Skopchestvo as a sect and exposure of its errors

A sect is a religious organization that promotes its own laws and rules of life that run counter to the norms of generally accepted faiths. It would seem that what’s terrible about it, why fight dissent. The problem is that sects negatively influence not only religious views, but also a person’s worldview, leading him to complete submission.

An adept who finds himself in such a dubious organization often breaks up with family and friends who do not want to follow “him” and gives material assets to the community, including apartments, cars, and savings. The personality changes - a destructive cult (or sect) can drive a person to murder or suicide.

Participation in a sect is akin to drug addiction, gambling addiction or other dangerous addiction. When imagining what can result from carelessness in accepting the rules of other communities, it is good to understand their main features.

Religious Marketing or Religious Advertising

The sect's propaganda is usually very persistent. Advertising calls for adherence to supposedly universal human values ​​(hospitality, mutual assistance, good nature, group cohesion, etc.). Propaganda materials (leaflets, posters, etc.) promise benefits that everyone needs, but not everyone has enough:

• Love;
• happiness;
• material well-being;
• respect and acceptance of others.

What is a sect

Most often, the term “sect” is used to designate a group of people united by a single religious teaching and opposing themselves to traditional faiths. As a rule, it has a founder, and also always claims the truth and uniqueness of its dogmas.

Religious sects are groups of believers who have deviated from the teachings of Christianity

What types of sects are there?

Among the variety of sects of various kinds and directions, several main groups can be distinguished. These are the following types of sects:

• totalitarian, characterized by the isolation of the group, the unquestioned authority of the leader, strict control over the behavior of adherents and severe punishments for disobedience;
• occult, professes a fantastic belief in illusory otherworldly forces, engages in spiritualism;
• satanic, preaches the cult of the devil, cruelty and callousness, carries out ritual actions, pogroms in cemeteries;
• sexual, forces adherents to pay for “spiritual” services with their bodies, or preaches sexual licentiousness.

Sects are an excellent testing ground for testing and practicing various psychological techniques, self-realization of various gurus, shepherds, teachers, and also, of course, a source of huge financial profit. After all, sectarians not only transfer their real estate and savings into the ownership of their leaders, but also earn a lot of money through personal daily labor.

Why is a sect dangerous?

One of the main differences between sects and traditional confessions is that when an Orthodox preacher teaches the faith and talks about it, his main task is for a person to first accept with his heart, then understand with his mind, and only then does he talk about Baptism.

Aggressive proselytism

Sectarians strive not only to convert others to their faith (this is the concept of proselytism, which is the main feature of a sect), but to apply persistence bordering on aggression. At the first stage, the “recruit” is convinced by the “carrot” method, saying how chosen, necessary, and previously unappreciated by anyone he is.

Subsequently, community members collect incriminating evidence against the adept, signatures on the donation of material goods, or act with threats to honor, dignity, health, life (different levers in different societies) in the event of his departure.

In addition, in such organizations there is an imposition of one’s own faith and cult. Everything that is excellent is severely condemned. With the help of skillful manipulation on the part of the members, the inspired person abandons his principles and believes in the only correct religion.

Signs of a sect: psychology

The characteristic features of the sect are the following:

1. Marketing - The leaders of the organization are trying to attract more participants, so the group members actively attract new people.
2. Ranks and double teaching - when joining a sect, a person receives only superficial knowledge, but as he moves up the hierarchy, he is told new information that differs from the primary one.
3. Contributions - in most sects, a “tithe” is collected from a person’s income, and it is from these contributions that the organization develops.
4. Presence of a leader - every organization has its own leader, about whom only information is known that confirms his “sacredness.”
5. Suppression of rational thinking - information is presented to a cult member in such a way that he does not have the opportunity to think about it.

Double teaching

A sect often has a “double bottom”. At the advertising stage, not everything is said about the sect leader, the rules, and living conditions in their society. At first, the recruited adept sees a beautiful picture and hears only about future improvements in his life. Only later does it become clear that the leader may have been previously convicted of crimes or simply does not believe in what he is inspiring to others. And all this was created only for his own enrichment.

