New Cult Awareness Network

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CAN, the NEW Cult Awareness Network
FormationIn 1996, the Church of Scientology purchased assets from Cult Awareness Network - "Old CAN" in United States bankruptcy court
1997, incorporated as Foundation for Religious Freedom DBA Cult Awareness Network
Type Advocacy, Freedom of religion, Hotline
Headquarters Los Angeles, California
Official language
English
Chairman of the Board
George Robertson
Key people
Stan Koehler, Secretary
Nancy O'Meara, Treasurer

The "New Cult Awareness Network" (NCAN, often referred to as simply the "Cult Awareness Network", though other than inheriting the name, it is unrelated to that older group) is an organization that provides information about cults, and is owned and operated by associates of the Church of Scientology, itself categorized in many countries as a cult. It was formed in 1996, with the name purchased from the now defunct Cult Awareness Network, an organization that provided information on groups it considered to be cults, and that strongly opposed Scientology.

Contents

The "New CAN" organization (also known as the Foundation for Religious Freedom) has caused both confusion and controversy among academics and its opponents. Board members of the "Old CAN" have characterized it as a front group for the Church of Scientology. In December 1997, 60 Minutes profiled the controversy regarding the history of the "Old CAN" and the "New CAN", with host Lesley Stahl noting, "Now, when you call looking for information about a cult, chances are the person you're talking to is a Scientologist". Margaret Thaler Singer expressed the opinion that any experts the public would be referred to by the "New CAN" would be cult apologists. Shupe and Darnell noted the "New CAN" had been able to attract support from donors such as Amazon.com, and by 2000 it was receiving thousands of phone calls per month. The "New CAN" promotes itself as a champion of human rights and freedom of religion. An August 2007 article on Fox News on the Wikipedia Scanner noted "a computer linked to the Church of Scientology's network was used to delete references to links between it and [...] the 'Cult Awareness Network'" on Wikipedia. [1]

History

Bought in bankruptcy court

Seal of the United States bankruptcy court. Church of Scientology attorney Steven Hayes bought rights to the Cult Awareness Network assets during its bankruptcy proceedings. United States Bankruptcy Court Seal.png
Seal of the United States bankruptcy court. Church of Scientology attorney Steven Hayes bought rights to the Cult Awareness Network assets during its bankruptcy proceedings.

The old Cult Awareness Network, which publicly opposed Scientology as well as other groups it considered to be cults, was driven into bankruptcy by litigation costs in 1996. Subsequently, Church of Scientology attorney Steven Hayes appeared in bankruptcy court and won the bidding for what remained of the organization for an amount of $20,000: the name, logo, phone number, office equipment, and judgments that the organization had won but not yet collected. [2] Initially, the Scientologists did not gain access to the CAN files, because of the threat of litigation against the bankruptcy trustee; the files were returned to the board. [3] After Jason Scott sold his $1.875 million judgment to Scientologist Gary Beeny for $25,000, this made Beeny, represented by Scientology attorney Kendrick Moxon, CAN's largest creditor. [4] The CAN board then settled with Beeny by turning over the files to him instead of the possibility of being individually liable for the judgement. [5] [6]

Individuals who had confided in the "Old CAN" organization expressed anxiety about their confidential files being sold to other groups, but Moxon stated: "People who have committed crimes don't want them to be revealed". [7] According to Shupe, Darnell and Moxon, there is evidence that a number of documents in the files were destroyed by unknown persons at CAN in the early to mid-nineties, during the time when CAN and its directors were embroiled in legal battles. [8] Moxon sought out pledges of money from leaders of new religious movements for the confidential files. [9] Moxon believed only 5 percent of the files related to Scientology, and told The Washington Post he had contacted leaders of other new religious movements because he thought that "there's smoking guns in the files" involving deprogrammers and the "Old CAN". [9] After being turned over to Beeny, the files were donated to the Foundation for Religious Freedom, who made them available to academic researchers and representatives of various new religious movements for inspection and photocopying. [8] Later they were transferred to the Special Collections section of the University of California library in Santa Barbara. [8]

The Foundation for Religious Freedom became the license holder of the CAN name and operates the New CAN today. [10] It is controlled by a multi-faith board of directors chaired by George Robertson, a self-described Baptist minister. [10] It operates a website and a telephone hotline. [11] The Foundation for Religious Freedom predates the "New CAN"; in the 1993 closing agreement between the IRS and the Church of Scientology, it was listed as a Scientology-related entity. [12] [13]

Reception

An article published by the "New" Cult Awareness Network in 2000 on the group Aum Shinrikyo thanked the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights for their research on psychiatry. CCHR.jpg
An article published by the "New" Cult Awareness Network in 2000 on the group Aum Shinrikyo thanked the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights for their research on psychiatry.

