The Christian sect has no official name or buildings, but is known to outsiders as the Two by Twos or The Truth, and has about 2500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand.

A woman who left the group is among the speakers at Decult, Australasia's first cult awareness conference, being held in Christchurch on 19-20 October.

Laura McConnell Conti grew up in the Two by Twos in Australia but left as a young adult and now helps to raise awareness about the group. Read more

Shincheonji is widely criticised for its misleading and distorted teachings of Christianity, which isolates its members from family and friends. Read more

Allan Tibby, from the World Vaishnava Association, is seeking investors to fulfil his dream.

Tibby is a charismatic holy man, who claims to be privy to a secret knowledge that has been handed down through thousands of years of oral history.

Known as Acharya Das, Tibby is secretary general of the World Vaishnava Association.

He also appears in eight videos on the YouTube channel of the Science of Identity, a branch of Vaishnava Hinduism - more commonly referred to as Hare Krishna.

Tibby denies he is or has ever been a member of the group. Continue reading

Spokesperson Mike Ferris says "It's an easy target. People reject new ideas. They really do."

Ferris said the Salvation Army had been attacked when it was founded, because it was trying to tell people to quit drinking. He said could understand people's fears of Scientology, considering the common characterisation of it as a cult.

"Scientology is copping it now - but this has happened to other religions, so, ease up on it, guys."

Fewer than 400 people in New Zealand declared their religion as Scientology in the most recent Census.

Ferris said about 5000 were taking courses, and 25,000 people had studied Scientology in Auckland since it arrived here.

The Church of Scientology in New Zealand has released a guide for media, The church of Scientology; A Guide for the Media,which it says is an has attempt to clear up misconceptions about the movement.

Ferris says there is no particular publicity push. However A similar campaign has be undertaken in Australia. Scientology's spokesperson there denies the guide's release is related to a new controversial book that examines the inner working of the church. "It just happened to be when we finished it," he said.

In the USA, the Church of Scientology purchased a million-dollar advert which was run in the half time slot during the Superbowl.

Pulitzer prize-winning writer Lawrence Wright penned a 26-page article on the Church of Scientology, largely based on interviews with ex-Scientologist and Hollywood screenwriter Paul Haggis, for The New Yorker in 2011. The article contained allegations of misconduct within the Church.

This article led to Wright's book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, which was released last month in a blaze of interviews.

Source

• The New Zealand Herald
• Crikey.com.au
• Image: Crikey.com.au

Ra provincial administrator Sitiveni Tavaga says that cult practices are still alive in some remote settlements in Ra.

"This is a new cult group where members were not allowed to send their kids to schools and those that are sick are not allowed to go to the hospital. They say this is part of their religious beliefs," he said.

Source

• The Fiji Times
• Image: Calvary Chapel News

Michael Otterson puts the Mormon position. "Polling data shows that the biggest problem for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that about half the population knows nothing about them," he says.

"Research shows that people have a far better view of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when they know a member personally. There is a point when those people who have seen Mormons caricatured in their Sunday School classes realize that the second-hand prejudices they have learned don't fit with their first-hand experiences with faithful Latter-day Saints."

Read Otterson's column in the Washington Post

Michael Otterson is the head of Public affairs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Image: The Washington Post

The Government is concerned about the welfare of children, and because it allows men to sleep with any female group member.

Ra provincial administrator Joji Satakala said, "most of these cult groups ban their children from attending school and this is a serious concern that needs to be addressed.

"All these cult groups are driving the future leaders of Ra in the wrong direction and our team will see that these practices are abolished."

Satakala said some of the widely known groups are Remnant in Soa, a Kadrala church group in Naboutolu and the followers of the late Sairusi Nabogibogi at Selemi in Nakorotubu.

"We have received reports on these cult groups and they have been monitored closely," said Mr Satakala.

In April 2010, Remnant were given an ultimatum to stop worshipping Nabogibogi, the self-proclaimed messiah.

"If we can break the Kadrala cult practices at Vatukacevaceva, which has been around for more than 40 years, then there will be no problem abolishing other cults in the province. We want all students to attend school because only education can bring about development in Ra."

Mr Satakala is confident the beliefs and practices can be eradicated.

Sources:
Image: Superculture.com
Fiji Times