THE HISTORY OF THE CULT AWARENESS NETWORK.

The Cult Awareness Network traces its beginnings to 1971 when a group of families in and around San Diego began gathering findings about a group called THE CHILDREN OF GOD. These families called their organization FREE THE CHILDREN OF GOD or FREE COG. When a national tv program referred to the group during a documentary on COG, they were besieged by inquires from parents and siblings of that and other groups, along with requests for information from teacher, clergy, and friends of those involved in groups the callers felt were unhealthy or destructive.

FREE COG did what CAN did later. It listened to those who called for information and stressed the importance of compiling accurate details and documentation about the practices of such groups.The public needed a place to turn for information on groups they suspected were totalitarian in nature, as well as abusive and sadistic toward members. The group began to compile facts about unethical practices such as intimidation and deception of both members and outsiders, as well as financial exploitation and money fraud.

By 1974, small organizations of families were meeting across the country to exchange information and to learn. Members often read extensively about religious movements and group dynamics. In the summer of 1974, representatives from these groups met in Denver to form a national consumer protection organization to educate the public about what they called SPIRITUAL FRAUD or DESTRUCTIVE CULTS. They proposed a program of prevention through consumer education that would expose the fraudulent aspects of these groups and make their recruiting difficult.

Their goals were to adopt guidelines and to incorporate as an educational organization and ultimately to open a national office to collect and distribute informattion. They agreed to confine their concerns to illegal and unethical activities.

Guidelines were established and a new name was adopted. THE CITIZENS FREEDOM FOUNDATION.

In 1980 a volunteer national director was appointed. For the first half of the eighties, the national office was supported by annual donations of around $50,000. In 1984, the national office received more than 5600 requests for information. In 1990, the national office received more than 15,000 requests for information and had an operating budget of about $260,000. In 1985, the national board of CFF voted to move to Chicago and change its name to the CULT AWARENESS NETWORK. (CAN) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "DANGER FEARED IS FOLLY:
DANGER FACED IS FREEDOM."

Dr. V. Raymond Edman ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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