The Study of the Cult Experience
Mentor: Paul Rogers
Drawing the distinction between joining a cult and being part of a religious group can be increasingly difficult to determine. In my project, I aim to compile an informative website to increase awareness of an ongoing cult that has infiltrated the UCSB campus and many other colleges around the United States. The International Church of Christ (ICC) is a “religious group” that targets college students, especially those from minority races and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds in hopes of making “Disciples of Christ”. What the members of the group do not mention when evangelizing, however, are the manipulative tactics that are used by this organization to recruit college students into their new-age religion. Some of the tactics used by this organization include deception, manipulation, financial coercion, secrecy, and psychological hurt. In the creation of a website, I will include testimonials from former members, along with a typical profile of an ICC member, and lastly a section that highlights the differences between the ICC’s radical interpretation of “Christianity” and the widely accepted traditional Christian experience, to help readers better understand the difference between a cult and a safe and healthy religious experience.
