|
Contents
Articles
·
de Cordes, Henri.
Preventing Cultic/Sectarian Deviations in Europe: Policies That Differ
·
Singelenberg, Richard.
Divergent European Cult Policies. A Reply to Henri de Cordes
·
de Cordes, Henri.
Preventing Cultic Deviations in Europe: Reply
to Singelenberg’s Comment
·
Langone, Michael D.
Psychological Abuse: Theoretical and Measurement Issues
·
Muster, Nori.
Myth and Themes of Ex-Membership
·
Petukhov, Vladimir.
The Cult Movement and Religious Situation
in Ukraine
Reminder: AFF (American Family
Foundation) Changes Its Name to ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association)
If you do not yet subscribe to the journal, you may do so
here ($25/year for Web subscription; print and web subscription -
$45 U.S.; $55 Canada/Mexico; $65 other countries).
Articles
§
Bardin, Livia. Child Protection in an Authoritarian Community:
Culture Clash and Systemic Weakness
§
Lys, Candice. The Violence of Jim Jones: A Biopsychosocial
Explanation
§
Nishida, Kimiaki. Development of the Study of Mind-Control in
Japan
Book Reviews
§
A Guide to New Religious Movements. Ronald Enroth,
Ph.D. Reviewed by Rev. Dr. Richard L. Dowhower
§
God vs. the Gavel: Religion and the Rule of Law.
Marci A. Hamilton. Reviewed by Edward Lottick, M.D.
§
The Serpent Rising: A Journey of Spiritual Seduction.
Mary Garden. Reviewed by Marybeth Ayella, Ph.D.
News Summaries
Education
and Research Events
Info-Cult/Info-Secte Celebrates 25th Anniversary
To commemorate their 25th Anniversary last fall,
Info-Cult prepared a booklet containing letters of homage from politicians,
supporters, families and former members as well as a brief history which touches
on some of their activities. The booklet is downloadable from their website:
www.infocult.org. From their humble beginnings in 1980 in a corner of a
small office on Stanley St. – to their offices on Park Ave. with floor to
ceiling files, books, and boxes, Info-Cult has become recognized as a unique
service, which, through the years has responded to over 70,000 calls touching on
more than 3,400 groups or subjects.
Barcelona Organization, A.I.S., Offers Workshops for Ex-Members
Miguel Perlado of A.I.S. (Atención y Investigación de
Socioadiciones) is offering workshops for ex-cult members in Spanish language on
the following dates: Saturday 11 February 2006; Saturday 1 April 2006; Saturday
3 June 2006; Saturday 16 September 2006; Saturday 4 November 2006. For more
information contact Mr. Perlado at
ais@ais-info.org.
http://www.ais-sectas.org/
Family Violence and Child Victimization Conference in New Hampshire
The Family Research Laboratory and Crimes Against Children
Research Center, University of New Hampshire invites you to attend the
International Family Violence and Child Victimization Research Conference on
July 9-12, 2006 at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel & Conference Center in
Portsmouth, NH. This conference is sponsored by the Family Research Laboratory &
Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, and
co-sponsored by the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute. For more
information and to submit an abstract:
http://www.unh.edu/frl/conferences/2006/ <http://www.unh.edu/frl/conferences/2006/.
Email questions to: frl.conference@unh.edu <mailto:frl.conference@unh.edu.
Geneva Conference on Healing
Colloque du Centre Intercantonal
d’Information sur les Croyances a la faculté de droit de l’ Université de
Genève: 17 février 2006. Objectifs: La guérison, thème central du monde
contemporain du croire, fait l’objet d’une offre grandissante. Les églises
chrétiennes de type pentecôtiste et charismatique, les écoles orientales de yoga
et de méditation ou les thérapies spirituelles proposent toutes, à leur manière,
des techniques dont la finalité est la guérison de l’être humain. Ce colloque a
pour objectif de questionner les jeux de concurrences et d’alliances auxquels se
livrent les“prestataires” de soin qui recourent à la fois au médical et au
religieux. Il étudie leurs discours, leurs pratiques etleurs stratégies pour
promouvoir leurs offres sur le marché. Une attention particulière sera également
portée àla manière dont, actuellement en Suisse, le monde médical, le système
d’assurance-maladie et le droit intègrentou excluent ces offres de guérison.
Organisation : François BELLANGER, professeur, Département de droit
administratif et fiscal, Université de Genève ; Nicole DURISCH GAUTHIER,
directrice du Centre intercantonal d’information sur les croyances (CIC) ; Jörg
STOLZ, professeur, directeur de l’Observatoire des religions en Suisse (ORS),
Université de Lausanne.
