------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Cults Active in Spain [Injuve] Cult Membership Estimated According to a recent study by Injuve (the Youth Institute), more than 75,000 persons under the age of 29 belong to dangerous cults in Spain. About 200,000 have been members at one time or another, and it is estimated that 1.5 million are at risk of becoming involved due to emotional vulnerability. (Aviu, 2/5/91) 2 Edelweiss Leader Sentenced [Eduardo Gonzalez Arenas] Eduardo Gonzalez Arenas - "Eddie" - leader of Edel-weiss, was sentenced late last year to 168 years in prison on 28 counts of corruption of minors. He will be required to serve only 18 years, however, and his attorney claims that he will be free in three. Arenas' two top advisors were sentenced to 58 years each. (La Vanguardia, 23/10/91) 3 Quicker Justice Asked for Cult Cases [Eduardo Arenas] An editorial in Infosect (No. 14, 1991), published by Asociacion Pro Juventud, the main grass-roots cult education group in Spain, denounced the slow pace of legal proceedings against Edelweiss leader Gonzalez Arenas. Only seven years after the sect was dispersed did the court hear more than 40 witnesses testify to the sexual abuse of their children while in the group. During that time, the editorial laments, Gonzalez Arenas continued to work in a business, despite a swindling conviction in 1971 and a scandal over his activities in 1976. The same treatment was given to CEIS cult leader Vincente Lapiedra, whose case was prosecuted six years after the first accusations and who, in the meantime, has started another cult in Valencia. Infosect called for the prosecution of cults under criminal statutes rather than civil ones in order to speed up the legal process. 4 Children of God Business Los Ni–os de Dios (Children of God) profits from the sale of videos, tapes, and posters in the first four months of 1990 were more than 32 million pesetas. It has been established that the Ni–os de Dios is well organized and works like a multinational corporation. (El Pais, 10/23/91) 5 El Patriarca [Danielle Valentin] Danielle Valentin, a 17-year-old Swiss girl, has charged an alcoholic treatment center under the control of El Patriarca with rape. She claims she was also forced to work 10 hours per day under threats of being undressed and having her food rationed. And a 23-year-old man from Madrid has charged El Patriarca with illegal confinement (Avui, 3/25/91 and 4/11/91). Three Spanish members of El Patriarca were detained in Tampico, Mexico, after being charged with abuse of people at their drug addiction center. (La Vanguardia, 4/20/91) 6 France: Media Look at Scientology Scientology in April failed to get a court order to block the airing of the TV program "Empire of the Cults," featured on the weekly "March of the Century." Scientology argued that the program had been filmed at its headquarters with a hidden camera (although faces and voices were rendered unrecognizable). The reporter had posed as an interested customer, took several tests, and then underwent a course of "auditing" on the E-meter, a lie detector-like instrument. Told she was not improving and needed to take more, expensive courses - she had by then spent several thousand dollars, presumably paid by the network- she stopped there. Ex-Scientologists testified on the program about their horrifying experiences. A young doctor told how he spent all of his money and took out bank loans as well to pay for Scientology courses. He even went to Scientology's international headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. He subsequently spent 25 days and nights in his car in front of the Scientology headquarters in Paris, on a hunger strike, hoping to get his money back, as far as we know without success. The former president of Scientology in France, Daniele Gounord, was interviewed and called the program all lies. The moderator asked her if Scientology, being a church, as she maintained, was a public place. Of course it was, she said, which is just what the interviewer hoped she would say, for it meant that the reporter's investigation had not been the invasion of privacy Scientology claimed it was. The reviewer for LeMonde, writing about the expose, concurred that the many cults operating in France caused serious problems, but he also noted that legal action against them was difficult and even unadvisable because of the necessary protection of religious groups in French society. (From Emmanuele Kaufmann in Paris) 7 Germany: Family Group Honors Late Chairman The Munich-based Elterninitiative, a leading German group in helping cult-involved families, announced earlier this year that Rev. Wolfgang Behnk, of the Lutheran Church, has succeeded the late Pastor Friedrich Wilhelm Haack, the original