Posts by nicolaou

19

Hey, where did all the forums go?

by Simon in

jw
friends

i decided to limit the number of forums until the number of visitors has built up a bit...otherwise it will be like having a party in a 200 room mansion - no one will ever meet!.

please let me know if there are any forums that you'd like to see available.

nicolaou

I was suddenly curious as to the first ever post here - so I dredged it up!

Hope you don't mind Simon. You should be really proud, in 15 months this place has gone from about 20 subscribers to almost 2000!!

A bazillion cheers for Simon

Nic'

. http://www.do-not-call.org

2

'Fattist' humour, no offence intended - honest!

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

well i thought it was funny.

nic'.

http://www.do-not-call.org

nicolaou

Well I thought it was funny

Nic'

. http://www.do-not-call.org

2

Usefuly defining and using the term 'Cult'.

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

the following material was prepared by herbert l. rosedale, esq.

and michael d. langone, ph.d.. i've highlighted the section i found most interesting.. nic'.

review of definitions.

nicolaou

The following material was prepared by Herbert L. Rosedale, Esq. and Michael D. Langone, Ph.D.

I've highlighted the section I found most interesting.

Nic'
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Review of Definitions
According to the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (1971) the term, "cult," originally referred to "worship; reverential homage rendered to a divine being or beings...a particular form or system of religious worship; especially in reference to its external rites and ceremonies ...devotion or homage to a particular person or thing." More recently, the term has taken on additional connotations: "3 : A religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious...4 : A system for the cure of disease based on dogma set forth by its promulgator...5 a. great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work...b. a usually small group of people characterized by such devotion." (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, 1994)

Robbins's (1988) review of recent sociological contributions to the study of cults identifies four definitional perspectives:

cults as dangerous, authoritarian groups;
cults as culturally innovative or transcultural groups;
cults as loosely structured protoreligions;
Stark and Bainbridge’s (1985) subtypology that distinguishes among "audience cults" (members seek to receive information, e.g., through a lecture or tape series) "client cults" (members seek some specific benefit, e.g., psychotherapy, spiritual guidance), and "cult movements" (organizations that demand a high level of commitment from members). The Stark and Bainbridge typology relates to their finding that cult membership increases as church membership decreases.
Rutgers University professor Benjamin Zablocki (1997) says that sociologists often distinguish "cult" from "church," "sect," and "denomination." Cults are innovative, fervent groups. If they become accepted into the mainstream, cults, in his view, lose their fervor and become more organized and integrated into the community; they become churches. When people within churches become dissatisfied and break off into fervent splinter groups, the new groups are called sects. As sects become more stolid and integrated into the community, they become denominations. Zablocki defines a cult as "an ideological organization held together by charismatic relationships and demanding total commitment." According to Zablocki, cults are at high risk of becoming abusive to members, in part because members' adulation of charismatic leaders contributes to their becoming corrupted by the power they seek and are accorded.

Definitions proposed at various times by associates of AFF tend to presume the manifestation of what is potential in Zablocki's definition. These definitions tend to emphasize elements of authoritarian structure, deception, and manipulation and the fact that groups may be psychotherapeutic, political, or commercial, as well as religious. One of the more commonly quoted definitions of "cult" was articulated at an AFF/UCLA Wingspread Conference on Cultism in 1985:

Cult (totalist type): A group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing and employing unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control (e.g., isolation from former friends and family, debilitation, use of special methods to heighten suggestibility and subservience, powerful group pressures, information management, suspension of individuality or critical judgment, promotion of total dependency on the group and fear of leaving it, etc.), designed to advance the goals of the group's leaders, to the actual or possible detriment of members, their families, or the community. (West & Langone, 1986, pp. 119-120)

Because this and related definitions imply high levels of psychological manipulation, many students of the field have associated cults with the concept of thought reform (Lifton, 1961; Ofshe & Singer, 1986; Singer & Ofshe, 1990). Although there are many similarities between these concepts, a cult does not necessarily have to be characterized by thought reform, nor does a thought reform program necessarily have to be a cult. Nevertheless, the two seem to go together often enough that many people mistakenly see them as necessarily linked.

