Assess view that cults, sects and New Age Movements are fringe organisations that are short lived and of little influence in society.

Churches and denominations are generally seen as respectable, mainstream organisations, whereas cults, sects and NAM’s are seen as more deviant, which involve belief systems that are viewed as odd or bizarre. The terms ‘sect’ or ‘cult’ have been stigmatised, due to the mass media view on them as controlling, brainwashing and manipulative to its members. Many believe cults, sects and NAM’s are short-lived, as they will, over time, either turn into denominations or disappear altogether. For example, The Quakers originally began as a world-rejecting religious sect. However, over time they abandoned their world rejecting view and evolved into a highly respectable denomination, while others, such as The Peoples Temple, have disappeared altogether. Many sociologists believe NAM’s have little influence over society, and are just ways of showing change in society. Wallis identified three different types of these religious movements: World affirming, world accommodating and world rejecting groups. World rejecting religious movements, such as The Moonies are seen to be the most short-lived groups with little influence over society. These groups hold strict guidelines to members which demand high commitment from their members who obtain a view that the outside world is evil.

There are a number of reasons that sects are destined to be short lived. Barker (1989) said that the commitment required to be a member of a sect, particularly world rejecting religious movements, is too hard to maintain for a long period of time. Either the sect will die out, or it will need to become less world rejecting and become more tolerate of mainstream society and other beliefs. This would mean it perhaps eventually turning into a denomination, as he described