Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1 1988 Page 96
I began this essay by quoting from a letter I had received and I close by making reference to
another, very different letter. I have been corresponding with a man who has had some troubling
experiences with a particular group. I have tried to help him by letter, patiently answering his
questions, encouraging him when possible. From his earnest, simple letters, I suspect that the
man had little education. One letter was especially poignant He wanted to express his gratitude
for my help. I would guess that he is a very lonely man. He said that both his parents had died
within the past five years. ―My finances are very bad at this time. Not employed. Enclosed is
$3.00 cash to help. Your friend, Don.‖ That kind of letter makes it all worthwhile.
*This article first appeared in Radix (Vol. 18, No. 1, 1987, pp. 20-21) to whom we are grateful
for permission to reprint it here.
Ronald M. Enroth, Ph. D., is Professor of Sociology at Westmont College in Santa Barbara,
California. He is the author of The Lure of the Cults and New Religions and many other books and
articles.
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1988, Volume 5, Number 1,
pages 132-135. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the bound volume.
This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
I began this essay by quoting from a letter I had received and I close by making reference to
another, very different letter. I have been corresponding with a man who has had some troubling
experiences with a particular group. I have tried to help him by letter, patiently answering his
questions, encouraging him when possible. From his earnest, simple letters, I suspect that the
man had little education. One letter was especially poignant He wanted to express his gratitude
for my help. I would guess that he is a very lonely man. He said that both his parents had died
within the past five years. ―My finances are very bad at this time. Not employed. Enclosed is
$3.00 cash to help. Your friend, Don.‖ That kind of letter makes it all worthwhile.
*This article first appeared in Radix (Vol. 18, No. 1, 1987, pp. 20-21) to whom we are grateful
for permission to reprint it here.
Ronald M. Enroth, Ph. D., is Professor of Sociology at Westmont College in Santa Barbara,
California. He is the author of The Lure of the Cults and New Religions and many other books and
articles.
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1988, Volume 5, Number 1,
pages 132-135. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the bound volume.
This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
