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Articles
Reminder: AFF (American Family
Foundation) Changed Its Name to ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association)
If you do not yet subscribe to the journal, you may do so
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Articles
Goldberg, Lorna.
Raised in Cultic Groups: The
Impact on the Development of Certain Aspects of Character
Tourish, Dennis, &
Naheed, Vatcha.
Charismatic Leadership and Corporate Cultism at Enron: The
Elimination of Dissent, the Promotion of Conformity, and Organizational Collapse
Raine, Susan.
The Children of God/The Family: A Discussion of Recent Research (1998–2005)
Schafer, John R., & Navarro, Joe.
The Seven-Stage Hate Model: The Psychopathology of Hate Groups
Book Reviews
Take Back Your Life (Lalich &
Tobias), reviewed by Doni Whitsett, Ph.D.
Terror in the Name of God (Sterns),
reviewed by Anthony Stahelski, Ph.D.
All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An
American Misfit in India (Brown),
reviewed by Thomas Robbins, Ph.D.
Opus Dei: An Objective Look Behind the Myths
and Reality of the Most Controversial Force
in the Catholic Church (Allen),
reviewed by Joseph Szimhart
Imaginary Friends (Lurie), reviewed
by Joseph Szimhart
News Summaries
___________________________________________________________
Education
and Research Events
ICSA 2006 Annual International Conference in Denver
Two-hundred people registered for ICSA’s conference at the
Sheraton Denver West June 22nd to 24th. Attendees took
part in pre-conference workshops for ex-members, families, mental health
professionals, and second-generation ex-members. After a stimulating opening
plenary talk on cults and homeland security by Stephen Mutch, Ph.D. of
Australia, attendees had their pick of four sessions during each time-block.
The conference closed with moving presentations by former group members who had
submitted art work to the Phoenix Project, a stimulating collection of art,
writing, and music organized by Diana Pletts. The
conference handbook gives details
on the conference sessions, including abstracts and biographical sketches of
presenters. Next year’s conference will be held in Brussels, Belgium. A Call
for Papers in
English and
French (deadline September 15,
2006), the two languages of the conference, is available online.
New Ph.D.s in ICSA Community
Carmen Almendros and Lois Kendall, after years of hard
work, can now be called “doctor.” Dr. Almendros received her degree from the
psychology faculty of the Autonomous University of Madrid, where last year she
was instrumental in organizing ICSA’s annual conference at that university. Dr.
Almendros is co-author of Ladrones de Libertad:
Pseudoterapias “religiosas” New Age (with Carmen Rodriguez) and was
the 2005 recipient of ICSA’s Herbert L. Rosedale Award, given in honor of her
research into the development of measures relevant to cultic studies. Dr.
Kendall’s degree (also in psychology) is from
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University
College in High Wycombe, England. Her doctoral research examined the
psychological effects of former cult membership with a specific focus on those
raised in such groups. Dr. Kendall is the research officer for Safe Passage
Foundation (www.safepassagefoundation.org),
a children's rights charity being set up by second-generation former high-demand
group members for second-generation high-demand group members. Lois was born and
raised in a small English cultic group which she left when she was 17. Both
ladies have attended many ICSA conferences and intend to continue to be active
in this field.
New Southern California Support Group for Born-or-Raised/Second-Generation
Population
Announcing a support group for those who were born and
raised in a closed, high demand group or cult (also known as 2nd generation
ex-members)
The support group is a vital element in the forming of new
ideas about who we are and how we operate in our lives. By meeting and
communicating with others with whom we share a common experience, we begin to
see that we are not alone in our concerns and that these are often shared by
others who may have developed ways of coping that can be beneficial to us, and
visa versa. Third Sunday of the Month, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Santa Monica,
California, $20 per person (sliding scale fee available). For safety and
confidentiality, this is not a drop-in group. Please contact me if you would
like to participate or for more information. Mary Jo Cysewski, MA, Licensed
Marriage and Family Therapist, 310-963-4000,
maryjo-lmft@comcast.net
New Name for Religious Movement Resource Center
Hal Mansfield, Director of the Fort Collins, Colorado
Religious Movement Resource Center, has sent an announcement on his
organization’s name change:
We are changing our name at the
center. The new name will be Rocky Mountain Resource Center on Violent,
Destructive, and Hate Groups. Or just RMRC for short. We decided to do this for
a few main reasons. One, it describes what we actually do here. Two, people
confused us with a religion or even a church instead of a resource center. Also,
the initials are still the same (RMRC), so the transition will be fairly easy.
As far as any program changes, there are none. Same email, website, services,
etc. . .
For those of you wondering how we
started, here is a brief history. Dave Benefiel was a close friend of mine and
we formed the RMRC in 1981 together. Dave was an ex-member of Divine Light
Mission and had first-hand knowledge of destructive groups. We received
encouragement from Bob Geller at United Campus Ministry (several protestant
denominations) and Interfaith of Ft Collins. In fact we were housed at United
Campus ministry for a long time. I have been studying destructive groups
(destructive cults mainly) since 1978 after the Jonestown incident where 900
plus people died in the jungles. I was more interested in the sociological,
psychological and criminal view of these groups. There were only a few materials
that weren’t strictly religious in nature which led Dave and I to start this
enterprise. From there (3 books on a shelf was the center!), the RMRC grew
rapidly. We noticed not all destructive groups were religious in nature. We also
added research on hate groups. Unfortunately, Dave did not see what an important
center he helped form, having died from a long term illness 14 years ago. Today,
we have a full range resource center complete with a huge library, online
research, referrals, and a host of other services.
I imagine this transition will
take years since the Religious Movement Resource Center was the name we used for
almost 25 years. But, I think the transition will be an OK since nothing has
changed but the name. We received a lot of positive feedback about the name
change, several months in fact. This was not an overnight decision.
