Raphael Aron counsels Australians who are or have been involved with cults. He gives an example story:
The woman was 19 and concerned about her mother, who had become involved with a mysterious faith healer.
The healer seemed to be making increasingly dangerous demands.
“The mother had four wonderful daughters but she had become involved with this healer who had a huge hold over her,” explains Aron.
“She was estranged from her husband and the healer’s beliefs had become her beliefs. She was completely in his control.
“When the faith healer, who lived in South America, became unwell he told the woman the only way he could be healed was to have a sexual relationship with a young Caucasian girl. And so the woman went to her daughter and said she wanted her to sacrifice herself to the healer to restore his health.
“The daughter was horrified — she couldn’t believe her mother was asking her to have a sexual relationship with this man. But the woman told her daughter that this was her calling and it would be something that would change her life and enhance her.
“In the end the daughter had a breakdown and ended up spending time in a psychiatric hospital. She was a wonderful woman and a devoted mother, but this man had taken her mind away.
“I have seen so many of these stories and I often think about this family.”
I find it so sad that people believe such nonsense, but I am glad there are people like Aron to help them. There is a lengthy write-up about him in the Australian Herald Sun, and it’s worth reading.
He seems to be active in the Jewish community — I wonder if he considers everything a cult except his own beliefs, or if he applies it to his own religion as well. Anyone know?
He’s a rabbi; of course he’s knowledgeable about cults…
I note he’s writen a “spiritual self-help” book.
“The book sets up a genuine challenge for couples of all ages encouraging them to breathe new life into their relationships by taking a deeper look into how relationships can be guided by a Torah perspective.”
Mainstream Religious Charlatan Exposes Fringe Religious Charlatan.
Film at Eleven.
That’s what I was thinking.
Of course, Judaism can be a cultural, rather than a religious identity…
I think there are even a few atheist rabbis out there.
Don’t think he’s one, though.
He seems to be active in the Jewish community — I wonder if he considers everything a cult except his own beliefs, or if he applies it to his own religion as well. Anyone know?
Depends on how you define “cult.” The cults which Aron battles cut off adherents from outside sources of information, including their families. Most mainstream religions don’t do that. (They don’t need to, since most religious adherents are trained in doctrine from birth, and are surrounded by family members who are believers) Using that criterion, Scientology might qualify as a cult though.
And your problem with that is…?
Scientology qualifies as a cult with Rick Ross and Margaret Thaler Singer, cult studies experts. (It does with me too.)
Problem? Who said anything about a problem?
True… up until you leave the cult and inform others that you’ve left it. Plenty of people that have come out as atheists have family members not speaking to them or only speaking to them to tell them they’re going to hell.
Due to the size of modern religions you don’t see the same influences at work. But leave the graps of these religions and suddenly the same sociological processes kick in. Ostracism is not uncommon even in normal “christian” homes if you leave that families understanding of christianity. Not to mention fearmongering. You can see this when people lose their faith or when they change faiths (or even strains of the same faith a la Catholicism and Protestantism)
He seems to be active in the Jewish community — I wonder if he considers everything a cult except his own beliefs, or if he applies it to his own religion as well. Anyone know?
This is too glib by half. Modern Judaism may have beliefs we find silly, but even its most strict interpretation does not feature institutionalized sexual abuse and mind control. You can leave from the same door you entered, and they don’t bleed you dry.
There is religion, and then there is predation.
I’m afraid that’s an overgeneralization. Certainly, it is true for most Jews. But there are substantial portions of Judaism that are much more cult-like. The Ultra-Orthodox prohibit the internet, television, and secular writings; they isolate their children and refuse to teach them secular content (like mathematics or English) that will allow them to learn about and integrate with society or, god-forbid, abandon their religion. They use extreme language, insults, humiliations, and ostracization (only rarely force) to force members to stay in the cult. And so on.
Whether Aron is part of this current of Jewish life, I don’t know. I suspect he’s not that extreme, so that indeed it won’t be fair to say he’s a member of a cult – but I don’t know.
I’m afraid that’s an overgeneralization.
You are correct. My point was that the only data point on which the cult quip was based was the fact that this guy is Jewish, which is woefully insufficient when we know that the vast majority of Jews do not belong, as a matter of religion, to anything resembling a cult.
