The Cult Craze

Following the Heaven's Gate mass suicide, the media stirred up a great deal of controversy regarding cults and related issues. Good Morning America and NBC Dateline both made statements linking Witchcraft with cults and other unsavory concepts, much to the annoyance of the Pagan community at large. In fact, you can't get much more anti-cult than Paganism! The beliefs fall at opposite ends of a broad and complex spectrum.

In observing the media circus, I noted a marked lack of journalistic responsibility and anything approaching useful information. They served up sensationalism when they could have initiated a thoughtful national debate about how to minimize the danger of cults and cult-like attitudes. Just a little research would have turned up a juicy selection of "Cult Warning Signs" lists to broadcast, not to mention dozens of definitions -- take your pick -- of Paganism, Witchcraft, etc. by members of those religions. Instead, I saw a tendency for reporters to make up news as they went along, by designing "tests" that would make any statistician cringe. This kind of behavior threatens our constitutional rights and poses a danger to many small groups, religions, intentional communities, and other free thinkers who try to avoid making the some of the "mainstream" society's mistakes.

So I'm going to pick up where they left off. I believe most of the media spokes-folks just didn't know any better. One of the best responses to such behavior is simply to provide the missing information, in triplicate if possible. In this case, that includes accurate descriptions of Pagan groups (any group -- send them your charter if you have one, or give them a summary) and descriptions of cults and their respective patterns of behavior. Read the sidebar for a contrast between cult tendencies and Pagan tendencies.

Of course, I made generalizations with my list, which I synthesized from several others plus my own observations. I focus on trends; there are always exceptions. Calling yourself a Pagan or Witch or Druid does not make you one. Just as a person can call himself a Christian but violate the teachings of Jesus Christ to love his neighbors, a person can call herself a Witch and violate the Wiccan Rede to harm none. Actions, not titles, show a person's true path.

Every system has its lunatic fringe, some more dangerous than others. A few people call themselves Pagans but go on a dangerous power-trip. If you spot any of these individuals, don't go along for the ride! Avoid them, and avoid encouraging them. If people cite such power-trippers as examples of Pagan leadership, counter with an explanation of the beliefs violated and cite more responsible Pagan leaders instead: Starhawk, Oberon G'Zell, Shekinah Mountainwater, Isaac Bonewits, Brooke Medicine Eagle, whomever you respect to represent your traditions.

Most Pagan churches and other organizations have assembled a charter or constitution of their beliefs, ideals, ethics, etc. While these differ in detail, they hold a majority of concepts in common. Different traditions may hold contradictory beliefs in some areas, but a majority of Pagan paths uphold the union of matter and spirit, respect of life, and generally positive tenets. It helps to have these available for comparison.

Finally, you should realize that one reason Earth-centered religions come under so much fire is because we do such a thorough deconstruction of the cult mentality. That makes us dangerous to the status quo, because major institutions and governments depend to a large extent on manipulating the masses. If the masses know how to recognize and fight those dirty little tricks, then the status quo changes, and the people on top now don't want that to happen. No wonder they don't like us! You may not consider your religion a political statement, but if you think for yourself and demand certain basic freedoms, then some people will consider you a threat.

For a fascinating exercise, try applying my list to various organizations and see where they fall on the manipulation/realization spectrum. You can also look up other checklists of warning signs and use them in the same way. Test your grove, coven, altar circle, or other spiritual group; test your personal beliefs or the tenets of your tradition if you practice as a solitary. Then test other traditions you know -- Pagan, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, atheist, whatever. Test your day job, your local or national government, the "mainstream" society, and any other reality tunnel you can get a good fix on. Where do you feel most comfortable on the spectrum? Where do most of your associations fall? Most folks fall somewhere in between.

By this point, if I haven't pissed anyone off, this installment is a flop. The media don't say as many nasty things about Pagans as they used to, but they still say a lot and they still make careless mistakes about us. What can you do about it? First of all, remain vigilant. Note the time and origin of inaccurate or inflammatory statements. Spread the news about discriminatory incidents, and read the news sections in Pagan periodicals. Get in touch with Pagan advocacy groups like Witches Against Religious Discrimination or the Lady Liberty League. Next, act on your knowledge. Contact organizations and individuals who damage the public image of Earth-centered religions. Don't flame them, though, try to stay polite -- otherwise they will ignore you. Explain what they got wrong and provide accurate information, preferably with a hefty list of relevant resources and references for them to consult. Encourage your Pagan and nonPagan but Pagan-friendly associates to do likewise. Carry on discussions about these important issues in your favorite Pagan publications, and ask editors to print articles about them as well. Speak out against cults and other mechanisms of oppression. Finally, seek to foster positive relations between Paganism and other religions. Network with amenable spiritual leaders to hold interfaith meetings and form mutual support systems. As much as you can afford to, remain open about your beliefs and practices so that members of other faiths come to know us as decent folks and great neighbors. Organize a Pagan food drive, ecological cleanup, or other benefit in such as way as to let people see Pagans contributing to the community well-being. Live the values you want to spread.