Stephen Mutch Colloquium on Religion and the State
In March 2006 Dr. Stephen Mutch, plenary opening speaker at
the 2006 ICSA Annual International Conference in Denver, gave a colloquium at
Macquarie University’s Global Leadership Program: “World Religious Movements:
Religion, Secularism, and the State.” “This colloquium
examines the intersection of religion and politics and compares different
national approaches to the regulation of religion (which along with mainstream
groups comprises cults, sects and new religious movements). The spectrum of
national approaches includes strict separation of church and state,
non-establishment, plural religious accommodation, national church
establishment, and theocracy. In discussion we will debate the possibility of a
normative approach to the role permitted religion in the public arena. Issues
examined include: the legal definition of religion; constitutional rights and
privileges; the regulation of religion in different legislative contexts;
inter-faith activities; deviant religion (including religious terrorism);
blasphemy and freedom of speech; and the role of non-religion.”
FAIR 2006 Conference Coming Up in October
Family Action Information Resource (FAIR)
of the United Kingdom will conduct a conference on October 25, 2006, entitled
“Mechanisms of Control: How Cults Exploit Human Weakness.” The conference will
take place at St. Peter’s Conference Centre, Vere Street, London (w minutes from
Bond Street Underground Station). The introduction and welcome will be given
by: Tom Sackville, MP from Bolton West from 1983 to 1997 and Chair of FAIR,
Baroness Jane Bonham-Carter, a television producer and the liberal Democrat
Spokesperson in the Lords on Broadcasting. The keynote speaker is Stephen A.
Kent, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, University of Alberta, Canada, speaking on
the conference’s title. Other speakers include: Paul Cooper, “Relationship
Difficulties with the Moonie Son I Love”; Friederich Griess, “Cults Across
Europe – From the Third Reich to Present Day”; Jane Hamilton, “Keeping
Scientology Working”; Maria Pia Gardini, “Narconon and Scientology”; Alexander
Dvorkin, Ph.D., “The Influence of Academics on the Cult Debate”; Eric
Scheibeler, “The Rise and Expansion of Commercial Cults”; Rod Dubrow-Marshall,
Ph.D., “Wellspring Retreat in Ohio: Lessons for the Rehabilitation of Ex-Cult
Members in the UK”; Julian Chater, “The Classical Context: Historical Evidence
that Cults have not been restricted to Religious Groups”; and Dennis Tourish,
Ph.D., “Blind-Faith Deviation and Cultism in Politics: Far Right and Left
Reconsidered.”
ODAN (Opus Dei Awareness Network) Announcement
We are pleased to announce the
formation of the International Collaboration for Truth about Opus Dei (ICTOD).
The following is an announcement
which appears on the home page of the ODAN website (www.odan.org):
A new collaboration of three separate groups who have experienced firsthand
the deceptive, manipulative and cult-like practices of Opus Dei has been formed
in response to Opus Dei's recent depiction of itself to the media and the
general public.
OpusLivre, Opus Dei Awareness
Network, Inc. and
Opus Libros have announced the
formation of The International Collaboration for Truth about Opus Dei (ICTOD).
The collaboration is the result of three separate groups of people who have had
harmful experiences with Opus Dei in locations from all over the world wherever
Opus Dei operates.
ICTOD was formed to challenge the
statements made by Opus Dei in its recent media campaign to dispel the image
depicted in the book and recent movie, The Da Vinci Code.
The collaboration consists of
Opuslivre, based in Sao Paulo,
Brazil, Opus Dei Awareness Network, (ODAN)
based in the United States, and
Opus Libros, based in Madrid,
Spain.
ICTOD believes Opus Dei has
focused on the extremes of the movie, such as bloody use of the discipline
(whip) and the cilice (spiked chain) while saying nothing about how the
organization takes away a person's freedom through a subtle indoctrination
process consisting of aggressive recruiting techniques, the withholding of
information necessary to make an informed choice and the use of subtle pressure,
fear and guilt to exact blind obedience upon its members. ICTOD will focus its
resources to educating the public about the absolute control and obedience that
exists in Opus Dei along with deceptive and manipulative recruiting practices.
For more information about ICTOD,
including contact information and a statement from the coordinator of Opus
Libros:
ICTOD
April 2006 Polish Conference
Górnośląska Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiczna im. Kardynała
Augusta Hlonda w Mysłowicach (Cardinal August Hlond Upper Silesian School of
Pedagogy in Mysłowice, Poland) International Scientific Conference – 21 April
2006: "Sects as a problem of the present day in pedagogical, psychological,
sociological, lawful, religious, theological and cultural aspects" Speakers and
talks included: prof. dr hab. Jan Malicki, dyrektor Biblioteki Śląskiej w
Katowicach, dr Mirosław Wójcik, JM Rektor Górnośląskiej Wyższej Szkoły
Pedagogicznej w Mysłowicach; Sect of philosophers – Silesian roots of the
Arian, prof. dr hab. Jan Malicki, dyrektor Biblioteki Śląskiej w Katowicach;
Thought Reform Consultation, Family and Youth Cult Education Preparation and
Sect Intervention Work, David Clark, ekspert sądowy do spraw sekt – członek
reFOCUS (USA); Experience of information and prevention work of F.P.P.S. and
aspects for future researches, mgr Nataliya Bezborodova, Family and
Personality Protection Society (Ukraine); Cult and family, dr Olena
Lishchynska, Institute of Social and Politic Psychology – Academy of Pedagogical
Science (Ukraine); Use of chosen psychological concepts in counseling and
therapy of person with „sects problem,” dr Dariusz Kuncewicz, Akademia
Świętokrzyska w Kielcach; Mental Health and Cult Membership, dr José
Antonio Carrobles, University Autonomous of Madrid (Spain); Psychological
Abuse in Group Settings, mgr Carmen Almendros, University Autonomous of
Madrid (Spain); Perfect questions, perfect answers – technique manipulation
with word, dr Joanna Kulwicka-Kamińska, Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w
Toruniu; Psychological and social conditionality of forming identity of cult
group adepts, ks. mgr Mariusz Gajewski SJ, Uniwersytet Jagielloński;
Axiology of education in family – a barrier protecting young people before
sects, mgr Dorota Luber, Górnośląska Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiczna w
Mysłowicach; Foreign and local documents about sects and new religious
movements – analysis, classification and comparison, mgr Ireneusz Kamiński,
Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu; Postures of young people of average
schools in accordance with phenomenon of new religious movements and sects on
example of Trojmiasto, ks. mgr Grzegorz Daroszewski, dyrektor Gdańskiego
Centrum Informacji o Sektach i Nowych Ruchach Religijnych przy Fundacji
Przeciwdziałania Uzależnieniom U.N.A.S.; Teachers in accordance with the
problem of sects, dr Mieczysław Dudek, Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski –
Wydział Zamiejscowy Nauk o Społeczeństwie w Stalowej Woli; Social
conditionality of cult membership , dr Aneta Strzempek, Górnośląska Wyższa
Szkoła Pedagogiczna w Mysłowicach; Sect as an environment of realization of
requirements, mgr Monika Wojtkowiak, Akademia Świętokrzyska w Kielcach;
Substantiation of captivation of the sect problem on the ground of pedagogy of
resocialization, dr Piotr Tomasz Nowakowski, Górnośląska Wyższa Szkoła
Pedagogiczna w Mysłowicach.
