ICSA E-Newsletter (formerly AFF News Briefs)

Volume 3, Number 1, 2004

Table of Contents

1. New AFF Board of Directors Following Deaths of Herb Rosedale, Margaret Singer, & David Halperin

2. Update on AFF 2004 Conferences

3. Cultic Studies Review - New Postings

4. Education and Research News
   Death of Bob Passantino

   Psicothema Publishes GPA paper

   New Info-Cult/Info-Secte Book

   New Info-Cult/Info-Secte Acquisitions

   Award for Religious Movements Resource Center

   Janja Lalich Interviewed for Harvard Business Review article

   Call for Papers: ASR

   Call for Papers: Religion and Politics

   Call for Papers: Ukraine

   Call for Papers: disClosure

   Dan Shaw Announces New Private Practice Office

5. Books, Articles, and Web Sites Brought to Our Attention
   Nova Religio

   Indiana University Press Books on Peoples Temple

   Zablocki Rebuttal of Anthony

   Regulating Religion: Case Studies from Around the World

   Brain May Be Able to Bury Unwanted Memories, Study Shows

   Rabbi Rudin Column on Love Israel

   U.S. Releases Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (December 18, 2003)

   Russia: International Religious Freedom Report 2003

   Religious Upsurge Brings Culture Clash to College Campuses

   Surfing the Web Gets Spiritual

   Journalist Says Regional Politics Influence Christian Persecution in China

   Lessons from Jonestown

   Books on Occult Ideas and Esoteric Spiritual Thought in the West

   Vatican Document on the New Age

   Cults and Families

   Freedom and Control in the Unified Germany

6. Group News

   Falun Gong Sues China Minister

   Unification Church: Important Meeting in "Spirit World"

   Scientology: Exodus from Netherlands Group

   United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors

7. Remember to Refresh Your Browser

8. Please Donate

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Education and Research News

Death of Bob Passantino

Paul Carden notified us that well-known Christian apologist Bob Passantino died November 18, 2003 of a massive heart attack.  He is survived by his wife, Gretchen, his family, and their ministry, Answers in Action. 

Bob and Gretchen Passantino were outspoken Evangelical critics of thought reform/brainwashing models in the 1990s.  However much many of us may have disagreed with the Passantinos' views about thought reform, we did respect them enough to believe they warranted a detailed reply in Cultic Studies Journal, Volume 15, Number 2 (1999):  "Overcoming the Bondage of Revictimization: A Rational/Empirical Defense of Thought Reform." Paul R. Martin, Ph.D., Lawrence Pile, Ron Burks, & Stephen Martin.

We extend our condolences to Gretchen and her family.

Psicothema Publishes GPA paper

University of Madrid doctoral student, Carmen Almendros, developed and tested a Spanish version of AFF's Group Psychological Abuse Scale.  A report on her research was published in the Spanish psychology journal Psicothema, Vol. 15, No. 4 (2003).  The paper is entitled, "Propiedades Psicométricas de la Versión Espaňola de la Group Psychological Abuse Scale."  Authors include Carmen Almendros and José Antonio Carrobles, Ph.D. of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Álvaro Rodríguez-Carballeira, Ph.D. of the Universidad de Barcelona, and Josep María Jansà, M.D. of Atención e Investigación de Socioadicciones.  An English translation of the article will soon be posted on Cultic Studies Review.

New Info-Cult/Info-Secte Book

Le Phénomène des Sectes. Available on line, in pdf format, and bound printed version through www.infosecte.org.

Depuis sa création, Info-Secte répond, chaque année, à un nombre important de questions sur les groupes qualifiés de « secte » et le phénomène sectaire.  Souvent, les personnes qui contactent Info-Secte sont à la recherche de réponses simples, à savoir si un groupe est ou non une secte.  Malgré le souhait d'une réponse simple, la complexité du phénomène sectaire s’accorde difficilement avec des explications tranchées.  Reconnaître si un groupe est une secte ou non, ne conduit pas nécessairement à mieux comprendre ces groupes.  En fait, cette préoccupation soulève une question qui suscite des débats chez les chercheurs : comment définir le terme «secte».

Afin d’aborder le sujet sous un autre éclairage, Info-Secte constate que le phénomène des « sectes » est d’abord un phénomène de groupe.  Comprendre le fonctionnement des groupes, les interactions entre les membres et les lois entourant les échanges interpersonnels permet de mieux comprendre les organisations qualifiées de « sectes » ou de « nouveaux mouvements religieux».

