Stones and Glass Houses

This is an important subject to me, because while I hold that everyone should be allowed to worship as they see fit, we must never forget that we are morally responsible for our actions, no matter what our motivations is.


In all the history of mankind, few subjects have ever been more extreme than religion. The very essence of religion is an extreme concept, one so extreme that for thousands of years men have been willing to sacrifice their lives for nothing more than an intangible notion. Maybe that is the fate of most of humanity, born out of paradox, forever looking toward the sky for answers. But when do extremes cross the line of the natural order into the dangers of chaos. When do religious extremes threaten personal safety?

In the 1950's, James Warren Jones, frustrated with racism and poverty, and inspired by the philosophies of Karl Marx, set out to start The Peoples Temple, a church founded on the vision of an integrated congregation (Peoples Temple). An integrated congregation is a church is congregation of differentiating religious and ethnic backgrounds. He mirrored the enthusiasm of the Baptist church in his services and focused on social concerns and faith healing (Peoples Temple). They later affiliated with Disciples of Christ (Peoples Temple). In 1965 he became obsessed with power, confiscating passports and millions of dollars from his unwitting followers (Peoples Temple). Hundreds of followers were led to Guyana in 1977, on what seemed like a pilgrimage (Peoples Temple). In 1978 an investigation was conducted into the alleged abuse of his followers (Peoples Temple). When a few of the followers decided to leave with investigators, Jones gave the order for their assassination and instituted his suicide plan (Peoples Temple). On November 14, 1978, 913 people committed suicide under the direction of James Warren Jones (Peoples Temple). What was arguably the most perplexing was that a majority did so without question (Peoples Temple).

The Peoples Temple appeared to be seemingly innocent in the beginning. Even today the concept of an integrated congregation is still in practice in their affiliate church, the Disciples of Christ (of the United Churches of Christ) who today is making leaps and bounds in their mission to spread the Word of God across the globe.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines cult as "A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader" (cult). It also defines a sect as "A religious body, especially one that has separated from a larger denomination" (sect) As clear as these definitions may appear, the fine line distinguishing them from one another is only relevant to the individual. As you examine these two churches, the only discernable difference is that the members of The Peoples Temple are dead and the Disciples of Christ, now in partnership with the United Churches of Christ, reported having 1,360,000 members in 5,888 churches worldwide in 2003 (Harrington). This, in no way, suggests that the Disciples of Christ is a cult, rather, this merely illustrates that there is little margin for error when leading the masses. One thing is apparent though, we, as a society have yet to discern why we deem it necessary to place the brunt of the responsibility of our souls salvation into the hands of what can only be classified as mere mortals.

In 1935, Victor Houteff settled in Waco Texas with a group of followers shortly after calling for reforms in the Seventh Day Adventist church. Believing that the church had come to abandon their beliefs for worldly pursuits, he and his followers set out to prepare for the impending return of Jesus Christ (Branch Davidian). The settlement became wholly self sufficient as a growing number of believers embraced their teachings and literature across the nation (Branch Davidian).

In 1955, Houteff died at the age of 60 and leadership of the sect became the responsibility of his wife, Florence (Branch Davidian). Shortly after predicting the dawn of the "messianic era," (April 22, 1959) people from all over the nation gathered in the little settlement in Waco, Texas to await the coming of Jesus (Branch Davidian). The failure of the prediction led to separation of the group into smaller factions and later the disbandment after Florence sold Mt. Carmel (Branch Davidian). One faction, the Davidians, led by Ben Roden, managed to regain control over Mt. Carmel (Branch Davidian). Roden, calling for his followers to lead purer lives, promised them that Christ would return once they matured morally (Branch Davidian). Once Roden died in 1978, the Davidians were torn between Lois and Rodens son (Branch Davidian).

In 1987 Vernon Howell, asserted his authority and became the leader of the Davidians (Branch Davidian). Later he adopted the name David Koresh (Branch Davidian). The name David suggested that he was the spiritual heir to the biblical King David (Branch Davidian). Koresh is from the Hebrew word "Cyrus" (Branch Davidian). Cyrus was the only non Jew who was given the title of messiah in the scriptures (Branch Davidian).

Koresh's predictions of the second coming of Christ rested solely on his creative interpretations of Revelations chapter 5 (Branch Davidian). He believed whole heartedly that his destiny was to somehow loose "the seven seals" described in that chapter (Branch Davidian).

