Cult of domesticity(2)

Clamping down on cults

Zhu Lijia, a public management professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said followers are lured by the sense of security cults profess to offer.

"Society is changing rapidly, which has led to individuals being unsure about their future. They are looking for spiritual relief and are easily influenced by cults," he said.

Wu Boxin, professor of criminal psychology at the Chinese People's Public Security University, has helped police curb the spread of the Church of the Almighty God cult. He said some cults are taking root in China because of unresolved issues.

"Cult worshippers usually have some kind of psychological issue and other problems in their lives. They seek a supernatural, fake god to try and solve their problems and define who they are," he said.

Wu wrote in his blog that part of the blame for the existence and spread of cults rests with authorities.

"If corruption prevails and gaps grow between the poor and rich … we'll all be sinners," he wrote.

The Ministry of Public Security is directly in charge of smashing cults, Wu said. However, he noted there has been a softening in recent years regarding the perceived criminality of cult members.

"Cult followers are usually superstitious, suffer family problems and have a lower educational background," Wu said. "Not every cult follower is part of the opposite side. Sometimes they are just swept away by propaganda."

Proactive prevention tactics

Wu insisted the war on cults should focus on filling the spiritual vacuum that leads many to turn to them in the first place.

"Many people have no livelihood problems. However, spiritually they don't have anything. Their psychological problems also need to be addressed," he said.

The Chinese Anti-Cult Association, founded in 2001, aims to educate the public on how to prevent loved ones from joining cults. The organization said combating "deceptive" cults requires efforts from society as a whole.

"Educating the public on science and warning them of cults, letting the public know the damage cults do and staying away from them are important aspects," a spokesman for the association, who asked not to be named, wrote in an e-mail to Metro Beijing.

Wu said it's more important to prevent people from feeling socially alienated, rather than relying on crackdowns to disband cults.

"We should build a friendly relationship between the government and the public," he said. "If the public doesn't trust the government, how can it help the people?"