http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:59:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26462/glen-closes-cult-acting-school http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26462/glen-closes-cult-acting-school#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:51:57 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26462 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26462/glen-closes-cult-acting-school/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26437/uk-cult-information-charity-faces-charity-commission-curb-after-scientology-complaint http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26437/uk-cult-information-charity-faces-charity-commission-curb-after-scientology-complaint#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:06:25 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26437 After 25 years in operation, the Cult Information Centre in England fears it may no longer be able to work effectively.

The Cult Information Centre (CIC) was granted education charity status in 1992 but has recently run into difficulties with the commission after complaints were received from the Church of Scientology that it is in breach of the rules governing status.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26437/uk-cult-information-charity-faces-charity-commission-curb-after-scientology-complaint/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26305/israel-symposium-to-explore-legislation-aimed-at-curbing-cults http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26305/israel-symposium-to-explore-legislation-aimed-at-curbing-cults#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:29:53 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26305 A panel of academics and professionals from Israel's Ministry of Welfare and Social Services will meet Thursday to discuss the possibility of creating legislation to legally outlaw sects and cultish practices in Israel.

The one-day symposium will explore the ethical dilemma of curbing such groups and attempt to sharpen the definition of what constitutes a cult.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26305/israel-symposium-to-explore-legislation-aimed-at-curbing-cults/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26285/south-australias-chief-prosecutor-create-special-laws-for-cults http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26285/south-australias-chief-prosecutor-create-special-laws-for-cults#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:11:08 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26285 South Australia's chief prosecutor is calling for new laws to thwart the rise of cults across the nation.

Stephen Pallaras says a new approach by law-makers needs to address the "mental damage and mental harm" caused by cults.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26285/south-australias-chief-prosecutor-create-special-laws-for-cults/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26280/cult-expert-says-economic-climate-a-breeding-ground-for-cults http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26280/cult-expert-says-economic-climate-a-breeding-ground-for-cults#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:08:38 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26280 Global fears of economic or environmental upheaval feed the growth of gurus and damaging cults that prey on the weak, a French government expert on cults has warned during a visit to Australia.

>Georges Fenech, president of France's Interministerial >Mission for Monitoring and Combating Cultic Deviances, said it was working for greater international co-operation in dealing with sectarian abuses.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26280/cult-expert-says-economic-climate-a-breeding-ground-for-cults/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26103/israel-police-busts-ultra-orthodox-cult-suspected-of-abusing-women-and-children http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26103/israel-police-busts-ultra-orthodox-cult-suspected-of-abusing-women-and-children#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:17:13 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26103 Israel Police, in cooperation with Jerusalem district officers and social services, arrested nine members of a cult living in Jerusalem and in the Tiberias area over the past few weeks, on suspicion of carrying out emotional and physical abuse of women and children over a two year period.

Police and social workers familiar with the case described severe physical, emotional, and sexual violence, that landed several of the children in the hospital, some multiple times.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26103/israel-police-busts-ultra-orthodox-cult-suspected-of-abusing-women-and-children/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25986/israel-welfare-ministry-calls-for-legislation-to-fight-cults http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25986/israel-welfare-ministry-calls-for-legislation-to-fight-cults#comments Wed, 25 May 2011 06:53:46 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25986 The Israeli government must create comprehensive legislation to combat the phenomenon of cults in Israel and provide a clearer definition of what constitutes cult activity, a report published Monday by a special Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs task force has recommended.

Authored by the team of professionals that dealt with the fallout of Israel’s largest cult to date – that headed by Tel Aviv polygamist Goel Ratzon – the 48-page report focuses on four main areas: preventive action, therapeutic intervention, legislation and government involvement.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25986/israel-welfare-ministry-calls-for-legislation-to-fight-cults/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25223/how-people-fall-victim-to-mind-control http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25223/how-people-fall-victim-to-mind-control#comments Sat, 16 Oct 2010 14:20:19 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25223 Carli McConkey spent the best years of her life in a cult. She only escaped earlier this year. What's frightening about her story is that this could happen to any of us.

Clinical Professor Doni Whitsett of the University of Southern California has been working with victims of cults and their families for 20 years. Carli's is ''a tragic textbook case'', she says.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25223/how-people-fall-victim-to-mind-control/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24675/ex-scientologist-karen-pressley-paul-grosswald-and-steve-hassan-talk http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24675/ex-scientologist-karen-pressley-paul-grosswald-and-steve-hassan-talk#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:11:51 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24675 Listen in on a casual conversation between cult expert Steve Hassan, ex-Scientologist Paul Grosswald -- a long-time anti-cult activist, and ex-Scientologist Karen Pressley, who was a top person at the cult's Celebrity Centre, a Seo Org member, and who worked directly for David Miscavige for 4 years.

Karen talks about her presentation at the ICSA conference with ex-Children of God member Miriam Boeri (who wrote Heaven's Harlots), suppression of her new book by the Scientology cult, and its forthcoming release.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24675/ex-scientologist-karen-pressley-paul-grosswald-and-steve-hassan-talk/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24609/professor-benjamin-zeller-looks-at-how-cults-respond-to-science http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24609/professor-benjamin-zeller-looks-at-how-cults-respond-to-science#comments Sat, 03 Jul 2010 14:31:47 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24609 Benjamin Zeller, a religious studies professor, often shared routine small talk with members of three well-known American cults during the five years he spent researching and writing his recently published book, “Prophets and Protons.” “It amazes me when I study these groups, how human we all are,” Zeller says. “So much of their lives are normal stuff. They struggle with questions we all struggle with.”]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24609/professor-benjamin-zeller-looks-at-how-cults-respond-to-science/feed 0