Allegations of child abuse became a hot topic as former members of the Davidians told stories of Koresh and his multiple teen "spiritual" wives (Branch Davidian). These allegations reached the public eye in 1992, during a custody battle with an ex member (Branch Davidian). These accusations, on top of Koresh starting a gun business, are what ultimately led to the deaths of 80 members of the group in a raid gone bad on April 19, 1993 (Branch Davidian). Later, the government admitted to firing flammable material "into or near" the Davidian compound before it was ravaged by the unfortunate fire that claimed so many lives that day (Branch Davidian). It was believed by many that this group was dangerous. Once again, law enforcement, government authorities, and former members of the group, stood up and fought against what they believed was injustice. In the end, their action set into motion a series of events that ultimately led to the demise of 80 people in a horrible fire that completely ravaged the Davidian compound.

Today, the Branch Davidians have risen from the ashes like a phoenix. According to their website, not only does a church stand on Mt. Carmel but a memorial to remember the tragedy that occurred there so many years ago... -->[if supportFields]> CITATION The ..l 1033 ..[endif]--> (The Branch).. -->[if supportFields]>..[endif]--> So in fact, no one has really stopped them, just forced them to adapt to the changing world around them.

One thing does become clear as these groups are compared. It has always been a fortunate mistake when the government intercedes for former members and those concerned. The truth is, although these tragedies were devastating, in the end, their outcomes served as warning to the rest of society. When you let your beliefs overshadow your common sense, the results can be grim.

What then of Scientology? What makes the evil and injustice that exists within this religion any different than the ones we already discussed? What makes Scientolgy even more dangerous than the Branch Davidians and the Peoples Temple combined?

In 1948, Science fiction author, Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, a Seventh day Adventist, paved the foundation for a book he would later title Dianetics (Scientology). This unpublished rough draft was inspired during his earlier stint in a naval hospital shortly after serving in World War II (Scientology).

In his book, he pondered the human condition and ultimately came to the conclusion that the basic principle of our existence is survival (Scientology). Later, Hubbard expanded this philosophical foundation, explaining that all actions that contradict this principle are "destructive" and only serve as negative stimuli in the mind (Scientology). Man weighs each situation and searches for logic in his quest for survival in the most efficient manner (Scientology). But when the mind is not operating at its peak efficiency, something he calls "the reactive mind" takes over (Scientology). He theorized that that the reactive mind stores something he calls "engrams" (Scientology). Engrams contain images of past experiences and unrelated elements of the experience (Scientology). When someone enters a situation where the unrelated element is nearby or around them, this may inspire negative emotion stored up in the engrams, and even make you sick (Scientology). Hubbard developed what he thought was a treatment for this theoretical phenomenon called "auditing" (Scientology). Auditing is a private consultation where the auditor serves as a guide to help the subject clear their mind of engrams (Scientology). This process is often accompanied by a device called an "E-meter" (Scientology). The E-meter, originally invented by Volney G Mathison in the 1950's, was intended to measure perspiration and conductivity in the hands, otherwise known as galvanic skin response or GSR (Pilkington). When Mathison refused to give Hubbard the rights to his "electropsychometer", Hubbard developed his own with the help of a few engineers (Pilkington). Later, GSR played an important role in the development of the lie detector test, which is still in use today (Pilkington).

In 1949, during an author's convention, Hubbard reportedly said "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion" (The Deatb). Around the same time he began theorizing that mankind's consciousness is actually an eternal being, a higher state of consciousness that has existed since before the creation of the world (Scientology). These beings were called "Thetans" (Scientology). Hubbard suggested that millions of years ago, Xenu, who he believed to be the ruler of the Galactic Federation, was faced with a horrible dilemma, overpopulation (Dizern). Xenu banished many of his people to Earth and destroyed their bodies by dropping hydrogen bombs on them, thus releasing their "Thetans", or their spiritual energy(Dizern). Unfortunately, when their physical bodies were destroyed, they forgot who they were (Scientology). Hubbard believed that this race of beings was responsible for the birth of the visible universe. (Scientology) Hubbard thought that by ridding someone of their engrams that one could be able to function as a thetan and thereby make it easier to realize the goal of survival through transcendence (Scientology). Then in 1954, just six years after his statement at the author's convention, Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology (The Death).

