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Expert Opinion Holly Folk Massimo Introvigne J. Gordon Melton 1. We
Expert Opinion Holly Folk Massimo Introvigne J. Gordon Melton 1. We have been requested by the law firm of Mr. Shane Brady, representing the “Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Netherlands”, to examine the report “Sexual Abuse and Willingness to Report Within the Community of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” authored by Kees van den Bos, Marie- Jeanne Schiffelers, Michèlle Bal, Hilke Grootelaar, Isa Bertram and Amarins Jansma, with the cooperation of Stans de Haas, and commissioned by the Research and Documentation Centre of the Ministry of Justice and Safety (Utrecht, December 2019: hereinafter “the Report”), and to comment on it based on our experience of several decades in the study of minority religions and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. None of us reads Dutch, and we have worked on an English translation supplied by the law firm of Mr. Brady. We cannot, of course, verify the quality of the translation, although we did double-check the tables and figures in the original Dutch version we also received. 2. We are scholars of religion specialized in the study of new religious movements and minority religions, and members of the group “New Religious Movements” of the American Academy of Religion. We have observed the Jehovah’s Witnesses internationally for several decades. 3. J. Gordon Melton is the Distinguished Professor of American Religious History at Baylor University, Waco, Texas. He is the author of numerous books on new religions, in many of which he has discussed the Jehovah’s Witnesses, which he has monitored for more than 50 years. As a former president of the Communal Studies Association, he is also familiar with “closed” and other religious communities, both those who live a geographically isolated existence and those who try to create strong social boundaries with the world of non-members. -
Class of 1964 Th 50 Reunion
Class of 1964 th 50 Reunion BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY 50th Reunion Special Thanks On behalf of the Offi ce of Development and Alumni Relations, we would like to thank the members of the Class of 1964 Reunion Committee Joel M. Abrams, Co-chair Ellen Lasher Kaplan, Co-chair Danny Lehrman, Co-chair Eve Eisenmann Brooks, Yearbook Coordinator Charlotte Glazer Baer Peter A. Berkowsky Joan Paller Bines Barbara Hayes Buell Je rey W. Cohen Howard G. Foster Michael D. Freed Frederic A. Gordon Renana Robkin Kadden Arnold B. Kanter Alan E. Katz Michael R. Lefkow Linda Goldman Lerner Marya Randall Levenson Michael Stephen Lewis Michael A. Oberman Stuart A. Paris David M. Phillips Arnold L. Reisman Leslie J. Rivkind Joe Weber Jacqueline Keller Winokur Shelly Wolf Class of 1964 Timeline Class of 1964 Timeline 1961 US News • John F. Kennedy inaugurated as President of the United World News States • East Germany • Peace Corps offi cially erects the Berlin established on March Wall between East 1st and West Berlin • First US astronaut, to halt fl ood of Navy Cmdr. Alan B. refugees Shepard, Jr., rockets Movies • Beginning of 116.5 miles up in 302- • The Parent Trap Checkpoint Charlie mile trip • 101 Dalmatians standoff between • “Freedom Riders” • Breakfast at Tiffany’s US and Soviet test the United States • West Side Story Books tanks Supreme Court Economy • Joseph Heller – • The World Wide decision Boynton v. • Average income per TV Shows Catch 22 Died this Year Fund for Nature Virginia by riding year: $5,315 • Wagon Train • Henry Miller - • Ty Cobb (WWF) started racially integrated • Unemployment: • Bonanza Tropic of Cancer • Carl Jung • 40 Dead Sea interstate buses into the 5.5% • Andy Griffi th • Lewis Mumford • Chico Marx Scrolls are found South. -
The Israeli Center for Victims of Cults Who Is Who? Who Is Behind It?
