http://www.waldorfcritics.org/active/FAQ.html#Cult

Question: Is Waldorf a Cult?

Whether you think Waldorf is a cult depends on your definition of "cult," but Waldorf teachers often behave in a cult-like way. Many Waldorf families' lives become so enmeshed with the school community that they stop socializing with non-Waldorf friends. It is not uncommon for Waldorf parents to cut off their childrens' friendships with other children who are not part of the Waldorf community. Families' lives can change drastically, as they try to conform to the total Waldorf lifestyle, often with no understanding of the reasons they are being pressured to eat, dress, and behave in prescribed ways. Many get deeply involved in fundraising. Parents are often expected to give more and more of their money to support the school community.

Waldorf can become a way of life, and an isolating one. In more dogmatically Anthroposophic schools, families may be discouraged from allowing their children to participate in activities outside of school such as clubs, dance classes, or sports. There is an Anthroposophically correct answer for every question a struggling parent may have: how to feed, dress, and discipline their children; when to put them to bed; what color to paint their bedroom; which toys are "appropriate" and which are "damaging." Simple pleasures like kicking a ball may be discouraged. Waldorf teachers try (usually unsuccessfully) to enforce a total ban on electronic media in any form for younger children, especially TV and computers, which Anthroposophists say embody a materialistic spirit named "Ahriman." The ban extends to recorded music and radio, which can make it difficult to even interact with one's extended family or neighbors. Even taking pictures of your children may be discouraged.

This ban on electronic media also not only means there are no computers in Waldorf elementary classrooms, but also means your child will never see a filmstrip at school or learn from slides, tapes, videos, or CDs. It's likely that he teacher won't even use an overhead projector. Some Waldorf teachers even consider the use of maps inappropriate.

While some parents welcome the "total lifestyle" of Waldorf, and are excited to find a new spiritual path for themselves as well as their children, to others it feels intrusive into family life. Some parents completely change the way they parent their children, which can leave children very confused. Parents are often encouraged to take their children to Anthroposophical doctors and eurythmists for remedial help, while they are urged to avoid help from "outsiders" such as tutors, counselors, or reading specialists.

Many Waldorf children are not immunized, and those parents who support immunization may be harshly judged. Steiner believed that certain diseases help children work out problem areas left over from their past lives. Children may be placed in danger by vulnerable parents seeking to be good Waldorf parents, who may not seek necessary medical help in the case of a high fever or serious illness.

Waldorf is not just an "alternative" education; it is a front for Anthroposophy. Anthroposophy has many of the characteristics of a cult, and the schools are the missionary arm of Anthroposophy. In enrolling your child in Waldorf, you may not be joining a cult per se, as most of the parent body is not part of the cult and many parents know little about Anthroposophy. Many very dedicated parents are unwittingly donating their money, and often their hard work, to the cult. The teacher training centers may be more properly described as religious seminaries. Although not all Waldorf teachers become Anthroposophists, dogmatic adherence to Anthroposophy is a prerequisite for a teacher to advance in his or her career. The more dogmatic Waldorf teachers take every word Steiner spoke as gospel.