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Jun 22, 2012

Stone Pilgrimage

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This is how my mind works.  If you scare easily, stop reading now.

Ok, you are still reading….you must be a glutton for punishment.  There are many of you out there.

On Tuesday, June 19, I had the television on the History channel and they were showing a marathon of Ancient Alien Theory, a show I absolutely love.  Giorgio A. Tsoukalos is my favorite speaker on this show.  He has crazy man hair and likes it.

Giorgio A. Tsoukalos

I was listening to Giorgio talk about the Mayan calendar, extra-terrestrial life, UFOs, etc. and I was overcome with the desire to get my ass to Georgia to see the Georgia Guidestones.  I don’t remember how I first heard about the stones but last year I watched Brad Meltzer’s Decoded episode featuring them.   I also did a tremendous amount of research to make it part of my New Religious Movement final thesis.  My fictional religion was based on the Guidestones and Lady Gaga as a charismatic leader for the apocalyptic end of the world.

http://girlboxer1970.com/2012/01/01/lady-gaga-leader-of-the-church-of-ga/

Don’t be silly.  I don’t believe Lady Gaga is going to take over the world even if she has enough little monsters following her to do so.

I had previously looked into traveling by train to Georgia but that didn’t seem like an appropriate action.  I wanted to drive to Georgia in the worst way so I called for a car rental price.  That was a no go because I didn’t have a major credit card or a job and Dale could not rent a car for me to drive.  This was a very personal, spiritual trip that I wanted to take alone or possibly with my sister Suz.  She just started a new job so she wasn’t going to be able to travel.  With no way to legally rent a car, I decided I was going to take my 20 year old Honda Accord and travel in faith.

I planned to drive to Cummings, GA first (near Atlanta) and stay with Dale’s sister, Georgie.  In my duffel bag I had a pair of jeans, a nice blouse, a York College t-shirt, two pair of shorts, swimsuit and other essentials I expected to need.  Grabbed Ying’s dog food, my laptop, camera and cell and I walked out the door for Georgia at 1:30 PM without telling anyone.

A few hours into driving I texted Dale “I’ve got GA in my GPS!” and he responded “good!”  It wasn’t until he came home from work that he realized I meant I was driving at that moment.  My leaving without saying goodbye upset him and I completely understood why he was upset.  I explained that I believe God wanted me to leave right then.  I didn’t question myself with this belief and I didn’t want to give anyone the opportunity to question it.  There would be no one trying to talk me out of driving my car over 1,000 miles to see this granite monument if Ying and I just left.

At first it seemed like I was making great time.  I was passing through states quickly and my GPS (speaking in Spanish) gave an arrival time of 2:00 AM.  I drove straight through to South Carolina before I stopped at midnight at a rest area and fell asleep in my car.  Ying who had been napping the entire trip stood guard while I dozed.  I awoke at 6 AM seriously cramped from sleeping in a Honda Accord.  After a potty trip and some stretching, Ying and I hit the road.

We drove for about an hour and I couldn’t keep my eyes open.  At the next rest stop I pulled off again and slept until 8 AM.  I know the dangers of driving when you are so sleepy you can’t keep your eyes open.  Another hour of rest did me wonders and for the second time on Wednesday, we left for Georgia.

At noon I noticed Elberton had popped up on the GPS and suddenly driving to Cummings first was no longer an option.  I texted Dale I was going to the stones first, then to his sister’s house.  That didn’t happen either…

I didn’t know the road the stones were on so I just put Elberton into the GPS.  I saw the Georgia Guidestones on the hill before the GPS announced we were in Elberton.  There was a small sign noting the Guidestones location on Guidestone Road.  I had already passed the road so I turned around.  If you are not looking, the sign and the stones would easily be missed.

At first I felt giddy at finally reaching my destination 24 hours after leaving Pennsylvania. But as I drove up the gravel road, I was overcome with emotion.  This was not the reaction I had expected.  Tears were flowing out of my eyes and my nose was running so bad it grossed me out.  I had no tissues or napkins left in the car so I opted for my York College t-shirt.  I couldn’t get out of my car at first, even after all that driving.

After making a video with Ying full of crying, blubbering and probably not making much sense, I exited my car and headed to the stones.  There were other people there also.  Two men appeared to be making a documentary and were interviewing another man.  I didn’t pay much attention to them as I walked towards the stones.  When I came around to the English inscription and read it in person, touching the granite, I lost it again.

The documentary guys had finished talking to the other man and now they were apparently watching me.  I have no idea who they were and their white passenger van gave no clues to their business.  No one else got out of the van even though I could see the outline of other people through the tinted windows.