Conference: “No Other Gods”
The Resource Center for Theological Research and Calvary
Orthodox Presbyterian Church will host “No Other Gods: A Conference on Cults,
the Occult and World Religions” Friday & Saturday, July 21-22, 2006 at Calvary
Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 10 Spruce Street, Middletown PA 17057. Speakers
include exit counselor, David Clark, Keith Gibson of the Apologetics Resource
Center, Luis Reyes of the Centro de Investigaciones Religiosas, and others.
Subjects to be addressed include Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Satanism, Witchcraft, Hinduism, Da Vinci Code, The Kabbalah, Goth, Masonic
Lodge, Scientology, The Baha’i Faith, Atheism, and more.
http://www.rctr.org/conference.htm. Further information e-mail
jeff@rctr.org or call (717) 333-7969.
Religious Movement Resource Center Participates in Wellness Conference in
Colorado
Last fall Hal Mansfield and his colleagues participated in
a Colorado State University wellness conference, where they provided information
on destructive cults and hate groups. They shared materials from many
organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, Southern Poverty Law
Center, International Cult Studies Association, and others.
Ron Loomis Speaks at Pennsylvania State University
Angela Haupt of The Digital Collegian on February 22, 2006
reports on a lecture Ron Loomis gave to the Pennsylvania State University
community on February 21st:
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2006/02/02-22-06tdc/02-22-06dnews-09.asp
Doug Agustin Continues Local Educational Work in MN
Doug Agustin gave a talk on cults to Hamline University
professor Charls LaBounty's class, "Use and Abuse of Psychological Influence" on
Tuesday October 25, 2005. Doug also reports: “We have a number of younger
people (18 to 33) that have recently come out of the local bible based group
Christ's Household of Faith (CHOF). A former International Church of Christ
member and myself met with 7 of them on Sunday December 4, 2005 for an
informational meeting. All of these persons were born into the group. There are
about 25 over all that have left. They leave with nothing but the clothes they
wear. They all have families left behind and as is normal, they are shunned and
considered ‘dead.’ Some will be attending Wellspring Retreat.”
New Name and Mission for Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute
“The Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute (FVSAI),
founded in 1984 in Texas, was established to address the need for a national
resource and training center that focused directly and specifically on family
violence issues. In 1991, FVSAI became a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization and
sexual assault issues were added. We have again expanded over the past decade to
also focus on child/teen/elder maltreatment. In 1999, FVSAI relocated to San
Diego, CA, and affiliated with the California School of Professional Psychology
(now a part of Alliant International University). FVSAI was established with a
mission to improve the quality of life for individuals on a local, national, and
international level. In July 2005, FVSAI joined with Alliant International
University to create the new Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma
(IVAT). The IVAT is continuing the FVSAI mission but on a more comprehensive and
expanded level. The FVSAI is now one of the centers for the IVAT and is fully
operational. The IVAT is developing multiple centers in addition to FVSAI: Youth
and School Violence, Workplace Violence, and Traumatic Stress. Additional
centers can be developed as the need and resources arise. All centers will also
be focusing on expanding research projects. The IVAT specializes in training
and programs, publications and research, professional services, an annual
international conference, regional mini-conferences, as well as community
relations and outreach for each of its broad topic areas. Expansion is planned
that will include public policy, advocacy, and legislation. The IVAT works
closely with the Center for Forensic Studies and the other academic units of
Alliant International University to reach the training, education, research, and
outreach missions of the university. The emphasis and approach promotes
collaboration across disciplines.”
http://www.ivatcenters.org
New Blog
Pat Knapp of Colorado has started a new blog at
www.soulcrafteastofeden.blogspot.com/.
News from Family Personality and Protection Society in Ukraine
On 13 December 2005 a roundtable "Prevention of
consciousness manipulation. Activities of destructive religious organizations
and their influence on youth in the city of Kiev" was held in Kiev, Ukraine.
Organizer - All-Ukrainian social organization of disabled students "Gaudeamus"
with support of Open International University of Human Development "Ukraine"
(photos are attached) info_fpps@ukr.net
17-18 December a seminar "A Person in the World of Errors
and Misunderstanding without Borders" was held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, by public
organization "Nova Magnaura.” Topic of the seminar - overcoming of errors in
different sciences and people life, its obstacles in the way of individual
formation and danger for a person. Participants: · Zhelu Zhelev, Ph.D., the
first president of Bulgaria, talk about written "Critics of Lenin's definition
of "materia" determination" and "Fascism", · Yevgeniy N. Volkov "Consultations
in regard of errors and borders of rationalism", Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia, ·
Kirill Kirillov "Errors and Misunderstanding?! Questions of power", Kishinev -
Shumen, Moldova - Bulgaria, · Mikhail Plotnikov "Errors and education", Nizhniy
Novgorod, Russia, · Vladimir Petukhov "Realization of preventive programs
overcoming errors for youth", Kiev, Ukraine, · Konstantin Kostov "Mass
consciousness and errors in cinema", Bulgaria, · Peter Bernev "Errors and
misunderstanding persons in the changes of information society", Bulgaria, ·
Todor Stoev, Ph.D., "Neuro-psychology of errors and self-misunderstanding",
Bulgaria, · And others. The participants of the seminar were welcomed by the
letter of Minister of Education of Bulgaria.
