Finding a Religious Group

In your search for a healthy religious group to join these tools might be helpful to you!

Choosing to belong to a religious group while attending University can be a difficult decision. The result may be either positive or negative. This sheet is intended to help you make an informed and free choice about such groups.

• Encourages relationships with family and friends outside the group
• Helps you through life’s crises
• Invites open and thoughtful investigation of one’s own beliefs and of those of others
• Encourages you to take responsibility for being a contributing member of the greater community
• Offers a reasonable and credible value system upon which to structure your life

• At first appears to be perfect with everyone agreeable and cheerful
• Claims to have all the answers to all of life’s problems
• Offers "instant friendship" - the group will not take "no" for an answer, invitations are difficult to refuse without feeling guilty and/or ungrateful
• Pressures members to recruit new adherents
• Insists on total obedience to group leaders and discourages questions, or doubts, as signs of weak faith - members who challenge authority may be shunned or rejected
• Often claim that friends and relatives "are unable to understand or help you" with religious matters
• Encourages members to put the group first in your life - other interest, including studies, come second
• May put down and/or ridicule your past religious, social or political affiliation

They May:

• Isolate you from family, friends or other groups
• Ask you to surrender control of your life, thoughts and decisions
• Foster feelings of guilt and shame
• Interfere with your studies
• Use physical violence or moral psychological pressure to induce people to adopt their religious affiliation.

You Are at Risk When You:

• Are lonely or hurting
• Have had a disagreement with your family or someone important to you
• Have experienced the loss of a relationship are not doing well academically
• Are under pressure
• Feel that you are a failure
• Feel that you have no friends
• Feel that you are unattractive
• Are experiencing a "faith crisis"
• Dislike yourself

Everyone, at times, experiences one or more of the above. These are occasions when we may be vulnerable to controlling influences which can be destructive. With positive guidance, one can work through these feelings and reactions and establish a healthy faith experience.

Student Service Office

A healthy place to get help with the kinds of issues that may make you susceptible to an unhealthy group, or for help in disengaging from an unhealthy group. Visit us in the Student Centre, Floor 2, SC226 or email your questions to StudentServiceBrantford@wlu.ca