New Belgian Law Proposed Regarding Exploitation of Vulnerable
Planchar, Roland. (21 March, 2006). Pour
défendre les faibles contre les profiteurs. La Libre Belgique.
Un avant-projet de loi pour punir l'abus de
faiblesse ou de l'état d'ignorance.
L'actualité revient sur le problème des
sectes. On sait que le groupe de travail fondé en 2004 par le député (PS) André
Frédéric et chargé du suivi des recommandations de la commission d'enquête
dédiée au sujet, en 1996 et 1997, a déjà émis l'idée d'une proposition de loi
permettant d'incriminer ce que, pour faire bref, on appellera l'abus de
faiblesse («LLB» 28/06/2005). Mais il est rejoint dans son intention par la
ministre de la Justice, Laurette Onkelinx (PS), qui vient de formaliser un
avant-projet de loi «visant à réprimer l'abus de l'état d'ignorance ou de la
situation de faiblesse des personnes».
Il s'agit d'introduire un chapitre
supplémentaire dans le code pénal intitulé «De l'abus de l'état d'ignorance
ou de faiblesse» ainsi qu'un article disposant que «quiconque aura abusé
de l'état d'ignorance ou de la situation de faiblesse soit d'un mineur, soit
d'une personne particulièrement vulnérable, en raison de son âge, d'une maladie,
d'une infirmité, d'une déficience physique ou psychique, de sa situation
administrative illégale ou précaire ou d'un état de grossesse pour conduire ce
mineur ou cette personne à un acte ou à une abstention portant gravement
atteinte à son intégrité physique ou mentale ou à son patrimoine, sera puni...».
Les peines prévues iraient de 3 mois à 3
ans de réclusion et, côté amendes, de 250 à 20000 euros, et davantage en cas de
décès de la victime (6 mois à 5 ans, 500 à 40000 euros). Il est également prévu
que le tribunal puisse ordonner la publication du jugement dans les quotidiens,
aux frais de celui qui serait reconnu coupable. Là, c'est évidemment à la
prévention qu'on touche, le but étant d'avertir le public d'une situation
dangereuse.
Retour au groupe de travail parlementaire,
dont on attend pour bientôt la proposition, laquelle devrait être plus ciblée
«sectes» afin de permettre à l'arsenal législatif de sous-tendre vraiment
l'action judiciaire même dans les cas difficiles. Il est vraisemblable
qu'avant-projet et proposition seront défendus ensemble et concrétisés à moyen
terme. Nous y reviendrons prochainement.
http://www.lalibre.be/article.phtml?id=10&subid=90&art_id=275579
RIP: Mary Krone
A loyal and longtime member of
the old Cult Awareness Network (CAN), Mary Patricia Krone
died on April 14th, 2006. Many will remember Mary as a dedicated administrative
assistant to CAN's Executive Director, who answered the call for help at the CAN
office with compassion and understanding. Each caller was given the route to
become self-educated--the necessary first step in helping their involved cult
member.
Ever grateful to those who had reached out to help Mary in
the early stages of her daughter's entrapment, she never forgot those who had
helped her in her time of desperate need. For the next 26 years, Mary passed on
cult information to individual families and audiences, no matter when she
received the call--day or night.
Mary believed in and practiced whole-heartedly CAN's
original structure in networking with others who understood the dangers of
destructive cults and the problems they caused. She will be long remembered with
love and gratitude by the many families who received her guidance. (Written by
Gert Rodig.)
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
New Book by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias
Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive
Relationships is a revised and expanded edition of the authors’ very
popular, Captive Hearts, Captive Minds. Cult victims and those who have
suffered abusive relationships often suffer from fear, confusion, low-self
esteem, and post-traumatic stress. Take Back Your Life explains the seductive
draw that leads people into such situations, provides guidelines for assessing
what happened, and hands-on tools for getting back on track. Written for the
victims, their families, and professionals, this book leads readers through the
healing process. A resource list and numerous personal accounts of those who
have successfully made the transition to the “normal” world provide help and
inspiration.
Now available on ICSA’s online bookstore,
www.cultinfobooks.com.
Info-Cult/Info-Secte English Book Now Available
The Cult Phenomenon: How Groups Function is an
English translation of Le Phénomène des Sectes by Michael Kropveld and
Marie-Andrée Pelland. "The “cult” phenomenon is first and foremost a group
phenomenon. Understanding how groups operate and the rules that govern
interpersonal relations can provide insight into all of the organizations termed
“cults” or “new religious movements.” Info-Cult produced this publication to
address these various issues and to inform the public about the internal and
external functioning of groups. Work on this publication began in 1999, which
coincided with the 25th anniversary of the National Assembly's adoption of the
Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the 20th anniversary of the
creation of Info-Cult. Four years later, the project became a reality with
publication of the French edition of the book . This book, inspired by the
Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms as well as a desire to understand
how these groups operate in a democratic society, explores various aspects of
the “cult” phenomenon.
Now available on ICSA’s online bookstore,
www.cultinfobooks.com.
