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I was an incumbent participant at the "Twelve Tribes of Israel" group at Ithaca New York philosophy tuesday night sessions. This is very typical in the sense that member "given original Hebrew names", and I never got to meet who is the leader of that cult with its $10million rotted-hull yacht. But the price of join is typical for evangels, and I did investigate long enough to know whether I would have to forfeit my copy of Urantia Book. But there was a sincerity of the congregants to this cult. I did admire them choosing against technology but then later pity them because of the amalgamation protocol of the internet giants, the selection software, which they would use. I pity them because sociologically such activity promotes predominance of attitude ofer the core values of culture, which they out to have retained if they remains in the cult (They put wi-fi and put facebook laptop on the bar where I would drink Tea and Coffee, which worried me about the erosion of their core values.)
They had a little sandwich shop that I frequented while I lived there, and once I hear the "wrap artist" boldly declare, when challenged by an Elder "I am a vessel of the Holy Spirit." I said "Whoa! What a strong conviction and it is very reasonable!" But there is so much about the fascism of cults, and would I be able to trust its leader, you know the same way Nathanial asked "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Admission of all freudian warning signs, have at it if you want to deduce my own 'partial' interpretation of URantia Papers.
The reemphasis of "danger of cult" is one thing but then what about Corporate Cultures, and the similar protocols of loyalty for employees. What about culture per se and its core values, which lend to certain leadership. Sometimes the leadership of a culture wanes, and there is only one or a handful of leaders who "seek to preserve original identity", or progress et cetera. I think of persons like Martin Myers in the U. Foundation, trying to preserve the solvency of organisation but depopularized by those in that group who attempt to circumvent progress. In my opinion all URantia Book cults have been very unsuccessful historically and I am baffled by this. It means that person can great a computer programme faux profile to write prose in the Urantia Book Forum of truth book, while controversial opinion quickly dismissed. Or infiltrate via sowing of tares, similar things.
I will have to exonorate myself from ever pursuing the establishment of another congregation, which would be seen as a cult, since I do have delusions of grandeur, even once thinking that Adam (the original Adam rather than the ascending Urantia Adam) spoke to me, and I still cannot escape my delusion that one day I will seat on council of twenty four with John. haha! But at least I can admit how ridiculous it sounds even to my own rationale.
People who seek new congregation, often come out of dysfunctional family units and I would not disparage their honest attempts to find somethign better in their lifetimes.
Also, let me posit into consideration the confusion of cultural competition in the world today. It is easy to warrant suspicion against 'religious' cults, but there are many similar organisations, hierarchial loyalty structures, the "Cultures who constitute actual cults", remain unnoticed and continue our world's "value sacking" according to Chartres or as you say leadership. I would say, fine that you indeed pity the congregants of Gabriel' "Prince of Estate" cult. The Urantia Book posits several pointoids for the "advantages of dictatorship", after all. It is easy to dismiss Timothy McVeigh's argument for "taking matters into his own hands", since he in fact killed innocent persons, but not so with H. Feivel Grunspan who assassinated cult member before the "Crystal Night".
IF you are truly a faith son, then I would also consider that you are as "a member of a cult": the cult of cosmic citizenry however you want to call this. The cult of being led by "the spirit of the inner man", or the like (Adjuster). So there is a pattern which is not necessarily wrong, even perhaps a righteous organisation to certain cults. After all, the State of America presents the death of Waco Cult members as "caused by its leader Davida", rather than admitting that its own military had influence in "trying to kidnap" its congregants. The Urantia Papers continually defends the sancrosanctity of the nuclear family from the eventual world-state. I do not know exactly the intervening layers that Pastor has, in the administration servitude unto the families of His/Her Congregation. However a Church is like a family and a cult is like a family, and you are admonished not to "rip off the suture before a wound is healed" "to go slowly in the seraphic planetary government votive of progress." And for a military not to starve its own citizenry formation of barricade, which happened before the Waco cult was burnt. Or at least that was Timothy McVeigh's point, which arguably led him to become the domestic terrorist.
What you say about the "warning signs" of delusional maniac is the subjective behavioural analysis of a cult leader, post facto, whereas these traits might be identified as "Charisma", to those who are actually the cult's follower. At least there are several admonition found in Urantia Papers to warrant some type of humility or intellectual concessions here.
The URantia Papers favours "the Apostle" Paul over Abner. Do you disagree? Paul was a cult leader as well, together with his self-congratulatory declarations that he is a slave of Christ and the like. At least he helped to preserve the traditions of Jesus even though he distorts the edicts and could not possible have dealt with the spiritual concerns of his Christian congregants as Michael Creator Son.
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the how cannot be separated from the why, and the why cannot be separated from the who
Last edited by SEla_Kelly on Wed Jan 09, 2019 11:38 am +0000, edited 5 times in total.
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