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127-699: The Silver Sisterhood was a new religious movement that was active in Burtonport , County Donegal , Ireland from 1982 to 1992. The group has also been referred to as the Rhennish Community and St. Bride's . English writer Miss Martindale was a prominent member. The community is known for creating early text adventure video games such as The Snow Queen and Jack the Ripper . The Silver Sisterhood came to Burtonport from Yorkshire in September 1982 and occupied

254-406: A forensic psychologist noted for his writings on the brainwashing controversy, has defended NRMs, and in 1988 argued that involvement in such movements may often be beneficial: "There's a large research literature published in mainstream journals on the mental health effects of new religions. For the most part, the effects seem to be positive in any way that's measurable." Those who convert to

381-511: A 1988 appearance on The Late Late Show , the two leaders of St. Bride's said that they adopted Victorian dress because they liked it and it was their way of being creative. To raise money, St. Bride's also sold handmade costumes and jewellery and published books and magazines. One business venture they are well known for is creating eight text adventure video games. Although television was shunned, computer games were liked as they involved "concentration and commitment". The Secret of St. Bride's ,

508-488: A Canadian TV station. He proposed it to Gay Byrne , who became the show's first presenter. The first episode aired on Friday 6 July 1962 at 23:20. Byrne was then a young Irish broadcaster working with Granada Television in Britain; while there he had become the first person to introduce The Beatles on television on People and Places . Originally intended as light summer "filler", The Late Late Show soon developed into

635-525: A March 1966 episode of The Late Late Show a debate was held on the Roman Catholic Church . Brian Trevaskis, a young student and President of The Phil Society of Trinity College , making his first television appearance, criticised the Bishop of Galway , Michael Browne , for spending so much on a cathedral instead of helping the poor. Trevaskis described the building as a "monstrosity" and referred to

762-551: A Millionaire? ; as of September 2009, Byrne's 37 years remains the longest period through which any individual has hosted a televised talk show. In the late 1960s, with the launch of BBC2 , Byrne moved back to the United Kingdom, where his career had started. Frank Hall presented The Late Late Show in Byrne's absence. However, after one year, Byrne returned to RTÉ to present his old show, supplemented by his own radio show . Few of

889-472: A NRM can pose a number of difficulties. It may result in their having to abandon a daily framework that they had previously adhered to. It may also generate mixed emotions as ex-members lose the feelings of absolute certainty, which they may have held while in the group. Three basic questions have been paramount in orienting theory and research on NRMs: what are the identifying markers of NRMs that distinguish them from other types of religious groups?; what are

1016-400: A NRM typically believe that in doing so they are gaining some benefit in their life. This can come in many forms, from an increasing sense of freedom to a release from drug dependency, and a feeling of self-respect and direction. Many of those who have left NRMs report that they have gained from their experience. There are various reasons as to why an individual would join and then remain part of

1143-448: A NRM, including both push and pull factors. According to Marc Galanter , professor of psychiatry at NYU, typical reasons why people join NRMs include a search for community and a spiritual quest. Sociologists Stark and Bainbridge , in discussing the process by which people join new religious groups, have questioned the utility of the concept of conversion , suggesting that affiliation is

1270-496: A crucial place in time and space. Some NRMs venerate unique scriptures , while others reinterpret existing texts, utilizing a range of older elements. They frequently claim that these are not new but rather forgotten truths that are being revived. NRM scriptures often incorporate modern scientific knowledge, sometimes with the claim that they are bringing unity to science and religion. Some NRMs believe that their scriptures are received through mediums . The Urantia Book ,

1397-543: A distinct phenomenon, the " Satanic Panic ". Consequently, scholars such as Eileen Barker, James T. Richardson , Timothy Miller and Catherine Wessinger argued that the term "cult" had become too laden with negative connotations, and "advocated dropping its use in academia". A number of alternatives to the term "new religious movement" are used by some scholars. These include "alternative religious movements" (Miller), "emergent religions" (Ellwood) and "marginal religious movements" (Harper and Le Beau). The 1960s and 1970s saw

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1524-610: A feature walk-on for guests". Kenny approved of the steps: "As you come down the steps, be it myself or a guest, you're slowly revealed: more and more of your body is revealed to the audience until finally you're standing in the 'doorway' as it were. I think it'll be interesting; a more dramatic entrance than we've had for the past three or four years." Irish company Design Classics Direct provided new chairs, made to an original 1929 design by Eileen Gray . On 27 March 2009, Kenny announced live on air without warning his intention to stand down. On 29 May 2009, an average share of 55 per cent of

1651-402: A feeble coal fire, and the mistress of the house greeted her guests wearing a long black dress and white lace collar". The prospectus offered courses in mathematics, elementary Latin, grammar, and literature. Traditional school artefacts such as desks, slates, uniforms, and canes were included in the setting. Two women, including Miss Martindale, ran the group in this phase. In 1990 Miss Martindale

1778-412: A financial interest in promoting the "brainwashing" explanation. Academic research, however, has demonstrated that these brainwashing techniques "simply do not exist". Many members of NRMs leave these groups of their own free will. Some of those who do so retain friends within the movement. Some of those who leave a religious community are unhappy with the time that they spent as part of it. Leaving

1905-414: A forum for contentious opinion and debate, involving topics such as divorce , contraception and a number of areas hitherto unspoken. Much of the populace, especially in the south and west of Ireland, had no previous experience of television, and many were unprepared for The Late Late Show bringing such discussion into their homes (large swathes of Ireland were rural and devoutly Roman Catholic ). Indeed,

2032-448: A guitar. After two months of speculation, Ryan Tubridy emerged as Kenny's successor. Original host Gay Byrne gave Tubridy his blessing: "He has all the qualities required, the light deft touch together with a serious mind. I think it's a great adventure that he's setting off on". Other personalities tipped for the role had included Gerry Ryan and Miriam O'Callaghan . O'Callaghan, whom some media commentators considered favourite for

