II. Marks of Cults
A cult is usually characterized by:

- A leader who claims divinity or a special relationship with God

- The leader/founders (usually living) demand absolute and unquestioning obedience and are the sole judges of the member's faith commitment

- Members are preoccupied with fundraising, recruiting, and worship exercises

- Meaningful communication with family is sharply curtailed and the cult becomes the convert's new family

- Members put goals of the cult ahead of individual concerns, interests, educational plans, or career goals

- Cults utilize sophisticated techniques designed to effect ego-destruction, thought reform, and dependence on the cult

- Members may be guarded, vague, or secretive about the beliefs, goals, demands and activities until one is "hooked"

- The cult may maintain members in a state of heightened suggestibility through changes in sleep and diet, intense spiritual exercises, constant indoctrination, and controlled group experiences

- Encouraging exclusivity/isolation

- Exploiting member's finances

- Under-employment and exploitative working conditions in some groups

III. Effects of cult indoctrination
Remaining in the strict mental and social confines of a cult for even a short time can have the following disastrous effects:

- Loss of free will and the control of one's life

- Reduced capacity to form flexible and intimate relationships

- Poor capacity to form judgments

- Hallucinations, panic, guilt, identity confusion, paranoia, and dissociation from some groups

- Occasional neurotic, psychotic, or suicidal tendencies

IV. Things to remember

- Deceptive techniques may be used to recruit members and solicit donations

- Under the right circumstances, anyone is vulnerable

- Inform yourself, your family and your friends about these groups and what they represent

- When there is danger of involvement, get help immediately

- Do not try to do what you are not trained to do

- Never, under any circumstances, give money to a group or individual without first checking their background. Money collected for "the poor" or for "youth ministry programs" may go to a religious cult instead

V. Some of the larger cultic groups

- The Way International, Scientology, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna), Divine Light Mission, The Church Universal and Triumphant, The Unification Church, Children of God (The Family of Love)