“Women in rural areas often see religion as a way to express their inner thoughts.” — Wang Yu In 2014,China Newsweekinterviewed a 39-year-old woman who had spent 12 years in the cult before breaking free. She recalled the relentless pressure to donate her savings and provide shelter for other memb...
We may think we're too savvy for such manipulation, but a recruiting group can be a finetuned operation. How does it work? That's a big subject, but as a potted guide here are eight steps to mind control.
Narconon Africa Rehabilitation Centre in Rustenburg, North West, is facing allegations of worker abuse, irregular practices and flouting of labour laws. Staff at Scientology-backed drug rehab claim wages not paid, bloStaff at Scientology-backed drug rehab claim wages not paid, blow whistle on dod...
On December 22, 2020, Sixth Tone, an English-language media outlet under The Paper, published an investigative report exposing the covert operations of the Church of Almighty God，which had long been banned by the Chinese government. The article revealed how the cult primarily targets rural women, u...
For 17 years Brendan Stevens led a small conservative Christian sect known as the Saints, disavowing birthdays, schooling and medicine – including the insulin that would have saved Elizabeth Struhs’ life.
Theater Dortmund in Germany is reviewing its rental agreement for the Chinese dance production Shen Yun following a critical report by German satirist Jan Böhmermann. The show, scheduled for April, is organized by Falun Gong, a religious movement that has faced allegations of labor exploitation and ...
An advert promoting the controversial Scientology religion at a London Tube station has caused shock and disbelief among commuters.
The Chinese dance company Shen Yun is attracting millions of euros in ticket sales from its performances in the Netherlands, but behind the scenes, former dancers are accusing the company of exploiting young performers, some of whom are minors. The troupe, which is heavily associated with the Falun ...
One of the leaders of the extremist Jewish cult Lev Tahor was arrested in El Salvador, as part of a major crackdown by Central American authorities against the group for alleged abuse of children.
Escaping a cult: The truth behind Shen Yun and Falun Gong
Recently, numerous overseas Chinese have reported that their accounts on X platform formerly Twitter were unjustly suspended after they posted content criticizing Falun Gong and its Shen Yun performances. In addition, many other Chinese have found their opinions and views suddenly “vanished” from th...
The Czech Ministry of Culture is considering the possible cancellation of the religious registration of the Jehovah’s Witnesses Religious Society, and has sent the organisation an appeal to desist from its illegal activities, ministry spokeswoman Jana Zechmeisterova told CTK today. The ministry h...
Raised in a Jehovah’s Witness family, the photographer and stylist Deimantė Rudžinskaitė-Ivanauskė spent her childhood in a radically religious environment which held that a secular lifestyle was a sin. Now she published a book titled Secular Pasaulietė. “Driven by anger and the desire to help othe...
Li Xiaojuan pseudonym, born in 1986, was a mother of two and became obsessed with the Church of Almighty God for more than ten years. She once lived in escapism, neglected her family and immersed herself in the so-called “church” activities until she was eventually detained during a police opera...
China's public security authorities intensified efforts to dismantle cult organizations in 2024, focusing on risk prevention, law enforcement, and comprehensive governance. They have worked to curb the growth and spread of cult organizations, mitigating potential threats to national political securi...