2159-629: A large house that had previously been the home of the Atlantis commune (often referred to as the Screamers ). They christened the house An Droichead Beo , meaning The Bridge of Life . There were initially seven members. The Sisterhood believed in a feminine Supreme Deity. They worshipped God as the Mother and claimed that everything they did centred around the worship of Her. Music and chanting had great importance as acts of devotion. The musical instruments used by

2286-426: A little barrier between myself and the guest, but on the other hand it can be very useful for a formal interview where you don't want to be too intimate with your guest if it's a little bit antagonistic, whereas in the past I was always reclining and even if I had to be a bit aggressive with a guest the body language was a little bit confusing in that regard. So we'll see." In an apparent effort to resolve such problems,

2413-505: A matriarchal golden age. Men could become members. One man was part of the original group that came to Burtonport in 1982. However, he had left by July 1983. In an interview for RTÉ , a member expressed hope that men would come to live in the community long-term but acknowledged that it was difficult to attract them. The community was also hierarchical in nature. Equality was claimed to be a patriarchal concept that stopped people from working together. In an interview for WomanSpirit magazine,

2540-460: A more useful concept. A popular explanation for why people join new religious movements is that they have been "brainwashed" or subject to "mind control" by the NRM itself. This explanation provides a rationale for "deprogramming", a process in which members of NRMs are illegally kidnapped by individuals who then attempt to convince them to reject their beliefs. Professional deprogrammers, therefore, have

2667-596: A mystical otherland. A departure from St. Bride's earlier light-hearted adventures, Jack the Ripper was the first video game to receive an "18" rating, mainly on the basis of illustrations supplied by the publisher, CRL . The examiner described the script as "more fairy tale than macabre horror". The final three games were more traditional fantasies and were released in 1991 by GI Games. The group left Burtonport in 1992, relocating to Oxford and then Whipps Cross in London . Far-right and antisemitic publications were found in

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2794-763: A normal edition of The Late Late Show at the time). Tributes flooded in from all quarters for the host. High-profile guests on this final show included author Salman Rushdie and comedian Billy Connolly . The then Irish President Mary McAleese told Byrne: You're bearing up well, but people out there are crying tonight, they're very sad. You've entertained us, you've educated us, you've exasperated us. What more could anyone ask over 37 years? There were also glowing tributes for Byrne from then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern , RTÉ broadcasters Des Cahill , Larry Gogan , Mike Murphy , Marian Finucane , American counterpart Merv Griffin , former Taoiseach Charles Haughey and various other celebrities. There were musical performances on

2921-539: A notable interview with former British prime minister Tony Blair . The live interview occurred the night before a book signing at Eason's which attracted international attention when Blair was pelted with shoes and eggs and successfully evaded an attempted citizen's arrest on charges of war crimes . On 1 February 2013, Pat Kenny returned to host that night's edition when Tubridy's father died. In 2015, Tubridy's tone and choice of questions when interviewing Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy in relation to

3048-532: A paint finish that take the light." A desk also reappeared, as initially continued after Byrne's departure but disposed of shortly afterwards despite a final-attempt redesign in 2000. Kenny noted: "After eight seasons of sitting around, lounging around, as if in a living room, we decided just for a change that we'd put the desk in and see what difference it made. We'll work with it: I mean if it doesn't work after five or six weeks, it goes – if it does work, well we'll find ways of using it effectively. I mean it does put

3175-494: A pejorative manner, to refer to Spiritualism and Christian Science during the 1890s. As commonly used, for instance in sensationalist tabloid articles, the term "cult" continues to have pejorative associations. The term "new religions" is a calque of shinshūkyō ( 新宗教 ) , a Japanese term developed to describe the proliferation of Japanese new religions in the years following the Second World War. From Japan this term

3302-471: A relative of theirs joins a new religion. Although children break away from their parents for all manner of reasons, in cases where NRMs are involved, it is often the latter that are blamed for the break. Some anti-cultist groups emphasise the idea that "cults" use deceit and trickery to recruit members. The anti-cult movement adopted the term brainwashing, which had been developed by the journalist Edward Hunter and then used by Robert J. Lifton to apply to

3429-419: A result, they are "not inherently different" from mainstream and established religious movements, with the differences between the two having been greatly exaggerated by the media and popular perceptions. Melton has stated that those NRMs that "were offshoots of older religious groups... tended to resemble their parent groups far more than they resembled each other." One question that faces scholars of religion

3556-496: A significant moment in its history. Over the months and years following its leader's death, the movement can die out, fragment into multiple groups, consolidate its position, or change its nature to become something quite different from what its founder intended. In some cases, a NRM moves closer to the religious mainstream after the death of its founder. A number of founders of new religions established plans for succession to prevent confusion after their deaths. Mary Baker Eddy ,

3683-528: A society's established traditional religions. Generally, Christian denominations are not seen as new religious movements; nevertheless, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, and the Shakers have been studied as NRMs. The same situation with Jewish religious movements , when Reform Judaism and newer divisions have been named among NRM. There are also problems in

3810-614: A strong recruitment drive to survive. The Shakers established orphanages, hoping that the children would become members of their community. Violent incidents involving NRMs are very rare. In events having a large number of casualties, the new religion was led by a charismatic leader. Beginning in 1978, the deaths of 913 members of the Peoples Temple in Jonestown , Guyana, by both murder and suicide brought an image of "killer cults" to public attention. Several subsequent events contributed to

3937-604: A time travel adventure set in the school itself, was the first game they created, followed by The Snow Queen based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, The Very Big Cave Adventure , a parody of Colossal Cave Adventure that also includes sequences parodying Alice in Wonderland and Batman, Bugsy , set in Prohibition Chicago and starring a gangster rabbit, and Jack the Ripper , set in 1888 London and

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4064-519: A younger average membership than mainstream religious congregations. Some NRMs have been formed by groups who have split from a pre-existing religious group. As these members grow older, many have children who are then brought up within the NRM. In the Third World , NRMs most often appeal to the poor and oppressed sectors of society. Within Western countries, they are more likely to appeal to members of

