Wal-Mart store bans "cult"Wal-Mart owned "Sam's Club" in Natick, Massachusetts has decided to prohibit fundraising at its store by "Hope Worldwide," reports Metro West Daily News.
The store responded to complaints from the community regarding "Hope Worldwide," which is an extension of the "International Church of Christ" (ICC). This group has frequently been called a "cult."
The ICC is an independent religious organization and not affiliated with any denomination. Kip McKean, a former college ministry leader once funded by the Houston Memorial church of Christ, founded it in 1978.
The Houston church of Christ, as a result of serious allegations, ended their support of McKean shortly before he began his own church.
The ICC recruited the teenage daughter of a Natick family. That family became concerned due to the extraordinary control the group exercised over their child's life. Their daughter later left, but the parents now have begun a campaign to expose the group throughout their area.
The ICC is known for its use of "discipleship training," through which each member is matched with a partner for accountability. This can be seen as a pyramid scheme of control, culminating with virtual dictatorial power at the top.
The ICC's recruiting and "discipleship" efforts have drawn bad press and complaints from around the world. However, the "cult" has grown to more than 100,000 members.
The ICC frequently targets college students and has been banned from many campuses. Apparently they are now including high school students within their recruitment efforts. This may ultimately raise the issue of the ICC abrogating parental authority with minors.
[Posted by Rick Ross at 08:55 AM][Link]
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:: October 02, 2002 ::
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DISCLAIMER:
This news page is about groups, organizations or movements, which may have been "cults" and/or "cult-like" in some way, shape or form. But not all groups called either "cults" or "cult-like" are harmful. Instead, they may be benign and generally defined as simply people intensely devoted to a person, place or thing. Therefore, the discussion or mention of a group, organization or person on this page, is not necessarily meant pejoratively.
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