At first, nothing is required from the newly elected person - except participation in the life of society, studying the principles of their faith and morals. Only later does it become clear that in order to continue existing in the sect, you need to pay with something (everything you can) and give up your previous life. Usually, by this point, the adherent has already become involved in the sect in every sense: psychologically, possibly medicinally, and could also be subjected to physical violence.

Known existing sects

Mind programming and occult or religious marketing are still thriving today.
There are open and prohibited sects. Popular organizations include:

• Scientology
  . It is based on the knowledge that a catastrophe will befall the world, and after death people will continue to exist outside the body.

  They publish books, treatises, and conduct seminars. They enlisted the support of celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Priscilla Presley.

• Hare Krishnas
  . Members of the cult worship Krishna and become involved in Indian culture. They reject luxury and wealth and lead an ascetic lifestyle.
• Unification Church
  . The Moon is considered a deity and is called the Messiah. Separates young people from their parents. Otherwise, followers are called “Moonies.” They conduct seminars, discussions, courses even after the death of the leader.
• Raelism
  . The main direction is belief in extraterrestrial beings. Has more than one hundred thousand followers around the world. They believe that life on Earth was artificially created by aliens.
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  . They profess racism, xenophobia, homophobia. They adhere to polygamous marriages. The sect leader, even after imprisonment, continues to guide the commune.
• Rotary Club
  . They are definitely not recognized as a sect. A global non-governmental charity organization constantly recruiting new members.

Hierarchy of sect members

There is also a kind of “personal growth” in the sect. At the end of each stage of “development”, those who enter it are offered better conditions of existence at the next stage. If he has not achieved something (or has not paid), then he may remain at the same level (and no one categorically wants this!).

A person can be pushed to a new level in different ways - both quite peaceful, usually at first, and aggressive. As a result, the adept still submits to the will of his leaders and tries in every possible way to obtain a new “branch” in his development.

How to recognize a sect and not become a sectarian yourself

Books and brochures with bright covers, on which, like a slogan, are the words: “God loves you. What do you know about God?”... They can be found in a clinic, in a club where you brought your child to classes, in a store on a table for packing groceries, even in your own mailbox... Smiling young people near the metro hand out leaflets inviting them to lectures , in which the meaning of life will be revealed to you... And around the corner you will be offered not a thin brochure, but a weighty volume about yoga... But it could also be like this: they will come up to you and simply ask: “Are you happy? Do you want to be happy? There are many sects and all kinds of religious communities operating in Russia today. How do people get into them? What should you do if they try to lure you or your loved ones into a sect or some seemingly Christian community? How can you tell if you are dealing with an adherent of a dubious teaching? We are talking about this with cult expert Roman Mikhailovich Kon.

Mormon preachers

– Since the beginning of the 1990s, since the laws on freedom of religion came into force, the activities of various sects and the so-called have intensified in the country. Protestant denominations. They became popular among young, active people doing business... Please tell me why sects turned out to be so attractive?

– There will most likely not be a clear answer to the question of why this or that person became a member of a sect. Every occasion is always special. But if we talk about the early 1990s, then the general reasons why sectarianism attracted people at that time can be named.

The early 1990s were a time of religious vacuum in the former Soviet Union. Many people were in search of the meaning of their existence, looking for God, and they perceived anyone who, with a Bible in their hands, preached about God, almost as Jesus Christ Himself or His messenger. Religious searches were also facilitated by external reasons: the destruction of the usual way of life, the curtailment of social and medical programs, the dismantling of communist ideology, which was the ideological guideline for many.

– Did everyone who followed the newly-minted preachers become sectarians?

A person becomes a sectarian not when he attends sect meetings, but when he encounters the Truth, but chooses error

– If a person who is not a believer, or does not have religious knowledge, or is a seeker, heard a sectarian sermon about God and became carried away by it, then he has not yet become a sectarian. Until the moment the Truth was revealed to him, one can speak of a person as a sectarian only formally, but he is not yet a real sectarian. He will become a sectarian when he encounters evidence of the Truth, but chooses error.

- Clarify please.