4191-405: Is the longest-running live talk show. Perceived as the official flagship television programme of RTÉ , it is regarded as an Irish television institution, and is broadcast live across normally two hours in front of a studio audience on Friday nights at 9:30 pm between September and May. Certain segments are sometimes pre-recorded and aired within the live parts of the show. Having maintained

4318-425: Is unified by its topic of interest rather than by its methodology , and is therefore interdisciplinary in nature. A sizeable body of scholarly literature on new religions has been published, most of it produced by social scientists . Among the disciplines that NRS utilises are anthropology, history, psychology, religious studies, and sociology. Of these approaches, sociology played a particularly prominent role in

4445-597: Is used in reference to devotion or dedication to a particular person or place. For instance, within the Roman Catholic Church, devotion to Mary, mother of Jesus may be termed the " Cult of Mary ". It is also used in non-religious contexts to refer to fandoms devoted to television shows like The Prisoner , The X-Files , and Buffy the Vampire Slayer . In the United States, people began to use "cult" in

4572-639: Is when a new religious movement ceases to be "new". As noted by Barker, "In the first century, Christianity was new, in the seventh century Islam was new, in the eighteenth century Methodism was new, in the nineteenth century the Seventh-day Adventists, Christadelphians, and Jehovah's Witnesses were new; in the twenty-first century the Unification Church, the ISKCON, and Scientology are beginning to look old." The Roman Catholic Church has observed that

4699-498: The Sunday Independent and The Irish Times called for the show be dropped as its success was linked too intricately with Byrne to work with anyone else. RTÉ, however, retained the show, justifying the decision as it being a powerful brand that attracted extensive advertising revenue. Contemporary media reports speculated that Patrick Kielty , Marian Finucane , Gerry Ryan and Gerry Kelly would take over. However, RTÉ gave

4826-748: The Christian Reformed Church in North America , was especially influential. In the US, the Christian Research Institute was founded in 1960 by Walter Ralston Martin to counter opposition to evangelical Christianity and has come to focus on criticisms of NRMs. Presently the Christian countercult movement opposes most NRMs because of theological differences. It is closely associated with evangelical Christianity . In his book The Kingdom of

4953-666: The Donghak Peasant Revolution in 1894. In 1889, Ahmadiyya , an Islamic branch, was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad . In 1891, the Unity Church , the first New Thought denomination, was founded in the United States. In 1893, the first Parliament of the World's Religions was held in Chicago. The conference included NRMs of the time such as spiritualism , Baháʼí Faith, and Christian Science . Henry Harris Jessup , who addressed

5080-545: The Holy Spirit Movement were killed as they approached gunfire because its leader, Alice Lakwena , told them that they would be protected from bullets by the oil of the shea tree . The history of the Latter Day Saint movement includes multiple cases of significant violence committed by or against Mormons . NRMs are typically founded and led by a charismatic leader. The death of any religion's founder represents

5207-463: The Irish Examiner later referred to it, Flynn "managed to get both feet into his mouth and talk at the same time". The flexibility of the show was augmented by Byrne's position not merely as the show's presenter but also as its producer for much of his period with the show. He intentionally reminded the viewer that the show was being broadcast live through his interaction with people working behind

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5334-490: The Shakers and more recent NRMs, inspired by Hindu traditions, see it as a lifelong commitment. Others, including the Unification Church, as a stage in spiritual development. In some Buddhist NRMs, celibacy is practiced mostly by older women who become nuns . Some people join NRMs and practice celibacy as a rite of passage in order to move beyond previous sexual problems or bad experiences. Groups that promote celibacy require

5461-485: The persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses , the persecution of Baháʼís , and the persecution of Falun Gong . There are also instances in which violence has been directed at new religions. In the United States the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, Joseph Smith, was killed by a lynch mob in 1844. In India there have been mob killings of members of the Ananda Marga group. Such violence can also be administered by

5588-590: The state religion of Japan, bringing about greater freedom of religion . In 1954, Scientology was founded in the United States, by L. Ron Hubbard . It can be considered a psychotherapy oriented religion and has been consistently controversial among new religious movements in the country. In 1954 the Unification Church by Sun Myung Moon was founded, in South Korea. In 1955, the Aetherius Society

5715-495: The "newness" of "new religious movements" raises problems, for it is "the very fact that NRMs are new that explains many of the key characteristics they display". George Chryssides favors "simple" definition; for him, NRM is an organization founded within the past 150 or so years, which cannot be easily classified within one of the world's main religious traditions. Scholars of religion Olav Hammer and Mikael Rothstein argued that "new religions are just young religions" and as

5842-473: The 1950s or the end of the Second World War in 1945 as the defining time, while others look as far back as the founding of the Latter Day Saint movement in 1830 and of Tenrikyo in 1838. New religions have sometimes faced opposition from established religious organisations and secular institutions. In Western nations, a secular anti-cult movement and a Christian countercult movement emerged during

5969-475: The 1960s editions of The Late Late Show are extant, as it was prohibitively expensive to use tape to record at this time. A minor furore erupted in 1966 when the Bishop of Clonfert condemned The Late Late Show as "immoral" and Gay Byrne as a promoter of "filth". The condemnation stemmed from a small item on the show in which Byrne was interviewing a number of couples to see how well they knew each other. Byrne asked

6096-481: The 1970s and 1980s to oppose emergent groups. A distinct field of new religion studies developed within the academic study of religion in the 1970s. There are several scholarly organisations and peer-reviewed journals devoted to the subject. Religious studies scholars contextualize the rise of NRMs in modernity as a product of, and answer to, modern processes of secularization, globalization, detraditionalization, fragmentation, reflexivity, and individualization. In 1830,