In her book Researching New Religious Movements, Arweck wrote that individuals began to fear that Scientology would "use CAN's name to cause confusion", and these fears solidified with the appearance of "New CAN". [14] Board members of the "Old CAN" said the "New CAN" was nothing but a front group for Scientology. [4] A section of its website relating to the Aum Supreme Truth sect authored by Nick Broadhurst, a New Zealand Scientology spokesman, [15] stated that the real source of the crimes committed by Aum were drugs and psychiatric treatments the cult administered to its members. [16] Broadhurst thanked the Scientology subsidiary Citizen's Commission on Human Rights for usage of material in his report. [16] Scientology is extremely hostile towards psychiatry. The site does not contain any criticism of Scientology, unlike most other sites which claim to provide anti-cult information (other than those dedicated to other specific groups). In the Scientology publication IMPACT, Nr. 72, Scientologist and CAN VP Jean Hornnes explained, "We have successfully prevented deprogrammings and we have taken broken families and helped to put them back together by using standard LRH technology on handling PTSness". [17] [18] In January 1997, shortly after the formation of the New CAN, brochures mailed out by the organization described Scientology as a way to "increase happiness and improve conditions for oneself and for others". [19]

Other news sources reported that the (New) Cult Awareness Network was owned by the Church of Scientology. [20] A December 1996 report by CNN had the headline: "Group that once criticized Scientologists now owned by one." [20] One Scientologist was quoted in the report as stating that he believed the New Cult Awareness Network would stand for "religious freedom", however former director Cynthia Kisser was quoted as saying, "People are going to believe they're going to talk to an organization that's going to help and understand them in their time of crisis, and in fact, it could be a pipeline of information directly to the group they're most afraid of". [20] In 1997, an article in the New York Times characterized the New CAN as an affiliate of the Church of Scientology, stating: "now it's in the hands of a Scientologist and proselytizes for the church". [21] The New CAN has been accused of giving away the identity of a caller, a concerned mother, to the cult she was inquiring about, which resulted in further damaging the relationship with her daughter. [22] Penn writes in False Dawn that the New Cult Awareness Network is "dominated by Scientologists". [23] In describing what he refers to as the "doublespeak" of the (New) Cult Awareness Network, Tuman states that Scientology and CAN utilize the term "religious freedom" as a hallmark of its defense against critics. [24] Tuman wrote that: "What seems to be the case is that the Cult Awareness Network has kept its same name and even its original mission statement, while shifting its concern 180 degrees, from investigating sects to protecting them (from "religious intolerance"). [24] Tuman concluded his piece entitled: "The Strange Case of the Cult Awareness Network", by comparing the Web site of the (New) Cult Awareness Network to the 1956 cult film, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers . [24]

On December 12, 1996, a usenet posting by "lah" (later reported by TIME magazine to be the account of one Sister Francis Michael of the Heaven's Gate group) in the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology applauded Scientology for their "courageous action against the Cult Awareness Network", which she accused of "promoting all sort of lies (including) cult activities." [25] [26] This email was also reported on, and the full-text of the email was displayed, in an article called "The business of cults", in 2000. [27] The subject of the email, "Thanks for Actions Against CAN", and contained the text, "Here's a round of applause to the Church of Scientology for their courageous action against the Cult Awareness Network." [27]

