Governmental lists of cults and sects
The application of the labels "
Austria
The Austrian government does not always distinguish sects in Austria as a separate group. Rather, religious groups are divided into three legal categories: officially recognized religious societies, religious confessional communities, and associations.
Canada
A Canadian Security Intelligence Service report of 1999 discussed "Doomsday Religious Movements espousing hostile beliefs and having the potential to be violent.." Groups classified as "Doomsday Religious Movements" included:
- the Branch Davidians
- Canada's Order of the Solar Temple
- Aum Shinrikyo (called the "Aum cult")[7]
In 2005, the Hate Crimes Unit of the Edmonton Police Service confiscated anti-Falun Gong materials distributed at the annual conference of the American Family Association by staff members of the Calgary Chinese Consulate (Province of Alberta, Canada). The materials, including the calling of Falun Gong a "cult," were identified as having breached the Criminal Code, which bans the wilful promotion of hatred against identifiable religious groups.[8]
China
The General Office of the
- Organizations identified by the Central Committee and the State Council
- "The Shouters" (Chinese: 呼喊派; pinyin: hūhǎn pài), a Christian movement broadly defined as organizations founded or inspired by Witness Lee, banned in 1983 and classified as xiéjiào since 1995.
- Mentuhui (门徒会; méntú huì), a Christian movement founded by Ji Sanbao, classified since 1995.
- All Ranges Church (全范围教会; quán fànwéi jiàohuì), a Christian house church organization founded by Peter Xu, classified since 1995.
- Hua Xuehe, classified since 1995.
- New Testament Church (新约教会; xīn yuē jiàohuì), founded by Hong Kong actress Mui Yee and based in Hong Kong and Taiwan, classified since 1995.
- cybersect, classified since 1995.
- Zhushenjiao (主神教; zhǔshén jiào), founded by Liu Jiaguo (a former member of the Shouters and Beili Wang) in 1993, classified since 1998.
- Organizations identified by the Ministry of Public Security
- Elijah Ten Commandments Stone Kingdom", identified as "World Elijah Gospel Mission Church" (世界以利亚福音宣教会; shìjiè yǐ lì yǎ fúyīn xuānjiào huì), founded by Korean Park Minghu in 1980 and attempted to form an autonomous zone called "Stone Country", defined by the ministry as a cult in 1996.
Some banned groups classified as xiéjiào were not included in the 2000 list. These include
France
French parliamentary commission report (1995)
In 1995, a parliamentary commission of the
The criteria chosen by the French Renseignements généraux to establish the potential dangers of a movement were criticized since they were considered vague and may include many organizations, religious or not. One of the first criticisms came from bishop Jean Vernette, the national secretary of the French episcopate to the study of cults and new religious movements, who stressed that these criteria can be applied to almost all religions. Moreover, sociologists such as Bruno Étienne emphasized that the mental manipulation should not be defined by the policemen of the Renseignements généraux.[15] The list of cults was based on the criteria defined by the Renseignements généraux, but without specifying which of their practices are specifically criticized. In addition, the secrecy of the work made by the RG led to questions about the presence or absence of certain organizations in the list. Étienne questioned the presence of the CEDIPAC SA company, formerly known as European Grouping of Marketing Professionals (GEPM), as its activity is not in the religious field.[16] The absence of Opus Dei or the Freemasons also raised questions.[17][18] In 2007, Yves Bertrand, General Director of the Renseignements généraux from 1992 to 2003, spoke about his collaborative work with the parliamentary reports on cults, and said: "Alongside genuine and dangerous cults practicing removal of school, abuse of weakness or pedophilia, some groups have been a bit quickly dress up of the word cult".[19] Furthermore, on 27 May 2005, the 1995 list of cults of the French report was officially cancelled and invalidated by Jean-Pierre Raffarin's circulaire.[20][21]
In France,
In France, the 1995 parliamentary report listed the
In May 2005 the then
French parliamentary commission report (1999)
The French Parliamentary report of 1999 on cults and money[33] concentrated its attention on some 30 groups which it judged as major players in respect of their financial influence.[34] It underlined the non-exhaustive character of its investigations, seeing them as a snapshot at a point in time and based on information available.[35]
The groups examined included:[33][34]
- Anthroposophie (Anthroposophy)
- Au Cœur de la Communication (At the Heart of Communication)
- Contre-réforme catholique (League for Catholic Counter-Reformation)
- Dianova (Ex-Le Patriarche) (Dianova (formerly: the Patriarch))
- Église du Christ (Boston Church of Christ)
- Église Néo-apostolique (New Apostolic Church)