– When a person was converted to Baptism, Adventism, Pentecostalism, became a charismatic, Jehovah's Witness, Hare Krishna, Mormon or follower of another sect, then a sectarian view of Orthodoxy was imposed on him, representing our faith in a distorted form. Sectarians told him that, for example, the Orthodox veneration of icons is idolatry, the priesthood is a barrier between God and man. But as soon as a person comes into contact with Orthodoxy and hears that the sectarian understanding of the Orthodox teaching about icons or the priesthood is distorted and does not correspond to what the Church actually teaches, then he is faced with a choice: to remain faithful to the sectarian interpretation of Orthodoxy or to reject sectarian errors and choose the truth .

The Holy Fathers note stubbornness of will, conscious resistance to the truth, defense of lies as a distinctive feature of heresy and sectarianism

The right to choose belongs to the rational will of the individual, but the will in the current fallen state is prone to sin, therefore irrational actions are possible. All the holy fathers note stubbornness of will, conscious resistance to the truth, and defense of lies as a distinctive feature of heresy and sectarianism.

If a person has the courage to admit his error and accept the truth, then he takes a decisive step and leaves the sect.

– Are there statistics showing how many people left sects?

– It’s not easy to answer this question, since there are no end-to-end statistics on the number of sectarians. We can talk about dynamics within individual sects. For example, during the period of the sectarian boom in Russia in 1992–1994, the number of Moonies who had the status of full members ranged, according to various sources, from 2 to 6 thousand people. In those years, to become a full member of this sect, a probationary period of seven years was required; therefore, the number of adherents striving for this goal was several times greater. In 2012, after the death of the founder of the Moon sect, in Russia there were, according to the Moonies themselves, about 1 thousand members, but it was not specified who was included in these statistics.

Meeting of Moscow Moonies. 1997

People who have left sects do not always consider it necessary to declare this. But some of them considered it their duty to publicly announce their departure and began to fight against sects in order to warn others from sectarian errors.

– And if we ignore the situation of the 1990s, which was still special, why do people end up in sects in other times? And why do they stay there?

The enemy of the human race has one task - to distract people from Christ and His Church. And all techniques are suitable for this

– There is an opinion that the reasons for the passion for sectarianism are rooted in the social, political conditions of life and the psychology of the person himself. If this were so and sectarianism were a natural stage in the development of man and society, then with the disappearance of socio-political problems and psychological problems it would also disappear. In fact, these circumstances are external factors that contribute to the emergence of sects and people falling into them. Without denying their influence, it must be said that the main reason for ending up in sects is the choice of the person himself under the influence of unreasonable zeal for salvation, pride, vanity, the desire to justify carnal lusts and passions - and the evil will of demons who choose those who are subject to passions , and through them they begin to preach false teachings. After all, the enemy of the human race has one task - to distract people from Christ and His Church. And for this, all techniques are suitable.

If it is difficult to persuade a person to renounce faith in the Holy Trinity, then demons contribute to the emergence of false teaching, where there is faith in the Trinity God, but there is no Church. For those who want to follow the moral commandments of the Gospel and are confused by the dogma of the Holy Trinity, who think that this paganism is supposedly three Gods, the doctrine of one God is being created. For those who want there to be a doctrine of the Trinity, but it is also desirable that a Christian should not look like a marginalized person, but be a prosperous person, there are charismatic sects. And they will explain why a person should be healthy and live in abundance. It turns out that the crucified Lord Jesus Christ nailed all infirmities and sufferings to the Cross: poverty, misery, illness... And those who consider themselves a Christian are simply exempt from the effects of poverty and other misfortunes.

There are a number of sects where the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper, is supposedly celebrated. At the same time, the Eucharist is perceived only as a remembrance of the meal that Christ served with His disciples on the eve of the Passion of the Cross, but this rite does not communicate grace and has nothing to do with salvation.

– What human passions do sects indulge?

- Everyone. For example, in the Vissarion sect in the 1990s, the doctrine of the family as a union of a man and a woman, based on mutual love, was spread. Simultaneously with the preaching of this teaching, Vissarion had many mistresses, and he had to somehow justify his debauchery. Then he began to teach that a husband’s love for his wife is selfish love, and true love should extend to many women, so a man should have not one wife, but two, three...

