This is a side-by-side comparison of some of the teachings of Christianity and Scientology.
Make no mistake about it.... they are not compatible!
http://www.sweenytod.com/cos/Theology/Theology/peik.htm
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Christians...do not be led astray.
Christianity
A Scientology book titled "Theology & Practice of a Contemporary Religion Scientology", (Bridge Publications, 1998. ISBN 1-57318-145-5) includes Bryan R. Wilson's essay "Scientology - An Analysis and Comparison of its Religion Systems and Doctrines". In this he says "Scientology differs radically from traditional Christian churches [ ... ] in matters of ideology, practice and organisation."
On the subject of dual membership with Scientology and other faiths, Dr Wilson says
"I have spoken with senior Church officials as well as individual Scientologists on the this aspect of Scientology and their response was that while exclusivity is not required, it comes about as a matter of practice. According to them, as one becomes more involved with Scientology, one inevitably discards one's prior faith. For example, my experience is that a Jew who becomes a Scientologist might remain affiliated with Judaism for cultural reasons and might celebrate Jewish holidays with family and friends, but he or she would not practise and would not believe in Jewish theology. From my view as a scholar this explanation seems correct. Scientologists regard their faith as a complete religion demanding dedication of its members."
As a Christian, you look to the bible for the word of God. It's in there you find God's revelation to mankind. You don't look else where for it.
New recruits to the Church of Scientology are told that they can practice their religion of choice and Scientology at the same time. The official introductory handbook "What is Scientology?" (1992) states (p 544):
"In Scientology there is no attempt to change a person's beliefs or to persuade him away from any religion to which he already belongs."
"Scientology is all-denominational in that it opens its membership to people of all faiths."
"Membership in Scientology does not mean that there is any necessity to leave your current church, synagogue, temple or mosque."
"Scientology respects all religions. Scientology does not conflict with other religions or other religious practices"
A Scientology book titled "Theology & Practice of a Contemporary Religion Scientology", (Bridge Publications, 1998. ISBN 1-57318-145-5) includes Bryan R. Wilson's essay "Scientology - An Analysis and Comparison of its Religion Systems and Doctrines". In this he says "Scientology differs radically from traditional Christian churches [ ... ] in matters of ideology, practice and organisation."
On the subject of dual membership with Scientology and other faiths, Dr Wilson says
"I have spoken with senior Church officials as well as individual Scientologists on the this aspect of Scientology and their response was that while exclusivity is not required, it comes about as a matter of practice. According to them, as one becomes more involved with Scientology, one inevitably discards one's prior faith. For example, my experience is that a Jew who becomes a Scientologist might remain affiliated with Judaism for cultural reasons and might celebrate Jewish holidays with family and friends, but he or she would not practise and would not believe in Jewish theology. From my view as a scholar this explanation seems correct. Scientologists regard their faith as a complete religion demanding dedication of its members."
As a Christian, you look to the bible for the word of God. It's in there you find God's revelation to mankind. You don't look else where for it.
New recruits to the Church of Scientology are told that they can practice their religion of choice and Scientology at the same time. The official introductory handbook "What is Scientology?" (1992) states (p 544):
"In Scientology there is no attempt to change a person's beliefs or to persuade him away from any religion to which he already belongs."
"Scientology is all-denominational in that it opens its membership to people of all faiths."
"Membership in Scientology does not mean that there is any necessity to leave your current church, synagogue, temple or mosque."
"Scientology respects all religions. Scientology does not conflict with other religions or other religious practices"
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
From The Wog Blog Xenu TV
Jason Beghe Interview
April 21, 2008 by Mark Bunker
He is the first celebrity to leave Scientology and publicly discuss his involvement and then disillusionment with the group. He made it to OT V on Scientology’s “Bridge to Total Freedom” and discovered the best way to get free was to get up and walk out the door.
http://www.vimeo.com/919064
or
http://xenutv.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/jason-beghe-interview/
Jason Beghe Interview
April 21, 2008 by Mark Bunker
He is the first celebrity to leave Scientology and publicly discuss his involvement and then disillusionment with the group. He made it to OT V on Scientology’s “Bridge to Total Freedom” and discovered the best way to get free was to get up and walk out the door.
http://www.vimeo.com/919064
or
http://xenutv.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/jason-beghe-interview/
Friday, April 18, 2008
Google in bed with Scientology?