Ce texte a donc pour but de présenter les « sectes », souvent perçues comme étant en marge de la société, plutôt comme des groupes qui sont présents dans notre vie quotidienne.  Dans ce contexte, comprendre leur fonctionnement et parfois la violence qui émerge dans certains de ceux-ci appelle l’acquisition de connaissances sur le fonctionnement des groupes en général.

Partant de ce principe, Info-Secte, financé par le Ministère des Relations avec les citoyens et Immigration, a conçu et réalisé ce livre qui a pour but d’informer le lecteur sur la place des groupes dans une société démocratique ; de comprendre le fonctionnement interne et externe des groupes ainsi que certains aspects problématiques de ceux-ci; de susciter des discussions et des débats sur le phénomène ; ainsi que de faciliter le développement d'une pensée critique sur les groupes qui nous entourent.

New Info-Cult/Info-Secte Acquisitions

The most recent (December 2003) acquisitions can be found here. 

For an integrated list of recent and past acquisitions please go here.

Award for Religious Movements Resource Center

The Religious Movements Resource Center (Hal Mansfield, Director) of Fort Collins, Colorado received the Group Publishing Award for Civic Community Service, one of the larger awards in Northern Colorado.

Janja Lalich Interviewed for Harvard Business Review Article

Dr. Janja Lalich was interviewed for a January 2004 Harvard Business Review article, "Inside the Mind of the Leader."  The article states: "We invited 18 leaders and scholars (including business executives, leadership researchers, psychologists, a neurologist, a cult expert, and a symphony conductor) to explore the nature and management of emotional intelligence—its sources, uses, and abuses."

Call for Papers: ASR

The 2004 annual meeting of the Association for the Sociology of Religion will be held on August 13-15 in San Francisco.  The deadline for presentation proposal (abstract) is February 15, 2004.  Please send your abstract (150 words maximum) to ASR2004@soc.purdue.edu .  To see the "Call for Papers" or for other details, please check the Web site.

Call for Papers: Religion and Politics

The Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics is pleased to announce its second biennial Symposium on Religion and Politics to be held on April 29 – May 1, 2004 at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. This symposium is held in the spring of even numbered years.

The symposium is open to both scholars and graduate students across different disciplines of study (e.g., political scientists, sociologists, historians). Those interested in presenting a paper on any aspect of the relationship between religion and politics (whether it be in terms of political philosophy, public policy, political history, comparative politics, electoral politics, constitutional law, or the sociology of religion) should submit a one-page proposal by February 15, 2004.  The abstract should outline the nature of the proposed paper, and it should include the title of the proposed paper, author(s), mailing address, email address, and institutional/organizational affiliation.

Send to Corwin Smidt, The Henry Institute, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI  49546 or email: smid@calvin.edu  After February 15, proposals will be considered on a space-available basis.  Notification of inclusion on the program will be made as the program is developed, but no later than early March, 2004. To view the program of the first symposium, visit our website. 

Call for Papers: Ukraine

International Conference in May 2004, in Kiev. “Preventive means of psychological manipulations, mind control and development of critical thinking for youth”.

The theme of the conference is Preventive means of psychological manipulations, mind control and development of critical thinking for youth.  Papers can explore any subject within the theme. Attendees are diverse, including researchers, helping professionals, former group members, families, clergy, educators, and others.

Individual presenters will have up to 45-minutes for paper delivery and discussion. Session organizers have 90 minutes; it is recommended that no more than four people speak at a session.

Session organizers: send session title, plus participants' names, affiliations, paper titles and abstracts.

lndividual presenters: send affiliation, paper title and abstract.

Working languages of the Conference are Ukrainian, Russian, English.  Translations from/into French is open to discussion. All expenses, including travel, accommodation, and meals, are to be covered by participants. Organization question is upon our attention.

Registration fee: 80$, for FECRIS organizations free of charge.

Send your abstracts to F.P.P.S. Information Department, Nataliya Bezborodova, at the contacts below by February 20, 2004.

F.P.P.S. (Family and Personality Protection Society)

Fax:    +1 270 747 35 92;

E-mail: info_fpps@ukr.net

http://www.cult.iatp.org.ua/

Call for Papers: disClosure

disClosure, a journal of social theory, issue 14: Religion and Identity.

