‘A utopian vision’: Doc-maker explores the secrets of Scientology (2017-02-12) ‘Abused by my brother, then shunned by my Jehovah’s Witnesses family after I went to police’ (2015-10-11) ‘Blood moon’ and ‘rogue planet Nibiru’ are on their way to kill us all, conspiracy theorists wrongly claim (2016-08-26) ‘Brainwashing’ life coach battle…
Editorial: Cast a wary eye on this swami scandal
The recent sex scandal involving Indian “godman” Swami Nithyananda, who has many followers in Greater Vancouver, and a Tamil actress has given one pause for thought.
The Hold: The psychology of how godmen come to control the minds of millions of devotees
If you for some reason decide to surrender in devotion to Swami Nithyananda, the following anecdote is likely to be part of your initial lessons. It’s one he keeps recounting to the multitudes at his ashram in Bidadi, near Bangalore
Aspects of Recovery
Recovery from cults is a multifaceted process; initially it is the separation from the group, group practices, and meetings that bound us to the group. Therapy helps address the emotional aspects of group involvement – feelings of betrayal, abuse and vulnerability to recruitment. It helps to develop and understanding of…
Atlanta megachurch pastor Bishop Eddie Long ‘preyed upon investors’ faith’
Atlanta megachurch pastor Bishop Eddie Long is facing a suit from former parishioners who say they lost more than $1 million after he encouraged them to invest in a company that was operating an alleged Ponzi scheme.
Being banished from Westboro Baptist Church
Lauren Drain is a former member of the much maligned Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. She tells us about her life in the church and how she was banished from both the church and her family.
CBS News.
SSPX expels Bishop Williamson | CatholicHerald.co.uk
The Society of St Pius X has confirmed that it has expelled the English Bishop Richard Williamson.
Bishop Williamson, 72, one of four men illicitly ordained in 1988 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in Écône, Switzerland, has been a controversial figure, particularly for his views on Jews, who he has called the “enemies of Christ”.
NBC Defames Carp And The Unification Church Of America
by Peter Ross-NYCIn November of 1993, NBC aired several programs which defamed the Unification Church of America and CARP. The following letter was submitted to NBC’s lawyer by Peter Ross. attorney, who represents the Unification Church and CARP. In addition to this response the Unification Church has filed an official…
When is a Religion a Cult?
Although ‘cult’ and ‘sect’ are used as technical terms by sociologists of religion, these terms have come to be used as pejorative labels in popular parlance, often telling us more about the attitude of the speaker than about the movement in question.
Are New Religions Harmful?
From INFORM Some minority religions sometimes harm some people. But, simply because a religion is unfamiliar, or new or ‘different’ does not mean that it is necessarily a cause for concern. Research shows that much of the ‘conventional wisdom’ about the movements is not always well-founded.Criminal, dangerous or even ‘anti-social’ behaviour is by…