YFZ raid is topic at conference on cults

PhDAAA

This is the best definition of the word cult I have seen.

Cult - a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.

Basically all religions are cults until they gain enough members and power to persuade big-media and public opinion into believing they are no longer a cult.

It's like Stop-throwing-it-around said, "one man's cult is another man's religion." That is so true.

I am so tired of hearing self-appointed experts deciding who is or is not a "cult".

A cult can be anyone you disagree with--by these people's definition of a cult, the early Christian followers of Jesus were a cult--following a messianic leader, willing to die for his teachings, turning away from their general society's teachings, seeing their leader as God-like. Being told that if they put mother or father before Him, they weren't worthy of him. You could make a great case. So could you against the founder of Islam, maybe even Buddha and Confucius. Martin Luther? George Fox, the Wesley brothers?

Sort of like the folks down south who identified the Mormon Battalion folks, a historic group dedicated to honoring the original Mormon Battalion soldiers, as a dangerous militia.

Let's stop throwing mud--one man's cult is another man's religion and except when laws are broken, it's simply none of our business!

It is a disgrace to Utah that a government employee is attending a confference of a group dedicated to trying to restrict the religious freedom of others.
What next, will people from the attorney general's office go to meetings of the KKK or Neo-Nazis?

the reason there are so many cases in Texas is because they are the "chosen few" and thats what the "chosen few" are really good at - preying on women and children...

Interloper is right in saying, "I certainly favor kindliness as a virtue, but unwillingness to examine the secret actions of FLDS men strikes me as evasion, not kindliness."

When you have what appears to be 20 statutory rape cases (5 current girls, 15 women with a rape history) coming out of Texas with a population of 700 FLDS, you almost have to assume that there are about 200 cases among 7,000-10,000 Utah/Arizona FLDS. That's a lot of statutory rape to leave unprosecuted. I'm all for extending a friendly hand, but something more than a friendly hand is called for here.

Religion kills.

Dave you are right on...Moore-Emmett's bigoted comments confirm your assesment. ;-)

Moore-Emmett was more direct.

"Absolutely" IS AN EXTREMIST AND DANGEROUS WORD.

Why is it that every time we do not like someone's religous beliefs we say the are part of a "cult". Well the answer is because it makes them sound scary to others, the are the evil boogy men that will get you if your not carefull, and we must have the government step in and destroy the cult.

Better watch out your religon is not next. Oh and yes, I'm familiar with this group and the majority of its members believe mormons are in a cult. (remember how they got the federal government to go after mormons in the 1800's)

I think the people attending this conference are a cult.

It appears Kropfeld has a more objective scholarly approach to the YFZ than some. He wants the courts to decide abont he matter. So far we do not know how much abuse took place, and it would be premature to judge before we see the evidence.

Moore-Emmett is quoted as saying:

Absolutely it's a cult," she said. "It has all the hallmarks of a cult. Every one of these polygamous groups are cults. The dynamics are the same."

This makes me ask some questions.

If every group that practices polygamy is a member of a cult were the polygamists in the Bible cultists?

Since the Koran says a man can marry up to four wives, are the more than a billion Muslims in the world members of a cult?

Since I knew Catholics and Protestants (members of churches like Baptists, Presbyterians and Methodists) in Congo who have more than one wife, are they members of cults?

I think the FLDS will make an excellent model for people who study messianic movements. It meets all of the requirements for a controlled group, especially the willingness of members to do just about anything to prove their loyalty to the leadership.

I certainly favor kindliness as a virtue, but unwillingness to examine the secret actions of FLDS men strikes me as evasion, not kindliness. It curries favor with the men at the expense of FLDS women and children.