RUN, SPOT, RUN - it's a CULT

Probably the most hilarious item in SRF's FAILED "lawsuit" against us (funnier than that they had the nerve to file it in the first place) was a story of a person who didn't sign up for a class, supposedly because of this blog.

In their complaint, their story is something like this: An unnamed member of the public was at a unstated "church event" that occurred at an uncertain time and date and may possibly have taken place at SRF headquarters.

This unknown member of the public expressed interest in an unnamed class to an anonymous minister during a break in the unstated church event that happened at an undisclosed time. The complaint goes on to say that an unknown friend of the unnamed member of the public was conducting internet research on the Spiritual Rights Foundation at that exact unknown moment.

The complaint alleges that the unknown friend discovered from this blog, and only this blog that the Spiritual Rights Foundation was a cult and that the position of this blog on Google was so pervasive and prominent that not only was there no information from the Spiritual Rights Foundation available to any person conducting a search and this blog is the only source of information on the Spiritual Rights Foundation, despite Google displaying their website right above this one.

SRF went on to complain that the unknown friend, concerned about the information discovered in this blog at the exact moment that his unnamed member of the public friend was attending the undetermined church event (who's attendance the unknown friend was presumably unaware) coincidentally made a call to the unnamed member of the public during a break in the event. And also coincidentally, the unnamed member of the public happened to have his phone on his person, turned on and able to answer at that precise moment.

The content of the phone call was alleged to have been:
"Dude, it's a CULT! GET OUT OF THERE!"

After ending his call, the unnamed member of the public was said to have calmly and deliberately approached several anonymous ministers present, and explained to each the content of the call in exacting detail and that it would be his intent to withdraw his commitment to enter an unnamed class saying to each enigmatic minister that the only information available on the internet was that on this blog.

This unnamed member of the public then calmly walked to the front door with the anonymous ministers seeing him off and wishing him well.

I suppose that he also gave each of the anonymous ministers an undisclosed hug before giving a nameless hearty wave from the street.

If you were at a really strange church and received a call like that from your friend at the exact moment you would be available to take it (as unlikely as it would be) would you calmly explain to your captors in great detail the phone conversation you had, all the reasons you prefer to leave and explain in loving detail, all the items your friend found on this blog (and only this blog) and because of that information, and only because of that information, you would be unwilling to take their six week introductory class?

Or would you just get off your ass and run?

Or maybe, like many of us who still have a few brain cells huddling together for warmth, you can see how incredible, unlikely and absolutely absurd this story is in the first place?

There is an alternate theory, though.

One ex-member I spoke with recalled an event that occurred in an oddly similar manner to the SRF allegation.

This member of the public enrolled in an introductory meditation class and was attending the first class session of the six-week course.

This member of the public was a young man who was literally the only student in the class. He was new to all this psychic stuff and seemed a bit intimidated. The look on his face was said to tell the whole story: he was unsure about the new and unknown techniques and concepts.

The student looked somewhat nervous in the beginning of class. So, during the class, in a move that defied reason, the teacher looked him over and said something to the effect of "You are nervous because your girlfriend is sucking on your grounding cord, draining you of life force energy. She is the source of your spiritual problems because she is at a lower vibration. You need to get her out of your space."

Of course, this drove the student wild with fear.

At the class break, this student made a call (presumed to be to his girlfriend) and returned to class without disclosing the nature or contents of the call.

The following week, the student didn't show. And SRF never saw him again. And I would suppose SRF is angry because he stiffed them for the $150 class fee.

Now, during my decade at SRF and during the tenure of every devoted follower of SRF there were several people who enrolled in a class and attended only one or two before vanishing. It happened with regularity. So regularly, that we came to expect dropouts at every class session.

Was the allegation SRF made in its complaint truthful? Or was it a wild and elaborate exaggeration?

If you ask the faithful of the cult, you'll receive a surprised look and a stern response stating the unquestionable veracity of their statements, just before they beat you over the head with a copy of Bill Duby's book, "Cosmic Acid".

If you ask anyone outside the cult, they might tell you those tall tales have an odor like the chili you had for lunch - and the same effect on your stomach.

Does anyone have a similar story? How many people have you seen disappear after one or two classes? Did you ever expect certain people to drop out? And did you ever expect to see fewer people at the end of a class course than at the beginning?

Maybe SRF believes their style of teaching their concepts and beliefs is so engaging and powerfully compelling that everyone who enrolls will not only benefit but will be eager to learn more and more and more.

Everyone, that is, except those who read this blog. Maybe that's all I need to know that our word of warning and our side of the story carries weight in the minds of the seekers. Maybe SRF's story is getting harder and harder to believe.

SRF wants Joy and I to pay the $150 they "lost" because of that person's withdrawal. I'm tempted to do it. Think of the opportunity! For a mere 150 bucks, I would have a story of SRF's complete humiliation and utter defeat as described by the Spiritual Rights Foundation itself. It doesn't get better than that.

But, in fact, since the Spiritual Rights Foundation related that story in their legal pleading against us, it is now public record in the Superior Court of California, making it "privileged" and free to use. It's not copyrighted.  So anyone can print, copy or distribute that story anywhere legally.

The Spiritual Rights Foundation also claimed under penalty of perjury that the above story is true. So, since it's privileged and it's true (according to SRF) as well as free, I guess we can spread that story around as much as we want.

And boy, do we want.

But maybe I'll take pity on SRF's current financial straits and cough up $150 as a "goodwill offering" for all the laughs that story created.

Who do I make the check out to? How about I make it out to SRF's favorite charity instead? Now what was the name of that again? Isn't it located in the back yard on Ellsworth Street, behind the spa and sauna?