The two themes of this project has been “the end times”and the relationship between the Christian and the secular culture. Coming from the very secular country Sweden I could not help noticing how these two cultures tend to merge here in the south. The aesthetics and messages of Evangelical churches, and this subculture at large, has been one source of inspiration for me. Another is the author Flannery O´Connor and her cryptic, enigmatic stories on similar themes.
It was a political and religious cult called the Peoples Temple that was started by Jim Jones. Jim Jones was first an active KKK-member, then turned completely and began a struggle against racism. He met Father Divine (a legendary black pastor from Philadelphia) and was very inspired by his preaching as well as his control over the congregation. JJ founded the Peoples Temple in 1965 in Indianapolis. Later the church moved to San Francisco.
The church had from the start very positive engagements, such as working against segregation and racism, and they also did a lot of humanitarian work (soupkitchens, helping orphanage children). They were well respected in the community – as late as 1978, the year of the massacre, the famous politician Harvey Milk articulated his support for Jones – but ended up committing collective suicide costing 918 lives after moving to Guyana, South America.
There are many interesting and horrifying aspects of this cult.
- it wanted to do good to begin with. Had a visionary leader that seemed very generous and good. Jim Jones also had very good connections with respected politicians. He was well known and very appreciated. - Interesting mix of beliefs: Christianity & socialism. - Had control over so many (7500 people at one time) - Goes so far. They´re prepared to kill other people and themselves for a cause- socialism- nothing promising on the other side.
I believe it is a myth that only weak, confused people end up in cults. It is a process of socialization that happens gradually. The signs aren’t noticeable in the beginning. In the case of Jonestown the good deeds, the fellowship, and a charismatic leader. Even the leader has probably good intentions to begin with.
The reaction of society towards a radical group can in fact strengthen the tendencies to fanaticism. When threatened and encountering external critique the group grows tighter and is strengthened in their beliefs.
No faith, dogma, or political ideology is safe from ending up fanatic and can all go this far. The conclusion is usually that we need stricter laws and more control to prevent this from happening. But that could in extension mean making society more “sectarian” in not allowing anything that deviates from the norm. No system can guarantee absolute soundness. Does that mean that it is ultimately up to the individual?
Snakehanding belongs to a wider religious phenomena which involves taking high risks in the framework of religion.
Exists mostly in the United States, particularly in the Appalachian mountains.
While extreme, snakehandling is part of a more bodily, ecstatic form of religion. This type of religiosity tends to be more associated with the less economically well-of classes. In the west, physical and emotional expressions are often seen as crude, and upper-class religiosity is generally more intellectual and focused on dogma.
The article is about a mass protest in the United States on May 1st, 2006. More than three million ”illegal aliens” and supporters marched across cities in the U.S. hoping to change the strict immigration policies.
Comments.
- Interesting how they dared to march despite them being ”illegal” and that so many went through with it.
- Shocking that eleven million immigrants are living and working in the U.S under illegal circumstances.
- The whole system of immigration is absurd to me. The green card lottery! Even the idea that we actually have states that we belong to, and that there is nothing that can change that.
The essay concerns the Charitable choice-act that was passed by president George W Bush in 2001. It gave funding for religious charity organization, something the author sees as problematic. “As secular freedom yielded to religious freedom, a discursive shift occured so that the state a protector of freedom against religious authority became an instigator of freedom for religious authority”.
Bornstein also talks about how this act has an individualizing effect. “Charity is distributed through individuals not through civic groups. Government relies on charitable institutions to do the work of compassion”. She also discusses how it then is up to the individuals and not the government to take care of the problems and the damage that failed politics have created.
Comments: I find this very interesting and problematic. One problem I see with individual charity is that it has to be creative to attract attention. Like breast cancer events for example -”throw your bra”- type things that to me can become very tasteless. And people might only give to their certain interest instead of seeing the bigger picture and giving to those who actually need help the most.