Info-Cult/Info-Secte’s New Acquisitions
The most recent (June 2006) acquisitions can be found at:
New Acquisitions.
For an integrated list of recent and past acquisitions please go to:
Selected Holdings
Book on Children of God / The Family
Sam Ajemian has self-published a book on Children of God
aka The Family, a group to which he once belonged. The book is available
through his Web site,
www.samajemian.com. Ajemian
says: “The Children of God Cult, aka The Family” is a further step in the uphill
battle of getting to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,
concerning the past and present beliefs and practices of this notorious cult.”
“Deprogramming” Terrorists
The March 10, 2006 CNS News (CNSNews.com) says that
“Australia is mulling the possibility of trying to "reprogram" captured
terrorists by getting clerics or other influential figures to challenge their
interpretations of Islamic teachings.” The effort is said to be successful in
some cases. The “deprogramming” is being practiced in other countries,
including Indonesia, Singapore, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Britain. The article
describes a case “of a former senior operative in Jemaah Islamiah (JI), a
Southeast Asian affiliate of al Qaeda, who had been ‘turned’ and was now used by
Indonesian law enforcement authorities in a bid to re-educate jailed
terrorists.” What is called “deprogramming,” however, appears to refer more to
challenging terrorists’ beliefs, rather than helping them become aware of how
their beliefs were induced by outside manipulation, which is often seen as the
heart of “deprogramming.” Civil libertarians have derided the proposal as a
form of “brainwashing.” Other experts on Islam have questioned the efficacy of
the approach, noting that “extremists' interpretations of concepts like jihad
tended to be based on the teachings of some of the most revered scholars in
Islam.” Nevertheless, others seem to advocate the approach even if it only
works with some.
Stanford Law School Article on Gentle Wind Suit
Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society, Vo. 3,
No. 6 has published
a report on Gentle Wind’s lawsuit against
former members: “Maine
District Court Holds that Group of Individuals Who Published Criticism of “Cult”
On-line Are Not an Association-in-Fact Under RICO.”
Articles from the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
Smith, Tom W. (2006). The National Spiritual
Transformation Study. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 45(2),
283-296. “The first nationally representative study of spiritual
transformations documents that spiritual/religious change is a common and
powerful experience in America. About half of all adult Americans report having
had such an experience. Such change is strongly related to current religious
beliefs and behaviors, but shows little relationship to most nonreligious
demographics. A series of open-ended items indicates that the leading causes of
spiritual/religious change are normal religious activity and having had a
serious personal problem, most often an illness or accident to oneself or
someone close or the death of someone close. A strengthening of faith is the
most common consequence of this experience. This is followed by changes in
character (e.g., being more understanding, helpful) and the stopping of
perceived bad habits (e.g., drinking partying). The lasting importance of such
spiritual/religious change is also shown by closed-ended measures and the
predictive power that the variable has in explaining various beliefs and
behaviors even when controlling for other religious variables.”
Olson, Paul J. (2006). The public perception of “cults”
and “new religious movements.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion,
45(1), 97-106. “The term ‘cult’ has attracted much criticism from several
sociologists of religion and religious studies scholars in recent years, and
many scholars have dropped the word for a less pejorative term such as “new
religious movement” (NRM). This research note seeks to determine if simply
substituting an alternative term for cult changes people’s attitudes toward a
religious group. To this end, over 2,400 randomly selected Nebraskans were
asked how comfortable they would feel if their neighbor joined a cult, NRM, or a
“new Christian church,” and whether the government should regulate the
activities of these groups. The survey results reveal the remarkably negative
view Nebraskans have of cults, their general acceptance of NRMs, and their broad
support for new Christian churches.”
Goldman, Marion S. (2006). Cults, new religions, and the
spiritual landscape: A review of four collections. Journal for the
Scientific Study of Religion, 45(1), 87-96.
Article on Javanese Group, Subud
Ulrich, Stephen C. (2005). Evaluating the charismatic group
Subud: Javanese mysticism in the West. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and
practice, 9(3), 161-172. “The influence of charismatic groups on
individuals’ lives can be profound. The author reviews literature on the
charismatic group known as Subud. Subud claims it has no theology, and members
believe they directly communicate with their deity through the latihan ritual.
To analyze the group, the author uses a systems approach to integrate
psychological, psychiatric, sociological, and theological evidence. He shows
that Subud’s theology is based on the latihan and that the aim is to promote a
dissociative state through unrestrained emotional expression in group setting.
Depression, hallucinations, and violent behavior have been reported.”
The Human Behavior Experiments
An article by Alessandra Stanley in the June 1, 2006 New
York Times discusses a documentary that appeared on Court TV and the Sundance
Channel. The article briefly reviews some of the landmark social psychology
experiments that demonstrated how easily situational pressures can shape human
behavior. “People wonder how ordinary American soldiers, men and women, could
have mistreated prisoners so barbarically at Abu Ghraib. ‘The Human Behavior
Experiments,’ a documentary on both Court TV and the Sundance Channel tonight,
suggests that actually it's surprising such things don't happen more often.”
The article alludes to a significant but lesser known aspect of the famous
Zimbardo prison role play experiment in which Stanford undergraduates took on
the roles of guards and prisoners: “The abuse kept
escalating until, on the fourth day, it turned into sexual humiliation.
Prisoners began breaking down. Dr. Zimbardo and his team were so engrossed by
the experiment that they too lost sight of reality. In the film Dr. Zimbardo
recalls that it was not until his girlfriend visited the mock prison and
threatened to break up with him that he snapped out of it and ended the study
early.”
Pacific Sun Article on Miracle of Love
The March 17, 2006 issue of Pacific Sun includes an
interesting article on Miracle of Love, a group that runs six-day intensives in
Marin County, California. “The central teaching of Miracle of Love is that
followers can ‘break the cycle of life and death,’ escape the suffering inherent
in life and ‘come home to God’ within this lifetime. They’ll achieve this,
they’re told, through the meditation practice and by ‘letting go of attachments’
to the material world—the world of illusion. The handiest way to let go of their
attachments to money is, of course, to donate it to the Miracle of Love mission.
