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F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ===================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Hare Krishna Communes Persist [Chapel Hill, NC] Notwithstanding the recent conviction of a West Virginia Hare Krishna renegade sect leader for racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder, another Hare Krishna group, in North Carolina, continues to forge a communal life, recruiting new devotees and coexisting in a small southern town that still views them as suspect. In fact, other residents of Hillsborough still see and know very little of the Krishnas, whose ministry is confined to nearby Chapel Hill and Durham, where they pass out religious literature and provide free vegetarian meals at the University of North Carolina and Duke University. A Hillsborough resident says the Krishnas would rather "do their thing" in the more liberal college towns. "This is their home. They don't want to make trouble here." And there does not appear to have been any trouble. Bir Krishna Swami, founder and spiritual master of The New Goloke, as the commune is called, is aware of the group's reputation as a cult, so he keeps a tight reign on his devotees. A near neighbor, one of the few in town who has gotten to know them, says he has found the Krishnas to be gentle, devoted people who mind their own business. "I can think of a lot worse neighbors to have," he said. Bir Krishna Swami was one of the Hare Krishnas' 11 original American disciples. (Only six are left; the other five, including Bhaktipada in West Virginia, were kicked out of the movement for immoral or illegal actions, and the number of devotees has dropped from a high of 5,000 in the '70s to fewer than an estimated 1,000 today.) He is worshipped as a minor deity - as Catholics would a saint - says one member. The 20 residents are in their late teens or early twenties. Many came after hearing Bir Swami speak during one or another of his tours across North America. The majority of the devotees outside the commune are over 30 and married with families. One devotee, for example, is a divorced social worker from Brooklyn who lives in her own house not far down the road. This proves, says the leader, that the movement has matured. In The New Goloke, they live on donations, which come mainly from the Indian community in North Carolina, and maintain a Spartan existence, including religious rituals, chanting, domestic chores, schooling for the children, and distribution of Krishna literature in a wide surrounding area. (From "Searching for the truth in Hillsborough," by Mary E. Miller, News & Observer, Raleigh, 9/15/91, 1E, 4E.) 2 Leading from Jail [Krishna. Kirtinananda Swami Bhaktipada (Keith Ham), New Vrindaban, WV] Nearly every day since he was convicted last March for racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder, Kirtinananda Swami Bhaktipada (formerly Keith Ham) has telephoned his 4,000-acre New Vrindaban, West Virginia commune after his devotees' noon worship to give them instructions for their strictly regimented lifestyle. Calling from custody - while awaiting the outcome of his appeal - and speaking over a throne-mounted speaker to the assembled followers - and to many others living elsewhere - he admits new members, assigns all jobs, sets all rules, punishes transgressors, gives permission for marriages and conception, and authorizes coitus. He also sends his 200 resident devotees written lessons which arrive almost daily by mail. Hostility to the Krishnas still exists in the relatively depressed rural area of which the commune is a part. For some, this stems from the Krishnas' strangeness; many resent the commune members' collecting welfare and food stamps and using free clinics when they have chosen a lifestyle that willingly chooses poverty while still sending members out with vans full of T-shirts, hats, and other paraphernalia on month-long trips. The commune is not totally isolated. While some of the children, who wear Western clothes, go to a commune school, others go to public schools, and one will play football at a local high school this fall. Commune guide and public relations director Gadadhar das, a 46-year-old former Jew from New York City, opted out of his family's result-oriented way of life and joined the "contemplative" Krishna Way. He has a wife and two children at the commune but lives by himself in a room above the temple near the celibate men. Madhurya lila (formerly Meg Phillips), 41, once a theater student at Drexel University, now runs the gift shop at the commune's well-visited "Palace of Gold." She believes that her prayers, along with those of other faiths throughout the world, are having a beneficial effect on society. When she goes home to her trailer on the commune property, she watches a bit of TV, usually public TV, and works at her word processor editing a manuscript by Thomas Drescher, who is serving a life term for the murder of his wife's lover, a crime, the jury concluded, approved by Bhaktipada. While it is hard to understand New Vrindaban, there is no evil presence, no spiritual zombies, just vulnerable souls. There is life and hope and spirit, but also a troubling sense of resignation. (From "A Krishna Clan's Chants for Survival," by Frank Ahrens, Washington Post, 9/8/91, F1, F4.) 