Cult News

Despite its attack during 1995 on Tokyo’s subways with poison gas and the fact that its leader Shoko Asahara is locked up and likely to be sentenced to death, Aum is still plugging along according to the Japan Times.

The group peaked at 10,000, but later bottomed out well below 1,000. But now it’s growing albeit very slowly. Today Aum has just over 1,000 die-hard followers, half live in the cult’s remaining compounds. They are closely watched by the Japanese authorities and must report to a security agency regularly. The Japanese are not taking any chances on their number one terrorist cult.

One die-hard Aum devotee recently said of Asahara, “What he did may never be forgiven by the Japanese people, but I truly believe that what he taught will one day be recognized as the great legacy of human civilization.” Right, and so will the teachings of Hitler, once we forget about the Holocaust.

Heading a herd of lesser-known Hollywood celebrities at a recent Scientology anniversary bash was none other than Tom Cruise. But ex-wife Nicole Kidman has apparently lost interest in the Sci-fi group since Tom dumped her, though her career hasn’t suffered any.

Super star Cruise led the long list of lesser-known TV and film personalities, who are all apparently hooked on “Dianetics,” that “religion” created by Sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard. Well, “religion” at least in the US, while some other countries just call it a business.

According to the “Hollywood Star News” it’s the “power religion of Hollywood.” However, Time Magazine calls it simply the “Cult of Greed.” Whose got that right? The Star News says “Scientology has almost 9 million adherents,” but more critical observers say that unless you count mailing lists, the real number is more like 100,000 or less.

Anyway, one thing is for sure; they know how to hook some big fish. After all, they seem to have caught the never-ending attention of Mr. Cruise.

R.G. Stair who was arrested and held regarding charges of sexual misconduct and bad faith is now free on bail. A $400,000. surety bond was posted.

Stair is now under GPS monitoring, to track his movements and restricted to his Overcomer Ministry compound in South Carolina.

Stair has recently said on his short wave radio show, that he will never leave the compound again. He also ominously insists that he is “The Last Day Prophet of God.”

More criminal charges against Stair may soon emerge regarding a child’s body found burried at his “farm.”

Stair is sounding more and more like other “End Times” prophets, such as cult leaders David Koresh and Jim Jones. They shared similar delusions and when faced with the prospect of criminal prosecution, decided upon personally fulfilling their dark prophecies by ending the history of their groups in tragedy.

The 60s Guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi didn’t fade away, he just got really rich. The bearded wonder who once bewitched the “Fab Four” is now an octogenarian, and has access to more money than Paul McCartney. But apparently he misses the British Isles a “wee bit.”

Maharishi, who introduced the world to something called “Transcendental Meditation” or TM and claims he can teach people to fly, is now looking for the right spot to build his very own meditation “palace” to promote peace. And it looks like Scotland might be the lucky winner, reports The Independent in the UK.

Tillydrone in Aberdeen, which is known for its drunks, burglaries and drugs, may soon be famous for TM flyers and its very own “vedic cetre.” The old guru says this could become one of his “lighthouses of coherence.”

Maybe Maharishi will teach all the vagrants in Tillydrone to fly, so they can at least leave during the winter for warmer digs. This might give the Scots some real peace.

John Popowich, a Canadian police officer, was paid $1.3 million dollars in an out of court settlement last month, according the Canadian Globe and Mail. The settlement marked the conclusion of a malicious prosecution lawsuit he filed against Canadian authorities in 1994. Popowich was falsely charged as a satanic cult criminal. He also received an official apology from the government. However, he and his family suffered needlessly for years until his name was finally cleared.

All the evidence, which supported his alleged crimes was proven baseless. Popowich was arrested solely based upon statements made by children through a discredited interview process. Those statements were later dismissed as false.

This is a sad example of the Satanism hysteria, which hit America in the late 80s and 90s. That “Satanic panic” was often fueled by sensational and bizarre stories about secret Satanic cults, “ritual abuse,” human sacrifice, “breeders” who produced infants for slaughter and other fantastic claims.

Many families suffered and reputations were ruined through needless witch-hunts. Ultimately, objective research and official reports proved these claims were most often based upon false memories, fantasies and/or delusional thinking. No network of violent and destructive Satanic cults and/or web of related conspiracies has ever been proven to exist.

