Lev Tahor, Israel, Child Abuse, Doomsday Groups, The Order of the Solar Temple, Podcast, Transcendental Meditation, Daati Maharaj, Covid-19, Shincheonji, The Prophet And The Space Aliens
Yeshiva World News: Lev Tahor Cult School Principal Indicted In Jerusalem For Child Abuse
"On Tuesday, in the Jerusalem District Court, an indictment was filed against Elazar Rompler for child abuse. Rompler served as a school principal in Canada for the Lev Tahor cult and is charged with mentally and physically abusing at least two children, ages 8 and 9 respectively between the years of 2009-2011. Rompler, 46, held his position before the group fled from Canada to Guatemala in 2014.The children in question, were children who belonged to the cult and were under his tutelage. In one case Rompler allegedly had a child stripped, tied up, and beaten with a stick for several hours over suspicions that the child stole money from a tzedaka box.
He is also accused of instructing other teachers to hold a child down and beat the child repeatedly for allegedly lying."
Global News CA: History of the '90s podcast: Doomsday cults
The Print: Self-styled 'godman' Daati Maharaj booked for holding religious event in south Delhi temple
Screen International: 'The Prophet And The Space Aliens': Thessaloniki Review
"History of the '90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks at the doomsday cults and their rise to infamy in the years leading up to the new millennium.
During the 1990s, the world began to seem more dangerous, with war, environmental destruction and social breakdown becoming part of the everyday fabric of society.As a way of coping, some people turned to new religions and cults for guidance and support. In some cases, that decision yielded deadly consequences.
In part one, we uncover the little-known story of The Order of the Solar Temple. The religious sect had branches in Canada, Switzerland and France and its members included politicians, journalists, executives and police officers. We'll look at how members hoping to start a new life instead found horrific and tragic ends."
"Transcendental Meditation is presented as a secular practice that has no religious affiliation. As a former teacher of TM, I can attest that the truth is the complete opposite.THE PUJA — AN ANCIENT HINDU RITUALA puja is an ancient Hindu ritual or ceremonial worship service, one purpose of which is to create a channel of transmission from a Hindu god to the one performing or participating in the puja ceremony. Objects of worship can be various Hindu deities or gurus who are believed to embody the divine. While Maharishi seems to have made his up, there are many variations of pujas, but they all essentially have the same function.In the puja, offerings are made to the object of devotion, often represented by a painting or an idol, to earn his love and blessings. The offerings — usually fruit, candles, incense, flowers — symbolize surrendering one's mind, body, thoughts, desires, actions, and possessions to divine beings or gurus and enjoying whatever may come back as a gift from them.The deity or guru whose image is worshipped in the puja is considered a living incarnation of the deity. They are treated as if the deity has descended from above and actually inhabits the image."
The Print: Self-styled 'godman' Daati Maharaj booked for holding religious event in south Delhi temple
"The Delhi Police Saturday registered a case against a self-styled godman, Daati Maharaj, and his accomplices for allegedly holding a religious gathering and violating government guidelines on Covid-19 lockdown.
The gathering held at Shani Dham temple in south Delhi's Mehrauli area Friday was attended by over 30 people, most of whom were not wearing masks.
As pictures and videos of the gathering started circulating, some of which were posted on social media by the participants, Delhi Police took suo-motu cognisance and registered a case against Maharaj. He has not yet been arrested.
"Some photographs of a ceremony at Shani Dham mandir Asola were circulated on social media, wherein the social distancing norms were not being followed and a religious congregation was organised in contravention of the lockdown guidelines," Atul Thakur, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Delhi, told ThePrint.
"The godman opened the temple and by doing that he has committed offences under sections of IPC, Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Diseases Act. A case has been registered and investigation initiated," he added.
This is not Daati Maharaj's first brush with the law. He is also an accused in a case of rape and unnatural sex.
In 2016, he was booked for allegedly raping a 25-year-old woman. A case in the matter was registered in 2018 and was then transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Along with two others, he was charge-sheeted in the case. Maharaj is currently out on bail."
"Prosecutors in South Korea raided facilities nationwide belonging to the Shincheonji religious sect, of which mass gatherings are suspected of having caused a COVID-19 outbreak in the southeastern city of Daegu and surrounding regions.Some 100 prosecutors and investigators from the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office began the search and seizure at the sect's headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, as well as its branch offices in Busan, Gwangju and Daejeon, early Friday.Residences and offices of sect leader Lee Man-hee and executives were also included in the raid."
Screen International: 'The Prophet And The Space Aliens': Thessaloniki Review
"A study of religion and true believers, The Prophet And The Space Aliens takes a thoughtful approach to what could potentially be a satiric premise, in which a documentary filmmaker spends time with a self-styled spiritual leader who insists that humanity was created by aliens. Israeli director Yoav Shamir introduces us to Rael, a kindly sexagenarian prophet with a fascinating backstory and some bizarre views. (He'll happily tell you about his travels to another planet.) But rather than poke fun, the film ponders why so many people worship higher powers — and how faith can be a way for individuals to find meaning in an otherwise incomprehensible existence.
The filmmaker may be a nonbeliever, but you could say he approaches this material in good faith.
The Prophet, which recently premiered at CPH:DOX, screens digitally as part of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. This film about Rael and his followers, appropriately called Raelians, has a breezy, accessible tone, making it an appealing programming option. Modest commercial prospects seem possible as well."
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Selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view in order to promote dialogue.
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