The List of purported cults reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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List of purported cults

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Table of contents 







1 What is a cult?

2 Church of Scientology

3 International Churches of Christ

4 Jews for Jesus

5 "Osho" Rajneesh's "Sannyasins"

6 Sathya Sai Baba

7 The Temple of Set

8 Others

9 Links




What is a cult?

Webster's defines a cult as "a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; also a minority religious group holding beliefs regarded as unorthodox or spurious." [1]

This definition is entirely subjective: it means that if you think a religion is unorthodox, then you will call it a cult.






Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology, founded by L. Ron Hubbard, uses a form of psychotherapy called Dianetics that some people claim is designed to hypnotize members into a more weak-minded and paranoid state. A sub-organization of the church -- known as the Sea Organization -- has paramilitary trappings, but is not armed. Critics also say the church seems to function as a for-profit organization, as it requires fixed-price donations for many of its services, which are required to advance in orders. An extensive discussion of the cult allegations against Scientology are included in the Wikipedia article on the church.

On its Web site, Scientology says it is not a cult but "a religion in the fullest sense of the word." It also says:

 Scientology is unique in that it does not require or tell anyone to "believe" anything. Rather, Scientology believes every individual should think for himself. In Scientology, what is true for the individual is only what he has observed personally and knows is true for him. Scientology is not authoritarian, but offers a technology one can use and then decide whether it works for him.


References:

International Churches of Christ

The International Churches of Christ is a Bible-based church claiming about 130,000 members (2001) that emphasizes total commitment to its teachings. It has been called a cult by both the Christian countercult movement and some secular critics. Although most of its theology is Evangelical, the Christian countercult movement has raised objections to its belief that it essentially is the only church following the true gospel. They and secular critics claim that the church is extremely aggressive in proselytizing, seeks to control its members, and exerts undue psychological pressue to keep people in the church. News reports indicate that some colleges have banned the church from proselytizing on their campuses.

The church responds to such allegations on its Web site:

What, then, do we say to the charge that we are a cult? If the charge is the same that was leveled against the early church, then we are glad to be identified with them. "But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect" (Acts 28:22). If, however, the charge is the same as that leveled against destructive extremist groups in our day, then we say, "No!" We, the members of the International Churches of Christ, are nothing more than disciples of Jesus Christ who are attempting to restore the movement that God began in the first century. That movement turned the world upside down in its day, just as we expect it to do today.


References



Jews for Jesus

Some Jewish critics have called Jews for Jesus a cult or claim it uses cultlike tactics to seek converts. They claim that it often deceives people in saying who they are and exploits people's religious insecurities. Many of the critics sharply disagree with the organization's claim that it is possible to become a Christian yet remain Jewish.

The organization says in a letter to a member on its Web site that those concerned about Jews for Jesus being a cult have "been influenced by propaganda promulgated by those who would detract from the credibility of your witness and ours. Some Jewish community leaders spread this kind of misinformation in order to counteract Jewish evangelism, which they erroneously consider a threat to Jewish survival. ... If your friend finds Jesus as her Savior, she will measure our doctrine and our conduct in the light of the Scriptures. Then she will know that Jews for Jesus is not a cult."

References



"Osho" Rajneesh's "Sannyasins"

This controversial and iconoclastic guru (1931-1990) has considerable influence in the "New Age" circles of some countries (Brazil for instance), where his books are sold in mainstream bookstores with nearly as much acceptance as those of the Dalai Lama.  His teachings emphasize the search for personal freedom (definitely including sexual activity), often to the point of damaging ethical discernment and leading to enthusiastic yet destructive behavior.  His books are often very caustic in their criticism of many institutions and traditional teachings.  His followers caused the Wasco County, Oregon scandal (involving political fraud and salmonella poisoning).  Much of the information about him is of dubious quality, such as his death supposedly being caused by poisoning with radioactive Thallium.

While it may have been a cult once, nowadays, few people are active in a hierchicallly organized group based on the organizational lineage of Rajneesh. Some people may be involved in several unhealthy cult-like groups based on the teachings of Rajneesh.

