Sects in Spain: The Power of Persuasion and Manipulation.

By María Roca Pérez and Carla Gago Castro, 4th year ESO.

Sects in Spain

Youth are attracted to sects because the elements you can find in them fascinate young people. Youngsters believe in astrology, in UFOS, healers and so on...

According to the report prepared for the Interministerial Commission on Youth, young Spanish people disappointed by the official religion and the political and social movements, seek 'a sense of life and death' in the sects and hence their interest in the esoteric, mystical and transcendent.

 

From the testimonies of young people who have joined sects, it is known now they joined them for the following reasons:

1. Meeting people and making friends.

2. Miscommunication and need for relief.

3. Curiosity

The methods of all sects are often similar. The ones which are used the most are: therapeutic seminars, healing sessions, meditation meetings, personality questionnaires, domicilary visits, offers to solve problems with alcoholism, in other words, activities which tend to increase the victim's belief... After they have joined a sect, the people who belong to it are the only ones who can understand the new comers: they offer salvation, they mean they are the only ones who can help. When you are caught inside, the world outside starts to shut down and they begin to control yourself and to delete all the information in your mind that is not related to the sect. At that very moment, threats and physical punishments start if you try to escape and free yourself.

Some sects in Spain are:

Jehovah's Witnesses: The oldest and most numerous, about 90,000 followers in Spain and about four million in 212 countries. They deliver about 300 million propaganda leaflets a year in order to spread themselves worldwide.

 

Jehovah's Witnesses + blood transfusions.

A Jehovah's witness will never accept a blood transfusion. This aspect of their belief has been controversial for a long time as there have been deaths of minors because of the refusal of the parents' to allow a blood transfusion.

Mormons, the Unification Church: Throughout Spain, there are about 20,000 thousand followers and missionaries. They are in 128 countries, with nearly eight million faithful followers.

 

 

Children of God: It is considered one of the most dangerous sects. It's present in 72 countries and, in Spain, it's present in several cities. They live in communities and its members are accused of incitement to prostitution and sexual abuse. In their last trial before a jury, held in Barceloma, all the accused were acquitted.