steve4truth,
Just like I wouldn't say that is a JW discription, I also know that in our area... a few bad elders give a lot of JW a bad wrap. They literally took a new convert and excumunicated her the next week because she didn't acquiece to their "teaching".
One might call my family a cult because we try to control our kids...
I think we have to take a critical look at our faults and the faults of our sister congregations and really ask, are we trying to play God in the bretheren's lives.
Bananna
I
This is a very important point if one is going to understand how it came about that religion is deeply divided and the truth of God is not...
We know from simple logic that most of religion MUST be wrong because folks hold beliefs right down to individual level which they defend often like tigers... but the scripture tells us how many are false as could our own logic if we just accepted that God's truth is buut ONE truth and NO cult has yet been able to recover it from holy writings because Satan always twists one or other group of words in their minds, or they simply get tempted to ignore this or that scriptural witness...
Now the scripture says that God will do teh teachig himself and no-one 'under grace' of the new covenant will teach any other who is under grace for they all will know from God... that alone shows most cults are not of God, but thus still sinners, of Satan:-
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil
Jesus' congregation is of true saints , baptised into one truth of God by God, not taught by sinners as in all cults of mass religion, all denominations, all divisions...
all cults, divisions, denomination have their hierarchies, and their leader, but Jesus said he alone is the leader of his congregation of saints ... it is eay enough to see that the blind lead the blind in religious tradition, logically obvious and backed by scripture of saints and prophets alike as ONE ... but once told stories by those one thinks sincere ,folks find it impossible to even see the scriptures straight, bits of scripture are twisted to fit one's beliefs acquired from sinners and one just doesn't see the rest which shows one is mistaken...
Matthew tells us FEW find the way now , so how can MANY do so ... impossible, but many believe it is possible, BELIEVE it is possible because sinners tell them it is FAITH to do so , but faith in sinners is faith in Satan isn't it, not faith in God and his for now FEW saints following Jesus
just one scripture , backed by Jesus statement about the 144, 000 and confirmed by Enoch [Jude 1:14] shows that mass churches MUST be following Satan at this time, but few bother to see
Jesus states it explicitly - Rev 13:3-4 , but folks read it and ignore it, pretend they are following Jesus as sinners , not saints , despite what Jesus says that he never knew anyone who will still be a sinner by time of his return :-
Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Luke 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
folks argue about their dogmas and doctrines between each other when BOTH are WRONG according to Jesus and the scripture ... it is really nonsense, but folks say they believe Jesus and the saints and prophets but have no idea what is said in scripture if one takes it as a whole, leaves nothing out [bar mistranslations and editing... which we know have occurred , mainstay in fact of much of Satan's work , but Satan cannot change the holy spirit, nor fake receiviung it although he tries]