chairman of the Elterninitiative and one of the most prolific writers on cultism in the world. The Elterninitiative will publish a book of Rev. Friedrich Wilhelm Haack's annual Christmas letters to honor his memory. The Elterninitiative is asking donors to support the project. They expect the book to cost DM 10 (about $6.00). (Cult Obeserver Report) 8 Switzerland: Moonies Sue for Defamation Leaders of the Swiss branch of the Unification Church initiated a defamation suit against a journalist and the president of a Swiss organization working against destructive cults. Church counsel argued that passages cited by the defense from the written works of the Rev. Mr. Moon were invalid because they had been poorly translated from the original Korean into English (by a Korean college professor, a woman who was one of his first disciples). The Swiss Moonies did not want accepted as evidence in the case statements from "Master Speaks" or the "Divine Principle" published prior to 1976. (If this objection is valid, it means that, other than Koreans, most Moonies have understood nothing about the doctrines to which they were converted!) As Corinne Jacquet said in "La Suisse" (9/28/91), "Why haven't they said anything before about this?" (From "Bulles" [No. 33, 1992, 27], a publication of the French cult awareness organization ADFI, Association for Defence of the Family and the Individual) 9 Australia: COG Children Taken into Custody, Released The Victoria, Australia Supreme Court in May ordered the release of 56 children seized days earlier by police in dawn raids on houses of the Children of God (known also as the Family of Love) in Melbourne. Another 65 children seized in Sydney were also released. In March, an Australian who had left the cult and tried to get custody of his child, told a court that children in the group were forced to watch the adults have sex. The group became famous in the 1970s for proselytizing through sexual seduction. Many parents of COG members say the group relies on brainwashing and hypnotism to recruit and maintain followers. Reportedly active in some 70 countries, COG has an estimated 12,000 members worldwide, 1,000 in Australia. An attorney for some of the children's parents called the police action "legalized kidnapping" and "fascist lunacy." But the Community Services department, which initiated the custody action, defended it and expressed hope that the Children's Court magistrate's initial order would be reinstated. (The Sunday Times, London, 5/17/9; Herald Sun, Melbourne, 5/22/92/ 1-2) 10 The Dangers of Summer Travel [Unification Church] From an editorial in the FAIR News (London) Spring 1992, 1. The much-quoted slogan, "the world is a village," means that most parts of the globe have become accessible and can be reached very quickly, even by ordinary people, not just pioneers and explorers. Package holidays open up the most far-flung places. Health hazards are eliminated by vaccinations. Language courses, cheap flights, and offers of casual overseas jobs enable young people to take the opportunity to broaden horizons before settling down. Unfortunately, as many have learned to their cost, worldwide travel for the young has hazards other than tropical diseases or sunstroke, and not nearly enough is done to prepare them to avoid the other pitfalls. Again and again we hear slightly variant forms of the same sadly familiar story, familiar to us but devastatingly shocking and new for affected parents. Many of our readers can identify with this classic case: A young person's world travel spree is coming to its close. He is due to return in a week or so, shortly to continue or take up his studies. Instead, he telephones or writes that he is not coming back, that he has found some wonderful friends with great plans, and that joining up with them makes the loss of the place at university very unimportant. He sounds like a stranger and takes no notice of parental pleading. As this communication is likely to come from somewhere far away, such as America or Australia, perhaps even without disclosing the exact location, the parents in question find themselves in a nightmare situation, They are shattered and cannot understand how this could possibly happen to their family. Shock and almost unbearable frustration, a lack of information, and the instinctive reaction of keeping this bad dream from friends and neighbors combine to create tremendous stress and suffering. uddenly the idea of the world as a village becomes very sinister. After all, the cult the young person is caught up in can also reap the benefits of global accessibility. There seem to be cult centers and outposts everywhere, and members can be moved to strategic places like pawns on a vast chessboard. Under these circumstances, the world is suddenly