6223-469: The 1970s and 1980s, some NRMs as well as some non-religious groups came under opposition by the newly organized anti-cult movement, which mainly charged them with psychological abuse of their own members. It actively seeks to discourage people from joining new religions (which it refers to as "cults"). It also encourages members of these groups to leave them, and at times seeking to restrict their freedom of movement. Family members are often distressed when

6350-649: The American founder of Christian Science, spent fifteen years working on her book The Manual of the Mother Church , which laid out how the group should be run by her successors. The leadership of the Baháʼí Faith passed through a succession of individuals until 1963, when it was assumed by the Universal House of Justice , members of which are elected by the worldwide congregation. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ,

6477-714: The Chinese government, and by 1999 there were 70 million practitioners in China. But in July 1999, the government started to view the movement as a threat and began attempts to eradicate it . In the 21st century, many NRMs are using the Internet to give out information, recruit members, and sometimes to hold online meetings and rituals. That is sometimes referred to as cybersectarianism . Sabina Magliocco , professor of Anthropology and Folklore at California State University, Northridge, has discussed

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6604-736: The Cults (1965), Christian scholar Walter Ralston Martin examines a large number of new religious movements; included are major groups such as Christian Science, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, Armstrongism , Theosophy , the Baháʼí Faith, Unitarian Universalism , Scientology, the Unity Church, as well as minor groups including various New Age groups and those based on Eastern religions . The beliefs of other world religions such as Islam and Buddhism are also discussed. He covers each group's history and teachings, and contrasts them with those of mainstream Christianity. In

6731-452: The Fox couple from Terenure what colour nightdress Mrs Fox wore during her honeymoon. Mr Fox implied it was "transparent" and Mrs Fox said she had not worn any nightdress. This response was received with laughter by Byrne and the studio audience, with Mrs. Fox then suggesting that her nightdress had been white from the options offered. However, the Bishop either misheard or ignored this, feeling

6858-557: The Latter Day Saint movement was founded by Joseph Smith . It is one of the largest new religious movements, with over 16 million members in 2019. In Japan, 1838 marks the beginning of Tenrikyo . In 1844, Bábism was established in Iran, from which the Baháʼí Faith was founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 1863. In 1860, Donghak , later Cheondoism , was founded by Choi Jae-Woo in Korea. It later ignited

6985-628: The atheist Church of Satan . In 1967, the Beatles visit to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India brought public attention to the Transcendental Meditation movement . In the late 1980s and 1990s, the decline of communism and the revolutions of 1989 opened up new opportunities for NRMs. Falun Gong was first taught publicly in Northeast China in 1992 by Li Hongzhi . At first, it was accepted by

7112-509: The audience" were dropped. The latter of these phrases has since been revived under Kenny's successor but was not much in use when Kenny was at the helm. As the 24 November 2006 edition of the show was getting underway, an intruder, Paul Stokes from Monkstown, County Dublin , emerged from off screen to confront a visibly startled Pat Kenny, who was had just greeted three guests, You're a Star judges Thomas Black , Linda Martin , and Brendan O'Connor . Stokes approached Kenny, with his back to

7239-566: The average industrial wage was £15,380. Flynn also made remarks concerning Gilmartin, a Luton -based Irish developer and investor. In response to Byrne's question that Flynn knew Gilmartin, Flynn answered, "Oh yes, yes. I haven't seen him now for some years. I met him. He's a Sligo man who went to England, made a lot of money, came back, wanted to do a lot of business in Ireland, didn't work out for him, didn't work out for him. He's not well. His wife isn't well. He's out of sorts." Flynn seemed to attack

7366-565: The bishop as a " moron ". He was invited back on the show the following week, 6 April, to expand on his opinions. The student referred to the fiftieth anniversary of the Easter Rising , a pivotal moment in Irish history, when he expressed his concern over the devotion of money to building churches in a society where women who were impregnated outside marriage were considered outcasts and as such were vulnerable members of society. Trevaskis claimed Ireland

7493-481: The boy's mother (meaning herself) was "not so bad either", drawing applause from the studio audience. Casey spent most of his time following the scandal outside Ireland in an effort to avoid media attention, but eventually returned in 2006. More than twenty years later, the Irish Examiner named this one of its "Top 10 moments of Irish television". In 1999, Pádraig Flynn , Ireland's EU Commissioner , appeared on

7620-525: The camera, crouched down closer to Kenny and accused Kenny of being a "censor" and described him and his predecessor, Gay Byrne, as "insufferable arseholes". The incident was broadcast live and uncensored before the studio audience. Kenny repeatedly uttered "thank you, thank you". The show cut to a premature commercial break while Stokes was removed from the studio. When the show returned to television screens, Kenny apologised to viewers for what he described as "that rude interruption" and began his interview. Stokes

7747-538: The campaign against the implementation of a water tax was much criticised. Opponents of the water tax praised Murphy on social media for what was said to have been his "restraint" during the interview. Julien Mercille, the academic and writer of The Political Economy and Media Coverage of the European Economic Crisis: The Case of Ireland , observed that "Tubridy was pretty good from the standpoint of protecting government interests. [...] He asked all

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7874-767: The concept. In 1994, members of the Order of the Solar Temple committed suicide in Canada and Switzerland. In 1997, 39 members of the Heaven's Gate group committed suicide in the belief that their spirits would leave the Earth and join a passing comet. There have also been cases in which members of NRMs have been killed after they engaged in dangerous actions due to mistaken belief in their own invincibility. For example, in Uganda, several hundred members of

8001-506: The core scripture of the Urantia Movement, was published in 1955 and is said to be the product of a continuous process of revelation from "celestial beings" which began in 1911. Some NRMs, particularly those that are forms of occultism , have a prescribed system of courses and grades through which members can progress. Some NRMs promote celibacy , the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both. Some, including

8128-578: The credibility of Gilmartin at a time when he was making allegations in the media of planning irregularities in Dublin. Gilmartin responded by publicising details of Flynn's failed attempts to get Gilmartin to change his evidence. This led to Flynn's career being effectively ended because the government would not endorse him for reappointment to the European Commission after its mass resignation that year. This "vanity platform" on The Late Late Show saw, as

