This doesn't look like a cult. It's a Halo Clan! Boring game, IMO. If you're going to make a cult based on a multiplayer video game, why not Counterstrike, or Star Wars Galaxies?
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

(dormant website) Here is a video of Butler bashing Christianity. Strong contradiction to their preaching efforts which are typically laced with Christianity and biblical references.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

True, unfortunately some of the more traditional aspects of Sanatan Dharma and Vaishavism are misconstrued by misogynistic individuals bent on exploiting women. Take a look at this lecture excerpt from Narayan Maharaj's splinter sect (IMO, just as bad as ISKCON). He demonstrates hypocritical viewpoints and a very sparse understanding of some of Sri Bhagavan's lilas. "Indian wive
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteIf they are so eager to spread 'godliness', bliss and liberation to the world why on earth do they not do so say in the middle-east, Iraq, Afganistan etc., where they are needed the most. In the end it is all about money and power. Any spiritual movement that is Hindu in origin is outlawed in the vast majority of Middle Eastern countries. Members of ISKCON and Transcendental Medi
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteHarikesh is living in Florida with his wife at the community outside of Gainesville. I have a few friends who know him fairly well and to the best of my knowlege he doen't have a lot of money. I believe it. Except this wasn't bought with his money. It was Krishna's money.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Go to the blacklist section of that website. Go to the link I gave you, then click "blacklist", and that will have the information you're seeking.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Greetings, I think the only ones out there with comprehensive gossip are some of the devotees themselves. Of all the factions and websites out there, I would say the PADA group (a rtvk faction at war with IRM and just about every mission out there) has more access to gossip than anyone on the internet. They even had a website which has gossip on each and every guru in ISKCON, but I forg
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Watch Episode 70 of Star Trek Classic series, and it will all make sense. -- This poster is not a professional of any kind.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Yes, and I also heard that Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is a secret disciple of ISKCON's Hridayananda Maharaj. They have all kinds of rumors about celebrities, which require lots of corroborating evidence if you don't have the celebrity admitting their affiliation. Matrix uses eastern conceptions of our world not being the true existence, but stops short right there. Ther
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

A few weeks ago, someone who boasted of having "a very high IQ" made a similar plan, but numerous people who know about LEC strongly discouraged it. Look for the thread yourself, they made good reasons.
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Has she been checked for schitzophrenia? (This post is not medical advice, but a question posed in a discussion forum dedicated to cults and related things)
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Several years ago, I was waiting at a bus stop right across the street of their main store near UH Manoa, and I saw this young man chanting on beads, and he was putting away an apron from the DTE health food store. So we started to talk, and he told me he used to live in New Jersey, until he met some disciple(s) of Chris Butler in NJ, then he came to Hawaii, and has been working in DTE since. He
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Hey Hope, good to hear from you again You wont find much information about Butler or Science of Identity Foundation (SIF) on the internet, they are low profile, ever since the loss of Tusta Krsna das, their public relations spokesman to cancer (late 1999), as well as some incident where IGVS (now BHAKTI) another ISKCON-like Krishna cult recruited their manager of the huge SIF center in the Phi
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I find your post very interesting. Here is a re-print of information about them that I've posted before. I've personally experienced SIF (the group of Chris Butler, AKA Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa, AKA "Prabhupad"), and I believe them to be even more cultic than ISKCON, although very secretive. Very little is known about SIF, and I've never seen an ex-
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

During the infancy of my move into eastern religion, I found myself affiliated to one guru for exactly one year. One year I met him, I saw his group for what it really was, a cult, set up with corporate efficiency to gather as much money and as many followers as possible. At first, the voice of reason was a small, recessive voice, but gradually, through mercy, I saw the hypocracy, and left. A
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Dropping a course feels like the wrong thing to do, but it saved me on numerous occasions. You did the right thing.
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I would be careful of attorneys and courts, too. If the cult has a strong presense in your area, they might have bought off a few people, even a judge or two. The cult may even hire a "connected" attorney to help the process for them. The important thing is, try to know as much about your own attorney and the opposing attorney as possible. Don't sign anything you are uncomfortab
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