‘A lot of people there are living paycheck to paycheck,’ says Frank. ‘There are
doctors and lawyers and CEOs who have no money. Over time, they’ve given away
everything.’. . . . Miracle of Love now has several hundred followers in the
United States, Canada and Europe. And it’s growing. For the last 13 years, the
primary recruitment vehicle has been the six-day Intensives, usually held in
churches in Marin County. Now the group hopes to attract more followers by
offering one-day workshops at a cost of $50, as opposed to the $1,500 six-day
version.”
Five-Part Series on Fred Newman’s Organizations
NY1 News published a
five-part series, entitled
“Psychopolitics,” by Rita Nissan on Fred Newman’s organizations. The first
installment was published on October 31, 2005 and the fifth installment on March
17, 2006. Part I examines the Independence Party, its recent role in New York
politics, especially Mayor Bloomberg’s re-election bid, and connections to Fred
Newman. Nissan writes, “The Independence Party can claim credit for Bloomberg's
victory. It delivered 59,000 votes, more than his winning margin. It appears the
relationship has paid off for Newman, with high level City Hall meetings,
Bloomberg's push for non-partisan elections, and tax-free bonds for his charity,
the All Stars Project. Bloomberg has donated tens of thousands of dollars to All
Stars.” Part II explores Newman’s background and some of the history of his
related organizations. Part III looks at the intertwined organizations that
Newman appears to control: “Social Therapy clinics, the Manhattan Independence
Party, and his youth charity the All Stars Project. All Stars introduces
children and teens to Newman’s ideas.” In Part IV Nissan examines Newman’s
controversial Social Therapy and how it has been promoted at a Brooklyn High
School. Part V exposes how a “youth charity with ties to Manhattan's
Independence Party recently received a contract to run after-school programs in
city schools. But that contract is on hold after a California woman came forward
with some startling allegations.”
Wall Street Journal Article on TM Medical Claims
The March 7, 2006 Wall Street Journal includes an
article by Laura Johannes on claims that Transcendental Meditation “can lower
blood pressure, reduce arterial clogging and even cut death rates.” Although
studies have been published in mainstream medical journals, skeptics such as Dr.
Michael Weber suggest that “patients should view the results with caution given
the ties to TM of many of the scientists." He says the studies in favor of TM
aren't rigorous enough to prove it works, and haven't been adequately replicated
by independent scientists. In the mid-1970s, Dr. Weber co-wrote an uncontrolled
study, published in the British journal Lancet, which found sixth months of TM
failed to lower the blood pressure of 20 patients.”
Special Issue on Religion and Secrecy in the Journal of the American Academy
of Religion
The June 2006 issue (Vol. 74, No. 2) of the Journal of the
American Academy of Religion contains a collection of articles on religion and
secrecy, including:
·
Michael Barkun. Religion and Secrecy After September 11
·
Julius H. Bailey. The Final Frontier: Secrecy, Identity, and the
Media in the Rise and Fall of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors
·
Maria Dakake. Hiding in Plain Sight: The Practical and Doctrinal
Significance of Secrecy in Shi‘ite Islam
·
Hugh B. Urban. Fair Game: Secrecy, Security, and the Church of
Scientology in Cold War America
·
D. Michael Lindsay. Is the National Prayer Breakfast Surrounded
by a "Christian Mafia"? Religious Publicity and Secrecy Within the Corridors of
Power
·
Ann Williams Duncan. Religion and Secrecy: A Bibliographic Essay
Australian Article on Rajneesh
The June 17, 2006 issue of The Weekend Australian
Magazine (Australia's leading newspaper) contained an article on the
Rajneesh group. "The mother willing to kill for a cult" is the story of Jane
Stork (aka Ma Shanti Bhadra) who went to jail for 10 years on charges of
attempted murder (relating to events at Rajneeshpuram, Oregon July 1985). The
author/journalist is Richard Guilliatt.
New York Times Reviews Landmark Experiments on Obedience
Alessandra Stanley in the June 1, 2006 New York Times
writes a TV review on the “Human Behavior Experiments.” The article begins:
“People wonder how ordinary American soldiers, men and women, could have
mistreated prisoners so barbarically at Abu Ghraib. ‘The Human Behavior
Experiments,’ a documentary on both Court TV and the Sundance Channel tonight,
suggests that actually it's surprising such things don't happen more often.”
The film contains footage on the famous Milgram shock experiments and the
Zimbardo prison role play experiments.
Dr. Zimbardo's prison study was
even more shocking, if only because the students assigned to play guards were
not instructed to be abusive, and instead conformed to their own notions of how
to keep order in a prison: "Lord of the Flies" in sideburns and aviator
sunglasses. The prisoners were blindfolded, stripped, assigned numbers and
forced to wear skimpy hospital gowns and ankle chains. The guards were given
handcuffs, whistles and billy clubs. The scientists received a shocking display
of how, as one of them put it, "human nature transformed in a very rapid way in
the face of a very powerful situation."
The abuse kept escalating until,
on the fourth day, it turned into sexual humiliation. Prisoners began breaking
down. Dr. Zimbardo and his team were so engrossed by the experiment that they
too lost sight of reality. In the film Dr. Zimbardo recalls that it was not
until his girlfriend visited the mock prison and threatened to break up with him
that he snapped out of it and ended the study early. . .
"It is the majority who conform,
who comply, who obey authority," Dr. Zimbardo says. "And that's what nobody
wants to hear."
Bruce Perry Article on Impact of Neglect on Developing Brain
Perry, Bruce. (2002). Childhood experience and the
expression of genetic potential: What childhood neglect tells us about nature
and nurture. Brain and Mind, 3, 79-100. The April 2006 newsletter of the
Child Trauma Academy offers the
following summary of this article:
The human brain is a remarkable
malleable organ. During the first years of life there is an explosion of neural
growth and the creation of trillions of neuron- to-neuron connections called
synapses. These connections allow neural networks that, in turn, allow all of
the functions of the brain - thinking, feeling, behaving and more.
