DIALOGUE IRELAND

At a time of crisis for organized religion people don't stop being religious. Many who have lost (or never had) faith in the Christ turn to alternative organizations and movements in search of spiritual fulfilment and a sense of belonging. There are many New Religious Movements (NRMs) active in Ireland today, a number of which are described below. Space has been allotted on the basis of criteria such as size, degree of controversy and the level of commitment a movement demands of its members. It will be noted that while many groups are of Eastern origin, others are based on psychological theories. There is a multitude of New Age groups. Fortunately, Ireland to date does not seem to have any of the so-called 'doomsday' or 'suicide cults'. We do however, have controversial NRMs claiming biblical and Catholic backgrounds.