WHO WE ARE

The New Cult Awareness Network began operating in October 1996, after the former Cult Awareness Network declared bankruptcy and sold their assets when they couldn.t pay the $1,000,000 fine they had been ordered to pay for their part in the abduction of a man named Jason Scott in a failed attempt to change his religious beliefs (please see documents on the Scott Case separately on this site under .Legal.).

In February 1997 the Foundation for Religious Freedom was incorporated in Los Angeles.  

The owner of the name Cult Awareness Network, Steven Hayes, an attorney, licensed the Foundation for Religious Freedom to use the name Cult Awareness Network.

The Foundation filed the DBA (Doing Business As) of Cult Awareness Network and is the only organization which can legally use that name.

We are also legally the Foundation for Religious Freedom, International since late 2001.

 

WHO IS ON ITS BOARD:

 

The Board has consisted of from 5-9 people since the beginning of the organization.  The Chairman of the Board is a Baptist minister named George Robertson.  The Secretary of the Corporation was originally Mark Lurie a member of the Movement for Spiritual Inner Awareness.  It is now Stan Koehler a Buddhist.  The Treasurer of the Corporation is Nancy O.Meara, a Scientologist.  Other Board members include a woman with a degree in psychology and man who is Jewish.

 

WHAT ARE WE DOING:

 

The word cult has too often been twisted into a hate word labeling and marginalizing any group the person using the word doesn.t like.  It was actively pushed into that meaning by people who had a vested interest in making it so.  (See Into Infamy on this website.) The New Cult Awareness Network is using the name to get out factual information about many groups you may have heard of, or provide you links to such, or provide you access to qualified experts who have researched groups and have reliable information about them (we have over 200 religious studies professors/interfaith activists/sociologists in our list of professional referrals who will talk to parents, friends, media, etc. to help sort out situations.) We try to get people to calm down and respect each other.s religious beliefs no matter what their own opinion might be of those beliefs.

 

HOTLINE:

 

Our national hotline 800-556-3055 operates from 9-5 daily (Pacific Time), Mon-Fri.  There is an answering machine so if you want to leave a message someone will get back to you.  Andy Bagley, an ordained minister for over 30 years, is in charge of the hotline, answers it himself much of the time, and has volunteers from several diverse faiths who also help through a call-forwarding system.  (The volunteers answer from their homes or offices.)  There have been over 15,000 calls answered on the hotline . from international media to family members- we know of only one complaint posted on the web .  that was from a person who did not tell the hotline that she had already visited the group she was calling about then complained when we called the group directly to find out more about them.  On the other side thousands of people have told us how much they were helped by the hotline volunteer or the expert referral who gave them assistance.

 

Rarely we have been asked to convince someone to reconcile with an adult family member who no longer wants to speak to other members of their family.  While we understand it can be a stressful situation, adults do have the right to speak or not speak to whom they chose.  We will certainly help anyone ascertain if their family member is alive, healthy and doing well in their chosen path.  But if they do not wish to communicate with someone . they have that right and we will not violate that.

 

OUR WEBSITES:

 

We have a number of websites . this one, and through the Foundation for Religious Freedom, there is also the www.forf.org website, the www.toleranceforall.org website and the www.religiousfreedomadvocates.org website.  These are each in different stages of development and are routinely having information added to them so take a look often.

 

As you can see, this website concentrates on factual information debunking the brainwashing/mind control lies, gives more information about people who do (have done) deprogrammings/exit counselings so you will think twice before ever paying them anything or even asking their advice.   We will absolutely help you find someone who will charge you nothing to help you sort out a family situation.  And we will use people who have professional degrees, teach at universities, have real jobs, not just .former cult member. titles, or .former deprogrammer . not one any more . now a .cult. expert.. 

 

OUR PUBLICATIONS:

 

We currently have a paperback book, The Cult Around the Corner . a Handbook for Dealing with Other People.s Religions . which is also online at www.toleranceforall.org in 5 languages with more to come.  It is also available for schools, libraries, etc. through Ingrams and Baker&Taylor and via amazon.com as a paperback.

 

We send it out from our office as well at 1680 N. Vine St., Suite 415, LA, CA.  90028 requesting a $7.95 donation and $1.50 for shipping . but if you can.t afford that just call us and we.ll get one out to you with a request that you donate it to your local library after you have read it.

 

We have other publications in different stages of development.  If you are interested in writing on religious freedom/tolerance issues, please contact us.

 

INTERFAITH ACTIVISM:

 

We are members of local, national and interfaith groups and attend conferences, network, and work with other groups on interfaith issues. These include the North American Interfaith Network, the National Association of Ecumenical and Interreligious Staff, United Religions Initiative.  We have been accepted as a voting member of the International Association of Religious Freedom (the oldest interfaith organization in the world with affiliated groups around the planet.).  Representatives from our organization have attended and contributed to conferences in Tokyo, Japan; Seattle, Washington; Salt Lake City, Utah; Chicago, Il; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia, PA; London, England; Riga, Latvia; San Francisco, CA; Houston, Texas . to name a few.

 

HOW ARE WE FINANCED:

 

We are a 501©3 non-profit organization funded by donations, which means donations to us are tax deductible. We accept donations from anyone and have never seen an individual.s check which says what religion they are. We have also received donations from religious organizations have donated to us and their checks do say the name of the group. We have been helped by fundamental Christian groups in Chicago, Ohio, Southern California, New Mexico and Texas.  We have been donated to by Buddhist groups in New York and California.  We have received funds from a small commune in northern California and a women who lives in Norway.  One from Isreal and from all over the US. 

 

We keep our expenses low (mostly volunteers) so that the donations are going towards forwarding our work.

 

I hope this gives you some basic information.  If you have questions, ideas of things you.d like to see added to the site, etc. please email/call/or write.

 

Very best,

Nancy O.Meara