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

When one hears of a cult, one thinks of organizations such as the perform of Scientology, the Jehovahs Witnesses, and sm any fanatical groups such as the Assembly of God. According to Robert J. Lofton, author of Letters to an Elder, there are dickens kinds of cults those that use headland-control, and those that do not. Lofton describes cardinal characteristics of ruinous mind-control cults, saying, If any group exercises all octonary of these control elements, they are, in fact a destructive mind control cult. Loftons characteristics are Environmental Control, cryptic Manipulation, Demand for Purity, Cult of Confession, Sacred acquirement, Loading the Language, Doctrine over Person, and Dispensing of Existence. These eight characteristics are found not only in the organizations mentioned earlier, but in addition in more mainstream organizations. The Roman Catholic Church exhibits all eight characteristics very strongly, making it fit the profile of a destructive mind-contr ol cult. Loftons first characteristic, Environmental Control, refers to the manner in which the cult keeps its atoms from fair disillusioned about the cult though outside sources or ex-members. Members foot be physically separated from society or they can be warned to stay a focal point from media that might provoke critical thinking. In 1934, the Catholic Church formed The Legion of Decencyto combat immoral movies. The Legion of Decency rated movies, periodicals, and some new(prenominal) such materials and set the standard for Catholics across the world. The Legion condemned such movies as Jesus Christ for blasphemy and heresy, as well as recommending against many another(prenominal) other movies of questionable nature. The Legion controlled the environment of Catholics and isolated them from media that was critical of the Church or was deemed inappropriate for viewing by Catholics. The second characteristic of destructive mind-control cults is Mystical Manipulation. Leaders of the cult choke mediators for God the cult and its beliefs become the only true 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 have 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 phantasmal Scene. Doubleday New York, 1971Karson, Jill. Cults. Greenhaven Press CA, 2000.Kavanaugh, Father James. A Modern Priest Looks at His Outdated Church. Trident New York, 1967.Kephart, Rick. A Brief History of the Legion of Decency. 4 Nov 2000 .McCabe, Joseph. Catholics The Most Priest-Ridden Of All People. The Tyranny of the Clerical Gestapo. 4 Nov. 2000. .Miller, MaryAnn. Coping With Cults. Rosen publish Group New York, 1990. Noll, Richard. When Catholics Die endless Life or Eternal Damnation? The Olive Press SC, 1999.O Neill, James M. Catholicism and American Freedom. Harper New York, 1952.Science and the Church. New Advend Catholic Encyclopedia. 4 Nov. 2000 .Shields, Currin. nation 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 bill of indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. American Atheist Press TX, 1981.