Of course, Scientology's eccentric belief system doesn't come without its hefty price tag. Auditing sessions, a therapy that only comes in twelve and a half hour packages, can cost anywhere between $300 to $1000 an hour (Scientology 1997). L. Ron Hubbard lectures recorded on audio cassette cost about $100 to $2,000 and e-meters can cost anywhere from $500 to $5000 (Scientology 1997). A former Scientologist was quoted during an interview with John Burnett, reporter for NPR, as having spent roughly $100,000 on Scientology courses and treatments in the ten years that he and his wife had spent in the church (Scientology 1997). Former members of the church say that Scientology is hiding behind the guise of religion in order to amass wealth (Scientology 1997). Meanwhile, in other countries, Scientology is considered like an organized crime syndicate (Nethaway).

In 1977, the FBI discovered documents within the Church of Scientology offices that revealed a conspiracy to take over several parts of the American government (Veenker). Then in 1979, Hubbards wife and eleven others were convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to lengthy jails sentences shortly after it was found that they were involved in the bugging and burglarizing of government offices and agencies (Veenker). Soon after, Hubbard was expelled from the Seventh day Adventists for being a bad influence (Urban). Later, in 1981, he was welcomed into the Branch Davidians, where he disappeared from the public eye (Urban). His brief disappearance, was only short lived, when in 1986 it was announced that L. Ron Hubbard died (Urban). In 1989, the courts denied the church tax exempt status in their claim that the money they charged for auditing and advanced level training was actually a charitable contribution (Veenker). Over the span of forty years, it was reported that the Church of Scientology was spending 1.5 million dollars a month in legal fees just battling the IRS (Veenker). Finally, in 1991, they settled out of court and agreed to pay to the IRS $12 million in back taxes (Veenker). There was just one stipulation though. The IRS had to grant them tax exempt status (Veenker).

It's not just the money, tax evasion, and covert operations that have been a problem for the Church of Scientology. Because the church believes that many sicknesses are created in the mind, they do not believe in drug treatment. This belief has proven to be dangerous over the years as more and more cases of sick, injured, or dead members reach mainstream media.

In 1980, 25 year old Margarit Winkelmann walked into Clearwater bay outside Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel and drowned herself after the church recommended that she stop taking lithium and start on a vitamin regimen (Morgan). On March 24, 1988, 31 year old Patrice Vic jumped from his twelfth story window because he went into debt after being urged by the church to invest in a $6000 purification session (Whitney). In August of 1988, 31 year old Heribert Pfaff died of a seizure after scientologists took him off of his medication and instead place him on a vitamin regimen (Morgan). In 1995, coroners came to the conclusion that Lisa McPherson died of severe dehydration after being kept in seclusion for 17 days under the care of a scientologist (Morgan). In March of 2003, after being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, Jeremy Perkins was refused medication because of scientology beliefs and taken to a natural healer where he stabbed his mom 77 times (Staci). In July of 2007, a 25 year old woman, whose parents denied her access to medicine because of their beliefs in Scientology, stabbed and killed her father and sister (Morgan) .

As damning as the evidence may seem, brainwashed or not, these people are responsible for their actions. As much as everyone would love to see Scientology disbanded, the first amendment grants them the freedom to practice or worship any god they please. The pilgrims came to this country to practice religion free from the influence of rulers. To deny Scientology the right to worship as they see fit only nullifies the sacrifices that were made to ensure those freedoms. The truth is, none of us really knows what happens after we die. Sure, many may say with faith that they know, but deep down, they know as much as the next guy. Every religion known to man has at one time or another been considered a cult. Mainstream worship is simply an accumulation and exercise of socially acceptable behaviors, but there was a time when it was socially acceptable to sacrifice animals. As time passes, it is only logical that new philosophies enter the spectrum of adaptation. From one religion, ten sects may be born, and from those sects ten more. New ideas come to light as religion becomes more than just an activity and more of a personal cosmic mission.

It is more important now than ever before that we learn to accept the decision that people make for themselves in the quest for wisdom, because in the end, no matter how grisly the outcome, it was a path that they chose for themselves and some may even go as far as saying that it was destiny. Besides, who are we to question the degree of which an individual chooses to devote themselves? The truth is, it is not until we, as a society, take full responsibility of our own salvation that we will ever escape the mental holds of the cultic influence.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

.. -"Peoples Temple." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 5 Apr. 200

.. --> http://www.disciples.org/internal/vision/mission.htm

.. -->Joli Harrington. "York Daily Record, Pa., Moment with a Manager Column." Knight Ridder Tribune Business News 25 February 2003 1. Business Dateline. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 11 Mar. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

.. -->"Branch Davidian." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 6 Apr. 2008 <http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9125803>.