- Énergo-Chromo-Kinèse(ECK)
- Fédération d'agrément des réseaux (ex-Groupement européen des professionnels du marketing) (Federation of the networks of agreement (formerly: European Grouping of Marketing Professionals (GEPM)))
- Fraternité blanche universelle (Universal White Brotherhood)
- Invitation à la Vie (Invitation to Life)
- Innergy (Insight Seminars)
- Krishna (Hare Krishna movement)
- Landmark (Landmark Education)
- Mahikari (Sûkyô Mahikari)
- Mandarom
- Méthode Avatar (Avatar Method)
- Moon (Unification Church)
- Mouvement du Graal (Grail Movement)
- Mouvement Raëlien (Raelian Movement)
- Nouvelle Acropole (New Acropolis)
- Office culturel de Cluny (Cultural office of Cluny – National Federation of Total Animation)
- Ogyen Kunzang Chöling
- Orkos (Anopsology)
- Pentecôte de Besançon (Evangelical Pentecostal Church of Besançon)
- Prima Verba
- Rose-Croix - AMORC (Rosicrucian Order)
- Rose-Croix d'Or (Gold Rosicrucian Brotherhood)
- Scientologie (Scientology)
- Soka Gakkaï (Sōka Gakkai)
- La méthode Silva (The Silva Method)
- Témoins de Jéhovah (Jehovah's Witnesses)
- Tradition Famille Propriété (Tradition, Family, Property)
Germany
Berlin Senate report (1997)
An official report of a
- 7.1: Groups with a Christian background (Gruppen mit christlichem Hintergrund)
- 7.1.1 Fiat Lux
- 7.1.2 Parish on the Road Evangelical Free Church (registered association) (Gemeinde auf dem Weg Evangelische Freikirche e.V)
- 7.1.3 Parish of Jesus Christ (registered association) Boston Church of Christ (Gemeinde Jesu Christi e.V. (Boston Church of Christ))
- 7.1.4 Universal Life (Re-gathering of Jesus Christ) (Universelles Leben (Heimholungswerk Jesu Christi/HHW))
- 7.1.5 Unification Church (Moon movement) (Vereinigungskirche (Mond-Bewegung))
- 7.1.1
- 7.2 Groups with a pagan background (Gruppen mit heidnischem Hintergrund)
- 7.2.1 Teutonic Belief Association (registered association) (Germanische Glaubengemeinschaft e.V. (GGG))
- 7.2.2 Pagan Association (registered association) (Heidnische Gemeinschaft e.V. (HG))
- 7.3.2 Osho) (OSHO-Bewegung (Bhagwan))
- 7.3.3 Thakar Singh(Ruhani Satsang des Thakar Singh)
- 7.3.4 Transcendental Meditation (TM) (Transzendentale Meditation (TM))
- 7.4 Suppliers of Life-Help (Anbieter von Lebenshilfe)
- commercial: (kommerziell:)
- 7.4.1 The Circle of Friends of Bruno Gröning (Bruno Gröning-Freundeskreise)
- 7.4.2 Context Seminar Company Limited (Kontext Seminar GmbH)
- 7.4.3 Landmark Education(LE) (Landmark Education (LE))
- 7.4.4 Art Reade
- 7.4.5 Scientology
- 7.4.6 The Natale Institute (TNI)
- non-commercial: (nicht kommerziell:)
- 7.4.7 Union for the Enhancement of the psychological Knowledge of Mankind (Verein zur Förderung der psychologischen Menschenkenntnis (VPM))
- 7.5 Occultism/Satanism(Okkultismus/Satanismus)
- 7.6 So-called Multi-level Marketers (Sogenannte Strukturvertriebe)
Russia
In 2008 the
In 2009 the
See also
References
- ^ .
- .
- ^
Osho movement, Sahaja Yoga, Sai Baba, Sri Chinmoy, Transcendental Meditation, Landmark Education, the Center for Experimental Society Formation, Fiat Lux, Universal Life, and The Family."
- ^ ENQUETE PARLEMENTAIRE visant à élaborer une politique en vue de lutter contre les pratiques illégales des sectes et le danger qu'elles représentent pour la société et pour les personnes, particulièrement les mineurs d'âge [Parliamentary Inquiry with a view to developing policy on combating the illegal practices of sectes and the danger which they pose for society and for people, especially minors], 1997.
- ^ "International Religious Freedom Report for 2012". Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
- ^
Compare:
"Austria". U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
The vast majority of groups considered "sects" by the government are small organizations with fewer than 100 members. Among the larger groups is the Church of Scientology, which claims between 5,000 and 7,000 members, and the Unification Church, with approximately 700 adherents. Other groups termed "sects" include Divine Light Mission, Eckankar, Hare Krishna, the Holosophic Community, the Osho Movement, Sahaja Yoga, Sai Baba, Sri Chinmoy, Transcendental Meditation, Center for Experimental Society Formation, Fiat Lux, Universal Life, and The Family.
- ^ "Doomsday Religious Movements", PERSPECTIVES,
- the Eather Legion
- ^ Edmonton Police Report of Wilful Promotion of Hatred by Chinese Consular Officials against Falun Gong, Appendix 8 to "Bloody Harvest: Revised Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China," By David Matas, Esq. and Hon. David Kilgour, Esq.
- Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China. 30 April 2000. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ EBRAHIMIAN, Bethany Allen (6 June 2014). "Chinese State Media Warns Against 14 'Evil Cults'". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ 邪教害死人 教訓血淋淋. Wenhui Bao. 2001-02-01. [2023-11-17]
- .
- National Assembly of France, Parliamentary Commission report.
