Cultic Studies Journal, Volume 17, 2000, Page 103
children‘s faith in the leader. Through such tests, children are expected to show that they,
like the adult members, have unfailing confidence in the leader‘s wisdom and are willing to
blindly put their fate in his hands. When a community lives in fear of outside attack, these
tests of loyalty can become abusive, either because such trials are evidently out of the
children's reach, thereby condemning them to failure, or because they put children at risk of
injury, tax their health, or hinder development. Indeed, the more the group projects
maliciousness onto the outside world, the more such a group is liable to become intolerant
toward children, for childlike manifestations are interpreted as signs of failing loyalty to the
leader. In such a context, if a child does not obviously show that he is totally devoted to the
leader, he is at risk of being seen as an internal enemy, a potential danger to the leader‘s
and the group‘s survival.
Although many children may tolerate such social pressure, some are unable to bear the
strain or the demands of the group. Their weaknesses or failures can cause such children to
become scapegoats. In the more extreme philosophy of survival groups, this can lead to
serious physical punishment or severe deprivation of emotional and biological needs. In one
small group of this type in the province of Quebec, physical punishment and deprivation
became so harsh on specific children that some died. This, however, appears to be a rare
occurrence.
Rituals
Group rituals appear to be of the highest importance in these communities, usually playing a
central role in group life. More specifically, rituals performed in group settings serve to
cement devotion and loyalty toward the leader. Group rituals are often organized around the
spiritual attributes, discourse, or feats of the leader. Hence, they are sequenced in such a
manner as to progress toward a paroxysm in the ceremony, at which time the leader
appears before the members, who by then are anxiously awaiting his arrival.
Loyalty toward the leader is often an important theme in many rituals in which individual
members or sub-groups publicly testify to their devotion to him. When the leader fears the
group‘s loyalty has diminished, he may order a particular ritual in which he proceeds to
demonstrate his powers or even godlike attributes. For instance, Jim Jones would conduct
miraculous healings of cancerous tumors --now proven to have been staged --in the same
manner as Joe DiMambro of the Order of the Solar Temple staged performances of
omnipotent psychic powers. Since in a philosophy of survival group, members, and often
even more so the leader, feel endangered, group rituals are used to motivate members and
demonstrate the group‘s strength while helping to keep anxiety and fear at tolerable levels.
These hidden functions of rituals also explain why it becomes imperative that all members,
whether children or adults, attend all group rituals. Members fear that their absence may
be interpreted as an expression of disloyalty or as a sign of the group‘s weakness in the face
of outside enemies.
Doctrine
Usually, a group adhering to a philosophy of survival attaches more importance to the
leader of the group than to the doctrine. The leader‘s strengths, his abilities, his charm, and
his worth as a protector of his people tend to supersede the importance accorded to the
doctrine. Indeed, when the doctrine is based on a holy book or a sacred text the leader‘s
interpretation of these scriptures dominates all other interpretations and is seen as the only
correct one. But since the leader‘s interpretation is fundamentally more important than the
doctrine per se, the group accepts all doctrinal modifications, as well as the introduction of
new principles, rituals, or beliefs, with the same dedication that characterizes their loyalty to
their leader.

Cultic Studies Journal, Volume 17, 2000, Page 104
Spatial Organization
The fact that the outside world is represented as malicious tends to make these groups seek
geographically isolated areas. Often, the group clearly wishes to create an autarkic
community so as to protect itself more effectively from the outside world. The more the
outside world is seen as dangerous, the more a philosophy of survival gains credence
among members and the more a need to protect both the leader and the community may
lead the group to resort to active measures of self-protection. When this happens, the
architecture of the buildings, the landscaping of the surroundings, the choice of a strategic
location become imperatives that influence the lifestyle of the whole group. As a philosophy
of survival develops, quasi-military principles of passive and active defense systems may
make the community resemble more an army compound or a medieval fortress than a
spiritual retreat.
Social Organization
A hierarchical organization usually typifies philosophy of survival communities. The leader
usually controls the hierarchy of members, who hold responsibilities under his strict
authority. This translates into a structure of power in which no one member is assured of his
own or of others‘ influence or current status. The leader additionally uses promotions and
demotions to keep his lieutenants from competing with him, either by gaining prestige or
exercising authority over the group. This however, greatly fuels rivalry and competition
among his lieutenants. Hence, power struggles among members are common. The prestige
and power that being close to him brings also produce much rivalry and many overt
conflicts, even if such privileges may be temporary. As loyalty to the leader is the most
important virtue, proofs and manifestations of loyalty, and disloyalty are used to gain more
power or to exclude rivals.
Since the quantity of membership is usually important, often the leader deems no one
member irreplaceable, regardless of the individual‘s true contribution to the group. Thus,
scapegoating and expulsion of members can be resorted to without concern about
weakening the group. Indeed, the fate of any given member, either through his hierarchical
demotion or physical expulsion from the group, is commonly used to control potential rivals
and strengthen the group‘s loyalty to the leader. In this sense, servitude is expected on the
part of all members. Paradoxically, the higher the status of any given member, the more his
loyalty will be questioned by the leader and the more vulnerable he will be to demotion or
expulsion. Such social tension and justifiable apprehension, as well as so much overt rivalry
for power and prestige, produce an atmosphere of intense conflict between members and
sub-groups. The unequal and ephemeral distribution of power also gives rise to strong
feelings of injustice and envy among members and is often the cause of much personal
distress, disappointment, psychological exhaustion, and at times even despair. As such an
atmosphere develops, the leader or his close lieutenants may identify a new outside enemy
as a tactic for refocusing members on an outside source of danger, thereby lessening the
tension provoked by the internal struggles.
Philosophy of Indulgence
In groups that adopt a philosophy of indulgence, a very open-minded and nonjudgmental
attitude prevails. If an aphorism could be suggested to describe such a philosophical stance,
be and let be would be apt. Members of such groups manifest a great indulgence toward all
members of society and explicitly recognize diversity of faith and ethics. In everyday life
members who share a philosophy of indulgence tend to be socially active and to mingle with
others, not only to evangelize and publicize their group, but also to personally engage in
and contribute to their social environment. As a group, they usually show overt respect for
all faiths, although they firmly believe that having some form of formal spiritual faith is
necessary.