Sadly, there is still a subculture of so-called “survivors” in America that persist with such claims and who have their own network of support groups. And like other conspiracy theorists, no amount of proof seems sufficient to dissuade them.

It’s hard to say who is crazier, Rev. Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, or his political and religious cronies, which include former President George Bush Sr., evangelist Rev. Jerry Falwell and Senator Orin Hatch.

Last month Moon announced himself as “Savior, Messiah and King of Kings of all humanity.” He actually splashed this across newspapers throughout America in full-page ads. Apparently heaven had a convention and unanimously decided this, and somehow Moon got the meeting minutes and felt obliged to share the details.

The ads in Utah papers alone, home of long-time Moon friend Orin Hatch, cost more than $7,000. But of course that’s chump change for this billionaire, who built a religious empire on the backs of “brainwashed” street vendors once called “Moonies.”

Moon owns the Washington Times, which loses millions of dollars every year. But that newspaper, along with his more recent purchase of UPI, gives him juice in the capital and affords him a certain cache to court politicians inside the beltway. Prominent leaders and members of Congress attend his staged events, which are sponsored by one Moon controlled entity or another.

That Moon now 82, is a self-deluded possibly crazy old man, is not the point. Even his historical title of “cult leader” seems to pale next to a simple question more pertinent for most Americans. Why do these respected leaders pay so much attention to the would-be savior from Korea?

How can Jerry Falwell, a born-again Christian, suffer a false messiah? Rev. Falwell routinely condemns others for seemingly lesser sins, but he has never publicly condemned Moon. Instead he has posed with him for pictures, even though Moon says Jesus didn’t accomplish his mission. The Baptist minister has taken Moon’s money to shore up his own interests.

And how can Orin Hatch, a devout Mormon, put up with a man who sees himself as more important than Joseph Smith? It seems Senator Hatch imagines that Moon has been “persecuted,” like his Mormons ancestors who fled from unhappy circumstances in Illinois and eventually settled in Utah.

But then comes former President George Bush Sr. who has received millions of dollars from Moon for speeches. Obviously, he doesn’t need the money. What is he thinking? Or is this just an example of greed?

Who is really deluded?

Newsweek magazine ran a piece titled, “Bin Laden: Is He Dead Or Alive?” (June 29th, Mark Hosenball and Michael Isicoff) in the “Periscope” section.

Well “up periscope,” this cult leader is as they say, “sleeping with the fishes,” or more likely buried somewhere beneath the rubble in a cave at Tora Bora. He is long gone.

It seems though that the US government can’t make up its mind and is conflicted about bin Laden. Some think he is somehow still alive, because his followers supposedly can’t “keep a secret,” at least not that one. While the FBI’s highest ranking anti-terror official Dale Watson admitted that an “egomaniac” like bin Laden couldn’t keep quiet this long.

For once the FBI seems to have it right. Like many other cult leaders historically, Osama bin Laden is little more than a self-indulgent megalomaniac. Some mental health professionals might prefer a more precise clinical description, such as “psychopath.”

Bin Laden, like David Koresh and Shoko Asahara before him, clearly relished the spotlight. He enjoyed the attention he received through interviews, photo ops and his own videos, which he released to the media.

It is impossible to believe that such a man could keep a low profile for this long.

Note: CultNews got this one wrong. Osama bin Laden made this clear through a video played just before the 2004 presidential election.

The NY Post ran a series of investigative pieces by Jeanne MacIntosh exposing the activities of a purported “cult” leader named Fred Newman and his acolyte Leonora Fulani, through various organizations they appear to largely control. This list of non-profit tax-exempt charities includes the Castillo Theater, the East Side Institute for Short Term Psychotherapy, and the heavily funded “All Stars,” a program supposedly designed to help kids. All Stars is supported by a virtual “Who’s Who” of corporate NY.

Newman, a self-described “neo-Marxist” and “revolutionary,” was once associated with perennial presidential aspirant Lyndon LaRouche. In 1992 LaRouche campaigned from a federal prison, where he was serving time for fraud and tax evasion. But now Fred runs his own shop, apparently largely fueled by the “All Stars,” which seemingly has become his cash cow. The money milked from “All Stars” appears to travel to other Newman entities.

