Assess the view that cults, sects and new age movement are fringe organisations that are evitable short lived and of little influence in contemporary society.

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Assess the view that cults, sects and new age movement are fringe organisations that are evitable short lived and of little influence in contemporary society.

(33 marks)

New religious movements such as sects and cults have become more common over the years. Many people are becoming influenced by these religious groups which tell citizens in society if they join them they will lead a better life.  Many sociologists have argued that NRMs are increasing in size and popularity due to unjust events people are seeing in modern society. However others have argued that NRMs are on the fringes of society, have no influence anymore on people and are very much short lived so they are nothing to worry about.

To begin many sociologists have argued that NRMs are no big influence on society and are just really to some extent a way of showing societies change, which is sure to happen over the years anyway. Wallis identified three main kinds of new religious movements. These are world affirming, world accommodating and world rejecting groups. One which sociologists have argued are very much short lived than the rest is the world rejecting NRMs. This group is usually classed as a sect or cult in whom they are always highly critical of the outside world and demand significant commitment from their members. An Example of one of these is the Unification church (the Moonies) founded in Korea. They reject the mundane the secular world as evil and has strong moral rules such as no smoking or drinking.  These groups are exclusive often share possessions and seek to regulate members identities to that of the greater whole. They are often millenarian in which they are expecting divine intervention to change the world. World rejecting groups such as the Moonies can be said to be short lived and don’t have a big influence in society. Yes people join and are told not to smoke or drink but if you look to modern day society nothing seem to change in the way other people act. Other individuals still seem to drink and smoke and this will never change as society is set on rules which maintain the way people think of life. As of now teenagers drink and will do whatever people say to them so these groups are not having a big influence on them.

Many New religious movements have become to die out or most likely form in to a denomination. Usually a sect requires a strong, significant leader but when this leader dies, members of that particular NRM are in confusion of what to do, so many stray and most likely go back into their original way of life in modern society. Denominations tend to be fairly open and require a low level of commitment because they no longer claim a monopoly of truth. These groups usually form because the leader they once had is not there to encourage a high level of commitment.  Furthermore sects usually recruit people who are not really in mainstream society they are already on the margins of society and live strict fugal lives. These people it can be said would only be influential to those of the same status and those who lead the same lives as them this means normal people in modern society would not particularly stray from there lives in mainstream society to lead strict lives. However their self denying ways means their social and status rises bringing them greater public acceptance, but this means they are contacting more with mainstream society so they are moving away from unconventional sects and are contacting more and more with the enemy. This suggests they are not influencing society’s ways as they are conforming more into what modern society is like. Is there really any point in these groups anyway then?

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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 ...

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