The growth of these complex
networks depends upon experience. The child who is spoken to will develop speech
and language neural systems, the child who has motor practice and exploration
opportunities will develop neural systems which allow walking, running and fine
motor control. The child who is nurtured and loved develops the neural networks
which mediate empathy, compassion and the capacity to form healthy
relationships.
Unfortunately, this wonderful
window of opportunity in early childhood is also a window of vulnerability. If a
child is not talked to he will not develop speech and language capacity, if he
is not given opportunities to use his developing motor systems, he will not
develop motor skills and, most devastating, if he is not loved he will be
incapable of loving others. Over the years our work has demonstrated the
devastating impact of early childhood neglect. Neglect in early childhood
literally alters the physical (and functional) development of the brain.
Send information on noteworthy
new books and articles to Dr. Langone at
mail@icsamail.com
______________________________________________________________^
The Tokyo High Court has
upheld the death penalty sentence for Tomomitsu
Niimi, Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko
Asahara’s chief lieutenant, convicted in the
Aum 1994 and 1995 gas attacks and other crimes.
The court dismissed the argument that the once
gentle and intelligent college student was duped
by Asahara into thinking the crimes expressed
divine will. Nimi said he was sorry to have
caused “so much grief, but please understand
that some may hold other values.” The father of
a former Aum member whom Niimi tried to kill
said, “Deep down,” Niimi “is horrified at what
he did. But he can’t admit that, not even to
himself. It would mean a denial of all that he’s
done for Aum.”. . . The High Court as well
rejected Shoko Asahara’s own death sentence
appeal, saying his lawyers failed to present
their case on time. They argued originally that
he was mentally and physically unfit to stand
trial and now refused to submit appropriate
appeal documents on the ground that making a
mentally incompetent defendant stand trial was
against lawyers’ ethics. . . . Asahara’s
daughters, who were children when the crimes
were committed, have been ostracized by Japanese
society. They say their father is mentally ill
and that he should not be executed. Their
mother, found guilty of conspiring with him to
kill another member, was released from jail in
2002. In February, a junior high school refused
to admit Asahara’s youngest son because it could
not guarantee the safety of the 11-year-old,
saying also that he could conceivably be under
the influence of the cult. . . Following police
raids in April on 11 Aum facilities across Japan
aimed to uncover possible plots related to the
court proceedings against Asahara (also known as
Chuzio Matsumoto), the Minister of Justice said
the estimated 1,600 members still believe
strongly in him and that their number is not
declining.
Former members of the
Colonia Dignidad cult have published a
full-page letter in a leading Chilean newspaper
apologizing and asking forgiveness for 40 years
of child sex and human rights abuses. They say
Paul Schafer, who founded the commune in
southern Chile and settled it with 300 German
immigrants, dominated their minds and bodies and
molested children. “We have come to understand
that our community lived its religious faith as
a hermetic sect which accepted the
transformation of personalities of its members
and made them incapable of making decisions
contrary to his wishes as sole leader,” they
wrote.
Chinese native and Falun
Gong member Bill Xia’s Raleigh, NC-based
Dynamic Internet Technology has developed a
software tool that helps Chinese Internet users
get around the Chinese government’s censorship
of such topics as human rights, religion, and
peasant uprisings. U.S. government agencies have
supported Xia’s efforts with some $2 million. .
. The annual Chinese New Year Parade in San
Francisco saw a dispute between factions for and
against the inclusion of Falun Gong
practitioners. Some think the organizer’s ban
indicates a wish to placate China, an important
trading partner, by rejecting the alleged
politically motivated marchers. The UN’s
torture investigator is looking into allegations
by Falun Gong that China is holding
thousands of practitioners in a “concentration
camp” and that some have been killed and their
organs sold.
Fugitive FLDS leader
Warren Jeffs has now been charged with
first-degree felonies for his alleged role in
arranging a marriage between a teen-age girl and
an older man. A prosecutor says the case does
not concern either religion or polygamy but is
rather about the violation of the law by a
person in authority over a vulnerable young girl
who, moreover, objected to the marriage.
Prominent FLDS members James Allred and Mica
Barlow have been jailed for contempt of court
for failing to respond to a subpoena ordering
them to appear before a federal grand jury in
Phoenix that is investigating Jeffs’
whereabouts. Barlow is a deputy town marshal for
the FLDS communities of Colorado City, AZ, and
Hilldale, UT, while Allred is the postmaster.
FLDS followers believe that “to betray
leadership is an extreme sin” that could cost
them their salvation. Jeffs’ brother Seth has
pleaded guilty to providing the means for his
brother to remain in hiding last year.
The Kittery, ME-based
Gentle Wind Project 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. However,
Senior United States District Judge Gene Carter
dismissed the suit without prejudice in a
13-page
decision.
Moreover, on June 29, 2006 Maine’s Attorney
General filed suit against the Gentle Wind
Project, accusing the group of the group of
falsely claiming that their products had healing
qualities and of considering the income from
their sale as charitable donations rather than
sales proceeds.
A Moscow court has refused
an appeal by the Hare Krishna movement to
build in a “prime” section of the city, a
decision a Krishna representative said was
politically motivated and violated both the
rights of ownership and religious freedom. A
representative of the city government said it
was looking for another plot of land for the
Krishna “because everybody understands that we
cannot throw out the religious community on the
street.”
Earl Paulk, archbishop of the
International Association of Charismatic
Churches (ICCC) has been forced to
resign after a member of his local church — the
6,000-member Cathedral at Chapel Hill, in
Decatur, GA — charged him in a lawsuit with
using his position for many years to manipulate
women to have sex with him as well as with
members of his family, and others, including
visiting pastors. One of the litigants says
Paulk persuaded her that sex with him was her
only route to salvation. The new ICCC presiding
bishop said, “It appears Earl Paulk had become
an entity unto himself. He answered to no one,
and there was no accountability for him, for
other members of his family, or for his church
staff.” Pastors of 13 independent charismatic
churches in the Atlanta area stated, “We offer a
deep-felt apology for tolerating this type of
behavior and heretical teaching among those who
say they represent God.”