QuoteEven as recently as 1998 one of the original eleven gurus appointed by our founder Prabhupada was removed due to problems he was experiencing on a personal level. Sadly, this is what became of the ISKCON funds entrusted to Harikesh Swami (Robert Campagnola); the funds received by both people who bought books from ISKCON devotees, and ISKCON devotees themselves: http://www.french-propert
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

'sadhu-sanga', 'sadhu-sanga' sarva-sastre kaya lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya "The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment's association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success." Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila 22.54 -- Too bad this doesn't exist in ISKCON (not for 26 years anyway) :(
Forum: Recovery from Destructive Cults and Groups

There was so much violence and oppression against Baha'i in Iran after 1979. This violence was also directed toward Iranians who had converted to Hindu based religions. Their perseverance is amazing. I've known Baha'i people over the years. I never felt that they were fanatical in any way. None of them ever tried to convert me. In fact, they seemed quite laid back. If there are
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

And finally, remember, these guys (fake gurus) are very good at what they do. I'm not at all convinced Prabhu das was insincere with the money issue and I will never know. He sure sounded sincere. I could drive myself crazy wondering but it won't do me any good at this point. I realize that this may very well be considered "necro-posting" but I just realized (heh 6 weeks la
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Your description of the situation sounds like a classic cult situation. Cults are not all UFO's and Indian meditation. Sometimes in the oldest institutions of organized religion, a cultish figure with charm will move in on their territory and take over a piece of land. If this is the Roman Catholic church, contact your cardinal. If the cardinal is weak too, then go over his head, to Vatic
Forum: Destructive Churches

In my experience, there appears to be nothing but stupid and lazy lawyers. I've met hundreds of lawyers in my time, and I would say 1-2 were diligent and ethical to the required standards, and the rest were just apathetic losers. You probably wont like my advice. Learn the law yourself. Become a pro-se litigant. The judge can't call a pro-se litigant into chambers and tell them to sh
Forum: Large Group Awareness Training, "Human Potential"

Unfortunately most of these gurus want you to give up your logic and trust them implicitly. If they want you to give up all sensibility at the expense of Shaivite dharma or Vaishnava dharma, or if they put your safety at risk, then they are meant to be rejected. Just because somebody calls themself a guru, and they have all these Indian followers in India, and a nice ashram, don't think
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Here is an article about Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev of Isha Foundation. Personally, I'm not sure what to make of them. I know very little about Shaivism, so I don't know what is their norm (I know a lot more about Vaishnavism, which is my creed). The fact that they charge a hefty fee for participating in their program and constantly peddle their wares during the programs really put me
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Greetings, One thing you need to understand is that although Rick Ross's database is most likely the biggest and most comprehensive cult database in the world, it would be impossible to name every cult in the world. First of all, you said this fellow who is supposed to be an Avatar of Hanuman has "only been a guru for one year". This is a relatively new movement, then. Also, the
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Greetings, Is there any significant record of destructive cults going to places like catholic churches, jewish synogogues, etc. to disturb people and make some attempt to get them to come to their cult? If so, what countermeasures were taken, and are there any laws against this? Thanks for any help!
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

I just thought of one thing you can try (I couldn't wait for my post to be approved and to edit that one :D ). Take your syllibus with that comment AND whatever evidence you have of his endorsement of that Scientology commission. See if you can find a psych professor in another university who is particularly vexed at scientology's denouncement of their practice, and send them all the m
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

Corboy nailed it right on the head. There is just one complication. If you write an anonymous letter, how do you know what's being done about this professor? You may very well spend days and god forbid WEEKS wondering whether or not the dean is doing something about this professor. It really depends on the college. If it's reputable, I'm sure the dean is taking it seriously. I'
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"