Human Rights Without Frontiers Int’l Avenue d’Auderghem 61/16, 1040 Brussels Phone/Fax: 32 2 3456145 Email: [email protected] – Website: http://www.hrwf.eu No Entreprise: 0473.809.960 The Israeli Center for Victims of Cults Who is Who? Who is Behind it? By Willy Fautré The Israeli Center for Victims of Cults About the so-called experts of the Israeli Center for Victims of Cults and Yad L'Achim Rami Feller ICVC Directors Some Other So-called Experts Some Dangerous Liaisons of the Israeli Center for Victims of Cults Conclusions Annexes Brussels, 1 September 2018 The Israeli Center for Victims of Cults Who is Who? Who is Behind it? The Israeli Center for Victims of Cults (ICVC) is well-known in Israel for its activities against a number of religious and spiritual movements that are depicted as harmful and dangerous. Over the years, the ICVC has managed to garner easy access to the media and Israeli government due to its moral panic narratives and campaign for an anti-cult law. It is therefore not surprising that the ICVC has also emerged in Europe, in particular, on the website of FECRIS (European Federation of Centers of Research and Information on Cults and Sects), as its Israel correspondent.1 For many years, FECRIS has been heavily criticized by international human rights organizations for fomenting social hostility and hate speech towards non-mainstream religions and worldviews, usually of foreign origin, and for stigmatizing members of these groups.2 Religious studies scholars and the scientific establishment in general have also denounced FECRIS for the lack of expertise of their so-called “cult experts”. -
The Scandal of Scientology Paulette Cooper
CONTENTS The Tragi-Farce of Scientology Paperback Cover Notes Preface Epigraph 1 Introduction From Dianetics to Scientology The Confessionals Life and Sex in the Womb Have You Lived Before This Life? Spreading the Word The Org The Sea Org The British and Australian Orgs Attacking the Attackers The Suppressives The Sexual and Criminal Security Check The World of Scientology Children and Celebrities Scientology -- Business or Religion? Is Scientology Political? Scientology Versus Medicine The Secret Scientology Sessions The E-Meter The High Cost of Scientology The Truth About L. Ron Hubbard Does Scientology Work? Conclusion Epigraph 2 Appendix: The Scientologist's Story Bibliography of Sources Consulted About the Author Changes from the Paperback Edition Index / Paperback Page Index The Story of Paulette Cooper Prologue The Tragi-Farce of Scientology This article, captioned "Paulette Cooper reports from America," was published in the December 1969 issue of the British magazine Queen (page 109). If you think you have problems with Scientology in England, you should see what's happening in the States. Here, they pass out their leaflets on the street corners of some of the most pukka neighbourhoods, urging innocent bystanders to try out Scientology. Those who have accepted the invitation have found themselves in one of their many dingy headquarters, listening to a dull lecture on Scientology, followed by a film of equal merit on its leader, L. Ron Hubbard. Those who didn't walk out then may have submitted to the American Personality Test (in England, it's the Oxford Capacity Analysis), probably not realising that the B.Scn, D.Scn, DD, and BA degrees of the girl who wrote the test stood for Bachelor of Scientology, Doctor of Scientology, and Doctor of Divinity in the "Church" of Scientology only. -
Endc Proceedings 12/2009
ENDC PROCEEDINGS 12/2009 ■ ENGLISH SUMMARIES 3 ESTONIAN NATIONAL DEFENCE COLLEGE CULTURAL, PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES SERIES ■ SERIES EDITORS: ANDRES SAUMETS AND ALAR KILP VOLUME 1: RELIGION AND POLITICS IN MULTICULTURAL EUROPE: PERSPECTIVES AND CHALLENGES Alar Kilp and Andres Saumets Proceedings 12/2009 EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Andres Saumets (Estonia) EDITORIAL BOARD: Ken Kalling (Estonia) Alar Kilp (Estonia) Peeter Kukk (Estonia) Rain Liivoja (Finland) Enno Mõts (Estonia) Erik Männik (Estonia) Andreas Pawlas (Germany) Claus Freiherr von Rosen (Germany) Volker Stümke (Germany) LANGUAGE EDITORS: Reet Hendrikson (Estonia) Karen Kuldnokk (Estonia) Epp Leete (Estonia) Roy Lowthian (United Kingdom) EDITORIAL COUNCIL: Aarne Ermus (Estonia) Wilfried Gerhard (Germany) Rudolf Hamann (Germany) Jakob Kübarsepp (Estonia) Ants Laaneots (Estonia) Raul Mälk (Estonia) Ago Pajur (Estonia) Eric Allan Sibul (USA) Villu Tamul (Estonia) Peeter Tulviste (Estonia) Matti Turtola (Finland) ISSN 1736–0242 ISBN 978–9985–9513–7–8 Copyright: Estonian National Defence College, 2009 Tartu University Press www.tyk.ee CONTENTS ■ FOREWORD ............................................................................................ 9 RELIGION AND POLITICS IN MULTICULTURAL EUROPE Alar Kilp and Andres Saumets ................................................................ 13 1. Theoretical Considerations .................................................................. 18 1.1. Culture ......................................................................................... -
