Dangerous sects
1. What is a sect? Who are sect leaders?
2. How do sects attract people?
3. Why are some sects considered dangerous?
A sect is a small religious group that is an official offshoot of an established religion or denomination. Most beliefs that a sect holds are in line with its religion of origin but there are usually some novel concepts.
With the approach of the second Millennium new religious preachers and sects have appeared to predict the end of the world and to give new meaning to the concept of life and religion. Historically, this phenomenon is nothing new to mankind. A number of false teachers, dangerous sects and narrow-minded religious groups have always tried to pervert the natural sense of people for spiritual values. Their rise and existence have always been conditioned by social problems like unemployment, crises in moral values, disruption of family structures and exclusion. These days, the range of possible factors and facilitators is empowered by easy access to mass media and communication technologies.
Originally, many religions started as sects. Disciples would gather around their spiritual leaders to listen to their preaching and to worship their gods. Later, some sects developed into established religious movements called denominations while others vanished into thin air. This mechanism of rise and fall is still present in the field of religious movements. Every year newer and newer leaders attract groups of followers to preach to them and to influence them with their doctrines. Problems arise whenever these doctrines prove to be dangerous to the disciples.
The negative connotation of the word 'sect" stems from the fact that many of the 'religious' groups thrive on human misfortune. It is an old experience that dangerous sects find followers among the ranks of poor, lonely, ill or socially excluded people. They are the most vulnerable to indoctrination and the mind-control practices typical of most dangerous sects. Wherever there is a lack of strong social relationship, basic human contacts and the sense of welfare, sects start to sow their seeds of degradation. Many sects have been found to be especially dangerous to families and their children. Abuses and crimes are not uncommon within sects. In many cases, criminality seems to be directly linked with sects' indoctrination. Children whose parents belong to such sects eventually become their young victims. They may be separated from their parents, incited to turn against them or exploited as workers and sexual objects. The children are isolated from society and deprived of regular education. The integrity of families belonging to dangerous sects is impossible to maintain. Another dominant theme for exploitation is health. Some sect leaders turn to
so called alternative medicine that aims at limiting their converts' access to medical practice in the outside world. They call themselves ultimate healers and make their followers believe that conventional medicine is ineffective. Many sects are known to practice their own obscure therapies that have no foundation in medical research. Sect gurus often apply practices that may pose a danger to health and the well-being of their disciples.
Some sects thrive on the appeal of doomsday prophecies, announcements of second coming, apocalyptic visions and messages from extraterrestrial. Such nonsensical and unfounded beliefs seem to attract a large group of followers. At most, they are the people with weak personalities, emotionally unstable or those whose original faith in God expired or never existed. Groundless though the beliefs may be, it is important to realise that dangerous sects have their logic and the logic is not conceived by irrational, fanatical, uneducated maniacs. Sect leaders usually attempt to rewrite the original logic of faith and personal sacrifice that they believe has been tost by traditional religions. They claim to see things in a clearer light. They are articulate, authoritarian mind-controllers who skilfully scorn other people for having lost their emotion, obedience and sacrifice in worshipping God. Such logic appears safe from the outside, but inside, sect gurus display hypocrisy and dangerous desires. They covertly give new meanings to old words and gradually lead their followers to authoritarian control through flattery, exaggeration and control over their imagination. Their ultimate goal is to abuse their disciples rather than teach them love and compassion. Though they may be eloquent scripture readers, their relationship with their followers is often marked by rudeness, selfishness, greed and the inability to control their anger or sexual desires. Dangerous sect leaders crave the utmost obedience and servitude of their converts by exploiting them physically, emotionally and financially. This ultimate goal is achieved by isolating converts from their families, providing them with an overwhelming sense of acceptance and love that leads toward removal of privacy, mind control, dependence and deprivation.
The fear of leaving a sect is usually instigated through the threat of loss of eternal life and the promised reward. Break-aways are often persecuted and tormented physically and emotionally. Sometimes, they commit suicide or end up in mental institutions.
Speak your mind.
1. Why are young people advised to be wary of 'religious' sects?
2. How can the life of a sect member change?
3. Why is it difficult to leave a sect?
4. What should parents do to protect their children against dangerous sects?
5. How are sects different from regular religions?
summertime2