Vissarion's sect

There is nothing new in this justification of human passions. The Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans says that people have fallen so far from God that they began to sanctify and deify their passions. And today, if a person seeks to justify some of his passions and infirmities, he often receives religious sanction for them in sects. Callousness, conceit, pride, vanity, indifference, etc. are justified.

– What social and psychological dangers do sects pose?

– When it comes to the danger posed by sects, as a rule, they cite facts of destructive influence on the individual and society without any connection with the teachings of sects. It is believed that sects are dangerous due to the destructiveness of the psychological atmosphere that has developed in them. However, its root is in the creed of the sectarians.

Sectarians commit crimes, but not all crimes committed by them are specifically sectarian. Sometimes they commit a crime not because they are Hare Krishnas, or Scientologists, or representatives of other sects, but because of corrupt human nature, like those who profess other religions.

But there are a number of crimes that sectarians commit due to the fact that the doctrine to which they are committed makes their antisocial and criminal acts legitimate.

– Please give examples.

– Hare Krishnas teach that an effective means of getting rid of karma is devotional service to Krishna, and one who devotes his life to this service can perform any actions that do not lead to worsening karma. Therefore, Hare Krishnas can lie, steal, and engage in fraud - but on one condition: this is done in a state of devotional service to Krishna. Thus, criminal acts receive religious justification. Another example. Jehovah's Witnesses have a ban on blood transfusions. And if a Jehovah’s Witness finds himself in a situation where a blood transfusion is necessary to save a person’s life, then his refusal to do this procedure is actually a deliberate suicide. But for a representative of this sect, this is not suicide, but the fulfillment of a falsely understood prohibition on eating blood - that is, virtue.

Hare Krishnas and the idol of Swami Prabhupada

– How is the ban on blood transfusions motivated?

– In the Holy Scriptures there is a prohibition against eating blood. Jehovah's Witnesses interpret it broadly - as a ban on blood transfusion, considering this procedure as a way of nutrition. However, in our body, the digestive system and the circulatory system are not directly connected: blood does not participate in the digestion process.

Sects are dangerous because they legitimize criminal, administrative, and antisocial acts, filling them with religious meaning.

So the danger of sectarianism, first of all, is that sects legitimize criminal, administrative, antisocial acts, filling them with religious meaning. Thus, the destructiveness of sects is determined by their teaching. It should be taken into account that sects in which a creed has not yet been formed and many provisions are not clearly stated, have the theoretical possibility of a very broad interpretation of the creed, including to justify various kinds of acts.

– What do we, Christians, as well as all other people, need to remember so as not to be drawn into sects?

– Christians, first of all, need to know the teachings of the Church and exercise sobriety. If a Christian hears a sermon that goes against the fundamental tenets of his faith, then this should immediately alert him. For example, if someone claims that the Second Coming of Christ took place in 1914, then someone familiar with the Gospel will immediately react to this, to put it mildly, a strange statement. The Gospel clearly states that the Second Coming of Christ will be visible to everyone and will be accompanied by signs on a cosmic scale. This was not observed in 1914. If Vissarion claims that he is Christ who came a second time, but under a new name and in a new body, then it is obvious that this teaching has nothing in common with the Gospel.

Secondly, in order not to fall under the influence of sectarians, you must try to determine which teaching is in front of you. If you are offered a scripture study course, you should ask the person offering to introduce themselves. If he does not want to clearly indicate his religious affiliation, then we are dealing with something dubious. It should be remembered that sectarians like to introduce themselves as an Orthodox bishop, priest, hieromonk, monk...

- Even so?

- Yes, even so. For example, the now famous “god Kuzya” began his activities in the Orthodox environment. He showed up at the Orthodox parish and introduced himself as a monk. The abbot showed promiscuity and accepted him as a monk without requiring any documents from him. Then this “monk” revealed to the abbot that he was supposedly a hierodeacon, then - that he was a hieromonk, appointed by the late Metropolitan Pitirim, was tonsured in his home church, no documents were preserved. He was allowed to perform divine services. But in the end he was exposed and expelled from the Orthodox parish.

"God Kuzya"

Having gained some experience, in Moscow he began to introduce himself as Bishop Roman. But no one was embarrassed that the bishop was without a pulpit.