If anyone has a list of warning signs about cults or power-tripping leaders which I have not cited in my references, I would like to see a copy. I collect them. I also collect the charters of Pagan groups, as a means of figuring out "our" typical views and values, at least as much as possible with such a diversity of traditions. Further dialogue on the topic of cult tendencies vs. Pagan tendencies and on Pagan public relations is welcome.

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CULT TENDENCIES	PAGAN TENDENCIES
Money
Often demand that new members donate large sums, even everything they own; may continue to make extreme demands on existing members. Leaders may accumulate great personal wealth at members' expense, usually have grandiose expectations.	Often offer free meetings and teaching. Some groups charge modest dues to fund their events. Many believe that money and spirituality should NEVER mix, and that altar tools should be given/found/made instead of bought. Leaders rarely accumulate great personal wealth.
Responsibility
Discourage personal responsibility, encourage loyalty to group at all costs. Members expected to follow leadership regardless of consequences. Leadership usually interfaces between members and Divinity.	Encourage, even demand in many systems, a high degree of personal responsibility; discourage attempts to blame others for a member's own actions/circumstances/etc. Members expected to follow their own inner guidance. Leadership may interface between members and Divinity, but many traditions rotate leadership and/or otherwise encourage members to develop their own intimate relationships with Divinity.
Power
Usually power-over. Encourage over-dependency. Leadership, often a single charismatic individual, holds great or total power over members who do as commanded. Authority almost never changes hands.	Usually power-with or power-from-within. Encourage independence or interdependence. Members work together willingly to produce desired results, and also strive to develop their own inner strength. Leadership holds modest power over members, who may refuse to do something they find objectionable. Authority often changes hands, with many groups incorporating this turnover into their seasonal festivals; however, experienced members often retain continuous influence due to the respect accorded them by others.
Violence
Often condoned or even commanded. Group may hoard weapons in anticipation of attacking or being attacked by outsiders. Pacifists uncommon.	Usually discouraged or forbidden, except in some warrior traditions. Purely symbolic violence, as with the Sacrificed King, remains in other systems as well. Pacifists not uncommon.
Sexuality
Usually either exploited or forbidden, sometimes both. Members expected to conform absolutely to group's standards, however bizarre. Leaders often take advantage sexually of members.	Almost always considered sacred, or at least respected as the source of life. Members usually expected to behave responsibly but pressure rarely applied to meet a strict group standard. Less of an issue with leadership given the tendency to shift, but leaders in many groups tend not to have sex with members to avoid possibility of exploitation.
Infallibility
Frequently claimed, especially by dictatorial leaders. Members not allowed to question. Emphasis on "saving face" by covering up any scandal, using force or the threat of force if necessary.	Never claimed by any responsible person, whether a leader or not. Widely considered taboo, even ludicrous. Members typically question anything that makes them uncomfortable. Emphasis on learning from mistakes.
Dogma
Almost always claim theirs is the One True and Only Way, all others invalid. Appeal to damnation/salvation paradigm. Rigid structure of beliefs and practices rarely changes.	Some systems pay much attention to lineage and details of practice, but most acknowledge that there is no "One, True Way" but only different paths. Appeal to common sense, personal experience, and observable phenomena. Some systems less flexible due to tradition, many adapt over time to accommodate changing circumstances.
Recruitment
Heavy emphasis on converting new members. High-pressure "sales" tactics, may appeal to friends or family of existing members as a means of growth. Often go to great lengths to keep members in the group, not allowing them to leave. Emphasis on attracting and keeping as many members as possible.	Pagans do not proselytize. Indeed, some groups make it quite difficult to join. Some groups teach or give out information about themselves readily; others do not. Rarely if ever attempt to keep members; large groups may even split peacefully into smaller groups. Emphasis on each individual finding the path(s) best suited to his or her needs.
Fronts
Often use one or more "front groups" operating under different names to raise money or bring in new members. Widely used for purposes of deceit and misdirection.	Rarely use "front groups" except for charitable purposes, although a Pagan church may include many individual covens/groves/groups operating under their own names. Not used for deceit/misdirection.
Paranoia
Often feel alienated from the "mainstream" world, may fear -- justly or unjustly -- an attempt to wipe them out. Usually respond aggressively. Often retreat into armed or unarmed "camps" to shield group from the rest of the world.	Sometimes feel alienated from the "mainstream" world, may fear attack or discrimination from others. Usually respond assertively but nonviolently, most often with an offer of accurate information to counteract negative propaganda. May retreat into the "broom closet" for personal safety.
Headspace
Frequently use indoctrination/ brainwashing to achieve docility in members and instill in them the group's worldview. Usually restrict flow of information and access to outside people, institutions, etc. Many subjects forbidden, not discussed. Intense pressure to conform to group standards. Often violate personal boundaries and ethics.	Never use indoctrination. Usually encourage members to learn about other belief systems and seek out information on their own. Few or no subjects taboo. Less pressure to conform. Respect and protect personal boundaries and ethics; some groups even center around healing from past violations in these areas.
Manipulation
Frequently manipulate feelings and beliefs in a conscious way for specific purposes. May use flattery, guilt, humiliation, intimidation, etc. to achieve desired effects. May appeal to prospective member's vanity, greed, desire for power, glamour of being "special/chosen" etc. to win commitment. Often plays on feelings of inadequacy or low self-esteem.	No deliberate manipulation of this type in a responsible group. Most systems believe in "immanent worth" and foster good self-esteem.
Humor
Usually discouraged or forbidden, especially if it pokes fun at group leaders, standards, etc.	Usually condoned or encouraged, sometimes in a sacred context as with Trickster figures. Some members and leaders have a hard time laughing at themselves, though.
Practices
Generally negative. Often include destructive beliefs and behaviors such as misuse of power, sexual and other abuse, shady legal proceedings or outright crime, etc. and basically working to make the world a better place for their particular group.	Generally positive. Usually include constructive beliefs and behaviors such as developing personal power, appreciation of sexuality, campaigning for justice, and basically working to make the world a better place for all.
Seekers
Attract prospective members who have low self-esteem and unmet needs, who want power over others accompanied by a sense of belonging. Members often self-centered and hedonistic.	Also attract prospective members with low self-esteem and unmet needs, but additionally attract those with higher self-esteem. Seekers typically want to develop their own power or power with others, accompanied by a sense of belonging. Seekers rarely self-centered and hedonistic, often with an urge to serve society or pursue spiritual goals.

