Customer Reviews

The Cult around the Corner: A Handbook on Dealing with Other People's Religions

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

According to a 1993 agreement between the IRS and the Church of Scientology, the Foundation for Religious Freedom (the publisher of this book) is a "Scientology-related" entity. This means that the publisher is affiliated with the destructive group known as the Church of Scientology. This book is infused with cult propaganda under the guise of "dealing with other people's religions." They suggest that it would be great in schools and libraries, and that you contact them by phone or mail or email or just drop by and have a chat. DO NOT.

If someone you love has joined a religious "cult" or such a group has moved into your neighborhood or they are becoming active in your community or any similar situation occurs then this book is where you should start when wondering what to do. It is not an exposition about the beliefs of various religious groups nor what defines a cult from a religion or any such thing. Instead it deals with an all too common problem, people basing their understanding of a group on prejudiced things they have heard, gossip or similar information. It deals with the alienation that often follows when parents and friends don't understand why a person joins a different religious group. It also deals with how to recover that communication and recover the relationship.
This book guides you through various techniques to deal with this situation. The first and foremost is to be calm and find out about the group for yourself. There are various ways of doing this and the book covers all of them. It also covers the things not to do in a situation like this.
This book is a definite recommendation to anyone seeking guidance on how to deal with someone else's religious choices or anyone who may be thinking of making a change themselves.

This is a sensible guidebook for anyone who is concerned about the religious choices of others.

Written out of the experience of helping thousands of concerned parents, friends, neighbors, etc., this book explains how to address the "problem" of a loved one joining a religion one doesn't fully understand.

Logically, the first recommendation is to "calm down" so one can be effective in addressing the situation. Then a range of choices are given... advice on actual steps one can take to restore or improve communication, and why that is important, pitfalls to avoid in these situations (like deprogrammers), how to communicate your concerns to your loved one without alienating him or trampling on his rights, etc.

Surprisingly enough, the book gives good advice for parents about how to prepare one's child for the myriad of religious choices out there! Very useful for just about any parent, I think.

Many varied real-life examples are given, along with their successful resolution.

No one religion holds the focus of this book, and it is not an overview of the religions of the world, but rather a basic guide anyone can use in restoring communication with a loved one who has joined a new or little-known religion. Advice on researching the religion is very clearly written and easy to understand and follow. Reading this book should be a first step towards resolving this sort of conflict.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is concerned about a loved one's religious choices. Also, I would recommend this book to anyone who has changed religions and may have relatives or friends who are concerned about this change - this book is sure to assist in fostering understanding and preventing a host of upsets in the future.

Every library should have a copy of this book, and I recommend it to mediators, religious leaders, family counselors, etc.

So much of our reaction to religions different from our own in this nation has been based on faulty information... or worse yet, NO information. Since Colonial times, many Americans continue to make assumptions and mistakes when encountering religous groups for the first time--especially when a loved one has just joined a little-known group. This book serves to correct that on-going problem--and does an excellent job. Easy and quick to read (I read it in less than three hours), it provides well-researched materials--and many interesting ideas and solutions.

I read this book for research... and even though I consider myself to be open-minded, I'm glad I did. I learned a lot!

I just read "The Cult Around the Corner," cover to cover, in one sitting. It is beautifully written, completely clear, dynamically designed and typeset, and has a great title and cover. I like that the book gives examples of positive action. I loved the analogy about beans in the chili. All in all - this book is a real winner.