Definitions advanced by AFF associates imply that the term "cult" refers to a continuum, in which a large gray area separates "cult" from "noncult," or add qualifiers to the term "cult," such as "destructive" or "totalist type." These definitions suggest that there may be some debate about the appropriateness of the term as applied to a specific group, especially when available evidence indicates that the group is in or near the gray area of the continuum. This debate can become more acute when the group in question is one that varies among its geographic locations, has different levels of membership with correspondingly different levels of commitment, has changed over time in the direction of greater or less "cultishness," or is skilled at public relations.

Because they tend to focus on certain practices and behaviors, the definitions advanced by AFF associates are implicitly interactionist. Like all psychologically based models, they presume that different people will respond differently to the same group environment, much as twins can respond differently to the same family environment. Cults are not all alike. Nor are all cult members affected in the same way, even within the same group. Nevertheless, a huge body of clinical evidence leads AFF associates to contend that some groups harm some members sometimes, and that some groups may be more likely to harm members than other groups.

Using the Term: Considerations

The concept "cult," as with other concepts (e.g., "right wing," "left wing"), is a theoretical type against which actual groups are compared as best as one can with the information at one's disposal. The theoretical type should serve as a benchmark, not as an organizing structure that selects only those observations that confirm a stereotype. It is vital that each case be evaluated individually with regard to the group environment and the person(s) interacting within and with that environment.

Much as people may wish that it were so, the fact is that, at least at present, no scientific "test" incontrovertibly establishes whether or not a group is indeed a "cult." Although AFF's Group Psychological Abuse Scale (Chambers, Langone, Dole, & Grice, 1994) is a useful and promising tool for assessing groups scientifically, this self-report measure needs further psychometric development and should be supplemented by observational measures yet to be devised. Cult research is in a stage similar to that of depression research when the first objective measures of depression as a mental and emotional state were being developed. The lack of objective measures didn’t nullify the utility of definitions of depression then in use, but the development of such measures enhanced definitional understanding and classification reliability. In the years ahead, we hope to see similar progress in cultic studies.

Because of the current ambiguity surrounding the term "cult," AFF does not produce an official list of "cults," even though some people mistakenly interpret any list (e.g., a list of groups on which we have information) as a list of "cults." Such a list would have little utility because there are thousands of groups about which people have expressed concern, yet scientific research has been conducted on few groups. A list could even be misleading because some people might mistakenly think that the label "cult" implies that the group in question has all the significant attributes of the hypothetical type "cult," when in fact it has only some of those attributes. Conversely, some people may mistakenly assume that because a group is not on the list, they need not be concerned. Thus, when inquirers ask us, "Is such and such a cult?" we tend to say, "Study our information on psychological manipulation and cultic groups, then apply this information to what you know and can find out about the group that concerns you." Our goal is to help inquirers make more informed judgments and decisions, not to dictate those judgments and decisions.

We try to direct inquirers’ attention to potentially harmful practices, rather than to a label. In essence, we say: "These are practices that have been associated with harmful effects in some people. To what, if any extent, are these practices found in the group in question? And how might you or your loved one be affected by these practices?" One of us (Langone) tries to focus a family’s concerns by saying: "Assume, even if only for the sake of argument, that your loved one were not in a ‘cult.’ What if anything about his or her behavior would trouble you?" After the troubling behaviors are identified, then the family can try to determine how, if at all, these behaviors are related to the group environment. A label tends to be superfluous at this point in the analysis.

Thus, we advocate a nuanced, evidence-based approach to definition and classification. We do not ignore or disparage evidence indicating that some groups may closely approach the theoretical type, "cult." Nor do we deny the necessity to make expert judgments about whether or not a particular set of group processes harmed a specific person or persons, a judgment that mental health clinicians and other professionals sometimes have to make in therapeutic or forensic contexts. We do, however, advocate that these kinds of judgments should rest on careful analyses of structure and behavior within a specific context, rather than a superficial classification decision.

Such analyses sometimes result in the conclusion that some groups that harm some people are not necessarily cults. A new age group that is neither manipulative nor authoritarian might harm some people because it advocates a medically dangerous diet or psychologically harmful practices. A church may harm some believers because its pastor is domineering and abusive. A psychotherapist may harm some patients because she or he doesn't adequately understand how memory works and may, with the best of intentions, induce false memories in clients. These are all examples of individual harm related to interpersonal influence. They are all examples of situations that might understandably arouse the concern of the harmed person's family and of AFF. But these situations are not necessarily "cult" situations, even though they may have a family resemblance to the concept "cult." On the other hand, because appearances can deceive, especially in cults, further investigation of such cases may reveal the presence of cultic dynamics. The important point to keep in mind is that classification decisions should be based on the best available evidence and should always be subject to reevaluation.