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References

The Pagan Path by Janet & Stewart Farrar and Gavin Bone. Phoenix Publishing, 1995. Isaac Bonewits's "Cult Danger Evaluation Frame" pages 187-188.

Builders of the Dawn: Community Lifestyles in a Changing World by Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson. The Book Publishing Company, 1985. List of dangerous group traits, pages 108-109.

A Handbook on Youth Violence and Gangs by Bart Larson and Wendell Amstutz. National Counseling Resource Center, 1995. "Striking Similarities Between Gang Members and Satanists" pages 50-51. Note -- this book wavers in its attitude towards Paganism, sometimes offering fair and accurate coverage, other times falling into negative propaganda.

Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery by Starhawk. Harper & Row, 1987. Discussion of responsive leadership with lists of questions about leadership and evaluating leadership plus guidelines for responsive leadership and adapting responsive leadership to hierarchies, pages 268-276.

Freedom Is a Two-Edged Sword (and Other Essays) by John Whiteside Parsons. Falcon Press, 1989. Discussion of personal freedoms and the need to stand up for them in sections "I. A Sword Is Drawn" and "II. The Sword and the State" pages 10-24.

Resources

Witches' Anti-Discrimination Lobby (WADL) c/o Silver RavenWolf P.O. Box 1932 Mechanicsburg, PA 17053: Main focus on challenging negative depictions and propaganda; this group issues alerts about discrimination incidents and encourages people to write letters of protest.
Witches Against Religious Discrimination (WARD) c/o Joyce Siegrist P.O. Box 5967 Providence, RI 02903: WARD maintains and disseminates information about Wicca/Witchcraft and combats bigotry, discrimination, and harassment of Pagans.
Lady Liberty League c/o Circle P.O. Box 219 Mt. Horeb, WI 53572 (608) 924-2216 [phone] or (608) 924-5961 [fax] circle@mhtc.net: A referral network of volunteers interested in helping with Wiccan/Pagan/Nature Spirituality religious freedom cases.
Allegiance of Magickal & Earth Religions (AMER) c/o Chris Carlisle P.O. Box 16531 Clayton, MO 63105 Carlisle@wuchem.wustl.edu: AMER is a civil-rights organization working to ensure freedom of religion for all Americans. This group campaigns for tolerance of magical and Earth-centered religions, counters negative propaganda, promotes cooperation among various religious groups, and provides accurate information about relevant traditions; AMER also offers literature about Pagan scholarship, dealing with harassment, allegations of ritual child abuse, and other concerns.
Jane's Tidings P.O. Box 64 Portland, ME 04112 pjane@maine.com: Disseminates Wiccan- and Pagan-related news including incidents of discrimination and negative propaganda.
Earth Religions Assistance Association (ERAA) and Earth Religions Assistance List (ERAL) c/o Larry Cornett 9353 Sibelius Drive Vienna, VA 22182-1632 (703) 281-3335 [phone and fax] lcorncalen@aol.com: ERAA and ERAL are dedicated to networking in order to help Earth Religionists who are being persecuted due to their beliefs or practices. These groups help people find the legal resources they need in to protect their rights.

WADL, WARD, AMER, ERAA, and ERAL citations taken from Beltane '97 issue (Volume IV, Number III) of PagaNet News. LLL and JT listings taken from Spring '97 issue of Circle Network News and Imbolg issue of Northern Crossroads, respectively.

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Art on this page is from the "Whiteflower" set, at Winter's Pages

The URL for this page is http://www.worthlink.net/~ysabet/spirit/cults.html and it was last updated on October 13, 1998.