do you think steve hassan would put the cult label on Jesus and call him dangerous?

Question

Many seem to put Steve Hassan up on a pedistal because he labels the Jehovah's witnesses a cult.

Answer 1

I don't know what Mr. Hassan would do, but I am fully willing to do so.

Answer 2

I don't know who Steve Hassan is and people don't impress me anyway. I don't look up to charismatic figureheads. The only people who impress me are down to earth people who talk common sense and lead good lives.



Just like it never impressed me when there was a biased documentary done and they interviewed Pat Boone who called us a cult. If I have a question for Pat Boone it will be about singing. He is not a sociologist who specializes in what is or isn't a cult.



I am sure if you would have asked Jimmy Swaggart or Jim Bakker in their heyday, they would have called JWs cult members too.



About the BITE model-I forget what it stood for but have read it before. All I have to say on that is this: Somebody or some group of people had the idea: "Why don't we decide what is or isn't a cult and come up with our criteria. We will call it the BITE model." Big deal! A group of fallible people decided something and gave it a name.



Anyway, I already researched what a cult is and the sociologist that I resourced said that JWs didn't fit the criteria of a cult. It is up to individual interpretation.



Yes, if Jesus were alive today he would be called the leader of a cult. In fact, early Christians were referred to as a sect by others back then. It says so in the Bible. I let the Bible tell me what is or isn't unorthodox-not man.



Edit-If he is an ex-Moonie as someone said, then he is an expert on Moonies. Not Jehovah's Witnesses. Maybe he got a goofy little degree at a goofy little college and can now call himself a "cult expert."



Well I happen to have an "expert" in my family. My sister-in-law is a Veterinary Professor and thinks she knows it all. You should see the arguments she had with the medical doctors who oversaw my mother-in-law's care? They all thought they were right.



The other doctors scoffed at her because she was an animal doctor. She scoffed at them because they were small town doctors and she was a big city doctor who knew about some procedures that they didn't.



Steve Hassan may also be an author but that doesn't impress me either. The Bible says: "...be warned: 'To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh."

Answer 3

To be honest if we had a Jesus in the flesh today going around performing miracles then there would be no doubt that he was right. It's not really comparable.



The main problem I find with the label "cult" is that many of the aspects of it can be attributed to other religions as well so the difference it rather blurry, cult seems more like an insult than a proper label to me, thus I just call all religions, religions, since as far as I'm concerned none of them are real, thus it would be silly to differentiate.



@Fireball, that's not true otherwise just about any religion outside of mainstream Christianity would be labelled a cult.

Answer 4

I have never heard of Steve Hassan so I do not think I can comment on him one way or the other. It is true, though, that many look up to individuals who label Jehovah's Witnesses as dangerous or cult-like. It sort of reminds me of the scenario in John 8:46-52. Jesus has tried to show the religious leaders what would be the damaging result if they rejected him. Then he plainly tells them: “You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. He that is from God listens to the sayings of God. This is why you do not listen, because you are not from God.” This so angered those religious leaders that they responded this way: “Do we not rightly say, You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” They use the label “Samaritan” much like those use the label “cult” today – it is patently an expression of their contempt and reproach – it is an historical fact that the Jews hated the Samaritans. It is also a fact that the hypocritical Pharisees referred to the Jews as ‘amharets’ – people of the land, people of dirt. They used this term insultingly – saying that the people who did not know the Law were accursed. Notice how reference works comment: Rabbi Joshua said that an amhaaret is: “Anyone who does not put on tefillin [phylacteries].” Here is another regarding those who did not observe the Jewish traditions: “Even if one has learnt Scripture and Mishnah, if he has not ministered to the disciples of the wise, he is an ʽam ha-arez.” (Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 47b, translated by M. Simon)



Today, many professed Christians hate Jehovah's Witnesses – constantly calling them a cult. It is meant to be insulting and contemptuous and if the label sticks, then others too will validate the deeply-felt hate of those professed Christians who use the label in the first place. When we strip away the unnecessary, we are left with the bald fact that the first-century religious leaders did not like Christ because he exposed their wickedness and their hypocrisy. They called him names – no matter what he did or did not do – they gave him credit for nothing and they tried to kill him on more than one occasion. And they held contempt for any who followed Christ. If the first-century religious leaders were here today, would they act and react the same way? Would they contemptuously and insultingly call Christian disciples of Jesus “amharets” – people of the land, or people of dirt? I am certain of it. Would Jesus have detractors? Absolutely. Haters? Doubtless. Would they throw around the “cult” word? I have no reason to doubt it.



Hannah J Paul

Answer 5

To the best of my knowledge, Steven Hassan is a Christian, so the answer to your question is probably no.



Whether or not Steven Hassan considers the Watchtower Society to be a cult is actually irrelevant.



What he has provided is a general framework which summarizes how the majority of mainstream high-control groups work. The decision whether or not you're involved in a group which conforms to this framework is nobody's business but your own.



Although Steven Hassan has certainly added to our understanding of high-control groups and their techniques, much of the core of his work is actually built on the earlier work of Robert Jay Lifton. So I would suggest it's perhaps Lifton that deserves the pedestal. What Hassan does bring to the party is the perspective of someone who's actually been under the influence of mind control.

Answer 6

Steven Alan Hassan, licensed mental health counselor, author and cult expert.



As I have no idea of the mind of Steve Hassan I could not supply you any information to your question as to what he would think about Christ.



