Robert U. Rational “Holy Books in Glass Cases: When Religious Freedom Turns Absurd” Ever wondered if your next Bible Belt neighborhood barbecue could legally double as a witch burning, if you claimed it as a religious practice? Of course, before you start planning a themed party complete with pitchforks—or wood stacks, for that matter—let’s consider where we draw the line …
By Robert U. Rational In the realm of human rights and personal freedoms, the issue of mandated shunning by high control religious groups remains a deeply concerning practice that inflicts untold emotional and psychological pain on countless individuals. At ShunningIsACrime.org, our mission is to challenge and ultimately criminalize this coercive behavior through legal channels worldwide. However, the success of this …
By Robert U. Rational In today’s interconnected world, bullying has become a widely recognized social issue, with considerable attention directed towards its prevention and mitigation. However, there exists a form of social coercion that often flies under the radar, which is mandated shunning from faith-based communities like Exclusive Brethren, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientology, Haredi Jews, Amish/Mennonites, and the Bahá’í Faith. While …
By Robert U. Rational In a world where conformity is often prized over individuality, the role of critical thinking becomes paramount, especially in the context of high control religious groups. These groups, which include but are not limited to Exclusive Brethren, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientology, Haredi Jews, Amish, and the Bahá’í Faith, often employ stringent measures to maintain control over their …
By Robert U. Rational In today’s interconnected world, the importance of community and belonging cannot be overstated. However, not all communities offer the warmth and support we seek. High-control groups, often masquerading as havens of spiritual enlightenment or personal development, use various techniques to maintain their grip on members. Among these, mandated shunning is one of the most psychologically damaging …
Shunning is a Crime was initiated by ex-members of Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, we want to raise awareness that mandated shunning is carried out by other faith-based organisations too. The following video is a rare copy of an early BBC documentary about the Exclusive Brethren. Presented by Peter France and directed by Jim Murray, “Doctrine That Divides” was first broadcast in …
At the time of writing, there are 2.3 billion children in a global population of 8,045,311,447 on the planet. How many of those children are being raised in high-control groups is unknown. One of the reasons Shunning is a Crime (SIAC) is collecting mandated shunning stories and why a small group of researchers created a survey is because we want to document how and …
From Netflix to Hollywood celebrities, the world is buzzing with stories of survival from high-control groups and cults. While the groups ignore or head to court to stop disclosures, victims and survivors tell their stories of abuse, loss of family relationships and abandonment by friends. Shunning is a Crime is a new movement gaining traction. It was started by a …
A comment often heard from excommunicated members of high-control groups is they have sinned and deserve the punishment of mandated shunning. It never occurs to them that they may be the victim. That they have induced group phobias related to sexual norms and the group’s coercive ideology may not be “the truth”. To members still in the group, the person …
