Eileen Barker the Cult As a Social Problem
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Farrakhan Talks to the Jews
JEWISH WORLD COVER STORY Farrakhan Talks to the Jews For three hours, over colfee in his home, Nation oj Islam leader Louis Farrakhan spoke to the Jewish people through The Jerusalem Report. The anti-Semitism he repeatedly spouts was no less virulent at his dining room table, but his message "is Jor the Jews' own good." VINCE BEISER Chicago HATEVER ELSE WUIS White House, he has called it. have publicly called for the community to Farrakhan may be, let "I want you to feel at home, and ask any take Farrakhan up on his repeated ap no one say he is not a questions you feel your readers would be peals for a meeting with Jewish leaders. gracious host - even interested in," says Farrakhan, his voice Last year, at the urging of Jewish "60 to a Jewish j ournalist. as honey-smooth as a Motown Singer. One Minutes" journalist Mike Wallace, World Before beginning our reason he has become perhaps the na Jewish Congress head Edgar Bronfman interview at his palatial residence in an tion's most important African-American hosted Farrakhan and his wife at a dinner affluent, integrated South Chicago neigh leader is immediately obvious: The man in his New York home (although Bronf borhood, the leader of the Nation of Islam practically glows with charisma and man soon cut off contact with the minis- ter). And in April Edward Rendell, Philadelphia's Jew ish mayor, invited the minis 'I PLEDGE THIS to you. I have no intention whatsoever ter to speak at a rally to promote racial healing. -
Seventh-Day Adventism
CHRISTIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE P.O. Box 8500, Charlotte, NC 28271 / www.equip.org / tel.704.887.8200 / fax.704.887.8299 STATEMENT DS410 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM The main emphasis of ministry at the Christian Research Institute is to provide inform ation which will help those who are evangelizing the millions of people presently entangled in cults, the occult, and various false religions. Because of this, and because Dr. Walter Martin did some pioneer research on Adventism in the late 1950's, we are frequently asked what our position is on the subject of Seventh-day Adventism (hereafter "SDA" for short). Though several capable Christian scholars (e.g., Anthony Hoekema, J.K. Van Baalen, John Gerstner) have concluded that SDA is a non-Christian cult system, CRI has continued to assert that this is not the case. We take this position based on the content of the doctrine which was stated in an official SDA publication (1957) entitled Questions on Doctrine. It should be noted that in 1983 W. Richard Lesher, vice-president of the General Conference, affirmed that SDA stood behind the publication Questions on Doctrine. Since SDA does accept the foundational doctrines of historic Christianity (the Trinity, Christ's true deity, His bodily resurrection, etc.) we do not believe that it should be classified as a non-Christian cult. It is our conviction that one cannot be a true Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Christian Scientist, etc., and be a practicing Christian in the biblical sense of the word; but it is possible to be a Seventh-day Adventist and a true follower of Jesus, despite certain distinctive Adventist doctrines which we consider to be unbiblical. -
France 2016 International Religious Freedom Report
FRANCE 2016 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The constitution and the law protect the right of individuals to choose, change, and practice their religion. The government investigated and prosecuted numerous crimes and other actions against religious groups, including anti-Semitic and anti- Muslim violence, hate speech, and vandalism. The government continued to enforce laws prohibiting face coverings in public spaces and government buildings and the wearing of “conspicuous” religious symbols at public schools, which included a ban on headscarves and Sikh turbans. The highest administrative court rejected the city of Villeneuve-Loubet’s ban on “clothes demonstrating an obvious religious affiliation worn by swimmers on public beaches.” The ban was directed at full-body swimming suits worn by some Muslim women. ISIS claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in Nice during the July 14 French independence day celebration that killed 84 people without regard for their religious belief. President Francois Hollande condemned the attack as an act of radical Islamic terrorism. Prime Minister (PM) Manuel Valls cautioned against scapegoating Muslims or Islam for the attack by a radical extremist group. The government extended a state of emergency until July 2017. The government condemned anti- Semitic, anti-Muslim, and anti-Catholic acts and continued efforts to promote interfaith understanding through public awareness campaigns and by encouraging dialogues in schools, among local officials, police, and citizen groups. Jehovah’s Witnesses reported 19 instances in which authorities interfered with public proselytizing by their community. There were continued reports of attacks against Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The government, as well as Muslim and Jewish groups, reported the number of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim incidents decreased by 59 percent and 58 percent respectively from the previous year to 335 anti-Semitic acts and 189 anti-Muslim acts. -
