Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2005, Page 8
contacts, all of which contribute to that person‘s self-identity. Moreover, people in some
segments of a person‘s life may comment upon or advise that individual about other
dimensions of his or her life. High-demand groups, however, are what sociologist Lewis
Coser called ―greedy institutions‖ (Coser, 1974) in that they attempt to encapsulate, or
envelop, all aspects of their members‘ lives. As Stahelski stated,
Cults cannot effectively condition joiners unless the cult group is the joiners‘
only group of affiliation. An individual who has only one group affiliation has
self-concept and self-esteem that are totally dependent on retaining
membership in that group. The completely dependent individual is then willing
to do whatever it takes to retain membership in the group (Stahelski,
2004:33).
Among previous group affiliations that joiners frequently relinquish are their families
(Stahelski, 2004:33). Although many people envision the new recruits giving up contacts
with their parents and siblings, quite a number of cases exist of parents either severing ties
or greatly reducing their contact with their own children.
A handwritten note by Scientology‘s founder L. Ron Hubbard, reproduced in an International
Association of Scientologists‘ magazine, clearly illustrates the depluralizing aspirations he
had regarding members:
We‘re not now in this for play. Our personal futures depend on keeping going
and making no major flubs. It isn‘t a question of is there something else.
There isn‘t. Nobody can be half in and half out of Scientology (Hubbard, in
CSI [Church of Scientology International], Inc. 1988).
Indeed, Scientology‘s version of ethics has, as one of its intentions, the elimination of all
non-Scientology activity and interests on the part of people under its control (Hubbard,
1976:179).
The consequences for children whose parents have total dedication to an organization are
not hard to predict. As a former Scientologist-turned-critic surmised in 1991,
Next to saving the world, caring for children may not seem so important.
―Scientology comes first and everything else is off-purpose,‖ said former
Scientologist Vicki Aznaran, who is suing the organization. ―Parents who want
to spend time with their children are looked down on. It‘s not socially
acceptable‖ (Aznaran, quoted in Krueger, 1991:12A).
A related consequence for children is that they might become part of their parents‘ ―saving
the world‖ efforts. A Florida newspaper, for example, in 1991 ran an article concerning
―Scientology‘s Children,‖ which reported that an eleven-year-old girl signed a billion-year
contract to join Scientology‘s dedicated corps called the Sea Organization (or simply, the
Sea Org), and she ended up working about fifty hours a week during the school year
(Krueger, 1991:14A).
Parents in the Children of God organization received specific instructions from their leader,
David Berg, to disassociate from their children, with Berg arguing that to do so was God‘s
will:
1. GOD WILL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE HIM, NOT EVEN THE SANCTITY OF THE
MARRIAGE GOD!
2. THE FAMILY MARRIAGE, THE SPIRITUAL REALITY BEHIND SO-CALLED GROUP
MARRIAGE, IS THAT OF PUTTING THE LARGER FAMILY, THE WHOLE FAMILY, FIRST, even
above the last remaining vestige of private property, your husband or your wife! (Berg,
1972:1367 original capitalization and punctuation).
contacts, all of which contribute to that person‘s self-identity. Moreover, people in some
segments of a person‘s life may comment upon or advise that individual about other
dimensions of his or her life. High-demand groups, however, are what sociologist Lewis
Coser called ―greedy institutions‖ (Coser, 1974) in that they attempt to encapsulate, or
envelop, all aspects of their members‘ lives. As Stahelski stated,
Cults cannot effectively condition joiners unless the cult group is the joiners‘
only group of affiliation. An individual who has only one group affiliation has
self-concept and self-esteem that are totally dependent on retaining
membership in that group. The completely dependent individual is then willing
to do whatever it takes to retain membership in the group (Stahelski,
2004:33).
Among previous group affiliations that joiners frequently relinquish are their families
(Stahelski, 2004:33). Although many people envision the new recruits giving up contacts
with their parents and siblings, quite a number of cases exist of parents either severing ties
or greatly reducing their contact with their own children.
A handwritten note by Scientology‘s founder L. Ron Hubbard, reproduced in an International
Association of Scientologists‘ magazine, clearly illustrates the depluralizing aspirations he
had regarding members:
We‘re not now in this for play. Our personal futures depend on keeping going
and making no major flubs. It isn‘t a question of is there something else.
There isn‘t. Nobody can be half in and half out of Scientology (Hubbard, in
CSI [Church of Scientology International], Inc. 1988).
Indeed, Scientology‘s version of ethics has, as one of its intentions, the elimination of all
non-Scientology activity and interests on the part of people under its control (Hubbard,
1976:179).
The consequences for children whose parents have total dedication to an organization are
not hard to predict. As a former Scientologist-turned-critic surmised in 1991,
Next to saving the world, caring for children may not seem so important.
―Scientology comes first and everything else is off-purpose,‖ said former
Scientologist Vicki Aznaran, who is suing the organization. ―Parents who want
to spend time with their children are looked down on. It‘s not socially
acceptable‖ (Aznaran, quoted in Krueger, 1991:12A).
A related consequence for children is that they might become part of their parents‘ ―saving
the world‖ efforts. A Florida newspaper, for example, in 1991 ran an article concerning
―Scientology‘s Children,‖ which reported that an eleven-year-old girl signed a billion-year
contract to join Scientology‘s dedicated corps called the Sea Organization (or simply, the
Sea Org), and she ended up working about fifty hours a week during the school year
(Krueger, 1991:14A).
Parents in the Children of God organization received specific instructions from their leader,
David Berg, to disassociate from their children, with Berg arguing that to do so was God‘s
will:
1. GOD WILL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE HIM, NOT EVEN THE SANCTITY OF THE
MARRIAGE GOD!
2. THE FAMILY MARRIAGE, THE SPIRITUAL REALITY BEHIND SO-CALLED GROUP
MARRIAGE, IS THAT OF PUTTING THE LARGER FAMILY, THE WHOLE FAMILY, FIRST, even
above the last remaining vestige of private property, your husband or your wife! (Berg,
1972:1367 original capitalization and punctuation).