Watch out Google Investors!
Quality ads, are you kidding?
It seems that Google has climbed in bed with Scientology.
First with their AdSense promoting Scientology advertisements all over the web, which has angered many people all over the Internet, and secondly it seems that their You Tube system is very vulnerable and mismanaged. People are able to flag videos that have not violated the Terms of Service agreement and accounts are suspended without prior scrutiny or notification to the account holder. The most recent demonstration of this is now making its way around the Internet. The accounts of two very prominent critics of Scientology were closed due to this glitch in their system. This has angered many Free Speech advocates across the globe. There are far more people opposed to this type of censorship than there are Scientology members.
Although as of this Friday 4/18/08 Google is enjoying a much needed glimmer of hope on the market, I predict the backlash to Google’s shortsightedness and inadequacies could be devastating to their stocks on the volatile market.
http://wikinewsreports.blogspot.com/2008/04/youtube-accounts-of-scientology-critics.html
http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/03/scientology-ad-strategy-misses-the-mark.php
Dr. Eric E. Schmidt, Ph.D. , CEO
Chief Financial Officer: George Reyes
Email Address: investors@google.com
Quality ads, are you kidding?
It seems that Google has climbed in bed with Scientology.
First with their AdSense promoting Scientology advertisements all over the web, which has angered many people all over the Internet, and secondly it seems that their You Tube system is very vulnerable and mismanaged. People are able to flag videos that have not violated the Terms of Service agreement and accounts are suspended without prior scrutiny or notification to the account holder. The most recent demonstration of this is now making its way around the Internet. The accounts of two very prominent critics of Scientology were closed due to this glitch in their system. This has angered many Free Speech advocates across the globe. There are far more people opposed to this type of censorship than there are Scientology members.
Although as of this Friday 4/18/08 Google is enjoying a much needed glimmer of hope on the market, I predict the backlash to Google’s shortsightedness and inadequacies could be devastating to their stocks on the volatile market.
http://wikinewsreports.blogspot.com/2008/04/youtube-accounts-of-scientology-critics.html
http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/03/scientology-ad-strategy-misses-the-mark.php
Dr. Eric E. Schmidt, Ph.D. , CEO
Chief Financial Officer: George Reyes
Email Address: investors@google.com
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Scientology Rehab program seeks taxpayers money through House Bill 912.
Scientology Rehab program seeks taxpayers money through House Bill 912
New Mexico Taxpayers being asked to pay for controversial drug rehab program.The Second Chance Program located on the west side of Albuquerque is trying to get $3,600,000 from the New Mexico legislation. This program is very similar to Narconon and Criminon programs, which are also based on the writings of L. Ron Hubbard.
read more | digg story
New Mexico Taxpayers being asked to pay for controversial drug rehab program.The Second Chance Program located on the west side of Albuquerque is trying to get $3,600,000 from the New Mexico legislation. This program is very similar to Narconon and Criminon programs, which are also based on the writings of L. Ron Hubbard.
read more | digg story
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Keith Henson
God Bless Keith And Keep Him SAFE!
And Justice For All....
Keith Henson is one of the most effective critics of Scientology. He has litigated pro se against their multimillion-dollar litigation machine, and in some cases he has won, and some he has lost. He has picketed them perhaps more than any other single person. He has criticized them on the Internet, in media interviews, and even took the deposition of cult leader David Miscavige.
Henson entered the Scientology battle when it was at its most heated, in the mid-1990s. In 1996, many of Scientology's "secret writings" were released onto the Internet, and Scientology embarked on a massive worldwide campaign to keep them from being spread to the general public. Henson examined these writings, entitled New Era Dianetics (known as NOTS in Scientology, and to the organization's critics), and from his examination of these "secret" documents, he claimed that Scientology was committing medical fraud.
