------------------------------------------------------------------- F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Incorporated) a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library 601 16th St. #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80401 USA BBS 303 530-1942 FAX 303 530-2950 Office 303 473-0111 This document is part of an electronic lending library and preservational electronic archive. F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ===================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Britain: Public Queries on Cults From FAIR NEWS (Family Action, Information, and Rescue), London, Autumn 1991 During the past year the FAIR office received 1700 letters and 1200 telephone calls to which should be added 250 calls taken by the Cult Helpline. Communications dealt with in the office concerned 148 different cult and fringe groups. The 'Top Ten' (referring to the number of inquiries) are as follows: Scientology, Unification Church, Central London Church of Christ [an offshoot of the Church of Christ/Crossroads movement in the U. S.], Children of God, Jehovah's Witnesses, Emin, Sahaja Yoga, funda-mentalist groups, TM, and the Jesus Army. Among the runners-up: School of Economic Science, Worldwide Church of God, Satanism, and Nichiren Shoshu. Twenty-four groups were completely new to FAIR, and not listed in the figures above are 20 inquiries about unidentified groups. 2 Britain: Central London Church of Christ The Central London Church of Christ, also known as the Birmingham Church of Christ, Manchester Christian Church, and North (and South) London Christian Fellowship, is recruiting heavily in many parts of the country. Particularly targeted are students, foreign au pair girls, holiday makers, and young people from ethnic minorities. Despite the much publicized fact that London and Birmingham universities have closed their doors to the CLCC, the same has not happened in Liverpool. In fact, in August, for the third year running, the university, of all places, provided a venue for the CLCC annual assembly. The university defended its decision to host the assembly again by stating, "We understand that, as last year, the conference is for members and will not be involved in recruiting." The statement sounds unconvincing to those who have had dealings with the CLCC. The Daily Telegraph (Aug. 8) quotes Dr. Elizabeth Tylden, a consultant psychiatrist, who has treated former recruits, "It is a frightfully authoritarian cult. They go on and on and on about sinfulness and eternal damnation. It's absolutely disastrous for students. They fail their examinations and get terribly muddled about their aims and goals." Graham Baldwin, a former London University chaplain, said CLCC members infiltrated Christian student groups, and some had changed their names after adverse publicity. Whether or not members were recruiting while the conference was in progress, the Liverpool authorities ought to have known that they were lending respectability to an organization that might have a bad influence on their own students in the coming academic year. 3 Britain: Hare Krishnas The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which already runs social services clinics for members in England and India, plans to establish counseling networks and is researching the feasibility of old-age pension plans and health insurance. A row in the administration of Bolden Comprehensive school, South Tyneside has erupted over Hare Krishna visitors teaching their faith to 13- and 14-year-old pupils at the public school. The Krishnas appeared as part of a program on other religions instead of the invited Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist representatives. The PTA feared the program would include Moonies or Satanists next and that parents might withdraw their children from religious assemblies. 4 Britain: Cathexis Clone Refused Registration A psychotherapy clinic in Birmingham using Cathexis treatment methods, developed in the U.S., has been refused registration by the city council. The decision came after Health Minister Mrs. Virginia Bottomly expressed "disquiet" over Cathexis clinical practices which included having women stand in corners for long periods, forbidding patients to speak to anyone except through therapists, withholding personal mail, and patients taking on their therapists' surnames. (From "Council Refuses to Support Clinic," Birmingham Evening Mail, 11/28/91.) 5 Britain: TM-Associated Physicians Expelled Two British physicians in October were found guilty of serious professional misconduct in connection with their treatment of HIV-positive patients with Maharishi herbal products and Tran-scendental Meditation. The General Medi-cal Council's Professional Conduct Com-mittee has directed that the names of Dr. R. A. Chalmers and Dr. L. J. K. Davis be erased from the medical register by Nov. 22 unless they appeal. The committee did not fault the physicians for employing TM methods but for dealing at all with HIV without sufficient knowledge, training, or experience with AIDS and HIV. The committee criticized the doctors for providing, for a fee, Maharishi Ayur-Veda treatment without clinical trials of the therapies to justify their use. The doctors were also faulted for acquiescing in the publication of articles in the non-medical press promoting the utility of other TM products to reverse the aging process and suggesting that patients stop using modern medicine." (Cult Observer Report, 1/8/92.) 