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

Latest Issue of Cultic Studies Review

Education and Research Events

Books, Articles, and Web Sites Brought to Our Attention

News Briefs

Reminder: AFF (American Family Foundation) Changes Its Name to ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association)

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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 25^th Anniversary

To commemorate their 25^th 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 21^st:  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.

News Briefs

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.

International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) is new name for AFF (American Family Foundation)

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

Don’t Forget to Refresh Your Browser

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.