At the DialogCentre UK certain themes recur in the questions that members of high-demand groups ask. In no particular order, the most common ones include:
- “My family and I can’t seem to talk about my Group without getting into arguments.”
- “I wish my family would stop pestering me and would stop attacking my beliefs. I don’t tell them what to think; why do they do it to me?”
- “Some of my old friends aren’t very understanding or tolerant of my new beliefs and they give me a hard time about it. Real friends would be more supportive, wouldn’t they?”
- “I especially hate when my family or friends call my religion a cult, as if that says everything there is to know about it. How can I make them understand my Group isn’t a cult?”
- “I want to talk to someone but I want to think about things for myself and come to my own decision. I’m not sure I can tell the leaders in case they think I’m unreliable or doubting. I can’t talk to my family in case they laugh at me or pressure me to do what they want. Who else can I talk to?”
- “I’m concerned about something I’ve seen in my Group but I don’t want to be disloyal. What can I do?”
- “I’m worried because I’ve been ill. My Group teaches that it’s our own fault if we get sick. Is that true?”
- “Are you a deprogrammer? Are you going to try to destroy my faith?”
- “Are you going to try to ‘convert’ me or make me leave my group?”
- “What do you know about my Group?”
- “Are you going to tell anyone that I’ve talked to you?”
- “Have you talked to anyone else from my Group? Who else do you know who has left my Group?”
- “I’m not sure I want to stay in my Group but I feel like I don’t have any choice. What else can I do?”
Genuine questions deserve genuine answers. We try to avoid slogans, clichés and sound-bites, and we acknowledge that some questions do not have easy answers. In such instances, we aim to give clear, accurate explanations rather than glossing over important considerations.
We would like to talk about these and any other questions with you, and we invite you to contact us to discuss them. Our contact details may be found at the bottom of the page.