Students opinion of new confessional movements (sects)

The present research deals with new confessional movements (sects). The paper discusses problematical terms, presents classification of NCM in Lithuania and shows their differential features. Later on, the relation of NCM and person is examined. That contains presenting causes of involving, methods of crimping / manipulation and its dangerous influence. One of the most important issues is supporting and helping those, who were involved into NCM. In that concern aspects of helping methods and the demand of information were introduced. The paper refers to works of Lithuanian and foreign sociologists and researchers of NCM (M. Weber, P. Berger, A. Giddens, A. Dvorkin, E. Barker, D. Glodenis, A. Peškaitis, A. Navickas). NCM (sects) can be regarded as a controversial and dangerous social phenomenon. That shows the importance of examining the level of the problems caused by it. The youth, as the most active part of the society was chosen for the present research. The aim of the paper is to indicate their opinion and to show their experience in different aspects of NCM. The research was made to see if the topic of NTC is relevant and problematic for youth, to find if young people are informed enough and to know if there are tolerant to different NCM (sects). The hypothesis was made that confession is important for youth and those, who had some relations with NCM will have negative impression. It was also assumed that the lack of information about NTC encourages young people to be interested in them. Actually the research showed that confession for youth is more a formal thing: they tend to be indifferent to participation in the life of confessional communities and for more than a half of all respondents going deeply into questions of other confession is not important. Although the same number of respondents emphasize the lack of information about NCM and the necessity of seminars or lectures on that topic. It was also discovered that more that a half of respondents had communicated with members of NCM and went to meeting themselves as well. Nevertheless, the impression of relations with NCM tends to be negative.Švietimo akademijaVytauto Didžiojo universiteta