Coates, Dominiek D. “Life Inside A Deviant “Religious” Group: Conformity and Commitment as Ensured Through 'Brainwashing' or as the Result of Normal Processes of Socialisation” (International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice 44, no. 1 (2016): 103-121).
Coates article discusses ‘brainwashing’ within NRMs and echoes analyses by Olson, Richardson and Van Driel, and Immergut to show that the terms ‘cult’ and ‘NRM’ elicit different responses from the public. Coates argues that ‘cult’ conjures images of brainwashing which Coates describes as “dependency inducing practices” (103). Although the data is based on surveys with former members of unnamed Australian NRMs, the characteristics of NRMs seem to be consistent over geographic regions. Like Wessinger,
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Dawson aims to dispel media promoted myths about ‘cults’ by synthesizing research on NRMs because he believes sensationalist media reporting on violent NRMs creates misinformation. Like Saliba, Dawson argues that we need to look at the history of religion in America, the difference in NRMs, the facts about each group (not theological legitimacy), and their place in American society to understand why and how they exist and how we need to approach them. Dawson also calls for interdisciplinary case studies to understand the paths between social and theological aspects of NRMs. Dawson’s chapter “Why Do Some New Religious Movements Become Violent” argues that apocalyptic beliefs, charismatic leadership, and isolation from the outside world are large factors in NRM violence. Unlike Kaplan, Dawson believes that PT, BD, and HG were unique example of ‘cult’ violence, but also adds that thorough analysis will allow us to understand outside reasons for their violence, including “group-think” exhibited by the FBI agents at Waco …show more content…
After discussing histories of NRMs and media’s role in NRM violence, Creswell’s advises us on methods to approach NRMs to avoid future violence. In his introduction, Wilson says that NRMs “can devote resources and encourage participation, and exploit…creativity more effectively than settled Churches”, a more plausible explanation for ‘cult’ membership than ‘brainwashing’ (7). Like Richardson, Van Driel, and Olson, Wilson argues that “journalistic interests demand controversial issues which plays into the hands of committed anti-cultists” (101). For this first time in the bibliography, an author claims that anti-cult movements have been weakened by legal rulings and media’s lack of trust. Cresswell, Wilson, and their authors demonstrate that anti-cult elimination is a large step toward seeing NRMs as religious groups instead of threats to American society. This should be followed by reliance on sociological, historical, and theological
Nissimi, Hilda . "Religious Conversion, Covert Defiance and Social Identity: A Comparative View." Numen, 2004: 367-406.
Moore does not devote much of his attention to religious ideas. Instead, he examines several different instances of the blending of the sacred and the profane in popular American culture. Moore narrates the direct and indirect effects of the public display of religion for both sacreds and seculars. History, lifestyle, work, education, government, music, sporting events, marketplace, literature, and womanhood influence people. He also brings up how religion can influence racial militancy and terrorism that threaten equality, domestic security, and national identity.
In his essay, Rodriguez believes that the diplomatic affairs we see on the evening news are merely being disguised as a religious war. The fight over oil or land when in reality it is the fight between whose side God is on, the attacks under the control of Al Qaeda when perhaps it’s the greed for power or world domination. According to Richard, these religious wars are allowing terrorism to become prevalent; often times within the same culture (147).
Before we get to the cases, I want to provide some background on our author, Mark Juergensmeyer. He currently is a professor of sociology and the Director of Global and International Studies at the University of California. He is also accountable for writing several other books such as The New Cold War? Religious Nationa...
Bloody rituals and moonlit sacrifices define a cult. As long as religion exists, cults also exist. Initiation involves feats of courage and skill and often results in fatality. Once they complete their initiation they gain the status of an official member. Members advance in rank by following the regulations and being faithful to their deity. New recruits rank lowest and the priest or prophet are the highest ranking members; climbing through the ranks takes years. Judith Lorber, the author of “Believing Is Seeing: Biology as Ideology,” assists in understanding the ideas presented in Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber’s article “The Spread of the Cult of Thinness…” ; society gives “cult” members body expectations they must follow for them to secure their places in the “cult” of thinness, or society rejects them.
Cults have existed throughout history since the beginning of time. A cult is defined in Webster’s dictionary as a “system of religious worship with a devoted attachment to a person, principle, etc.” Over the past thirty years numerous religious cults have caused “ tens of thousands to abandon their families, friends, education’s, and careers to follow the teaching of a leader they will never meet”(Beck 78).
