researchers-of-new-religious-movements-and-cults

"Mon approche vise a comprendre un phénomène, pas à définir si une secte est "bonne" ou "mauvaise"."

"Nous sommes aux antipodes de l'humilité propre aux saints et aux vrais maîtres spirituels. Le Temple Solaire sombre dans l'illusion et son orgueil ne le conduit qu'au néant: croyant devenir des dieux, les adeptes aveuglés suivent le joueur de flûte dans une danse macabre et se précipitent vers la mort."

"Dès que cela fut connu, en cette folle journée d'octobre 1994, il fallut faire face à un raz-de-marée journalistique tel que je ne l'aurais jamais imaginé: des centaines d'agences de presse, de journaux, de radios, de télévisions du monde entier tentaient de téléphoner chez moi et sur mon lieu de travail ou sonnaient à ma porte pour m'nterroger."

"Je dis parfois à ces interlocuteurs que je ne suis pas insensible à ce qu'ils vivent parce que j'ai eu moi aussi mon cheminement et mes expériences, quoique dans un autre cadre. Et je me rends compte que cela m'aide à mieux comprendre : il est donc temps d'en dire quelques mots."

"En 1976-1977, j'ai été actif dans certains mouvements politiques classés très à droite. Je ne dirai pas, comme certains, que cétait une erreui de jeunesse. Ce serait manquer de courage et de dignité, me semble-t-il. Il y a des choses que je ne referais plus, c'est sûr, mais ce fut une expérience, parm d'autres."

"Radical right-wing groups — from the survivalists to the neo-Nazis, the Klan — tend to draw people who don't fit well into organizations. They would never make it in the Middle Eastern terrorism game. They are constantly arguing with each other, constantly splitting and forming new groups and changing ideologies."

"Apocalyptic millenarianism starts with a dream. It is a dream of a past that never was and of a future that may never be—a dream, in a word, of perfection. This dream, moreover, seeks to link a past golden age with a future promise of a world governed by a sinless elect under the benevolent rule of the Savior himself. The millennial dream has for two thousand years served as a beacon of hope to all, and as a call to action to a few."

"Christian Identity eschatology is clearly no "pie in the sky" set of speculations. Rather, it is closely matched to the everyday lives of its adherents, who in turn live each day as if it were their last. How could it be otherwise when proofs of the End are so abundant?"

"It is an accepted truth that in every age and in every corner of the globe, small groups of people have become unalterably convinced that the processes of history are coming to an end. Although such groups of seekers invariably adopt an oppositional stance to the perceived pattern of changes in their respective societies, seldom are these movements catalyzed from the typical response of selective withdrawal from the dominant culture to a violent determination to act on the belief that the final drama has begun."

"But I found something else as well, and it took a considerable amount of time before I was able to fully understand it's import. What I found most puzzling was that the monsters of terra incognita, upon closer examination, were not really monsters at all. They held political views which were repugnant, and religious views based on fantastically eccentric interpretations of sacred text. But whatever their belief structure, these were not monsters. They were not the violent and hate filled people I had expected to find. [...] Far from monsters, these strange and isolated people seemed, if anything, to feel too much and understand too little. In their words and deeds they harmed mainly themselves and their families."

"Before considering these real world consequences however, it is important to note at this point that none of this is said to condone racism as "just another idea" or, more subtlety, to rationalize evil. Rather, this is to suggest that all human beings can be approached on a human level. That contact can be made. This human contact will in turn invariably neutralize the caricatures which skew scholarly analysis and distort the historical record. [...] The demonization of the radical right ill serves us when now, more than ever before, it is vitally important to know all we can about this esoteric milieu's nature and potentialities."

"I hope that, in reading this volume, the reader too will bear in mind Santayana's cautionary dictum: that we are here neither to laugh, nor to cry, but to understand."

"Kent’s critics have long accused him of using anti-cultism as a tool to promote a broader hostility toward religion, and [his book Psychobiographies and Godly Visions: Disordered Minds and the Origins of Religiosity] reads like a spectacular confirmation. All religious leaders are painted with the same brush: deluded, dangerous, and diagnostically compromised. This worldview is so totalizing that it leaves no room for metaphor, [or for] mystery, or [for] the possibility that [the] spiritual experience might be more than just neurological noise."

"… [In his recent work, Kent] portrays several religions as breeding grounds for mental illness and abuse rather than multifaceted human phenomena. … To be clear, Kent is not a hoaxer like [French provocateur Léo] Taxil. He is a credentialed academic. But like Taxil, he operates in a space where ideology can overshadow evidence, and where the allure of uncovering hidden evil can distort the lens of inquiry. … Kent’s journey from sociologist to activist is a story worth telling, not because it is unique, but because it is emblematic of a broader tension between scholarship and sensationalism. After all, when the devil is in the details, the scholar must be doubly vigilant."

