The Family Survival Trust

The Family Survival Trust (FST) is a charity registered in the UK, established in order to support and offer counselling for members of abusive cults, religions, and similar organisations, and their families members.[1]

The Family Survival Trust
Advice and support for the families and friends of cult members
Formation1976
TypeAnti-cult organization
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Membership
500 plus
Chairman
Honorable Tom Sackville
Websitethefamilysurvivaltrust.org

It evolved out of the work of FAIR (Family, Action, Information, Resource), Britain's main "anti-cult" group in November 2007.

History

The Family Survival Trust evolved from FAIR ("Family, Action, Information, Rescue"), Britain's first "anti-cult" group.[2][3] FAIR was founded in 1976 by Paul Rose, as a support group for friends and relatives of "cult" members,[2] with an early focus on the Unification Church, although in the years following this focus expanded to include other new religious movements (NRMs) or what it referred to as "cults".[4] In the late 1970s, it started to publish FAIR News to provide information and reports on new religious movements.

FST is a member of FECRIS.[5]

Family, Action, Information, Rescue

Family, Action, Information, Rescue (FAIR) was originally set up a network of regional branches, and also worked closely with evangelical groups, despite not describing itself as non-religious in outlook. Its membership includes many committed Christians.[5] It consistently objected to the "anti-cult" label and "repeatedly pointed out that it [was] not anti-religious, but [opposed] practices detrimental to the well-being of the individual". It also publicly disapproved of activities like "Moonie bashing".[6] However, NRM scholar George D. Chryssides pointed out at the time that "[a]lthough FAIR officials [rejected] the term 'anti-cult', FAIR's main strategy seems designed to hamper the progress of NRMs in a variety of ways."[7] Yet Elizabeth Arweck adds that FAIR's "commitment to raise cult awareness was tempered by repeated warnings against witchhunts".[8]

The organisation named itself as "Family, Action, Information, Resource" in order to denote a concern "more with the place of these cults in public life and governments than with the issues of recruitment and brainwashing, although these remain[ed] important."[9]

FAIR was initially perceived as supporting "deprogramming", but then publicly distanced itself from it,[10][11] citing such reasons as high failure rates, damage to families and civil liberty issues. In 1985, FAIR chairman Casey McMann said that FAIR neither recommended nor supported coercive deprogramming and disapproved of those practising it, considering "coercive deprogramming a money-making racket which encouraged preying on the misery of families with cult involvement."[11]

FAIR's applications for government funding were not successful; such funding instead gone to INFORM (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements), set up in 1988 by the sociologist Eileen Barker, with the support of Britain's mainstream churches.[12] Relations between FAIR and INFORM have at times been strained, with FAIR accusing INFORM of being too soft on cults.[13] FAIR chairman Tom Sackville as MP and Home Office minister abolished government funding for the INFORM in 1997 but funds was reinstated in 2000.[14]

In 1987, an ex-FAIR committee member, Cyril Vosper (deceased), was convicted in Munich on charges of kidnapping and causing bodily harm to German Scientologist Barbara Schwarz in the course of a deprogramming attempt.[11][15]

Cultists Anonymous

In 1985 ex-members of FAIR who believed that the group had become too moderate created a splinter group called Cultists Anonymous.[11] The hardliner Cultists Anonymous group was short-lived and rejoined FAIR in 1991.[16]

Activities

The Family Survival Trust provides a confidential helpline for individuals and families effect by cult involvement and organizes national conferences [17][18]

See also

References
  1. http://opencharities.org/charities/1121388
  2. Arweck, Elizabeth (2006). Researching New Religious Movements: Responses and Redefinitions. Routledge. pp. 111–112.
  3. Wilson, Bryan R. & Cresswell, Jamie. 'New religious movements: challenge and response'. Routledge, 1999 ISBN 0-415-20050-4
  4. Chryssides, George D. "Britain's Anti-cult Movement". In New religious movements: challenge and response, edited by. Brian R. Wilson and Jamie Cresswell. Routledge, 1999. pg. 260
  5. Clarke, P. and R.M.H.F.P. Clarke. 2004. Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements: Taylor & Francis. https://books.google.com/books?id=DouBAgAAQBAJ.
  6. Arweck, Elizabeth (2006). Researching New Religious Movements: Responses and Redefinitions. Routledge. p. 119.
  7. Chryssides, George D. "Britain's Anti-cult Movement". In New religious movements: challenge and response, edited by. Brian R. Wilson and Jamie Cresswell. Routledge, 1999. pp. 260–261
  8. Arweck, Elizabeth (2006). Researching New Religious Movements: Responses and Redefinitions. Routledge. pp. 124–125.
  9. Clarke, Peter Bernard. New religions in global perspective: a study of religious change in the modern world. Routledge, 2006. Page 52
  10. Woodhead, Linda, Kawanam & Fletcher. Religions in Modern World: Traditions and Transformations. Routledge, 2004. Pg. 322
  11. Arweck, Elizabeth (2006). Researching New Religious Movements: Responses and Redefinitions. Routledge. pp. 130–131.
  12. Arweck, Elizabeth (2006). Researching New Religious Movements: Responses and Redefinitions. Routledge. pp. 147–148, 188.
  13. Arweck, Elizabeth (2006). Researching New Religious Movements: Responses and Redefinitions. Routledge. pp. 147–148.
  14. Telegraph staff (2000-07-31), "Cult advisers in clash over clampdown", The Daily Telegraph, retrieved 19 December 2009
  15. Victor, Peter (1994-10-09). "Anti-cult groups riven by schism and bitter feuds: Many despise rivals more than sects they monitor". Independent. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
  16. Chryssides, George D. "Britain's Anti-cult Movement". In New religious movements: challenge and response, edited by. Brian R. Wilson and Jamie Cresswell. Routledge, 1999. pg. 266
  17. Oct 2006 Conference
  18. Operation Clambake present: Alt.Religion.Scientology Week In Review
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