In December 1997, 60 Minutes profiled the new management of the Cult Awareness Network, in a piece hosted by Lesley Stahl, entitled: "CAN: The Cult Awareness Network". [28] 60 Minutes referred to the (Old) Cult Awareness Network as a comprehensive resource, stating it was "for 20 years the nation's best-known resource for information and advice about groups it considered dangerous." [28] The current influence by the Church of Scientology was investigated, and Stahl commented in a voice-over: "Now, when you call looking for information about a cult, chances are the person you're talking to is a Scientologist." [28] The Church of Scientology's Fair Game policy was described by Stahl; examples of the Fair Game policy were given on-camera from people including Stacy Brooks, as well as a private investigator hired by Kendrick Moxon. Moxon and Church president Heber Jentzsch also gave an interview, during which Jentzsch compared CAN to the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazi Party. [28] The Time Magazine article "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power" was also cited as a reference in the report. [28] The piece concluded by displaying some of the pamphlets distributed by the (New) Cult Awareness Network, which included one called "Facts about Deprogramming" and another entitled "Fact vs. Fiction: Scientology: the inside story at last". [28] In August 2007, a Fox News Channel article on the new Wikipedia Scanner reported that "a computer linked to the Church of Scientology's network was used to delete references to links between it and [...] the 'Cult Awareness Network'." [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

Deprogramming is a tactic that attempts to help someone who has "strongly held convictions," coming from cults or any strongly held beliefs. Deprogramming aims to assist a person who holds a controversial or restrictive belief system in changing those beliefs and severing connections to the associated group which created and controls that belief system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology and law</span>

The Church of Scientology has been involved in court disputes in several countries. In some cases, when the Church has initiated the dispute, questions have been raised as to its motives. The Church of Scientology says that its use of the legal system is necessary to protect its intellectual property and its right to freedom of religion. Critics say that most of the organization's legal claims are designed to harass those who criticize it and its manipulative business practices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cult Awareness Network</span> 1978–1996 American organization

The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was an anti-cult organization created by deprogrammer Ted Patrick that provided information on groups that it considered to be cults, as well as support and referrals to deprogrammers. It was founded in the wake of the 1978 cult mass murder/suicide at Jonestown, Guyana. After CAN lost a lawsuit and filed for bankruptcy in 1996, Scientologists were able to acquire CAN's name, phone numbers, assets, files and records, and reopened the organization under the name New Cult Awareness Network; the irony being that the Church of Scientology as a "cult" was one of CAN's main targets.

The anti-cult movement consists of various governmental and non-governmental organizations and individuals that seek to raise awareness of cults, uncover coercive practices used to attract and retain members, and help those who have become involved with harmful cult practices.

Anson D. Shupe, Jr. was an American sociologist noted for his studies of religious groups and their countermovements, family violence and clergy misconduct. He was affiliated with the New Cult Awareness Network, an organisation operated by the Church of Scientology, and had at least one article published in Freedom magazine.

Galen G. Kelly, born c. 1947, is a private investigator and Cult Awareness Network-associated deprogrammer. He was a former director for the Citizens' Freedom Foundation, a precursor to the Cult Awareness Network (CAN). He served as CAN's "security advisor." Kelly was raised in Accord, New York. He lives in Kingston, NY.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen A. Kent</span> Canadian sociologist of religion

Stephen A. Kent is a professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He researches new religious movements (NRMs), and has published research on several such groups including the Children of God, the Church of Scientology, and other NRMs operating in Canada.

Scientology has been referenced in popular culture in many different forms of media including fiction, film, music, television and theatre. In the 1960s, author William S. Burroughs wrote about Scientology in both fictional short stories and non-fictional essays. The topic was dealt with more directly in his book, Ali's Smile/Naked Scientology. The 2000 film Battlefield Earth was an adaptation of a novel by L. Ron Hubbard.

Cyril Ronald Vosper was an anti-cult leader, former Scientologist and later a critic of Scientology, deprogrammer, and spokesperson on men's health. 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.

Moxon & Kobrin is a "captive" law firm of the Church of Scientology, meaning that it has no other clients apart from Scientology-affiliated entities. Its headquarters are located in Burbank, California. Wilshire Center Business Improvement District. Its members are: Kendrick Moxon, Helena Kobrin, and Ava Paquette.

Timothy Bowles is an American attorney who served as general legal counsel for the Church of Scientology International for eight years. In addition to his legal practice, he also serves as the executive director of Youth for Human Rights International, is a Commissioner on the Board of Advisors of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights and has helped establish other social organizations sponsored by the Church of Scientology, including Narconon and Applied Scholastics.