Even though the term "cult" has limited utility, it is so embedded in popular culture that those of us concerned about helping people harmed by group involvements or preventing people from being so harmed cannot avoid using it. Whatever the term's limitations, it points us in a meaningful direction. And no other term relevant to group psychological manipulation (e.g., sociopsychological influence, coercive persuasion, undue influence, exploitive manipulation) has ever been able to capture and sustain public interest, which is the sine qua non of public education. If, however, we cannot realistically avoid the term, let us at least strive to use it judiciously.

References

Chambers, W., Langone, M., Dole, A., & Grice, J. (1994). The Group Psychological Abuse Scale: A measure of the varieties of cultic abuse. CSJ, 11(1), 88-117.

Lifton, R. J. (1961). Thought reform and the psychology of totalism. New York: Norton.

Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary, tenth edition. (1994). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

Ofshe, R., & Singer, M. T. (1986). Attacks on peripheral versus central elements of self and the impact of thought reforming techniques. CSJ, 3(1), 3-24.

Robbins, T. (1988). Cults, converts, and charisma. London: Sage.

Singer, M. T., & Ofshe, R. (1990). Thought reform programs and the production of psychiatric casualties. Psychiatric Annals, 20, 188-193.

Stark, R., & Bainbridge, W. (1985). The future of religion: Secularization, revival and cult formation. Berkeley: University of California (cited in Robbins, 1988).

The compact edition of the Oxford English dictionary. (1980). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

West, L. J., & Langone, M. D. (1986). Cultism: A conference for scholars and policy makers. Cultic Studies Journal, 3, 117-134.

Zablocki, B. (1997). Paper presented to a conference, "Cults: Theory and Treatment Issues," May 31, 1997 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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. http://www.do-not-call.org

3

Moscow court cancels Jehovah's Witnesses legal win

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

this news is a couple of weeks old but well worth digesting.. isn't it interesting that russia has a 'law on freedom of conscience' -- which the united states and the vatican have vehemently criticized?

nic'.

"moscow court cancels jehovah's witnesses' legal win".

nicolaou

This news is a couple of weeks old but well worth digesting.
Isn't it interesting that Russia has a 'Law on Freedom of Conscience' -- which the United States and the Vatican have vehemently criticized?

Nic'
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"Moscow court cancels Jehovah's Witnesses' legal win"
(Reuters, May 31, 2001)

MOSCOW - A Russian court has overturned a legal victory for the Jehovah's Witnesses that had prevented the liquidation of the group's Moscow communities, Russian news agencies reported Wednesday.

The decision cancels out the Jehovah's Witnesses' triumph in February after a two-year courtroom battle, which focused on a 1997 law which forces faiths without a long history in Russia to undergo a convoluted registration process.

A Moscow court threw out a case brought by the city's northern district to shut down the group on the grounds it regularly broke up families, infringed individuals' rights and converted minors without parents' permission.

But Wednesday's court verdict wiped out that decision, upholding a range of such allegations against the group.

"It's a political case, directed against the rights of religious groups," RIA news agency quoted lawyers for the Jehovah's Witnesses as saying.

The group, which says it has at least 120,000 active members in Russia, stands accused of breaking Russia's 1997 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Association, which the United States and the Vatican have vehemently criticized.

It approved Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity as Russia's traditional faiths, and threw other groups into limbo.
Former President Clinton stressed the importance of religious and other freedoms during a June 2000 summit with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Russia's Orthodox church has rejected talk of religious oppression, saying the law is justified in stopping dangerous sects flooding the spiritual vacuum created by 70 years of communist rule.

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. http://www.do-not-call.org

1

French Anti-Cult Law (May 30, 2001): In English .

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

"1) the fine provided by section 131-38;.

nicolaou

This isn't exactly light reading but I thought it would be valuable to get the information 'out there'.

Nic'

French Anti-Cult Law (May 30, 2001): English Translation, with Notes

Note: This is a collection of Sections as voted in the Senate and the House. The final published text may include some minor variations.

