Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1 1988 Page 66
me what they were doing. I was publicly ―whatevered‖ at the same meeting as
[Mark], and he wasn't notified either.
These letters, testimonials, and documents, as well as dozens of others, seem to indicate that it is
not the target, per se, who is the focus of the crisis, or even of a ―cure‖ by threat of expulsion. It
appears that in a vast majority of the cases, the ―crisis‖ was, for the most pm created by the sect
and then exploited as an opportunity to teach obedience and loyalty. The target is given up for
lost, but the effect of the crisis in the hearts and minds of the sect makes fertile soil for
subsequent instruction. With the sect threatened, the congregation is exhorted, inspected,
reproved, and comforted.
The following findings support this vicarious social control tactic:
1) Targets are mostly unaware of their crimes, trial, and expulsion.
2) The targets crimes are, for the most part, nebulous or trite.
3) Sometimes targets are not informed of their rejection.
4) Sometimes the target is informed a considerable time after the fact.
5) Many targets are excommunicated long after they have left the sect.
6) Very little effort is made on the part of the leadership for reconciliation or rehabilitation of
targets.
7) Sometimes the elders won't even tell targets their crimes.
8) The congregation is not told the specifies of the targets crimes.
9) Questions by the congregation about the target are used as an opportunity to instruct the
members on group norms.
10) Excommunication meetings are made up almost entirely of instruction about group norms,
and the targets are hardly ever mentioned.
11) The population pool where targets are selected appears totally arbitrary and subjective.
The Final Step: The “Degradation Ceremony”
The process of excommunication culminates in the ―degradation ceremony‖ (Garfinkel, 1956).
These ceremonies are extremely intense and may last for several hours. Most cases occur out of
the context of regular church-wide gatherings and are generally hastily called. Rumors are
rampant and a great sense of fear pervades the group.
[Dave] A few days after we returned from a summer conference, people started to
hear some things that were going on in our local church. People had heard some
information and people were leaving the church. The elders called an emergency
meeting to clear up the confusion. We were called up and told to ―come over right
away.‖ Nobody knew anything at the time. We were all just real confused and
scared.
This particular meeting was opened with the following pronouncement:
[Chris] [The head elder] got up first and he said that there were some serious
problems. People had heard some slanderous information. He said that some
people are going to leave the church and some had already left. He said people
were being attacked by Satan and that the church was under attack by Satan. He
said that this has happened in other churches, and that if we stick together God will
make things work out for the best.
With a basic commentary couched in austere language, this meeting and others are opened with
smashing implications for the entire band.
[Danny -an Elder] The situation basically in a nutshell is this: that there's been a
root of faction that has crept into the church and the result of that faction is that
four saints have left.. a few others have been seriously affected... to the point
where they have contemplated leaving or... now have serious questions and
me what they were doing. I was publicly ―whatevered‖ at the same meeting as
[Mark], and he wasn't notified either.
These letters, testimonials, and documents, as well as dozens of others, seem to indicate that it is
not the target, per se, who is the focus of the crisis, or even of a ―cure‖ by threat of expulsion. It
appears that in a vast majority of the cases, the ―crisis‖ was, for the most pm created by the sect
and then exploited as an opportunity to teach obedience and loyalty. The target is given up for
lost, but the effect of the crisis in the hearts and minds of the sect makes fertile soil for
subsequent instruction. With the sect threatened, the congregation is exhorted, inspected,
reproved, and comforted.
The following findings support this vicarious social control tactic:
1) Targets are mostly unaware of their crimes, trial, and expulsion.
2) The targets crimes are, for the most part, nebulous or trite.
3) Sometimes targets are not informed of their rejection.
4) Sometimes the target is informed a considerable time after the fact.
5) Many targets are excommunicated long after they have left the sect.
6) Very little effort is made on the part of the leadership for reconciliation or rehabilitation of
targets.
7) Sometimes the elders won't even tell targets their crimes.
8) The congregation is not told the specifies of the targets crimes.
9) Questions by the congregation about the target are used as an opportunity to instruct the
members on group norms.
10) Excommunication meetings are made up almost entirely of instruction about group norms,
and the targets are hardly ever mentioned.
11) The population pool where targets are selected appears totally arbitrary and subjective.
The Final Step: The “Degradation Ceremony”
The process of excommunication culminates in the ―degradation ceremony‖ (Garfinkel, 1956).
These ceremonies are extremely intense and may last for several hours. Most cases occur out of
the context of regular church-wide gatherings and are generally hastily called. Rumors are
rampant and a great sense of fear pervades the group.
[Dave] A few days after we returned from a summer conference, people started to
hear some things that were going on in our local church. People had heard some
information and people were leaving the church. The elders called an emergency
meeting to clear up the confusion. We were called up and told to ―come over right
away.‖ Nobody knew anything at the time. We were all just real confused and
scared.
This particular meeting was opened with the following pronouncement:
[Chris] [The head elder] got up first and he said that there were some serious
problems. People had heard some slanderous information. He said that some
people are going to leave the church and some had already left. He said people
were being attacked by Satan and that the church was under attack by Satan. He
said that this has happened in other churches, and that if we stick together God will
make things work out for the best.
With a basic commentary couched in austere language, this meeting and others are opened with
smashing implications for the entire band.
[Danny -an Elder] The situation basically in a nutshell is this: that there's been a
root of faction that has crept into the church and the result of that faction is that
four saints have left.. a few others have been seriously affected... to the point
where they have contemplated leaving or... now have serious questions and
