This information will be repeated on and expanded elsewhere. This is just, basically, an overview.
Eckankar paints a very rosy picture of itself, naturally. It ignores and tries to whitewash and even eradicate the facts of its past and present, and its members tend to deny the possibility that there's something wrong with their "religion."
For balance, well...I may seem a bit extreme. Truth is usually found somewhere in the middle. I ask people to look at both sides of this cult, think about it, consider all the possibilities.....and make up their own minds.
Just look at the world, past and present, and think about where extremes in beliefs, and fanatic fundamentalism, has brought about. Just two examples....the Inquisition, and the bombing of the World Trade Center. However, we must be careful and not be too extreme in tolerating lies and deception. For example, for much of my life, when I'd hear people around me making racist remarks, I wouldn't say anything, just to be polite. I stopped doing that years ago. I speak up, and tell them that sorry, I cannot condone their racist beliefs by my silence.>
By the way, please ignore the language....the newsgroup can be a bit rough sometimes.
Newsgroup: alt.religion.eckankar
I am still fascinated by all the posts on this newsgroup. Some posts are definitely entertaining.
Just one question for each of the warring camps-
for the happy members of Eckankar:
Why do members of Eckankar refuse to acknowledge the errors of the past?
Why not give regular contributors like Sharon, Lurk, and others, some credit
for having the courage to voice their views and share these views with
others? Why to members feel the need to defend against these former
Eckists? Why question their motives and character? The anti-Eckankar
forces have simply decided that they cannot support the formal organization
of Eckankar and have chosen to support some other path. They have not
completely abandoned the principles of Eckankar which are universal and
common to many paths. This does not make them bad people. Now they seek to
warn other like minded individuals of the mistakes they made because certain
information that would have helped them was unknown to them at the time.
They now wish to share with others their new found knowledge. Do we really
need to classify dissidents as enemies? Think about it...
for the anti-Eckankar forces:
Why do opponents of Eckankar harass otherwise happy members of a peaceful
group. A rose by any other name smells just as sweet does it not?
Regardless of the origins of the beliefs shared by today's Eckists, if the
teaching is common to other paths as well, why is it any less true if
proclaimed by Eckankar? Does truth really require a religious label? If I
am an outlaw and a scoundrel but I preach about peace and brotherhood is my
message any less valid? If Eckandar is the science of soul travel whose
express purpose is to help individual souls back to their original home -
what does it matter if the founder was a bum? If Eckists are happy in their
belief system, why should anyone put them down? Think about it...
I suppose however, that we must do what we must do. The forces for and
against will continue to duke it out... I suppose that's all part of being
human. I suppose there's many reasons to explain the motivations on both
side of the fence. Good luck to both sides. I suppose pro or con we are
all doing what we feel we must. Maybe expressing ones view is the important
thing. Maybe the war helps both sides progress. Without opposing
viewpoints their would be no posts and no insights for either side. In that
case let me congratulate all sides to the conflict. Your're all doing one
heck of job....
JT
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Click Here for Part 2
Subject: The Other Side of Eckankar, the Cult!
From: "JT"
Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 23:32:49 GMT