3 Scientologists Sue Cazares Again [Clearwater Mayor] From "Scientologists sue over treatment by Democratic leader," by Curtis Krueger, St. Petersburg Times, 12/11/91, 3B Two members of the Church of Scientology have sued former Clearwater mayor Gabriel Cazares for throwing them out of a Democratic Party meeting he chaired last March and denouncing the controversial group which critics call a cult or a money-making organization. The suit alleges that Cazares' action was "atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community. But he has responded by saying that the legal action aims to silence him, that it is a "political assassination attempt by a political cult." Some members of the Pinellas County Democrats, embarrassed by Cazares's action, tried to oust him as chairman, but a party committee voted 9-0 in October to retain him. After learning that the two he ejected from the meeting lived at the Fort Harrison - world Scientology headquarters - Cazares "launched into a lengthy and scurrilous attack upon the church of Scientology," the lawsuit alleges, adding that he called the organization "Sintology," referred to it as a paramilitary group, spoke of Scientology plans to build a "brainwashing factory" in Clearwater, and said Scientology should be "ejected from Clearwater just as Iraq was ejected from Kuwait." The suit contends that Cazares's actions violated several laws: a Florida misdemeanor statute prohibiting advertising that people are not welcome at an establishment because of their religion, and a hate crimes law which adds penalties when crimes are based on prejudice. The Scientologists' lawyers said they did not want to send Cazares to jail but to ensure that others would avoid the treatment their clients had received. Cazares's attorney said he would challenge the advertising law on the basis of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech. In 1976, Scientology sued then-Mayor Cazares when he opposed the group's presence and operating methods, but the suit was eventually dismissed as frivolous. The mayor in turn sued Scientology for $1.5 million, claiming invasion of privacy and malicious prosecution. Among other things, Cazares claimed in the suit that he was approached by a lawyer who offered to represent him in his case against Scientology. Only later did he learn that the lawyer was actually a Scientologist working undercover. The case was settled out of court and the undercover agent disbarred. 4 Scientology Renews Tax Suit [Pinellas County, FL] The Church of Scientology is suing the Pinellas County (FL) Property Appraiser saying that it is exempt from paying over $500,000 in 1991 property taxes. Since 1982, Scientology has amassed a tax bill of more than $6 million and is negotiating with the county to resolve the continuing battle over the issue. (St. Petersburg Times, 12/11/91, 3B.) 5 Cult Leader's Son Charged with Sexual Abuse [Julius Schacknow. The Work] The 28-year-old son of Connecticut cult leader Julius Schacknow has been indicted for sexually assaulting children of families in the 100-member group, "The Work," for whom he baby-sat. The leader, who claims to be God and a "sinful Messiah," has himself been accused of sexual abuse in civil lawsuits, which he settled out of court, but has never faced criminal charges. (Cult Awareness Network News, 11/91, 6.) 6 Erhard Sued for "Psychological Damage" [The Forum] Stephanie Ney, of Silver Spring, MD, is suing Werner Erhard and the therapy program The Forum for $2 million alleging that she suffered severe psychological damage after attending a two-day therapy training program run by the Erhard-associated organization (previously known as est). The suit alleges confrontational psychological manipulation, physical deprivation through exhausting marathon sessions, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, all of which led to hospitalization and the need for continuing treatment. (Cult Awareness Network News, 11/91, 6.) 7 Scientology Sues Paine Webber for Libel [Eli Lilly's Prozac] A New York federal judge has ordered to trial a case in which the Church of Scientology alleges that it was libeled by a Paine Webber stock analyst who last year advised fellow brokers and customers that the church was pursuing a "vendetta to discredit Prozac," Eli Lilly & Co.'s best-selling drug. Paine Webber said it is confident it would win the case on its merits, while Scientology said the case will allow the church to "get the truth about Prozac known to the investment community." (Wall Street Journal, 10/30/91, B3.) 8 IRS Can See CUT Records [IRS. MT] A district court judge in Montana has ruled that the Internal Revenue Service can inspect Church Universal and Triumphant financial records to determine if the organization still qualifies for tax-exempt status. The judge found CUT's arguments to have the move blocked "without merit." The IRS wants information relating to the church's purchase of firearms, its alleged support of political activities, and its reported payments to ex-members, all of which jeopardize its tax-exempt status. (From "CUT loses case against IRS," by Tom Shands, Livingstone [MT] Gazette, 11/20/91, 1.) 