Janja Lalich’ s Bounded Choice Reviewed in Extremism and Democracy
Newsletter
Jeffrey Bale of the Monterey Institute of International
Studies reviewed Bounded Choice in the Electronic Newsletter of the
ECPR-SG on Extremism & Democracy, Volume 6, No. 3, Fall 2005. “In sum, this is
a very welcome addition to the literature on cults in general and political
cults in particular, one which not only develops a useful new theoretical
paradigm but also successfully challenges the current ideological hegemony of
the “cult apologists” by demonstrating that the term “cult” still retains its
usefulness providing that one properly delimits its meaning and applies it in
appropriate contexts.”
Send news updates on your
education and research activities to Dr. Langone at
mail@icsamail.com..
Books,
Articles, and Web Sites Brought to Our Attention
Paradigm Article on ICSA
The Winter 2006 issue of Paradigm, a magazine that
seeks to “inform and enlighten all who are involved with helping families and
children to grow and mature during difficult times,” has published a profile on
International Cultic Studies Association (pp. 6-7), written by Michael D.
Langone, Ph.D.
Spanish Language Book on the New Age
Rodriguez, Carmen Y Almendros, Carmen.
Ladrones de Libertad: Pseudoterapias “religiosas” New Age. Madrid:
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, 2005, pp. 313.
Spanish Language Book on Sexuality and Catholic Clergy
Erdely, Jorge; Ciattini, Alessandra;
Masferrer, Elio; Gonzalez Marmolejo, Jorge Rene; Hernandez Duarte, Marcos.
Votos de castidad: El debate sobre la sexualidad del clero catolico.
http://www.sectas.org/
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
-
Goldman, Marion. Cults, new religions,
and the spiritual landscape: A review of four collections. (Vol. 45, No. 1,
March 2006, pp. 87-96)
-
Olson, Paul. The public perception of
“cults” and “new religious movements.” (Vol. 45, No. 1, March 2006, pp.
97-106)
-
Smith, Christian, & Denton, Melinda Lundquist.
Soul searching: The religious and spiritual lives of American teenagers.
New York: Oxford University Press, 2005, 346 pp. $25. Reviewed by Lynn
Schofield Clark. (Vol. 44, No. 4, December 2005, pp. 497-498)
-
Bartkowski, John P. The Promise Keepers: Servants,
soldiers, and godly men. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press,
2004, 184 pp. $60 ($21.95 paper). Reviewed by Julie Ingersoll. (Vol. 44,
No. 4, December 2005, pp. 498-499)
-
Harrison, Milmon F. Righteous Riches: The Word of
Faith Movement in contemporary African American religion. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2005, 175 pp. $55. Reviewed by Jonathan Walton.
(Vol. 44, No. 4, December 2005, pp. 500-501)
-
Kraybill, Donald B.J, & Nolt, Steven M. (Eds.).
The Amish and the state, second edition. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins
University Press, 2003, 351 pp. $19.95 paper. Reviewed by Thomas Gallagher.
(Vol. 44, No. 4, December 2005, pp. 504-507)
-
Kraybill, Donald B.J, & Nolt, Steven M. Amish
enterprise: From plows to profits, second edition. Johns Hopkins
Univeresity Press, 2004, 286 pp. $19.95 paper. Reviewed by Thomas
Gallagher. (Vol. 44, No. 4, December 2005, pp. 504-507)
Jonestown Report Update
The latest edition of the Jonestown Report, published by
Fielding M. McGehee, III, was posted at
http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/JonestownReport/jtreport.htm, a
week before the 27th anniversary of the mass deaths in Jonestown, Guyana, which
occurred on 18 November, 1978. The report includes a diversity of perspectives
on the event from former members of Peoples Temple, from Jonestown survivors,
and from relatives of those who died at Jonestown.
Encyclopedia of New Religions
Partridge, Christopher (Ed.). Encyclopedia of new
religions: New religious movements, sects and alternative spiritualities.
