"Whose Fool Are You?"16 MAY 1979GP800

1. I'M A GURU, defined by the dictionary as a "spiritual teacher"—but otherwise commonly known as some kind of religious nut!—What kind of nut are you? I teach for a living—they call it "brainwashing."—What's your racket?—Whose dirty mind are you trying to change?

2. THEY CALL US A "CULT" OR A "SECT‚" which the dictionary says is any religious group, community‚ division or denomination—but today it means any crazy bunch of religious fanatics that just doesn't happen to belong to one of your major faiths, or anyone who differs or disagrees with you!

3. WHAT'S YOUR FAITH?—None of my business?—Well, neither is mine any of yours! What makes you so damn sure yours is better than ours?—Just because it has been around longer and there are more of you? Aren't you a bit bigoted, prejudiced and biased? "Oh!" but you say,

4. "THE CULTS AND SECTS ARE DANGEROUS!—Look at Jonestown!" Why not look at Masada where 2,000 Jews committed suicide and killed each other to escape from their enemies!—Does that make Judaism dangerous? "Oh, but the sects lead young people astray!"—What's "astray?"—Anything that's not your religion? "Yes, but they burn themselves to death and could even kill!"

5. YES, THE MAJOR RELIGIONS ARE DANGEROUS!—They burn whole cities, have fought long wars and murdered millions!—And they are right now slaughtering each other by the thousands in countries all over the globe! So why pick on us? Why don't you go after the major religions?—The ones who do the most damage!—They've done more damage than anybody! "Oh, but the sects are different!—They don't agree with the rest of us!"

6. TOO BAD WE'RE NOT JEWISH DISSIDENTS IN RUSSIA, or we'd be getting worldwide praise! They differ with other people too. "Oh, but you are communists or socialists or capitalists!" Well, if so, we've got lots of company!—What's your politics?—None of my business?—Then mine's none of yours! "Oh, but some young people have wasted the best years of their lives in your groups!" Is that so?—

7. THEN WHY DON'T YOU PICK ON THE CONVENTS AND THE MONASTERIES AND THE HOLY ORDERS and the political parties and the major religions and big business where most people have spent most of their lives and haven't considered them wasted, especially if they felt they were helping themselves or others! "Oh, yes‚ but the sects and the cults are bad and should be outlawed!"—Oh yes?—

8. THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO OUTLAW ALL OF THE MAJOR RELIGIONS, BECAUSE ALL OF THEM BEGAN AS SECTS AND CULTS!—What's any worse about our sect than yours? "Oh, but you're trying to change people's minds and get them under control!" Yeah?—Well what religion, political party or government isn't?—Or commercial enterprise?—Or Parent?—Or School?—Or Salesman?—Or Advertising Agency?—Or the propagandising media yourselves?—Most of you are trying to persuade somebody to accept your opinion!—Even husbands and wives!

9. "BUT YOU ENSLAVE PEOPLE, EXTORT MONEY FROM THEM AND LIVE IN LUXURY!"—That sounds more like governments, politicians, churches and big business!—So why don't you pick on them?—Why pick on us? Why do you big bullies keep picking on us little fellows?

10. WHY DON'T YOU PICK ON THE BIG OUTFITS?—Or maybe you are the big outfits and that's why you're picking on us?—You don't want any competition! Is that freedom and fair play? Or is it that you want everything your way with no dissenters and no opposition? "Those who forge chains for others are themselves the slaves of bigotry!"—Abraham Lincoln.

11. PERSONALLY‚ I'M SICK OF HEARING ABOUT THE CULTS AND THE SECTS AND HOW DANGEROUS THEY ARE!—AREN'T YOU?—THE ESTABLISHED SYSTEMS ARE FAR MORE DANGEROUS!—They're the ones you ought to watch out for! They're the ones who are oppressing you—not us! They're the ones who enslave you, tax you, start wars, drop atomic bombs, pollute and make a Hell–of–a-mess of the whole world! Why not go after them?

12. EVERYBODY IS SOMEBODY'S FOOL!—WE'RE FOOLS FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!—WHOSE FOOL ARE YOU? But you seem to enjoy publishing anything against the cults.—Do you dare to publish anything in their defense? We've heard enough from you jealous critics, disgruntled defectors and you hypocritical scribes and pharisees! Dare you let the public hear a voice in our behalf? Dare you be fair enough to let them hear something from the other side?

13. MOST PEOPLE ARE AT LEAST SORRY FOR THE UNDERDOGS!—Or do you relish seeing the little guy get the worst of it?—when the scales are already weighted so cruelly against him by the status quo!—Isn't this the height of intolerance, totalitarianism and a denial of human rights? Has the unjustly accused no right to self defense‚ and will you refuse to hear our side?

14. CAN THE ESTABLISHMENT BROOK NO DISSIDENTS? Are you determined to crush the dissenters? You'd better look at history and see what happens to every oppressor who persecutes the poor! Have we no human rights of dissent or difference or dissidence? Why must we all be like you? Why must you try to force us into your mold?—We're not forcing anybody into ours! But of course you don't believe that, do you?—Because you don't want to!

15. DO YOU WANT TO BELIEVE THE WORST ABOUT US BECAUSE YOU DON'T AGREE WITH US? Is your mind made up, so you'd rather not be confused with the facts? Isn't your media presenting a lopsided picture of things when you don't let your audience hear the other side? Is that freedom of speech‚ freedom of press, freedom of religion and freedom of human rights?

16. HAS THE MINORITY NO RIGHT TO DISAGREE with the majority? Is this then the dictatorship of the majority, and the minority has no rights to its own opinions and beliefs? Are you not then more guilty than we are of the things of which you accuse us?

17. WHO'S PUSHING THIS ANTI-CULTS CAMPAIGN?—when there is so much more important news, more serious problems and worthier causes in the world! Who's behind the "get the sects" drive? Maybe somebody should investigate you!! Remember the fate of tyrants!—And‚ "If this be treason, make the most of it! Give me liberty or give me death!"—Patrick Henry.

18. WHAT RIGHT HAVE YOU TO TELL ME I HAVE NO RIGHT TO MY OWN OPINION, and what right have you to forbid me to believe as I please?—This is informational and journalistic dictatorship! Why don't you go away and leave us alone? "To Hell with the cults"???—To Hell with you!!!

(—HAVE YOU GOT THE GUTS TO PUBLISH THIS?)

Moses David

—From Moses David‚ Founder of the Children of God!

19. P.S.—DON'T WORRY: WE WON'T HURT YOU!—And you can't hurt us anymore!—We've already disbanded!—I fired 300 leaders last year, and this year we all split!—So now what are you going to do about us?—Hunt us down to the last young mother and small child?—Which is about 80% of what's left!—Fire away!—Slaughter the innocents!—That's just like you—the God-damned established disorder!—Go to Hell where you belong!!—We're on our way to Heaven in spite of you!—Thank God!

—M.D.