The NOTS documents, he said, contained detailed instructions for the treatment of physical ailments and illnesses through the use of Scientology practices. However, a Supreme Court decision in 1971 had declared that Scientology's writings were meant for "purely spiritual" purposes, and all Scientology books published since then have included disclaimers stating that Scientology's E-meter device "does nothing" and does not cure any physical ailments (United States v. Founding Church of Scientology et al., US District Court, District of Columbia 333 F. Supp. 357, July 30, 1971). The NOTS procedures, Henson claimed, were a violation of this decision. To prove his claim, Henson posted two pages from the NOTS documents onto the Usenet newsgroup alt.religion.scientology.
The Church of Scientology immediately threatened to sue Henson, but he did not back down from his claims. Immediately afterwards, Henson was served with a lawsuit by the church's legal arm, the Religious Technology Center, (RTC). Henson defended himself in order to avoid the massive legal costs incurred in a Scientology lawsuit. After a lengthy court battle involving massive amounts of paperwork, Henson was found guilty of copyright infringement. He was ordered to pay $75,000 in fines, an amount trumpeted by the church as the largest copyright damages award ever levied against an individual. (Critics of Scientology estimate that the organization spent a total of about $2 million in litigation against Henson.)
Henson declared bankruptcy in response to the judgement, though the church dogged him through every step of the filing process. Henson began protesting Scientology regularly, standing outside of Scientology's film studio, the Gold Base, with a picket sign. The organization sought assistance from the authorities, and finally Henson was arrested and brought on trial for criminal charges.
The charges stemmed from his pickets at the secretive and heavily armed compound called Gold Base (or Golden Era Studios) over the unusual deaths of a Scientologist, Stacy Moxon Meyer, and a non-Scientologist, Ashlee Shaner.
Meyer, the daughter of Scientology attorney Kendrick Moxon, adverse counsel in many lawsuits involving Henson, died in a bizarre and gruesome accident in an underground electrical vault. In a horrific irony, when Stacy Moxon Meyer was dying underground in the electrical vault, picketers aboveground were protesting the previous death of Ashlee Shaner in a ghastly decapitation, which occurred because Scientology was moving construction equipment on the highway at night without lights, and in the wrong lane.
On 26 Apr 2001, Keith Henson was convicted of "interfering with a religion", a misdemeanor under California law, for picketing outside Scientology's heavily-armed, razor-wire enclosed base outside Hemet, CA.
At trial, the judge threw out all Henson's witnesses, disallowed any testimony about his reasons for picketing the cult, and allowed the prosecution to present excerpts from Henson's Internet postings out of context; the Scientology witnesses also committed perjury which Henson was unable to rebut. In fact Henson was not even allowed to talk about Scientology, the very religion that was charging him with interference.
Keith Henson feared for his life after comments made by Elliot Abelson about being attacked in jail. He fled to Canada to seek political asylum.
Henson was arrested by a SWAT team and detained for more than a week after Church of Scientology officials in Toronto complained to Immigration about his presence in Canada and depicted him as "dangerous". He was released and his application for refugee status was accepted. Henson lived in Brantford, Ontario from 2001 to 2005 and worked as an electronics engineer. After spending three years there, Henson was finally notified that a decision had been reached on his application. He was instructed to appear in person at a meeting on September 14, 2005, to learn what the decision was. The implication was that a negative decision would result in his being deported back to the US by Canadian law enforcement.
Citing concern over his personal safety in such an event (since Scientology might find out the handover time and place), Henson chose to instead quietly leave Brantford the previous night. He notified the Canadian government by fax that he had left Canada of his own accord.
On Febraury 2, 2007, the Prescott Police Department acting on a tip, arrested Keith. He was surprised when three police cars then drove up, and Mark McClain, by his card a City of Prescott police officer, arrested him. McClain told him that police had been given the registration number of the van he was driving. Apparently he was once again under surveillance by Scientology.
His current location (as of February 3, 2007) is the Yavapai Detention Center in Prescott, Arizona, awaiting possible extradition to Riverside County, California. Henson has previously received death threats to the effect that he would be killed while serving his sentence. He faces a hearing Monday morning February 5, to extradite him back to California. The governor of California signed a "Governor's Warrant" for Keith requesting his extradition from Arizona for "obstruction of justice." Why? Especially when a Governor's Warrant is very rare in anything but felony cases, and why was it important enough to get the Governor's office involved on a weekend?
