Moreover it can be said NRMs are very short term. In terms of world affirming movements they support the norms and values of mainstream society but offer advice for self fulfilment. Their survival depends on their ability to serve clients and maintain consumers through high demand. They must constantly adapt there products with new upcoming spiritual groups that are entering the market meaning many religious groups either die out or just conform back in to modern societies traditional ways. If these groups are trying to appeal to modern society then they can be said not to be to radical meaning they will still use society as approval to their group to get people to join. This can suggest that these NRMs are not a big influence in society but are more or less conforming to its ways and these organisations are just helping people to some extent but are not really changing how society is run. More people are conforming to society’s ways than going against and joining these religious groups.
On the other hand it can be argued that new religious movements are not on the outside of society but are actually increasing in size, population and influence to a large extent. They are even replacing some traditional religions such as Christianity and Islam in today’s society. It is estimated that there may now be as many as 25,000 new religious groups in Europe alone, over 12,000 of whose members reside in the UK. The types of new religious movements which are increasing in size are that of the world affirming groups. These groups usually are very individualistic and life positive and aim to release human potential. They tend to accept the world as it is, but involve techniques that enable the individual to participate more effectively and gain more from their worldly experience. One religious group which falls in this category and is increasing in size is that of Scientology. Scientology is a group in which teaches the individual that we are immortal spiritual beings who have forgotten their true nature and they try to consciously re-experience painful or traumatic events in their past, in order to free themselves of their limiting effects. The reason this type of group has become to increase is due to the fact celebrities are now beginning to follow this religion. Examples of these are Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and John Travolta. Their influence in society means the membership of this particular NRM is increasing in size and popularity and many people are turning away from traditional religions and following there idols in something new. Although Scientology is new it has become very popular among the young and older generations of society.
In addition new religious movements have become very popular and are on the increase due to modern society being very uncertain and NRMs being more certain in the way they project there rules and regulations to its members. There are also many other reasons for there appeal to individuals in society. Since the decline in the importance of established religion, people have been seeking alternative belief systems to explain the world and its difficulties. Also as post modernists argue, there is also an increased cynicism about the ability of science to provide solutions to these problems. Drane (1999) argues that western societies are turning against modern institutions and belief systems. Modern rationality is increasingly being blamed for disasters such as the holocaust and world wars. People have lost faith in institutions such as the medical profession which is now seen as more likely to misdiagnose or cause illness like MRSA, rather than improve the health and welfare of those they treat. Churches are considered to have done little to fill the spiritual void left by this wholesale adoption of modern belief systems too. Many people are more likely to try out many new religious movements to find a belief system which makes sense to them, while rejecting that of traditional religions.
Next in terms of women many do join NRMs to get way from a patriarchal society which modern society is based upon. Many women feel repressed and the only way to get away from this repression is to seek a NRM for a better life away from patriarchal rule. Women can therefore lead there own life and achieve own goals without being repressed down anymore.
Also the decline in the extended family has helped to the growth of NRMs. Families in modern society are more diverse meaning the traditional extended family in the past is dying out. An extended family allows for people to be more social and have more of a community around them. But with the increase of the lone parent family this social community is not there to fall back on. This in many cases makes a small family such as a lone parent to want to join a NRM as they can get more of a family and friends to fall back on in times of need which sources in traditional society do not offer.
Moreover Weber pointed out how those marginalized by society may find status and legitimizing explanation for their situation through a theodicy that offers ultimate salvation. This can explain why many people join world rejecting sects. While it has been argued that world rejecting sects are not increasing many of the less educated and ‘school dropout’s have become to join these NRMs for a new acceptance in life.
To add to this world affirming groups are on the increase due to there appeal to those who are likely to have finished education, are married have children and a mortgage. There are two issues in the modern world that add to their appeal. One is of as Weber suggested, the modern world is one in which rationality dominates, where magical experiences are very uncommon. The next is that we experience tremendous pressure to become emotionally and sexually successful which in many cases with some people is not achieved. According to Bird (1999) however suggested that world affirming sects address these issues in three simple ways. One they provide a spiritual component in an increasingly rationalized world. Two they provide techniques and knowledge to help people become wealthy, powerful and successful. Finally three they provide techniques and knowledge which allow people to work on themselves to bring about personal growth. This means many of the young seek these new religious movements for a better way of life. These movements can provide the young with personal success in a time of failure in contemporary society.
New religious movements it can be argued due to increased membership from the young are very influential. They can convince young individuals to do things and believe things they wouldn’t in modern society. For example in terms of Manson and his family who lived on the outskirts of society, he convinced the members to kill Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski at their home because he did not get a record contract off a man who lived at that residence before. Susan Atkins who in traditional society was a normal, well thought out girl proceeded with these murders because Charlie told her to. Now would she have done this in modern society if someone told her to? Probably not. This shows how influential one person and a new religious movement such as a sect or cult can be. Horrific acts can be done although maybe only by a few people but these actions bring about massive consequences. Modern society is affected meaning these religious movements have a big part in how it influences societies way of running and in influencing people they should stay and join a particular new religious movement.
