“But those who were poisoned in murder vans and gas chambers, those who were torn to shreds, those whose bodies were burned in the ovens of crematoria and whose ashes were strewn to the winds, appeal to the conscience of the world. Now we cannot yet name, or even number, many of the burial places where millions of innocent people were vilely murdered. But on the damp walls of the gas chambers, in the places of the shootings, in the forts of death, on the stones and casemates of the prisons, we can still read brief messages of the doomed, full of agony, caning for retribution. Let the living ones remember these voices of the victims of German fascist terror, who before dying appealed to the conscience of the world for justice and for retribution.”
— From a speech by the Assistant Chief Prosecutor from the USSR at the Nuremberg Trials, L.N. Smirnov, on the crimes committed by the accused against civilians. February 19, 1946 1.
Throughout history, there have been numerous instances of systematic persecution of specific groups of people leading to their complete annihilation. These tragic events do not occur spontaneously; they are the result of sophisticated strategies by anti-cult organizations aimed at destroying social harmony and inciting hatred. Such tactics are often employed to achieve broader political and social goals, including, as some suggest, the establishment of a Fourth Reich 2.
It is no secret that to this day, in their smear campaigns the media continues to employ methods initially used by Hitler and Goebbels during the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich. One of the most brutal, vile, and disingenuous methods used by the Nazis was the method of “marking with yellow stars.” This method not only serves as a tool for social manipulation but also marks a significant step toward the destruction of humanity and moral norms within society.
The Nazis were not the originators of these techniques; rather, they learnt them from those who trained these criminals, created an atmosphere of impunity, and taught them how to unleash their bloodthirsty hounds on peaceful people. Long before the Nazi era, methods of impact were developed that proved effective and have since become more sophisticated and less noticeable to the untrained eye. Unfortunately, modern anticultists have a vast, expanded, and refined arsenal of techniques borrowed from the creators of Nazi Germany.
The method of “marking with yellow stars” involves attaching negative labels to specific groups of people to dehumanize them and pave the way for their eventual genocide. This method is part of a strategy of political or social manipulation that inevitably leads to genocide. This method is used to create in society a hostile attitude towards a certain group, paving the way for discrimination, persecution and, ultimately, physical extermination. The process unfolds in three stages:
- creating intolerance toward a particular group through the use of negative images and labeling,
- dehumanization and social isolation, and
- persecution, imprisonment, and genocide.
The first stage involves attaching negative labels to a person or group of people by using easy-to-remember derogatory and emotionally charged words or expressions. The label functions as a fixed ideological and informational stereotype that triggers strong negative emotions, such as fear or hatred, and is accepted by the recipient’s mind automatically, bypassing objective analysis. This method allows conclusions to be made without the need for evidence, as the audience forms a sharply negative opinion without examining the facts on which that opinion should be based.
In some cases, the manipulator chooses a simple yet catching derogatory dysphemism, or term, that quickly spreads among the audience. In other cases, a previously neutral word or phrase takes on a sharply negative connotation under the manipulator’s influence. Once attached, the “label” completely nullifies any positive attributes of the discredited person, group, or organization in the eyes of the audience. Through constant repetition in the media, the term becomes ingrained in the public consciousness.
Examples and Mechanisms
The use of the “marking with yellow stars” method for labeling people has led to tragic consequences. The most horrifying example of this method is the “yellow star” that was used to brand the Jewish people — a measure introduced by the Nazi regime during World War II, which culminated in mass casualties and the Holocaust. Starting in September 1941, Nazi Germany mandated that Jews wear a yellow Star of David on their clothing. This practice was then extended to all occupied territories.
The yellow star marked Jews as “socially dead beings” and served to identify, humiliate, and isolate them, accelerating their deportation to ghettos and concentration camps, where many met horrific deaths.
Wearing the yellow star symbolized the public humiliation of the Jewish people, making them targets for social persecution and violence. It was part of the broader Nazi policy of genocide and anti-Semitism, which left a deep scar on history. Thus, the yellow star became a symbol of the bloodshed and horror of the Holocaust.
The method of “marking with yellow stars” is fundamentally different from the widespread propaganda tactic of labeling. It represents an extreme and radical measure that signifies cruelty, tyranny, and genocide. In the media, “marking with yellow stars” becomes a tool that gradually prepares society to accept genocide as a “necessary measure” for the protection and purification of society. This is a methodically controlled process that starts with labels and stereotypes and culminates in mass killings.
