by dissed 9 Replies latest jw friends
As strange and odd as this controlling cult is, it almost describes to a 'T' the WTS lead by Judge Rutherford from the 1920's. The WTS back then, that the now JW's DO NOT want anyone to know about.
Doomsday group? Narcistic leader? Totally controlling, having its members give their lives over to the group? Sound familiar? Then read on.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/12/17/20091217commune1217.html
They are weird, definitely a religious cult. But what I read sounds more like a blur between the founding of Mormonism and the beliefs of Scientology.
Members of the GCCA believe that emissaries from outer space gave mankind a revelation known as the Urantia Book, which explains the nature of God, the history of creation and man's purpose.
The scripture dates to the 1930s, when a Chicago psychiatrist purportedly transcribed 2,097 pages of celestial messages. According to the teachings, Earth (known in other universes as "Urantia") is one of 10 million inhabited planets; Jesus Christ has appeared as a savior in 611,121 universes.
The Arizona group goes beyond those teachings to say that Gabriel of Urantia is a channeler who has resumed contact with supernatural space beings. Gabriel refers to himself as the "planetary prince" who will reign after an onslaught of war and catastrophe.
Real-estate records show GCCA owns at least 20 parcels in Yavapai and Santa Cruz counties with a combined 2009 value over $10 million. That includes shops and a ranch with five houses in Tubac, about 50 miles south of Tucson.
According to Gabriel's autobiography, "The Divine New Order," Delevin attended Duquesne University in the 1960s and joined the Roman Catholic charismatic movement before becoming a street minister in Tucson.
In 1987, while camping in the Superstition Mountains, Gabriel says he had his first close encounter of a third kind: a celestial being, Paladin the Finaliter, who claimed to be in charge of 3,000 spaceships waiting to rescue true believers from the Earth.
"You are needed to help us prepare for the evacuation," Paladin announced, according to the autobiography. "It will not be an easy task. . . . You will be called a fraud and a deceiver."
In writings and online interviews, Gabriel claims to have been Peter the Apostle, an Apache chief, Alexander the Great, an African warrior-slave, Martin Luther and George Washington in past lives.
When "planetary headquarters" was in Sedona, Gabriel wrote, it was common "to see smaller spacecraft land, bringing representatives of Christ Michael (Jesus) in human form who walked about the land with me."
"Jesus Christ has appeared as a savior in 611,121 universes."
Not to blaspheme our Lord, but damn, sucks to be him.
Do they wear black pajamas and tennis shoes? Have a special connection with the Hale-Bopp comet?
Feel that they are knockin on heaven's door?
The scripture dates to the 1930s, when a Chicago psychiatrist purportedly transcribed 2,097 pages of celestial messages. According to the teachings, Earth (known in other universes as "Urantia") is one of 10 million inhabited planets; Jesus Christ has appeared as a savior in 611,121 universes.
Sounds like string theory.
I'm sorry I couldn't find the San Diego article from the 1920's that was posted here before about Cali cults.
It compared several cult groups from California with the Judges WT being the wierdest. Building a mansion in San Diego, waiting for the ones from old to be resurected and rule the world by Rutherfords side, while he lives with his mistress getting drunk all the time, etc....
On a weirdnest level, this group from Tubac compared strongly to the 1920's WTS in San Diego, no?
"You can't change history, but we can sure as much sweep it under the rug, discredit those who try expose us, and make up something new to fool the faithful" - Something dissed made up, that sounds like something the GB would say behind closed doors
Well, CTZ led a cult-splinter from Adventists similar to this cult-splinter of Urantia (though Urantia really doesn't have the organization of Adventists of the time), so that's similar.
The shunning is more to the tune of later JWism rather than CTZ's initial teachings.
But OTWO is probably right about it being more similar to Scientology in administration.
Try the "House of David". They were a Messianic Cult that centered their membership in the Benton Harbor MI area and were at a peak during the 20's and 30's.
The House members were celibate for the most part... and died out. There are still a few very old members and a few converts (who are pretty old to) still associated with the faction in the Benton Harbor area. The men were know for long hair and beards... LONG HAIR AND LONG BEARDS... the cult members were vegetarians.
The House had a touring Pro baseball team, a big band, ran one of the first sucessful theme parks in the USA and ran large holding of timber and farm land to produce income. The original group was a Husband wife tag team... they has a division at some point and Mary took over a large segment of the holdings as a separate entity.
When Purcell died they kept his body in a glass coffin in the middle of the complex for several years. I don't know if they ever buried it. That part of the compound was near the Amusment Park and Beer Garden .., and those venues closed up in the mid 1960's.
When Purcell died they kept his body in a glass coffin
Was it guarded by 7 dwarfs?
Interesting that they have hospice and psychological services when there are only 100 members. I believe that to be a little clue about the members.