- ^ The New heretics of France Susan J. Palmer, p 10
- ISBN 2-01-235569-2.
- ISBN 2-01-235569-2.
- ISBN 2-01-235569-2.
- ^ Raphaël Verrier (February 2001). "La loi anti-secte : remède empoisonné d'un mal imaginaire" (in French). Les mots sont importants. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
- ^ Bertrand, Yves (1997). Je ne sais rien mais je dirai (presque) tout (in French). Plon. p. 166.
- ^ "La fin des listes noires". Le Point (in French). Paris: Artémis. 23 June 2005. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
- ^ The New Heretics of France: Minority Religions, la Republique, and the Government-Sponsored "War on Sects" Susan J. Palmer 2011
- ^ "Rapport fait au nom de la Commission d'enquête sur les sectes — "Les sectes en France"" (in French). Assemblée Nationale. 1995. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
- ISBN 2-7475-4094-4.
- ^ "Rapport fait au nom de la Commission d'Enquête par MM. Duquesne et Willems (partie I)" (PDF) (in French). Chambre des Représentants de Belgique. 1997. p. 92. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
- ^ Taminiaux, Déborah (1 November 2012). "L'antoinisme, seul mouvement religieux né en Belgique". La Libre Belgique. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
- ^ Mourez, Justin (23 March 2013). "Faut-il se méfier des fidèles du Culte Antoiniste ?". Le Progrès (in French) (Édition du Roannais ed.). Loire: 15.
- ^ Pastorale, sectes et nouvelles croyances (October 2002). "L'Antoinisme" (in French). troumad. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ISBN 978-2-503-50325-7.
- ^ Hincker, Laurent (2003). Sectes, rumeurs et tribunaux (in French). La nuée bleue.
- ISBN 2-01-235569-2.
- ^ "Transcription intégrale de l'interview de Raphaël Liogier" (in French). Centre d'Information et de Conseil des Nouvelles Spiritualités. May 2006. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
- ^ a b c d Raffarin, Jean-Pierre (1 June 2005). "Circulaire du 27 mai 2005 relative à la lutte contre les dérives sectaires". JORF n°126 du 1 juin 2005 page 9751 texte n° 8 (in French). République Française. p. 9751. Retrieved 26 July 2007.
- ^ Assemblée Nationale (10 June 1999). "Les sectes et l'argent [Cults and money]"(in French). République Française. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
enquête sur la situation financière, patrimoniale et fiscale des sectes, ainsi que sur leurs activités économiques et leurs relations avec les milieux économiques et financiers [inquiry into the finances, property and income of cults, as well as into their economic activities and their connections with economic and financial circles]
- ^ Assemblée Nationale (10 June 1999). "Les sectes et l'argent - Annexes (Cults and money - Appendices)"(in French). République Française. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
La Commission a choisi de sélectionner une trentaine de sectes (1) qui lui paraissent disposer d'une influence économique et d'un poids financier significatifs, et pour lesquelles elle a pu rassembler des informations qu'elle juge utile de rendre publiques. [The Commission chose to select some thirty cults which appeared to it to have significant economic influence and financial clout; and for which it could assemble information which it judged useful to publicise.]
- Assemblée Nationale (10 June 1999). "Les sectes et l'argent - Annexes (Cults and money - Appendices)"(in French). République Française. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
La Commission tient donc à souligner le caractère non exhaustif des éléments figurant ci-après : le fait qu'une secte ne soit pas mentionnée ou qu'une rubrique la concernant ne soit pas renseignée ne signifie nullement qu'elle soit dépourvue de toute importance économique et financière. ... Il s'agit donc d'une photographie réalisée à un instant donné à partir des informations dont la Commission a pu avoir connaissance.
[The Commission however underlines the non-exhaustive character of the data below: the fact that a cult gets no mention or that a detail concerning it remains unreported in no way signifies that it may lack any economic or financial importance ... Thus it becomes a matter of a snapshot made at a given point-in-time on the basis of information which the Commission could take into consideration.] - ^ Rũhle, Anne; Kunst, Ina, eds. (December 1997) [1994]. "Sekten": Risiken und Nebenwirkungen: Informationen zu ausgewählten neuen religiõsen und weltanschaulichen Bewegungen und Psychoangeboten. [Cults: Risks and Side-effects. Information on selected new religious and world-view Movements and Psycho-offerings] (in German). Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Senatsverwaltung für Schule, Jugend and Sport. [Senate Administration for School, Youth and Sport]. Retrieved 6 February 2007.
- ISBN 9781586489236.
- ^
Compare:
Marshall, Paul A.; Gilbert, Lela; ISBN 9781400204410. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
In 2009, the Ministry of Justice created a new official body, with the Orwellian name 'Council of Experts for Conducting State Religious Studies Expert Analysis' (alternately referred to as the 'Experts' Religious Studies Council'). The council was instrumental in expanding the focus of antiextremism activities from Muslim groups to all so-called dangerous sects. While Muslims continued to face severe repression, the Council ominously declared that there were more than eighty 'large' sects operating in Russia, with 'thousands' of smaller sects.