References

Sathya Sai Baba

Many ex-members like e.g Glen Meloy consider the Sathya Sai Organisation that was founded by Sathya Sai Baba a cult. The reason is that these ex-members say that the allegations of sexual abuse by Sathya Sai Baba have and will not be properly investigated by the Sathya Sai organization. Ex-member Robert Priddy who maintains an extensive website about Sathya Sai Baba believes that it is a secretive, autocratic personality cult that has strong cultic characteristics.



Followers purport Sathya Sai Baba's group is not a cult because it displays atypical characteristics like charity and tolerance towards other beliefs. Also, it does not claim to be the only way to God and truth, and does not advocate proselytizing. They point out that often cults will expect their adherents to abandon worldly duties and to severe ties with their families, which is something Sathya Sai Baba has explicitly said not to do. 

References

The Temple of Set

Lupo LeBoucher, a former member, had this to say about the Temple of Set:

"More trivially, they are your typical mail-order cult in any 
number of ways. They require large amounts of participation on the parts 
of their members, to the extent that participation in the group becomes a 
central organizing principle in their lives. They sponsor getaway 
vacation/conventions which all members are required to attend. They have 
strict hierarchy, a charismatic leader and apocalyptic prophecy (the "Gifted 
of Set" are supposed to survive an upcoming apocalypse, according to 
their Seminal document "The Book of Coming Forth By Night" - though 
lately they have been making noises that  this is only a metaphorical 
apocalypse [perhaps to avoid legal intervention in the wake of other 
post apocalytics, such as the Branch  Davidians and the Solar Temple mass 
suicides, and the Aum nerve gas  attacks; there was literal belief in 
this passage as prophecy in the not-too distant past]. They have a number 
of secret documents which one must have certain levels of "attainment" to 
read; much like  the OT grade documents of Scientology. They have all manner 
of bizarre theories about atlantis, ancient astronauts, "Tesla Physics," 
a theory of creationism, holocaust revisionism, and so on..."

References

Note that a quick survey of Usenet posts and Internet web pages will likely show that those who disagree with Lupo LeBoucher are as numerous as those who agree with them. Further, while it is easy to find those who agree with him among past members of the Temple, it is equally easy to find those who disagree with him among past members of the Temple, as is the case with any purported cult.  




Others


Some individuals who watch cults like Anton Hein, Rick Ross and Steven Hassan consider Al Qaida a cult. 


Critics--including some former church members--have made charges of cultlike behavior. [1] [1]. Most active faithful do not share such opinions. [1]


Satisfied participants characterize Landmark, a derivative of  est, as "just a business". Others, less charitably inclined towards the company, suggest that brainwashing might account for devotees' fanatical devotion to unpaid recruitment for Landmark seminars. The sometimes controversial reputation of founding guru (formerly known as "The Source") Werner Erhard often muddies debate on the alleged merits of Landmark's innovative (or psycho-babble) "technology".


The teachings, methods and results of Lifespring and its offshoots appear comparable to those of Landmark.


The exclusive branch of the Plymouth Brethren are considered as a cult by most other Christians, and non-religious observers as well.


Holiday Magic combined personal development with commercialism, subsuming both Mind Dynamics and Leadership Dynamics within its organisation. It allegedly treated participants with extreme physical rigor. Erhard Seminars Training may have partially evolved from Holiday Magic.


 Falun Gong, or Fa Lun Da Fa, is a quasi-spiritual group that practices Qigong with some overtones of Taoism and especially Buddhism. The group became so popular in China (alleged to have at one point upwards of 100 million adherents) that it was repressed and eventually criminalized as a cult by the Chinese Communist Government of the PRC. It has remained relatively popular regardless, and has gained a sizable following internationally as well. Some see it as harmless exercise, yet the public statements and methods of Falun Gong's founder, Li Hongzhi (now living in the US), seem controversial to many more traditional Qigong schools (schools not necessarily sympathetic to the communists) as well as the Chinese Government.


See also Totalitarian religious group.


Links

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