A bill directed to the reinforcement of prevention and repression of cultic movements which undermine human rights and fundamental freedoms.[1]

Chapter I

Civil dissolution of certain legal entities[2]

Section 1

The dissolution can be pronounced, according to the provisions of the present Section, of any legal entity, whatever its legal form or object, pursuing activities which have as their purpose or effect to create, maintain or exploit the psychological or physical subjection of persons taking part in these activities, when final criminal sentences have been pronounced against the legal entity itself or its legitimate or de facto leaders, for one or the other of the offences mentioned hereafter:

1° Offences of intentional or unintentional prejudice to the life or the physical or psychological integrity of the person, endangerment of the person, prejudice to the person's freedoms, prejudice to the dignity of the person, prejudice to the personality, imperilling minors or prejudicing property provided for by Sections 221-1 to 221-6, 222-1 to 222-40, 223-1 to 223-15, 223-15-2, 224-1 to 224-4, 225-5 to 225-15, 225-17 and 225-18, 226-1 to 226-23, 227-1 to 227-27, 311-1 to 311-13, 312-1 to 312-12, 313-1 to 313-3, 314-1 to 314-3 and 324-1 to 324-6 of the Criminal Code;

2° Offences of illegal medical or pharmaceutical practice provided for by Sections L. 4161-5 and L. 4223-1 of the Public Health Code;

3° Offences of deceptive advertising, frauds and falsifications provided for by Sections L. 121-6 and L. 213-1 to L. 213-4 of the Consumer Code.

The dissolution procedure is filed before the Court of First Instance by the Public Prosecutor, acting on its own accord or at the request of any interested party.

The request is formulated, examined and judged in conformity with the fast-track (fixed date) procedure. The time limit for appeal is fifteen days. The President of the Court to whom the case is entrusted will fix a short time limit for the hearing to which the case will be summoned. At the indicated day, the proceedings are conducted according to Sections 760 to 762 of the New Code of Civil Procedure.

The overt or disguised maintaining or re-forming of a legal entity disbanded in application of the clauses of the present Section is an offence provided for by the second paragraph of Section 434-43 of the Criminal Code.

The Court of First Instance may pronounce in the course of the same procedure the dissolution of several different legal entities mentioned in the first paragraph, when these legal entities pursue the same purpose and are united by a community of interests and when at least one final criminal sentence for one of the offences mentioned in 1° to 3° has been pronounced against each of them or their legitimate or de facto leaders. These different legal entities must be parties to the procedure.

Chapter II

Extension of the criminal responsibility of legal entities to certain offences[3]

Section 2

I. - After the words "is sentenced", the end of the first paragraph of Section L. 4161-5 of the Public Health Code the following words shall be included: "to one year in prison and a 100,000 Francs fine."

II. - After Section L. 4161-5 of the Public Health Code, a Section L. 4161-6 is inserted, reading as follows:

"Sect. L. 4161-6. - Legal entities may be declared criminally responsible in the conditions established by Section 121-2 of the Criminal Code for offences provided for by Section L. 4161-5.

"The penalties incurred by the legal entities are:

"1° Fine, according to the provisions of Section 131-38 of the Criminal Code;

"2° The penalties mentioned in Paragraphs 2nd to 9th of Section 131-39 of the Criminal Code.

"The interdiction mentioned in the 2nd Paragraph of Section131-39 of the Criminal Code concerns the activity in the exercise of which or at the occasion of which the offence was committed."

III. - In Section L. 4223-1 of the same Code, the words: "to a 30,000 Francs fine and, in the event of a subsequent offence, to six months in prison and a 60,000 Francs fine" are replaced by the words: "to one year in prison and a 100,000 Francs fine".

Sections 2 bis

A Section 221-5-1 is inserted after Section 221-5 of the Criminal Code, reading as follows:

"Section 221-5-1. - Legal entities may be found criminally liable pursuant to the conditions prescribed in Section 121-2, for the offences provided in this section.

"Legal entities shall be liable to the following penalties:

"1) The fine provided by Section 131-38;

"2) The penalties set forth in Section 131-39.

"The prohibition set forth in paragraph (2) of Section 131-39 applies to the activity in which or as a result of which the offence was committed."

