I have just started reading 'Spying in Guru Land: Inside

There's a guy downtown that my friends and I call the prophet. The first time we saw him he was in a purple African robe with a bunch of bibles and quorans spread out on a mat he had layed out. We didn't hear much of his sermon but he one thing I remember he said was "and in the the time of revelation people like me are gonna be killing people like you." The second time we were downtown in January and it was really cold so we stopped by a trash can fire with some vagrants around it to warm up. We saw the prophet and he had a following of homeless and women dressed like a weird muslim-amish hybrid. One of my friends made a joke and this short ginger guy with a beard, obviously homeless, turns on us and starts screaming "don't ever insult the prophet!" at me. The third time was a few weeks ago. I was put with my two friends and we walked into the area and he was on a platform with a following of 20 or so people all in Islam style white robes and he was preaching about killing non believers. He called Muhammad a prophet and Jesus the son of God

Do you know anything about this cult?

>>19278316

There's a nearby Mason lodge.

They're a cult, right?

>>19280233
Nothing aside from the fact that they're teaching violence and some odd Muslim protestant hybrid religion. And he targets the homeless.

>>19279662

lol Homeless cult, now that's new.

>>19279662
What city if you don't mind me asking?

>>19281042
Its not new at all. Look it up

>>19282817
Knoxville, Tennessee.

http://www.mariemont.com/gladstone-community-religious-group/

http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/houses-of-the-holy/

The Gladstone Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio

From what I've read they look like a cult.
>Leader claimed vision of world's end, he was sent from God, ect
>Members all live in houses together, multiple people per room
>Buying up houses/small businesses in the neighborhood around church
>Lot's of grievances from ex-members and the surrounding neighborhoods

Also the leader led some kind of vampire group in high school and believed he was a vamp or some gay shit.

I don't know though I came into this thread because I'm reading a book on cults as well. The guy in it says the only thing that separates cults from regular groups for him is if deceit is used. There's been crazy religious groups in the past where leaders firmly believed they were the messiah or doing good. Even Jim Jones started out by actually doing good work in his community.

>>19278316
There's a cult of Hare Krishnas in Hawaii that's probably the most visible cult around (aside from arguably Mormons). Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is a prominent member, and they have deep roots in the island's local political scene.

>>19287050
I thought the Hawaiians were saivites

>>19287779
It's mostly white hippies. The "guru" of the cult is a white dude named Chris Butler who doesn't know about actual Hinduism.

Native Hawaiians tend towards Congregationalism or, increasingly, a revised brand of the polytheistic Hawaiian religion.

In terms of everyone else, Buddhism is the 2nd most popular religion in the island after Christianity, with Jodo Shinshu being by far the most popular brand.

>>19288434
>a white dude named Chris Butler who doesn't know about actual Hinduism

Nothing in what he writes says to me he doesn't understand bhakti yoga. What makes you say he "doesn't know about actual Hinduism?"

>>19288591
I grew up around practicing Hindus in Hawaii, and they always found him and his disciples to be a very bizarre perversion of their beliefs.

>>19288608
You are aware that Hinduism encompasses multiple traditions and beliefs, yes? That there are long-lasting rivalries within it, and schools of thought that are completely contradictory?

Do you know what the people you knew were practicing, besides calling it "Hinduism?" Would you accept this explanation from Catholics viewing Protestants? That they are practicing Christians, and these other people have a bizzare perversion? Or Jews viewing all of Christianity? Or Zoroastrians? Are Buddhists also following a bizarre and twisted form of Hinduism?

>>19288622
I'm talking about "fellow" Vaishnavists, but admittedly from more traditional branches so they wouldn't see eye to eye on doctrine.

But doctrine was never the problem with them. The problem is that Butler's cult brainwashes kids and has a very restrictive policy on education and leaving the cult. No matter what his writings say, the structure of their organization is designed to promote obedience, not a thoughtful appreciation of the spiritual.

>>19288434
Siddhasvarupananda is definitely an illegitimate representative of Gaudiya vaishnavism

File: Zeus, Market Square, Knoxville, June 18, 2010.jpg (146KB, 956x873px) Image search: [Google]

146KB, 956x873px

>>19279662
Is this the prophet?

>>19289657
Nope. He's a light skinned, possibly mixed, black guy.

I think these dummies have a church or whatever they call it nearby https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%27%C3%AD_Faith

>>19288639
>Butler's cult brainwashes kids
If he is teaching children of parents who do not wish for their children to be raised in this way, then I agree that is very harmful and should be stopped. Other than that, "brainwashing" just means "you aren't raising them in the right culture."

>a very restrictive policy on education and leaving the cult
I agree this is harmful as well.

>No matter what his writings say
That's fine, but surely you can see how with only these quotes to go on, it was likely that you were attacking what he taught rather than the structure of his cult.

>a white dude named Chris Butler who doesn't know about actual Hinduism
>they always found him and his disciples to be a very bizarre perversion of their beliefs

These are references to knowledge and belief. Why did you not start with a critique of his organizational structure?

>the structure of their organization is designed to promote obedience
That's a good thing. Bhakti yoga is ABOUT obedience. The problem is if he has mutated the teachings to be obedience to him instead of to guru and Krishna. I don't see evidence of that in his writings, though.

>>19288644
What makes you say that?

I'm close to the Temple of Eckenkar

>>19290249
>What makes you say that?

His main offense was initiating devotees while his guru maharaja Srila Prabhupad was still on the planet. This is totally against Vaishnava edicit. His wearing of western clothing and self title of "jagad guru" is also suspect

>>19290382
>His main offense was initiating devotees while his guru maharaja Srila Prabhupad was still on the planet.
The bios I've been reading state the exact opposite. That he always sent students to Srila Prabhupada for initiation while he was still present on Earth. If this is the case, however, I would agree without approval from his guru (such as when Bhaktivinode Thakur instructed his son to take initiation from his disciple Gaura Kishore Das Babaji) this would be the height of insult.

>wearing of western clothing
This is a material non-issue IMO. Personally I prefer those presenting themselves as experts in Gaudiya Vaishnavism to wear the traditional clothing. Yet to see a lack of this as a mark of illegitimacy is to focus too much on outward appearance.

>self title of "jagad guru" is also suspect
Suspect, I agree, but A.C. Bhaktivedanta's Swami's adoption of "Srila Prabhupada" was also suspect considering that is the name he and his godbrothers used for their own guru Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja. I feel declaring arrogance in others is a good way to reveal envy in myself.

>>19278316
None that I've heard of, but I remember meeting a guy at uni who sounded like he belonged to some kind of Christian sect cult. Seemed very brainwashed and fanatical, but I never inquired about it.