Lion, 2004, 448 pp. Apologia Report (www.apologia.org)
10:43, December 16, 2005. . . uses the following example to propose the value of
such a resource: "I have seen 'Falun Gong' being promoted as a new spirituality
in many cities of the UK and we know of it only through the handouts given by
the promoters, but their contents are very different from its actual origin and
developments in China which are graphically described in this volume." . . . The
structure of the volume is interesting. "Assuming that all new religious
movements and spiritualities stem from one or the other older religions, the
material is arranged under nine different religious traditions, such as
Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Indian Religions, the Religions of
East Asia, Indigenous and Pagan Traditions, western Esoteric and New Age
Traditions, and Modern Western Cultures." Anvil, 22:3 - 2005, p239-240.
Academia Embraces Spooky Studies
An article with this title, written by Randy Dotinga,
appeared in the October 11, 2005 Wired magazine:
http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,69086,00.html
“At two of America's best universities,
professors and doctors are studying the existence of the soul, near-death
experiences and reincarnation. . . At the University of Arizona, for example,
researchers at the innocuously named
Human Energy Systems Laboratory -- with a total annual budget of about
$500,000 -- have been busy asking psychics to pose questions to dead people. One
subject was
Allison DuBois, who inspired the NBC show
Medium. The center is also
looking into topics like "energy healing" and "non-contact therapeutic touch. .
. The University of Virginia's
Division of Personality Studies is another hotbed of afterlife inquiry. It's
home to both near-death studies (why do people have visions on the operating
table?) and a researcher who compiles reports of children who talk about their
past lives.”
New Religious Movements Reader
Daschke, Dereck, & Ashcraft, W. Michael (Eds.). New
religious movements: A documentary reader. New York University Press, 2005,
paperback,341 pages. “New Religious Movements is a highly unique volume,
bringing together primary documents conveying the words and ideas of a wide
array of new religious movements (NRMs), and offering a first-hand look into
their belief systems.”
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0814707033/apologiareport/103-9341564-6050207)
Modern Pagans on the Internet
Cowan, Douglas E. Cyberhenge: Modern Pagans on the
Internet. Routledge, 2004, 240 pp. “In Cyberhenge, Douglas E. Cowan
brings together two fascinating and virtually unavoidable phenomena of
contemporary life--the Internet and the new religious movement of Neopaganism.
For growing numbers of Neopagans-Wiccans, Druids, Goddess-worshippers, and
others--the Internet provides an environment alive with possibilities for
invention, innovation, and imagination. From angel channeling, biorhythms, and
numerology to e-covens and cybergroves where neophytes can learn everything from
the Wiccan Rede to spellworking, Cowan illuminates how and why Neopaganism is
using Internet technology in fascinating new ways as a platform for invention of
new religious traditions and the imaginative performance of ritual.”
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415969115/103-9341564-6050207?n=283155)
Satanic Legends in Israel
Cavaglion, Gabriel, & Revital, Sela-Shayovitz. The Cultural
construction of contemporary satanic legends in Israel. Folklore
Society, December 1, 2005. “This paper is based on a text analysis of the
contents of sixty- three newspaper articles published in the local Israeli press
covering "Cult of Satan" activities. The response in the form of an anti-satanic
movement in Israel and its rhetorical narrative are compared with phenomena in
other western countries. Analysis focuses on why Satanism has remained more on
the level of emergence and awareness in the press, and has not resulted in any
grassroots mobilisation or official intervention in Israel.”
Alien Abduction
Clancy, Susan. Abducted: How people come to believe
they were kidnapped by aliens. Harvard University Press, 2005, 162 pp. “If
you're going to read just one book about alien abductions, make it this one. And
if you think alien abduction stories aren't worth considering seriously, Clancy
will convince you otherwise. A postdoctoral fellow in psychology at Harvard, she
follows the dictum of William James to "take 'weird beliefs' seriously but not
literally." Thus, she considers that the belief that one has been abducted by
little gray beings with large, black catlike eyes, subjected to intrusive and
painful physical examinations and exploited to create hybrid human/alien babies
serves the deep human need to find meaning in one's life. She presents clear
explorations of what most mainstream experts believe are the sources of the
abduction story, such as sleep paralysis and the dubious use of hypnosis in
"recovering" forgotten memories of the abduction. Her more original
contribution, based on her own research, is that abductees score high on
measures of schizotypy (they're far from schizophrenic, but are prone to fantasy
and "magical" thinking) and, more speculatively, experiencing what in the 19th
century was called hysteria. Writing in a nonacademic and witty style, Clancy
offers an intelligent and compassionate look at people whose "weird" belief
usually elicits derision, and argues convincingly for the need to look deeper
into its significance.” (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0674018796/qid=1140553672/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-9341564-6050207?s=books&v=glance&n=283155)
New Russian Religious Studies Journal
The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion has
announced the publication of the first Russian journal in religious studies:
Religiovedenie. “The journal is intended for an academic audience. Its
orientation is scientific rather than apologetic. This journal will play an
important role in the self-identification of Russian religious studies as a
scientific subject and a university course of study. It includes articles about
history of world and Russian religions, philosophy of religion, sociology of
religion, psychology of religion, etc. Much attention is paid to the
contemporary religious situation in Russia. The journal helps specialists from
different fields to exchange information. The journal provides a wide range of
opportunities to those scientists exploring new areas in the study of religion.