I can only assume that looking at the way the then Church was being run with so many extra rules and requirements, as the JW's and many cults do today, I believe he would see the old Church to be a man made cult supposedly under the direction of God [just as the JW's claim they are] and that Christ was the true salvation to mankind and in no way could He or His Church be considered a cult.

Answer 7

It would be a good idea if you actually read Hassan's book 'Combatting Cult Mind Control' and also ponder over his BITE model of identifying cults



-Behaviour Control

-Information control

-Thought Control

-Emotional Control



Analyze whether Jesus used destructive mind control techniques in his dealings with his followers.



Then you can draw your own conclusions.

Answer 8

It's very likely that he would.

Who cares what another human says anyway?... Certainly not us, because we're focused on what the true God says via his word.



S.H. is just another person who probably is wise in his own eyes and yet is just mere dust like the rest of us. If we were to take notice of such people then we'd probably believe that Elvis & Michael Jackson are still alive and that man never landed on the moon too.

Answer 9

Since he calls Jehovah's witnesses a cult, then he certainly would call Jesus dangerous! As Jesus taught his followers to preach and follow Jehovah's direction.

Answer 10

According to the BITE model, which parts do you feel apply to Jesus?



If you don't feel it applies to Jesus, then no, he would not label Jesus as a cult. Many religions allow their members to make up their own minds as Jesus did. When asked for rules Jesus said to love God and your neighbor as yourself.



He allowed people to make up their own minds and show their following him by their actions alone. He did not set up a large publishing corporation and tell people to disregard his sayings in favor of the commands from the Board of Directors.



He said to forgive freely and allow God to be judge, rather than judge people, kick them out and continue to shun them for years when they beg HUMANS for forgiveness.



Really, if Witnesses were Christians, they would follow Jesus example and as such no longer be a cult.

Answer 11

Just Ignore that Hassan guy....I barely notice him anyways. I don't spend that much time online reading his posts....He just have a very judgemental mentality, he's obviously working overtime so he will reap what he sow; Just like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Steven H's petty opinions obviously does not supercede Jehovah's knowledge or view of matters.



"“[They] have perished in the rebellious talk of Korah!"

(Jude verse 8, NT)

(sefer ha Yehuda, basug shmonah, beriyit ha hadashah)

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Hebrew correction:

Pharisee refers to Jews as ‘amharets’ – people of the land, people of dirt.



Am ha aretz (Heb: עם הָ אָרֶץ)

People of the land, or dirt.

Aretz = dirt, land, referring to earth.

"A" in Am ha Aretz prononounce as "Aaah", not A as in apple

Answer 12

hi there.



Hassan never wrote about jws, he wrote about the moonies.



he gave us a handy way to identify cults. it is not our fault that the watchtower conforms to these criteria.



jesus never used the coercive persuasion techniques that the watchtower deploys against you their own followers. search the scriptures and you will not find what the watchtower is full of.



and you cannot compare yourself to jesus, regardless of how the watchtower tries to.





example of bite characteristic #2 - information control -

Important information which is available to the general public is withheld from members and potential members. Research outside of the group is discouraged.



watchtower examples -

Watchtower 1967 June 1 p.335

Move Ahead with Jehovah's Organization.

But in Jehovah's organization it is not necessary to spend a lot of time and energy in research, for there are brothers in the organization who are assigned to do that very thing, to help you who do not have so much time for this, these preparing the good material in The Watchtower and other publications of the Society.



this is in direct contradiction with scripture which says to "test all things, hold fast to the good".



so watchtower conforms to bite model, jesus does not.



as usual, reality destroys your watchtower illusions. but you are of course free to believe watchtower fiction anyway as is your tradition.

Answer 13

A good question Gary. Finally, some good intellectual engagement from a JW.



For all those JWs saying they don't know Steve Hassan, that is irrelevant. Just look up the BITE model and compare the criteria used to identify cults with Jesus' teachings and practices as outlined in the gospels.



According to the gospels, Jesus performed miracles so his claim of being appointed by God was provable. The same cannot be said of cult leaders today who make boastful claims of being appointed by God or christ in such and such year but can provide no evidence but their own self-serving twisting of scripture.



There is no record in the gospels of Jesus telling his disciples to shun those disciples that left off following him after his "eat my flesh and drink my blood", speech.



There is no record of Jesus having to update his teachings with new light.



Jesus did not teach his own speculations disguised as truth by the misapplication of scripture and the use of faulty reasoning. He always taught what his Father told him so as to seek to glorify his Father rather than glorify himself. Cults pridefully come up with new teachings not explicitly taught in scripture so as to give others the impression that they have special insight so as to advertise and glorify their organization in the eyes of men. (John 7:16-18)



Jesus did not go around rubbing his messiah-ship in people's faces but allowed people to draw conclusions of who he was based on his works. Jesus stated that if he glorified himself his glory would be nothing. (John 8:54) In contrast, cult leaders love to repeatedly drill it into the minds of their followers that they are God's chosen and all must trust and obey them or lose God's favor.



Jesus encouraged his followers to be humble, to not esteem themselves as righteous while considering all others as nothing. (Luke 18:9-14) By contrast, cults encourage in members an attitude of being religiously superior and more righteous than all who are not in the cult. No person, no matter how decent, can be considered by the cult-members as being righteous if they refuse membership in the cult.