Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 3, Nos. 2 &3, 2004, Page 172
consultant to the Austrian government on cult matters, spoke to his own question:
―Does psychopathology lead to cult membership or do cults lead to psychopathology?‖
Professor Edzard Ernst, Director of Complimentary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School,
Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, in Britain, in turn asked: ―To what extent is
complimentary [alternative] medicine sectarian?‖ (Daphne Vane, FAIR NEWS, 1, 2004,
Internet)
Scientology
Fear Drug Lecture May Lead to Recruiting
Some residents of Markbeech, Kent, England, are concerned that an anti-drug lecture by a
person linked to Scientology may have been part of an attempt to recruit new members
for the group and its drug rehab program. Graeme Raeburn, a local man who is a vice-
president of the Royal College of Art Students‘ Union, said: ―The rehab involves complete
surrender to the controlling people so effectively they [the recruits] are handing over their
money and putting their complete belief into the Church of Scientology.‖ (Ian Read, This is
Kent, Internet, 4/30/04)
Unification Church
Former Member Rehabilitating
Robert Pardon, head of a Lakeville, MA, rehabilitation facility for former cult members, said
recently: ―We have one guy who came out of the Unification Church [who was] working
15 hours a day, seven days a week, living in a van doing fundraising. When he came here,
all that came to a crashing halt and he didn‘t know what to do with himself. It took almost
two months to get him settled down to where we could work with him.‖
Pardon and his psychologist wife are devout Christians, but say they don‘t promote their
beliefs. ―We try to give them [former members] tools to make decisions on their own,‖
unlike the groups they have been in. (Paul E. Kandarian, Boston Globe, Internet, 4/4/04)
Reaction Called Witch Hunt
While many of the Congressional attendees responded to adverse publicity by saying they
were misled about the event, a number of the invited religious leaders defended the Rev.
Moon’s coronation, saying it was not a bizarre ritual and calling news reports a media
―witch hunt.‖ Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, founder of an African-centered Catholic
church, said the ceremony for Moon and his wife was ―not to crown them as lords of any
temporal power, but to celebrate the spiritual role they play as religious leaders.‖ (Robert
Gehrke, Salt Lake Tribune, Internet, 7/1/04)
United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors
Suing Sheriff for Inaction in Abuse Case
Seven members of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors have sued Putnam County
(GA) Sheriff Howard Sills for not taking action in 1998 to deal with reported child abuse in
the group‘s rural compound despite intelligence about the abuse from the state Division of
Family and Children Services. Nuwaubian leader Dwight York was convicted of child
molestation and other charges earlier this year and sentenced to 135 years in prison. Sills
says he is now facing some 14 lawsuits brought by Nuwaubians. (Gary Tanner, Macon
Telegraph, Internet, 7/2/04)
1,000 Celebrate York’s Birthday
Although only about 50 people remain at the Nuwaubian compound, about 1,000 gathered
there in late June for the group‘s Zed Festival, which focuses on jailed founder Dwight
York’s birthday. The festival had previously been called Founder‘s Day or Savior‘s Day.
consultant to the Austrian government on cult matters, spoke to his own question:
―Does psychopathology lead to cult membership or do cults lead to psychopathology?‖
Professor Edzard Ernst, Director of Complimentary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School,
Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, in Britain, in turn asked: ―To what extent is
complimentary [alternative] medicine sectarian?‖ (Daphne Vane, FAIR NEWS, 1, 2004,
Internet)
Scientology
Fear Drug Lecture May Lead to Recruiting
Some residents of Markbeech, Kent, England, are concerned that an anti-drug lecture by a
person linked to Scientology may have been part of an attempt to recruit new members
for the group and its drug rehab program. Graeme Raeburn, a local man who is a vice-
president of the Royal College of Art Students‘ Union, said: ―The rehab involves complete
surrender to the controlling people so effectively they [the recruits] are handing over their
money and putting their complete belief into the Church of Scientology.‖ (Ian Read, This is
Kent, Internet, 4/30/04)
Unification Church
Former Member Rehabilitating
Robert Pardon, head of a Lakeville, MA, rehabilitation facility for former cult members, said
recently: ―We have one guy who came out of the Unification Church [who was] working
15 hours a day, seven days a week, living in a van doing fundraising. When he came here,
all that came to a crashing halt and he didn‘t know what to do with himself. It took almost
two months to get him settled down to where we could work with him.‖
Pardon and his psychologist wife are devout Christians, but say they don‘t promote their
beliefs. ―We try to give them [former members] tools to make decisions on their own,‖
unlike the groups they have been in. (Paul E. Kandarian, Boston Globe, Internet, 4/4/04)
Reaction Called Witch Hunt
While many of the Congressional attendees responded to adverse publicity by saying they
were misled about the event, a number of the invited religious leaders defended the Rev.
Moon’s coronation, saying it was not a bizarre ritual and calling news reports a media
―witch hunt.‖ Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, founder of an African-centered Catholic
church, said the ceremony for Moon and his wife was ―not to crown them as lords of any
temporal power, but to celebrate the spiritual role they play as religious leaders.‖ (Robert
Gehrke, Salt Lake Tribune, Internet, 7/1/04)
United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors
Suing Sheriff for Inaction in Abuse Case
Seven members of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors have sued Putnam County
(GA) Sheriff Howard Sills for not taking action in 1998 to deal with reported child abuse in
the group‘s rural compound despite intelligence about the abuse from the state Division of
Family and Children Services. Nuwaubian leader Dwight York was convicted of child
molestation and other charges earlier this year and sentenced to 135 years in prison. Sills
says he is now facing some 14 lawsuits brought by Nuwaubians. (Gary Tanner, Macon
Telegraph, Internet, 7/2/04)
1,000 Celebrate York’s Birthday
Although only about 50 people remain at the Nuwaubian compound, about 1,000 gathered
there in late June for the group‘s Zed Festival, which focuses on jailed founder Dwight
York’s birthday. The festival had previously been called Founder‘s Day or Savior‘s Day.
