Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1991, Page 10
that the cult phenomenon has caused them difficult pastoral problems when families of cult
members and former cult members come to them for help and counseling.
Impact on Mainstream Membership
The most concrete, practical effect of cults on mainstream religions is the fact that these
new groups are taking members away. This is especially worrisome to the Jewish
community, where intermarriage and a declining birth rate already threaten the physical
existence of the Jewish people. Cults attract many Jews. The percentage of cult members
who are Jewish is far higher than the percentage of Jews in the general population of the
United States [now under three percent]. Estimates of the Jewish percentage of cult
members vary from 20-50%.24 Cults recruit orthodox and conservative Jews as well as
reform Jews and those unaffiliated with the Jewish community, and they attract Jewish
elderly as well as young people. Many Jews in cults hold high leadership positions, such as
the former president of the American Branch of the Unification Church, Mose Durst. Jews
express alarm at the growing numbers of religious cults successfully recruiting in Israel.25
Catholics are also concerned about losing high numbers to cults at a time when the Church
is beset with many other internal problems contributing to a decline in membership.26 The
Baltimore, Maryland Archdiocese asked the Cult Awareness Network office there to survey
the percentage of Roman Catholic membership in cults.27
Many Catholic leaders believe an even more serious threat to their Church‟s membership
rolls is the Protestant Fundamentalist movement, to which they estimate millions of
Catholics have been converted.28 These groups convert many young and very poor people29
and actively seek out Catholics in Latin America30 and in areas such as Queens, New York,
where many poor Latin American refugees settle.31 Since, according to the testimony of
former members, some of these Fundamentalist groups are cult-like, Catholics link the
“Fundamentalist problem” and the “cult problem” together.32
The liberal Protestant community does not appear to perceive cults as affecting their
membership. Peggy Shriver, the former Assistant General Secretary for Research and
Evaluation of the National Council of Churches, says that although once or twice a month
she gets phone calls from distressed parents of cult members seeking information, these
requests “have not filtered upwards through the grassroots congregational network.”33 None
of the NCC‟s thirty-two various denominations (major Protestant groups and black and
Eastern Orthodox churches) or their educational arms such as Sunday School boards and
seminaries has ever asked for information about cults from her office.34
The Reverend Dean Kelley, former Director of Religious and Civil Liberties for the NCC,
agreed that, when he was with the NCC, most pastors were not asking for help on this
issue, and there was a general apathy or lack of awareness of the cult problem. Kelley
received only about one letter a month about cults, and these were usually from overseas.
While new religious movements are seen as rivals by some mainstream Protestants, Kelley
said cults are perceived as a “localized” or “isolated” problem, and “in most Protestant
denominations they are just not a front burner issue.”35 Kelley said that one reason cults‟
taking members from their churches is not upsetting to mainstream Protestants is that “cult
membership is not seen as a defection from an ethnic group as it is for Jews, Catholics and
Evangelicals. We don‟t see it as catastrophic because religious identity is more peripheral to
us than it is for Catholics, Jews, and Evangelicals.”36
However, many Protestant parents of present and former cult members claim they have
voiced their concern about cults to their pastors and to the National Council of Churches,
but have received no response. “I resent Dean Kelley speaking for all Protestants on this
issue,” complains one such parent. “He doesn‟t represent us. Our outrage and cries for help
are not being heard.”37 These parents and other cult critics claim that Kelley, who appears
that the cult phenomenon has caused them difficult pastoral problems when families of cult
members and former cult members come to them for help and counseling.
Impact on Mainstream Membership
The most concrete, practical effect of cults on mainstream religions is the fact that these
new groups are taking members away. This is especially worrisome to the Jewish
community, where intermarriage and a declining birth rate already threaten the physical
existence of the Jewish people. Cults attract many Jews. The percentage of cult members
who are Jewish is far higher than the percentage of Jews in the general population of the
United States [now under three percent]. Estimates of the Jewish percentage of cult
members vary from 20-50%.24 Cults recruit orthodox and conservative Jews as well as
reform Jews and those unaffiliated with the Jewish community, and they attract Jewish
elderly as well as young people. Many Jews in cults hold high leadership positions, such as
the former president of the American Branch of the Unification Church, Mose Durst. Jews
express alarm at the growing numbers of religious cults successfully recruiting in Israel.25
Catholics are also concerned about losing high numbers to cults at a time when the Church
is beset with many other internal problems contributing to a decline in membership.26 The
Baltimore, Maryland Archdiocese asked the Cult Awareness Network office there to survey
the percentage of Roman Catholic membership in cults.27
Many Catholic leaders believe an even more serious threat to their Church‟s membership
rolls is the Protestant Fundamentalist movement, to which they estimate millions of
Catholics have been converted.28 These groups convert many young and very poor people29
and actively seek out Catholics in Latin America30 and in areas such as Queens, New York,
where many poor Latin American refugees settle.31 Since, according to the testimony of
former members, some of these Fundamentalist groups are cult-like, Catholics link the
“Fundamentalist problem” and the “cult problem” together.32
The liberal Protestant community does not appear to perceive cults as affecting their
membership. Peggy Shriver, the former Assistant General Secretary for Research and
Evaluation of the National Council of Churches, says that although once or twice a month
she gets phone calls from distressed parents of cult members seeking information, these
requests “have not filtered upwards through the grassroots congregational network.”33 None
of the NCC‟s thirty-two various denominations (major Protestant groups and black and
Eastern Orthodox churches) or their educational arms such as Sunday School boards and
seminaries has ever asked for information about cults from her office.34
The Reverend Dean Kelley, former Director of Religious and Civil Liberties for the NCC,
agreed that, when he was with the NCC, most pastors were not asking for help on this
issue, and there was a general apathy or lack of awareness of the cult problem. Kelley
received only about one letter a month about cults, and these were usually from overseas.
While new religious movements are seen as rivals by some mainstream Protestants, Kelley
said cults are perceived as a “localized” or “isolated” problem, and “in most Protestant
denominations they are just not a front burner issue.”35 Kelley said that one reason cults‟
taking members from their churches is not upsetting to mainstream Protestants is that “cult
membership is not seen as a defection from an ethnic group as it is for Jews, Catholics and
Evangelicals. We don‟t see it as catastrophic because religious identity is more peripheral to
us than it is for Catholics, Jews, and Evangelicals.”36
However, many Protestant parents of present and former cult members claim they have
voiced their concern about cults to their pastors and to the National Council of Churches,
but have received no response. “I resent Dean Kelley speaking for all Protestants on this
issue,” complains one such parent. “He doesn‟t represent us. Our outrage and cries for help
are not being heard.”37 These parents and other cult critics claim that Kelley, who appears