Section 2 ter

A Section 222-6-1 is inserted after Section 222-6 of the same Code, reading as follows:

"Section 222-6-1. - Legal entities may be found criminally liable pursuant to the conditions prescribed in Section 121-2, for the offences provided in this paragraph.

"Legal entities shall be liable to the following penalties:

"1) The fine provided by Section 131-38;

"2) The penalties set forth in Section 131-39.

"The prohibition set forth in paragraph (2) of Section 131-39 applies to the activity in which or as a result of which the offence was committed."

Section 2 quater

A Section 222-16-1 is inserted after Section 222-16 of the same Code, reading as follows:

"Section 222-16-1. - Legal entities may be found criminally liable pursuant to the conditions prescribed in Section 121-2, for the offences provided in this paragraph.

"Legal entities shall be liable to the following penalties:

"1) The fine provided by Section 131-38;

"2) The penalties set forth in paragraphs (2) to (9) of Section 131-39.

"The prohibition set forth in paragraph (2) of Section 131-39 applies to the activity in which or as a result of which the offence was committed."

Section 2 no. 5

A Section 222-18-1 is inserted after Section 222-18 of the same Code, reading as follows:

"Section 222-18-1. - Legal entities may be found criminally liable pursuant to the conditions prescribed in Section 121-2, for the offences provided in this paragraph.

"Legal entities shall be liable to the following penalties:

"1) The fine provided by Section 131-38;

"2) The penalties set forth in paragraphs (2) to (9) of Section 131-39;

"3) "The penalty set forth in paragraph (1) of Section 131-39 for the offences provided by Sections 222-17 (2nd paragraph) and 222-18.

"The prohibition set forth in paragraph (2) of Section 131-39 applies to the activity in which or as a result of which the offence was committed."

Section 2 no. 6

A Section 222-33-1 is inserted after Section 222-33 of the same Code. Reading as follows:

"Section 222-33-1. - Legal entities may be found criminally liable pursuant to the conditions prescribed in Section 121-2, for the offences provided in Sections 222-22 to 222-31.

"Legal entities shall be liable to the following penalties:

"1) The fine provided by Section 131-38;

"2) The penalties set forth in Section 131-39.

"The prohibition set forth in paragraph (2) of Section 131-39 applies to the activity in which or as a result of which the offence was committed."

Section 2 no. 7

A Section 223-7-1 is inserted after Section 223-7 of the same Code, reading as follows:

"Section 223-7-1. - Legal entities may be found criminally liable pursuant to the conditions prescribed in Section 121-2, for the offences provided in this section.

"Legal entities shall be liable to the following penalties:

"1) The fine provided by Section 131-38;

"2) The penalties set forth in paragraphs (2) to (9) of Section 131-39;

"3) "The penalty set forth in paragraph (1) of Section 131-39 for the offences provided by Sections 223-5 and 223-6.

"The prohibition set forth in paragraph (2) of Section 131-39 applies to the activity in which or as a result of which the offence was committed."

Section 2 no. 8

A Section 223-15-1 is inserted after Section 223-15 of the same Code, reading as follows:

"Section 223-15-1. - Legal entities may be found criminally liable pursuant to the conditions prescribed in Section 121-2, for the offences provided in this section.

"Legal entities shall be liable to the following penalties:

"1) The fine provided by Section 131-38;

"2) The penalties set forth in paragraphs (2) to (9) of Section 131-39.

"3) "The penalty set forth in paragraph (1) of Section 131-39 for the offence provided by the 2nd paragraph of Section 223-13.

"The prohibition set forth in paragraph (2) of Section 131-39 applies to the activity in which or as a result of which the offence was committed."

Section 2 no. 9

Section 4 of Chapter V, Title II, Book II of the same Code is supplemented by Section 225-18-1, reading as follows:

"Section 225-18-1. - Legal entities may be found criminally liable pursuant to the conditions prescribed in Section 121-2, for the offences provided in Sections 225-17 and 225-18.

"Legal entities shall be liable to the following penalties:

"1) The fine provided by Section 131-38;

"2) The penalties set forth in paragraphs (2) to (9) of Section 131-39;

"3) "The penalty set forth in paragraph (1) of Section 131-39 for the offences provided by Section 225-18.

"The prohibition set forth in paragraph (2) of Section 131-39 applies to the activity in which or as a result of which the offence was committed."

