VOLUME 3 |NUMBER 2 |2012 37
News Desk
Editor
Joseph F. Kelly,
a graduate of
Temple
University, has
been a thought
reform
consultant since 1988. He spent 14
years in two different eastern
meditation groups. He has lectured
extensively on cult-related topics,
and is a co-author of “Ethical
Standards for Thought Reform
Consultants,” published in ICSA’s
Cultic Studies Journal. He is the News
Desk Editor of ICSA Today. Mr. Kelly
also co-facilitates ICSA workshops
for former members and ICSA’s local
meeting in Philadelphia. ■
distortion of God’s words to seduce
the first couple into taking the fatal-
bite. Examples of spiritually abusive
relationships include
• Church leaders who use guilt or
greed to compel attendance,
financial giving, or service
• Spiritual leaders who take emotional
or sexual advantage of others in the
name of “comfort or compassion”
• Religious people who accuse those
who disagree with them of rebelling
against God
• Ministry leaders who demand
absolute, unquestioned obedience no
matter what ...whether reasonable or
not ...whether biblical or not (para. 8)
• One can ask a number of questions
to determine whether or not a group
may be spiritually abusive. Does
it/do they
“…exalt someone as an irrefutable
authority in the group?”
“…demand your absolute
allegiance?”
“…discourage your questions?”
“…shame people publicly?”
“…insist on making major decisions
in your life?”
“…have a long list of rules
related to dress, hairstyle, diet or
activities?”
“…judge those who do not keep
their list of rules?”
“…consider themselves the “‘only
true church’?”
“…consider those who leave the
group ‘apostates,’‘backsliders,’ or
‘doomed’?”
“…teach that godly people should
give more financially so that they
will receive more?”
(Christian Post, 6/30/12)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Lovin’ Life Ministries was founded in
the United States in 2009 as a ministry
of the Family Federation for World
Peace and Unification, more widely
known as the Unification Church,
which is now headed in America by In
Jin Moon, daughter of founder the
Rev. Sun Myung Moon. When a
reporter visited in May, the Lovin’ Life
congregation in Philadelphia
consisted of nearly forty people—
children, teenagers, and adults—
seated in a chapel watching a sermon
broadcast from church headquarters
in New York.
The atmosphere for growing up and
living as a Unificationist has changed
dramatically since the 1970s, when
the “first generation” joined the
movement. University of Pennsylvania
religious studies professor Stephen
Dunning, who taught the course
“Understanding the Cult Controversy,”
says conflict arose when families felt
“they were being robbed of their
children and their children believed
their families were being irrational
and not letting them choose their
religion the way they wanted to.”
(Daily Pennsylvanian, 5/10/12)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A London jury in the Old Bailey has
heard testimony that Kristy Bamu, 15,
drowned in a bath after he was
tortured by his sister Magalie, 28, and
her partner Eric Bikubi, both of
Congolese extraction, because the
couple believed the boy was
bewitching other children. Belief in
“Kindori,” or witchcraft, is said to be
common in the Congolese
community [in Britain] and to pervade
Congolese societies. The accused
were charged in 2008 with forcing a
19-year-old woman to go without
food and cutting off her hair “to
release witchcraft.” (Daily Telegraph,
1/6/12 via FAIR News, April 2012)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A circuit court in April ordered the
Golden Temple of Oregon food
company turned over to a court-
appointed administrator and ruled
that the management must return
more than $30 million in bonuses and
perks to the Sikh Dharma religious
community, founded by the late Yogi
Bhajan. The judge did not remove any
of the managers, who had earlier
been found to have breached their
fiduciary trust to the religious
community by transferring to
themselves, for a pittance, 90 percent
of the company. Referring to the
conflict between the for-profit and
religious elements of the
organization, the court said,
Whatever the merits of the
religious corporate structures and
governance adopted by the yogi,
the court will not restructure
essentially religious organizations
along lines that might seem more
democratic to the court, or that
might seem fairer to elements
within the religious community.