Yet the other side of it is more like we have it in Sweden. The government “takes care of everything”, and we, the people, become comfterable and passive. Further, the government might be “wrong” in their choice of who needs charity the most.
Regarding religious vs. secular organisations there is defenetly a possibility that they will work towards other goals simulatneously as they do the charity, for instance religious conversion. Yet I think it also is important to remember that the other organizations are not completely neutral, they also have agendas or certain “beliefs”. (One can think about the World bank, who conditioned their credit to nations with a full acceptance of the liberal, capitalistic ideology.)
Rosicrucians is a secret society of mystics formed in medieval Germany. Between 1607 and 1616 two anonymous manifestos were published, Fama Fraternitatis RC and Confessio Fraternitatis. The manisfestos told the legend of a German doctor and mystic philosopher Christian Rosenkreuz who studied in the middle east under various masters and then gathered a small circle of friends and founded the order of the RC sometime in the 1400.
The modern groups who link themselves to Rosicrucian tradition can be devided into three categories: - Esoteric Christian Rosicrucian - Masonic Rosicrucian - Initiatory groups as the magical order Golden Dawn
According to the “Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis” it is ”not the thoughts of a single teacher or group, not a religion, dogma or single philosophy. It is knowledge”.
Through their teachings you ”gain knowledge of metaphysics, mysticism, philosophy, psychology, parapsychology and science not taught by conventional educational systems or traditional religions”.
They promise a life change and amazing results:
”Imagine having the ability to actualise your highest potential in all areas of life including family and social relationships, career, health and personal development. Imagine developing greater creativity and discipline to overcome life’s problems. Imagine setting a new course for your future; one that promises to be more in line with who you really are and more fulfilling than anything you’ve previously experienced!”
Here is the knowledge they provide through home study lessons.
- a monastic community of men and women belonging to different Christian churches. - a monastic community seeking God in prayer, poverty, celibacy and obedience to the Gospel.
Started in 1965 by Enzo Bianchi. Now the community is made up of about 80 members, men and women from different denominations.
They live a simple life focused on prayer and work. They do gardenwork, ceramics, icon painting, carpentry, publishing and printing. Traditional monasteries are not always recognized as “creative communities”, but creativity is in fact a large part of their life together, exemplified in practices such as those mentioned above. Through their work they wish to serve the community and the local churches in their surrounding. Their community receives no financial assistance and lives entirely on what its members earn. It is open to and welcomes all visitors.
A day in the community starts at 4.30 for their personal reading of the scripture and prayer. At 6:00 there is the first of the three daily community prayers. From 7:00 to 8:00 they have an additional hour of silence to focus on prayer or spiritual reading. At 8:00 is the end of silence and work begins. They work until 12:00 and at 12:30 is the midday prayer. After that they eat lunch in silence with classical music. Work begins again at 2:00 until 5:00.At 6:30 the evening prayer begins. Dinner follows the prayer, with conversation. At 8:00 the grand silencio begins, a time for personal meditation and rest.
Visit at Golden Belt with Peter Eversoll (marcha forzada collective: 38 eyes x 57,436 steps) and Carole Baker (Mary: the paper doll project).
Some of the conversation that followed after the artists’ introductions was about how these two projects intertwined and if there were any similarities.
These were some of the suggestions:
- the forbidden. How crossing Mexico city is just something that you’re supposed to do or be able to do. Especially people from one part of the city should not walk around in another part where they don’t belong and how it’s prohibited to take pictures of certain areas in the city. Compared to the Madonnas that are considered sacred and should not be handled in that blasphemous way and art in itself that is almost also sacred by how it’s usually prohibited to touch it.
- the playfulness. Both projects have a playfulness to them. In the Madonnas it’s the play with dolls and that you’re supposed to move them around. In the march it’s the playfulness of the photographs; the themes, the objects portrayed and the way they’re displayed.
- pilgrimage/journey. Both have somewhat of a journey theme. The long walk through the city and the Madonnas who travel from different cultures and to different settings.