Section 2 no. 10

A Section 227-4-1 is inserted after Section 227-4 of the same Code, reading as follows:

"Section 227-4-1. - Legal entities may be found criminally liable pursuant to the conditions prescribed in Section 121-2, for the offences provided in this section.

"Legal entities shall be liable to the following penalties:

"1) The fine provided by Section 131-38;

"2) The penalties set forth in paragraphs (2) to (9) of Section 131-39.

"The prohibition set forth in paragraph (2) of Section 131-39 applies to the activity in which or as a result of which the offence was committed."

Section 2 no. 11

Section 227-17-2 of the same Code is amended as follows:

1) In the first sentence, the words: "for the offence provided in the second paragraph of Section 227-17-1" are replaced by the words: "for the offences provided in Sections 227-15 to 227-17-1";

2) In paragraph (2), the words: "in paragraphs (1), (2), (4), (8) and (9) of" are replaced by the word: "in".

Section 2 no. 12

In the second paragraph (1)) of Section 131-39 of the same Code, the words: "to five years" are replaced by the words: "or equal to three years".

Section 2 no. 13

I - Section 132-13 of the same Code is supplemented by a new paragraph worded as follows:

"In the cases provided by the two preceding paragraphs, the legal entity shall, in addition, be liable to the penalties set forth in Section 131-39, subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of this Section."

II - In the last paragraph of the same section, the words: "more than 100,000 francs" are replaced by the words: "at least 100,000 francs".

Chapter III

Clauses regarding the sentence of dissolution
incurred by legal entities penally responsible

Section 3 [or Section 2 no. 14][4]

In the second paragraph of Section 8 of the Associations Law of July 1, 1901, the words: "by a fine of 30,000 francs and one year of imprisonment" are replaced by the words: "by three years of imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 francs.

Section 4
Section 434-43 of the Criminal Code is supplemented by two new paragraphs worded as follows:

"Anyone taking part in the overt or disguised maintenance or revival of a legal entity whose dissolution was ordered pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of Section 131-39 shall be punished by three years of imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 francs.

"Where dissolution has been ordered for a second time offence or for the offence provided in the preceding paragraph, the penalty shall be increased to five years of imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 francs."

Section 5
A paragraph (5) is inserted before the last paragraph of Article 434-47 of the same code, reading as follows:

"5) The offences under the second and third paragraphs of Section 434-43 shall be punished by dissolution as set forth in paragraph (1) of Section 131-39."

Chapter IV

Clauses restricting the advertisement of cult movements

[Sections 6 and 7

Deleted][5]

Section 8

The fact of distributing, by whatever means, messages intended for youth and promoting a legal entity, whatever its legal form or object, which is pursuing activities with the purpose or effect to create, maintain or exploit the psychological or physical subjection of persons taking part in these activities, when final criminal sentences have been pronounced several times, against the legal entity itself or its legitimate or de facto leaders, for one or the other of the offences mentioned hereafter, is sentenced to a 50,000 Francs fine:

1° Offences of intentional or unintentional prejudice to the life or the physical or psychological integrity of the person, endangerment of the person, prejudice to the person's freedoms, prejudice to the dignity of the person, prejudice to the personality, placing minors in danger or prejudicing property provided for by Sections 221-1 to 221-6, 222-1 to 222-40, 223-1 to 223-15, 223-15-2, 224-1 to 224-4, 225-5 to 225-15, 225-17 and 225-18, 226-1 to 226-23, 227-1 to 227-27, 311-1 to 311-13, 312-1 to 312-12, 313-1 to 313-3, 314-1 to 314-3 and 324-1 to 324-6 of the Criminal Code;

2° Offences of illegal medical or pharmaceutical practice provided for by Sections L. 4161-5 and L. 4223-1 of the Public Health Code;

3° Offences of deceptive advertising, frauds and falsifications provided for by Sections L. 121-6 and L. 213-1 to L. 213-4 of the Consumer Code.

The same sanctions are applicable when the messages referred to in the first paragraph of this Section are an invitation to join such a legal entity.

The legal entities may be declared penally responsible in conditions provided for by Section 121-2 of the Criminal Code of offences defined in this Section. The sanction incurred by legal entities is a fine, according to the provisions of Section 131-38 of the Criminal Code.

