The cult of the BKs

With so many ex-members calling the BKs a cult, I would be interested in knowing their views as to what has to be done so that their perception would be of the BKs NOT being a cult!

Dressing up in white and meditating at 4 in the morning may be one sign of a cult but many Muslims do similar things for prayers - and Buddhists.

Celebacy for example - to allow BKs not to be celebate would go againts Shrimat.

Tampering with the Murlis - an admission of guilt?

The history of the BKs in the open.

I suppose what I am saying is - how NOT to be perceived as a cult whilst still following Shrimat? If this is not possible then many people here may well be wasting their time.

C.

Its difficult. I don't think they can whilst they refuse to accept they are a religion and adopt the formalities of a religion, e.g. a properly qualified and trained priesthood, an accountable structures, openly published scriptures and a recognised laity with rights AND protection. The BKs messianic urge for mad dash expansion at all costs and numerous fronts including the "University" defeats and defines them.

Personally, I do not to use the C-word as it tends to stick you in one corner of a preset, antagonistic debate but I can see why their self image requires a good few dents in it. I think the rest of the world does see them as "c"s. You can say "New Religious Movement" and everyone knows that is a polite way for saying the same. I prefer to examine specific "cultic" elements and I think the foremost of these are the "personality cult element" the BKWSU is adopting is the most obvious AND entirely contradictory to The Knowledge.

The "hidden teachings" elements is also cultic. The history is only coming up into the open because of the PBKs and sites like one. The philosophy of the BKs is not the open, especially the Murli core teachings ( ... except again for where the unholy alliance between apostates and heretics is forcing it).