Jim wrote:I disagree with you when you say that outsiders generally give as much weight to followers' opinions as they do to ex-followers. In fact, I think that's far, far from true. I believe that people generally think that followers' opinions are worthless and that exes share their own accurate opnions, namely that this is a cult. Period.Jim, you may be right that the opinion of ex-followers has more value for the media but that is not the case for scholars. I admit that there is some good reason to consider the opinion of ex-followers more reliable than that of followers e.g. cognitive dissonance and because of the implausible extraordinary claims that cult leaders make, and the organizational structures that is sometimes just waiting for abuse of power. I and others try to understand beyond the pejorative label cult. I fully understand that many people are unwilling to do so but please do not dismiss the works and thought of people who try to understand and explain as worthless without having studied them
Andries
