Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 18, 2001, Page 22
2. CESNUR, Enciclopedia delle Religioni in Italia, Editrice Elle Di Ci, Leumann (Torino), 2001
3. CESNUR is an international network of associations specialized in NRMs, and it is completely
independent from any religious group, movement, body, or association.
4. Rapporto della Direzione Centrale Polizia di Prevenzione -Dipartimento Della Pubblica
Sicurezza -Ministero dell‘Interno: "Alcune Considerazioni a proposito di 'Sette religiose e
Nuovi Movimenti Magici’, 1998.
5. Ibid, p.10 -15
6. Ibid, p.10 -15
7. This document is at URL http://www.grisroma.it/inglese/Questions_Tdg.htm
8. Decision of April 9th, 1981, n. 96, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 158 of June 8th, 1981
9. Mario Di Fiorino, editor, La persuasione socialmente accettata, il plagio e il lavaggio del
cervello, vol.1, Psichiatria e Territorio, Forte dei Marmi, 1990, p.31-32
10. Ibid. p.17
11. Ibid. p. 24
12. Ibid. p. 40
13. Cfr. Secretariat for the Union of Christians- Secretariat for non –Christians -Secretariat for
non – Believers -Pontifical Council for Culture, Interim Report The Phenomenon of Cults or
New Religious Movements, May 7, 1986, n. 2.2.
14. Cfr. Dr. Benjamin Zablocki, The Blacklisting of a Concept: The Strange History of the
Brainwashing Conjecture in the Sociology of Religion, Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative
and Emergent Religions, 1(1), 96-121.
15. Cfr. Secretariat for the Union of Christians- Secretariat for non –Christians -Secretariat for
non – Believers -Pontifical Council for Culture, Interim Report The Phenomenon of Cults or
New Religious Movements, May 7, 1986, n. 2.2.
16. Secretariat for Ecumenism and Dialogue of the CEI, Pastoral memorandum The Church’s
pastoral commitment in facing new religious movements and cults. May 30, 1993, n. 12.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid. n. 13.
19. Secretariat for the Union of Christians- Secretariat for non –Christians -Secretariat for non –
Believers -Pontifical Council for Culture, Ibid. n. 1.1.
20. Cf. Vatican II Ecumenical Council, Declaration on religious freedom Dignitatis Humanae, n. 2-
8.
21. In Italy there is also another Association named A.R.I.S.- Veneto (Association for Research
and Information about Sects [Cults]). It is a no-profit and non-religious association.
22. Michael Langone, The Two “Camps” of Cultic Studies: Time for a Dialogue, Cults &Society,
Vol. 1, N. 1, 2001.
**********
Dr. Raffaella Di Marzio is a member of GRIS Rome. She set up a support and counseling
centre in Rome for all those troubled, directly or indirectly, by experiences associated with
belonging to a cult. She has published articles on several fringe Catholic movements, and is
a contributor to CESNUR‘s Encyclopedia of Religions in Italy. Dr. Di Marzio has two degrees,
one in Psychology (University ―La Sapienza‖ of Rome, 1981) and one in Educational Science
(Pontifical Salesian University, 1981). She also has the Superior Diploma in Religious
Science from the Institute for Religious Studies Ecclesia Mater, linked to the faculty of
theology of Pontifical Lateran University. She has been a teacher in a Senior High School in
Rome since 1981.
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 2001, Volume 18,
pages 13-31. 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.

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 18, 2001, Page 23
Cults, Freedom of Belief, and Freedom of Religion
Denis Barthelemy
Appeals Court of Versailles
Abstract
Definitional confusion surrounding the term ―cult‖ is examined in order to
better understand the religious freedom controversy over public and private
responses to cultic groups. It is argued that democratic societies distinguish
between freedom of belief, an individual freedom, and freedom of religion, a
collective freedom. When they overemphasize the latter, governments
undermine democracy by subordinating individual citizens to groups.
This paper seeks to advance understanding of the cult phenomenon by examining
definitional issues and the relationship of the cult phenomenon to two important and distinct
freedoms, that of conscience and of religion.
Definitional Issues
When talking with someone who doesn‘t give the same meaning to the words used, you
can‘t agree with him, because both of you use the same words in a different meaning. So
you both don‘t mean the same things. Hence, when you are talking with someone, first of
all, you both have to agree on the meaning of the words you are going to use. The first
question should be: ―What are we talking about?‖
With the many languages in Europe, we are well aware of this problem. For example, the
word ―cult‖ in English and the word ―culte‖ in French have not the same meaning. ―Culte‖ in
French means mainly ―religion.‖ But there are some ―cultes‖ that are not exactly religious.
Appropriate translation of the English word, ―cult,‖ into French is mostly ―secte.‖ But in
English the word ―sect‖ has another meaning.
To take another example, in personal conversations at least one sociologist of religion
acknowledged to me that murder is an illegal practice, even if perpetrated by what he calls
a ―new religion.‖ But he maintains that ritual crimes may not be ―illegal practices‖ because
they are religious crimes. How, then, do we classify sexual abuse, child abuse, disabled
person abuse, corruption, economic and financial offences? Do practices normally
considered to be crimes cease to be crimes because a religious group is the perpetrator? It
hardly seems sensible to answer this question affirmatively, yet that is precisely what some
seem to advocate.
Such defenses of cultic groups sometimes seem like psychological manipulations designed
to advance a hidden agenda, namely to protect the capacity of cult leaders to pursue their
agendas unhindered. On this subject I recommend a book written by the Frenchman Paul
Aries: La Scientologie, laboratoire du futur (Ed. Golias, Lyon, France). If one is not clear on
the definitions that competing parties use in this dispute, then one will be less prepared to
recognize and respond to the linguistic and psychological manipulations of some cult
sympathizers.
Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion
I often say to my younger colleagues: ―Before talking about a law, read it, again and again,
each time you need to apply that law, for you may think you know it, but the true and exact
meaning may be forgotten or mistakenly remembered, especially when somebody else
(e.g., a lawyer) argues on the subject.‖ In this cult arena it is important to reexamine, in
the light of international conventions, precisely what we mean by ―freedom of belief‖ and
―freedom of religion.‖