Anti-cult movement
The anti-cult movement, abbreviated ACM and also known as the countercult movement, consists of various governmental and non-governmental organizations and individuals that seek to raise awareness of religious groups that they consider to be "cults", uncover coercive practices used to attract and retain members, and help those who have become involved with harmful cult practices.
One prominent group within the anti-cult movement, Christian counter-cult organizations, oppose new religious movements on theological grounds, categorizing them as cults, and distribute information to this effect through church networks and via printed literature.
Concept
The anti-cult movement is conceptualized as a collection of individuals and groups, whether formally organized or not, who oppose some "new religious movements". This countermovement has reportedly recruited participants from family members of "cultists," former group members, religious groups and associations of health professionals. Although there is a trend towards globalization, the social and organizational bases vary significantly from country to country according to the social and political opportunity structures in each place.As with many subjects in the social sciences, the movement is variously defined. A significant minority opinion suggests that analysis should treat the secular anti-cult movement separately from the religiously motivated groups.
The anti-cult movement might be divided into four classes:
- secular counter-cult groups;
- Christian evangelical counter-cult groups;
- groups formed to counter a specific cult; and
- organizations that offer some form of exit counseling.
Religious and secular critics
Commentators differentiate two main types of opposition to "cults":- religious opposition: related to theological issues.
- secular opposition: related to emotional, social, financial, and economic consequences of cult involvement, where "cult" can refer to a religious or to a secular group.
Hadden's taxonomy of the anti-cult movement
- Opposition grounded on religion
- * Opposition usually defined in theological terms.
- * Cults considered heretical.
- * Endeavors to expose the heresy and correct the beliefs of those who have strayed from a truth.
- * Prefers metaphors of deception rather than possession.
- * Serves two important functions:
- ** protects members from heresy, and
- ** increases solidarity among the faithful.
- Secular opposition
- * Regards individual autonomy as the manifest goal – achieved by getting people out of groups that use mind control and deceptive proselytization.
- * Regards the struggle as an issue of control rather than theology.
- * Organizes around families of children currently or previously involved in a cult.
- * Has the unannounced goal of disabling or destroying new religious movements organizationally.
- Apostates
- * Former members who consider themselves egregiously wronged by a cult, often with the coordination and encouragement of anti-cult groups.
- Entrepreneurial opposition
- * A few "entrepreneurs" who have made careers of organizing opposition groups.
- * Broadcasters, journalists, and lawyers who base a reputation or career on anti-cult activities.
Cult-watching groups and individuals, and other opposition to cults
Family-members of adherents
Some opposition to cults started with family-members of cult-adherents who had problems with the sudden changes in character, lifestyle and future plans of their young adult children who had joined NRMs. Ted Patrick, widely known as "the father of deprogramming," exemplifies members of this group. The former Cult Awareness Network grew out of a grassroots-movement by parents of cult-members. The American Family Foundation originated from a father whose daughter had joined a high-control group, and other parents concerned about young adult offspring populated the American Family Foundation's membership.Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists
From the 1970s onwards some psychiatrists and clinical psychologists accused "cults" of harming some of their members. These accusations were sometimes based on observations made during therapy, and sometimes were related to theories regarding brainwashing or mind control.Former members
, David G. Bromley and Joseph Ventimiglia coined the term atrocity tales in 1979, which Bryan R. Wilson later took up in relation to former members' narratives. Bromley and Shupe defined an "atrocity tale" as the symbolic presentation of action or events, real or imagined, in such a context that they come to flagrantly violate the shared premises upon which a given set of social relationships should take place. The recounting of such tales has the intention of reaffirming normative boundaries. By sharing the reporter's disapproval or horror, an audience reasserts normative prescription and clearly locates the violator beyond the limits of public morality.Christian countercult movement
In the 1940s, the long-held opposition by some established Christian denominations to non-Christian religions or supposedly heretical, or counterfeit, Christian sects crystallized into a more organized Christian counter cult movement in the United States. For those belonging to the movement, all religious groups claiming to be Christian, but deemed outside of Christian orthodoxy, were considered "cults." Christian cults are new religious movements which have a Christian background but are considered to be theologically deviant by members of other Christian churches. In his influential book The Kingdom of the Cults, first published in the United States in 1965, Christian scholar Walter Martin defines Christian cults as groups that follow the personal interpretation of an individual, rather than the understanding of the Bible accepted by mainstream Christianity. He mentions the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Christian Science, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Unitarian Universalism, and Unity as examples.The Christian countercult movement asserts that Christian sects whose beliefs are partially or wholly not in accordance with the Bible are erroneous. It also states that a religious sect can be considered a "cult" if its beliefs involve a denial of what they view as any of the essential Christian teachings such as salvation, the Trinity, Jesus himself as a person, the ministry of Jesus, the Miracles of Jesus, the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Death of Christ, the Resurrection of Christ, the Second Coming of Christ, and the Rapture.
Countercult literature usually expresses doctrinal or theological concerns and a missionary or apologetic purpose. It presents a rebuttal by emphasizing the teachings of the Bible against the beliefs of non-fundamental Christian sects. Christian countercult activist writers also emphasize the need for Christians to evangelize to followers of cults.
Governmental opposition
The secular opposition to cults and new religious movements operates internationally, though a number of sizable and sometimes expanding groups originated in the United States. Some European countries, such as France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland have introduced legislation or taken other measures against cults or "cultic deviations."In the Netherlands "cults," sects, and new religious movements have the same legal rights as larger and more mainstream religious movements. As of 2004, the Netherlands do not have an anti-cult movement of any significance.
National or regional anti-cult movements
United States
The first organized opposition to new religions in the United States appeared in 1971 with the formation of FREECOG. In 1973, FREECOG renamed itself as the Volunteer Parents of America, and then the Citizens Freedom Foundation, before becoming the Cult Awareness Network in 1984. In 1979, another anti-cult group, the American Family Foundation was founded ; it began organizing annual conferences, launched an information phone-line, and published the Cult Observer and the Cultic Studies Journal. In 1996, CAN was sued for its involvement in the deprogramming of a member of the United Pentecostal Church International named Jason Scott. Other parties joined the lawsuit, and this bankrupted the organization. A group which included a number of Scientologists purchased the "Cult Awareness Network" name and formed the "New Cult Awareness Network." In the 1970s and 1980s American anti-cultist and deprogrammer Ted Patrick was charged at least thirteen times and convicted at least three times for kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment for his deprogramming activities. In 1980, Patrick was convicted of "conspiracy, false imprisonment and kidnapping" of Roberta McElfish, a waitress in Tucson, Arizona, after accepting US$7,500 from her family to deprogram her.Europe
In the European Union, the FECRIS organization has been active since 1994 as an umbrella for European organizations investigating the activities of groups labeled to be cults or sects.The European Coordination for Freedom of Conscience, a participating organization in the EU Fundamental Rights Platform, issued a report on FECRIS in 2014, describing the differences between how the organization describes itself and what its key figures actually do and say. It summarized that "activities of FECRIS constitute a contravention of the principles of respect and tolerance of beliefs... is in direct opposition to the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights and other international human rights instruments."