If you have any questions or suggestions send them to
sciencia@yandex.ru. The journal's website is
www.amursu.ru/religio Subscriptions for the journal are also available.”
Dictionary of Gnosis and Esotericism
Hanegraaff, Wouter J., Faivre, Antoine, van den Broek,
Roelof, & Brach, Jean-Pierre (Eds.). Dictionary of Gnosis and Esotericism.
Brill Academic Publishers, 2005, 1258 pp. “This is the first comprehensive
reference work to cover the entire domain of ‘Gnosis and Western Esotericism’
from the period of Late Antiquity to the present. Containing around 400 articles
by over 180 international specialists, it provides critical overviews discussing
the nature and historical development of all its important currents and
manifestations, from Gnosticism and Hermetism to Astrology, Alchemy and Magic,
from the Hermetic Tradition of the Renaissance to Rosicrucianism and Christian
Theosophy, and from Freemasonry and Illuminism to 19th-century Occultism and the
contemporary New Age movement. Furthermore it contains articles about the life
and work of all the major personalities in the history of Gnosis and Western
Esotericism, discussing their ideas, significance, and historical influence.”
Rolling Stone Article on Scientology
Reitman, Janet. Unlocking the complex code of America’s
most mysterious religion. Posted Feb. 23, 2006:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363363/inside_scientology
New Journal
The University of Pennsylvania Press has announced the
publication of a new peer-reviewed journal, Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft.
Send information on noteworthy
new books and articles to Dr. Langone at
mail@icsamail.com.
A Portsmouth, OH, judge has granted child custody to David
Butts after hearing evidence that the children’s mother was turned against him
by Rev. Charles Keyes, Sr., head of the Apostolic Faith Church Body of Jesus
Christ of the Newborn Assembly, in Jefferson. Social workers say church
members abuse women and children and practice mind control.
Linda Rosa, R.N, Executive Director of
childrenintherapy.org, says that “Two major organizations in the mental health
profession who watchdog child abuse have newly condemned Attachment Therapy
as practiced widely in this country. The American Psychological Association,
through its Section on Child Maltreatment and its Division on Child, Youth and
Family Services, has endorsed a new 14-page report from the American
Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, which takes ‘a stand’ against the
‘contraindicated assessment, treatment, and professional practices related to
children described as having attachment disorders.’ " A subscription to “Child
Maltreatment” or purchase of the report is available at:
http://cmx.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/11/1/76
Aum Shinrikyo (renamed Aleph) leader Fumihiro
Joyu has earned some 10 million yen from holiday season seminars in Shiba and
Osaka, while the head of a rival Aum faction, Tatsuko Muraoka, collected about
30 million yen from 260 followers at various locations. . . Authorities report
that Aum still keeps video masters of guru Shoko Asahara justifying his orders
for members to commit murder, clearly demonstrating, they say, that followers
are still loyal to him. . . The Public Security Examination Commission has
decided to extend for three years its surveillance of Aum. The agency says Aum
is earning a great deal from its illegal profit-making businesses. . . Former
Aum official Takashi Inoue had been sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined
two million yen for the unlicensed sale of skin ointment in 2003 and 2004.
Five members of the Beasts of Satan rock band, in
Italy, have been sentenced to long prison terms for killing several people in
ritual murders in 1998 and 2004.
The $100,000 collected from the estimated 370,000 Fijians
who attended Benny Hinn’s Miracle Crusade over three days at the National
Stadium will be used to pay for the bus transportation many used to get to the
event, according to organizers. A Baptist minister critical of the Crusade said:
"Now I'm not saying that people who went on stage were lying about being healed
but I believe that they were deceived into thinking that was the case.”
Jacques Robidoux, former member of the Attleboro
(MA) religious cult known as The Body, sentenced to life imprisonment for
starving his son to death on God’s command, has been refused a new trial. He
claimed he was brainwashed by the group.
The ruling Liberal Party government and the opposition New
Democrats in British Columbia have joined in saying they want to help women,
especially those brought in from the U.S., escape from the polygamous British
Columbia commune of Bountiful, a 1947 offshoot of the Fundamentalist
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A local member of the
provincial parliament says: “There’s the beginning of a kind of critical mass of
interest and also the beginning of discourse between governments, municipal,
provincial and federal, and between political parties.”
