Amma (Courtesy of Wikicommons Media, wikifrizbee CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)A listener of EWTN’s Wacky Wednesday radio show asked: “I was hoping you might be able to talk about a woman named Amma who is referred to as the ‘Hugging Saint’. She has a following of people and it seems like a cult. What can you tell us about her?”
The bodies of more than 300 people have been unearthed in a forest in Kenya where a charismatic “Christian” preacher allegedly convinced followers the end was near and the only way to be saved was to fast until they starved to death.
We recently had a question about the "Yogi Tea" that has been popping up in supermarkets across the U.S. recently. I discovered that it is connected to a cult-like group that was formed around a phony guru with a history of sexual predation.
Falun Gong exercises taking place in Toronto (Image courtesy of Joffers951, Wikicommons, https://bit.ly/34XHzafRG writes: "I met a woman on a plane ride back from CA who told me about some 'exercises' her husband did 10 yrs ago which seemed to have cured his MS type debilitation [Guillian Barre]. It goes by two names- one is 'falun gong' another is 'falun dafa' and The Strbegan in China. He had been unable to walk, could not work and was very depressed. After doing the exercises he regained movement and was healed. The doctors were stunned and said it was a complete recovery. There are meditation type practices as well. . . ."
How do you know if a particular group or motivational awareness program is connected to a cult? Check out the following warning signs and resources so that you can protect yourself – and your loved ones from falling victim to a cult.
Most people think it could never happen to them. They're too educated, too savvy, too world-wise to be swept into a cult. But that's not what the statistics show.
Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910)MA asks: "Have you done any research into Christian Science? My daughter is following it and every time I try to read about it I become angry. I have a good relationship with my daughter and her children and want to keep it that way but would like some concise information. You would be such a blessing to me if you have such information."
KH writes: "Just wondering what you can tell me about T. Harv Eker, his program Peak Potentials and his book 'The Secret of the Millionaire Mind. I know he quotes Marianne Williamson in the book which immediately raises questions."
