Family Action Information Resource
Encyclopedia
In November 2007, FAIR Britain's main "anti-cult
" group, re-established itself as The Family Survival Trust (TFST).
TFST continues to offer advice, support and information to families as well as individuals who feel they have been adversely affected by "cult
" involvement, believing in the welfare and unity of the family as being of paramount importance in maintaining the quality of life in society. It holds regular seminars on related matters.
, as a support group for friends and relatives of "cult" members, with an early focus on the Unification Church
, although in the years following this focus expanded to include other new religious movements (NRMs) and "cult" groups. In the late 1970s, it started to publish FAIR News to provide information and reports on new religious movements.
FAIR has consistently objected to the "anti-cult" label and "has repeatedly pointed out that it is not anti-religious, but opposes practices detrimental to the well-being of the individual". It has also publicly disapproved of activities like "Moonie bashing". However, NRM scholar David Chryssides has pointed out that "[a]lthough FAIR officials reject the term 'anti-cult', FAIR's main strategy seems designed to hamper the progress of NRMs in a variety of ways." Yet Elizabeth Arweck adds that FAIR's "commitment to raise cult awareness was tempered by repeated warnings against witchhunts". In fact FAIR changed its name to "Family, Action, Information, Resource" denoting a concern "more with the place of these cults in public life and governments than with the issues of recruitment and brainwashing, although these remain[ed] important.".
FAIR has often been perceived as supporting "deprogramming
", but has in fact publicly distanced itself from it. Citing such reasons as high failure rates, damage to families and civil liberty issues, FAIR chairman Casey McMann said in 1985 that FAIR neither recommended nor supported coercive deprogramming and disapproved of those practising it, considering "coercive deprogramming a money-making racket which encouraged preying on the misery of families with cult involvement." In 1985 members of FAIR who believed that the group had become too moderate created a splinter group called Cultists Anonymous. In 1987, a FAIR committee member, Cyril Vosper
, was convicted in Munich
on charges of kidnapping and causing bodily harm to German Scientologist
Barbara Schwarz in the course of a deprogramming attempt. The hardliner Cultists Anonymous group was short-lived and rejoined FAIR in 1991.
FAIR's applications for government funding were not successful; such funding has instead gone to INFORM (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements), set up in 1988 by the sociologist Eileen Barker
, with the support of Britain's mainstream churches. Relations between FAIR and INFORM have at times been strained, with FAIR accusing INFORM of being too soft on cults.
The Family Survival Trust;
Anti-cult movement
The anti-cult movement is a term used by academics and others to refer to groups and individuals who oppose cults and new religious movements. Sociologists David G...
" group, re-established itself as The Family Survival Trust (TFST).
TFST continues to offer advice, support and information to families as well as individuals who feel they have been adversely affected by "cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
" involvement, believing in the welfare and unity of the family as being of paramount importance in maintaining the quality of life in society. It holds regular seminars on related matters.
History
The Family Survival Trust evolved from FAIR ("Family, Action, Information, Rescue") Britain's first "anti-cult" group. FAIR was founded in 1976 by Paul RosePaul Rose (UK politician)
Paul Bernard Rose was a British Labour Party politician and a leading campaigner against the politics of the National Front....
, as a support group for friends and relatives of "cult" members, with an early focus on the Unification Church
Unification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
, although in the years following this focus expanded to include other new religious movements (NRMs) and "cult" groups. In the late 1970s, it started to publish FAIR News to provide information and reports on new religious movements.
FAIR has consistently objected to the "anti-cult" label and "has repeatedly pointed out that it is not anti-religious, but opposes practices detrimental to the well-being of the individual". It has also publicly disapproved of activities like "Moonie bashing". However, NRM scholar David Chryssides has pointed out that "[a]lthough FAIR officials reject the term 'anti-cult', FAIR's main strategy seems designed to hamper the progress of NRMs in a variety of ways." Yet Elizabeth Arweck adds that FAIR's "commitment to raise cult awareness was tempered by repeated warnings against witchhunts". In fact FAIR changed its name to "Family, Action, Information, Resource" denoting a concern "more with the place of these cults in public life and governments than with the issues of recruitment and brainwashing, although these remain[ed] important.".
FAIR has often been perceived as supporting "deprogramming
Deprogramming
Deprogramming refers to actions that attempt to force a person to abandon allegiance to a religious, political, economic, or social group. Methods and practices may involve kidnapping and coercion...
", but has in fact publicly distanced itself from it. Citing such reasons as high failure rates, damage to families and civil liberty issues, FAIR chairman Casey McMann said in 1985 that FAIR neither recommended nor supported coercive deprogramming and disapproved of those practising it, considering "coercive deprogramming a money-making racket which encouraged preying on the misery of families with cult involvement." In 1985 members of FAIR who believed that the group had become too moderate created a splinter group called Cultists Anonymous. In 1987, a FAIR committee member, Cyril Vosper
Cyril Vosper
Cyril Ronald Vosper was a Scientologist and later a critic of Scientology. He wrote The Mind Benders, which was the first book on Scientology to be written by an ex-member and the first critical book on Scientology to be published .-Biography:Vosper was born in 1935, in Hounslow, Middlesex...
, was convicted in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
on charges of kidnapping and causing bodily harm to German Scientologist
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
Barbara Schwarz in the course of a deprogramming attempt. The hardliner Cultists Anonymous group was short-lived and rejoined FAIR in 1991.
FAIR's applications for government funding were not successful; such funding has instead gone to INFORM (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements), set up in 1988 by the sociologist Eileen Barker
Eileen Barker
Eileen Vartan Barker OBE, born in Edinburgh, UK, is a professor in sociology, an emeritus member of the London School of Economics , and a consultant to that institution's Centre for the Study of Human Rights...
, with the support of Britain's mainstream churches. Relations between FAIR and INFORM have at times been strained, with FAIR accusing INFORM of being too soft on cults.
Activities
The Family Survival Trust provides fact sheets and specialised information on cults and their characteristics, issuing warning leaflets to young people , provides a confidential helpline for individuals and families effect by cult involvement and organizes national conferencesThe Family Survival Trust;
- offers support to families and individuals who have been adversely affected by cult involvement.
- believes that welfare and unity of family is of vital importance in maintaining the quality of life within society.
- does not seek to curtail political or religious freedom but aiming to help restore cult members to a state of mind in which rational decisions can be made.
- believes that an individual's decision to leave a cult must be their own.
- publishes quarterly newsletter, fact sheets, warning leaflets and information on cults and their characteristics.
- is committed to a policy of education in order to raise awareness of the use of undue influence.
- alerts government departments, the media and public bodies.
- is part of an international network providing information and support for cult-affected individuals.