The role of religion in the production of identity is not just a question of significant philosophical or theological importance but is one that possesses intriguing political, economic, and social implications as well. Scholars have long sought to understand the processes of religious identification, especially how religion is used to create, mediate, and resist social change. Exercises of religious power, ranging from fundamentalist to syncretic practices, are integral to the construction of personal, familial, community and national identities. The editorial collective of disClosure seeks submissions that explore issues of identity and religion, particularly the relationship between spiritual beliefs and social practices, within both mainstream and esoteric theologies and across both contemporary and historical time periods.

disClosure is a blind refereed journal produced in conjunction with the Committee on Social Theory at the University of Kentucky. The journal welcomes submissions from all theoretical perspectives and genres (scholarly articles, interviews, reviews, short fiction, poetry, artwork) and from authors and artists (academically affiliated or not) concerned with social theory. Editorial decisions are based solely on quality and originality.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION: Papers: Include three copies of text submissions, double spaced and no more than 10,000 words. Manuscripts, notes, and bibliographies should follow Chicago format. Art and other graphic material may be submitted as transparencies, prints, or electronic files (with hard copy provided for proofing). Please do not submit material that has been half-toned for publication (e.g., pictures in books or catalogues). Art/Poetry: Artists should submit digital or camera-ready material. Electronic submissions should be accompanied by a hard copy. Art cannot be returned, so do not send originals. Include one copy of poetry submissions. N.B. Authors are responsible for securing copyright and fair-use notices and must submit them prior to disClosure publication. All material accepted by disClosure for publication becomes property of the journal. disClosure is not responsible for loss or damage resulting from submission.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: February 16, 2004

Mail to:

disClosure

College of Arts and Sciences

213 Patterson Office Tower

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY 40506-0027

Dan Shaw Announces New Private Practice Office

Daniel Shaw, C.S.W. opened a private practice (Mondays and Fridays) in Nyack, NY on Jan. 1, 2004.  The address of the Nyack office is 193 Depew Ave., Ste. 2, Nyack, NY 10960.  Phone: (845) 548-2561

Send news updates on your education and research activities to Dr. Langone at aff@affcultinfoserve.com.

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Books, Articles, and Web Sites Brought to Our Attention

Nova Religio

·       Enfants Terribles: The Challenge of Sectarian Converts to Ethnic Orthodox Churches in the United States. Lucas P.C., 1 November 2003, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 5-23(19).

·       Betwixt Identity and Security: African New Religious Movements and the Politics of Religious Networking in Europe. Adogame A., 1 November 2003, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 24-41(18).

·       Ijun in Hawaii: The Political Economic Dimension of an Okinawan New Religion Overseas. Reichl C.A., 1 November 2003, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 42-54(13).

·       Ecotheology and Environmental Praxis in Guatemala. Hallum A., 1 November 2003, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 55-70(16).

·       Confronting the Failed Failure: Y2K and Evangelical Eschatology in Light of the Passed Millennium. Cowan D. E., 1 November 2003, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 71-85(15).

·       Before and After Jonestown: The Peoples Temple Collection at the California Historical Society. Stephenson D.A.; Hollis T. M., 1 November 2003, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 86-91(6).

·       Drinking the Kool-Aid: The Cultural Transformation of a Tragedy. Moore R., 1 November 2003, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 92-100(9).

·       A Decade After Waco: Reassessing Crisis Negotiations at Mount Carmel in Light of New Government Disclosures. Wright S. A., 1 November 2003, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 101-110(10).

Indiana University Press Books on Peoples Temple

·       Moore, Rebecca, Pinn, Anthony B., & Sawyer, Mary R. (Eds.). (2004 [February]). Peoples Temple and Black Religion in America.

·       Chidester, David.  (2003). Salvation and Suicide: Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and Jonestown; Revised Edition.

Zablocki Rebuttal of Anthony

A dialogue on the pros and cons of brainwashing theory has been going on for a number of years.  Misunderstanding Cults, edited by Tom Robbins and Benjamin Zablocki, included two important chapters on this subject by Dick Anthony and Ben Zablocki.  Zablocki has continued the discussion by publishing a detailed rebuttal of Anthony on his Web site.  Go to "The Brainwashing Controversy" at the site's home page to find the paper.