How should an Orthodox person act in such a situation? If he hears that there is some kind of ascetic, especially a bishop, he needs to make inquiries. Find out which diocese. Currently, information about the clergy of the Church is available to almost everyone. If the name is a diocese, then in the end you can call that diocese and inquire there. Just ask yourself a question: what is this “bishop” doing in our city, in our area? Why did you leave your diocese? And it is imperative to inquire about extraordinary elders and ascetics who suddenly appear.

– What is important to pay attention to if a person comes up to you, introduces himself, and says what religious organization he is from?

Newly formed Christian groups with a short history should make you wary

– Be sure to pay attention to the time of the establishment of this organization. If this organization calls itself a “church,” but arose 10 years ago, 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago, the question is quite logical: “What does this Christian group have to do with the Church of the Apostolic Age, created in the year 33 after the Nativity of Christ? What have its communities been doing these almost two thousand years?” Newly formed Christian groups with a short history should be wary. It has been noticed: sectarians do not like questions about their history, about their origin, they will try to evade answers, they will simply say: “We are a Christian church,” insist that the time of appearance is not important, and the main thing is faith.

– What else do sectarians not like?

“They don’t like it when they ask critical questions and compare their teaching with the Orthodox.

- People are gullible...

- Yes, people are gullible. But first of all, we must trust the Church, and as soon as a person does not trust the Church, he finds himself in danger.

– Why don’t they trust the Church, do you think?

– The reasons for mistrust are usually subjective. Someone did not like the priest in the temple he entered. Someone was offended, something harsh was said - this happens. But we must always separate the personal from the teachings of the Church. And if a person does not trust the Church, then this testifies to his conceit and pride, and this leads to delusion. Demons use this passion as an effective means of attacking humans. Sectarians play it skillfully.

You can often hear on the street how Jehovah’s Witnesses or representatives of Protestant communities recruit a person: “We don’t drink, we have strong families. For us this is good, this is good – but for them, the Orthodox, everything is bad, bad and bad.” This is a typical example of how they try to exploit human discontent. And this dissatisfaction can lead a person to a sect. And the atmosphere in the sect immediately fascinates many people, because newcomers are immediately shown attention, they are made to feel welcome, and they are taken care of. And the person naturally likes this, he begins to go to meetings of the sectarian community more and more often. He gets used to it, and after some time it is difficult for him to part with this environment.

Roman Mikhailovich Kon

“They knocked on our door and asked: “Do you want to know about God?” How should we respond? How to proceed?

- Depends on who opens the door. If these are Orthodox people, then they must say that they know the true teaching of God. They can offer their teaching to those who come, so that they too can become familiar with the truth that the Church possesses, or offer to attend theological courses at the parish or communicate with a priest.

Ask those who approach you what the main tenets of their faith are

If the door is opened by people who are unchurched, have little church, or are hesitant, then, first of all, they need to ask who the people who come represent. If a request to introduce themselves is followed by a refusal, then they are clearly sectarians. If sectarians name their organization, we must try to find out what the main tenets of their dogma are and ask how they differ from the teaching of the Orthodox Church. If those who come cannot or do not want to do this, this should be alarming. If people are not embarrassed by sectarian teachings, then they must be prepared to bear all the consequences of their choice.

– In our mailbox we found books that were clearly sectarian: Jehovah’s Witnesses or another sect... What should we do about this?

– Throw it in the trash chute or burn it. Inform the parish priest and catechist (missionary) that sectarians are operating in the parish and distributing propaganda materials. It is advisable to mobilize parishioners so that not only sectarian literature appears in their mailboxes and that residents of their homes, entrances, and streets can find out that in addition to sectarians, there are Orthodox parishes where they are welcome and where classes are held for them in the study of the Holy Scriptures, in the study of biblical history, where lectures on theology are given, where you can learn about God and salvation.

Chosenness

At every step of the sectarian hierarchy, they appeal to the deepest experiences of a person, as well as to his ambition and curiosity. Usually they try to remove the adherent from their previous connections, explaining this need by the “chosenness” of the sectarians and their “difference” from the bulk of people who do not believe in the same thing as they (now).

They can even convince an adherent of the community that he is the messenger of God, and only he has the power to change this world. Without him and, of course, the spiritual leaders of the sect, who will help and guide him on the right path, humanity will be mired in chaos.