People BEWARE! This is the REAL Scientology. From the very beginning of this travesty of justice, through the continuing harassment by Scientology of this 65-year-old man that has harmed no one, to the utter destruction of Keith Henson's life. This is the true HARM and ABUSE of Scientology. Not Tom Cruise jumping on couches, or the story of Xenu on South Park.
If Keith is harmed as many feared, California will have good reason to hang its head in shame. And we, who continue to shed light on Scientology's abuse, will scream it from the mountaintops.
A list of written, radio and media accounts of Keith Henson's plight.
Electronic Frontier Foundation Concerned US Court Violated Free Speech Rights
http://www.eff.org/effector/HTML/effect14.13.html#II
LA Weekly Article on Keith Henson June 22, 2001
http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/unfair-game/4713/
LA Weekly Article Scientology, cont. By News Staff Wednesday, May 20, 1998
http://www.laweekly.com/news/offbeat/scientology-cont/12105/
Unorthodox Arrest, Enzo Di Matteo, NOW Magazine, June 7-13, 2001.
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2001-06-07/news_spread_p.html
Scientology Critic Convicted -- Apr. 27, 2001 Wired article on Henson's conviction
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,43420,00.html
Vince Daniels Show on K.C.A.A. 1050 AM Los Angeles February 3, 2007
http://yardtv.gotdns.com/kcaa-podcasts/vince/
US Scientology critic free in Canada, Article by The Register in June 2001
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/06/08/us_scientology_critic_free/
On the run from L. Ron Hubbard, Article written by Salon.com in May 2001
http://archive.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/05/23/henson/index.html
Scientology Critic Flees U.S. Over Usenet Posts, Pickets; Article written by Slashdot May 2001
http://slashdot.org/yro/01/05/17/0238223.shtml
Web sites on Keith Henson
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/1206/
http://www.operatingthetan.com/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/2/4/13026/70551
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Henson
http://www.keithhenson.org/
http://freekeithhenson.blogspot.com/
http://www.jefallbright.net/keith_henson
http://sentientdevelopments.blogspot.com/2007/02/anti-scientology-activist-keith-henson.html
http://www2.thecia.net/users/rnewman/scientology/henson/home.html
http://www2.thecia.net/users/rnewman/scientology/media/bj-4.14.96
http://www.xs4all.nl/~oracle/suemeagain/trialday4.html
http://www.cafepress.com/freekeith
http://www.scientology-lies.com/action/keith-henson.html
http://reference.com/browse/wiki/Keith_Henson
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/news1/an010429-02.html
http://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2007/02/04/scientology-fugitive-arrested/
http://criticofscientologyarrested.ytmnd.com/
http://www.xenu-directory.net/critics/henson1.html
http://ocmb.lermanet.us/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=388
http://xenutv.wordpress.com/
To Donate to HELP Keith Henson
http://www.extropy.org/membership.htm
Also...paypal account in C/O Arnie Lerma.
Please Note 'KEITH HENSON DEFENSE FUND"
when making your paypal donation. You may go directly
to http://www.paypal.com
and make your gift to the paypal account
for this writer - Arnaldo Lerma
alerma@verizon.net
And Justice For All....
Keith Henson is one of the most effective critics of Scientology. He has litigated pro se against their multimillion-dollar litigation machine, and in some cases he has won, and some he has lost. He has picketed them perhaps more than any other single person. He has criticized them on the Internet, in media interviews, and even took the deposition of cult leader David Miscavige.
Henson entered the Scientology battle when it was at its most heated, in the mid-1990s. In 1996, many of Scientology's "secret writings" were released onto the Internet, and Scientology embarked on a massive worldwide campaign to keep them from being spread to the general public. Henson examined these writings, entitled New Era Dianetics (known as NOTS in Scientology, and to the organization's critics), and from his examination of these "secret" documents, he claimed that Scientology was committing medical fraud.
The NOTS documents, he said, contained detailed instructions for the treatment of physical ailments and illnesses through the use of Scientology practices. However, a Supreme Court decision in 1971 had declared that Scientology's writings were meant for "purely spiritual" purposes, and all Scientology books published since then have included disclaimers stating that Scientology's E-meter device "does nothing" and does not cure any physical ailments (United States v. Founding Church of Scientology et al., US District Court, District of Columbia 333 F. Supp. 357, July 30, 1971). The NOTS procedures, Henson claimed, were a violation of this decision. To prove his claim, Henson posted two pages from the NOTS documents onto the Usenet newsgroup alt.religion.scientology.
