Cult experts Ronald Loomis and Kyle Degge presented their informative lecture, “Cults: Fact or Fiction” to a packed Mountainlair Ballroom crowd Tuesday night. The presentation was part of three-day seminar sponsored by The President’s Office for Social Justice.
Loomis didn’t waste any time answering the question he believed was at the forefront of the audience’s mind.
“Most of you came here with one particular question—are there cults on this campus? Yes, there are.”
According to Loomis, cults on the WVU campus include The International Church of Christ, The Way, the Roberts Group, The Edification Church and a Japanese Buddhist group.
Loomis was quick to mention that his intent was not to label these groups, but to educate people about them.
“Our purpose is to educate the general public regarding the harmful effects of mind control and psychological manipulation used by destructive cults and related groups,” Loomis said.
Loomis began by highlighting some historically significant cult events such as the mass suicides Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple and The Branch Davidians.
According to Loomis, these events share the same details, which include brainwashing by a charismatic leader thought to be divine.
After Loomis introduced the audience to some of the cult activities of recent years, Degge, a former cult member, explained why all of these groups, including the ones on the WVU campus, are related.
“A common belief is held that we do not have the right to go beyond certain boundaries to persuade others of certain things,” Degge said.
Degge also mentioned that the label “cult” has been misused and misinterpreted.
“Give up the term ‘cult’ and use words which describe something objective and definable,” Degge said.
Loomis highlighted the seven types of groups that contain some destructive sects. According to Loomis, religious, mass therapy/meditation, political, New Age, commercial, satanic and hate groups all have some sects within them that are considered cults.
There are as many as 5,000 of these destructive sects in the United States and 10-20 million people have fallen victim, Loomis said.
“That is somewhere between one and two percent of the population,” Loomis said. “But this is a big country, so that would be around five million people. Add in loved ones, family, friends and that is many millions.”
Loomis also described the specific characteristics of these groups and the methods in which they attempt to recruit members. He warned that recruiters will stake out students sitting alone and attempt to strike up a conversation with them, often feigning interest in the student in order to build up a comraderie.
Degge finished up the presentation by describing some of the times people may be more vulnerable to cults.
Times of transition, like freshman and senior year and traumatic events, might make a person more susceptible to cults, Degge said.
Degge also discussed some of the problems former cult members experience once they have left the cult. These problems include depression, nightmares, and anxiety.
The lecture was followed by a panel discussion with three WVU students who had been exposed to or involved in cults on campus. One student mentioned that he had been approached by cult members in the Mountainlair. He also said that cult activity seemed to peak during the beginning of the semester and during finals week. Another student described her experiences as a member of the Morgantown chapter of the International Church of Christ.
Loomis and Degge will wrap up their visit today with a series of workshops and presentations.