are often highly emotional and attachments are formed. Adjustments to life after leaving often take six months to two years.
The article mentions that in light of the cult debate they are reluctant to publish the” true” bad things associated with cults for fear of being labeled as “jumping on the band wagon”. I find that unfortunate. In order to make an informed decision all the facts should be presented. Also it is assumed that because certain characteristics were found in members that it was the group that caused them. This is a correlation not a cause and effect. This is the first study I have read that states that the positive effects of NRM membership is not unlike that of other mainstream religions. In Germany a governmental commission was formed from 1996-1998 to study the serious accusations against NRMs and they concluded that “new religious and ideological movements were of no threat to society as a whole”. The hard part still seems to be educating society that different does not always mean bad.
Work’s Cited
S Namini, S Murken. "Self-chosen involvement in new religious movements (NRMs): well-being and mental health from a longitudunal perspective." Mental Health, Religion and Culture (2009): 561-568.
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