Unfortunately, media often confuse two very different categories, ex-members of religious organizations and apostates. Most ex-members are not apostates.
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Are Apostates Reliable? 3. Disaffiliation and Captivity Narratives
There is a substantial difference between the scholarly study of disaffiliation and anti-cult tales which resembles old stories of white maidens kidnapped by Native Americans.
Are Apostates Reliable? 2. False Apostates
Some who claim to have been members of a religion or movement, and privy to its secrets, are simply lying.
Are Apostates Reliable? 1. The Problem of Apostasy
Apostates are ex-members of religions or religious movements who become sworn enemies of the faith they have left. They have existed for centuries.
The Order of the Solar Temple. 9. Learning from the Tragedy
What does the homicides and suicides tell us about which among thousands of pacific new religious and esoteric movements may turn violent?
The Order of the Solar Temple. 8. But Was It a “Typical Cult”?
Few days after the 1994 tragedy, Swiss media had already to deal with the problem that it did not look like the average “cult.”
Edward Wilson’s Legacy: Ants and Religion
The great biologist who died the day after Christmas disliked organized religion but was not an atheist, as his tale of believing and atheistic ants demonstrates.
The Order of the Solar Temple. 7. Suicides and Murders Continue
The Swiss tragedy of 1994 was repeated in 1995 in France and in 1997 in Quebec.
The Order of the Solar Temple. 6. Tragedy in Switzerland
Order of the Solar Temple: on October 5, 1994, the police found 48 dead bodies in the villages of Cheiry and Salvan.
The Order of the Solar Temple. 5. Under Attack
In 1993, the Solar Templars had to confront both a persisting disgruntled ex-member and suspicious Canadian police officers.