Some Thoughts about Anti-Cult Activism

After leaving cults and abusive churches, many ex-members join anti-cult activism and begin to share their cult experience and information about cults with others. I am not going to question that this activity benefits many people who get information about cults, are warned against joining cults, and learn how to help their relatives or friends who are in cults or to help themselves after leaving cults.

However, there are still problems with joining anti-cult activism. The first problem is that many ex-members join anti-cult activism soon after they leave their cults. These people still behave and think in the same way as they learned to do in their cults and thus anti-cult activism becomes a kind of substitution of their old cult for them. These people bring cult-like traits into anti-cult activism.

For example, in the past, they thought that their cults are "white" and the outside world, especially, anti-cultists are "black." Now, they think that anti-cultism is "white" and cults are "black." The same black and white thinking, just the polarities are switched. In the past, they had their cult leaders who are above criticism. Now, they have "anti-cult leaders" who are also above criticism. In the past, they had the cult doctrine that could not be questioned ant that explained everything. Now, they have "anti-cult doctrine" that is also cannot be criticized and that also explains everything. In the past, they defended their cult and cult leaders against all the "negative speaking." Now, they do the same toward anti-cultism and "anti-cult leaders." In the past, they believed that all the members of their cult have to be in "oneness." No dissents were allowed. Now, they think that all the anti-cultists have to think and speak the same things. There are many other aspects. Well, there is not so much difference, except that polarities are opposite.

This is why it is probably better for ex-members to wait until they are fully recovered themselves before joining anti-cult activism.

The second problem is that ex-members often speak publicly about their cult experiences in mass media and Internet, using their real names. The problem is that later these people may encounter difficulties, for example, seeking for a job or school, because their potential employers will learn about their cult experience. Well, there are employers who do not want to hire current or former cult members. This is a fact.

In principle, there are three opportunities:
1. Not to be involved into any kind of anti-cult activity, including Internet support groups for ex-cult members, discussion groups on cults, and so on.
2. To be involved in an anonymous way or using a pseudonym.
3. To be involved, using the real name and facing all the possible problems because of that.

Another problem here is that people are more likely to trust people who use their real names, not pseudonyms. So, there is a dilemma.

As far as I understand, usually, ex-members join anti-cult activism because somebody encourages them to do so. For example, Steven Hassan likes to encourage ex-members of cults to join anti-cult activism. He writes about that in his both books. He ends both of them, encouraging people to join anti-cult activism (chapter 11 of Combatting Cult Mind Control and Conclusion of Releasing the Bonds). In some other places of his books (for example, in chapter 2 of Combatting Cult Mind Control and chapter 12 of Releasing the Bonds), he writes that he began to help other people to leave cults in just several months after he left himself and that this activity helped his own recovery. He never warns recently exited ex-members against immediate joining anti-cult activism. On the contrary, he make an impression that the more quickly they join anti-cult activism, the more quickly they will recover.

However, there are some important points about Hassan. After he left Moonism, he became a "professional anti-cultist." He never had a job outside of anti-cult movement. Also, after he left, he always was self-employed. He never had an employer. Actually, his experience is quite unique. Most ex-members work or will work in other fields and/or have an employer. This means that they can encounter problems in seeking for a job.

There is also another remarkable thing about Hassan. Being a Moonie, he had a very high position, that is, he was a cult leader. Now, he behaves as a cult-like "anti-cult leader." Well, there is not so much change. There are anti-cultists who dare not to criticize him and are very negative to any criticism toward him. He also is unable to tolerate any criticism. Well, it is known that cult leaders are considered to be above all the criticism. The same is true with cult-like "anti-cult leaders."