New Religious Movements
New Religious Movements New Religious Movements: Challenge and response is a searching and wide-ranging collection of essays on the contemporary phenomenon of new religions. The contributors to this volume are all established specialists in the sociology, theology, law, or the history of new minority movements. The primary focus is the response of the basic institutions of society to the challenge which new religious movements represent. The orientation of this volume is to examine the way in which new movements in general have affected modern society in areas such as economic organisation; the operation of the law; the role of the media; the relationship of so-called ‘cult’ membership to mental health; and the part which women have played in leading or supporting new movements. Specific instances of these relationships are illustrated by reference to many of the most prominent new religions – Hare Krishna, The Brahma Kumaris, The Unification Church, The Jesus Army, The Family’, The Church of Scientology, and Wicca. For students of religion or sociology, New Religious Movements is an invaluable source of information, an example of penetrating analysis, and a series of thought-provoking contributions to a debate which affects many areas of contemporary life in many parts of the world. Contributors: Eileen Barker, James Beckford, Anthony Bradney, Colin Campbell, George Chryssides, Peter Clarke, Paul Heelas, Massimo Introvigne, Lawrence Lilliston, Gordon Melton, Elizabeth Puttick, Gary Shepherd, Colin Slee, Frank Usarski, Bryan Wilson. Bryan Wilson is an Emeritus Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. He is the author and editor of several books on sects and New Religious Movements. -
From the Jehovah's Witnesses to Scientology and Beyond
$ The Journal of CESNUR $ Research Notes Scientology, Anti-Cultists, and the State in Russia and Hungary On October 5–6, 2017, Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania, hosted the conference Religion(s) and Power(s), organized by the the Lithuanian Society for the Study of Religions in co-operation with the Estonian Society for the Study of Religions and the Latvian Society for the Study of Religion. We publish the texts of the session “‘Cults,’ Anti-Cultists, and Power in Russia. Anti-Extremism Laws and the Case of the Church of Scientology.” To document how Russian concepts of “spiritual security” are being exported in other countries, we also include a paper on Hungary by Patricia Duval, from the seminar Religion and Civil Society in the Post-Soviet Era: Central Asia and Beyond, co-organized by CESNUR at the American University of Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on March 19–20, 2018. The Social Construction of “Extremism” in Russia: From the Jehovah’s Witnesses to Scientology and Beyond Massimo Introvigne Center for Studies on New Religions [email protected] ABSTRACT: After the 2017 “liquidation” of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Russia moved to liquidate other new religious movements, including the Church of Scientology. While international criticism often focused on the Russian anti-proselytization laws of 2016, it was in fact the anti-extremism law of 2002, as amended in 2006, that became the main tool for “liquidating” unpopular minorities. In the Russian context, the local anti-cult movement led by Alexander Dvorkin and by radical sectors of the Orthodox Church, accredited itself as the custodian of the nationalist doctrine of “spiritual security,” aimed at shielding Russian from “foreign” spiritual and cultural influences. -
The Life and Legacy of Sun Myung Moon and The