Manson sect.

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A maniac who imagined himself to be a prophet declared war between the black and white races. Charles Manson was accused in 1969 of several murders, including of director Roman Polanski's wife, actress Sharon Tate. According to the court's verdict, he was supposed to be executed in the gas chamber, but in 1977 the California Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional, so it was replaced with life imprisonment. He was denied parole last year.

Presence of an infallible guru and tenets of teaching

If in religion God is something unearthly, sometimes embodied in people or animals, and sometimes appearing to people to convey truths, then the sect has a total spiritual leader.

God loves all people, punishes for serious sins, but can forgive even this. To forgive, you need to repent, pray, correct your behavior, and live with the benefit of others. With sectarian gurus everything is different. This requires submission, renunciation of family, loved ones, and previous interests.

One could argue that in Orthodox monasteries there are also hermits who have renounced worldly connections and benefits. However, the difference is significant - before becoming a monk, you need to go through several stages, just try yourself in the role of a worker at the monastery. People are literally lured into a sect and their will is suppressed in a short time.

In addition, religious activity in general brings good, monks are not forced to go from house to house, recruiting people into their organization for the sake of profit. Excursions to famous monasteries give a feeling of awe and reverence. It is not for nothing that many pilgrimage trips around the country are made every year. The same cannot be said about sects.

Definition of a sect

Modern sectarianism is represented by independent groups pursuing their own beliefs.
The definition of a sect does not belong to religious studies. Initially, the concept did not have a negative connotation. A sect was considered to be everyone who professed a religion different from the canonical one. Now the concept is associated with deception, fear, coercion.

Sectarian trends are different. There are Buddhism, Baptists, Mormonism, Scientology and others. The change in attitude towards the concept is associated with a number of tragic incidents covered by the media.

Evidence of the negative and even dangerous influence of sectarians on the life of society began to appear more often. Some sectarian associations are prohibited by law. Dangerous and extremist organizations are banned.

Important!

Not only religious communities are recognized as sects, but also any isolated groups united by ideology and beliefs.

Total control

As a result, sectarians are invited to live in their own separate community. The work and rest schedule there is clearly regulated so that there is no time left for critical understanding of what is happening. In some cult organizations, leaders use hypnosis and other psychotechnics to subjugate sect members, as well as psychotropic and narcotic substances. In case of disobedience, the organizers resort to blackmail and try in every possible way to keep the adherent and maintain power over him.

At first it may seem that community means freedom, new life. But in the end, all sectarians come to one thing - complete submission and dependence on their leaders. The longer one stays in a dubious organization that calls itself religious, the less choice and personal resources a person has. Serving a sect can threaten the relatives and friends of adherents.

If there is at least one sign of a sect, you should not join a new community. And the brighter the future looks in this organization, the more insidious the recruiters turn out to be.

We invite you to watch a video on the topic: How to identify a dangerous sect - signs!

Types of sects

There is no specific classification of isolated communities. But there is a general categorization. With the advent of new trends, it is gradually losing relevance.

There are no clear boundaries between faiths.
The same sect may contain signs of theocracy and hierarchy. There were communities that combined charismatic and authoritarian religious leadership. Therefore, the type of confession is determined individually for each sect. The following methods of influencing and luring followers into the sect are distinguished:

1. Immersion in love
   . Emphasizing the contrast between the cruelty of the world and the internal splendor of the confession. The newcomer is loved, extolled, highly valued.
2. Personal growth and trainings
   . Opening the third eye, crazy attractiveness, cash flows. The coach actively convinces that he will give you anything in the shortest possible time.
3. Tricks
   . Telepathy, predictions. Usually very vague in the form of “in the past you couldn’t find yourself”, “now you need the support of your loved ones”.
4. Gradual involvement
   . The newcomer is asked for a favor, then praised and offered a booklet, praised again and invited to a meeting.
5. Aggressive impact
   . Total propaganda, advertising of the sect. Everything takes place under the guise of charity and celebrity recognition.

Religious sect

People who adhere to radical dogmas and have moved away from canonical religions belong to religious sects.
They are characterized by strict adherence to a set of rules, demonstrative love for newcomers, and active imposition of their beliefs. Religious sectarian communities are divided into:

• totalitarian;
• satanic;
• occult;
• with the encouragement of sexual relations.