huge again and there are no easy solutions. This story is not scaremongery. It happens all the time, and not just to our own young people. Overseas students and foreign au pair girls are just two categories of prime targets for cult recruiters in the U.K. And there are of course other countries' globe trotters. Many a young 'Aussie' or 'Kiwi' has been enlisted in London, and folk from former Eastern Bloc states fall for the bait of free travel offered to them mainly by the Unification Church. But there is a sign of hope for those affected: cult moni-toring organizations, which try to curb the influence of these groups, and assist families of involved members, are also to be found worldwide. In FAIR we are in touch with cult monitors in many countries, and it has been very helpful in a great number of cases by referring inquirers to contacts who are active in the area where their sons or daughters have been recruited. This international network is being strengthened and is gaining momentum. In many countries, the authorities recognize the need for cult monitoring. Abroad, some of FAIR's opposite numbers get substantial aid from the state, from churches, and/or city councils. This enables them to expand the work. The network of European contacts should benefit travelers to the conti-nent. In Germany, for example, most large towns have a cult advice center or a parents' 'initiative.' We are doing our best to maintain this world network. For example, FAIR NEWS has subscribers in 19 countries outside the U.K. But most important and most effective would be an increase in preparation for school leavers, students, and any young adults traveling abroad. Regular reminders from those in charge, in the form of blanket information, appear to be needed. Anybody with ideas on how this could be achieved with limited resources and limited staff, in fact how the task could also be taken on by other bodies responsible for and concerned with young people, please get in touch. We never get used to the heartbreak stories. Some of the stress rubs off in every case. The collective burden can weigh very heavily. Somehow, a system should be worked out for ALL young travelers to get adequate warning about the dubious methods of cult recruiting. It would be an ongoing but very worthwhile task, and it is urgent! FAIR , Family Action Information and Rescue, is the leading British cult education and referral organization. 11 Canada: Est-like Programs "Mind Cults Invade the Boardroom" reviews through recent case studies the psychological problems that can be caused to employees by personal transformation training programs sold to businesses by oranizations such as the derivatives of Werner Erhard's est. (Canadian Business, January 1992, 38-42) 12 TM School [Montreal] While the recession is being blamed by Transcendental Meditation officials for the failure thus far to develop the organization's "City of the Immortals" near Montreal, the group has opened a primary school for a handful of members' children at the Mount Shefford subdivision. The school, approved by the state and offering traditional secular subjects, also involves student meditation. (La Presse, Montreal, 3/9/92, A9) 13 Mounties' Cult Warning [Info Cult] The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has produced a public education brochure warning about the dangers of cult involvement and giving advice about how to avoid it.The brochure, in both English and French, lists "thought reform techniques" as well as resource organizations across Canada, including the Montreal-based Info Cult. (Cult Observer Report) ================================================================= 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. 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(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: CO0592AC.TXT DOS FILENAME OF IMAGE FILES: none ADMINISTRATIVE CODE: OK SECURITY CODE: SCO DISTRIBUTION CODE: RO DESCRIPTION FOR BBS FILE LISTING: The Cult Observer March 1993 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 Cults Active in Spain [Injuve] | 2 Edelweiss Leader Sentenced | [Eduardo Gonzalez Arenas] | 3 Quicker Justice Asked for | Cult Cases [Eduardo Arenas] | 4 Children of God Business | 5 El Patriarca [Danielle Valentin] | 6 France: Media Look at Scientology | 7 Germany: Family Group Honors | Late Chairman | 8 Switzerland: Moonies Sue for | Defamation | 9 Australia: COG Children Taken | into Custody, Released | 10 The Dangers of Summer Travel | [Unification Church] | 11 Canada: Est-like Programs | 12 TM School [Montreal] | 13 Mounties' Cult Warning [Info Cult] For additional verification see the contributor of the document. UPDATED ON: 8/24/94 UPDATED BY: FrJMc =================================================================