List of purported cults

The ongoing controversy regarding the definitions of a cult is examined in the article on cults. This article lists a number of organizations that have notably been referred to as cults or sects by diverse sources.

Criteria for listings

Very few groups or organizations are willing to accept the label of "cult," and a number of groups have vehemently resisted such a classification.

This list presents a listing of groups labelled as cults by diverse sources such as:

• Groups named in the Washington Post's 1997 series, The Cult Controversy, are marked by a pound sign (#). 1
• Groups labelled cults or sects in reports by the British Broadcasting Company are marked by this letter (ß).
• Groups described as "cults" in Salon.com articles are marked by a percent symbol (%). 2345678
• Groups included in the controversial French government's 1995 report on sectes are marked with a section (§). ''See List of alleged cults and alleged discrimination by ministerial commissions
• Groups that are considered "destructive doomsday cults", or are close to becoming so, by the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance are marked by a dagger (†). 9
• Groups labelled as cults by the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA, formerly the American Family Foundation, AFF) are marked by a degree symbol (°).10

Disclaimer: The inclusion or absence of a particular group on this list does not mean that it is either harmful or beneficial for its members.

Destructive Cults

The actions of these groups have been shown to be responsible for the deaths of a large number of the members of these groups, or to outsiders. See also, Cult [...].

Steven Hassan classifies "cult groups" into "destructive cults" and "benign cults". By "destructive" he apparently means that they exploit their members, not that they're likely to commit crimes such as [...] or [...]. 11

• Al-Qaeda

• Aum Shinrikyo °†#ß
  • Aum Shinrikyo murdered 12 subway passengers with sarin gas in a Tokyo subway on 20 March 1995. Over 5000 others suffered injury. The group still operates and has over 7,000 members, though it has changed its name to "Aleph" (see Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway).

• Beasts of Satan ß 1213

• Branch Davidians °†#%
  • On April 19, 1993, over 70 Branch Davidians, followers of David Koresh, died in a fire in Waco, Texas following a lengthy siege by United States federal law enforcement officials. Some alleged they were deliberately murdered by the law enforcement.

• Concerned Christians † 1415

• Creativity Movement † 16

• Heaven's gate †#
  • In 1997, 39 followers of the Heaven's Gate cult died in a mass [...]. Some male members of the cult underwent voluntary castration in preparation for the [...].

• House of Yahweh °†

• Jeffrey Lundgren † 17

• Manson Family †#
  • Charles Manson, inspired by a bizarre misinterpretation of the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter", led a group he called "the Family" to [...] several people including Sharon Tate, the wife of film director Roman Polanski.

• Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God †ß 181920
  • Ugandan Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments. A breakaway group from the Roman Catholic Church in the late 1980's. In 2000, around 300 followers died in a fire in what was considered a mass [...] or. Investigations conducted after the fire discovered mass graves, raising the death toll to more than 1,000.

• Mungiki ß 21

• Order of the Solar Temple †#%
  • Between 1995 and 1997 74 members of a cult called the Order of the Solar Temple died in mass [...]/suicides.

• People's Temple °†#%
  • In 1978, 914 American followers of Jim Jones died in a mass [...]/[...] in Jonestown, Guyana. The dead included 274 children. Alternative theory alleges the CIA in mass-[...].

• Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association ß 22

• Posse Comitatus #

• Symbionese Liberation Army #

• Roch "Moses" Theriault %

• Thuggee, the cult of Kali ß 23

Alleged Cults

Governments seen as promoting religious tolerance (by law or otherwise) have taken action specifically against these groups. Prominent members of these groups have been involved in felony criminal actions; mainstream media reports have investigated their inner workings and publicized their findings in a manner seen as highly negative by the groups in question.

• Amway
• Aquarian Concepts 24
  • Group in Sedona, Arizona. Subject of a critical segment on Dateline NBC; the son of a member maintains a website 25 critical of the group.
• Children of God (AKA "The Family") °#§
• Church Universal and Triumphant 2627
• Co-Counselling
• Dragon Rouge
• Eckankar °
• ISKCON (AKA Hare Krishna) °#§%
• International Churches of Christ °
• Kim Jong-il %
• Landmark Education
• Lyndon LaRouche movement # 28
• MOVE #%
• Rajneesh #%
• Panawave Laboratory 2930
• Quillabamba Pentecostal ß 31
• Sathya Sai Baba °%
• Sahaja Yoga °
• Scientology #§%
• Sokka Gakkai/Nichiren Shoshu °§# 32
• Swami Shyam
• Synanon °%
• The Way International #
• Transcendental Meditation °#§

Controversial Groups

These groups have come into conflict with mainstream religious organizations and/or restrictive governments, and are sometimes viewed with suspicion; but in general they are tolerated by society and left to their own actions.

• Christian Science °§%

• est #
• Exclusive Brethren °ß 3334
• Falun Gong °ß 3536
• Grail Movement §
• Herbalife
• Holiday Magic
• International Peace Mission Movement

• Jehovah's Witnesses °37
• Lifespring #
• Nuwaubians 38
• Primerica
• Raelism §%
• Temple of Set 39
• Unification Church °#§%

Minority groups

These groups have beliefs or practises that differ from the mainstream. Although some religious leaders and anti-cult activists would classify them as cults, most observers would not regard them as especially controversial.

• Antonines §
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints §
• Christian Community §
• Mahikari-Sukyo Mahikari§
• Neo-Apostolic Church §
• Rastafari
• Universal Alliance §
• Universal Church of God §

External links

• Cult Awareness Network - currently run by members of Scientology
• Steve Hassan - critical list of groups
• American Family Foundation - critical list of groups
• Rick Ross - large critical database on cults, including faq, history, overview of individual cults, and archived news reports
• Apologetics Index - large Evangelical Christian database on religious cults, sects, and related issues
• CultFAQ.org Frequently asked questions about cults
• University of Virginia Religious Movements website - many groups are treated; list includes all major religions as well as new movements; older entries no longer updated
• CESNUR article about anti-cult [...]
• Website of the Justice for Jeremiah campaign
• 1997 Washington Post series: The Cult Controversy

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