.. -->"Scientology." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 6 Apr. 2008 <http://search.eb.com/eb/article-215791>.

.. -->Mark Pilkington. "Life: Far out: Clear thinking. " The Guardian [London (UK)] 17 Feb. 2005,9. ProQuest Newsstand. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 28 Mar. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

.. -->"THE DEATH OF SCIENTOLOGY FOUNDER L. RON HUBBARD -- CONTROVERSIAL CHURCH'S LEADER LIVED, DIED OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW :[THIRD Edition]. " Seattle Times [Seattle, Wash.] 28 Jan. 1986,F6. Business Dateline. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 11 Mar. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

.. -->Craig Dezern Of The Sentinel Staff. "EX-SCIENTOLOGIST RISKS JAIL TO SPEAK AGAINST CHURCH :[3 STAR Edition]. " Orlando Sentinel [Orlando, Fla.] 2 Aug. 1989,A1. Orlando Sentinel. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 6 Apr. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

.. -->"SCIENTOLOGY. " All Things Considered 29 March 1997 1. Research Library. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 29 Mar. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

.. -->Rowland Nethaway Rowland Nethaway is senior editor of the Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald.. "LET'S JUST SAY NO TO CULT REGULATION :[Final Edition]. " The Commercial Appeal [Memphis, Tenn.] 6 Apr. 1997,B.6. Business Dateline. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 6 Apr. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

.. -->Jody Veenker. "Building scientopolis. " Christianity Today 4 Sep. 2000: 90-99. ProQuest Religion. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 29 Mar. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

.. -->Hugh B. Urban. "Fair Game: Secrecy, Security, and the Church of Scientology in Cold War America. " American Academy of Religion. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 74.2 (2006): 356-389. Research Library. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 29 Mar. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

.. -->Whitney, Craig R. "French Scientologist Sentenced After Church Member's Suicide. " New York Times [New York, N.Y.] 23 Nov. 1996, Late Edition (East Coast): 5. Banking Information Source. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 6 Apr. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

.. -->LUCY MORGAN. "For some Scientologists, pilgrimage has been fatal Series: SCIENTOLOGY :[0 SOUTH PINELLAS Edition]. " St. Petersburg Times [St. Petersburg, Fla.] 7 Dec. 1997,1A. Business Dateline. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 30 Mar. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

.. -->Linda Stasi. "SCIENTOLOGY SCHIZO - HIS MOM'S RELIGION SAID, NO MEDS. THAT EDICT MAY HAVE COST HER LIFE. " New York Post [New York, N.Y.] 27 Oct. 2006,122. ProQuest Newsstand. ProQuest. DeVry University Library, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. 30 Mar. 2008 http://www.proquest.com.proxy.devry.edu/

An end to insomnia

Its been a while since I last posted. It wasn't because I had nothing say, on the contrary, I had too much to say. I don't like to complain, so I have tendency to keep my frustrations bottled up inside. I've been a real insomniac for the what seemed like months. It's almost impossible to sleep when you have this overwhelming feeling of impending doom. I knew my wife was eventually going to lose her job. It was only a matter of time. She has been the main bread winner for the better half of our marriage. I'm still in school for Network System Management, so its really debilitating to know that there was little I could do save us financially. The reality is my wife is a high paid executive and I'm just a blue collar worker that has barely broken a $10 an hour salary. When her company started to restructure, 150 people lost their jobs, including myself, and she was demoted, and forced to take a pay cut or quit. I told her that the best thing to do was to stay until she found a job. The only problem was that she works over 60 hours a week and rarely had time to spend with our daughter let alone look for a job. Since I lost my contract with the company as the painter, my nights and days were completely free. I spent most of my days taking care of my little girl as usual, and looking for jobs for mommy. Finally, my work paid off and I actually wound up finding a better job for her. Its as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Now, I can concentrate on my studies and organizing a emergency fund for the house. I plan on never having to go through that crap again.