8255-425: The development of the field, resulting in it being initially confined largely to a narrow array of sociological questions. This came to change in later scholarship, which began to apply theories and methods initially developed for examining more mainstream religions to the study of new ones. Most research has been directed toward those new religions that attract public controversy. Less controversial NRMs tend to be

8382-422: The difference between these groups and established or mainstream religious movements while at the same time evading the problem posed by groups that are not particularly new. The 1970s was the era of the so-called "cult wars", led by "cult-watching groups". The efforts of the anti-cult movement condensed a moral panic around the concept of cults. Public fears around Satanism , in particular, came to be known as

8509-412: The different types of NRMs and how do these different types relate to the established institutional order of the host society?; and what are the most important ways that NRMs respond to the sociocultural dislocation that leads to their formation? — Sociologist of religion David G. Bromley The academic study of new religious movements is known as 'new religions studies' (NRS). The study draws from

8636-458: The disciplines of anthropology , psychiatry , history , psychology , sociology , religious studies , and theology . Barker noted that there are five sources of information on NRMs: the information provided by such groups themselves, that provided by ex-members as well as the friends and relatives of members, organisations that collect information on NRMs, the mainstream media, and academics studying such phenomena. The study of new religions

8763-502: The dominant faith in any country, many of the concepts they first introduced (often referred to as " New Age " ideas) have become part of worldwide mainstream culture. Eileen Barker has argued that NRMs should not be "lumped together," as they differ from one another on many issues. Virtually no generalisation can be made about NRMs that applies to every group, with David V. Barrett noting that "generalizations tend not to be very helpful" when studying NRMs. J. Gordon Melton expressed

8890-732: The emergence of a number of highly visible new religious movements... [These] seemed so outlandish that many people saw them as evil cults, fraudulent organizations or scams that recruited unaware people by means of mind-control techniques. Real or serious religions, it was felt, should appear in recognizable institutionalized forms, be suitably ancient, and – above all – advocate relatively familiar theological notions and modes of conduct. Most new religions failed to comply with such standards. — Religious studies scholars Olav Hammer and Mikael Rothstein There has been opposition to NRMs throughout their history. Some historical events have been: Anti-Mormonism ,

9017-524: The experience of attending a Victorian boarding school. The school was advertised in various publications including the Observer , the Sunday Times , Girl About Town, and the theatre programme of the play Daisy Pulls It Off . Daily Telegraph writer Candida Crewe likened the house to a Gothic novel where "a single candle flickered behind a lace curtain, guests were invited into a parlour heated only by

9144-601: The extra running time with the floor staff and production team as an "aside" during an interview. The effect of all these mannerisms was said to add to the sense of realism in the show, that, as the theme music at the end of the show stated: "It started on The Late Late Show ." This was a clip of the Nat King Cole song "The Late Late Show", which appeared on his 1959 album Big Band Cole . On 21 May 1999, Byrne presented his last edition of The Late Late Show . The show, beginning at 21:30, lasted four hours (twice as long as

9271-585: The film The Devil Wears Prada . Guests on this first show included Brian Cowen , Saoirse Ronan , Brian McFadden , Joan Collins , Cherie Blair , and Niall Quinn . With an overall audience share of 62 per cent, it was the most watched — outside the annual Late Late Toy Show — since Gay Byrne's retirement in May 1999. This promising start would not last, however; audience ratings had declined by Tubridy's sixth season. Another notable occurrence in Tubridy's first season

9398-534: The first — a series of interviews of celebrity guests, most of whom could be defined as Irish or British and involved in the entertainment industry; the second — a defined topic involving live discussion from a panel and studio audience. The latter tended to be far the weightier in content, as people who were directly connected with the defined topic sat in the audience. Byrne would remain host for 37 years, retiring in 1999. He came out of retirement to present such programmes as The Meaning of Life and Who Wants to Be

9525-593: The founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness , appointed 11 "Western Gurus" to act as initiating gurus and to continue to direct the organisation. However, according to British scholar of religion Gavin Flood , "many problems followed from their appointment and the movement has since veered away from investing absolute authority in a few, fallible, human teachers." NRMs typically consist largely of first-generation believers, and thus often have

9652-412: The group were all handmade by the group. They stressed a great emphasis on craft as a path to the sacred. There was also an emphasis on self-sufficiency and the members grew food to feed themselves and sell. Members fasted on Fridays by skipping breakfast and lunch. They operated a tearoom in the house which served the town. No electricity or modern appliances were used by the group initially and plastic

9779-429: The group. New religious movement There is no single, agreed-upon criterion for defining a "new religious movement". Debate continues as to how the term "new" should be interpreted in this context. One perspective is that it should designate a religion that is more recent in its origins than large, well-established religions like Hinduism , Judaism , Buddhism , Christianity , and Islam . Some scholars view

9906-556: The growing popularity of new religious movements on the Internet. In 2006 J. Gordon Melton , executive director of the Institute for the Study of American Religions at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told The New York Times that 40 to 45 new religious movements emerge each year in the United States. In 2007, religious scholar Elijah Siegler said that, though no NRM had become

10033-458: The growth of sects and new religious movements is one of the "most noticeable" and "highly complex" developments in recent years, and in relation to the ecumenical movement , their "desire for peaceful relations with the Catholic Church may be weak or non-existent". Some NRMs are strongly counter-cultural and 'alternative' in the society where they appear, while others are far more similar to

10160-416: The horizontal lines and boxes that you see running throughout the set. [...] The back wall of the [chat area] has textured panels which just take the light beautifully and give a great three-dimensional effect. Then the polycarbonate boxes sit in front of that. The fins – the large timber sections – to the left of the chat area are replicated in the entertainment area as well, and are large pieces of timber with