9 Satanism and Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble recently settled the last of a dozen lawsuits it filed to halt rumors associating the company with Satanism because its traditional moon-and-stars logo had swirls that to some resembled the "666" motif linked to Satan in the Book of Revelation. A Kansas couple who operate an independent Amway distributorship agreed to pay P&G $75,000 and, under court order, agreed, like other defendants in other suits, not to encourage a P&G boycott. The company said it had responded to over 150,000 inquiries about the alleged Satanist symbolism in the past decade, especially in 1982, 1985, and 1990. (Skeptical Inquirer, Fall 1991, 21-22.) 10 Bible Club in School [Buffalo, NY] A student-led Bible club reclaimed permission to conduct after-school meetings in a Buffalo, NY, classroom following a four-year legal battle. In a court-approved settlement of a suit brought by several students, school board officials agreed to pay some legal fees and allow the students to meet, pursuant to the 1987 Equal Access Act. (National & International Religion Report, 10/7/91, 4.) 11 Moon Organization "Maturing" From "The American Freedom Coalition and the Unification Church," by Christine Gardner, The (NH) Spectator, June, 1991, 10-12, 14-17) Few people at a "Support the Troops" rally in New Hampshire last year knew it was mounted by the American Freedom Coalition, a national political organization, with chapters in 50 states, connected to and substantially funded by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church. Although AFC denies the link to Moon, scores of observers from both ends of the political spectrum have documented the connection. Washington DC-based writer Fred Clarkson, who has tracked the Moon organization for a decade, calls the AFC and the Unification Church "indistinguishable." The AFC, he says, is a fusion of the group's American Constitution Committee - itself stemming from the church's CAUSA political arm, which had become too well-publicized at the grass-roots level - and the Christian Voice, the self-proclaimed largest Christian lobby in the nation, founded by Robert Grant, who is AFC President. The AFC goal, say Clarkson and others, is to build a sphere of influence for the Unification Church to pave the way for the dismantling of democracies and Moon's assumption of world political power. To this end, AFC has paid for New Hampshire legislators to attend conferences of Moon-linked anti-communist organizations. Clarkson says the Unification Church is no longer vigorously recruiting new members, at least not in the United States, but is concentrating rather on building networks of businesses and political organizations, like the AFC. (The AFC says, however, that it plans programs for public schools, one on AIDS, for example, that depicts homosexuality as wrong, and a pro-Stategic Defence Initiative film. ) In reaching out to the grass-roots, says Clarkson, the AFC represents "a maturing of the Unification movement." Early recruits are now well into their mid-forties and often hold influential positions outside the Moon organization. Indeed, working out of the plush AFC suite in Concord, New Hampshire's capital, are David Radlett, former New England Director for the Pat Robertson campaign, and Robert Ouellette, a Republican state representative who is also a Unification Church member. The state AFC chapter, moreover, includes other elected representatives and key Republican conser-vatives, who hold prominent positions in the community, serving on the board of directors. 12 Great Commission Apologizes to Students, Parents Cult Observer Report the 76-church strong Great Commission Association of Churches has published a 13-page statement "Recognizing early errors and weaknesses in the development" of the organization and promising that reforms are achieved or underway. The statement apologizes specifically for being elitist and defensive in the face of criticism, failure to allow for differing viewpoints in scriptural matters, and failure to distinguish between scrip-tural commands, principles, and personal preferences. Regarding "authoritarian" or insensitive leader-ship," the signatories say "we acknowledge that there were instances where some of us in our immaturity tended to lead more by coercion and compulsion than by inspiration and example . . . At times, we were overly directive in the personal affairs of church members . . . we did not always distinguish between a command and a principle and so may have treated a scriptural principle as a command. The consequence was that a person who had received counsel in some area might feel compelled to act in what he believed was obedience to a scriptural command when, in fact, the area was one where he was free to choose how a scriptural principle applied. " . . . It is our desire and prayer that individuals will develop personal convictions based on God's Word, not simply their pastor's opinion. " . . . Our zeal for evangelism . . . resulted in a lack of emphasis on the value of a college education. . . In most cases, this lack of emphasis on education resulted in a failure by church leaders to stress to students