The anti-cult movement (abbreviated ACM and sometimes called the countercult movement) is a term used by academics and others to refer to groups and individuals who oppose cults and new religious movements. Sociologists David G. Bromley and Anson Shupe initially defined the ACM in 1981 as a collection of groups embracing brainwashing-theory, but later observed a significant shift in ideology towards a "medicalization" of the memberships of new religious movements (NRMs).
Publications of the International Cultic Studies Association have disputed the appropriateness of the term "Anti-cult movement"; (see for example Kropveld ) with one writer preferring the label "cult critics" rather than "anti-cult" activists.
Read more about Anti-cult Movement: The Concept of An ACM, Anti-cult Movement in Russia
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