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Mémoire De Fin D'études UNIVERSITÉ CATHOLIQUE DE LYON Master Enseignement, option philosophie Doyen : M. Emmanuel Gabellieri MÉMOIRE DE FIN D'ÉTUDES LE STATUT ÉPISTÉMOLOGIQUE DES CONCEPTS D'EMPRISE, DE MANIPULATION MENTALE ET DE SECTE Les raisons du grand malentendu sur la valeur scientifique du champ d'études sur le sectarisme, lequel divise les Sciences Humaines et Sociales depuis une trentaine d'années. Par Xavier Léger Directeur de mémoire : Frère Pierre Duvert, c.s.v. Année 2013/2014 Au père Jacques Trouslard (1924-2011), prêtre catholique et actif défenseur des victimes de sectes. A toutes les associations qui luttent sans grands moyens financiers, mais avec conviction et ténacité, contre des organisations puissantes, sectaires et malveillantes. A mon fils, dont j'attends la venue sur Terre avec impatience. 3 « Faire tout le bien qu'on peut, Aimer la Liberté par-dessus tout, Et, quand ce serait pour un trône, Ne jamais trahir la vérité. » Beethoven1 « En vérité je vous dis, que tout ce que vous aurez lié sur la terre, sera lié dans le ciel; et tout ce que vous aurez délié sur la terre, sera délié dans le ciel. » Jésus Christ (Mt 18,18) 1 ROLLAND Romain, Vie de Beethoven, 4°ed., Librairie Hachette, Coll. Vie des hommes illustres, Paris, 1910, p.2. « Woltuen, wo man kann, Freiheit über alles lieben, Wahrheit nie, auch sogar am Throne nicht verleugnen » 4 Remerciements Je voudrais remercier en premier lieu le frère Pierre Duvert, qui a eu la bonté d'accepter d'accompagner patiemment l'élève turbulent que je suis, et d'avoir eu confiance en lui. C'était un sujet difficile, et en ce qui me concerne, douloureux. J'ai fait tout mon possible pour que ce travail soit autant que possible purifié de toute affection personnelle, de façon à toujours rester au service d'une vérité qui me dépasse. J'aimerais remercier tous les professeurs de l'Université Catholique de Lyon, en particulier M. Emmanuel Gabellieri, M. Yan Plantier et M. Emmanuel d'Hombres, pour la qualité de leurs cours, qui ont illuminé mon Master de philosophie. Au cours des trois dernières années, j'ai grandi en maturité et en sagesse grâce à eux. Ce mémoire est aussi le fruit de tout ce qu'ils m'ont donné avec générosité. J'aimerais remercier M. Yves Hamant, avec qui j'échange de façon quotidienne depuis plusieurs mois pour analyser, prévenir et lutter contre les dérives sectaires au sein de l'Eglise Catholique. J'aimerais également remercier Sa Sainteté le Pape François, dont les enseignements et l'exemple personnel m'inspirent quotidiennement. J'aimerais enfin remercier mon épouse Virginie, qui fait la joie de mon existence depuis quatre ans, et qui, alors que je donnais naissance à ce mémoire, portait avec beaucoup d'amour notre enfant dans son ventre. 5 Introduction La problématique traitée dans ce mémoire s'insère dans une histoire si complexe qu'il est impossible de la présenter sans la situer au préalable dans son contexte historique. Qu'on me pardonne cette mise en perspective un peu longue : ne pas le faire m'aurait obligé à faire par la suite de trop nombreuses digressions. La problématique philosophique s'est en effet incarnée au cours des trente dernières années dans une suite d'évènements impliquant des enjeux politiques, religieux et éthiques, aux quatre coins de la planète. Le propre du sage étant d'ordonner, il m'a semblé qu'il était judicieux de commencer par démêler les éléments annexes et historiques, pour dégager ensuite la problématique philosophique, et plus précisément épistémologique, qui fait l'objet central de ce mémoire. Jusqu'au 20ème siècle, l'Europe en général, et la France en particulier, n'ont connu que très peu de cas d'apparitions de nouveaux groupes religieux. Les grandes religions qu'on trouvait sur le territoire européen étaient le catholicisme – largement majoritaire -, l'orthodoxie, le protestantisme, la religion juive et, dans certains pays du pourtour méditerranéen, l'Islam. Hormis cette dernière, les autres religions, communément dénommées sous la bannière de « judéo-christianisme », possédaient peu ou prou les mêmes fondements doctrinaux. A partir du XXème siècle, et de façon particulière après la seconde guerre mondiale, ces religions ont cherché à se mettre en dialogue, et à s'enrichir mutuellement. Le regain d'intérêt des catholiques pour l'exégèse, qui a conduit à l'une des principales avancées du Concile Vatican II avec la constitution dogmatique « Dei Verbum » sur la Révélation divine, est ainsi clairement hérité des découvertes et des travaux réalisés par des biblistes, théologiens et chercheurs protestants. Parallèlement à ce travail d'oecuménisme et de rapprochement entre les différentes religions sont apparus des mouvements religieux aux racines religieuses très éloignées, proposant parfois des interprétations fantaisistes de l'Ecriture, voire même une ré-écriture et une sélection des textes sacrées, et offrant une spiritualité et des modes de vie sans grand rapport avec les religions