the importance of committing their time and effort to excelling in their studies, and the resulting belief that involvement with church activities was more important than schoolwork. In some cases, students at some of our churches were encouraged to leave school so they would be more free to 'serve the Lord.' "Our failure to stress to college students the value of pursuing their education was also, in some cases, a failure on our part to help those students honor the parents who had sent them to college. Overall, we tried to strongly encourage students to love and respect their parents, and to view their parents as God's authorities in their lives. However, by not actively supporting the commitment the parents had made to a college education for their child, we implicitly encouraged some students to choose to leave college, contrary to the wishes of their parents. This undoubtedly caused some strife within these families and contributed to strained relationships between students and their parents. For this we apologize. " . . . Currently there is, in our churches located in college communities, a strong emphasis on pursuing a college education and the importance of excelling in that pursuit . . . " . . . Concerning a student's relationship to his or her parents, Great Commission Ministries staff persons are encouraged to help students learn to honor and respect their parents and to publicly teach the Bible's clear instruction on the subject. In addition, our staff personnel manual provides informa-tion on how student leaders can help students to love and respect their parents in practical ways. Finally, seminars on the subject are given at staff training conferences. "We realize that a number of individuals made poor decisions concerning their education and careers partially because of our encouragement or because of the examples they saw in our churches. To these people, we offer our sincere apology and regret that our mistakes contributed to career decisions that caused problems, financial or otherwise." 13 "CURE" and the Great Commission Representatives of CURE (Christians United to Remedy Error), persons formerly associated with the Great Commisson International who have been working directly with GCI leadership to reform certain of its practices, expressed satisfaction late last year that a dialogue between CURE and GCI about these matters has commenced and that initial results are very encouraging. The GCI statement excerpted in the story above appears to be a response to the concerns expressed by CURE in the dialogue with GCI. (Cult Observer Report.) 14 Way International Campus Sold [Emporia, KS] Emporia (Kansas) State University president Robert Glennen announced in Topeka at the end of October that the National Teachers Hall of Fame will be established on the former Way College of Emporia Campus. The Hall of Fame will actually be in Wierwille Library, built in the 1960s when the campus belonged to the old College of Emporia. [The late Victor Paul Wierwille was the founder of The Way International, which continues its proselytizing in the U.S. and abroad from its base in Ohio.] (Emporia Gazette, 10/30/91, 1, 13.) 15 Cult Affiliations Estimated A year-long survey indicates that a great many people in the U.S. may have been involved in cultic groups at one time or another, according to Michael D. Langone, Executive Director of the American Family Foundation (publisher of the Cult Observer). Professor Barry A. Kosmin of the City University of New York and his colleagues, assisted by CUNY dean Seymour Lachman, conducted a random, digit-dialed telephone survey of 113,000 American households in 1989-90, and extrapolations from their sample to the total U. S. population leads the researchers to estimate that the following numbers of people would identify themselves as followers of certain religious groups: Scientology, 45,000; Eckankar, 18,000; Wiccan, 8,000; Rastafarianism, 14,000; Worldwide Church of God, 116,00; and New Age, 20,000. Many members of cultic groups not mentioned in the survey may belong to the significant number of potential respondants who refused to answer or who may be lumped in mainstream categories. The small number identifying themselves as "New Age" may reflect the fact that the label refers more to a world view or philosophy. Eckankar, for example, is often considered a New Age philosophy. Despite the lack of more specific data on cultic groups, the survey's findings are useful. Given the thousands of groups about which cult education organizations have received inquiries, and given that just two, Sci-entology and Eckankar, would have 73,000 adherents, these figures do not seem inconsistent with estimates that several million people have been involved with cultic groups. (Cult Observer Report.) 16 Scientology Stimulates TV Plot Writers for the TV sitcom Anything But Love, stimulated by last May's Time cover story on Scientology - and Scientology's publicity campaign against the magazine - will have one of their journalist characters do a story about a cult, according to a source. And the group will investigate him and try to intimidate him [as it is alleged Scientology did to the Time journalist]. (New York magazine, 9/2/91, 12.) 