Are cult awareness NGOs effective?

for concern over cult-related damage, institutional abuse & psychological problems.
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dany

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Are cult awareness NGOs effective?

Post03 Jul 2013

All over the World, there are NGO's such as : Anti-drugs, anti-child abuse ... etc. Some of them are quite effective and influential, they get the public and even governments listen to them and support their causes. They utilize the media, peaceful demonstrations and other means and tools to gain attention and be listened to.

I am not sure if anti-cults NGO's are of similar influence and spread, to expose those destructive cults, some hiding behind fictitious names like : UNIVERSITY, CHURCH ... etc ?!

ex.brahma

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Re: Are cult awareness NGOs effective?

Post03 Jul 2013

Dany wrote:... some hiding behind fictitious names like : UNIVERSITY, CHURCH ... etc ?!

And most recently ... The Happy Cottage ...!!
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ex-l

ex-BK

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Re: Are cult awareness NGOs effective?

Post03 Jul 2013

That's a good question.

There are some good and effective organisation, e.g. L’UNADFI (Union Nationale des Associations pour la Défense des Familles et de l’Individu) in France, FECRIS (European Federation of Centres of Research and Information on Cults) and Center of Religious Studies in Russia. There are also study based organizations such as ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) in the USA (int).

In the UK, and acting internationally, there is INFORM (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements) which, despite being government funded, tends to be pro-cult. This is because of the politics or dynamics between excessive "anti-cult" activists and liberals in the past (1970s mostly), e.g. some families and "anti-cult" activists went too far and took to making physical interventions (kidnapping back cult followers), some liberals were antagonist towards the conservatively Christian nature of some anti-cults groups. To balance it, there is The Family Survival Trust which is more pro-active having seen time and time again the damage cults can do to individuals and families. They are a family first organization.

I think the problem is that unless some a hugely outstanding issue arises, like widespread child sex abuse, the cult issue is just not big enough to be heard above all the other "noises" in the world; war, the global terrorism of imperial capitalism, environmental despoliation, economic crises and so on.

In my opinion, the orthodox religions are just as whacky, insane, evil and dangerous as cults ... and at a much bigger scale, e.g. the Catholic Church and its financial crimes and child abuse. Most have built up there power and wealthy on war (IIslam) or slavery (Christianity). Cults are just seed or baby religions in their reach and effectiveness and it's hard to get human beings to stop being idiotically religious.

Arguably, many of the religious founders have tried to do just that (Jesus against Judaism and Buddha against Hinduism).

So, you have tiny, unfunded cult awareness and support groups run mainly by individuals or small groups at their own expense ... usually having already been hurt, damaged or handicapped by a cult, academic study groups which have to remain fairly neutral even if they full well know what cults are like and ... pretty much nothing else. The most well equipped, well funded or invested in those individuals are, the most effective they can be, e.g. having or being able to afford legal actions, lobbying and so on.

I suppose a few "rational", "humanist" and "skeptic" organizations which from time to time might expose or discuss the issue and try and educate society but they require individuals to be too intelligent or intellectual and for most people they are just not sexy enough. Humanism had its low peak as a reaction against the power and influence of irrational state Christianity but now that the Church has lost much of its power, the need for humanism has died down.

I believe FECRIS has now grown and has an official status at the level of European Government. Most groups have one or two friendly members of parliament involved. I think increasingly orthodox religions are actually starting to support the rights of cults, associate with them and make alliances as they too are feeling threatened by the growth or secular society. All the religious people are coming together in one camp with a kind of us and them mentality.

And, again, there are much more real and bigger problems such as the spread of fanatical Islam.

It's also cyclic according to the media and political agendas. If the media has featured a cult story, then it won't do so again for a few years; if the problem has risen to the level of government, then it will fall out for 10 or 20 years ... meanwhile all the time the cults are doing public relations and evangelism to spread their power and influence and increase their war chest (finances).

The real problem is cults have developed to have something to sell ... and most people have become consumers. They consume products but they also consume ideas or lifestyles. Therefore the cults provide products, ideas and lifestyles that consumers can buy into ... and the cult leaders live off them. They won't stop for as long as the money, power, sex or whatever it is keeps rolling in.

The Brahma Kumaris are no different. They might not want sex but they are addicted to feelings of importance, need the money to live, and like nice properties.

Most small groups end up spending most of their time "fire fighting" problems rather than being proactive and setting agendas. They are outnumbered many thousands of times by the fanatical cult members. There are limits to how much they can achieve. Much of what has to be done is primary education in schools and universities.

Personally, I think 99% of all religions are unnecessary, irrational, ineffective, historical garbage and should be discarded. They are rooted in superstitions and mental illnesses, and addict individuals who really need proper care and education. I think whatever "goodness" there is within any religion can be reduced down to the size of a small pamphlet or guidebook, and the rest is really only of interest or benefit to academics and interested individuals studying our history.

Although religion cannot be banned, people need to be encouraged to leave it behind and it certainly should not have any part or influence in our political and educational systems ... but try telling that to the addicts and their pushers.

And so to end, please allow me to turn the question back on you (everyone reading this) ... how effective are you? As in, are you involved in effecting society, do you get involved with such groups, what do you do?

They depend on your support.
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ex-l

ex-BK

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Re: Are cult awareness NGOs effective?

Post03 Jul 2013

ex.Brahma wrote:And most recently ... The Happy Cottage ...!!

This made me laugh because "to cottage" or "cottaging" is slang term meaning looking for anonymous sex in a public lavatory.

The term has its roots in the nature of self-contained British toilet blocks which resembling small cottages in their appearance.

What a shame not everyone is guaranteed a happy ending from the Brahma Kumaris in their cottage ... but some get lucky.

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