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

When one hears of a cult, one thinks of organizations such as the Church of Scientology, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and small fanatical groups such as the Assembly of God. According to Robert J. Lofton, author of Letters to an Elder, there are two kinds of cults; those that use mind-control, and those that do not. Lofton describes eight characteristics of destructive mind-control cults, saying, â€Å"If any group exercises all eight of these control elements, they are, in fact a destructive mind control cult†. Lofton’s characteristics are ‘Environmental Control’, ‘Mystical Manipulation’, ‘Demand for Purity’, ‘Cult of Confession’, ‘Sacred Science’, ‘Loading the Language’, ‘Doctrine over Person’, and ‘Dispensing of Existence’. These eight characteristics are found not only in the organizations mentioned earlier, but also in more mainstream organizations. The Roman Catholic Church exhibits all eight characteristics very strongly, making it fit the profile of a destructive mind-control cult. Lofton’s first characteristic, ‘Environmental Control’, refers to the manner in which the cult keeps its members from becoming disillusioned about the cult though outside sources or ex-members. Members â€Å"can be physically separated from society or they can be warned to stay away from media that might provoke critical thinking.† In 1934, the Catholic Church formed â€Å"The Legion of Decency†¦to combat immoral movies†. The Legion of Decency rated movies, periodicals, and other such materials and set the standard for Catholics across the world. The Legion condemned such movies as â€Å"Jesus Christ† for blasphemy and heresy, as well as recommending against many 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’. â€Å"Leaders [of the cult] become 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 member’s 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 Religious Scene. Doubleday: New York, 1971 Karson, 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. â€Å"Catholics The Most Priest-Ridden Of All People.† The Tyranny of the Clerical Gestapo. 4 Nov. 2000. . Miller, MaryAnn. Coping With Cults. Rosen Publishing Group: New York, 1990. Noll, Richard. When Catholics Die: Eternal Life or Eternal Damnation? The Olive Press: SC, 1999. O’Neill, James M. Catholicism and American Freedom. Harper: New York, 1952. â€Å"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.