Investment Insights 27Th October 2020
Investment Insights 27th October 2020 When Prophecy Fails How to ignore doomsday forecasts Chief Investment Officer George Cooper, “Suppose an individual believes something with his whole heart; suppose further that he has commitment to this belief, that he has taken irrevocable actions because of it; finally, suppose that he is presented with evidence, unequivocal and undeniable evidence, that his belief is wrong: What will happen? The individual will frequently emerge, not only unshaken, but even more convinced of the truth of his beliefs than ever before. Indeed, he may even show a new fervour about convincing and converting other people to his view.” Leon Festinger, 1956 The stock market will crash on December 21st. In the few seconds it took you to read that first sentence your innate survival instincts will have kicked in. They are telling you: something bad is going to happen, you need to act. The rational part of your brain is pushing back, saying: nonsense, he has no idea what will happen to the stock market on December 21st. But you still have that nagging worry. Grabbing peoples’ attention and coercing them into action with scary stories and doomsday prophecies is an old trick. It exploits our risk aversion bias, which is part of our survival instincts telling us to look out for danger. The scary story trick is ubiquitous, journalists use it, religions use it, campaign groups use it and of course governments use it. Learning when to ignore scary stories and when to see through them is an important life skill, and for investors an essential skill. -
Scientology Final
Shelby Gluskin Ms. Plummer English 211 24 April 2018 Scientology’s Life Span Scientology is constantly being questioned on its legitimacy as a religion and on the almost secretive way in which the church conducts its business. Most people who give Scientology only a cursory glance do not believe that it meets the criteria to both identify and sustain itself as a mainstream religion; however, there is plenty of evidence to dispute this finding. As the Merriam Webster Dictionary defines religion as “the belief in god or a group of gods: an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies and rules used to worship a god or group of gods”, it is hard to dispute that Scientology is in fact a religion (Religion). Scientology is described as the religion of seeking spiritual fulfillment through study (What Is Scientology). As the influence of religion declines in society and fewer people identify themselves as being observant, this church continues to hold and attract members. Scientology is able to maintain its status as a viable and even thriving religion through the covert actions of the Church, excessive funding, and an abundant amount of celebrity endorsement. With the ability to keep negative and threatening secrets out of the view of the public’s eye, Scientology can maintain its carefully cultivated image. The Church of Scientology is able to keep its actions under the radar through intimidation of both members and critics of the organization. The Church is known to go to great lengths to protect the sanctity of the institution, in fact, in the early 1980’s eleven Scientologists were convicted of infiltrating more than one-hundred agencies, government and private (Behar 50). -
Piercing the Religious Veil of the So-Called Cults
Pepperdine Law Review Volume 7 Issue 3 Article 6 4-15-1980 Piercing the Religious Veil of the So-Called Cults Joey Peter Moore Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/plr Part of the First Amendment Commons, and the Religion Law Commons Recommended Citation Joey Peter Moore Piercing the Religious Veil of the So-Called Cults , 7 Pepp. L. Rev. Iss. 3 (1980) Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/plr/vol7/iss3/6 This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by the Caruso School of Law at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pepperdine Law Review by an authorized editor of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Piercing the Religious Veil of the So-Called Cults Since the horror of Jonestown, religious cults have been a frequent sub- ject of