Academic Controversies and Dialogue
Secular and Religious Critiques of Cults: Complementary Visions, Not Irresolvable Conflicts

Introvigne (1993) suggested that irresolvable conflicts would divide secular and religious organizations concerned about cults and new religious movements. He proposed a classification scheme that portrayed secular cult critics as antagonistic to orthodox Christianity, uncritical of heretical groups that disturb orthodox Christianity (e.g., Mormons), indifferent to truth issues in theology, and attached to a “brainwashing” view analogous to the “demon” perspective of some fundamentalist cult critics. Though seeing some merit in Introvigne's paper, this article contends that his classification scheme is flawed, that his view of brainwashing is a strawman stereotype, that secularists and religionists recognize that their different frameworks will sometimes produce different conclusions, and that members of secular organizations are sensitive to the spiritual needs of former cult members and reflect the religious diversity of mainstream America, not a secular humanist monolith. Problems with the brainwashing model are discussed, and suggestions made to enhance dialogue between secular and religious cult educational organizations.