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In Reply to: Re: When cults cross criminal lines posted by Some thoughts on July 16, 2005 at 16:43:23:
A lot of the active work currently being done by SPF volunteers involves research and the development of advocacy platforms in several countries. In the U.S., there is much interest in a book written by law professor Marci Hamilton called "God vs. the Gavel: Religion and the Rule of Law." If this topic interests you, I suggest getting a copy of her book.
Hamilton is a First Amendment scholar who is mounting a campaign for Congressional testimony on the issue. Simply put, we are working to get laws passed that will roll back certain legal exemptions that religious groups have used for the past 30 years to shield criminals from prosecution.
SPF is not a vehicle for direct intervention--yet. There may be some outreach activities in the UK later this year in conjunction with a televised documentary on the issue of children growing up in HDOs. A major project still in the planning stage involves a hotline for people raised in HDOs who are exiting their closed communities and need help adjusting to the larger world.
A number of "self-help" articles currently are being written for publication at the website. Lois Kendall is the SPF staff to contact if you think writing an informative article on a particular topic is something you feel inclined to do.
