“There is a principle which is a buffer against any information, which is proof against all argument and which does not fail to keep every human being in constant ignorance.  This principle is to condemn before researching.”

Herbert Spencer (1820-1903)

There is a great deal of ignorance of non-mainstream religious movements. 

That’s not being insulting; there’s simply a huge lack of knowledge.  If you’re a normally-educated Westerner, whether from the English-speaking world or from continental Europe or the Hispanic-speaking world, you’ll be familiar with the main varieties of Christianity — Roman Catholic, Anglican/Episcopalian, Methodist, Baptist, etc.  And you’ll be at least aware of Muslims and Jews, of Hindus and Buddhists and Sikhs.  All these are part of the background of our everyday cultural life, to a greater or a lesser extent.

But what about those people who persist in knocking on your door — Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses — or Christians who worship on Saturdays, or who don’t believe in the Trinity, or who do believe in casting out demons?  What about the Moonies – do they really brainwash people?  Or the Children of God — are they really a sex-cult?  What about the Hare Krishnas, or the Rajneeshis, or those followers of the Maharishi who are photographed levitating?  What about Scientologists, Witches, Satanists?  How much do you really know about any of these?

“My friend’s joined one of those weird religious cults.  I’m scared he’s going to be killed, like at Waco or Jonestown.”  “What sort of movement has he joined?”  “I don’t know.”

Ignorance leads to Distrust, which leads to Fear, which leads to Prejudice, which leads to Discrimination, which leads to Persecution, which can lead to Tragedy.  It happens with racial issues; it happens also with religions.  This book aims to reduce the ignorance about “alternative” religions.

The word “cult”

This four-letter-word can cause a great deal of harm.  Its use tends to say more about the preconceptions of the speaker than about the movement being discussed.  In THE NEW BELIEVERS an entire chapter is devoted to what different people mean by it, and to the differences between a “cult”, a “sect” and a “religion”.  To avoid the pejorative baggage attached to the popular usage of the word, the book uses “alternative religion” or “new religious movement” instead.  It doesn’t ignore the very real problems which some people have experienced from the “cult-like” behaviour of some movements, but it does make the point that such abuse is the exception rather than the rule — and that it can be found in mainstream religions, and in wider society, just as much as in those movements labelled “cults”.

Who this book is for

This is not intended to be an academic textbook.  It is written for anyone who wants to know more about new religious movements.  It will be useful to clergy, university chaplains, teachers, youth workers, counsellors, advice centres, and also the media, to be a handy reference text giving straightforward factual information about alternative religions.  It will be particularly useful to the families and friends of people who have joined such movements — and also to members themselves, to help them see their own religions in the context of others.  It is also intended to be of use to university students of Religious Studies, Sociology of Religion, Anthropology, etc., both as a source book on several dozen movements, and as an introductory-level text to the study of new religious movements in general.