Bishop Earl Paul, 78-year-old founder of the Chapel Hill
Harvester Church, in Decatur, GA, who is now involved in his fourth sex
scandal, is currently preaching to a fraction of his once 12,000-strong
congregation. One former congregant alleges in a lawsuit that he used his
religious influence, including the promise of salvation, to seduce her.
The FBI has raised its reward from $10,000 to $60,000 for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of the polygamous
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints leader Warren
Jeffs, wanted on charges of arranging the marriage of a 16-year-old girl to
a 28-year-old man who was already married. . . A Utah Superior Court judge has
denied three separate motions from a defendant challenging the state
constitution’s ban on polygamy. The defendant’s lawyer argued that, given a
modern analysis of FLDS religious practices, the ban was no longer valid. He
also said that the ban would harm the defense.
A Chilean judge is investigating the discovery of an
unmarked grave, thought to contain dozens of bodies, on the property of the
former Colonia Dignidad settlement. Human rights groups say the colony’s
leaders helped repress left-wing activists during the era of military rule.
NBC-KVOA Eyewitness News 4 Tucson, AZ has just completed a
investigative report on the Greek Orthodox Church monasteries that are under the
direction of an Elder Ephraim. To see the investigative report go to:
http://www.kvoa.com/. Once at the site go to the menu list for
'Investigators' to view the video report.
Denmark has granted “a permanent home” to eight Falun
Gong refugees who were being held in Thailand following their demonstration
in Bangkok against the alleged rape of two Falun Gong practitioners by Chinese
police in Hubei province. . . Practitioner Zhang Mengye, who says he was
brainwashed and tortured in detention, has appealed from exile in Taiwan to his
former classmate, Chinese President Hu Jintao, to respect the Chinese people’s
“rights and religious beliefs.” . . . A prominent lawyer who has defended Falun
Gong followers says that security forces might be responsible for a recent
attempt to kill him. . . Results of searches using “sensitive” terms on Google’s
English and Chinese search engines give precedence to official Communist Party
viewpoints, which are highly critical of Falun Gong. . . Meanwhile, the San
Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted to condemn persecution of the Falun
Gong movement.
The Kittery, ME-based Gentle Wind Project has filed
a new defamation suit against a Blue Hill couple who run a website that accuses
the “healing” organization of controlling their lives, taking tens of thousands
of dollars from them, and sexually abusing them during their 17-year membership.
The group’s federal racketeering and defamation suit against the couple was
recently dismissed. The racketeering allegation was based on the fact that other
websites communicated with the couple and published their material.
Ten British MPs have joined Hindus around the world to
protest Moscow City Hall’s withdrawal of a permit for the [Hare] Krishna
to build a temple behind a supermarket in the northern part of the city. Russian
Orthodox authorities are hostile to the group, fearing attempts to convert young
people; a letter to authorities from an archbishop described the Hindu god
Krishna as an “evil demon.”
On September 23, 2005 the Italian
draft law on mind control, an anti-cult law patterned after its French
counterpart of 2001 which would have punished with a penalty up to six years in
jail “mental manipulation” allegedly used by groups “exploiting the physical or
psychological dependence of members” has been shelved by the Italian Senate by
striking it out from the Senate calendar.
A New York judge has ruled that the Jehovah’s Witnesses
must pay a former member $400 per week in workman’s compensation dating from an
injury incurred in 1998 as she was running to catch a bus at a church compound.
The judge found that the woman, who worked as a chiropractor for the group, was
not a “religious volunteer,” but “engaged in a number of work-like activities.”
If the decision stands, religious organizations potentially face millions of
dollars in workers’ compensation claims.
In her new book on her experience growing up among the
Jehovah’s Witnesses, “Out of the Cocoon: A Young Woman’s Courageous Flight
from the Grip of a Religious Cult,” Golden, CO, resident Brenda Lee says writing
it was a harrowing but therapeutic process. “It really is a destructive
organization . . . You’re taught to hate the world, to see everybody else as
being led by Satan, that we are the only right religion, and to question or defy
that is turning your back on God,” she said.
Kingdom of Eden leader Lia Aminuden, whose
teachings have been declared heresy by several Indonesian Muslin clerics,
including the Minister of Religion, has put together a team of 50 lawyers to
defend her in Jakarta against charges of causing public unrest. Her writings
urge followers to absolve themselves of all sins by setting themselves on fire
with methanol.
In his new book, “The New American Ghetto,” photographer
Camilo Jose Vergara notes that congregations in poverty-stricken sections of the
New York City region sometimes idolize their pastors. He saw some leaders put
intense pressure on worshippers to make large donations, and one who asked
congregants to mortgage their homes in order to contribute.