“There is religion, and then there is predation.”
There is then judaism?
I don’t know. But I have learned a (very) little about Jewish culture and people just out of a love for the people and culture. As far as I can tell, many have a love for their traditions, the mitzvahs of their own rituals (I asked about a community Passover seder once, and was told “for us, it is a mitzvah, a commandment”), a sense of humor, and a lack of the obnoxious fundie crazy rants and proselytizing. In fact, I have heard speeches at a menorah lighting, exhorting people, “observe your own religions and customs, and be tolerant of everyone else’s”. I think they are the least cult-like of any religion I have observed. There may be some clannishness, but then who doesn’t have that, and can’t they feel themselves part of a clan?
Semitism and anti-semitism in Judaism?
I’ve heard a little bit about this guy. He’s regarded as legitimate from what I’ve heard, and doesn’t just work for the Jewish community, which is very small in Australia. As far as I know his is the only organisation in Australia which acts as a professional cult exit service, most such things are volunteer support forums run by former members of cultish groups and are a bit hit-and-miss in regards to their helpfulness if someone needs serious psychological or other help. I’m a bit wary of the idea of “interventions” to remove members from a group, but as far as I know CCA’s methods are based on contacting a person in a group, finding out if they are there voluntarily or there’s something wrong, and trying to convince them to leave rather than snatching them away.
Unfortunately, I believe that this group have no shortage of work.
Reminds me of that priest who went about debunking so-called paranormal claims (such as telekinesis, psychics, ghosts et al.), yet remained a priest – and, as far as I remember – I could be wrong – trained in exorcism (!). He was pretty popular here in Brazil (where the likes of Randy and Penn & Teller are mostly unknown), he was excellent at debunking paranormal claims, but apparently blind to his own church’s crazy.
I think you’re being a bit harsh. AFAIK modern mainstream Judaism is pretty low on the supernatural, although I have no way of knowing if this particular rabbi believes in miracles or is just propagating his particular people’s tradition. As far as I can make out, his “cult busting” organisation is concerned about undue psychological influence in any kind of group, whether or not it is religious, and isn’t attempting to convert people to any particular belief system.
Neither was the guy I’m talking about – but he was a priest and he was an exorcist. He didn’t believe in ghosts but was trained in getting rid of demons?!
As for the rabbi, I don’t know. Maybe he’s a reasonable person with a silly belief, maybe not. I don’t know a lot about Jews individually, so I wouldn’t know, and I certainly don’t know this guy. All in all, it’s a good helpful job. Maybe people react better to the religious’ words against woo?
Check out this book: Fakers: Exploding Thy Myths of the Supernatural by Danny Korem and Paul Meier. It reads like a typical skeptical book, challenging claims for dowsing, ESP, etc. Except that the last paragraph of each chapter reads something like, “what a pity that people are wasting time on this superstitious nonsense, which blinds them to the real magic of God.“
I grew up Jewish and still identify with it, even as a complete atheist (still follow the holidays and traditions, still attend the synagogue, still speak Yinglish, etcetera). One certainly will not find the same abuses detailed in the article in any accepted Jewish tradition. Ultra-orthodox Jews and more modern Jews are more like two completely different religions than subsects of the same. And there are a lot of atheistic Jews who, like me, follow the traditions, even pray as a ritual, but while realizing that it’s not going to make a difference.
It is so horrible and superstitious act. Developing faith in God is about to go on right track instead of committing such a heinous act. So all people who need counseling can also go for in a good and recognized counseling center. Christian marriage counseling is supporting the couples and families in their efforts to become what they are in Christ. The couples are receiving serious help to be established in His peace. As vital cells of society, couples and families must be strengthen; take back the confidence in itself, identify the dangers and evils menacing them. Faith-based or Bible-based marriage counseling is encouraging people to stand firm against evil, to create the environment favorable for marriage; those who are suffering will be encouraged to restore their relationship and heal those who are depressed or mentally ill. Catholic marriage counseling is proclaiming the truth about family and marriage by deed and word, helping couples to communicate truthfully with each other about the condition of their family.
http://www.marriage-counselors.net/online-marriage-counselor/Christian-Marriage-Counseling/index.htm