Whitworth right to be concerned

Drive down Indiana Avenue in north Spokane and you’ll see several different denominations of churches sharing the same neighborhood. For instance, there’s a First Assembly of God across the street from Life Center Church, and as you turn off Indiana onto Washington Street, you’ll see Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

The churches exist in close proximity because of our First Amendment, which guarantees the freedom to choose any religion an individual desires. It also guarantees the right to not participate in organized religion. All well and good.

But First Amendment rights get tricky when religions that some perceive as cult-like move into communities and neighborhoods. Whitworth College is grappling with this issue right now.

Members of a tight-knit Christian group have purchased six homes near Whitworth. Bill Freeman, who heads the group with his wife Patsy, told The Spokesman-Review that “we’re just trying to take a positive attitude, be good neighbors and love our enemies.”

But former members of the Freemans’ church (which has no formal name) say the church follows cult-like practices. For instance, ex-members report that the church encourages the dissolution of family ties and encourages large donations. One former member said that she gave more than 40 percent of her income to the Freemans’ church.

According to the journal “Cultic Studies Review,” religions to be wary of emphasize the charisma of the leader, rather than focus on the practical and spiritual gifts each church member contributes.

Whitworth administrators are right to educate its students about the church’s houses now in the neighborhood, though it would be hard to miss them. One former member heard that between 50 and 60 church members will move into Spokane.

Whitworth administrators are also right to be concerned that college-age people are vulnerable. This is the age young people are in transition from teen to adult, often unsure of themselves emotionally and spiritually.

Ultimately, most cult-like religions self-destruct. The charismatic leader dies or gets arrested and or falls apart emotionally, taking down the entire church structure. Or members follow their beliefs to an absurd degree, thereby ending the group. In 1997, for example, 39 Heaven’s Gate followers killed themselves, believing that a spaceship tucked behind the Comet Hale-Bopp would spirit them away to heaven.

The First Amendment provides the freedom to pursue any denomination of religion, but it does not provide the caveat that people should be cautious when choosing those denominations.

The best defense against accepting a belief system that is potentially destructive is to learn critical-thinking skills, which, fortunately, is the mandate at Whitworth and all Inland Northwest institutions of higher learning.