STERN: New psycho-cults as dangerous as Scientology, say experts
Hamburg - As reported in the Thursday edition of "Stern"
magazine, reputable experts say that hundreds of psycho-cults as
dangerous as Scientology have sprouted up in Germany. These new
groups, most of which are rather small, are said to be a new form
of extremism with respect to degree of danger, aggression and
totalism.
Former members of such groups have given the story of their personal
experiences to "Stern" for the first time. They reported
cases of brainwashing, psycho-terrorism, dependency and shameless
fraud. Some of the victims say they were made to completely
disconnect themselves from their families and to give all their
Euro-dollars to self-proclaimed gods.
That was how the smaller psycho-groups could be so dangerous, because
enough of a symbiotic nature existed for influence to be exerted
directly, as the weltanschauung representative of the North Elbe
Evangelical Lutheran Church, Cabriele Lademann-Priemer, told Stern.
"There are groups whose members all live together in every way.
In those cases, total control over the adherents is possible."
Although a parliamentary committee of inquiry back in 1998 urged
that the increasingly perfidious operations on the psycho-market
be put in check, the German parliament has yet to react. The
committee had recommended comsumer protection regulation, and had
promoted the idea of a "life management assistance" law.
The law was supposed to enable consumers to obtain information,
prior to the signing of a contract with any commercial provider
of life management assistance, about the provider's qualifications,
the methods to be used, and the extents of time and of finances to
be obligated.
"Consumer protection applies everywhere, not just on the
psycho-market," said Prof. Ralf Bernd Abel. The lawyer served
as an expert on the committee of inquiry and is currently providing
counsel to the German government in a legal dispute with the Moon
cult. "If a principle applies to groceries, meaning products
that affect bodily health, then it should be no different with
products that affect mental health," Abel told Stern.
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Hamburg, Germany
October 16, 2002
Stern magazine
- the above is not a literal translation
- for non-commercial use only - visit http://cisar.org
[Note: The
Scientology®
organization has at best estimate approximately
45,000 to 50,000 followers world wide -- contrary to the 8 million figure
that the organization has been claiming for the past few years or so.
While that number continues to drop (thanks in part to the Internet) few
of the remaining followers are even aware of the unending series of police
raids, indictments, and prison terms their leaders and fellow cultists are
subjected to routinely. Few are allowed to know about their organization's
criminal history, or its current racketeering activities. Even fewer of
the cult's remaining followers are privy to their messiah's written
policies which dictates the criminal behavior that keeps getting their
organization raided (see Xenu.NET for
suitable references of Scientology policy) Scientology management
is the problem, not the thousands of honest believers who are good,
honest citizens; themselves victims of Scientology - flr]
The name "Narconon"® is trademarked to the Scientology organization through one of their many front groups. The name "Scientology"® is also trademarked to the "Church" of Scientology. Neither this web page, nor this web site, nor any of the individuals mentioned herein assisting to educate the public about the dangers of the Narconon scam are members of or representitives of the Scientology organization.
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