traditionnelles. La première vague de ces mouvements est venue au début du XXème siècle, notamment avec l'introduction des Témoins de Jéhovah sur le territoire européen. Mais ces groupuscules religieux étaient insignifiants. C'est à partir des années 60 et 70 que le phénomène a commencé à s'accélérer. Une grande quantité 6 de nouveaux groupes, dont certains n'avaient plus rien à voir avec le judéo-christianisme, se sont installés sur le vieux continent. Certains étaient de nature ésotérique ; d'autres se proposaient de faire l'unité entre toutes les religions à travers un syncrétisme religieux assez brouillon ; d'autres affirmaient avoir mis au point de nouvelles méthodes de méditation « transcendantale » ; d'autres encore promettaient des guérisons et des miracles spectaculaires à leurs adeptes. Dans un premier temps, l'apparition de tous ces nouveaux groupes dans la culture européenne d'après-guerre n'a pas suscité l'hostilité de la population. On les voyait surtout comme des joyeux illuminés. On se souvient de l'émission populaire du Collaro-show au début des années 80, qui proposait chaque jour une nouvelle secte délirante : « La secte de ceux qui s'envoient en l'air » (le sketch montrait des adeptes vêtus de grandes aubes qui jetaient en l'air l'un des membres de leur groupe), ou « la secte de ceux qui boivent cul-sec » (le sketch montraient des adeptes en aube qui se chauffaient le postérieur avec un sèche-cheveux avant d'avaler cul-sec un verre de vin). Voilà comment étaient perçu le phénomène sectaire jusqu'au début des années 80 : des groupes de gens étranges et farfelus, mais plutôt inoffensifs. Mais les choses vont rapidement changer. En fait, elles avaient commencé à changer au milieu des années 70, avec l'apparition en France de la première association de lutte contre les sectes : l'Association pour la Défense des valeurs Familiales et de l'Individu (ADFI), fondée en 1974 par des familles dont les enfants s'étaient fait embrigader par l' « Association de l'Esprit Saint pour l'Unification du christianisme mondial », plus connu sous le nom de « secte Moon ». On pourrait s'étonner que les Etats-Unis, concernés par cette problématique depuis bien plus longtemps que les pays européens, n'aient pas réagi plus tôt et plus efficacement. En fait, une seule raison suffit à expliquer cela : les Etats-Unis ont été fondés par une multitude de groupes religieux dissidents. La mixité religieuse a donc toujours été une donnée fondatrice de l'identité américaine. L'unité américaine, gage de sa force et de sa cohésion, est ainsi l'obsession de tous ses dirigeants politiques, qui ne peuvent prendre le risque de susciter des divisions internes. Ainsi, la politique américaine a-t-elle toujours promu un libéralisme religieux quasi-absolu, quitte à tolérer l'existence de groupes religieux paradoxalement liberticides en son sein. Si certains villes, voire certains Etats américains, sont pratiquement sous le contrôle de communautés controversées – comme la ville de Clearwater, en Floride (Eglise de Scientologie), ou l'Etat d'Utah (Eglise de Jésus-Christ et des saints des derniers jours, plus connue sous le nom des « Mormons ») – le pouvoir central n'a d'autre 7 alternative que de fermer les yeux sur certaines irrégularités, comme la polygamie, par exemple. Malgré cette situation paradoxale, les Etats-Unis ont aussi été affectés par l'apparition sur leur territoire de groupes aux mécanismes d'embrigadement agressifs et aux pratiques internes liberticides. Un événement, en particulier, a traumatisé le peuple américain, pourtant éduqué à la bienveillance à l'égard de tous les mouvements religieux : le suicide collectif de Jonestown. Cette sombre histoire a transformé à jamais le regard du monde occidental à l'égard du sectarisme religieux. Qu'il me soit permis d'en rappeler brièvement l'histoire2 : Jim Jones était un pasteur, issu des « disciples du Christ », une congrégation protestante qui prêchait pour un monde plus égalitaire et qui luttait contre les discriminations raciales. Jones, qui avait des origines très modestes, avait été fasciné dans sa jeunesse par la doctrine marxiste. Dans les années 60, à Indianapolis, dans le Midwest américain, Jones fonde sa propre communauté : le Temple du Peuple, ce qui allait lui permettre de mettre en pratique ses théories, mélangeant marxisme et Evangile. Afin d'échapper au contrôle des autorités américaines, Jim Jones décide de migrer avec toute sa communauté – laquelle s'était entretemps installée en Californie – au milieu de la jungle, en Guyana, seul pays d'Amérique du Sud anglophone. Là, il fonde un village coupé du monde et tourné vers sa gloire personnelle (la ville s'appelait Jonestown, la ville de Jones). Rapidement, les membres de la communauté déchantent : le rêve que Jones leur avait vendu se transforme en cauchemar. Leurs moindres faits et gestes sont surveillés. Des systèmes de délation interne transforment progressivement la communauté en camp d'isolement et de travail.
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