Obsession

Ah yes... the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it.
— Lion king-Rafiki

Now that I'm thirty, I find that each day that goes by I become more and more obsessed with my past. At first, I didn't understand why. It was terrifying to think that there was a part inside me that longed to reconnect with something I worked so hard to forget. I found myself contacting old girlfriends seemingly for no reason at all. Concerned, my wife questioned my motives. Unfortunately, much to my dismay, I myself was still very unaware of exactly why my subconscious led me to a point I considered to be mute. What I soon realized was that although I was able to suppress that which was at the very core of my pain, ultimately resolution was still something that eluded me. In order to truly move on, I needed to reconcile with the pain I spent most my life running from.
At a young age, I found myself looking for love when I should have been enjoying my youth. My first girlfriend actually turned out to be my first everything, and at the time, I honestly thought I was supposed to end up with her. So when she cheated on me after I'd left my parents house and found an apartment of my own, I was soon met with the harsh reality that not everyone had the same values about sex and love as I did. What intensified the experience even more so was that I had actually had gotten her pregnant, and she had a miscarriage shortly after I broke up with her for cheating. I remember when she told me about the miscarriage, the only words that stood out were "your sons dead because of you".
Till recently, I'd completely forgotten all about that. Suppression is almost second nature to me. For a long time, I was very bitter and treated most women with a deep seeded animosity. My calm naive nature was soon overshadowed with the black heart of a manipulative, passive aggressive, narcissist that was known only as "Smoke". I took great pleasure in deceiving others, especially women. When I met my second girlfriend Mimi, I admit that I'd deceived her from the moment we first met in front of Asian Chao. I'd been working in Bombay Company and had to wear a suit to work everyday. I had my own apartment, and a steady job, so at the time, it seem as though I was trying to go somewhere. It became very apparent that I had no plans on going to school or getting some form of training. I now believe the main reason she cheated on me was because I had no aspirations in life. So when I went to jail, its no wonder she never visited me. For a long time, I harbored a deep hatred for her. Although I'd all but repressed the entire incident, there was still a dark part deep in the farthest recesses of my mind that burned with anger.
Recently, I was able to reconcile with my first girlfriend. Being able to talk to her and tell her how what she did hurt me more than she could ever imagine was very healing. I came to an understanding that what I'd actually been carrying with me all these years was the corpse like embodiment of my enraged innocence. Although, I've not been as successful in contacting Mimi, it was clear to me that the reason she left me was because she saw through the mask I put on and realized that in order to be happy, she would have to dissociate herself from the black hole that was my negativity. It seems as though, through my repression, I've been unwittingly carrying with me the disembodied corpses of my lost youth. Rather than learning from the experience, I opted to runaway, and now I find myself having to face these truths on my road to Dusk. To who I am... to who I want to be.
Now that a ending has been written for those chapters of my life, I find it easier to makes sense of my own eccentricities... of my reclusive nature. My desire to control is merely a defense mechanism. Trust seems to be something that is difficult for me to give others partly because I choose to retreat before anyone gets a chance to hurt me. If I hope to expand my social circle beyond that which it is already, I'll have to learn to trust people again.

The Wanderer

Most of my childhood memories can be perfectly framed staring out the rear window of car. For reasons beyond my control, I became a habitual runaway, racing from one life to the next as fast as any form of transportation could carry me. As the son of a mother in the military, there wasn't much I could do. At a very young age, I became adept at saying goodbye to friends and family, so much so that even to this day it is difficult for me to form deep long lasting relationships. Its as if there's some sort of psychological clock counting down the minutes till midnight, to the moment when the very fabric of this reality will be torn only to reveal another beginning.
I often find myself envious of those with friends they've had since childhood, friends they still know and interact with to this very day. Its as if they became more than just friends; they became family. The reality is, I will never know that feeling. The longest relationship I've ever had is with my wife whom I've known since 2001. Sometimes, I think the reason I love her so much is because in the back of mind, destiny stands with sword in hand, waiting to tear through this reality only to show me another beginning. So I embrace her, waiting for reality to cheat me out of my happiness again. The truth is before I met her, I was almost certain I would spend the rest of my life alone. Most people told me I was too young to think that way. Its not that I was too young, its just that I am a die hard realist. It was only by chance that I even met her. Had I not worked in a that candy store in the airport, I would have never been there to receive that phone call, and I would have never met the best friend I would ever have in my entire life. As miraculous as that may be, I by no means attribute this chance meeting to some sort of plan set up by some deity. I've always believed that if you find love, you should hold on to it like grim death, because the probability that you'll find someone else that finds your eccentricities to be endearing is slim to none.
I don't have a lot friends, but what I do have is a wife and daughter, and although there isn't a whole lot I can teach my daughter about maintaining personal relationships, what I can teach her is the importance of friends and how a true friend can be like a glass of water on a hot day. Just so refreshing....