Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2003, Page 30
English translation:
...local opposition in the village and Info-Cult, an anti-cult organization from
Montreal, declared after September 28 that not only did the healers head ―a
secretive cult where brainwashing was carried out on vulnerable members,‖
but also that ―the unquestioning supporters represent the worst threat to hit
Quebec since the Order of the Solar Temple.‖
As indicated in his footnotes, Introvigne‘s analysis is based on one article, written in English
(Baker, 1995, September 24). However, as a result of obvious errors, he presents a
completely different version of the article, and consequently of Info-Cult‘s role. Aside from
the fact that Introvigne has the date wrong (the actual date of the article was September
24, 1995, not September 30th as he cites), he has made much more serious errors that
distort and misrepresent Info-Cult‘s role. The pertinent sections of the article actually read
as follows:
But skeptics warn that the couple are really running a secretive cult where
they have brainwashed vulnerable members with phony promises of cures,
bilked them of their savings and had them prepare for the end of the world by
stockpiling food and weapons. ―We have a very serious situation here,‖ said
Pierre Rochette, a singer and former Val-David town councillor, who added
that the couple‘s solid core of unquestioning supporters represents the worst
cult threat to hit Quebec since the Order of the Solar Temple. (p. A1)
Baker continues:
Rochette, who estimates the couple‘s clientele at anywhere from 100 to 300
people, has teamed up with Yves Casgrain, a former research director at
Montreal’s Info-Cult [author‘s bold] organization, in a bid to expose the
couple‘s practices. (p. A1)
Casgrain and Rochette‘s position vis-a-vis the ―médecins du ciel‖ was reported in several
newspaper articles (Baker, G., 1995, 29 September Deslauriers, D., 1995, 9 septembre
Lamarche, C., 1995, 7 septembre). Casgrain, however, was speaking as an individual, not
as a representative of Info-Cult, which is the impression that Introvigne gives. This might
seem minor, but would Introvigne want the opinions of his former employees to be
attributed to CESNUR, an organization that he directs?
Hexham’s article on the anti-cult movement in Canada.
Another example involving Info-Cult can be found in Irving Hexham‘s article, ―New Religions
and the Anticult Movement in Canada‖ (2001). Hexham‘s article refers to anticult groups
formed after 1977, saying, ―...today only the Montreal group, which is supported by the
local Jewish community, continues to exist‖ (p. 284-285). As mentioned earlier, Info-Cult
became an independent organization in 1990—11 years before Hexham‘s article—and has
not received funding from the Jewish Community since that time. Moreover, information
about Info-Cult‘s funding sources is available on Info-Cult‘s website:
http://www.math.mcgill.ca/triples/infocult/ic-e2.html or by calling Info-Cult‘s office.
Hexham‘s article further reinforces an inaccurate view of the so-called anti-cult movement,
particularly as it applies to Info-Cult. In the section entitled ―The Canadian Anticult Craze
1979-1982,‖ he writes:
From 1977 onwards various parent‘s groups, often encouraged by university
chaplains, formed across Canada to promote deprogramming and encourage
legislators to pass restrictive laws against religious conversion. (p. 284)
English translation:
...local opposition in the village and Info-Cult, an anti-cult organization from
Montreal, declared after September 28 that not only did the healers head ―a
secretive cult where brainwashing was carried out on vulnerable members,‖
but also that ―the unquestioning supporters represent the worst threat to hit
Quebec since the Order of the Solar Temple.‖
As indicated in his footnotes, Introvigne‘s analysis is based on one article, written in English
(Baker, 1995, September 24). However, as a result of obvious errors, he presents a
completely different version of the article, and consequently of Info-Cult‘s role. Aside from
the fact that Introvigne has the date wrong (the actual date of the article was September
24, 1995, not September 30th as he cites), he has made much more serious errors that
distort and misrepresent Info-Cult‘s role. The pertinent sections of the article actually read
as follows:
But skeptics warn that the couple are really running a secretive cult where
they have brainwashed vulnerable members with phony promises of cures,
bilked them of their savings and had them prepare for the end of the world by
stockpiling food and weapons. ―We have a very serious situation here,‖ said
Pierre Rochette, a singer and former Val-David town councillor, who added
that the couple‘s solid core of unquestioning supporters represents the worst
cult threat to hit Quebec since the Order of the Solar Temple. (p. A1)
Baker continues:
Rochette, who estimates the couple‘s clientele at anywhere from 100 to 300
people, has teamed up with Yves Casgrain, a former research director at
Montreal’s Info-Cult [author‘s bold] organization, in a bid to expose the
couple‘s practices. (p. A1)
Casgrain and Rochette‘s position vis-a-vis the ―médecins du ciel‖ was reported in several
newspaper articles (Baker, G., 1995, 29 September Deslauriers, D., 1995, 9 septembre
Lamarche, C., 1995, 7 septembre). Casgrain, however, was speaking as an individual, not
as a representative of Info-Cult, which is the impression that Introvigne gives. This might
seem minor, but would Introvigne want the opinions of his former employees to be
attributed to CESNUR, an organization that he directs?
Hexham’s article on the anti-cult movement in Canada.
Another example involving Info-Cult can be found in Irving Hexham‘s article, ―New Religions
and the Anticult Movement in Canada‖ (2001). Hexham‘s article refers to anticult groups
formed after 1977, saying, ―...today only the Montreal group, which is supported by the
local Jewish community, continues to exist‖ (p. 284-285). As mentioned earlier, Info-Cult
became an independent organization in 1990—11 years before Hexham‘s article—and has
not received funding from the Jewish Community since that time. Moreover, information
about Info-Cult‘s funding sources is available on Info-Cult‘s website:
http://www.math.mcgill.ca/triples/infocult/ic-e2.html or by calling Info-Cult‘s office.
Hexham‘s article further reinforces an inaccurate view of the so-called anti-cult movement,
particularly as it applies to Info-Cult. In the section entitled ―The Canadian Anticult Craze
1979-1982,‖ he writes:
From 1977 onwards various parent‘s groups, often encouraged by university
chaplains, formed across Canada to promote deprogramming and encourage
legislators to pass restrictive laws against religious conversion. (p. 284)
