Recently a character using the nick "Gopal Das" arrived on Usenet promoting
the new age cult known as Eckankar (a cult founded by Paul Twitchell in
the
late 60's). Incidentally, in Twitchell's fictional writings "Gopal Das"
was
a "Living ECK Master" in 3000 B.C., in Egypt near Luxor. It seems that
Twitchell, a hack writer and former Scientologist hired by L. Ron Hubbard
personally to be in charge of selecting articles on Scientology submitted
by
parishioners to be published in either Scientology publications or
elsewhere
as a testimony to the worth of Scientology, tried to emulate his mentor L.
Ron Hubbard in creating his own religion to make money. Also Paul
Twitchell
has written in his fiction that chanting the name "Gopal" can actually
transport one's inner, true self, i.e., Soul - to the Temple of Golden
Wisdom, where one can hear Gopal Das give lectures.
From Apologetics Index, here's a brief background into the Eckankar cult
(http://www.apologeticsindex.org/e13.html):
ECKANKAR
A New Age religion founded by Paul Twitchell, who led the group from
1965-1971. He was followed by Darwin Gross (1971-1981), and Harold Klemp
(1981-present). Leaders of Eckankar are called 'ECK Masters.'
ECKKANKAR was "born" (or brought into public view) in 1965. Its founder
and
formulator as Paul Twitchell ("Paulji"), who proclaimed himself the 971st
Living Eck Master - the living oracle of God ("Sugmad") - the "Mahanta"
for
this age. Twitchell was a dabbler in things mystical and occult, a former
Scientologist, initiate of the Kirpal Singh of the Ruhani Satsang branch
of
the Radhoasoami tradition on India, and excommunicated staffer of Swami
Premananda's Self-Revelation Church of Absolute Monism, an offshoot of the
Self-Realization Fellowship.
Sometime around 1960 Twitchell began to formulate the idea of founding his
own religion.
[...]
Twitchell claimed that he did not borrow ideas from any human source, but
experienced his own "God realization" in 1956 and was initiated by a group
of spiritual masters called the "Order of Vairagi Masters" as the Living
Eck
Master in 1965. The exact nature of these extraordinary beings is left
vague
in Twitchell's writings, but they seem comparable to the "Ascended
Masters"
of Theosophical lore.
[...]
Twitchell claimed that ECKANKAR is the oldest and most original religion
in
the world. All other religions are derivative from it and in some sense
inferior to it. Whatever truth is in them belongs to ECKANKAR. According
to
some careful scholars of Twitchell and ECKANKAR, however, the
self-proclaimed Mahanta simply borrowed and reworked the cosmology and
spirituality of the venerable Radhosoami tradition of India as mediated to
him by Kirpal Singh and the American Radhosoami adept and writer, Dr.
Julian
Johnson. David Lane's exposé of Twitchell's dependence on these men (and
others) is convincing.
Source: ECKKANKAR: From Ancient Science of Soul Travel to New Age
Religion,
by Roger E. Olson, in America's Alternative Religions (Edited by Timothy
Miller), State Univ of New York Press, July 1995, p. 363
A member of the new age family of cults, Eckankar teaches a process which
after a series of reincarnation culminates in a god existence, or Christ
Consciousness.
The process itself involves the adherent progressing upward through twelve
astral planes through the attainment of classified levels of knowledge
(gnosticism).
Source: Eckankar by Watchman Fellowship
Beliefs
Eckankar believes that God exists in two parts, the Light and Sound, known
as ECK. This is held to be the sustaining force of all life and the
equivalent of the Holy Spirit. Eckankar teaches that it is possible to
experience the Light and Sound through the proper use of spiritual
exercises.
Spiritual exercise is important as the initiator of Soul Travel and for
achieving spiritual growth and a deeper appreciation for one's pas lives.
A
key spiritual exercise is the singing of the word hu, which is supposedly
the name of God.
Adherents believe in karma and reincarnation and hold that ECK helps to
purify a person of karma. They emphasize a cooperative relationship with
God. Humans are considered a spark of God sent to earth to gain spiritual
experience and to serve others.
Source: Charts of Cults, Sects, & Religious Movements, H. Wayne House.
Page
105
----------------
Also, here are some URL's with useful information concerning this new age
cult:
The Center For Twitchellian Plagarism
http://vclass.mtsac.edu:930/phil/center.htm
Although Twitchell claimed to not have borrowed ideas from any human
source,
research has discovered that many of his materials were plagarized. This
site documents them.
The Unauthorized Eckankar(tm) Page
http://www.geocities.com/eckcult/
This website has useful info.
SURVIVING THE CULT ECKANKAR
http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/eckankarsurvivors/
Website created and maintained by ex-Eckankar victim. Also contains links
to
other related site worth checking out.
THE MAKING OF A SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT: THE UNTOLD STORY OF PAUL TWITCHELL AND
ECKANKAR
http://www.geocities.com/eckcult/chapters/preface.html
Online book (hard copies out of print) exposing Eckankar and
founder/creator/plagarizer Paul Twitchell.
On overview of the Eckankar cult
http://www.eaec.org/cults/eckankar.htm
There are many more sources showing the unChristian nature of Ecknakar and
the false, unBiblical teachings of the cult. They believe in a different
god
than Jehovah God of the Bible and deny essential Christian doctrine.
Please
take the time to educate yourself on this cult so you may also warn other
Christians to avoid it.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
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