The Church of Scientology immediately threatened to sue Henson, but he did not back down from his claims. Immediately afterwards, Henson was served with a lawsuit by the church's legal arm, the Religious Technology Center, (RTC). Henson defended himself in order to avoid the massive legal costs incurred in a Scientology lawsuit. After a lengthy court battle involving massive amounts of paperwork, Henson was found guilty of copyright infringement. He was ordered to pay $75,000 in fines, an amount trumpeted by the church as the largest copyright damages award ever levied against an individual. (Critics of Scientology estimate that the organization spent a total of about $2 million in litigation against Henson.)
Henson declared bankruptcy in response to the judgement, though the church dogged him through every step of the filing process. Henson began protesting Scientology regularly, standing outside of Scientology's film studio, the Gold Base, with a picket sign. The organization sought assistance from the authorities, and finally Henson was arrested and brought on trial for criminal charges.
The charges stemmed from his pickets at the secretive and heavily armed compound called Gold Base (or Golden Era Studios) over the unusual deaths of a Scientologist, Stacy Moxon Meyer, and a non-Scientologist, Ashlee Shaner.
Meyer, the daughter of Scientology attorney Kendrick Moxon, adverse counsel in many lawsuits involving Henson, died in a bizarre and gruesome accident in an underground electrical vault. In a horrific irony, when Stacy Moxon Meyer was dying underground in the electrical vault, picketers aboveground were protesting the previous death of Ashlee Shaner in a ghastly decapitation, which occurred because Scientology was moving construction equipment on the highway at night without lights, and in the wrong lane.
On 26 Apr 2001, Keith Henson was convicted of "interfering with a religion", a misdemeanor under California law, for picketing outside Scientology's heavily-armed, razor-wire enclosed base outside Hemet, CA.
At trial, the judge threw out all Henson's witnesses, disallowed any testimony about his reasons for picketing the cult, and allowed the prosecution to present excerpts from Henson's Internet postings out of context; the Scientology witnesses also committed perjury which Henson was unable to rebut. In fact Henson was not even allowed to talk about Scientology, the very religion that was charging him with interference.
Keith Henson feared for his life after comments made by Elliot Abelson about being attacked in jail. He fled to Canada to seek political asylum.
Henson was arrested by a SWAT team and detained for more than a week after Church of Scientology officials in Toronto complained to Immigration about his presence in Canada and depicted him as "dangerous". He was released and his application for refugee status was accepted. Henson lived in Brantford, Ontario from 2001 to 2005 and worked as an electronics engineer. After spending three years there, Henson was finally notified that a decision had been reached on his application. He was instructed to appear in person at a meeting on September 14, 2005, to learn what the decision was. The implication was that a negative decision would result in his being deported back to the US by Canadian law enforcement.
Citing concern over his personal safety in such an event (since Scientology might find out the handover time and place), Henson chose to instead quietly leave Brantford the previous night. He notified the Canadian government by fax that he had left Canada of his own accord.
On Febraury 2, 2007, the Prescott Police Department acting on a tip, arrested Keith. He was surprised when three police cars then drove up, and Mark McClain, by his card a City of Prescott police officer, arrested him. McClain told him that police had been given the registration number of the van he was driving. Apparently he was once again under surveillance by Scientology.
His current location (as of February 3, 2007) is the Yavapai Detention Center in Prescott, Arizona, awaiting possible extradition to Riverside County, California. Henson has previously received death threats to the effect that he would be killed while serving his sentence. He faces a hearing Monday morning February 5, to extradite him back to California. The governor of California signed a "Governor's Warrant" for Keith requesting his extradition from Arizona for "obstruction of justice." Why? Especially when a Governor's Warrant is very rare in anything but felony cases, and why was it important enough to get the Governor's office involved on a weekend?
People BEWARE! This is the REAL Scientology. From the very beginning of this travesty of justice, through the continuing harassment by Scientology of this 65-year-old man that has harmed no one, to the utter destruction of Keith Henson's life. This is the true HARM and ABUSE of Scientology. Not Tom Cruise jumping on couches, or the story of Xenu on South Park.