Summary Report & Reflections ‘The Life and Legacy of SMM and the Unification Movements in Scholarly Perspective’ Faculty of Comparative Study of Religion and Humanism (FVG) Antwerp, Belgium 29-30 May 2017 __________________________________________________________________ Organized by: The European Observatory of Religion and Secularism (Laïcité) in partnership with Faculty of Comparative Study of Religion and Humanism (FVG), CESNUR & CLIMAS (Bordeaux) This is a summary-report and a reflection on the recent conference in Antwerp, Belgium. The text is a compilation of impressions and reflections by Dr. Andrew Wilson, Dr. Mike Mickler, Dan Fefferman, Hugo Veracx, Peter Zoehrer and Catriona Valenta. The number of participants (including scholars & organizers) was around 40: 15 persons belonging to Sanctuary Church, 8 participants from the Preston (H1) group, 8 from FFWPU and 9 neutral (ex-members, scholars, etc.). The conference was devoted almost exclusively to examining the background and development of the schisms that have emerged in the Unification Movement since the death of the founder. DAY ONE The first day was consistent with the conference theme of the „Life and legacy of Sun Myung Moon and Unification Movements“ in a scholarly perspective. Dr. Eileen Barker led off with an excellent keynote address titled "The Unification Church: A Kaleidoscopic History." She looked at the UM as a religious movement, a spiritual movement, a charismatic movement, a messianic movement, a millenarian movement, a utopian movement, a political movement, a financial-business movement, a criminal movement, a sectarian movement, a denominationalizing movement, and a schismatic movement. It was a good introduction to the conference as a whole. Alexa Blonner followed with a very excellent presentation on the UM's antecedents in Neo-Confucian thought and also the ways in which the UM went beyond that heritage. -
Steven Hassan M.Ed., LMHC
Steven Hassan M.Ed., LMHC, NCC 716 Beacon Street #590443 Newton, Massachusetts 02459 (617) 396-4638, Fax (617) 628-8153 Email: [email protected] Web: www.freedomofmind.com and www.freedomfromundueinfluence.org SUMMARY Licensed mental health professional, cult expert and undue influence expert with professional experience in the United States and abroad including consulting, counseling, speaking, media appearances, activism, writing, researching, teaching, and expert witness work to assist individuals and families with problems related to undue influence including brainwashing, mind control, and unethical hypnosis. Expertise includes undue influence in cases of destructive one-on-one relationships, families, parental alienation, mini-cults, religious cults, therapy and self-improvement groups, professional abuse, institutional abuse, corporations, multi-level marketing, political groups, human trafficking, hate and violent extremism, and other undue influence situations. CREDENTIALS Doctoral Studies Fielding Graduate University, School of Leadership Studies, PhD student in Organizational Development and Change (ODC) (Expected 2020) Masters Cambridge College, Masters in Education in Counseling Psychology, Cambridge, MA (1985) License Licensed Mental Health Counselor in 1992 (Commonwealth of Massachusetts #820) Hassan, Steven A., CV Revised 10/30/2019 Page 1 National Certification National Board of Certified Counselors: Nationally Certified Counselor, Cert. No. 43226 Additional Professional Training American Academy of Psychiatry -
Deteriorating Religious Liberties in Europe
105th CONGRESS Printed for the use of the 2nd Session Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Deteriorating Religious Liberties in Europe July 30, 1998 Briefing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE 234 Ford House Office Building Washington, Dc 20515-6460 (202) 225-1901 [email protected] Http://www.house.gov/csce/ LEGISLATIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS HOUSE SENATE CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey (VACANT) Co-Chairman Co-Chairman JOHN EDWARD PORTER, Illinois BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado FRANK R. WOLF, Virginia KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas MATT SALMON, Arizona SPENCER ABRAHAM, Michigan (VACANT) SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas STENY H. HOYER, Maryland FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts HARRY REID, Nevada BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland BOB GRAHAM, Florida LOUISE MCINTOSH SLAUGHTER, New York RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin EXECUTIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS (VACANT), Department of State (VACANT), Department of Defense (VACANT), Department of Commerce COMMISSION STAFF DOROTHY DOUGLAS TAFT, Chief of Staff MICHAEL R. HATHAWAY, Deputy Chief of Staff ELIZABETH M. CAMPBELL, Staff Assistant\Systems Administrator MARIA V. COLL, Office Administrator OREST DEYCHAKIWSKY, Staff Advisor JOHN F. FINERTY, Staff Advisor CHADWICK R. GORE, Communications Director, Digest Editor ROBERT HAND, Staff Advisor JANICE HELWIG, Staff Advisor MARLENE KAUFMANN, Counsel for International Trade MICHAEL KOBY, Special Counsel KAREN S. LORD, Counsel for Freedom of Religion RONALD J. MCNAMARA, Staff Advisor MICHAEL J. OCHS, Staff Advisor ERIKA B. SCHLAGER, Counsel for International Law MAUREEN T. WALSH, Counsel ii ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION (OSCE) The Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki process, traces its origin to the signing of the Helsinki Final Act in Finland on August 1, 1975, by the leaders of 33 European countries, the United States and Canada. -
ENT ~~~'~Orqx Eecop~.R ~ * ~ ~Z2~'
$ENT ~~~'~orQX eecop~.r ~ * ~ ~Z2~'aVED T~u~TcHcouN~ PF~OSECUT~NG A1T~ L_t\~R Z~ 1~99O eIICD 1 2 UNITED ST .~~d~~oURu1r PbP~ )A1~9O 3 NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA ~ W UNITED STATES, Plaintiff, 6 v. ) No. cR-S60616-DL7 7 ) STEPHEN 71510 WI, ) MMORaNDUX OPIUZON 8 Defendant. 9 10 On camber 27, 1969, this Court heard the government's motion to exclude certain expert testimony proffered b~ 12 defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Robert Dondero IS appeared for the government. Hark Nuri3~ appeared for defendant. 14 Since the hearing the partiem have filed supplemental briefing, which the Court has received and reviewed. For all the following 16 reasons, the Court GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART the 17 government' a motion. 18 19 I * BACKGROUND FACTS 20 The United States indicted Steven ?iuhman on eleven counts 21 of mail fraud, in violation of IS U.S.C. 1 1341, 011 September 22 23, 1968. The indictment charges that Xr. Fishman defrauded 23 various federal district courts, including those in the Northern 24 District of California, by fraudulently obtaining settlement 25 monies and securities in connection with .hareholder class action 28 lawsuits. This fraud allegedly occurred over a lengthy period 27 of time -~ from September 1963 to Nay 1958. 28 <<< Page 1 >>> SENT ~y;~grox ~ ~ * Two months after his indictment, defendant notified this 2 Court of his intent to rely on an insanity defense, pursuant to Rule 12.2 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Within the context of his insanity defense, defendant seeks to present 5 evidence that influence techniques, or brainwashing, practiced 8 upon him by the Church of Scientology ("the Church") warn a cause of his state of mind at the tim. -
Executive Intelligence Review, Volume 21, Number 11, March 11
CCJhope to convince you tha"ty in order to solve the political problem in experience) one musttake the path through the aesthetical) because it is through Beauty that one proceeds to Freedom.)) . - Friedrich Schiller FIDELIO Journal of Poetry, Science, and Statecraft Sign me up for Fidelio: $20 for 4 issues �ME _________________________________________ ADDRESS ________________________________ _______ CITY ______,.-- ___________ STATE __ ZIP ______ TEL(daYl( __l _______(evel( -_l ______ Make checks or money orders payable to: Schiller Institute, Inc. Dept E. P.O. Box 20244 Washington, D.C. 20041-0244 Founder and Contributing Editor: Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr. Editor: Nora Hamerman Managing Editors: John Sigerson, Susan Welsh From the Editor Assistant Managing Editor: Ronald Kokinda Editorial Board: Wa"en Hamerman, Melvin Klenetsky, Antony Papert, Gerald Rose, Edward Spannaus, Nancy Spannaus, Webster Tarpley, Over recent months the capabilities of this i�telligence service Carol White, Christopher White Science and Technology: Carol White have been growing at an extraordinary rate. Whatever your reasons Special Services: Richard Freeman were for subscribing in the past, the reasons for renewing are even Book Editor: Katherine Notley more compelling now. Advertising Director: Marsha Freeman Circulation Manager: Stanley Ezrol For starters, we can offer, for the firsttime in fiveyears, serialized INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORS: articles by Lyndon LaRouche, the statesman who foresawthe demise Agriculture: Marcia Merry of the Soviet economy and state,