Backed by members of the Mexican elite, the Legion of
Christ, a conservative Catholic religious order that concentrates on
ministering to the wealthy and powerful, has become an important player in
promoting the Vatican’s social agenda. The Rev. Marcial Maciel, a Mexican who
founded the Legion, attended a recent gathering of billionaires and financiers
in New York, including Citigroup Chairman Sanford Weill, that raised $750,000
for projects to alleviate poverty and educate children of both the poor and the
wealthy. In Monterrey, most important families have a son who is a Legion priest
or a daughter who is “consecrated,” and they are all part of the social elite
whose activities are highlighted in newspaper society pages. A local
psychiatrist talks of upper-class patients who suffer from “Legionary syndrome,”
a dread of social ostracism if they divorce. “They feel their children will have
to leave school, they will lose their friends, and there will be consequences
for the husband at work as well.”
Charges of child abuse and neglect have been dismissed
against Love Holy Trinity Blessed Mission members Jacqueline Crank, 44,
and Ariel Ben Sherman, 76, accused in the death from lack of medical treatment
of Crank’s daughter Jessica, 15. The judge ruled that “Haley’s Law” applied only
to cases where the child was under 13 when diagnosed. “We still don’t know where
you draw the line between parental privacy and religious freedom,” said the
couple’s attorney.
Sweden has granted political asylum to Movement for
Spiritual Integration into the Absolute founder Gregorian Bivolaru,
and rejected Romania’s request to extradite him, on the ground that he may face
religious persecution if he is returned to his homeland. The Swedish Supreme
Court noted that that the evidence against Bivolaru on charges of rape, tax
fraud, and anti-Semitic statements, was insufficient. The Helsinki Committee for
Human Rights says that witnesses against him had been forced to lie. In
addition, certain Romanian legislators have called Bivolaru “Satan”,
“psychopath”, and “terrorist.”
A crowd lynched five Mungiki followers and police
then arrested over 50 suspected adherents of the outlawed sect in late January.
Mungiki, which employs “oathing” rituals, is carrying on a violent campaign to
control much of the commuter transportation system in the Nairobi region.
Meanwhile, the government announced a campaign to wipe out Mungiki, even though
certain politicians are associated with the group. “In some cases,” said a
government minister, “they [Mungiki] have appointed themselves the prefects of
public morality by prescribing what women should or should not wear.”
An editorial in the Toronto Globe and Mail
(1/18/06), weighing recent reports on either side of the issue, concludes
that “polygamy deserves to stay in the criminal code.”
Disgraced Korean cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk has been
offered a position with Clonaid, an arm of the UFO cult Raël, which
claims already to have cloned human beings and believes that mankind was cloned
from prehistoric aliens.
An ex-female wrestler, accused of killing 11 elderly
residents of Mexico City, maintained an altar to the scythe-wielding Santa
Muerte, or Saint Death, who is popular with thieves and drug smugglers, and
also with some two million Mexicans, including elite politicians.
Sixteen children removed permanently from their homes in
Manchester, UK, in 1990, on suspicion that they had been sexually abused by
their parents and forced to worship Satan, are finally telling their
stories thanks to BBC efforts to get the family court to release evidence in the
case. A year-long investigation at the time proved the parents entirely
innocent, but everyone involved was enjoined by a gag order to say nothing about
it. Twelve of the children now seek compensation from the authority that still
employs the social workers who determined that the children should be separated
from their parents.
Scientology has received approval to open one of its
Narconon drug treatment facilities in Leona Valley, in Southern California, on
condition that the organization hold open houses and meet with the Town Council
regularly to provide information about the center to residents. Some are opposed
to the facility, fearing it would change Leona Valley’s small town atmosphere. .
. Tel Aviv municipal authorities, impressed by their recent visit to Narconon
facilities in the U.S., are enthusiastic about Scientology’s plan to establish
one in the city, but the Health Ministry and the Israel Antidrug Authority have
not yet approved the program. The head of the Authority says he sees nothing in
the program indicating spiritual goals even though it was developed by
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Scientology’s related Criminon
program has been established in Israeli prisons for five years. . . Scientology
is now seeking legal recognition in Bulgaria. . . Following a nurse’s
successful employment of the Scientology “Touch Assist” to relieve pain, learned
at a Scientology workshop, the Vivekananda Polyclinic, in India, has introduced
Scientology training at its nursing school. Lucknow University, meanwhile, has
introduced Scientology’s “Technology of Study” to improve student learning.