Before the Nazis began branding Jews with yellow stars, they deliberately turned the word “Jew” into a derogatory term through mass media publications, portraying them as subhuman. This process started with what seemed like a harmless defamation campaign, which then escalated into brutal persecution and the physical extermination of Jews.
Stages of Implementation
- Labeling, Intolerance, Creating a Negative Image
A derogatory label is attached to a group of people, and public intolerance toward that group is encouraged. Negative stereotypes, biases, and false accusations against the discredited targets are formed and perpetuated, often supported and amplified by the media.
Historical Example:
In Nazi Germany, Jews were singled out as a distinct and “dangerous” group. Through articles, cartoons, and films, they were portrayed as enemies of the people, financial swindlers, or spreaders of disease. Nazi newspapers, such as “Der Stürmer,” regularly published content accusing Jews of various crimes and vices, claiming that they posed a threat to society. Jews were often depicted as greedy, treacherous, untrustworthy, and even as child-eaters.
Modern Example:
The official Orthodox website of the Missionary Department of the Novosibirsk Diocese in Russia asserts that Jehovah’s Witnesses are dangerous to society: “The international religious organization ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’ is a totalitarian anti-Christian sect, whose teachings and practices are capable of causing harm to the adherent, their mental and physical health, and their family” 3.
In the context of anti-Islamic campaigns by anticultists, starting on March 22, 2024, in Oryol, Russia, after the terror attack at Crocus, Nazi-like inscriptions began to appear on balconies of apartment buildings, allegedly where Tajik residents live, reading: “Tajik is terror!”
- Dehumanization and Social Isolation
Dehumanization is a process in which a person or group is portrayed not as human beings, but as something foreign and inferior. This is done through comparisons to animals, parasites, or subhumans who must be socially isolated and eliminated. By creating a negative, dehumanized image of a group, the media prepares society to believe that violence against this group is justified and even necessary. Simultaneously, discrimination is enforced at the political and legal levels. The targeted group is stripped of civil rights and barred from certain professions and services.
Historical Example:
In Nazi propaganda, Jews were often depicted as rats or insects, contributing to their dehumanization in the eyes of the public. Jews were forbidden from engaging in agriculture, practicing law, or working as doctors, except when dealing with other Jews. They were also banned from many trades, and educational and scientific institutions were closed to them.
Modern Example:
A.L. Dvorkin introduced the terms “totalitarian sect” and “destructive cult” not only in relation to religious movements but also to non-religious groups, organizations, and regimes, including various business entities, and even construction firms, cafés, and hotels 4. He labels these organizations as “sects” and “cults” and compares them to cancerous tumors in society. Among those described as a “cancer” are Jehovah’s Witnesses and followers of Vissarion. He also claims that if someone becomes a Jehovah’s Witness, they are unlikely to become a teacher or doctor 5, 6 ,7.
In some countries, anti-cult organizations are supported not only by authorities but also at the state level. For example, in 1997, as part of a campaign denying certain commercial rights to Scientologists, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs issued a still-active directive instructing employment offices to mark all files related to companies owned by Scientologists with the letter “S.”
In March 1997, a secret order of the Federal Labor Office was exposed requiring all government Labor Offices to mark businesses which were suspected to be owned by Scientologists with an “S”. 8
- Persecution, Violence, and Genocide
At this stage, the active persecution of a targeted group escalates, supported by the state, and includes violent acts, arrests, deportations, and, ultimately, mass killings and genocide.
Historical Example:
In the 1930s, Nazi media began to publish materials justifying violence against Jews. Jews were branded with yellow stars to visibly separate them from the rest of the population, marking them as targets for extermination. People began to attack, beat, and humiliate Jews, as well as destroy their property. This set the stage for larger-scale pogroms and, ultimately, the Holocaust.
Modern Example:
In Russia, the organization “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” a peaceful group with no history of violence or political involvement, was banned and equated with terrorist organizations like ISIS. Since 2017, there has been a wave of arrests and criminal cases against Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Nowadays the Jehovah Witnesses, the peaceful group, which has no history of violence and forbids involvement in politics, was placed alongside terrorist organizations such as ISIS or the Japanese Doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo, which carried out a nerve agent attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995.
