CA split from FAIR at the latest in August 1985.[5] Since at least 1984, some members of FAIR believed that it was becoming "moderate" and it needed a stronger stance against "cults."[6][7] In FAIR's 1985 annual general meeting, co-chair Casey McCann reaffirmed FAIR's stance against deprogramming, believing that it was damaging and telescopic on brainwashing.[8] As such, some FAIR members formed CA to satisfy some FAIR members who wanted more deprogramming and "hardliner" stances against NRMs.[9] McCann wrote in the Journal of Contemporary Religion (then Religion Today) that many of CA's founding members were parents of followers of the Rajneesh movement.[7]
Anti-cult activities
CA's primary anti-cult activity was hosting a 24-hour hotline telephone service for NRM members, their family members, and ex-NRM members.[5] It was launched in August 1985.[5] They were staffed by an anonymous team of women calling themselves "Mandy" or "Janet."[6][10] There were at least six members of the staff team at any one time, and they usually connected callers to other resources and "experts."[5] Sometimes these referrals included deprogrammers and organizations that support deprogramming like the Council on Mind Abuse (COMA).[6][7][11]
Occasionally, CA hosted protests of NRM meetings and ecumenical activities that included NRMs. For example, in December 1985, Scientologists and Unificationists joined a multi-denominational committee to protect the freedom of religion in Britain in response to the growth of anti-cultism. CA members were barred entry from the venue.[12]
Collapse and rejoining FAIR
In 1991, CA's hotline ran out of funding and could no longer operate.[13]FAIR agreed to take over the hotline.[4] FAIR invited CA members back to rejoin their group. Scholar Elisabeth Arweck believes that few CA members rejoined FAIR; however, Chryssides argues that since Lord Rodney became chairman of FAIR in 1988 showed how much overlap between the two groups' members there was.[3][6][13]McCann believed that the membership of overlap was nearly exact.[14] In his book Exploring New Religions, Chryssides adds that Cyril Vosper, at the time FAIR's treasurer, received a prison sentence in 1987 for his role in his daughter's deprogramming, implying that there were strong deprogramming sentiments in FAIR as well as CA.[3] The exact number of CA members to rejoin FAIR is unknown.
References
^ abcGeorge D. Chryssides, "Britain's anti-cult movement," in New Religious Movements: Challenge and Response, edited by Jamie Cresswell and Bryan Wilson, 257–73 (London and New York: Routledge, 1999), 266.
^ abcdWalter Schwarz, "Young minds are the battlegrounds / Focus on religious cults," The Guardian (London), 21 October 1985.
^ abcdGeorge D. Chryssides, "Britain's anti-cult movement," in New Religious Movements: Challenge and Response, edited by Jamie Cresswell and Bryan Wilson, 257–73 (London and New York: Routledge, 1999), 266.