10287-632: The house after they left. This included a two-year correspondence with John Tyndall , then leader of the British National Party , who expressed his admiration for what the St. Bride's group were doing. One former member denied in an interview with The Daily Telegraph that they had far-right leanings. Members of the community used numerous different pseudonyms throughout their time in Burtonport and afterwards, which created confusion among those writing about

10414-477: The initial incident, the man rammed his vehicle into the front entrance of RTÉ's Donnybrook facility; no-one was injured. He was also reported to have stood outside Kenny's house shouting insults and to have painted threatening messages on walls near the house, although a charge of harassment connected with the case was dropped. The man was later sentenced to two years in prison for ramming the RTÉ entrance. RTÉ launched

10541-477: The internet or guests come into the studio and were interviewed by Tubridy whilst maintaining social distance . The first edition of the show without an audience aired on 13 March 2020, and lasted until May 2021. Studio audiences returned on 3 September 2021, initially sitting spaced out at tables in order to maintain social distancing. In May 2022, the mask mandate for audience members was lifted. On 16 March 2023, Tubridy announced that he would be stepping down as

10668-403: The job, claimed she had turned down an offer, so as to keep her Prime Time slot and spend time with her eight children. Tubridy presented his first programme on 4 September 2009 with a custom picked staff, a new set and house band. He emerged from behind a red curtain and walked to a wooden desk, at which he sat in the same €3,000-plus Irish designed chair as the actress Meryl Streep in

10795-798: The largest modern African initiated churches , was founded by Isaiah Shembe in South Africa. The early 20th century also saw a rise in interest in Asatru . The 1930s saw the rise of the Nation of Islam and the Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States; the rise of the Rastafari movement in Jamaica; the rise of Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo in Vietnam; the rise of Soka Gakkai in Japan; and

10922-560: The last revamp while Kenny was the host on Friday 7 September 2007, introducing a new set but retaining the title sequence in use since 2003. Designed by Darragh Treacy of RTÉ Production Design, that set consisted of metal, timber and polycarbonate , with carpet as a floor covering; it made for a more complex and layered background than the previous arrangement and was heavily dependent on saturated lighting and modern construction materials. According to Treacy: "I wanted something contemporary that would be architectural and structural, [for example]

11049-572: The meeting, was the first to mention the Baháʼí Faith in the United States. Also attending were Soyen Shaku , the "First American Ancestor" of Zen , the Theravāda Buddhist preacher Anagarika Dharmapala , and the Jain preacher Virchand Gandhi . This conference gave Asian religious teachers their first wide American audience. In 1911, the Nazareth Baptist Church , the first and one of

11176-461: The methods employed by Chinese to convert captured US soldiers to their cause in the Korean War . Lifton himself had doubts about the applicability of his brainwashing hypothesis to the techniques used by NRMs to convert recruits. A number of ex-members of various new religions have made false allegations about their experiences in such groups. For instance, in the late 1980s a man in Dublin, Ireland,

11303-617: The middle and upper-middle classes, with Barrett stating that new religions in the UK and US largely attract "white, middle-class late teens and twenties". There are exceptions, such as the Rastafari movement and the Nation of Islam, which have primarily attracted Black members. A popular conception, unsupported by evidence, holds that those who convert to new religions are either mentally ill or become so through their involvement with them. Dick Anthony ,

11430-506: The more spacious Studio 4, adapted specifically to cater for this and Kenny Live . Three external broadcasts have aired, including from the Wexford Opera House on 5 September 2008 and, most recently, from London in 2018. Gay Byrne hosted the show from its inception until 21 May 1999. Pat Kenny was Byrne's successor, hosting the show for ten years between 1999 and 2009. Ryan Tubridy succeeded Kenny in September 2009 and hosted

11557-460: The need to protest against this "filthy" programme and the "filth" which was being televised into the nation's homes. The Bishop of Clonfert sent a telegram: "Disgusted with disgraceful performance", prompting a swift RTÉ apology which the Irish Examiner states was similar to the apology the same broadcaster issued during the Brian Cowen nude portraits controversy in 2009. Meath VEC said it

11684-483: The new desk had more of a table design with a transparent underside, was angled to be narrower at the guest end, and was composed of thin elegant profiles of timber and glass. A new entrance flight of steps was also introduced, somewhat redolent of former Kenny Live sets. Treacy again: "I wanted a grand entrance, but I also wanted an entrance that was part of the background of the set, so they arrive down and join Pat – and it's

11811-613: The night from Andrea Corr , John Sheahan , Moya Brennan , Steve Wickham , Sharon Shannon and Cian Ducrot . U2 member Bono presented Tubridy with a red Vespa scooter. In May 2023, after much speculation, Patrick Kielty was confirmed as Tubridy's replacement, becoming the show's fourth permanent presenter. On 17 August 2023, it was announced that the running time for each episode of The Late Late Show would be reduced from approximately two hours to 90 minutes, although each episode would still be split into four parts, with three commercial breaks. The Toy Show , however, retained

11938-583: The night from The Corrs , Christy Moore , Sarah Brightman and Rosaleen Linehan . U2 members Bono and Larry Mullen presented Byrne with a Harley-Davidson motorcycle as a retirement present. Byrne was spotted on the bike regularly, until January 2003 when Byrne and U2 jointly auctioned the bike for The Children's Medical & Research Foundation at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin , Dublin. When Byrne left, The Late Late Show dominated RTÉ's ratings viewership figures, coming in consistently either at number 1 or number 2. Some columnists writing in

12065-553: The pejorative undertones of terms like " cult " and " sect ". These are words that have been used in different ways by different groups. For instance, from the nineteenth century onward a number of sociologists used the terms "cult" and "sect" in very specific ways. The sociologist Ernst Troeltsch for instance differentiated "churches" from "sect" by claiming that the former term should apply to groups that stretch across social strata while "sects" typically contain converts from socially disadvantaged sectors of society. The term "cult"