Another example of dehumanization can be seen in the events preceding the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Back then, “Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines” flooded the country with anti-Tutsi propaganda, urging its Hutu listeners to “exterminate the cockroaches.” During the genocide, the station played an even more active role, broadcasting the names and locations of people to be killed.
When negative images such as cockroaches, rats, or cancerous tumors are attached to a particular group, this fixation on such imagery impacts the subconscious and evokes negative emotions and doubts in society. Anticultists not only engage in the persecution of individuals but also take a clear stand against authority. Even when governments change, anticultists do not shift their rhetoric and continue to oppose new leaders. In reality, any persecution of different groups of people is a method of pressuring the institution of power.
Their goal is not the destruction of the persecuted groups themselves, whether they are religious organizations, business entities, or other organizations. The true target of their attacks is the modern political system, the current government, and the citizens, who are made to feel extreme distrust and fear toward their leaders. The “marking with yellow stars” is a tool to achieve this goal. By pressuring authorities to break the law and oppress certain groups, especially in countries with developed democracies and the presumption of innocence, anticultists achieve their aims. They manipulate the judicial system and investigative processes, turning innocent people into criminals. This undermines public trust in government and state institutions.
And this is done by those who incite extremism and sow hatred towards innocent people. As always, the actions of anticultists are filled with lies. They use the same old, formulaic methods that have been employed repeatedly for hundreds of years. These well-honed tools, combined with modern technologies, enable anticultists to achieve their desired results. In the past, Jews were branded and persecuted; now, people are being fired and denied employment due to their religious beliefs. For example, a Jehovah’s Witness from California filed a lawsuit claiming that her religious freedom was violated when she was denied a job because of her beliefs 9.
This mirrors the same patterns of persecution that lead to genocide and mass tragedies like the Holocaust.
Or take the example from Germany, where, as part of a campaign against Scientologists, the Ministry of Labor mandated that employment offices mark files of Scientologist-owned companies with the letter “S” 7. This mark implied that legal norms and human rights concerning employees of such companies could be disregarded. In the subconscious of the person applying this mark, Scientologists are already perceived as “non-humans.” Those who apply this label become akin Nazis, and Scientologists become victims, similar to the Jews under the Third Reich. This is essentially the same Holocaust: the persecution and extermination of people. For justice to prevail, those who engage in such persecution — the anticultists and their brainwashed accomplices — must also be marked.
Innocent people who act within the law are persecuted based on false rumors spread by maniacs. These maniacs often claim that children allegedly suffer in the organizations they target, while are conveniently silent on the fact that they themselves create the conditions for real suffering among children. Recall the tragedy at Waco: anticultists alleged that children were being mistreated in the Branch Davidians and, under the pretext of “protection,” ultimately burned them alive, thus “protecting” them from life itself.
Anticultists, based on the so-called “investigation” by the “Tribune-Herald,” testimonies from individuals with personal grudges against the members of the Branch Davidians, and unfounded complaints, accused the Davidians of subjecting children to physical and psychological abuse. This occurred despite the fact that Children’s Protective Services visited the Branch Davidian ranch twice and reported finding no evidence of child abuse, and thus took no action.
At Waco, ATF agents committed the fatal blunder by acting upon information from a convicted felon, jewel thief, and American anticultist named Rick Ross, as well as advice from Russian psychotechnology developer Igor Smirnov, known for his research on subliminal mass influence on people.
As a result, some Branch Davidian followers, including children, were gassed, while others were shot; 82 American citizens, including more than 20 children, living at the Mount Carmel ranch were killed. So, who are the real maniacs and murderers here? Yet, despite this, anti-cult movements continue to thrive in many countries.
“Citing CAN and deprogrammers as experts on the harm caused by non-traditional religions is like quoting leaders of the American Nazi Party as experts when they claim that the American economy is harmed by what they view as the Jewish control of banking.”
From the legal declaration by Lowell D. Streiker, Ph.D., who previously worked with the anti-cult organization Cult Awareness Network (CAN), May 14, 1992. Rick Ross has also frequently worked with CAN. 10
Who Taught the Nazis This Method?
The method of “marking with yellow stars” was developed by anti-cult organizations within the Lutheran Church to single out certain groups of people from society in order to desocialize and destroy them. It was these anti-cult organizations, originating from the Lutheran Church, that taught the Nazis cruel and inhumane methods of persecuting undesirable individuals, organizations, and even entire ethnic groups, including the method of “marking with yellow stars.” They were the ones who turned ordinary Germans from the National Socialist German Workers’ Party into Nazis.