Regulating Religion: Case Studies from Around the World

Kluwer has published a book with the above title, edited by James T. Richardson.  A book flyer states: "Regulation of minority faiths varies greatly around the globe, with some countries allowing them considerable freedom to exist, recruit new members, raise money, and use public facilities.  Other societies are more closed to the presence of such groups, either native or foreign.  The pattern of reactions to minority religious movements is not easily explained by reference to usual terms.  Knowledge of historical factors in the various countries, coupled with a use of selected theories from sociology of religion and sociology of law, can assist understanding of the situation in various countries.  Explicating these complex relationships is the challenge of this volume."

Brain May Be Able to Bury Unwanted Memories, Study Shows

Anahad O'Connor, New York Times, January 9, 2004.  "Unwanted memories can be driven from awareness, according to a team of researchers who say they have identified a brain circuit that springs into action when people deliberately try to forget something. The findings, published today in the journal Science, strengthen the theory that painful memories can be repressed by burying them in the subconscious, the researchers say. In the study, people who had memorized a pair of words were later shown one of them and asked to either recall the second word or to consciously avoid thinking about it. Brain images showed that the hippocampus, an area of the brain that usually lights up when people retrieve memories, was relatively quiet when subjects tried to suppress the words they had learned. But at the same time, another region associated with motor inhibition, called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, showed increased activity.

Rabbi Rudin Column on Love Israel

Rabbi A. James Rudin, Senior Interreligious Advisor for the American Jewish Committee, recently wrote about Love Israel in his weekly column for Religion News Service.  Entitled "Camp Transferred from 'Love Israel' to Those Who Really Love Israel," the column says:

In 1984, the Love Israel cult established a rural commune on 300 acres in the foothills of the beautiful Cascade Mountains. But now the group is facing bankruptcy, and is forced to sell the property.

Despite its name, the Love Israel cult has nothing to do with Jews or Judaism. Indeed, the group is a bizarre combination of Christian beliefs and New Age ideology, with a charismatic, dictatorial leader.

The purchaser of the property is the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), which will convert the cult center into a camp for Jewish youngsters from Alaska, Canada, Washington and Idaho. It is the URJ's 13th camp and represents the movement's growing commitment to Jewish camping for youngsters ages 8 to 16.

Rabbi Rudin describes his personal gratification at this change of ownership.  He and his wife, Marcia, in their 1980 book, Prison or Paradise, discussed this group, which Robert Jay Lifton called, "one of the most extreme of the religious cults."  Moreover, his " rabbinic daughter, Eve, is the director of the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY)."  He concludes: "When Camp Kalsman formally opens in 2005, the young Jewish campers will be the real "Children of Israel."

U.S. Releases Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (December 18, 2003)

Executive Summary:

The Department of State December 18 released the 5th annual International Religious Freedom Report, which analyses the "conditions of religious freedom in countries around the world." The report includes 192 reports on individual countries and areas.

"Religious freedom is a key component of U.S. efforts to ensure security, protect stability, and promote liberty," the executive summary of the report states. Further, the summary recognizes religious freedom as a universal value "not confined to any one region or faith, but recognized in international law and by many religions worldwide."

In his introduction to the report, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom John V. Hanford III quoted President Bush ‘s assessment of religious freedom as "the first freedom of the human soul—the right to speak the words that God places in our mouths. We must stand for that freedom in our country. We must speak for that freedom in the world."

"Much of the world's population lives in countries in which the right to religious freedom is restricted or prohibited," according to the summary. It notes barriers to international religious freedom such as totalitarian regimes that use their power to control religious beliefs and practices.

One such country, according to the report, is North Korea, where the government prohibits religious activity by groups other than the officially recognized religions that are controlled by the North Korean government. "Members of underground churches have been beaten, arrested, tortured or killed because of their religious beliefs," according to the report.

Another issue addressed by the report is hostility by governments towards minority or non-approved religions. According to the report, the government of Sudan has "continued its policy of ... relegating non-Muslims to de facto second-class citizens."

The report also reports significant improvements in religious freedom in some countries, for example Kazakhstan, where it says harassment and legal actions by local officials against religious groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses and Baptists have decreased this year.

The religious freedom report serves not only as a tool for information dissemination but also as a plan for action. The summary states that "promoting religious freedom is a core goal of U.S. foreign policy, and U.S. officials around the world play active roles in this advocacy." The role of the U.S. government in promoting religious freedom in areas such as Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East is specifically addressed.

"To protect religious freedom is also to protect the rights inherent in our humanity," said Ambassador Hanford. "The United States government remains steadfast in its resolve to stand with the persecuted and to speak out on behalf of those whose governments would silence them."