A judge in Calgary has
ruled that Lawrence Hughes can proceed with part
of his wrongful death suit against the
Jehovah’s Witnesses. His daughter Bethany
died at 17 after refusing on religious grounds
to accept conventional treatment involving blood
transfusions, which the Witnesses oppose. The
suit will be allowed to go forward not against
the religious group but against two lawyers who
represented Bethany and her mother. The judge
dismissed a claim against the Watchtower Society
(the corporate parent of the Jehovah’s
Witnesses) because the suit did not question the
sincerity of Bethany’s belief, but rather
attacked the religious doctrine of the faith;
and the court, she said, could not be the
arbiters of religious dogma. . . The Witnesses
are involved in an internal debate over
apparent contradictions in the organization’s
blood policy and over the issue of whether
certain blood ‘fractions’ — rather than blood’s
major components — are permitted in medical
therapies.
Moscow police in April
broke up a Jehovah’s Witnesses prayer
meeting at a rented hall. A Witnesses spokesman
said the police told him the worshippers were
violating a 2004 Moscow ban on the group, deemed
by authorities at that time to incite hatred or
intolerance.
In May the Vatican asked
the Mexican founder of the conservative order
Legionaries of Christ to renounce
celebrating public Masses and live a life of
''prayer and repentance'' following its
investigation into allegations he sexually
abused seminarians. The Legionaries said in a
statement that the Rev. Marcial Maciel, while
declaring himself innocent of charges spanning
several decades, accepted the Vatican decision
''with faith, complete serenity and tranquility
of conscience.'' Victims of clerical sex abuse
praised the move, but some had hoped the Vatican
would have defrocked Maciel. Maciel, whom Pope
John Paul II had strongly supported, is one of
the most prominent Church officials disciplined
for sexual abuse allegations. The Vatican did
not say specifically whether it found the abuse
allegations against Maciel to be true. Because
of Maciel's age (86) and ill health it decided
against a full-fledged church trial, or
''canonical process.'' Instead, it said the
congregation had ''invited the priest to a
reserved life of prayer and repentance,
renouncing every public ministry.'' But such a
serious sanction against as prominent a
churchman as Maciel -- which would prohibit him
from celebrating Mass and other sacraments in
public -- is a clear indication, some say, that
the Vatican found at least some validity to the
charges.
The Mormon Church is
adjusting the interpretation of its holy
scriptures in light of DNA evidence — brought
forward by apostates —suggesting that Native
Americans did not, in fact, originate as one of
the twelve tribes of Israel, but rather that
they stemmed from East Asia. The church is now
arguing that only a small group of Jews came to
Central America and that their DNA can no longer
be discerned.
Opus Dei, the
subject of Dan Brown’s best-selling “The Da
Vinci Code,” is promoting an Opus Dei priest’s
blog that counters the book’s view of the group.
Opus Dei calls the book “a gross distortion and
a grave injustice.”
Women activists involved in
polygamous relationships in Arizona have founded
the Centennial Park Action Committee to lobby
for decriminalization of the practice.
“Polygamy-rights is the next civil-rights
battle,” says Mark Henkel, founder of the
Christian evangelical polygamy
association and a leader of the polygamy rights
movement.
The creators of TV’s “South
Park” have accused Scientologist Tom
Cruise of instigating the producer’s yanking of
a controversial episode that mocks him. Internet
bloggers say Cruise told Paramount, which
controls the series, that he would not promote
his latest movie, “Mission Impossible 3,” a
Paramount film, if the episode was aired.
Scientologist Isaac Hayes, one of the cartoon
show’s voices, quit recently, saying “South
Park’s” view of Scientology was bigoted and
intolerant. The creators responded, “This is 100
percent having to do with his faith in
Scientology. He has no problem — and he’s cashed
plenty of checks — with our show making fun of
Christians.” . . . Scientology’s seven-story
block-long international headquarters “Flag
Building” in Clearwater, FL, begun in 1999,
remains unfinished, a virtual shell. The
build-out is planned for this year. Scientology
says it will also renovate other properties in
town and build a 3,600-seat auditorium — L.
Ron Hubbard Hall, named for the Scientology
founder — adjacent to the Flag Building. . . .
Officials say that the renewed effort at home
comes naturally after a period of worldwide
growth. . . . Scientology will soon open a “Life
Improvement Center” in a downtown landmark
building in upscale Plant City, FL. Some
residents and businesses are upset at the
prospect. Many say they don’t want Plant City to
become another Clearwater. A local minister told
his 3,000-member congregation to evangelize the
Scientologists. The person who sold the property
to Scientology, vilified by some for doing so,
said he hadn’t known who the buyer was, since
Scientology, as it often does, bought though an
agent in order to avoid an inflated price.
Scientology’s
Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR)
has developed close relationships with several
Arizona legislators, through whom the
organization is pursuing its national fight
against the mental-health establishment. The
CCHR, now supporting a bill to add more state
oversight of clinical trials involving
psychotropic drugs, has spent thousands on
Hollywood trips for local legislators to attend
Scientology galas. The head of psychiatry at
Phoenix Children’s Hospital says the CCHR uses
“fear and misunderstanding” that may deter
people from getting psychiatric help. . .
Neighbors in San Francisco’s Bohemian North
Beach are supporting an ordinance that would
prevent Scientology—or any religious group—from
buying a historic building. Some locals fear
that Scientology would aggressively sell
religious material and disrupt the
neighborhood’s “easy-going ways.” . . . Some
Leona Valley, CA, residents are extremely upset
at the prospect of a 66-bed drug rehab clinic
proposed by Scientology’s Narconon
organization. . . Scientology is opening a
mission on the Gulf Coast, in Biloxi, MS,
because, says a representative, “There have been
so many Scientology volunteer ministers down
here for Katrina relief work there was a reach
[sic] to open a mission.” . . . Scientology is
among critics of a Columbia University-developed
program called TeenScreen, which is based on a
voluntary questionnaire aimed to help identify
youngsters with undiagnosed mental health
problems. The program is now used at 44 sites in
Pennsylvania and New Jersey and in 460 schools
in 42 states. Critics argue that the program
leads to psychiatric care, including drug
treatment. . . John T. Conway, who says that he
is not a Scientologist but likes Scientology and
the Scientology courses he has taken, is running
for mayor of Dunedin, FL.
