Isaac Bonewits and the Advanced Cult Danger Evaluation Frame

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ex-l

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Isaac Bonewits and the Advanced Cult Danger Evaluation Frame

Post16 May 2009

I have no idea how this scale is viewed within academics etc in the field but I think it was useful following discussion on whether one would consider if the Brahma Kumaris were a "dangerous" cult. Apparently, it has been used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Union of South Africa.

For an example, see: The Boundaries Between Cultic, Benign, and Beneficial in Five Spiritual Groups by Elliot Benjamin, Ph.D.

The purpose is to help both amateur and professional observers, including current or would-be members, of various organizations (including religious, occult, psychological or political groups) to determine just how dangerous a given group is liable to be, in comparison with other groups, to the physical and mental health of its members and of other people subject to its influence. It cannot speak to the “spiritual dangers,” if any, that might be involved, for the simple reason that one person’s path to enlightenment or “salvation” is often viewed by another as a path to ignorance or “damnation.”

As a general rule, the higher the numerical total scored by a given group (the further to the right of the scale), the more dangerous it is likely to be. Though it is obvious that many of the scales in the frame are subjective, it is still possible to make practical judgments using it, at least of the “is this group more dangerous than that one?” sort.

Anyone care to calculate?
Bonewits Scale wrote:Scale:
Low ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... High
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Factors:

    1) Internal Control: Amount of internal political and social power exercised by leader(s) over members; lack of clearly defined organizational rights for members.

    2) External Control: Amount of external political and social influence desired or obtained; emphasis on directing members’ external political and social behavior.

    3) Wisdom/Knowledge Claimed by leader(s): amount of infallibility declared or implied about decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations; number and degree of unverified and/or unverifiable credentials claimed.

    4) Wisdom/Knowledge Credited to leader(s) by members: amount of trust in decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations made by leader(s); amount of hostility by members towards internal or external critics and/or towards verification efforts.

    5) Dogma: Rigidity of reality concepts taught; amount of doctrinal inflexibility or “fundamentalism;” hostility towards relativism and situationalism.

    6) Recruiting: Emphasis put on attracting new members; amount of proselytizing; requirement for all members to bring in new ones.

    7) Front Groups: Number of subsidiary groups using different names from that of main group, especially when connections are hidden.

    8) Wealth: Amount of money and/or property desired or obtained by group; emphasis on members’ donations; economic lifestyle of leader(s) compared to ordinary members.

    9) Sexual Manipulation of members by leader(s) of non-tantric groups; amount of control exercised over sexuality of members in terms of sexual orientation, behavior, and/or choice of partners.

    10) Sexual Favoritism: Advancement or preferential treatment dependent upon sexual activity with the leader(s) of non-tantric groups.

    11) Censorship: Amount of control over members’ access to outside opinions on group, its doctrines or leader(s).

    12) Isolation: Amount of effort to keep members from communicating with non-members, including family, friends and lovers.

    13) Dropout Control: Intensity of efforts directed at preventing or returning dropouts.

    14) Violence: Amount of approval when used by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s).

    15) Paranoia: Amount of fear concerning real or imagined enemies; exaggeration of perceived power of opponents; prevalence of conspiracy theories.

    16) Grimness: Amount of disapproval concerning jokes about the group, its doctrines or its leader(s).

    17) Surrender of Will: Amount of emphasis on members not having to be responsible for personal decisions; degree of individual disempowerment created by the group, its doctrines or its leader(s).

    18) Hypocrisy: amount of approval for actions which the group officially considers immoral or unethical, when done by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s); willingness to violate the group’s declared principles for political, psychological, social, economic, military, or other gain.
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ex-l

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Re: Isaac Bonewits and the Advanced Cult Danger Evaluation Frame

Post16 May 2009

This is really considering "proper" surrendered BKs, not the fluffy frontline of new agey hangarounds.

I'd score the BKWSU around ... what ... 133 out of 180. An average of 7.4. Too high? I think have been too kind!?!

(Yes, yes, I know ... but the Brahma Kumaris are NOT a cult ... they really, really, really are THE TRUTH!!! Because their God says so).

    1) - 10 ... "the BKWSU has NO members", no democracy, no accountability. "Its your karma".
    2) - 9 ... VIP, United Nation and Mic chasing. Could it be any less than a 10?
    3) - 10 ... Only the Brahma Kumaris are pure and have the true "Godly Knowledge".
    4) - 10 ... Dadi Janki is one of the 8 (Baba has never said it), Lekhraj Kirpalani is Adam or Brahma. Hostility? The legal case against this site, the craziness over the PBKs, the denial and ignorance.
    5) - 10 ... They are the way, the truth and the light. All other religions must come to them to gain their inheritance.
    6) - 8 ... Yes, but in the realisatio not all will, targets have been lowered to serving and financially profiting.
    7) - 9 ... I have lost count. LVEP, SML, IVoH, Interfaith work, Media groups, Coaching etc.
    8) - 9 ... OK, the leadership might not be driving Rollers but those sure are some nice Freehold property and attractive retreats. Not to mention the Palladian Mansion.
    9) - 10 ... Complete and utter celibacy. No touching, no masterbation, no looking, no thinking, splitting parent and partnerships. That is one hell of a lot of activity based around sex!
    10) - 1 ... No, but you might get asked to to VIP service dinners and an easier ride if you are blonde, blue eyed or good looking.
    11) - 8 ... in theory at least could be a 10 although I am not sure how far it goes these days as they like showdressing BKism in "wisdom" and famous quotes. In India, especially for women, probably still a 10.
    12) - 8.5 ... lokik are there to be painfully served. Broken families and marriages abundant. Devilish sanskars ... devilish community ... shudras ... etc. Could be higher.
    13) - 5 ... Personally, I got the "shed tears of blood" letter when I missed class but I would accept this is rare now. Lots of ex-BKs do report the telephone calls, service requests, the "keeping cooperative" invitations and mailings continuing. Many just drift away. Mostly goes in internally within the individual.

    A good cult does not need to control their adherents, the adherents do it all for them and the BKs are a good cult.

    14) - 3.5 ... the PBK beatings, the lathis during the Hindi seasons and more recently reports from Madhuban suggest the driving away of certain individuals physically. In the West, basically zero.
    15) - 5 ... The Anti-Party stuff ... does Maya count for this?
    16) - 6.5 ... depends on who, where and when but it would all be serious disapproved of.
    17) - 10 ... in theory 100% would be the target.
    18) - 8.5 ... I am thinking Dadi Janki's and others proeprty and financial interests. Some of the funny BKWSO center finances etc.

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