"[Religiologist David] Frankfurter’s central objection is that Kent conflates mythic narratives with historical reality. … Kent’s theory of “deviant scripturalism” posits that fringe groups can use or misuse specific religious texts—particularly those involving incest, sacrifice, or divine violence—to justify abuse. But Frankfurter argues that this approach lacks historical grounding. Kent’s method, he counters, amounts to a kind of speculative anthropology, in which the mere presence of a mythic in scripture is taken as evidence of its enactment in ritual. This is not just a methodological quibble. It strikes at the heart of Kent’s argument. By treating scriptural motifs as behavioral templates, Kent blurs the line between text and practice, belief and action. Frankfurter points out that such motifs are ubiquitous in religious literature, yet rarely—if ever—translated into ritual abuse. Historical data do not support the leap from narrative to crime."

"Kent’s problem is not that he critiques religion. The problem is how he does it. He constructs a sensational and simplistic narrative by privileging anecdote over evidence and ideology over nuance. He treats religious belief as pathology, ritual as camouflage, and dissent as proof. This is not sociology—it is polemic. And it has consequences. Kent’s theories have been used to justify surveillance of religious groups, to support prosecutions based on dubious evidence, and to stigmatize communities that deviate from [the] mainstream norms. His work has contributed to a climate of suspicion, where difference is equated with danger and belief with abuse. This is why revisiting the Satanism scare—and Kent’s role in it—is not merely an academic exercise. We must remember how easily fear can masquerade as scholarship, and how quickly ideology can distort inquiry. We must distinguish between critique and condemnation, between analysis and accusation."

"New religions are like weeds in our garden. Society’s gardeners will attempt to pull out weeds to make room for cultured plants and familiar religions. However, some weeds may be cherished flowers in other lands, and those deemed “invasive” might be edible or have healing properties."

"Media reports on “cults” frequently show bias and hasty, inadequate research methods, and are shaped by a militant secularism that showcases a group’s weirdest beliefs without context or any explanatory framework. Many journalists openly declare their mandate to “unmask” the cults and their proto-criminal leaders. They will seek out apostates and whistleblowers who are dedicated to broadcasting the “bad news” about their former religion."

"The rule of law is believed by most people to be “a good thing”—but that is only the case if the laws are just and fair laws and if they are followed honestly by legislators and implementers of the law, rather than being perverted by perverse motives."

"Eileen Barker, Professor Emerita of Sociology at the London School of Economics, and arguably the world’s most senior scholar of new religious movements, explained to the audience [at the conference session New Religious Movements and Contemporary Threats to Religious Freedom] that there is a difference between the role of a sociologist of religion and the role of an advocate. To stress that you look at a religion with the neutral gaze of the social scientist is “the best way you can be an advocate,” Barker said. This does not mean, she added, that sociologists cannot have strong feelings for religious liberty, and they can help protecting it by debunking misinformation about religious minorities."

"Eileen Barker’s extraordinary work in religious studies and the defense of religious liberty has left an indelible mark on academia and society. Her significant role in fostering understanding, promoting religious freedom, and advocating for global tolerance cannot be overstated. Eileen Barker’s impact on religious studies is evident in her pioneering research on new religious movements. Through meticulous ethnographic research and the development of innovative methodologies, she has shed light on previously misunderstood or stigmatized religious groups. Her work has challenged stereotypes, aiding in the recognition of diverse faith traditions and fostering greater understanding and empathy among scholars and the general public alike."

"Some of the new religions have undoubtedly performed some bad things at some times and some places. But the same could be said about the established, “legitimate” religions. Why, one may ask, cannot the bad actions, whatever they be, be dealt with by legislature applicable to all religions and their members—indeed, all citizens—once it is alleged they have broken a law?"

"I did not agree with all his positions, but this only made our conversations more lively and memorable. We spent long hours of the evening and night during my visits to , where I would normally stay in the Archbishop’s apartment, discussing politics, religion, and pretty much everything, with Casale’s sister periodically and silently appearing to offer an incredible variety of local cookies and beverages. Later, became also part of these lengthy domestic conversations. ...It was precisely because of his natural empathy with all sort of discriminated minorities that Casale also understood the injustices vested on new religious movements. He was critical both of the secular anti-cult movement and of some excesses of Catholic counter-cultists. He remained, however, firstly a Roman Catholic bishop, something members of new religious movements captivated by his natural sympathy and Southern Italian humor, and hoping for more support, sometimes risked to forget."