QuoteGreg SlidelGaRbAgE pff
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi Bluewater2, There's lots and lots of small, cult-like groups out there that have just not yet been encountered by people who recognize them for what they are - - until someone like you comes along. I suggest that you proceed to educate yourself about "cults" as far as you can (read good sites like this one, and maybe some of the recommended books), and armed with that knowleg
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Quotebond_orangethat I'm trying to pull my wife out of it :-( any help ill be appretiated, I'm located in Israel, so I'm trying to find a "local rick ross", although it seems that the anti cult options are not popular here. These exit counselors (like Rick Ross) are known to be willing to take a ride on an airplane to wherever the job is, but yeah, it costs more to g
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

To my knowledge, there is no proof or, even, good evidence, to support to the idea that schizophrenia is caused by spirits. It is a brain condition. The "unsafe" group I am researching right now appears to believe in schizophrenia as being caused by spirits. They also believe in other medically-unsound stuff, some of which IS provable as being wrong, such as Multiple Personality Diso
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteKeirMy feeling is that those sites that attack Rick Ross are put up by questionible groups who are threaten by what this site (and other cult watch sites) has documented and said about them. ...That plus, his being the pointman for a bunch of successful interventions would have to piss off group leaders and loyal members. Cult leaders have to be personally hating his guts by now.
Forum: Hate Groups

QuoteColdnosesandfluffytailsAre you repelled and appalled by smug, patronzing, know-it-all atheists; equally appalled and repelled by the intolerant, hypocritical religious orthodox; and particularly repelled and appalled by self-syled "more spiritual than thou," credulous, passive-aggressive New Agers who are just as guilty of being smug, judgemental and condemnatory as the two previou
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

Here is how this went. Short story: $75.00 plus $25.00 for shipping, only requests to US addresses are accepted. Long story for anyone who wants to do something like this in the future: After I emailed the normal department I found on their website, cbsstore@ordering.com, I got this re
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuoteLardlad What I see in many Americans who become Muslims is the "convert zeal" that you see with many people who convert to any religion or sect? I think this is probably what you're seeing in your friend. There's a lot of Xenophobia regarding Arabs and Muslims in the US at the moment which can cause a minor thing like this to be overblown. That does not sound like
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hi jsllim, If you're are staff or faculty at this high school (sounds like you are from the context), you might consider acquiring the DVD referenced here: , and making a presentation out of it for the students who were exposed to the scientologist. Setting the scientology exposure in this incident aside, I have that DVD and I think that it would be an excellent presentation to show
Forum: Destructive Churches

From his website, regarding a book he is trying to sell named "The Eye of the I" (): "• The scientific minded reader will be pleased in that for the first time a cogent and verifiable means of verification of spiritual reality is provided by means of an 'objective' reduplicable method of measurement based on physiologically derived clinical evidence." Um. Sh
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

One voice of dissent on Wikipedia: it has been accurate on the subjects I read there that I am already knowledgeable about. I don't distrust it as much as some of the people here seem to. I would still say that it is important to keep in mind that the information does not have a verified origin, and shouldn't be taken as fact for something important without additional verification.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

That website doesn't exist anymore. I guess they got bored and went to eat some Twinkies instead of play with their HTML editor.
Forum: Hate Groups

Quoterrmoderator There is a DVD available. See I have this DVD and it is wonderful. It should be standard issue for senior high schools, with all graduates required to watch it right before graduation. Can you imagine how many kids and their families would be spared the whole cult involvement experience if the kids just saw that presentation before going to college. I'm not just sayi
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

Okay so, to clarify, would it be correct to say that shake-ups in these kinds of groups do not typcially happen at the group's peak strength times, in terms of membership numbers and apparrent cohesiveness?
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

Is there a typical length of time that group members tend to remain in the small (10 - 20 followers), religious-type groups that employ a pyramid authority structure and an enlightened-leader type of guy at the top? Are sudden membership turnovers and schisms common in groups this size? Or, is it even possible to generalize this kind of question this way?
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

I don't see a subforum that matches this topic well, so I tried to pick what might be closest. I was following some links on this site, and I came upon this: I would love to get my hands on a copy of that 48 hours broadcast. Anyone got any ideas on if its available anywhere, or where to look?
Forum: Destructive Churches

This is an old thread and I have the feeling the original poster may not be watching it, but for the record I'm posting this URL: Some months ago there was a post visible in one of the NCCG-run MSN Groups messageboards where an internet-involved individual declared the group to be a cult, of their own accord, and said they were leaving. I cannot locate the post now.
Forum: Destructive Churches

The cultyness (if I may coin a new word) of UPCI seems to vary between different churches, and it can even depend on which pastor is in charge during the specific period of time in question. The one I dealt with, when examined as an individual unit and not part of a larger UPCI organization, appeared to me to be within the realm of "unsafe group", "cult", or what have you.
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuoteWorried_DadOne thesis is that cultism is a emergent phenomenon that can more or less spontaneously happen in any passionate, idealistic social group organized around a central motivating force, which often happens to be a charismatic leader or leaders. Unless we have a different definition for "cults", the dynamics of the majority of cults seem to require, at least at some point
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I have been researching a potentially unsafe group for an extended period of time, and have written my results to-date on a website. I have made an effort to maintain a neutral tone in my content. The report currently does include some conclusions about the group, at least in summary form. The report's creation was complicated by the huge volume of writing created by the group's lead
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"