Chapter V

Clauses connected with the fraudulent abuse of the
state of ignorance or weakness

Section 9[6]

After Section 223-15 of the Criminal Code, a section 6 bis is created, reading as follows:

"Section 6 bis

Regarding the fraudulent abuse of the state of ignorance or weakness

"Sect. 223-15-2. - The fraudulent abuse of the state of ignorance or the condition of weakness of either a minor or a person whose specific vulnerability, due to his age, an illness, a disability, a physical or psychological deficiency or pregnancy, is apparent and known to its author, or of a person in a state of psychological or physical subjection resulting from serious pressures exercised or repeated or from techniques likely to alter his judgment, leading this minor or this person to an act or an abstention which are seriously harmful to him, is sentenced to three years in prison and a 2,500,000 Francs fine.

"When the offence is committed by the legitimate or de facto leader of a group which is pursuing activities with the purpose or effect to create, maintain or exploit the psychological or physical subjection of persons taking part in these activities, the sentences are extended to five years in prison and a 5,000,000 Francs fine.

"Sect. 223-15-3. - Individuals guilty of the offence provided for in this section also incur the following supplementary sentences[7]:

"1° Deprivation of political, civil and family rights, according to the provisions of Section 131-26;

"2° Deprivation, according to provisions of Section 131-27, of the exercise of a civil service or the exercise of the professional or social activity in the exercise of which or at the occasion of the exercise of which the offence was committed, for a length of five years at most;

"3° Closing, for a length of five years at most, of the establishments or of one or several establishments of the corporation having served to commit the incriminated facts;

"4° Seizure of the thing which served or was intended to commit the offence or the thing which is its product, with the exception of objects susceptible of restitution;

"5° Prohibition to stay in France or in certain French departments, according to the provisions of Section 131-31;

"6° Interdiction, for a length of five years at most, the drawing of checks other than those which enable the withdrawal of funds by the drawer from the drawee or of certified ones;

"7° Posting of the bill or circulating the pronounced decision, in conditions provided for by Section 131-35.

"Art. 223-15-4. - Legal entities may be declared criminally responsible, in conditions provided for by Section 121-2, of the offence defined in this section.

"The sentences incurred by the legal entities are:

"1° A fine, according to the provisions of Section 131-38;

"2° Penalties mentioned in Section 131-39.

"The interdiction mentioned in 2° of Section 131-39 concerns the activity in the exercise of which or at the occasion of the exercise of which the offence was committed."

Section 10

I. - Section 313-4 of the Criminal Code is repealed.

II. - In the first paragraph of Section 313-7 of the same Code, the reference: ", 313-4" is deleted.

III. - At the end of the first paragraph of Section 313-9 of the same Code, the words: "to 313-4" are replaced by the words: "to 313-3".

Chapter VI

Miscellaneous

Section 11[8]

Section 2-17 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is written as follows:

"Art. 2-17. - Any association recognized as serving public interests regularly registered since at least five years[9] at the date of the facts and proposing through its statutes to defend and help individuals or to defend individual and public rights and freedoms can, at the occasion of acts committed by any individual or legal entity, in the frame of a movement or organization which has as its purpose or effect to create, maintain or exploit a psychological or physical subjection, exercise the recognized civil party rights regarding the offences of intended or unintended prejudice to the life or the physical or psychological integrity of the person, endangerment of the person, prejudice to the person's freedoms, prejudice to the dignity of the person, prejudice to the personality, placing minors in danger, or prejudicing property provided for by Sections 221-1 to 221-6, 222-1 to 222-40, 223-1 to 223-15, 223-15-2, 224-1 to 224-4, 225-5 to 225-15, 225-17 and 225-18, 226-1 to 226-23, 227-1 to 227-27, 311-1 to 311-13, 312-1 to 312-12, 313-1 to 313-3, 314-1 to 314-3 and 324-1 to 324-6 of the Criminal Code, the offences of illegal medical or pharmaceutical practice provided for by Sections L. 4161-5 and L. 4223-1 of the Code of Public Health, and the offences of deceptive advertisement, frauds and falsifications provided for by Sections L. 121-6 and L. 213-1 to L. 213-4 of the Consumer Code."