Protestant anticultists forced the Nazis to brand Jews using yellow stars. However, few know that as early as 1933, they began attaching special badges to people they persecuted — specifically Jehovah’s Witnesses. The persecution of Bible Students started during World War I due to their anti-war statements. They were labeled heretics, their publications were banned, and the German press circulated discrediting articles.
Senior Consistory Advisor Fischer of the Evangelical Church spoke of the danger Jehovah’s Witnesses posed to the German people and called for churches to “fight against them with its own methods” 11. Starting in 1933, Jehovah’s Witnesses were actively arrested and placed in concentration camps, where they were marked with purple triangular patches, exposing them to harsher treatment by the SS. Many Bible Students perished in the camps.
In 1921, the “Apologetic Center” was established in Germany, which became a prototype for modern anti-cult organizations. The center began collecting data on various religious and secular movements, clubs, and other alternative associations and beliefs. Its employees conducted lectures and published discrediting articles, actively targeting undesirable organizations. The ideas and methods of the center closely mirrored those of the Inquisition. 12.
In 1933, the Apologetic Center was headed by Protestant pastor Walter Künneth, an open anti-Semite who collaborated with the Gestapo, providing them with materials and techniques on how to handle ideological enemies, as well as information on undesirable organizations. In other words, the methods used by this anti-cult organization to persecute religious minorities were passed on to the Nazis and later used in the crackdown not only on Jews but also on other ethnic groups. Anticultists advised how to interact with these groups, insisting they were non-human and should be treated accordingly. Nazism successfully adopted and integrated these ideas and methods into its operations. It was only after the Nazis began collaborating with the Apologetic Center that the Nazi regime took on its most brutal form. In other words, Nazism was the result of a symbiosis between anti-cult organizations and the state.
A directive signed by Reinhard Heydrich, head of internal security for Nazi Germany, established the pattern for the suppression of certain religious societies and sects and the arrest and internment in concentration camps of all persons connected therewith. This Nazi order from Reinhard Heydrich is strikingly similar to the orders issued today by authorities in relation to persecuted organizations, associations, and groups of people.
Continuing the Cause of the Nazis…
If not for the Apologetic Center, Nazism would not have existed in the form we know today. If not for the Lutheran anticultists, the Nazi Party would have remained an ordinary National Socialist party. The world would not have experienced the horrors of World War II, and tens of millions of people would have lived. The method of branding Jews with “yellow stars,” along with other methods, was introduced by the Nazis under the guidance of the anti-cult organization led by Protestant pastor Walter Künneth.
In the postwar period, Walter Künneth was not severely punished for his role in the genocide. On the contrary, he was honored with awards and, in 1946, became an honorary professor of theology in Erlangen. His student, Pastor Friedrich-Wilhelm Haack, created the “Working Group on Religious and Ideological Issues” in 1965, almost duplicating the name of the “Department for Religious and Ideological Issues” under the Reich Security Main Office. At Haack’s initiative, in 1990, a so-called “blacklist” of new religious movements (NRMs) was compiled in Bavaria.
In 1993, Alexander L. Dvorkin, a student of Friedrich-Wilhelm Haack, founded the Center for Religious Studies in the name of Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lyons in Russia. The activities of this center closely mirror the ideas and methods of the “Apologetic Center” established in 1921, continuing the cause of Nazism. The Irenaeus of Lyons Center later became the core of the Russian Association of Centers for the Study of Religions and Sects (RACIRS). Today, the Irenaeus Center compiles lists of undesirable organizations, which, in addition to religious groups, include social and business entities3. These organizations are labeled as “sects,” “totalitarian sects,” and “destructive cults,” which strongly resembles the preparations for a planned genocide — similar to how the Nazis created lists with the active assistance of the Apologetic Center.
Following the establishment of the Irenaeus of Lyons Center, numerous “apologetic centers” began to appear across Russia. The very existence of such centers is a sign of the existence of pure Nazism. Similar lists can be found on the websites of other anti-cult organizations in various countries. These lists often include not only religious but also many secular organizations, including medical, sports, social, research, and scientific institutions. In total, millions of people have already been marked by anticultists. This reveals the unimaginable scale of the persecution campaign against innocent people that the anti-cult movement has unleashed worldwide 2.