If Keith is harmed as many feared, California will have good reason to hang its head in shame. And we, who continue to shed light on Scientology's abuse, will scream it from the mountaintops.
A list of written, radio and media accounts of Keith Henson's plight.
Electronic Frontier Foundation Concerned US Court Violated Free Speech Rights
http://www.eff.org/effector/HTML/effect14.13.html#II
LA Weekly Article on Keith Henson June 22, 2001
http://www.laweekly.com/news/news/unfair-game/4713/
LA Weekly Article Scientology, cont. By News Staff Wednesday, May 20, 1998
http://www.laweekly.com/news/offbeat/scientology-cont/12105/
Unorthodox Arrest, Enzo Di Matteo, NOW Magazine, June 7-13, 2001.
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2001-06-07/news_spread_p.html
Scientology Critic Convicted -- Apr. 27, 2001 Wired article on Henson's conviction
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,43420,00.html
Vince Daniels Show on K.C.A.A. 1050 AM Los Angeles February 3, 2007
http://yardtv.gotdns.com/kcaa-podcasts/vince/
US Scientology critic free in Canada, Article by The Register in June 2001
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/06/08/us_scientology_critic_free/
On the run from L. Ron Hubbard, Article written by Salon.com in May 2001
http://archive.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/05/23/henson/index.html
Scientology Critic Flees U.S. Over Usenet Posts, Pickets; Article written by Slashdot May 2001
http://slashdot.org/yro/01/05/17/0238223.shtml
Web sites on Keith Henson
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/1206/
http://www.operatingthetan.com/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/2/4/13026/70551
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Henson
http://www.keithhenson.org/
http://freekeithhenson.blogspot.com/
http://www.jefallbright.net/keith_henson
http://sentientdevelopments.blogspot.com/2007/02/anti-scientology-activist-keith-henson.html
http://www2.thecia.net/users/rnewman/scientology/henson/home.html
http://www2.thecia.net/users/rnewman/scientology/media/bj-4.14.96
http://www.xs4all.nl/~oracle/suemeagain/trialday4.html
http://www.cafepress.com/freekeith
http://www.scientology-lies.com/action/keith-henson.html
http://reference.com/browse/wiki/Keith_Henson
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/news1/an010429-02.html
http://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2007/02/04/scientology-fugitive-arrested/
http://criticofscientologyarrested.ytmnd.com/
http://www.xenu-directory.net/critics/henson1.html
http://ocmb.lermanet.us/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=388
http://xenutv.wordpress.com/
To Donate to HELP Keith Henson
http://www.extropy.org/membership.htm
Also...paypal account in C/O Arnie Lerma.
Please Note 'KEITH HENSON DEFENSE FUND"
when making your paypal donation. You may go directly
to http://www.paypal.com
and make your gift to the paypal account
for this writer - Arnaldo Lerma
alerma@verizon.net
Monday, December 25, 2006
People have a right to their religions, beliefs, non-beliefs, and perceptions...but they do not have the right to hurt others.
Universal Definition of CULT
Any group, which has a pyramid type authoritarian leadership structure with all teaching and guidance coming from the person/persons at the top. The group will claim to be the only way to God; Nirvana; Paradise; Ultimate Reality; Full Potential, Way to Happiness etc, and will use thought reform or mind control techniques to gain control and keep their members.
This definition covers cults within all major world religions, along with those cults, which have no OBVIOUS religious base such as commercial, educational and psychological cults. Others may define these a little differently, but this is the simplest to work from.
How They Do This
1. Their leader/s may claim a special, exclusive ministry, revelation or position of authority given by God.
2. They believe they are the only true church and take a critical stance regarding the Christian church while at the same time praising and exalting their own group, leader/s and work.
3. They use intimidation or psychological manipulation to keep members loyal to their ranks. This could be in the form of threats of dire calamity sent by God if they leave; certain death at Armageddon; being shunned by their family and friends etc. This is a vital part of the mind control process.
4. Members will be expected to give substantial financial support to the group. This could be compulsory tithing (which is checked); signing over all their property on entering the group; coercive methods of instilling guilt on those who have not contributed; selling magazines, flowers or other goods for the group as part of their “ministry”.