The French government’s
“Interministerial Mission in the Fight Against
Cults” warns that cult-like groups are taking
advantage of vulnerable people in immigrant
suburbs. The agency says the groups are
recruiting in areas torn by the Fall 2005 riots
by offering humanitarian aid or alternative
medicine. Scientology, which claimed
credit for calming the Paris suburb of
Aulnay-sous-Bois, is singled out for special
concern, while New Acropole and
Jehovah’s Witnesses are noted as being
regularly deployed. The report expresses
particular concern for the safety of children,
who “are malleable and represent the potential
development of the group.”
The Australian government
is considering the possibility of
“reprogramming” captured terrorists by
asking clerics or other influential people to
challenge the terrorists’ interpretation of
Islamic teachings. The Federal police
commissioner said “deprogramming” was being
employed in various forms in Indonesia,
Singapore, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Britain.
Muslim groups in Australia think voluntary
counseling might work; civil libertarians think
the proposal condones a form of “brainwashing.”
The British Home Secretary says, “What we know
about other religious cults may offer some
insight into how these men ended up behaving in
this appalling way.”
The International
Meditation Society of Israel has established
an organization called “A Rule of Order,
Strength and Peace: The Actualization of the
Universe’s Constitution in Israel’s National
Life.” The new entity calls on leaders to adopt
the techniques developed by Transcendental
Meditation founder Maharishi Mahesh
to banish social ills and bring world peace. . .
Deepak Chopra says that Maharishi lost his
temper and broke with the Beatles because they
were taking drugs during a visit to his ashram.
. . Maharishi, now 89, continues to head the TM
movement and to think and speak about world
peace from his home in Vlodro, Netherlands. His
aides say that Maharishi, who doesn’t want to
speak about the past, is disappointed that TM
became identified with the counterculture. . .
TM plans to open a grade school and university
in Lancaster, MA, expanding upon a health center
that’s been there since 1985.
The Global Country for
World Peace, “the organization at the heart
of Transcendental Meditation [TM]
practice worldwide,” has bought land in St.
Paul, MN, on which to build a two-story,
12,000-square-foot building to house yoga and
meditation classes and store literature and
health products. . . Discussing TM’s claims that
its meditation can lower blood pressure, a
Wall Street Journal article says most of the
research data supporting the claims comes from
scientists with ties to the movement.
Cardiologists say it may work, but cite high
costs in time and money. . . Recent civil
lawsuits allege that TM’s Maharishi University
of Management, in Fairfield, IA, failed to
protect a student stabbed to death by a deranged
fellow student whom the administration had taken
into custody following the non-fatal stabbing of
another student only hours earlier. The school
at first explained the actions of the killer —
who was found guilty by reason of insanity — as
the result of improper meditation. The suits
allege that TM meditation was dangerous for the
mentally ill student and that it can “magnify
psychological problems, including the likelihood
and severity of aggressive and violent
behavior.”
Transcendental
Meditation’s Global Country of World Peace
has purchased from the Unification Church
a heavily wooded property near Pittsburgh and
plans to build a $3 million, marble-clad,
two-story Maharishi Peace Palace there. An
introductory lecture on TM was scheduled for the
local Holiday Inn. . . . The TM organization has
broken ground on a planned $14 million World
Capital of Peace, in Smith Center, KS, which
will be devoted in part to organic farming. The
mayor of the town of 1,800, who says, “We don’t
have much going for us,” added that he’s glad he
went to the groundbreaking “because the rumors
are it’s a cult and they are going to make
underground bunkers and build nuclear weapons.
That’s not what they are about.”. . . TM held a
seminar in Colorado Springs, CO, in April
attended by about 100 people, some of them
educators from local school districts who,
organizers hope, will suggest bringing
meditation into the classroom. TM says its
technique reduces high blood pressure, increases
creativity, boosts brain function, and helps
with attention deficit disorder. . . . TM on
April 28 was to have begun the “Greater
Cincinnati 30-day Experiment for Peace,” aiming
to get at least 3,000 people to pray and
meditate for a month, thereby inducing a
“peaceful field of consciousness” that will
change “the energic climate in which thoughts
are formed.” This will, they say, create the
“Maharishi effect,” thus reducing the crime
rate.
Unification Church
leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon is still
courting the leaders of African American
churches, as indicated by the presence of a
number of prominent black clergy at a
presentation he made before 2,000 followers in
San Francisco, in February, where he promoted
his $200 billion Peace King Tunnel across the
Bering Straight between Alaska and Russia. . .
A San Leandro, CA, Unification Church minister,
the Rev. Kevin Thompson, 48, has been indicted
on charges of poaching and smuggling protected
California leopard sharks from San Francisco
Bay. Thompson and the church are said to own at
least one boat used in the scheme. There is an
international aquarium market for the sharks.
Having begun with a small
operation in Chicago, in 1980, the
Unification Church (UC) is now dominating
the American sushi market and supplying much of
the raw fish Americans eat. The Rev. Sun
Myung Moon’s True World Group has managed to
integrate virtually every facet of the highly
competitive seafood industry, building fleets of
boats, running dozens of distribution centers,
and supplying most of the nations’ estimated
9,000 sushi restaurants. . . . The Rev. Moon and
the UC have effectively worked their way back
into the political establishment, a success
symbolized by the participation of members of
Congress in a 2004 Dirkson Senate Office
Building ceremony staged by the church to honor
Moon. “It’s been here for a generation,” said J.
Gordon Melton, director of the Institute for the
Study of American Religion, in California. “The
concerns about it have just sort of drifted
away,” he added. . . . Critics accuse the UC of
using two Brazilian soccer teams it controls, in
Sao Paulo and Campo Grande, as recruiting tools.
The teams offer access to education and sports
to youth from vulnerable, deprived communities.
______________________________________________________________^
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.
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