The tears were really rolling while I leaned on that granite stone trying to grasp what all it meant for the future of the world.  I tried to get a grip but it was pointless so I just bawled like a baby.  I could hear the man with the video saying, “Now tell me people don’t believe what these stones say?  There is a woman weeping on the monument and that is proof of belief.”  How the hell did I wind up in this man’s video about the Georgia Guidestones?  Neither man tried to speak to me and I was pleased.  I didn’t drive there to have some religious debate or discuss my personal beliefs.  That’s what I have a blog for.

Engraved on the stones:

A message consisting of a set of ten guidelines or principles is engraved on the Georgia Guidestones in eight different languages, one language on each face of the four large upright stones. Moving clockwise around the structure from due north, these languages are: English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, andRussian.

  1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
  2. Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity.
  3. Unite humanity with a living new language.
  4. Rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason.
  5. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
  6. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
  7. Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
  8. Balance personal rights with social duties.
  9. Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite.
  10. Be not a cancer on the earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature.

So why was I crying?  Relief.  I felt a huge relief.  Maybe because my car made it and that was my goal.  No, that’s not why.  I cried because I am saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.  When I read on these huge tablets that the population of the Earth will be reduced to 500 million people I interpret that as the apocalypse that is written about in the Bible.  I’m not going to be one of the people left behind.  On December 21, 2012 the Mayan calendar ends.  What do a bunch of Mayan people know?  I’m thinking they knew more about the Heavens then we will ever learn before the end of times.  They didn’t just run out of rocks so there must be a reason the calendar ends on that day.  I was at the Mayan ruins and there was no shortage of stones.

My religious beliefs are out there.  I was raised in the Lutheran faith and I’m thankful for that.  I learned all the Bible stories, went to Sunday school and VBS over the summers.  I memorized the Lord’s Prayer, the Nicene Creed, Bible verses and songs.  I believe what it says in the Bible.  It’s not some fictional book full of crazy stories.  It’s a non-fiction book full of crazy stories.  All of the stories revolving around an alien named God who decided to create Earth and everything on it.

There were many people who came to see the stones in the 45 minutes I was there.  I could tell by watching them who knew what the stones were all about and who was getting a shock by way of huge, granite tablets that day.  Some were outraged and stated it was someone with money who wanted to cause a stir.  That theory doesn’t work for me.  The land had to be purchased, the monument drawn up on blueprints, and then taken to the granite company to be made and placed.  This all happened in 1979-1980 so if the goal was just to stir things up in the world, it was a complete failure.  Even in Georgia, people had no idea what I was talking about.  Dale’s sister Georgie lives less than 2 hours from the monument and had never heard about it.

It was hot on that hill and there was no shade available other than standing under the capstone of the monument.  Ying had crawled under my car to get out of the sun.  I would have left the car run if I had air-conditioning but that took a shit back when the car was still my brother Sam’s.  This trip has reminded me how luxurious cooled air is.  I texted Dale I was leaving the stones and coming home.  He asked why and I wrote back, “I saw what I came to see in GA.”  I pushed the home button on my GPS and was headed back to Pennsylvania.

My faith in God is stronger than it has ever been and I am thankful he watched over me on my pilgrimage to see the Georgia Guidestones.  ~P.

Want to read more about the Guidestones and why people feel the need to do this?

Click here  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones

Filed Under: Religion, Road Trips · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,
Sep 29, 2011

Defining Cults and NRMs

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What is a CULT versus a New Religious Movement?

New Religious Movements can be defined as religions that society considers non-conventional.  Through-out history, religious groups were developed by means of tradition and followed a religious rational.  The NRMs are formed by people wanting to leave traditional faiths behind in order to develop or follow a new religion.  New movements are developedbecause of people’s desire to view themselves or society in a new way.
(Beckford p. 26-27, Weber p. 46)

A religion’s legitimacy may be based on legal, traditional or charismatic
grounds.  Well known religious groups such as the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christian Scientists at their beginnings, were labeled “emergent or alternative religions” and were grouped with “sects, cults, and psychogroups.”(Beck p. 26, Weber p. 46, Daschke & Ashcraft p. 1-2)

Legal recognition has been achieved by past religious movements by collecting and
paying taxes and requiring military service. Because the public fears what they cannot see, NRMs are encouraged to send their children to public schools and have an open door policy concerning their religious services.  Also lessening the wariness of concern is NRMs that do not proclaim the ability to miraculously cure sickness and disease. (Beckford p. 28)  By following these guidelines NRMs are shown a greater tolerance than
those religious movements that seek shelter from the public eye.