Baptists

A Protestant sect popular all over the world. Christian icons, crosses, prayer and worship before shrines are not recognized. They read the Bible, but in a different interpretation.

Evangelists

A world-famous religious sect of an official nature. Ardent opponents of abortion and divorce. They believe in the second coming of Jesus. There is an international center in the United States.

Protestants

A branch of Christianity with independent beliefs. From Protestants came other religious sects such as Baptists, Methodists and Evangelicals.

Jehovah witnesses

A popular religious organization with followers all over the world. Inside there is a principle of hierarchy and theocracy. They deny the Holy Trinity and claim that God exists in several persons. They are distinguished by the inculcation of their ideology and the active attraction of new participants.

Methodists

A sect of Anglo-American origin. Otherwise, the members of the confession are called ascetics, Essenes. Devotees strengthen each other in faith, support each other in piety, and lead an ascetic lifestyle.

Kabbalah

A religious sect with pronounced pantheism. God and the world around us are considered inseparable concepts. It is recognized as a religious-occult movement, close to Judaism.

Totalitarian sect

Groups of people who use admirers using manipulative techniques.
Causes physical, psychological and financial harm to participants. Representatives of totalitarian sects lure newcomers in various ways, turning those recruited into loyal “slaves.”

Characteristics of a totalitarian sect:

• the leader is not questioned;
• all decisions are made only by the leader;
• the leader’s main goal is to increase financial well-being by any means;
• members of a totalitarian sect involve their family in the sect, or break off relations with loved ones;
• members of the organization live under constant supervision;
• are divided into occult, pseudo-Orthodox, pseudo-biblical, pseudo-Hindu.

Aum Shinrikyo

Totalitarian-destructive sect.
The leader positioned himself as a messiah and practiced peremptory submission along the hierarchical chain. The sect members revered him as a god, a demigod. The sect is known for organizing a terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway.

Manson family

A totalitarian sect that existed in the late 1960s.
More than a hundred followers led an immoral lifestyle. They practiced devil worship, orgies, and drank the blood of animals. All life was subject to the totalitarian regime within the sect. She gained fame after a series of bloody murders.

Branch Davidian

A totalitarian sect close to the followers of the Seventh-day Adventists.
The followers lived in seclusion in the community. Little is known about the group's activities. Law enforcement agencies had to put the community under a two-month siege. Dozens of people died as a result of the assault.

Peoples Temple

A widely known totalitarian sect.
Books have been written about her and documentaries have been made. The community was distinguished by its exceptional devotion to leadership and leadership. They settled in a small tent city. In 1978, all 918 members of the sect, together with the leader, committed mass suicide.

Valley of the Sun

A totalitarian sect of a religious nature.
The head was a certain woman who called herself Asmito. No member of the organization has the right to challenge the decision of the leader.

Kuzi God Sect

Pseudo-Orthodox totalitarian sect.
The novices were divided into six circles. The first circle is Kuzi's wife, in the third circle there are concubines, in the following circles there are candidates for the harem. The organization collapsed after the leader was convicted.

Destructive sect

Authoritarian hierarchical organization with an emphasis on mind control.
Signs of a destructive sect often alternate with a totalitarian one. Main characteristics:

• isolation from relatives, friends, loved ones;
• bringing to physical exhaustion;
• bringing to stress, deep depression;
• group growing pressure;
• information flow control;
• destruction of individuality;
• the whole world will soon be swallowed up by a catastrophe, but this sect knows the secret of salvation;
• formation of dependence on the sect, its participants and leader.

Important!

The first meeting with sect recruits changes the newcomer’s worldview. It seems to him that he has found here what he has been looking for for a long time.

New Acropolis

A mystical destructive organization with a pronounced occult orientation. They support ultra-right ideology and promote the cult of the superman.

Ratcatchers

A satanic destructive sect that practices the rejection of God. They chose a tenacious animal - a rat - as a totem, and they worship the Lolita woman, rejected by God. The head of the Rats was called the queen of the rats. Those recruited were kept through lesbian relationships and blackmail.