View the full International Religious Freedom Report.

Russia: International Religious Freedom Report 2003

Released on December 18, 2003 by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

The preface to this long report states: "The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and the Government generally respects this right in practice; however, in some cases the authorities imposed restrictions on some groups. Although the Constitution provides for the equality of all religions before the law and the separation of church and state, the Government did not always respect this provision.

"There was no change in the over-all status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion; however, some federal agencies and many local authorities continued to restrict the rights of various religious minorities. Legal obstacles to registration under a complex 1997 law "On Freedom of Conscience and Associations," which seriously disadvantages religious groups new to the country, eased during the period covered by this report. However, there were indications that the security services were increasingly treating the leadership of some minority religious groups as security threats.

"Religious matters are not a source of societal hostility for most citizens, although many citizens firmly believe that at least nominal adherence to the Russian Orthodox Church is at the heart of what it means to be Russian. Popular attitudes toward traditionally Muslim ethnic groups are negative in many regions, and there are manifestations of anti-Semitism as well as societal hostility toward Catholics and newer, non-Orthodox, religions. Instances of religiously motivated violence continue, although it often is difficult to determine whether xenophobia, religion, or ethnic prejudices were the primary motivation behind violent attacks. Conservative activists claiming ties to the Russian Orthodox Church disseminated negative publications and staged demonstrations throughout the country against Catholics, Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, and religions new to the country. Leaders in the Russian Orthodox Church have stated publicly their opposition to the presence of Catholics, Protestants, and newer religions in the country.

"The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government in the context of its overall dialog and policy of promoting human rights."

View the full Report.

Religious Upsurge Brings Culture Clash to College Campuses

A December 10, 2003 Christian Science Monitor (Society and Culture) included an article with the above title by CSM staff writer, Amanda Paulson. The article discusses a survey on spirituality conducted by Jennifer Lindholm of UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute (HERI).  "Of 3,700 college juniors surveyed, 77 percent say they pray, 71 percent consider religion personally helpful, and 73 percent say religious or spiritual beliefs have helped develop their identity.  Fewer - just 55 percent - said they were satisfied with how their college experience provided 'opportunities for religious/spiritual development,' and 62 percent say their professors never encourage discussions of spiritual issues."

Increased campus interest in spirituality sometimes conflict with secular notions of inclusiveness when religious beliefs disapprove of certain lifestyles and values.

At the University of Chicago, the school was so nervous about an evangelical speaker that it called in the campus police. And a few years ago, Tufts University derecognized the local InterVarsity chapter - though the group was later reinstated - after a very public dispute when a lesbian student filed a discrimination charge against InterVarsity.

It's a tension that's led evangelical groups to complain that schools are tolerant of everyone but them. "They're supportive of 'religious diversity,' but not of Christian organizations," says Anna Studenny, a leader at Northwestern's Campus Crusade.

Surfing the Web Gets Spiritual

An article with the above title appeared in the December 10, 2003 Charlotte Observer (NC). Written by Religion Editor, Ken Garfield, the article discusses the results of a University of North Carolina survey of 2,600 U.S. teens.  The survey found that "far more teens visit religious Web sites than pornographic sites."  Eight out of ten teens in this national telephone survey said they had Internet access.  Seventy-five percent said they use the Web to help with homework, 17% to search for something spiritual, and only 5% for pornography.

Journalist Says Regional Politics Influence Christian Persecution in China

A man who spent many years covering the events of Communist China says Christians are persecuted in the country, but it is not happening everywhere. In fact, he says in some areas, believers are largely left alone. David Aikman recently published a book titled Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is Transforming China and Changing the Global Balance of Power. As a former bureau chief for Time magazine in Beijing, Aikman had an opportunity to observe the lives of China's Christians first hand.

Aiken says government persecution of adherents to the Christian faith depended on where the believer lived. He says even though Chinese officials have instructions at the national level from the Public Security Bureau to "suppress any social or religious activity that is not controlled by the government," not all regional authorities carry out those instructions in the same way.

Aikman says much depends on who is in charge of individual provinces. "At the provincial level," he says, "depending entirely on who is running the province, that order is either implemented in a very nasty way - which it has been in several provinces of China - or it is substantially disregarded."

The author says this results in sporadic, intense persecution happening in certain parts of some provinces, while in other provinces, sometimes "next door," Christians are generally left alone.

