The Catholic Church: A Cult In Mainstream Society Essay -- essays rese

When one hears of a madness, one thinks of organizations such as the Church of Scientology, the masters Witnesses, and small fanatical groups such as the Assembly of God. consort to Robert J. Lofton, author of Letters to an Elder, there are two kinds of frenzys those that use mind- assert, and those that do not. Lofton describes eight characteristics of destructive mind-control cults, saying, If any group exercises all eight of these control elements, they are, in fact a destructive mind control cult. Loftons characteristics are environmental Control, Mystical usance, need for Purity, Cult of Confession, Sacred Science, Loading the run-in, Doctrine over Person, and Dispensing of Existence. These eight characteristics are build not only in the organizations mentioned earlier, but also in more than mainstream organizations. The Roman Catholic Church exhibits all eight characteristics very strongly, reservation it fit the profile of a destructive mind-control cult. Loftons fi rst characteristic, Environmental Control, refers to the manner in which the cult keeps its members from becoming disillusioned active the cult though outside sources or ex-members. Members can be physically separated from society or they can be warned to stay extraneous from media that might provoke critical thinking. In 1934, the Catholic Church organise The Legion of Decencyto combat immoral movies. The Legion of Decency rated movies, periodicals, and other such materials and align the standard for Catholics across the world. The Legion condemned such movies as Jesus delivery boy for blasphemy and heresy, as well as recommending against many other movies of indeterminate nature. The Legion controlled the environment of Catholics and isolated them from media that was critical of the Church or was deemed impertinent for viewing by Catholics. The second characteristic of destructive mind-control cults is Mystical Manipulation. Leaders of the cult become mediators for God the cult and its beliefs become the only current path to salvation. By providing the only way for members to reach salvation, the cult becomes a necessary and inescapable part of the members life. In the Catholic Church, the Pope is said to be in contact with God, and to wee-wee a greater measure of communication with him than the other members of the Church. On a local level, each priest is the congregati... ...he American Religious Scene. Doubleday saucy York, 1971Karson, Jill. Cults. Greenhaven fight down CA, 2000.Kavanaugh, Father James. A Modern Priest Looks at His Outdated Church. Trident bran-new York, 1967.Kephart, Rick. A Brief History of the Legion of Decency. 4 Nov 2000 .McCabe, Joseph. Catholics The Most Priest-Ridden Of either People. The Tyranny of the Clerical Gestapo. 4 Nov. 2000. .Miller, MaryAnn. Coping With Cults. Rosen Publishing Group in the raw York, 1990. Noll, Richard. When Catholics Die Eternal Life or Eternal Damnation? The chromatic Press SC, 1999.ONe ill, James M. Catholicism and American Freedom. Harper New York, 1952.Science and the Church. New Advend Catholic Encyclopedia. 4 Nov. 2000 .Shields, Currin. Democracy and Catholicism in America. McGraw-Hill New York, 1958. Sikorski, R. J. Letters to an Elder. 4 Nov. 2000 .Wells, H.G. Crux Ansata An indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. American Atheist Press TX, 1981.