Abstract
The United States of America are one of the rare states (and according to available data, the first one), which introduced specialised anti-cult regulations. This article is dedicated to the analysis of the general perspective of the origins and reasons for the introduction of such regulations in the USA, to their presentation and the analysis of their content, as well as identification of their key specific and general characteristics. First, the author analyses the influences and reasons which led to the introduction of mentioned legislation. The author points to the direct link between the phenomenon of Satanist moral panic and the anti-cult movement, on one side, and anti-cult legislation, on the other. Through an observation of legislation passed in federal states of Idaho, California and Illinois, he identifies their specific features, as well as general, common characteristics. It was ascertained that Idaho's legislation, which was passed first, served as a model for other adopted legal acts. Further on, it was concluded that the main negative characteristics of USAs anti-cult legislation are: the absence or lack of foundation for their adoption; the controversies in their practical application; the absence of expected social results; their arguable compatibility with legally guaranteed religious rights and freedoms; the creation of a perspective for legalisation of discrimination on religious grounds; and the possibility and justifiability of application of general legislation which does not have a specialised, i.e. anti-cult orientation.
Highlights
This article is dedicated to the analysis of the general perspective of the origins and reasons for the introduction of such regulations in the USA, to their presentation and the analysis of their content, as well as identification of their key specific and general characteristics
The author points to the direct link between the phenomenon of Satanist moral panic and the anti-cult movement, on one side, and anti-cult legislation, on the other
Through an observation of legislation passed in federal states of Idaho, California and Illinois, he identifies their specific features, as well as general, common characteristics
Summary
Apstrakt: U radu se analizira materija antikultnih propisa na prostoru Sjedinjenih Američkih Država. Umesto fokusiranja na primarni cilj zaštite sloboda i prava deteta, inkriminisanjem svakog protivpravnog ponašanja koje dovodi do zlostavljanja ove kategorije stanovništva, zakonodavac je navedenim stavom izneo stav koji sugeriše da se zlostavljanje dece ne čini jednako pravno i društveno neprihvatljivim ukoliko ono nije izvršeno kao deo određenog verskog rituala. Ova odrednica stoji u direktnoj suprotnosti sa ranijim navodom istog propisa, prema kome će se ritualnim zlostavljanjem deteta upravo smatrati, između ostalog, konzumiranje ili spoljna primena životinjskog mesa i krvi, ukoliko su ove radnje činjene „kao deo ceremonije, rituala ili kakvog sličnog ispoljavanja”. Zastupajući stanovište da je zločin ove vrste istovrstan, nezavisno od činjenice da li je počinjen kao deo ritualne prakse ili pod uticajem bilo kog drugog motiva, ukoliko je osoba osakaćena svesnim i namenskim činom drugog lica, nije održiv argument da je sakaćenje ritualnog karaktera okolnost koja zahteva uvođenje posebne inkriminacije. Budući da u ovom slučaju, po svemu sudeći, ne postoji namera zakonodavca da se ovakvi propisi primene na sve kategorije zločina povezanih sa ritualnom praksom verske prirode, ovakve inkriminacije pokazuju se ne samo kao neutemeljene već i kao suprotstavljene načelima očuvanja verskih i drugih sloboda i prava građana
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