NCJ Number
179153
Date Published
1998
Length
243 pages
Annotation
Cults in the United States have been accused of using mind control techniques to recruit followers and of engaging in sexual abuse, prostitution, kidnapping, and fraudulent fund-raising activities.
Abstract
The controversy surrounding alternative and controversial religious movements sometimes referred to as cults is examined. Featuring a chronology that documents milestones in the evolution of alternative religions, informative sketches of alternative religious groups in the United States are provided. The cult controversy is discussed, and important court cases involving cults and relevant legislation are cited. The role of the media in covering cult activities is addressed, what people find attractive about membership in minority religions and cults is considered, characteristics of dangerous cults are noted, and church-state separation issues related to cults are covered. References, tables, and photographs