Would anyone like to have an accutate diagnostic rating system for determining if the organization you belong?

Question

to is a cult? Rate your organization from one to ten, higher scores are not too good. Diagnostic tool developed by Isacc Bonewits.


The Advanced Bonewits’ Cult Danger Evaluation Frame
(version 2.6)
Factors: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Low High
1 Internal Control: Amount of internal political and social power exercised by leader(s) over members; lack of clearly defined organizational rights for members. 1 _________________________
2 External Control: Amount of external political and social influence desired or obtained; emphasis on directing members’ external political and social behavior. 2 _________________________
3 Wisdom/Knowledge Claimed by leader(s); amount of infallibility declared or implied about decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations; number and degree of unverified and/or unverifiable credentials claimed. 3 _________________________
4 Wisdom/Knowledge Credited to leader(s) by members; amount of trust in decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations made by leader(s); amount of hostility by members towards internal or external critics and/or towards verification efforts. 4 _________________________
5 Dogma: Rigidity of reality concepts taught; amount of doctrinal inflexibility or “fundamentalism;” hostility towards relativism and situationalism. 5 _________________________
6 Recruiting: Emphasis put on attracting new members; amount of proselytizing; requirement for all members to bring in new ones. 6 _________________________
7 Front Groups: Number of subsidiary groups using different names from that of main group, especially when connections are hidden. 7 _________________________
8 Wealth: Amount of money and/or property desired or obtained by group; emphasis on members’ donations; economic lifestyle of leader(s) compared to ordinary members. 8 _________________________
9 Sexual Manipulation of members by leader(s) of non-tantric groups; amount of control exercised over sexuality of members in terms of sexual orientation, behavior, and/or choice of partners. 9 _________________________
10 Sexual Favoritism: Advancement or preferential treatment dependent upon sexual activity with the leader(s) of non-tantric groups. 10 _________________________
11 Censorship: Amount of control over members’ access to outside opinions on group, its doctrines or leader(s). 11 _________________________
12 Isolation: Amount of effort to keep members from communicating with non-members, including family, friends and lovers. 12 _________________________
13 Dropout Control: Intensity of efforts directed at preventing or returning dropouts. 13 _________________________
14 Violence: Amount of approval when used by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s). 14 _________________________
15 Paranoia: Amount of fear concerning real or imagined enemies; exaggeration of perceived power of opponents; prevalence of conspiracy theories. 15 _________________________
16 Grimness: Amount of disapproval concerning jokes about the group, its doctrines or its leader(s). 16 _________________________
17 Surrender of Will: Amount of emphasis on members not having to be responsible for personal decisions; degree of individual disempowerment created by the group, its doctrines or its leader(s). 17 _________________________
18 Hypocrisy: amount of approval for actions which the group officially considers immoral or unethical, when done by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s); willingness to violate the group’s declared principles for political, psychological, social, economic, military, or other gain. 18 _________________________

sorry, should have read "accurate".

Answer 1

A good guide. I've always liked it.

Answer 2

I refer people to that a lot, too!

A good guide.

Answer 3

Hmmm, have you been reading back issues of "The Druids' Progress?"
That man did do some Good thinking.