26 Jul 2009
An interesting discussion about the monotheistic God and the place of the Ten Commandments in today's society by Christopher Hitchins at the Royal Ontario Museum. (Click link for pocast).
It has a long introduction but comes out with a good point that ... to order to love someone who you also have to fear has to be sado-masochism ... not being enough to "obey", a religion in which you have to love the obeisance or the one you fear is very bad for individuals.
Hitchins also makes the joke that "shepherds" (religious leaders) do not "protect their flock", they fleece them all their life (take money off them) and then send them to the slaughterhouse at the end. In English, to "fleece someone" means to rip off their money.
It is one of the interesting elements of Brahma Kumarism that they have incorporated elements of Judeo-Christian monotheism, making their god the one god of al religions and, in behind the sweet and loveful "Baba" he is now, constantly remind followers that he will be the wrathful God of Death and Judgement in front of whom ... with the assistant of the top 8 "successful" Brahma Kumaris ... we will all be judged and see punished as "sinful" and failed adherents.
Not just this God of Punishment and his 8 sidekicks ... but a God and sidekicks with powers of X-ray vision and psychic perception at a distance by which he and they are able to see any hidden sins and defects, and fly about the world in their 'ghost bodies' spying on local BK centers. (This refers to claims often made of Dadi Janki etc who are allegedly able to visit BK centers 'out of their bodies' and see who is attending Amrit Vela and so on).
If we look back to the original pictures of The Tree, it is interest to note the painting in of living BK adherents as these "successful" Top 8 panel of judgement. An image which must have had deep impact upon the minds of the simple Om Mandli women and children and superimposed their unquestionable position of authority within the BK hierarchy. Not just the Top 8 "Jewels" of the Brahma Kumari religion ... but of all humanity.
It has a long introduction but comes out with a good point that ... to order to love someone who you also have to fear has to be sado-masochism ... not being enough to "obey", a religion in which you have to love the obeisance or the one you fear is very bad for individuals.
Hitchins also makes the joke that "shepherds" (religious leaders) do not "protect their flock", they fleece them all their life (take money off them) and then send them to the slaughterhouse at the end. In English, to "fleece someone" means to rip off their money.
It is one of the interesting elements of Brahma Kumarism that they have incorporated elements of Judeo-Christian monotheism, making their god the one god of al religions and, in behind the sweet and loveful "Baba" he is now, constantly remind followers that he will be the wrathful God of Death and Judgement in front of whom ... with the assistant of the top 8 "successful" Brahma Kumaris ... we will all be judged and see punished as "sinful" and failed adherents.
Not just this God of Punishment and his 8 sidekicks ... but a God and sidekicks with powers of X-ray vision and psychic perception at a distance by which he and they are able to see any hidden sins and defects, and fly about the world in their 'ghost bodies' spying on local BK centers. (This refers to claims often made of Dadi Janki etc who are allegedly able to visit BK centers 'out of their bodies' and see who is attending Amrit Vela and so on).
If we look back to the original pictures of The Tree, it is interest to note the painting in of living BK adherents as these "successful" Top 8 panel of judgement. An image which must have had deep impact upon the minds of the simple Om Mandli women and children and superimposed their unquestionable position of authority within the BK hierarchy. Not just the Top 8 "Jewels" of the Brahma Kumari religion ... but of all humanity.