Section 11 bis

Section 706-45 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is modified as follows:

I. - After the fifth paragraph (4°), a 5° is inserted written as follows:

"5° Put under the control of an administrator appointed by the examining magistrate for a renewable period of six months, as regards the activity in the exercise of which or at the occasion of which the offence was committed."

II. - The next to last paragraph is completed by a sentence written as follows:

"The measure provided for by 5° cannot be ordered by the examining magistrate if the legal entity cannot be sentenced to the penalty provided for by the 3° of Section 131-39 of the Criminal Code."

[Section 12

Deleted]

Section 13

This law is applicable in New Caledonia, in French Polynesia, in the Wallis and Futuna Islands and in the Territorial Community of Mayotte.

For the application of this law in New Caledonia, in French Polynesia, at Wallis and Futuna, in the Territorial Community of Mayotte and in Saint Pierre et Miquelon, the words: " Tribunal de grande instance" are replaced by the words: "Tribunal de première instance".

For the application of this in New Caledonia, in French Polynesia, at Wallis and Futuna and in the Territorial Community of Mayotte, the references to the legal clauses of the Code of Public Health, the Consumer Code and the Code of Civil Procedure are replaced, if necessary, by the references to clauses locally applicable having the same purpose.

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. http://www.do-not-call.org

7

Free gift to all members here. - - GENUINE! - -

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

please support the dnc project by accepting my offer of a free do-not-call.org email address.. its really simple.. say your current address is [email protected].

your new address would be [email protected].

you'd still collect your email in exactly the same way as you always have - your new dnc email address simply points to your old one!.

nicolaou

You've got it.
Instead of creating these addresses one at a time I'll fulfill all requests each weekend!

Cheers!
Nic'

. http://www.do-not-call.org

Well at least the dubs are good for business!

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

jehovah's witness gathering spurs economy.

merchants forecast big sales as followers learn more on faith.

by valerie d. lockhart / special to the detroit news.

nicolaou

Jehovah's Witness gathering spurs economy
Merchants forecast big sales as followers learn more on faith

By Valerie D. Lockhart / Special to The Detroit News

OAK PARK -- To merchants, this weekend's Jehovah's Witness regional conference at the Silverdome is a three-day surge in business.
To followers like Larry Odett of South Lyon and 10-year-old Tonica Brewer of Oak Park, it means much, much more.
"I'm going to learn how to be a good teacher," said Tonica, clutching a book bag containing her Bible and notebooks. "I need my supplies to take notes at the convention."
They will join nearly 40,000 other people at the convention beginning Friday at the Pontiac Silverdome. The free event runs through Sunday and will focus on teaching followers more about their faith so that they can teach others.
"Before we can be teachers, we have to be students of the Bible," said Odett, who's helping to publicize the event. "We will learn how to apply Bible principles in our family and personal life through a series of talks and demonstrations. Each talk will emphasize how God wants mankind to live."
Local ministers and headquarters representatives will address members from 233 congregations in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York hosts similar gatherings in 62 cities this spring and summer.
Any program drawing tens of thousands of travelers is good news for local businesses, especially hotels.
Convention delegates reserved 205 of the 415 rooms at the Holiday Inn in Southfield this weekend.
"With economic conditions being slower this year due to layoffs, the convention is a boost for business," said Jennifer Rexius, director of sales for the hotel.
Restaurants and groceries also see a sales surge.
"Each year, there are approximately 50 to 100 customers added each day during that three-day period," said Jerry Yurgo, owner of Hollywood Market in Pontiac. "Conventions have a ripple effect across a five- to six-mile radius, so we all benefit."
At the sold-out Marriott at Centerpoint, which opened in Pontiac last year, marketing director Patrick Tinetti also welcomed "a nice piece of business for hotels in the area."
"Most weekends are not sellouts," he said.
Convention highlights will include a baptism and a dramatic play, Respect Jehovah's Authority.
On Sunday, actors in ancient-style attire will depict a Biblical story, showing its modern relevance.
"Each year, I gain a different perspective on how to apply Bible principles in my life," said Larry Logan, an 18-year member from Lathrup Village. "The convention makes me stronger spiritually and betters me personally."

Gathering of faithful
* Theme: Teachers of God's Word.
* Sponsor: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
* Site: Pontiac Silverdome.
* Admission: Free; open to public.
* Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
* Information: www.watchtower.org on Internet.