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news
Controversial
group returns to CSULB
By Derrick Engoy
On-line Forty-Niner
High-pressure groups
have been haunting Cal State Long Beach for many years, and
with the reestablishment of the Los Angeles Church of Christ,
some students may feel uneasy by their presence.
However, a representative
said the church is misinterpreted and misunderstood.
"We are no
different than any other organization on campus," said
Marco Pellizzeri, campus minister for LACOC. "We are
no different than the fraternities, sororities or even the
cultural groups.
"If you look
at the definition of what a cult is, then everybody fits that
category," he added.
According to Webster's
New World Dictionary, a cult is a devoted attachment to, or
extravagant admiration of a person, principle or lifestyle.
"There's nothing
we're doing that's negative," Pellizzeri said. "We
promote relationship building; to love everybody and don't
hold grudges."
For many years,
the LACOC has been charged as being a cult and has become
one of the most controversial religious groups around, according
to a recent report in the U.S. News and World Report. The
LACOC is a Christian organization known for aggressive recruitment
tactics. These recruitment tactics are the reasons why people
are skeptical about the existence of the organization.
"I was approached
many times when I was a freshman," said Mike Roy, a graduate
student. "I even have friends who were sucked in. It's
sad because I didn't see them for the longest time. They seemed
to disappear."
According to Pellizzeri,
the church's tactics are only as extreme as the Bible describes.
Pellizzeri said the congregation is willing to call themselves
Christian and in order to follow Jesus' teachings one must
be fully committed.
"We're willing
to stand up to the status quo," Pellizzeri said. "Jesus
stood up against worshipping by tradition as opposed by the
heart. Because he did this, people looked at him in a negative
light."
High pressure groups
are not always religious, according to Mary Kay Will, campus
minister for United Methodists. High pressure groups may be
political or ideological in a variety ways.
"Think of
Nazism in Germany," Will said. "It was an ideology
that grew. It had a charismatic leader. People followed what
he said, and he was an ultimate authority."
Will's role and
the role of University Interfaith, in terms of high-pressure
groups, is to help students trying to cope and deal with the
effects of these organizations. The University Interfaith
offers educational material, counseling and referrals to places
that have a more in-depth study on high pressure groups.
"I want students
to be aware and concerned about any high pressure groups they
may run into on campus," Will said. "We want to
help students in identifying groups that may not be healthy
groups to be involved in and can find ways to resist them."
To keep order on
campus, every organization has to abide by rules set out by
CSULB regulations, according to Jeane Caveness, senior director
of Student Life and Development. If a certain organization,
whether high pressure or not, gets out of hand by means of
disruption or obstruction to the campus, or abusive behavior
directed toward a member of the campus community, then necessary
disciplinary actions will follow.
"There are
different kinds of sanctions that could take place,"
Caveness said. "Obviously the worst would be saying to
an organization that they are suspended from the campus."
As part of recognized
organizations on campus, according to Caveness, groups are
closely monitored, especially when reinstated, to insure a
healthy scholastic environment.
"If someone
has a negative experience, they have a multiple effect; where
they tell everybody," Pellizzeri said. "Our goal
is to help every single person put God in their lives."
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