"It's a confusing and a contradictory situation," he says, "but anybody who has spent any time in China would recognize that as the reality."

Aikman believes Christianity in the Communist nation is growing at such a tremendous rate that eventually it will bring about a political change there. As a result, he expects the church in China to play a major role in global events in the future.

November 25, 2003 Agape Press.

Lessons from Jonestown

The American Psychological Association's Monitor on Psychology (November 2003) included an article, "Lessons from Jonestown," by Melissa Dittmann of the Monitor staff.  According to Dittmann, Stanford psychologist and past APA president, Dr. Philip Zimbardo said that "Jonestown should serve as a warning to the social psychology community in what can happen when principles of influence are abused by leaders of an organization." Dr. Robert Cialdini, Regents' Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University, said that "if cults are going to abuse lessons from social psychology, psychologists must study how they are doing this."  Cialdini's call for research was echoed by cult expert Steve Hassan, who said "There are lots of individuals who are suffering, and they need our help."

Books on Occult Ideas and Esoteric Spiritual Thought in the West

Paul Carden tells us that Philip Johnson of ar-talk@apologia.org has recommended the following on the above subject:

·       B. J. Gibbons, Spirituality and the Occult: From the Renaissance to the Modern Age (London and New York: Routledge, 2001. ISBN 0415244498. 196 pages)

·       Frances Yates, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition (London: Routledge Classics, 2002; originally published in 1964. ISBN 041527849X. 507 pages)

·       Frances A. Yates, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment (London: Routledge Classics, 2002; originally published in 1972. ISBN 0415267692. 333 pages)

·       Frances A. Yates, The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age (London and New York: Routledge Classics, 2001. Originally released in 1979. ISBN 0415254094. 255 pages)

·       James A. Herrick, The Making of the New Spirituality: The Eclipse of the Western Religious Tradition (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 2003. ISBN 0830823980. 331pages)

·       Steven J. Sutcliffe, Children of the New Age: A History of Spiritual Practices (London and New York: Routledge, 2003. ISBN 0415242991. 267 pages)

Vatican Document on the New Age

The Vatican Web site contains a report on the New Age: "Jesus Christ: The Bearer of the Water of Life—A Christian Reflection on the New Age."

The report is also available in Spanish and French.

Cults and Families

Drs. Doni Whitsett and Stephen Kent's article, "Cults and Families," has been published in Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services, vol. 84, No. 4, 2003, pp. 491-502.  The abstract states: "This article provides an overview of cult-related issues that may reveal themselves in therapeutic situations.  These issues include: families in cults; parental (especially mothers') roles in cults; the impact that cult leaders have on families; the destruction of family intimacy; child abuse; issues encountered by noncustodial parents; the impact on cognitive, psychological, and moral development; and health issues.  The authors borrow from numerous theoretical perspectives to illustrate their points, including self psychology, developmental theory, and the sociology of religion.  They conclude with a discussion of the therapeutic challenges that therapists face when working with cult-involved clients and make preliminary recommendations for treatment."

Freedom and Control in the Unified Germany

Seiwert, Hubert.  (2003, October). Freedom and Control in the Unified Germany: Governmental Approaches to Alternative Religions Since 1989.  " This article describes German governmental reactions to anti-cult fears during the decade after the unification of the two German states in 1990. The government and parliament reacted to a public panic when in 1996 a Commission of Inquiry into so-called sects was instigated. While the working of this commission contributed to the cooling down of public emotions, it did not fundamentally change the negative view of new religious movements (NRMs) in German society. Federal and state administrations still attempt to restrict the propagation of alternative religions. The limits set by the Constitution and decisions of the Federal Constitutional Court protect religious minorities against excessive discrimination. However, officials and politicians usually share the common perception of NRMs as potentially dangerous and therefore undesirable groups. It is argued that discrimination of religious minorities is due not to deficiencies of the constitutional order, but to cultural values disrespecting religious commitment."

Send information on noteworthy new books and articles to Dr. Langone at aff@affcultinfoserve.com.

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Group News

Falun Gong Sues China Minister

Four members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement have filed a lawsuit in Paris against visiting Chinese Culture Minister Sun Jiazheng. The members said Mr Sun was responsible for "crimes of torture" against the group, which is banned in China.

