Interesting thread. reminds me of some ex-member rap sessions I've sat in on at conferences.

Liz: Much of your personal philosophy reminds me of John Lennon's song "Imagine".

Lennon was shot to death by a crazy man, Mark Chapman, who heard voices telling him to do it:
"The song "Imagine" also angered Chapman – at prayer meetings and religious rallies, Chapman and his prayer group also sang a parody with the lyric "Imagine, imagine John Lennon is dead." Chapman had also read in a library book (John Lennon: One Day at a Time by Anthony Fawcett) about Lennon's life in New York. "He was angry that Lennon would preach love and peace but yet have millions [of dollars]," said his wife Gloria. Chapman later reported that "He told us to imagine no possessions, and there he was, with millions of dollars and yachts and farms and country estates, laughing at people like me who had believed the lies and bought the records and built a big part of their lives around his music."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_David_Chapman#Motivation_and_mental_health

The reason I bring this up is that people will not let us merely "let them be". What do we do with a man like mark Chapman--let him live in peace in his own reality?

Many people hate me for "interfering" with controversial beliefs and with cult members, yet so many others find value in it.
I think we would all like to live in the spirit of Namaste in peace with the holy silence around us---I know I do and I take advantage of it every chance I get, like when i walk my dog or work on a painting.
Keeps me sane...

....then I turn around to face the reality that I am married with children and I go to work nightly to face crazy people, some of who will say F$#% Y&%# after I say Namaste [figuratively]!


I think peace comes from how well we handle adversity. The "Lord's Prayer" is a behavioral formula for peace from one cultural religion. It contains the universal plea for reciprocity that leads to peace: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

just some thoughts to add to yours....and all.

Joe, your thoughts are greatly appreciated!

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Bodhi,

To clarify your question,

Your IP is not blocked.
Your posts are welcome.

***********************

VNOTVirtualReality (hijacked?)

The Hijacker was posting from Hamburg, Germany.

The Moderators.

When I try to post from AOL I still get the blocked message but not when I post using the Metacrawler browser.
Is my IP address still hijacked; or do you think it's that AOL problem?
When I first discovered this site, through another cult forum I got a "you are blocked" message on that site and I have never posted on there, so I just figured it's that AOL problem.
In any case, if you can't solve the AOL problem, I'll just post from Metacrawler.

Thanks!

Being involved in many forms of spiritual studies over the years, I know I have points of view that may not be like everyone else.

Thank you Joe for your views too.

I do enjoy looking deeper at these questions anyway.

Smiles.

Yes, good post Joe. The problem I see with 'interfering' (and I'm not saying we shouldn't) is just, what makes our criteria for interference more valid than the missionaries or a fanatical ramster? It's more of an ethical question than an argument for 'namaste'. Kind of like whether it is ultimately ethical to constrain a person for the purposes of 'exit-counseling'. Maybe the stakes are what determine the necessary action.

""He was angry that Lennon would preach love and peace but yet have millions [of dollars]," said his wife Gloria. Chapman later reported that "He told us to imagine no possessions, and there he was, with millions of dollars and yachts and farms and country estates, laughing at people like me who had believed the lies and bought the records and built a big part of their lives around his music." "

Very enlightening. It never occurred to me that JZ and current Ramsters might interpret EMFers in this vein: JZ preaching being god and all the wealth rolling in and most Ramsters barely above poverty level, much less being in an occupation commiserate with their education levels (being compared to people on the "outside"). I , in fact, know of one person, who took a $10 and hour job in the mail order department just to have "the grand opportunity" to work at the Ranch. This person has an MA in speech pathology. Do you know how many people she could have helped in this lifetime , not to mention keep her lifestyle she was accustomed to BEFORE she came to RSE? And now she lives with gravity fed water. Just an amazing example of how brainwashing truly works.

Everyone here, will ALWAYS some basic point of foundation that we live our life. One could argue that ANY FOUNDATION could be considered a cult... and a IMAGINING.... as all beliefs are based on our foundations from our past... and perhaps dreams of a world that is ethical and respectful of all people.

I would hardly tell anyone to give up possessions or have none... I have been through the fire of wealth ...homelessness and rebuilding from the bottom up again.. and now I hardly live a live without anything... just the opposit... I can not think of anything I am without.

I have just like hundreds before me paid enormously for my life choices and being involved in cults. Eventually you do see that almost anything from baseball / sports / .... politial followings.... and high fashion all have elements of a cult like following.

In the end, we must each live within our own self... and have some basic guidelines for our joining and communing with one another.

Chop wood carry water... Mind your own business.. is only one type of guideline...

To each his own.


""He was angry that Lennon would preach love and peace but yet have millions [of dollars]," said his wife Gloria. Chapman later reported that "He told us to imagine no possessions, and there he was, with millions of dollars and yachts and farms and country estates, laughing at people like me who had believed the lies and bought the records and built a big part of their lives around his music." "

बोधि Bodhi

Yes...
It's an AOL problem.

The Moderators.