At the same time bible-based cults may ridicule churches that take up free-will offerings by passing collection plates and/or sell literature and tapes. They usually brag that they don’t do this. This gives outsiders the intimation that they are not interested in money.
5. There will be great emphasis on loyalty to the group and its teachings. The lives of members will be totally absorbed into the group’s activities. They will have little or no time to think for themselves because of physical and emotional exhaustion. This is also a vital part of the mind control process.
6. There will be total control over almost all aspects of the private lives of members. This control can be direct through communal living, or constant and repetitious teaching on “how to be a true Christian” or “being obedient to leadership”. Members will look to their leaders for guidance in everything they do.
7. Bible-based cults may proclaim they have no clergy/laity distinction and no paid ministry class - that they are all equal.
8. Any dissent or questioning of the group’s teachings is discouraged. Criticism in any form is seen as rebellion. There will be an emphasis on authority, unquestioning obedience and submission. This is vigilantly maintained.
9. Members are required to demonstrate their loyalty to the group in some way. This could be in the form of “dobbing” on fellow members (including family) under the guise of looking out for their “spiritual welfare”. They may be required to deliberately lie (heavenly deception) or give up their lives by refusing some form of medical treatment.
10. Attempts to leave or reveal embarrassing facts about the group may be met with threats. Some may have taken oaths of loyalty that involve their lives or have signed a “covenant” and feel threatened by this.
Refugees of the group are usually faced with confrontations by other members with coercion to get them to return to the group.
http://www.caic.org.au/general/idencult.htm
Any group, which has a pyramid type authoritarian leadership structure with all teaching and guidance coming from the person/persons at the top. The group will claim to be the only way to God; Nirvana; Paradise; Ultimate Reality; Full Potential, Way to Happiness etc, and will use thought reform or mind control techniques to gain control and keep their members.
This definition covers cults within all major world religions, along with those cults, which have no OBVIOUS religious base such as commercial, educational and psychological cults. Others may define these a little differently, but this is the simplest to work from.
How They Do This
1. Their leader/s may claim a special, exclusive ministry, revelation or position of authority given by God.
2. They believe they are the only true church and take a critical stance regarding the Christian church while at the same time praising and exalting their own group, leader/s and work.
3. They use intimidation or psychological manipulation to keep members loyal to their ranks. This could be in the form of threats of dire calamity sent by God if they leave; certain death at Armageddon; being shunned by their family and friends etc. This is a vital part of the mind control process.
4. Members will be expected to give substantial financial support to the group. This could be compulsory tithing (which is checked); signing over all their property on entering the group; coercive methods of instilling guilt on those who have not contributed; selling magazines, flowers or other goods for the group as part of their “ministry”.
At the same time bible-based cults may ridicule churches that take up free-will offerings by passing collection plates and/or sell literature and tapes. They usually brag that they don’t do this. This gives outsiders the intimation that they are not interested in money.
5. There will be great emphasis on loyalty to the group and its teachings. The lives of members will be totally absorbed into the group’s activities. They will have little or no time to think for themselves because of physical and emotional exhaustion. This is also a vital part of the mind control process.
6. There will be total control over almost all aspects of the private lives of members. This control can be direct through communal living, or constant and repetitious teaching on “how to be a true Christian” or “being obedient to leadership”. Members will look to their leaders for guidance in everything they do.
7. Bible-based cults may proclaim they have no clergy/laity distinction and no paid ministry class - that they are all equal.
8. Any dissent or questioning of the group’s teachings is discouraged. Criticism in any form is seen as rebellion. There will be an emphasis on authority, unquestioning obedience and submission. This is vigilantly maintained.
9. Members are required to demonstrate their loyalty to the group in some way. This could be in the form of “dobbing” on fellow members (including family) under the guise of looking out for their “spiritual welfare”. They may be required to deliberately lie (heavenly deception) or give up their lives by refusing some form of medical treatment.
10. Attempts to leave or reveal embarrassing facts about the group may be met with threats. Some may have taken oaths of loyalty that involve their lives or have signed a “covenant” and feel threatened by this.
Refugees of the group are usually faced with confrontations by other members with coercion to get them to return to the group.
http://www.caic.org.au/general/idencult.htm
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