Ok so I am really curious now. Is there anyway to establish what groups are active in a given community that might be considered to be cults. I think this is a really important question considering that the lack of this knowledge is how how cults are able to operate. Of course we can really consider what groups are active on the internet in this question but we can consider what dangerous groups are active in a given community. Has anyone thought of a way to measure this?

Thanks

Further to this question has anyone attempted to answer the question of figuring out what dangerous groups are active in a certain area. It seems that it is usually done the other way around, you take a cult or dangerous religions movement and figure out where they are active. Perhaps if it could be done it would help to start with a community, city or town and figure out who is active there so that community can take collective action against them.

Perhaps this question is really hard to answer because it is also hard to tell what groups are safe.

Your question is hard, notanantiGnostic, since many groups fly below the radar and do not take out banner ads in the local papers annoucing their presence (or intentions). Many of the "usual suspects" like Jehovah Witnesses, Scientologists, etc are known to be in any one community, but others like Urantia are sort of like "fly under the radar" groups. I know that the LDS (Mormons) are in most areas, but I no longer believe they fall under the strict "Rick Ross Guide" for cults but are instead "questionable religions".

Most every community has Yogi instructors...how many are cultict by nature? What about Raelians ?[forum.culteducation.com] What about Cryogenics? see: [forum.culteducation.com]

I would LOVE to have an alarm go off anytime a cult or abusive group entered my community, but until Rick Ross invents one, we have only ourselves to be vigiliant against this mental tyranny.

Thanks for your thoughts Sparky, I think I knew what I was suggesting was unreasonable when I wrote it, but I think it is a good thing to think about. The condition of the individual as well as the community they come from is quite an significant factor in how people get sucked into cults.

I was also inspired by Anonymous vs. Scientology which I see as mostly being the community (in several places) taking action against a dangerous cult and I wonder if that action can be replicated to deal with other groups.

Freedom of Religion needs to be able individual (or to a degree family) freedom of religion instead of it being used to tell outsiders to go mind their business as it so often gets done. When we see someone being attacked in a community for their believes while the people who are attacking them are claiming freedom of religion. It has to have limits.

Would it be possible to organize the groups that are discussed here into a community reference? Perhaps that is irrelevant now with the internet but just a thought.

It is also very difficult because many professional individuals, such as therapists, can be heavily involved in LGAT groups and not bother to be up front with their clients. My naturopathic physician was heavily involved in Landmark Education and it wasn't until I actually went to the Forum did I realize that he had been running a "mini-Landmark" on me.

I found later on that Landmark is very active at Bastyr Naturopathic College. Doesn't mean that all grads there are involved, but it would be something to ask if you seek this kind of practitioner.

Some of the schools, again, the naturopathic school at the Univ. of Bridgeport in Connecticut, are run by members of the Moonies, even though Rev. Moon no longer claims to be involved in UB.

Communities like Sedona, Arizona are known to attract many dubious individuals and organizations.

I've been finding copies of the Epoch Times in my supermarket. Someone in the area is leaving them, though that doesn't necessarily mean that Falun Dafa has set up shop anywhere nearby.

Some of the libraries in my part of the state have offered meditation classes run by volunteers of a particular guru (her name escapes me).

I think this all means that "cults" are everywhere. Members/volunteers move through, some stay, some don't. They're not going to advertise, like Sparky said, but fly under the radar.

Thanks Hope for the story about your Naturapath, scary stuff. I am yet to look into the LGAT stuff yet, it is really disturbing my Dad seems to be involve in one through his wife, yet I don't think I can do much about it. I can't get him to do anything or listen about anything.

I read a good book a few months ago by Christ Hedges called "I don't believe in Atheists", I think it is now being published under the title of the Americas New Fascists. He has a good philosophy hat it is not the Muslim extremist, Christian extremist that we have to worry about, but the Fundamentalist or Fanatic Mindset itself that we need to be concerned with. Perhaps this is the idea that anyone of any background can truly comprehend what is going on. Most importantly the problem is people thinking that their way is the right way and the only way.

He also wrote a book called American Fascist about the Christian Fundamentalism in the United States. I haven't read it yet but it looks good.

There can be some good stuff in the Epoch times however there can also be some questionable material. I think it is important to not just reaction against cults or questionable groups because that would just be another form of Fanaticism, but to deal with the nuances of life and existence.

My most recent experience with this stems from looking at some of the more out there theories of Egyptian history. For me without a doubt their conclusions are way off. This subject matter probably attracts some questionable characters. However by looking at the data behind these ideas we might find something valuable. For me to really understand one extreme we must look at the other extreme. that other extreme in this case is the way that classical studies people do things. Classical studies is probably the most conservative discipline I have ever came across. New I ideas don't have to go through a lot to even be considered. The truth exists somewhere between and outside the extremes.

Active, vibrant and involved communities are what we need. Discussion helps too.