Now after the NY Post’s revelations, Elliot Spitzer, NY Attorney General, is probing the interrelationships amongst Newman’s various charitable concerns.

Fred Newman, a failed philosophy professor who was fired from seven colleges, later created what he calls “Social Therapy.” According to Newman, who is not a psychologist, this therapy helps people to “overthrow” and “wither” what he labels their “proletarian ego.” However, former participants seem to think it is “brainwashing.”

Newman teaches that his therapy should include social activism. The net result of that activism appears to be working for Fred for free. This might include fund raising for one of his charities like All Stars, or perhaps petition drives for the Indendence Party.

Millions of dollars flow through the coffers of Newman related entities.

Some critics say that Newman has effectively co-opted or taken over the Independence Party of New York. It is within this area that perhaps the most controversial aspects of Fred Newman’s interrelationships become even more interesting. He has questionable ties to both Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg. Both have benefited through Independence Party endorsements and/or petition drives. Some say there is a kind of quid-pro-quo between Newman and these politicians. That is, they are now paying him back through arranging support for his endeavors, specifically through All Stars.

The Newman dominated Independence Party also endorsed Elliott Spitzer, but the Attorney General seems devoid of any meaningful connections to either Fred Newman or his interests. Hopefully, Spitzer’s probe will soon produce meaningful results, rahter than lead to a dead end.

Stephanie Salter of the San Francisco Chronicle recently tangentially raised some meaningful questions about some sexual abuse allegations, which are based upon supposedly “recovered memories.” That is, memories claimed as “repressed,” which are then supposedly recovered through a controversial therapeutic process that may include hypnosis.

This issue arose through the appointment of a renowned psychiatrist, researcher and teacher, Dr. Paul McHugh, to a 12-member Catholic board that will oversee the church’s response to sexual abuse by priests.

McHugh has historically opposed and at times exposed what has become known as “false memories.” Now this history has caused him to be suspect by some Catholic victims groups. However, McHugh’s position has repeatedly been supported through numerous court cases. Likewise, many of the claims of supposed “Satanic ritual abuse” have been proven groundless through official reports and research.

It is important that despite the moral storm, which deservedly has now engulfed the Roman Catholic Church regarding clergy abuse, balance also be brought to the table through research and science, when it is necessary and indicated. Let’s not turn this crisis into a modern-day witch-hunt and demonize anyone who raises questions.

Simply put, some claims of sexual abuse against priests may be false. This was certainly the case regarding the now deceased Cardinal Bernadin of Chicago, who was falsely accused of sexual misconduct. His accuser later recanted those accusations and specifically cited the process of therapy, which formed the basis for his claims.

McHugh is clearly not an apologist for the Catholic Church. He describes its historical cover-up of sexual abuse as both a “betrayal,” and a “terrible sin.” And he has concluded that the church’s own conduct is responsible for the current “deep crisis of trust.”

William Pierce leader of a White Supremacist group known as the “National Alliance” died late last month.

Pierce was the author of “The Turner Diaries” (1978), an anti-government rant that fictionalized his worldview. His book became an obsession and some say inspiration for executed murderer Timothy McVeigh, the man responsible for the Oklahoma bombing. The book describes a race war, which begins when its hero blows up a federal building with a truck bomb.

Pierce ran the National Alliance (1,500 reported members) from an isolated compound 150 miles from Charleston near Hillsboro, West Virginia. He bought the land cheap and it is rumored partly with stolen cash given to him by members of “The Order,” a hate group responsible for bank robberies and murder.

Pierce was most recently known for his foray into the music world, producing racist CDs for the youth market. He hoped to influence people through modern mediums and boasted that his goal was to become “the biggest distributor and producer of resistance music in the world.” He claimed his label “Resistance Records” was the “soundtrack for white revolution.”

Pierce died without an heir, but his fervent followers seem to think the National Alliance will go on without him. Bob DeMarais, the group’s business manager said Pierce left them with instructions. Karen Strom, editor of Pierce’s magazine and newsletter will continue in that role and produce its radio show, “American Dissident Voices.” She said, “We were lucky he had the foresight to build an organization that will survive and will continue to pursue the goals he set for it.” But Mark Potok, an expert on hate groups said the group would more likely “wither” without its charismatic leader.