17 "Laurel" to Time for Scientology Story [distinguished editor Richard Behar] The widely respected Columbia Journalism Review has given one of its annual laurel awards to "Time magazine and associate editor Richard Behar for a mind-chilling status report on the Church of Scientology and its continuing spread into the mainstream." The Review gave a "dart" award to Al Neuharth, former head of Gannett papers and now a columnist for USA Today, which ran $3 million worth of Scientology ads attacking Time for likening the Time-Scientology conflict to one between the pot and the kettle, in which neither is better than the other. (From "Scientology story continues to get attention," by Bob Henderson, St. Petersburg Times, 10/26/91, 1.) 18 "The Farm" is Thriving "The Farm," which turned 20 years old late last year, has matured from a freewheeling commune of 1,400 hippies living in buses and tents to a cooperative of 200 people who run small businesses on communally-owned land with homes that look almost suburban. Each adult pays $100 per month to the cooperative endeavor but is responsible for his or her own livelihood. (From "Still havens for security, spirituality," by Craig Wilson, USA Today, 10/15/91, 1D, 2D.) 19 Some Steubenville Charismatics Happy Many members of the Steubenville (OH) charismatic covenant community called Servants of Christ the King say they are happy in the group despite allegations of abusive control of members' lives, intrusion into family life, and lack of compassion reported by an ongoing canonical visitation investigation ordered by local Catholic Bishop Albert Ottenweiler. A community leader said some members who left may have become disillusioned because the group's goals are high, members perform a great deal of service, and they are expected to live a fairly strict lifestyle. He said the community was in the process of lowering goals to make them more attainable. (From "Steubenville charismatics tell their side of the story," by Ann Carey, Our Sunday Visitor, 7/21/91.) 20 No Matching Funds for LaRouche The Federal Election Commission has denied public financing for the election campaign of Lyndon LaRouche, saying the imprisoned political extremist has a history of fraudulent fund-raising. This is the first time the FEC has refused to provide campaign matching funds based on a candidate's past conduct, lawyers said. (St. Petersburg Times, 11/30/91, 8A.) ================================================================= If this is a copyrighted work, you are acknowledging by receipt of this document from FACTNet that on the basis of reasonable investigation, you have not been to obtain a copy elsewhere at a fair price, and that you are and will abide by the following copyright warning. WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS: The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photo copies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified by law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." 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For additional verification see image files contained in the file with same name and .ZIP extension. UPDATED ON: UPDATED BY: F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Incorporated) a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library 601 16th St. #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80401 USA BBS 303 530-1942 FAX 303 530-2950 Office 303 473-0111 This document is part of an electronic lending library. F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------- CARD CATALOG ENTRY DOS FILENAME OF TEXT FILE: CO0192AB.TXT DOS FILENAME OF IMAGE FILES: none ADMINISTRATIVE CODE: OK SECURITY CODE: SCO DISTRIBUTION CODE: RO DESCRIPTION FOR BBS FILE LISTING: The Cult Observer Vol. 9. No. 1, 1992. SORT TO: AFF CONTRIBUTOR: American Family Foundation (AFF) LOCATION OF ORIGINAL: American Family Foundation (AFF) NOTES: Back issues and selected reprints of the Cultic Studies Journal are available from the American Family Foundation, P.O. Box 2265, Bonita Springs, FL 33959-2265. U.S.A. STORIES: | 1 Hare Krishna Communes | Persist [Chapel Hill, NC] | 2 Leading from Jail [Krishna. | Kirtinananda Swami Bhaktipada | (Keith Ham), New Vrindaban, WV] | 3 Scientologists Sue Cazares Again | [Clearwater Mayor] | 4 Scientology Renews Tax Suit | [Pinellas County, FL] | 5 Cult Leader's Son Charged with | Sexual Abuse [Julius Schacknow. | The Work] | 6 Erhard Sued for "Psychological | Damage" [The Forum] | 7 Scientology Sues Paine Webber | for Libel [Eli Lilly's Prozac] | 8 IRS Can See CUT Records [IRS. MT] | 9 Satanism and Procter & Gamble | 10 Bible Club in School [Buffalo, NY] | 11 Moon Organization "Maturing" | 12 Great Commission Apologizes to | Students, Parents | 13 "CURE" and the Great Commission | 14 Way International Campus Sold | [Emporia, KS] | 15 Cult Affiliations Estimated | 16 Scientology Stimulates TV Plot | 17 "Laurel" to Time for Scientology | Story [distinguished editor | Richard Behar] | 18 "The Farm" is Thriving | 19 Some Steubenville Charismatics Happy | 20 No Matching Funds for LaRouche For additional verification see the contributor of the document. UPDATED ON: 8/31/94 UPDATED BY: FrJMc =================================================================