Videos of Heaven's Gate

Videos showing Heaven's Gate leader Marshall Applewhite (known as Do by his followers) are now being made available on youtube. Go to 1RiverOfAngels' youtube feed to view them. You can also view the Heaven's Gate Website and some related materials on my webpage.

Conference: New Religious Movements, in Ireland

The conference on new religious movements in Ireland is almost one month away. If you wish to present a poster at the conference, the deadline has been extended to October 23rd. For more information on the conference, visit the NRM Ireland website. Conference organizers also are providing updates on their blog.

News wave about Scientology

You may be seeing a new wave of stories about Scientology in the news. Religion Link, which serves as a religion resource to reporters, recently issued an update about Scientology. It coincides with a series by Tampa Bay / St. Petersburg Times about controversial aspects of Scientology. This might form the basis of an interesting assignment, particularly in conjunction with a recent post on the TED Blog in which Zimbardo is asked such questions as what psychology's biggest mistake has been, and whether there is such a thing as a good cult.

And, speaking of TED, another post there that you or your students might find interesting is Diane Benscoter's talk at TED and her later Q & A session. Although Benscoter asserts that brain scans of people engaged in circular thinking, such as she experienced while with the Moonies, would differ from those of people engaged in critical thinking, I'm not aware of any studies that have demonstrated this. (Perhaps you could point me to such studies?)

These are very controversial topics, and may need special care in class discussion. But your students are likely to find them very stimulating, and you can use them to illustrate important concepts in the psychology of religion.

Guilty, Until Victim is Resurrected

Here's an unusual news story: Cult Mother Not Insane Despite Odd Plea. The story is about a mother who starved her one-year-old child because he refused to say "amen" at the end of a prayer over the food. She pled guilty to the crime when the prosecuting attorneys agreed to her request that she be allowed to withdraw her plea if the boy is resurrected, which she expects to happen. Read the report for details.

Openness in the Psychology of Religion

The psychology of religion is one of those subjects that attracts a wide range of students. Some are simply curious about religion and its role in people's lives. They are the easy ones to teach. Others appear to have made up their minds already. They may be believers in the views that they were raised with, either religious or not, or they may have taken a different path and are convinced of its truthfulness in their lives. In either case, those are some of the more challenging students.

Why? Because in order to learn, we must be willing to admit that we don't already have all of the answers. It sounds simple, and it might even be obvious, but it often represents the biggest challenge in teaching the course.

Eleven years ago, when Heaven's Gate dominated the headlines, I made a mirror of their website so that it wouldn't vanish. The site has proven useful for my students, allowing them to learn about the group first-hand. I also happened upon a few videos of the group. In my class last week I showed a segment from one of those videos, an interview with a of the Heavens Gate group member describing his beliefs. From the interview you get a sense of his sincerity and the comfort he finds from his beliefs.

The video led to a good discussion of people who join new religious movements. Seeing the video made it much easier for students to understand that people who join a NRM are typically sincere people who are finding in the group something of value. In some classes this is a challenge because a few vocal students, either religious or anti-religious, make education difficult for everyone. I was reminded of that as I discussed with my class the Heavens Gate group member. If education involves learning new things, it has to start with being open to differences, and perhaps none of those differences are as challenging as those that deal with our own answers to existential questions. Still, if we do find a way to remain open to someone else's view, and at least try to understand how other people might reach answers quite different from our own, education can really happen.

Of course, I'm endorsing neither the Heaven's Gate beliefs, nor their actions. But if we wish to understand people and their religions, we must realize that our own concepts of existence, life and meaning are not shared by others. We gain insight on the human condition when we exchange those ideas, and we listen to what others value.

DIMPAC

When I became serious in my study of psychology, a controversy was brewing. As a new student of the field, however, I was focused more on the basics. Over the years, I've gradually become more aware of the DIMPAC Report to the APA on Deceptive and Indirect Techniques of Persuasion and Control. Recently I took time to read about this fascinating event more thoroughly. I have updated the relevant page on my website to offer links to some of the sources I found most useful. Click here to find the links and learn more about that period.

A Failed Faith Healing

CNN reports the death of a teen boy from a blocked urinary tract that went untreated. Neil Beagley attended a church known to have emphasized relying on faith rather than on medicine. More information on the church is available at this site, which indicates that other followers at the church have died after failed faith healing attempts. KATU.com reports that earlier this year a 15-month old child died from untreated conditions.

Oregon law apparently allows teens like Neil the right to refuse treatment. Toddlers like Ava Worthington, the 15-month old who died needlessly in March, are another matter, and in June her parents were charged with manslaughter. Ava and Neil are reportedly among approximately 20 children who died because their parents heeded the Followers of Christ church's reliance on faith, even though readily available medical treatments could have saved their lives.

I can't help but think of one of my favorite memories from the 70s, the Carpenters hit Bless the Beasts and the Children.

Bless the beasts and the children
For in this world they have no voice
They have no choice ...

Bless the beasts and the children
Give them shelter from a storm
Keep them safe
Keep them warm.

Doomsday Group Emerges

A doomsday group in Russia has emerged from its cave where they were awaiting the end of the world, according to this story from CBC News in Canada. I did not see coverage of the group in my usual US news sources, and so thought that you might also have missed hearing of the news. The CBC describes them as nominally Christian, with a leader who claims to be a prophet.

This news might be of use to people teaching a course in psych of religion or related topics.

BBC - Scientology Controversy

OK, I admit it. People's interactions with religion fascinate me, especially when they involve groups that are not part of mainstream life. An example of this is the case of Scientology, which has staunch supporters as well as staunch detractors. The Telegraph of the UK has an interesting article about a current controversy involving a BBC reporter and Scientology. It includes links to youtube videos that illustrate the story. One video not linked by the Telegraph is the following one, which provides more context.



If you wish to comment on the story, please remember my policy on comments: Comments are welcome at this blog, but are moderated. In general, I publish comments that focus on the substance of the post and use psychological theory & research; I decline to publish comments that use religious argument.