<i>Freedom</i> (magazine)

Freedom is a magazine published by the Church of Scientology since 1968. The magazine describes its focus as "Investigative Reporting in the Public Interest." A frequent topic is psychiatry, which Scientology strongly opposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology status by country</span> Legal status of Scientology

Scientology status by country describes the status of Scientology and its recognition as a religion in varying contexts or in different countries. The Church of Scientology pursues an extensive public relations campaign for state recognition of Scientology as a religion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology</span> Set of beliefs and practices and an associated movement

Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by the American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. Its adherents are called Scientologists. The largest exponent of Scientology is the Church of Scientology, a centralized and hierarchical organization based in Florida and California, although practitioners exist independently of the Church, in what is called the Free Zone. Estimates put the number of Scientologists at under 40,000 worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Family Survival Trust</span>

The Family Survival Trust (FST) is a charity registered in the United Kingdom, established in order to support and offer counselling for members of abusive cults, religions, and similar organizations, and their families members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Alan Ross</span> American anticult activist

Rick Alan Ross is an American deprogrammer, cult specialist, and founder and executive director of the nonprofit Cult Education Institute. He frequently appears in the news and other media discussing groups some consider cults. Ross has intervened in more than 500 deprogramming cases in various countries.

<i>Jason Scott case</i> Case against a deprogrammer

The Jason Scott case was a United States civil suit, brought against deprogrammer Rick Ross, two of his associates, and the Cult Awareness Network (CAN), for the abduction and failed deprogramming of Jason Scott, a member of the United Pentecostal Church International. Scott was eighteen years old at the time of the abduction and thus legally an adult. CAN was a co-defendant because a CAN contact person had referred Scott's mother to Rick Ross. In the trial, Jason Scott was represented by Kendrick Moxon, a prominent Scientologist attorney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology in Germany</span> Overview of Scientology in Germany

The Church of Scientology has operated in Germany since 1970. German authorities estimate that there are 4,000 active Scientologists in Germany as of 2020; the Church of Scientology gives a membership figure of around 12,000. The Church of Scientology has encountered particular antagonism from the German press and government and occupies a precarious legal, social and cultural position in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology in the United States</span>

Scientology was founded in the United States by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard and is now practiced in many other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendrick Moxon</span> American Scientology official

Kendrick Lichty Moxon is an American Scientology official and an attorney with the law firm Moxon & Kobrin. He practices in Los Angeles, California, and is a lead counsel for the Church of Scientology. Moxon received a B.A. from American University in 1972, and a J.D. degree from George Mason University in 1981. He was admitted to the Washington, D.C. bar association in 1984, and the State Bar of California in 1987. Moxon's early work for the Church of Scientology involved legal affairs, and he also held the title of "reverend". He worked out of the Scientology intelligence agency known as the Guardian's Office (GO), and was named as an unindicted co-conspirator after the Federal Bureau of Investigation's investigation into criminal activities by Scientology operatives called "Operation Snow White". An evidence stipulation in the case signed by both parties stated he had provided false handwriting samples to the FBI; Moxon has since said that he did not "knowingly supply" false handwriting samples.