Mr Sun is accompanying President Hu Jintao on a state visit to France. The plaintiffs called for him to be detained before he leaves on Thursday, saying he was guilty of "incitement to massacre and persecution". The four, three women and a man, said they had suffered detentions and torture in connection with their practice of Falun Gong. Three of the group are Chinese, and one of them - a woman - is French.

They said Mr Sun had called through the media for the "elimination" of Falun Gong practitioners, and demanded that he be taken in for questioning.

Hundreds of followers of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China, protested outside the Chinese consulate on Tuesday as President Hu addressed the French parliament. Dozens of French MPs boycotted the speech in protest against China's human rights record.

Falun Gong has been banned in China since 1999 after thousands of members demonstrated in about 30 Chinese cities against the arrest of group leaders. Their beliefs blend the ideas of the founder, Li Hongzhi, with traditional Chinese exercises and the Taoist and Buddhist faiths. Li Hongzhi is wanted by the Chinese authorities, but is currently living in the United States.

Falun Gong has said that more than 840 followers have been tortured to death in China. The movement has previously filed lawsuits outside China against former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who it accuses of orchestrating the persecution of Falun Gong members in China.

BBC News, Wednesday, January 28, 2004

Unification Church: Important Meeting in "Spirit World"

The October 2003 issue of Church & State includes an article entitled, "U.S. Presidents Endorse Sun Myung Moon from 'Spirit World.'"  The articles states: "The church recently ran a two-page ad in the Moon-owned Washington Times, asserting that 36 U.S. presidents—from George Washington to Richard Nixon—endorsed Moon during a series of 'spirit world' conferences."  The presidents, the ad claims, endorsed a proclamation, one point of which reads, "We resolve and proclaim that Rev. Sun Myung Moon is the Lord of the Second Advent, the Messiah, the Savor and the True Parent."  The article says that "Three Cheers of Eternal Victory" were led by Richard Nixon.

Scientology: Exodus from Netherlands Group

Fifty of some 150 core members of the Church of Scientology in the Netherlands have reportedly left the group, and high ranking Scientologists from overseas have flown in to deal with what Scientology documents allegedly call a “mutiny.”

One cause of the recent exodus is reportedly a split between those who think only Scientology as it is now constituted can properly convey the teachings of founder L. Ron Hubbard, and those who think that Hubbard’s way can be achieved better, more enjoyably, and for less money, outside the church’s constraints. The “Independents” have started a movement with a website named www.ronsorg.nl, which stands for “Ron’s Organization and Network for Standard Tech.”

A third group has left because Scientologists in commercial concerns in the Netherlands and elsewhere have allegedly swindled hundreds of thousands of people. (Sladjana Labovic and Bart Middleburg, Het Parool, Internet, 10/25/03)

United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors

Using documents based on “common law,” frequently used by anti-government militias to harass public officials, supporters of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors have sued Putnam County, GA, officials for $1.069 billion. Nuwaubian leader Dwight York was recently sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted on 200 counts of child molestation. A colony of Nuwaubians until earlier this year lived on a 476-acre compound west of Eadenton where, while battling continuously with local officials and regulations, they erected pyramids, a sphinx, and other Egyptian-style structures.  (Rob Peecher, Macon Telegraph, Internet, 10/23/03)

Lawyers for United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors leader [Dwight] Malichi York, who was recently found by a judge to be competent to stand trial, say they will change his plea to not guilty, even though York refuses to speak directly with the court about the matter and uses arguments based on “common law” which puzzle his counsel.  The U.S. attorney’s office will probably draw up a new indictment that will also allege racketeering crimes.

Followers of York, who claims to be a being from another planet, stood outside the courthouse in Native American dress and demanded he be released to his “own people.” Both leader and followers have alternately claimed Egyptian, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian heritage. (Rob Peecher, Macon Telegraph, Internet, 10/25/03)

News from Tvind Alert

January 15th: A former member of Tvind’s Teachers Group has testified in court that she regularly requested money on behalf of Tvind’s "humanitarian fund," even though she knew the development projects would never receive any of it.

In fact, Dorthe Arp had accepted that her work for Tvind outside in the Third World was nothing less than a big deceit. Dorthe Arp declared this in the court case against alleged Tvind-leader Amdi Petersen and seven other members of the Teachers Group. Days before her testimony another former member of the Teachers Group testified that Petersen indeed is the leader of the TG, as the prosecution claims.

Petersen himself says he is just an "advisor."

Source: Berlingske Tidende

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