Previously, in 1941, the peak of stigmatization was the word “Jew,” and now the terms “cult” and “sect” have become tools of persecution, much like the word “Jew” was exploited back then. As a result, groups of people who operate legally and do not break the law are subjected to illegal persecution. Stigmatization and persecution occur right before the eyes of law enforcement. Nazism manifests in an extremely harsh form, but it does not elicit adequate concern. Just as the word “Jew” once provoked hatred, so do the words “sectarian” and “cult member” today.
What to Expect from Modern Nazism?
Today, this inhumane Lutheran-Nazi method of “marking with yellow stars” is used by anti-cult organizations worldwide to create numerous images of external enemies from groups they oppose, violating all aspects of human rights and freedoms. The stigma, created with terms like “heretic” and “Jew,” continues with modern terms such as “totalitarian sect” and “destructive cult,” introduced by A.L. Dvorkin. Labeling organizations with such terms is a direct and unjustifiable intrusion into other people’s lives, violating rights and laws, constitutional rights, human values, and involves constant informational terror, the use of forceful methods, and leading individuals to suicide in front of the public, among other things.
The method of marking with yellow stars is a dangerous and serious way to exclude any alleged “ideological enemy” from society — whether it be an individual, a group of people, or even an entire nation. Regardless of the positive qualities these people possess and the benefits they bring to society, once they are placed on such a blacklist, they are branded with a mark equivalent to the yellow star of the Nazis. By labeling a group as a “cult” or a “sect” anti-cult organizations push these people outside the social field, leading to a process of dehumanization — meaning, these individuals can be regarded as less than human, justifying cruel and unjust treatment. The “marking with yellow stars” method essentially means a near-official sanction for violence in society against others whom anticultists deem non-human. In essence, such a label in society marks a target to be eliminated.
Today, when someone is labeled as a “sect,” it is not merely name-calling — it is nothing less than a manifestation of Nazism, leading to lynch-law and physical extermination. Those who use labels like “cult” or “totalitarian sect” are equivalent to those who called for people to be sent to gas chambers. What right do they have to mark people they do not know? Anyone who uses the term “sect” or “cult” is advocating for the rehabilitation and propaganda of Nazism. Behind this lies a desire to destroy the innocent. It is nothing short of Hitlerian propaganda.
The stigma “cult” (“sect”) is now being applied not only to religious communities and secular organizations but also to entire countries and even unions of countries. It is outrageous that before the war in Ukraine, Russian anticultists labeled Ukraine as a sect on a national scale 13, and now the same individuals are pushing the idea in the media that Europe is a totalitarian sect14. This only confirms that Nazism has not disappeared and continues to actively exist.
Anti-cult organizations promote Nazi ideology and receive support not only from government officials but also at the state level in some countries. However, it is encouraging that investigations are underway for all those even slightly involved in the inhumane crimes of anticultists. Soon, we will witness a 21st-century Nuremberg trial, where anyone who has attempted to implant Nazi ideas into people’s minds, demeaned and destroyed innocent citizens, will find themselves in the dock and face just punishment.
Sources
- https://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/02-19-46.asp
- https://actfiles.org/the-impact-groundbreaking-documentary/
- https://ansobor.ru/articles.php?id=15
- https://iriney.ru/sektyi-i-kultyi/sektovedenie/novosti-sektovedeniya/firmyi-i-sektyi-informaczionnoe-soobshhenie-raczirs.html
- http://www.odinblago.ru/10_voprosov_neznakomcu/
- http://krotov.info/1/old/1_history/21_bio_moi/torop.htm
- https://www.gazeta.ru/social/2013/08/23/5603921.shtml?updated
- https://www.standleague.org/resources/whitepapers/religious-discrimination-against-church-scientology-and-its-parishioners-germany.html
- https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/11/23/Jehovahs-Witness-suit-says-she-lost-state-job-over-refusal-to-take-loyalty-oath/1261605892303/
- https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6361e067b6affe1c66e99257/t/649baff1bd81e24caf4b5730/1687924738274/Cult+Deprogrammers+Info+-+MAIN+%282%29.pdf
- https://web.archive.org/web/20150415160101/http://www.theologe.de/zeugen-jehovas_kirche.htm
- https://theologe.de/theologe12.htm
- https://interaffairs.ru/news/show/11461
- https://regnum.ru/article/2180782
