Born Free
15th June 2006, 04:25 PM
I don't recall whether I have shared this checklist by Sam Keen from his book - Hymns to an Unknown God. which I strongly recommend for PostMos.
Check it out against that illustrious organisation which so many here have outgrown!
· Be careful of charismatic leaders, unquestioned authorities, enlightened masters, perfect gurus, reincarnated teachers, and therapists who claim to have discovered the only valid therapy.
· Avoid authorities that offer a universal blueprint for salvation or a map for your spiritual pilgrimage.
· Be wary of anyone who fascinates, captivates and overwhelms.
· Avoid anyone who demands obedience. Obedience is a virtue for children and a civic obligation, but not a good way to spiritual maturity.
· Look carefully at a spiritual teacher’s personal life. Does he or she deal with money, power, and sex in an open and admirable manner? Spiritual leaders should be held accountable.
· Check to see if the spiritual leader has friends, peer relationships, and a community of equals, or only disciples. I distrust anyone who claims to have achieved universal compassion but lacks the capacity for simple friendship.
· Observe whether difference of opinion, challenge, criticism, and discussion are encouraged or discouraged.
· Do not commit yourself to any leader or group that demands that you place loyalty to them higher that your loyalty to your mate, your family, or your friends.
· Reject immediately any leader or religion that identifies the homeland with the holy land, the folks with the people of God, the enemy with the evil empire. If narcissism is micro-idolatry, then nationalism is macro- idolatry.
· Test how much humour and poking of fun about beliefs, slogans, and dogmas is permitted. The absence of humour is an almost certain sign of psychological rigidity, fanaticism, and impending spiritual and political tyranny.
So the question for today is "Were you, like mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed on BS?"
Daryl
Check it out against that illustrious organisation which so many here have outgrown!
· Be careful of charismatic leaders, unquestioned authorities, enlightened masters, perfect gurus, reincarnated teachers, and therapists who claim to have discovered the only valid therapy.
· Avoid authorities that offer a universal blueprint for salvation or a map for your spiritual pilgrimage.
· Be wary of anyone who fascinates, captivates and overwhelms.
· Avoid anyone who demands obedience. Obedience is a virtue for children and a civic obligation, but not a good way to spiritual maturity.
· Look carefully at a spiritual teacher’s personal life. Does he or she deal with money, power, and sex in an open and admirable manner? Spiritual leaders should be held accountable.
· Check to see if the spiritual leader has friends, peer relationships, and a community of equals, or only disciples. I distrust anyone who claims to have achieved universal compassion but lacks the capacity for simple friendship.
· Observe whether difference of opinion, challenge, criticism, and discussion are encouraged or discouraged.
· Do not commit yourself to any leader or group that demands that you place loyalty to them higher that your loyalty to your mate, your family, or your friends.
· Reject immediately any leader or religion that identifies the homeland with the holy land, the folks with the people of God, the enemy with the evil empire. If narcissism is micro-idolatry, then nationalism is macro- idolatry.
· Test how much humour and poking of fun about beliefs, slogans, and dogmas is permitted. The absence of humour is an almost certain sign of psychological rigidity, fanaticism, and impending spiritual and political tyranny.
So the question for today is "Were you, like mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed on BS?"
Daryl