12192-486: The politician Oliver J. Flanagan , whilst guesting on the show, proclaimed there to have been "no sex in Ireland until Teilifís Éireann went on the air", reflecting this greater indiscretion. Archbishop of Dublin , John Charles McQuaid , was confronted by a guest in the show's first series — a sensational and unprecedented event. Many more such events would follow, each contributing to the folklore and mythical qualities of The Late Late Show . Two common formats were used:

12319-504: The populace towards approval or disapproval of its chosen topics, directed social change and helped shape Irish societal norms. It averages 650,000 viewers per episode and has consistently achieved RTÉ's highest ratings. For much of its early life, RTÉ Television Centre 's Studio 1 at Montrose in Donnybrook , Dublin 4 , was its home; this original studio accommodated a small audience of about 120. In 1995, The Late Late Show transferred to

12446-455: The presenter of The Late Late Show after 14 years. On 26 May 2023, Tubridy presented his last edition of The Late Late Show . Messages of congratulations poured in from Saoirse Ronan , Jessie Buckley , Paul McCartney , Russell Crowe and various other celebrities. High-profile guests on this final show included Irish President Michael D. Higgins , comedian PJ Gallagher , Jedward and Charlie Bird . There were musical performances on

12573-454: The right questions to try to discredit the water charges protests and Paul Murphy". In 2011, Tubridy announced that he hoped his time as host would be closer to Kenny's ten years than Byrne's 37, stating that Kenny made the "right tenure" as host. He hosted 14 seasons in total. In March 2020, Tubridy and his production team were forced to produce the show without their usual live studio audience of around 200 who would come each week to watch

12700-527: The rise of Zailiism and Yiguandao in China. In the 1940s, Gerald Gardner began to outline the modern pagan religion of Wicca . New religious movements expanded in many nations in the 1950s and 1960s at the height of the counterculture movements . Japanese new religions became very popular after the Shinto Directive (1945) forced the Japanese government to separate itself from Shinto , which had been

12827-469: The same name and format continuously, The Late Late Show was first broadcast on Friday 6 July 1962 at 11:20 pm and in colour from 1976. Originating as temporary summer filler for a niche Saturday night audience (airing at 11:30 pm), it later moved to its current home on Friday night schedules. The format has remained largely the same throughout, featuring interviews, musical performances and discourse on topical issues. It has influenced attitudes of

12954-476: The scenes. Cameras were visible, and if an audience member was invited to speak, the boom microphone could be seen swinging overhead. Some of Byrne's phrases became well known; when instructing that a piece of videotape be played, he invariably announced "you can roll it there, Colette/Roisín", chat to the floor manager, inquiring as to what telephone line a caller was ringing in on, and on some shows would extend its running time by fifteen or thirty minutes, discussing

13081-466: The show air live from RTÉ's Studio 4. The COVID-19 pandemic caused all large gatherings of people to be banned, and so RTÉ and the Late Late Show production team decided the talk show would continue to air live every Friday night for the remainder of the season, except there would be no studio audience. The show continued to air live during the pandemic, with special guests either being interviewed via

13208-461: The show for fourteen years. Under Tubridy, first Quinn Group and then Sky Broadband added sponsorship deals. Tubridy's arrival coincided with a marked increase in audience ratings, with some early statistics comparing him to the Byrne era. Patrick Kielty is the current presenter, having succeeded Tubridy in September 2023. The idea for the show was developed by RTÉ producer Tom McGrath , after he had seen The Tonight Show while working for

13335-510: The show to Pat Kenny , who for nearly a decade had presented his own Kenny Live show in the Saturday night time slot. Even after seven years at the helm of that show Kenny was often criticised in the media for his presentation style. Kenny and his staff changed many aspects of The Late Late Show . Its distinctive title music was changed, as was the set design and studio layout. Guests, instead of remaining on, were involved only in that part of

13462-424: The show when the focus was them. A new set abandoned the traditional presenter's desk. Unlike Byrne, Kenny ensured his guests were announced in advance. Other than the title, the use of an owl as the show's symbol and the traditional edition marketing toys to children and their parents , little of the original remained the same. Byrne's two catchphrases, "It started on The Late Late Show ", and "one for everyone in

13589-474: The show, during which he commented on Tom Gilmartin and a donation of £50,000 to the Fianna Fáil party. Flynn also talked about "the difficulties" in his own life; he talked of having a salary of £100,000 ( Irish Punt ) and trying to run three houses, cars and housekeepers along with regular travel. The performance was seen as very out of touch, at a time when house prices in Ireland were rising dramatically, and

13716-675: The show. In 1972, Byrne became unexpectedly and seriously ill. Frequent panellist Ted Bonner presented in his absence. After 500 episodes of the programme in 1979, This Is Your Life host Eamonn Andrews appeared to Byrne's surprise (he had been expecting American star Dana Andrews ). Andrews took over and quizzed Byrne on his seventeen years with the programme. On another occasion, radio broadcaster and former newsreader Andy O'Mahony replaced Byrne for an interview with journalist Deirdre Purcell, who had ghostwritten Byrne's autobiography. After Kenny's mother suddenly died in October 2008, Gerry Ryan

13843-637: The state. In Iran, followers of the Baháʼí Faith have faced persecution, while the Ahmadiyya have faced similar violence in Pakistan. Since 1999, the persecution of Falun Gong in China has been severe. Ethan Gutmann interviewed over 100 witnesses and estimated that 65,000 Falun Gong practitioners were killed for their organs from 2000 to 2008. In the 1930s, Christian critics of NRMs began referring to them as "cults". The 1938 book The Chaos of Cults by Jan Karel van Baalen (1890–1968), an ordained minister in

13970-492: The subject of less scholarly research. It has also been noted that scholars of new religions often avoid researching certain movements that scholars from other backgrounds study. The feminist spirituality movement is usually examined by scholars of women's studies , African-American new religions by scholars of Africana studies , and Native American new religions by scholars of Native American studies . J. Gordon Melton argued that "new religious movements" should be defined by

