indulgences, praying to Mary, her assumption. It has some very serious theological problems which make it false, such as denying salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and its elevation of Mary to a virtual goddess. ![]() Instead, I believe it is an apostate and false religion. However, I do not classify Catholicism as a cult. However, I cannot help but see the similarities between Catholicism and some of the cults. I hesitate to put this table up only because I do not want to needlessly assail the Catholic belief system in an offensive manner. ![]()
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