somewhat speculative debate. Federal and state governments, and private groups alike have undertaken exhaustive studies of these "cults" in order to monitor and sometimes regulate their activities, and to publicize their often questionable tenets and practices. The author offers a compre- hensive overview of these studies, concentrating on such areas as recruit- ment, indoctrination, deprogramming, fund raising, and tax exemption and evasion. Additionally, the author summarizes related news events and profiles to illustrate these observations,and to provide the stimulusfor further thought and analysis as to the impact these occurrences may have on the future of religion and religiousfreedom. I. INTRODUCTION An analysis of public opinion would likely reveal that the exist- ence of religious cults' is a relatively new phenomenon, but his- torians, social scientists and students of religion alike are quick to point out that such groups, though cyclical in nature, have simi- 2 larly prospered and have encountered adversity for centuries. -
Luna Lindsey Sample Chapters
Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control by LUNA LINDSEY Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control Copyright ©2013-2014 by Luna Flesher Lindsey Internal Graphics ©2014 by Luna Flesher Lindsey Cover Art ©2014 by Ana Cruz All rights reserved. This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles, professional works, or reviews. www.lunalindsey.com ISBN-10: 1489595937 ISBN-13: 978-1489595935 First digital & print publication: July 2014 iv RECOVERING AGENCY Table of Contents FOREWORD' VIII' PART%1:%IN%THE%BEGINNING% ' IT'STARTED'IN'A'GARDEN…' 2' Free$Will$vs.$Determinism$ 3' Exit$Story$ 5' The$Illusion$of$Choice$ 9' WHAT'IS'MIND'CONTROL?' 13' What$is$a$Cult?$ 16' Myths$of$Cults$&$MinD$Control$ 17' ALL'IS'NOT'WELL'IN'ZION' 21' Is$Mormonism$A$DanGer$To$Society?$ 22' Why$ShoulD$We$Mourn$Or$Think$Our$Lot$Is$HarD?$ 26' Self<esteem' ' Square'Peg,'Round'Hole'Syndrome' ' Guilt'&'Shame' ' Depression,'Eating'Disorders,'&'Suicide' ' Codependency'&'Passive<Aggressive'Culture' ' Material'Loss' ' DON’T'JUST'GET'OVER'IT—RECOVER!' 36' Though$harD$to$you$this$journey$may$appear…$ 40' Born$UnDer$the$Covenant$ 41' We$Then$Are$Free$From$Toil$anD$Sorrow,$Too…$ 43' SLIPPERY'SOURCES' 45' Truth$Is$Eternal$$(And$Verifiable)$ 45' Truth$Is$Eternal$$(Depends$on$Who$You$Ask)$ 46' -
E Conspiracy Eory to Rule Em
8/23/2020 The Conspiracy Theory to Rule Them All - The Atlantic Give a Gift e Conspiracy eory to Rule em All What explains the strange, long life of e Protocols of the Elders of Zion? Tereza Zelenkova Story by Steven J. Zipperstein NONE SHADOWLAND Like The Atlantic? Subscribe to The Atlantic Daily, our free weekday email newsletter. Enter your email Sign up Photography by Tereza Zelenkova https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/1857/11/conspiracy-theory-rule-them-all/615550/?preview=TcuaT5ZaZmqDeMMyDONAXVilKqE 1/8 8/23/2020 The Conspiracy Theory to Rule Them All - The Atlantic is article is part of “Shadowland,” a project about conspiracy thinking in America. ’ most consequential conspiracy text entered the world barely noticed, when it appeared in a little-read Russian newspaper in T 1903. The message of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is straightforward, and terrifying: The rise of liberalism had provided Jews with the tools to destroy institutions—the nobility, the church, the sanctity of marriage—whole. Soon, they would take control of the world, as part of a revenge plot dating back to the ascendancy of Christendom. The text, ostensibly narrated by a Jewish leader, describes this plan in detail, relying on centuries-old anti-Jewish tropes, and including lengthy expositions on monetary, media, and electoral manipulation. It announces Jewry’s triumph as imminent: The world order will fall into the hands of a cunning elite, who have schemed forever and are now fated to rule until the end of time. It was a fabrication, and a clumsy one, largely copied from the obscure, French- language political satire Dialogue aux enfers entre Machiavel et Montesquieu, or The Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu, by Maurice Joly. -
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”. -
Digital Religion
