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Psychogroups and Cults in Denmark
Deacon
Robert Kronberg, B.Th.
Consultant Kristina Lindebjerg, B.Th.
Scientology,
Satanism, and Jehovah's Witnesses take up most of our organization's time
because of the number of inquiries concerning these groups. In the past couple
of years, however, we have also had many inquiries about the American
psychogroup, Landmark, which some people associate with cultic groups because of
the high level of one-sided sales pressure that many people report. Tvind is
another non-religious organization with a strong group mentality. Tongil has in
the past received much negative press coverage for which they blame the Dialog
Center.
Jehovah's
Witnesses have attempted to become mainstream by, for example, joining in the
religious debate by writing letters to newspapers about subjects not usually key
issues for Jehovah's Witnesses.
The
fundamentalist Bible sects, who are numerous in the USA, have little appeal in
Denmark. But a “new” part of the small number of Bible sects have a major, but
unknown influence inside the Pentecostal churches and other small free churches
in Denmark. This influence is mainly from the faith-prosperity movement, which
has a very problematic theology concerning speaking in tongues, prophecies, and
the authority of the leadership.
Scientology
once again tried to obtain marriage authority. Obtaining marriage authority is
the same as being accepted as a faith community, and it gives the right to tax
exemption. In Denmark there is no official approval of religious communities. A
“religious community” is simply a community who thinks of themselves as a
religious community. There are no other requirements.
A community
obtaining marriage authority is called a faith community. A “faith community” in
Denmark is difficult to describe because there aren’t definite regulations or
laws on how to judge whether a community is a faith community. The authorities
make an individual estimate of each community trying to obtain marriage
authority. It seems like the authorities look after some characteristics in the
religion: Has the community faith in a transcendent god (but then again Buddhism
has obtained marriage authority)? And has it a holy scripture with a history of
Creation or myth? And has it some sort of priesthood and ceremonies of some
kind?
In order for
Scientology not to appear as persecutor they have in some cases begun to refund
course payments to former members who made claims against Scientology. Because
of this Scientology has obtained a great deal of publicity. However, Scientology
has cancelled their application for marriage authority, but they still seem to
be distorting the debate by confusing the ideas of "faith community" and
"religious community."
As far as the
Satanists are concerned we find most followers to be teenagers from the lower
middle class. A new development is an increased number of female teenagers
attracted to this phenomenon, perhaps inspired by American films and series
about witches as Satanism. Therefore, belief in witches and Satanism typically
are confused.
The Satanists
who vandalize churches and graveyards are typically younger men from the heavy
metal environment. But it is difficult to tell the difference between the
satanic grave desecrators and certain Communists, Neo-Nazis, and the happenings
of the Autonomists (young socialist squatting empty houses) when they, for
instance, smash up McDonald's stores for ideological reasons. Supposedly, they
all seek some kind of way to legalize their need to destroy.
The most
pronounced part of the Satanists are the followers of the Church of Satan, who,
as it is known, don't confess to a personal Satan but pass themselves off as
atheists or otherwise nonreligious. Even though there apparently is only a small
number of Satanists in Denmark, the Satanic Bible found in most libraries
typically has a waiting list of up to one year. It is interesting to note,
however, that the ideology the young are attracted to appears "scientific,"
rather than political or religious.
Also we see a
large number of people joining groups, such as Landmark and Amway, which become
controversial because of their sales practices. Landmark seems to appeal to
young people between 20 and 35 in liberal professions who are disillusioned with
or discouraged about their lives. Landmark seems to be a scientific substitute
for the need for religious answers to life's fundamental questions.
In spite of
that, a large number of Danes participate in New Age or psychological movements
while being a member of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Folk Church (Danish
National Church) in which 88% of the Danish population hold a membership. But
the new and the classical religious movements (not churches), like the political
parties, have experienced a huge fall in memberships.
In their
personal emptiness Danes seem to seek a new identity, but they can't find it in
the established religions or political parties. They seem instead to look to
their professional careers. Denmark has for this reason become a "nation of
courses" in personality development, perhaps because Danes are fully aware that
Denmark's most important “raw material” is the mind.
The Dialog
Center calls the mechanism behind this phenomenon "religio occulta" (hidden
religion). This concept views groups as having several layers, with the
religious layer hidden behind other layers. With some groups the religion is
hidden by front organizations; with other groups the ‘religion’ is reframed as
psychology (psychogroups). The psychogroups seem to base their work on some sort
of magic or occult way of thinking that implies a capacity to manipulate the
forces of nature as the followers are taught they are their own cause.
This means that
those who are attracted to seemingly nonreligious groups are really attracted to
the hidden religious aspects of the groups that on the surface may appear to be
scientific. The question then arises whether in the future psychogroups, by
virtue of religio occulta, will continue to supplant the religious cults that
attracted people in past years.
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