A Whole C.A.N. of Lawsuits

"This week's episode explores the Cult Awareness Network! It's a story that teaches us that kidnapping is wrong, and sometimes you really don't want to pick legal fights with cults."

Presented by: Cristina
Category: Cult

The Cult Awareness Network, formerly the Citizen's Freedom Foundation, was founded in the 1970s by Theodore Roosevelt Patrick, Jr after the events in Jonestown. They were dedicated to freeing people from cults.

While they were trying to help people, and many survivors of cults have credited them with their escape, the group was not without it's controversy. Practicing what they called "deprograming", they rescued people from cults by kidnapping them and holding them until they accepted they were in a cult. These were people who were adults and had freedom of association.

They initially had the support of the law and won a case in Minnesota from a woman who sued them. However their methods were often extreme, including starvation, and it wasn't unheard of for them to kidnap the wrong person. They faced numerous lawsuits from people who had to escape them.

The Cult Awareness Network ended when they began criticizing Scientology. The Church was able to sue them into bankruptcy and buy up the rights to their name.

Takeaway: Just because you're trying to do good, doesn't mean you're not doing bad things.

Trivia

 * Patreon Skit: Awkward Thanksgiving dinner.