DIGITAL RELIGION DIGITAL RELIGION Based on papers read at the conference arranged by the Donner Institute for Research in Religious and Cultural History, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo/Turku, Finland, on 13–15 June 2012 Edited by Tore Ahlbäck Editorial Assistant Björn Dahla Published by the Donner Institute for Research in Religious and Cultural History Åbo/Turku, Finland Distributed by BTJ Finland Editorial secretary Maria Vasenkari Linguistic editing Sarah Bannock ISSN 0582-3226 ISBN 978-952-12-2897-1 Printed in Finland by Vammalan kirjapaino Sastamala 2013 Editorial note he theme for our symposium 2012 was ‘Digital religion’ and in our call Tfor papers we described it in the following way: ‘ “Digital Religion’ aims to explore the complex relationship between religion and digital technologies of communication. Digital religion encompasses a myriad of connections and the goal of the conference is to approach the subject from multiple perspec- tives.’ As can be seen from the conference proceedings, we did not achieve what we aimed for. The theme was too vast. We knew as much; a new field is always difficult to handle. Despite this, we still hope that the participants got some- thing out of the conference, and we also hope that the readers of the proceed- ings will benefit from them. I wish to finish this editorial note by acknowledging my colleague Björn Dahla. For many years we organised the Donner symposia and edited the conference proceedings together. I owe him my sincere gratitude. I also want to warmly thank Maria Vasenkari who, for many years, did the necessary, extensive technical work in order to follow the conference pro- ceedings through into print. -
Recommendations of Experts for Improvements in Federal Law Enforcement After Waco
If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. U.S. Department of Justice Washington,D.C. 20530 Recommendations of Experts for Improvements in Federal Law Enforcement After Waco 145688 U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice This document has been reproduced exactly as received from the person or organization originating it. Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the National Institute of Justice. Permission to reproduce thisllll~ material has been granted by Publ:Cc Domain U.S. Dep~nt of Justice ustice Re .......... of the N£ Recommendations of Experts for improvements in Federal Law Enforcement After Waco TABLE OF CONTENTS Mandate to the Experts Handling Hostage/Barricade Situations Robert J, Louden Ronald McCarthy Ariel Merari Dealing with Persons whose Motivations and Thought Processes are Unconventional \, Nancy T. Ammerman Robert Canero Lawrence E. Sullivan Coordinating Law Enforcement Efforts in Hostage/Barricade Situations Colin E. Birt Richard J. Davis William H. Webster O @ @ UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MEMORANDUM J~e ~,1~3 TO: Dr. Nancy Ammerman Mr. Colin B/rt Dr. Robert Cancro Mr. Richard J. Davis Mr. Robert J. Louden Mr. Ronald M. McCarthy Dr. Ariel Merafi @ Dr. Alan A. Stone Dr. Lawrence E. Sull/van Mr..William H. Webster FROM: Philip B. Heymann ~.~. Deputy Attorney General Department of Justice Ronald IC Noble Assistant Secretary (Enforcement) Department of the Treasury Q SUBJECT: your R01e in M~g Recommendations Concerning the Handling of Incidents Such asthe Branch Davidian Standoff in Waco, Texas @ L MANDATE We would like you to assist us in addressing issues that federal law enforcement confi'0n~ ~ bani'cade/hos~g e situatiom such as the stand-off that occurred near Waco, Texas, ~tween February 28, 1993 and April 19, 1993. -
Human Cloning and the Raelians in the Spanish Newspaper El País
Science Communication Volume 30 Number 2 December 2008 236-265 © 2008 Sage Publications Human Cloning and 10.1177/1075547008324429 http://scx.sagepub.com hosted at the Raelians http://online.sagepub.com Media Coverage and the Rhetoric of Science Miguel Alcíbar University of Seville, Spain In this article, the author analyzes the reported coverage on human cloning and the Raelians in the Spanish newspaper El País. On December 27, 2002, Brigitte Boisselier, the director of the biotechnology company Clonaid, part of the International Raelian Movement, announced they had successfully cloned a baby girl. This news report enlivened the controversy on human cloning, which originated in February 1997 with the news of Dolly’s birth. El País constructed the controversy as a fundamental problem of scientific policy. This study sug- gests that El País wants to persuade policy makers to establish limited regula- tions on experimentation with embryo stem cells for therapeutic purposes. To achieve this goal, this newspaper used scientific sources selected ad hoc and a series of well-defined rhetorical strategies. Keywords: human cloning; newspaper coverage; Raelians; El País; actor network theory; framing n December 27, 2002, Brigitte Boisselier, the director of the Obiotechnology company Clonaid, run by the International Raelian Movement (IRM), announced they had successfully cloned a baby girl who they called Eve. The claims of the IRM members not only enlivened the ethical debate surrounding human cloning but also provoked the reaction of the “scientific community,”1 calling for science as the legitimate repository of knowledge and source of future development of research using human embryos (Table 1).