6 Norway: Scientology's "Immoral Methods" From "Legal Loss for Scientology in Norway," by John Einar Sandvand, Vart Land (Oslo), 10/29/91. The Norwegian Church of Scientology was recently ordered by an Oslo civil court to return $20,000 to the estate of a woman who spent the money for the organization's courses and associated materials during a several-month involvement with the group, which the judge said used immoral methods to physically and emotionally exhaust her. Mrs. Marion Lem, who died in 1988, decided shortly after her initial involvement with Scientology began to sue the cult, and her son continued the suit on her behalf. City Court Judge Vigdis Berg wrote in her decision that it is "morally improper for Scientology, which has a distinctive commercial aspect," to recruit people as members and have them pay money to it in the manner exemplified by Mrs. Lem's case. The 60-year-old woman, divorced and lonely, who had earlier in life received psychiatric treatment, was looking for help with her problems. In all, she borrowed $14,000 from a bank to help pay for the Scientology basic Communication Course, the group's "Purification Run Down," and 137 hours of auditing [counseling]. Judge Berg found that Mrs. Lem was physically and psychologically exhausted after the Purification Run Down, and that her payment of money to the cult had taken place after improper pressure, almost coercion, by the group. Major Victory The decision was the first of its kind in Norway. During the past two years, Scientology has settled a number of repayment claims out of court, but has consistently failed to fulfill its agreements. The Norwegian support group for ex-Scientologists, SOS Norway, described the decision as a major victory in its fight against the organization. Scientology says that SOS Norway is an anti-religious group that used the case to foment gossip and harm a religion that has enabled millions of people to live a better life. 7 Denmark: Conference on Cults [Dr. Johannes Aagaard] The Institute of Missiology and Ecumenical Theology of the University of Aarhus mounted a conference in December which included seminars, led by experts from a number of European countries, on Satanism, the cult scene in Eastern Europe, and children in new religious movements. Organizers of the annual convocation included Dr. Johannes Aagaard, a member of the Aarhus theology faculty and convener of the Dialogue Center, a major European research organization on new religions. (Cult Observer Report, 1/4/92.) 8 France: Sahaja Yoga Children Removed A judge in Montpelier, France, last July, acting under a law which permits intervention "if educational conditions gravely compromise morals, health and safety of a child," gave an uncle and aunt temporary six-month custody of two children living at a Sahaja Yoga ashram in Rome. Their mother allegedly did not visit them during the three months they were at the school, and both made such statements as, "I don't want to meditate." The aunt and uncle reported that the youngest children at the school sleep six to seven in a bed, and "the little ones are indoctrinated. They have to sit in front of a photo of Mataji for an hour, starting at 6:00 a.m. They learn to chant to the glory of the guru. In the afternoon they see videos of the 'divine' lady's travels." Earlier in the year, a pair of French grandparents achieved the return of their grandson from a Sahaja Yoga boarding school in the Himalayas. (FAIR] NEWS, [London], Autumn, 1991, 9-10.) 9 Australia: "Secret Cult" The School of Economic Science, subject of the book Secret Cult, by British journalists Peter Hounam and Andrew Hogg, is now offering courses in Perth under the name School of Philosophy. (Take A Closer Look [Concerned Christian Growth Ministries, Perth], 9/91, 6-7.) 10 West Australia: Scientology vs. Cult Education Scientology reacted strongly last fall to the announcement of a cult education conference in West Australia -- presented by the Freedom in Christ organization -- with a press release headlined, "Anti-Religious Movements, Contemporary Terrorism, Kidnapping, and Psychiatric Brutality." Scientology accused organizer Jan Groeveld of promoting "depersonalization -- an often brutal brain-washing technique of kidnapping, sleep deprivation, and psychological violence in an attempt to dissuade an individual from their [sic] chosen religious belief." (Take a Closer Look [Concerned Christian Growth Ministries, Perth], 9/91, 9.) ================================================================= If this is a copyrighted work, you are acknowledging by receipt of this document from FACTNet that on the basis of reasonable investigation, you have not been to obtain a copy elsewhere at a fair price, and that you are and will abide by the following copyright warning. WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS: The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photo copies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified by law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." 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For additional verification see image files contained in the file with same name and .ZIP extension. UPDATED ON: UPDATED BY: F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Incorporated) a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library 601 16th St. #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80401 USA BBS 303 530-1942 FAX 303 530-2950 Office 303 473-0111 This document is part of an electronic lending library. F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------- CARD CATALOG ENTRY DOS FILENAME OF TEXT FILE: CO0192AC.TXT DOS FILENAME OF IMAGE FILES: none ADMINISTRATIVE CODE: OK SECURITY CODE: SCO DISTRIBUTION CODE: RO DESCRIPTION FOR BBS FILE LISTING: The Cult Observer Vol. 9. No. 1, 1992. SORT TO: AFF CONTRIBUTOR: American Family Foundation (AFF) LOCATION OF ORIGINAL: American Family Foundation (AFF) NOTES: Back issues and selected reprints of the Cultic Studies Journal are available from the American Family Foundation, P.O. Box 2265, Bonita Springs, FL 33959-2265. FOREIGN STORIES: | 1 Britain: Public Queries on Cults | 2 Britain: Central London Church | of Christ | 3 Britain: Hare Krishnas | 4 Britain: Cathexis Clone Refused | Registration | 5 Britain: TM-Associated Physicians | Expelled | 6 Norway: Scientology's "Immoral Methods" | 7 Denmark: Conference on Cults | [Dr. Johannes Aagaard] | 8 France: Sahaja Yoga Children Removed | 9 Australia: "Secret Cult" | 10 West Australia: Scientology vs. | Cult Education For additional verification see the contributor of the document. UPDATED ON: 8/31/94 UPDATED BY: FrJMc =================================================================