After reading the article “The Man Who Saves You From Yourself” by Nathaniel Rich, I found that what he wrote about New Religious Movements was completely wrong and was not what these New Religious Movements were about. New Religious Movements are mostly about love and they want to build a community with peace and love and try to make a society that can help promote the idea of peace. He even starts out stating that these are all cults. The first thing he writes in his article is that “No one joins a cult.” (Rich, 35) This is true but not true because no one would join something called a cult because of the negative connotation that it brings. They’re really nothing called a cult; they are a new religious movement. They mostly want people to believe what they preach which is not cult-like at all. The term cult comes from people who want to hurt all the religion that is recent that isn’t like the traditional Judeo-Christian religions. He helps enforces this stereotype about New Religion Movements. Nathaniel Rich makes them look like they are all horrible groups that can trap people and try to scam them and make up a lot of horrible things to make them look like what the New Religious Members beliefs are wrong. He makes them look like all they will do is hurt the recruit and their families by taking them away. He only talks about a few New Religious Movements that has done horrible things and says that all of these types of movement will all do this. Rich gives a lot of example of what he thinks is true but they have been actual proven facts that can prove what he says wrong and why he is wrong.
Cults can be bad influences in several different ways. This article is about real facts of why cults make society a much worse place.
Fine lines proceed to subsequently blur the separation between a religion and a cult. Throughout history, the label cult has consistently succeeded in disparaging numerous religions including Christianity. To bring a standstill to the confusion amidst all personages, the narrow slash between these two matters need to be entirely divulged and established. Distinctions separating a religion and a cult are elucidated primarily by their treatment of individuals and relations. Variances can be seen through examples of behaviors, the “Moonies” cult, and the works of the Christian religion.
Introduction Individuals often yield to conformity when they are forced to discard their individual freedom in order to benefit the larger group. Despite the fact that it is important to obey the authority, obeying the authority can sometimes be hazardous, especially when morals and autonomous thought are suppressed to an extent that the other person is harmed. Obedience usually involves doing what a rule or a person tells you to, but negative consequences can result from displaying obedience to authority; for example, the people who obeyed the orders of Adolph Hitler ended up killing innocent people during the Holocaust. In the same way, Stanley Milgram noted in his article ‘Perils of Obedience’ of how individuals obeyed authority and neglected their conscience, reflecting how this can be destructive in real life experiences. On the contrary, Diana Baumrind pointed out in her article ‘Review of Stanley Milgram’s Experiments on Obedience’ that the experiments were not valid, hence useless.
"Sociological Theories To Explain Deviance." Sociological Theories To Explain Deviance. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. .
Society strives to feel a sense of belonging. We want to be a part of something that shares the same beliefs as us. We spend our time trying to place ourselves in a group to satisfy these needs, whether it is in a hobby club, a group of friends, or religion. Some people go to more extreme measures and find this in what we call a cult. According to Henslin, a cult is a new or different religion whose teachings and practices put it at odds with the dominant culture and religion. (2013:405) Cults are often identified with the ideas of mass murder, deviant behaviors, unusual beliefs, and extremely devoted members. Cults are also highly known for their leaders. The leaders of cults usually are the ones that portray the image for the entire group. Successful cults take a strong-minded and, according to Max Weber, charismatic leader.
Lifton, R., foreword, Cults In Our Midst, by Margaret Thaler Singer & Lalich (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995).
Religious Fundamentalism is not a modern phenomenon, although, it has received a rise in the late twentieth century. It occurs differently in different parts of the world but arises in societies that are deeply troubled or going through a crisis (Heywood, 2012, p. 282). The rise in Religious Fundamentalism can be linked to the secularization thesis, which implies that victory of reason over religion follows modernization. Also, the moral protest of faiths such as Islam and Christianity can be linked to the rise of Religious Fundamentalism, as they protest the influence of corruption and pretence that infiltrate their beliefs from the spread of secularization (Heywood, 2012, p. 283). Religious Fundamentalists have followed a traditional political thought process, yet, have embraced a militant style of activity which often can turn violent (Heywood, 2012, p. 291).
Hayes, T. A. 2010. Labelling and the Adoption of a Deviant Status. Deviant Behaviour, 31 (3), pp. 282-297.