Defining a cult is tricky business. Specialists say that practices, rather than beliefs, make a cult. It's the church's zealous evangelism, strict hierarchical structure, and tight control over the personal lives of members that serve as red flags to cult experts. University administrators are guarded about what they can or wish to do about the Upside Down Club. Officially, the university says it can do nothing to ban a religious organization.
Officials acknowledge there is a fine line between harassment and freedom of speech.
UMass spokeswoman Barbara Pitoniak said that inviting someone to Bible studies, even several times, is not against the law. A student would have to feel physically threatened to warrant university action - and few students have ever made that formal complaint. But there would have to be egregious charges for action to be taken. Privately, administrators say they worry about the tactics of the Upside Down Club, which has been on campus since 1989. In some cases, parents have called the Dean of Students to complain of losing contact with their children who joined the church.