(Sikh News Network, 5/16/12)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A judge in Eugene, Oregon has ruled
that the CEO and four other
executives who illegally took over the
Yogi Bhajan-inspired Golden Temple
food company—now known as East
West Tea Company—must return $36
million to a receiver appointed by the
court. (Albany Democrat Herald,
Associated Press, 6/19/12)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
News Desk
Editor
Joseph F. Kelly,
a graduate of
Temple
University, has
been a thought
reform
consultant since 1988. He spent 14
years in two different eastern
meditation groups. He has lectured
extensively on cult-related topics,
and is a co-author of “Ethical
Standards for Thought Reform
Consultants,” published in ICSA’s
Cultic Studies Journal. He is the News
Desk Editor of ICSA Today. Mr. Kelly
also co-facilitates ICSA workshops
for former members and ICSA’s local
meeting in Philadelphia. ■
distortion of God’s words to seduce
the first couple into taking the fatal-
bite. Examples of spiritually abusive
relationships include
• Church leaders who use guilt or
greed to compel attendance,
financial giving, or service
• Spiritual leaders who take emotional
or sexual advantage of others in the
name of “comfort or compassion”
• Religious people who accuse those
who disagree with them of rebelling
against God
• Ministry leaders who demand
absolute, unquestioned obedience no
matter what ...whether reasonable or
not ...whether biblical or not (para. 8)
• One can ask a number of questions
to determine whether or not a group
may be spiritually abusive. Does
it/do they
“…exalt someone as an irrefutable
authority in the group?”
“…demand your absolute
allegiance?”
“…discourage your questions?”
“…shame people publicly?”
“…insist on making major decisions
in your life?”
“…have a long list of rules
related to dress, hairstyle, diet or
activities?”
“…judge those who do not keep
their list of rules?”
“…consider themselves the “‘only
true church’?”
“…consider those who leave the
group ‘apostates,’‘backsliders,’ or
‘doomed’?”
“…teach that godly people should
give more financially so that they
will receive more?”
(Christian Post, 6/30/12)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Lovin’ Life Ministries was founded in
the United States in 2009 as a ministry
of the Family Federation for World
Peace and Unification, more widely
known as the Unification Church,
which is now headed in America by In
Jin Moon, daughter of founder the
Rev. Sun Myung Moon. When a
reporter visited in May, the Lovin’ Life
congregation in Philadelphia
consisted of nearly forty people—
children, teenagers, and adults—
seated in a chapel watching a sermon
broadcast from church headquarters
in New York.
The atmosphere for growing up and
living as a Unificationist has changed
dramatically since the 1970s, when
the “first generation” joined the
movement. University of Pennsylvania
religious studies professor Stephen
Dunning, who taught the course
“Understanding the Cult Controversy,”
says conflict arose when families felt
“they were being robbed of their
children and their children believed
their families were being irrational
and not letting them choose their
religion the way they wanted to.”
(Daily Pennsylvanian, 5/10/12)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A London jury in the Old Bailey has
heard testimony that Kristy Bamu, 15,
drowned in a bath after he was
tortured by his sister Magalie, 28, and
her partner Eric Bikubi, both of
Congolese extraction, because the
couple believed the boy was
bewitching other children. Belief in
“Kindori,” or witchcraft, is said to be
common in the Congolese
community [in Britain] and to pervade
Congolese societies. The accused
were charged in 2008 with forcing a
19-year-old woman to go without
food and cutting off her hair “to
release witchcraft.” (Daily Telegraph,
1/6/12 via FAIR News, April 2012)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A circuit court in April ordered the
Golden Temple of Oregon food
company turned over to a court-
appointed administrator and ruled
that the management must return
more than $30 million in bonuses and
perks to the Sikh Dharma religious
community, founded by the late Yogi
Bhajan. The judge did not remove any
of the managers, who had earlier
been found to have breached their
fiduciary trust to the religious
community by transferring to
themselves, for a pittance, 90 percent
of the company. Referring to the
conflict between the for-profit and
religious elements of the
organization, the court said,
Whatever the merits of the
religious corporate structures and
governance adopted by the yogi,
the court will not restructure
essentially religious organizations
along lines that might seem more
democratic to the court, or that
might seem fairer to elements
within the religious community.
(Sikh News Network, 5/16/12)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A judge in Eugene, Oregon has ruled
that the CEO and four other
executives who illegally took over the
Yogi Bhajan-inspired Golden Temple
food company—now known as East
West Tea Company—must return $36
million to a receiver appointed by the
court. (Albany Democrat Herald,
Associated Press, 6/19/12)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