14097-419: The total TV audience tuned in to watch Kenny present his last edition of The Late Late Show as regular host (he returned for one night in 2013 when his successor was unavailable). An outdoor event was set up for the occasion on the RTÉ campus. At the end of the show, Joe Duffy presented Kenny with a cake in the shape of a "10", to mark his ten years of presenting. The Edge of U2 also gave Kenny glasses and

14224-420: The two-hour slot. The number of episodes per season was also reduced from approximately 36 to 30. Kielty's first show as host aired on Friday 15 September 2023. The Late Late Show has had four regular hosts: Gay Byrne , Pat Kenny , Ryan Tubridy and Patrick Kielty . Frank Hall deputised for Byrne for one season in the 1960s. There have been other rare occasions on which another presenter has hosted

14351-478: The use of "religion" within the term "new religious movements". This is because various groups, particularly active within the New Age milieu, have many traits in common with different NRMs but emphasise personal development and humanistic psychology , and are not clearly "religious" in nature. Since at least the early 2000s, most sociologists of religion have used the term "new religious movement" in order to avoid

14478-514: The view that there is "no single characteristic or set of characteristics" that all new religions share, "not even their newness." Bryan Wilson wrote, "Chief among the miss-directed assertions has been the tendency to speak of new religious movements as if they differed very little, if at all, one from another. The tendency has been to lump them together and indiscriminately attribute all of the characteristics which are, in fact, valid for only one or two." NRMs themselves often claim that they exist at

14605-550: The view was expressed by one member that there are always leaders in a group whether acknowledged or not and that "some maids like to tell others what to do and some maids like to be told what to do". Later in the 1980s, members began to wear full Victorian era outfits on a regular basis and to style themselves as Romantics. In 1984, the house was re-christened as St. Bride's , after the 5th century Irish abbess and miracle worker (see: Brigid of Kildare ). Visitors to St. Bride's were offered various courses including peat cutting and

14732-451: The way dominant religious and secular forces within a given society treat them. According to him, NRMs constituted "those religious groups that have been found, from the perspective of the dominant religious community (and in the West that is almost always a form of Christianity), to be not just different, but unacceptably different." Barker cautioned against Melton's approach, arguing that negating

14859-561: Was "anti-national", whilst Loughrea Town Council described it as "a dirty programme that should be abolished altogether". The furore died down after a number of weeks, but is still remembered. When the topic featured on the 2008 documentary How the Irish Have Sex broadcast by rival channel TV3 , the Irish Independent ' s Damian Corless said Éamon de Valera "won't be turning on, but will instead be turning in his grave". On

14986-461: Was a well-known bishop with a national profile, and had been a guest on The Late Late Show on several occasions. In April 1993, Murphy appeared on The Late Late Show to speak about the affair and their child, Peter. Casey had supported their son financially, but had requested that this be kept quiet to protect his career. At the end of the interview Byrne said if the baby was "half the man his father was" he would be fine and Annie Murphy replied that

15113-481: Was announced as guest presenter for that week's show with less than 48 hours' notice. Kenny announced his decision to quit live on air in March 2009. On 11 May that year, RTÉ announced Ryan Tubridy as Kenny's successor. Kenny in turn replaced Tubridy on 1 February 2013 for one night only, due to the death of Tubridy's father. A woman has only presented the Late Late Show on three occasions. On 15 November 1980, towards

15240-402: Was arrested but later released. Today FM presenter Jenny Kelly reportedly went into labour whilst laughing as the incident unfolded on her television screen. She described her initial intention as having been to sit down for an evening of Kenny and to "bore the baby into arriving". It was later revealed that the intruder's daughter was a member of The Late Late Show crew. Shortly after

15367-459: Was convicted of assaulting one of her clients and was handed a £100 fine and a two-month suspended sentence. In line with their espoused Victorian values, anti-modern and elitist views were expressed by St. Bride's in the Victorian phase. Miss Martindale stated that "some people are meant to rule and others to serve". The group was involved in the anti- metric system campaign "Don't Give an Inch". In

15494-494: Was founded in England. It and some other NRMs have been called UFO religions because they combine the belief in extraterrestrial life with traditional religious principles. In 1965, Paul Twitchell founded Eckankar , an NRM derived partially from Sant Mat . In 1966, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was founded in the United States by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada , and Anton LaVey founded

15621-470: Was given a three-year suspended sentence for falsely claiming that he had been drugged, kidnapped, and held captive by members of ISKCON. The Late Late Show (Irish talk show) The Late Late Show , with its title often shortened to The Late Late , is an Irish chat show. It is the world's second longest-running late-night talk show , after the American The Tonight Show , and

15748-419: Was not a Christian country and when asked by the bishop if he knew the meaning of the word "moron", he replied that he was uncertain the bishop knew the meaning of the word "Christian". In 1992, Bishop Eamonn Casey resigned when it was revealed that he had broken his vow of celibacy having fathered a child with a young American divorcee named Annie Murphy in 1973 during his tenure as Bishop of Kerry. Casey

15875-402: Was shunned as a pollutant . Female members wore full-length dresses, covered their heads in public, and referred to themselves as 'maids'. The Rhennish community was matriarchal . The group claimed to be following a matriarchal structure that was the norm in western Europe in ancient times. Patriarchy was described as a recent and unusual development that would soon die out and be replaced by

16002-574: Was translated and used by several American authors, including Jacob Needleman , to describe the range of groups that appeared in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1960s. This term, amongst others, was adopted by Western scholars as an alternative to "cult". However, "new religious movements" has failed to gain widespread public usage in the manner that "cult" has. Other terms that have been employed for many NRMs are "alternative religion" and "alternative spirituality", something used to convey

16129-400: Was when the show aired on Good Friday for the first time in 15 years in 2010. Later the same month (April), the show's former hosts, Gay Byrne and Pat Kenny , alongside fellow RTÉ broadcasters Joe Duffy , Dave Fanning and Brenda Donohue, joined Tubridy to discuss the sudden death of one-time host and colleague Gerry Ryan on 30 April 2010. Tubridy's second season as host began with

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