References

  1. 1 2 Blakely, Rhys (August 16, 2007). "Wal-Mart, CIA, ExxonMobil Changed Wikipedia Entries". Fox News Channel . Fox News Network, LLC. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
  2. ↑ Goodstein, Laurie (December 1, 1996). "It's A Hostile Takeover Of A Nonprofit". Washington Post . Seattle Times . Retrieved May 10, 2008.
  3. ↑ United States Bankruptcy Court (March 14, 1997). "U.S. Bankruptcy Court Opinions - IN RE CULT AWARENESS NETWORK, INC., (N.D.Ill. 1997)". pp. Bankruptcy No. 95 B 22133.
  4. 1 2 Hansen, Susan (June 1997). "Did Scientology Strike Back?". American Lawyer .
  5. ↑ Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network Newswire (May 17, 1999). "Original Cult Awareness Network, Inc. confidential records turned over to Scientologist". Cultic Studies Review . Retrieved October 29, 2007.
  6. ↑ Ortega, Tony (December 19, 1996). "What's $2.995 Million Between Former Enemies?". Phoenix New Times . Retrieved August 24, 2008.
  7. ↑ Carpenter, John (December 6, 1996). "Fate of files worries anti-cult group's clients". Chicago Sun-Times, Inc. p. 1.
  8. 1 2 3 Davis, Derek; Hankins, Barry (2004). New Religious Movements and Religious Liberty in America . Baylor University Press. pp.  27–28, 37–38, 40–41. ISBN   0-918954-92-4.
  9. 1 2 Goodstein, Laurie (December 23, 1996). "Plaintiff Shifts Stance on Anti-Cult Group - Scientology-Linked Lawyer Is Dismissed In Move That May Keep Network Running". The Washington Post . p. A4.
  10. 1 2 Russell, Ron (September 9, 1999). "Scientology's Revenge - For years, the Cult Awareness Network was the Church of Scientology's biggest enemy. But the late L. Ron Hubbard's L.A.-based religion cured that – by taking it over". New Times LA . Archived from the original on November 28, 1999. Retrieved January 14, 2009. (Note: Linked location features only the beginning of the article.)
  11. ↑ Shupe, Anson; Darnell, Susan E. (2006). Agents of Discord. New Brunswick (U.S.A.), London (U.K.): Transaction Publishers. pp. 187, 191. ISBN   0-7658-0323-2.
  12. ↑ "... and the Foundation for Religious Freedom are Scientology-related entities" per Subsection 4 of "Section VIII. Definitions" of Internal Revenue Service (1993). "Form 906 - Closing Agreement On Final Determination Covering Specific Matters" . Retrieved May 28, 2010.
  13. ↑ Phillip Lucas New Religious Movements in the 21st Century, p. 235, Routledge, 2004 ISBN   978-0-415-96577-4
  14. ↑ Arweck, Elizabeth (2006). Researching New Religious Movements: Responses and Redefinitions. Routledge. p. 195. ISBN   0-415-27754-X.
  15. ↑ Staff (2002–2003). "What is Scientology? Exhibit Tour creates strong interest in Australia and New Zealand". RehabilitateNZ. Archived from the original on April 24, 2003. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
  16. 1 2 Broadhurst, Nick (2000). "Preamble: Aum Supreme Truth". pp. See: Acknowledgement given to Citizen's Commission on Human Rights. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
  17. ↑ Hornnes, Jean. "We have successfully prevented deprogrammings and we have taken broken families and helped to put them back together by using standard LRH technology on handling PTSness". IMPACT magazine. No. 72. Church of Scientology.
  18. ↑ Note: PTS means "Potential Trouble Source", see Scientology beliefs and practices
  19. ↑ Frantz, Douglas (March 9, 1997). "An Ultra-Aggressive Use of Investigators and the Courts". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 8, 2021.
  20. 1 2 3 Knapp, Dan (December 19, 1996). "Group that once criticized Scientologists now owned by one". CNN . Time Warner . Retrieved October 29, 2007.
  21. ↑ Rich, Frank (March 16, 1997). "Who Can Stand Up?". New York Times . Retrieved October 30, 2007.
  22. ↑ Knapp, John M. (July 18, 1997). "A Mother's Betrayal by the New CAN". Trancenet.net. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  23. ↑ Penn, Lee (2004). False Dawn: The United Religions Initiative, Globalism, and the Quest for a One-world Religion. Sophia Perennis. pp. 126, 470, 471. ISBN   1-59731-000-X.
  24. 1 2 3 Tuman, Myron C. (2002). Criticalthinking.Com: A Guide to Deep Thinking in a Shallow Age. Xlibris Corporation. pp. 82, 83, 205. ISBN   1-4010-5229-0.
  25. ↑ Gleick, Elizabeth (April 7, 1997). "Heaven's Gate". Time . p.  3. Archived from the original on October 23, 2000. Retrieved July 10, 2006.
  26. ↑ "lah", Usenet poster (December 21, 1996). "Thanks for Actions Against CAN". Newsgroup:  alt.religion.scientology. Usenet:   199612220630.AAA19074@Spacestar.Net.
  27. 1 2 Strempel, Dan (May 1, 2000). "The business of cults. Subsection: "A message from the 'UFO Cult'."". Fairfield County Business Journal. pp. Vol. 39 Issue 18, p1, 3p, 1 black & white photograph, 1 color photograph.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Staff; Lesley Stahl (December 28, 1997). "The Cult Awareness Network". 60 Minutes. CBS News. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
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