Furthermore Jim Jones convinced his sect to kill themselves to get away from evil. 900 people who where part of his people’s temple committed suicide. Again why would 900 people kill themselves just because one person told them to do so? This shows how a charismatic leader in a new religious movement can convince people to do something they may not think about without being brainwashed in that cult to do so.
New religious movements also offer freedom and security from misery of everyday life in contemporary society. For example Linda Kasabian joined Manson and his family because they offered security from her husband who was not very nice to her. She felt safe and secure from society who did not care about her needs. Sects can provide safety and some way a family which is not always offered in everyday life.
As discussed new religious movements are on the increase but new age movements are also getting more popular. New age movement is an expression used to describe the increase in new religions and therapies that have become increasingly important since the 1970’s. Many new age movements can be classed as world affirming as they focus on the achievement of individual potential. Bruce (1996) suggested that these take two groups. One of audience cults which involve face to face interaction. Members of the audience are unlikely to know each other. Contacts are maintained mostly through the internet and mass media. Belief in UFOs is a good example of this. Audience cults feed a major self help market and books are provided that appear in best sellers lists. Two is client cults which offer particular services to their followers. They provide practices such as tarot card readings and astrology. Although it has be argued that these are not influential or not increasing in size the sale of self help books and number of people having tarot card readings would tell a different story.
Again many people are attracted to these new age movements and through this moving to post modernity. Firstly people are choosing their own identity and design their own lifestyles. They have a greater freedom to construct their own identities and able to reflect in their self what they are doing. New age movements reflect these concerns as a self help religion about self discovery and personal choice. This means many people are looking to a new age movement for answers instead of influences in society. Secondly traditional norms and values are breaking down. Post modern society is characterised by relativism. Due to the many truths now available new age movements allow people to combine ideas and beliefs from different religions. This is the ideas conditions for new age movement, the ability to individual construct your own religion. Traditional religions are on the back seat while people in society choose to find a new way of living meaning its influence is still there. Next Heelas and Woodhead argue people are moving to inner feelings of being unique individuals. Not to establish paths but forge ones own inner directed unique life. This cultural term explains attraction to spirituality and new age movements numbers increasing. Finally many people join new age movements as they are too preoccupied with choosing and buying goods and symbols/brands to construct identities and lifestyles. New age movements add to this. They allow people to pick and buy into beliefs to construct their own self images.
In summary NRMs and NAMs are religions in which many people join to get away from traditional ways of life and are seeking new ways of life. But are these actually religions anyway. Under the functional definition of religion NRMs and NAMs could be said to be so. They bring people of different backgrounds together and allow for social solidarity. However it can be very hard to put religions like this under a particular category as they can overlap. For example a NRM could also could under the inclusive or exclusive definitions. It can be very hard to decide. In the exclusive definition of religion the religion must have leaders and something holy. Well in Manson’s sect he was the leader and they believed he was the holy one so it can be said to become under this definition. Also it could go under the inclusive definition of religion where in sects you deal with ultimate problems in life and try to make life better which NRMs do. It can be very hard to define religion.
Yes it has been argued that NRMs could be increasing in contemporary society but it can be very hard to see at what extent they are actually growing at. Many NRMs have a large number of followers who are not formally registered in anyway. Some statistics are just estimates of how many people have joined NRMs. Also some groups have actually disbanded their organizations but still have devotees. An example is the divine light mission, whose followers, once initiated with the knowledge, continue to practise the techniques of meditation independently. Moreover many organisations are based overseas and UK followers are untraceable. Affiliation through practise and belief is much higher than formal membership for both traditional and new religions.
Not only is it hard to measure how many people join NRMs they have been too criticised even for their existence. They have become under public scrutiny for the public horror at indoctrination even leading to mass suicide. As mentioned earlier in the essay Jim Jones convinced his followers to commit suicide, while in 1997 39 members of heavens gate cult in California committed suicidal death. These consequences show NRMs and NAMs can be a bad thing. They are not helping individuals in society but brainwashing them to stay in a particular cult and making some even go mad. Many people do join these groups for comfort which society doesn’t provide them. If society wants events like these happening then they need to try to count people more as individuals than puppets in a constructed society, where people are just modes of production. People need to be noticed and not just repressed down in a patriarchal society.
Some cults and sects are not influential in society and are very small and most often die out. But a lot of NRMs are influential over its members and can even convince them to suicide. This has a big impact on society as a whole and while some may die out, new ones are always made and can become very popular with individuals in society. Society will always change overtime and new religious movements will always come in. If this is a good thing is another question.