Transcendental Meditation (TM) plans to open up a
second Iowa City Maharishi Enlightenment Center soon, and the organization hopes
to inaugurate a third in Coraville and a Peace Palace in Iowa City. Global
Organization for World Peace is heading the effort to establish 300
enlightenment centers and 3,000 Peace Palaces worldwide. . . Maharishi Global
Financing, an arm of TM, is offering $14 trillion worth of “World Peace Bonds
for Poverty Removal” and promising a return of up to 15 percent per year, a goal
it will likely not achieve, according to financial analysts.
In discussing the contemporary issues of torture and
wiretapping, little attention has been given to the dehumanizing effects on
those who have been called on to torture and wiretap. Psychologist Stanley
Milgram’s experiments indicated that when an individual merges unthinkingly
“into an organizational structure, a new creature replaces autonomous man,
unhindered by the limitations of individual morality, freed of human inhibition,
mindful only of the sanctions of authority.” When government requires unethical
actions, it risks creating in the perpetrators an anguished guilt or an amoral
numbness.
Amidst negative popular reactions to the visit to Vanuatu
by Unification Church (UC) leader Sun Myung Moon, a local young
adult came forward to say that his experience with the UC’s Inter-Religious
International Federation for World Peace, which promised him computer and
business skills training, turned out to be church teachings. “And because they
are very influential, they managed to convince us to be part of their activities
that aimed to go up to a higher spiritual realm.” He said many Vanuatu youths
are now in Australia selling chocolates to raise money for the group. . . Moon
visited Barbados in December while on his whirlwind 100-nation 100-day mission
to inaugurate his Universal Peace Federation.
A Zambia High Court judge has ruled that the Universal
Church of the Kingdom of God can ask for a judicial review of the decision,
not yet carried out and perhaps unfairly determined, to de-register it for
alleged Satanist practices. The judge wants to see proof of rumored illegal
activities.
In December 2004 AFF (American Family Foundation)
officially changed its name to International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA).
The change of name had been discussed for many years. Until a few years ago,
those who felt that "AFF" had established an identity and was "known" had
prevailed. However, several factors tilted the name-change decision in favor of
those wanting a new name.
First of all, the constituency of the organization has
changed over the past 25 years. Initially, nearly everybody who contacted AFF
for help did so because he/she had a child involved in a cultic group. AFF's
unique role was to bring these parents into contact with helping professionals,
increasing numbers of whom became interested in and/or involved with AFF as time
passed. By the early 1990s, however, the majority of people contacting the
organization were former group members who had left their groups without an
intervention ("walk-aways"). By the late 1990s, AFF and people associated with
the organization had completed a sizeable body of research and an increasing
number of researchers began to get involved with the organization. Moreover, at
some recent conferences 25% of the attendees were from outside the U.S. Today,
we speak of our four international constituencies of family members, former
members, researchers, and helping professionals (including mental health, law,
clergy, educators – some of whom are also former members of groups or family
members of involved persons). Consequently, although "family" may have
reflected the organization's focus in its early years, it no longer is THE
focus, though it still remains a vital concern.
Most people favored "cultic studies" because it expressed
the organization's interest areas without being so narrow and precise as to
exclude phenomena that might be similar but not equivalent to those associated
with the admittedly vague concept "cult." Many high-control or abusive groups
from which people leave are not necessarily "cults" in a strict sense, but they
may nonetheless resemble "cults" in some ways. "Cultic studies" also gives us a
link to the past, for our journal has used that term since 1984 and our main Web
site has used the term for the past several years.
The growth of the Web has also influenced the name change
in that nearly everybody who contacts the organization today found out about us
through a Web search. And these people rarely ever heard of "AFF" or "American
Family Foundation." Therefore, a name that more accurately reflects what
concerns the organization will more effectively "welcome" Web surfers than a
name that many people associate with right wing political organizations, despite
the fact that AFF/ICSA has always included people from across the political and
religious spectrums.
We have begun modifying our Web sites to reflect the name
change, a project that will take some time to complete. We hope you will be
patient
When you visit a Web site, such as
www.culticstudiesreview.org,
you should refresh your browser because sometimes your Internet browser
shows you the Web page from “memory,” so to speak. The browser may have to be
told to show any changes that have been made to the page since your last visit.
In Microsoft’s Internet Explorer you do this by clicking “View” at the top of
your screen and then clicking “Refresh” in the drop-down menu that comes up.
Hence, if we send you a notice that there are new postings on
www.culticstudiesreview.org,
you may have to hit “Refresh” before your browser will show you the changes.
The information in this
newsletter is designed to keep subscribers abreast of developments in the field
and does not reflect ICSA's, its directors', staff's, or advisors' position(s)
on issues or endorsement of events or points of view described in the
newsletter. News summaries are time-sensitive; readers should keep in mind that
subsequent news stories or events could present different findings.
|
