Human development through alternative religions

Throughout history, alternative movements have arisen within and outside of accepted or established religions, as a means of reviving and renewing faith that has become habitual and mechanical. They frequently have a charismatic leader whose vision inspires others to follow him or her. In fact most of today's accepted religions started as the vision of one man, whether Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, or Guru Nanak of the Sikhs, for example. In this century there is a plethora of new religions and cults, reflecting the enormous changes that have taken place in people's lives and the increase in contacts, whether through immigration, faster travel or the media (in particular television), with people of other religions. The established religions have found it hard to adapt sufficiently swiftly to these changes and have been found wanting by those who search for a dimension beyond the material and temporal.

The new cults have offered attractive alternatives, many emphasizing New Age and global qualities, an awareness of creation and humanity's responsibility in caring for and living with the rest of creation. Some present an easy option - do as you like so long as you harm no-one (but with little guidance as to how such harm can be determined); these have often been associated with permissive attitudes to sex and drug-taking. Others provide the discipline which, for example, Christianity has tended to relax in response to the general permissiveness of the century - these cults may require the total obedience of the follower to the charismatic leader, the cutting of ties with families and friends, and ascetic practices involving fasting and sleep deprivation; they respond to the need, particularly of some young people, for a secure and well-defined framework and for a raison d'être in a chaotic and fast-changing environment.

Examples of Christian-derived denominations that are separate from the established Church but retain their Christian links are: Quakers; Jehovah's Witnesses; Mormons; Christian Scientists. More recent and/or more divergent movements are: the [Theosophists]

; the [Unification Church]

(informally the Moonies), under the leadership of Rev Sun Myung Moon; the various organizations and movements founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi; the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), founded by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is the spiritual master of the [Hare Krishna Movement]

; the [Rajneesh Foundation International]

; the [Church Universal and Triumphant]

(Summit Lighthouse); and the [Divine Light Mission]

. These latter have arisen from the combined influence of eastern and western religions and the interest in the transcendental and mystical apparently missing in western religious experience.

However, although alternative religions seem to promise an answer to the longings of spiritually-aware but unsatisfied individuals, over 90 percent of those joining such movements leave within two years, either to return to their own religion or to have no religion at all. It is not clear, nevertheless, whether their lives have been permanently enriched by the experience and whether they then develop more fully as human beings despite no longer adhering to the alternative movement.