Emerging religions distinctly differ from traditional grounds of legitimacy.  Through traditional grounds, obedience is to the person who occupies a position bound by tradition.  (Weber p. 46)  The authority is placed in the position and not the person.  (Dawson Crises p. 81) Examples of traditional grounds of authority would be the Pope, cardinals and the Dahlia Lama.  NRMs seek to create a new “religious world”
by manufacturing a revised version of history, offering new ideals, habitation,
objects of authority and communication. (D&A p. 10-13)  They are formed on adaptations of traditional religions to satisfy people’s wish to view society and the world by
untraditional means.  (Dawson Comprehending p.60)

A common characteristic NRMs share is a charismatic leader.  People are drawn to a person who has charisma and the leader uses this natural ability to attract and gain followers.  Because “charisma can only be awakened and tested, and cannot be learned or taught” the leader is believed to be chosen by a higher power for their position.
(Weber p. 58)  Leaders of this type tend to be volatile and in essence, cause their institutions to be unstable.  It is necessary for the leader to carefully balance their actions to establish and reinforce their authority.  (Dawson Crises p. 85)

Daschke and Ashcraft compared NRM to earthquakes in their book.  It is an excellent way to view religion as a whole because all religions were formed in this fashion.  There was a sudden shaking by an idea or belief and that caused a reaction and this was the ground-breaking period of a religious moment.  Five typologies were introduced to define the qualities of religious groups.

A “new understanding” is formed, opening or awakening people to new thought.  People
tend to live life focusing on the negative aspects they have encountered.  A promise of a better life through religion can be an attractive offer.  A future of harmony in the spiritual life, free of errors they made while on earth, is available.  This life is available to
anyone, at anytime, by simply accepting this new understanding.  A NRM may seek out the young, mentally impaired, low income, troubled or isolated people offering a solution to their miserable existence. (Dawson Comprehending p.49, 61)  A charismatic leader could use charm to recruit members by making them feel “special” or chosen to receive this chance at a new perspective on life.

The second typology was “new self” that lends human-beings to seek growth as a new
type of person.  A person who desires to remove the negativity from their life and forgive themselves for their mistakes has to let go of the “old self” from the past and be able to focus on their future.  With the goal of spiritual perfection, humans develop their faith in a therapeutic way, learning as they grow, to become better people.  The followers of a faith offer support, education and release of past suffering.  A NRM gains credibility as
people shed their old ways and grow into their new selves.  Testimony of followers to new recruits will focus on how this movement has greatly improved the quality of their life.

Followers who leave the group may cause problems as inside information is passed on to
“outsiders” causing the charismatic leaders authority to become unbalanced and
questioned.  This may lead to violent behavior by the leader and/or the group’s members.  The leader may choose to relocate to a more secluded area causing tension within the group.  Outside pressure from anti-cult groups always cause turmoil within NRMs.  (Bromley p. 1,2,5,7)

The third typology was the offering of a “new family” setting.  The world is full of unhappy families.  A person who is miserable with the family they were born into may find a “new family’ highly appealing.  These “new families” may replace a person’s nuclear family. In exchanging a traditional family for fellow members of a religion, a new type of family structure is developed creating a greater sense of community. (Dawson Comprehending p. 51)  The leader of the group may be viewed as a mother or father figure,
fellow members as brothers and sisters and the young as “everyone’s children”
completing the new family setting.

The fourth typology was a “new society” for the newly formed families.  By gathering all the families in one place, a society is formed encompassing the accepted social and moral values of the group.  The group focuses on improving their society’s quality of life as a whole and working to develop it to perfection.  Pamphlets proclaiming the
“miracle” of The Peoples Temple, distributed by leader Jones, described family
life as a rare opportunity for “deep relationships” to all who joined them in
Jonestown. (Smith p. 116)  The desire to achieve a utopian life on earth is powerful in motivating the religious followers to uphold high ethical standards and social relations.  This can cause the group to appear zealous during and after seeking new members into their society.

Encompassing the first four typologies was the fifth, a “new world.” This will be the
apocalyptic transformation of the earth.  The followers of a religious movement view this as the final step of their faith.  Judgment is passed on human-kind and for those who believed in and understood the previous four typologies; their reward would be an ever-lasting life either on Earth or in heaven.  This “end of time” scenario is believed to be
the moment when the good people are sorted from the evil.  NRMs have made the error of announcing the day the world will end.  When the Day of Judgment passes with no changes on earth, the followers of this leader feel doubt.

The definition of NRMs as “alternative religions” seems vague, but applying
religion to Daschke and Ashcraft’s typologies does clarify how and why new
religions are formed.  The drawback to these typologies could be misunderstanding or misinterpreting their meanings.  NRMs that have questionable recruiting methods or membership guidelines will continue to exist.  Using these typologies while studying
religions can be a guide in understanding NRMs.

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