did anyone see that programme about the kabbalah centre on the BBC last night?

[bananabrain]

pretty poor i thought, considering just how much material there is to get after them for. the stuff with the moles, the water and the string i thought was very revealing - and not surprising, either - but some of the accusations i thought were rather thin. criticising them for being anti-gay is a bit of a waste of time considering how many other religious groups are in the same position; it doesn't really reveal how uniquely awful and exploitative they are. and yelling at madonna past a security cordon is not "getting your point across". there's so much they could have done - i wonder why they didn't.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/4158287.stm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main...xartright.html

b'shalom

bananabrain

[dauer]

I did not see it, as I am in the states with no cable. For whatever reason, my parent's shul had a speaker from the kaballah centre for a breakfast. I was very happy to learn how critical the community was of him, but my mother came back with a report and questions such as:

"Does Kabalah mean wisdom?" By claiming that the literal meaning is explicitly wisdom the speaker tried to separate kaballah from Judaism.

"Kabbalah is older than Judaism as we know it today, and predates existence." was something the speaker said, whilst ignoring the traditional Jewish position that the Torah has also been around since before time.

I had to explain to her what practical kabbalah is as far as red strings, kabbalah water, etc, and that it differs from the type of stuff that one would more readily associate with kabbalah.

And as far as the content of his material that I gathered from her notes, it sounded completely new-agey and could have been found in any esoteric tradition by cutting it off at the roots.

There are a number of articles here:

http://www.rickross.com/groups/kabbalah.html

But I looked up Rick Ross a while ago and it seems he's not entirely honest about his background or methods for maintaining clients.

Dauer

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by BBC

The Kabbalah Centre website explained that a process called Quantum Resonance Technology "restructures the intermolecular binding of spring water".

...

In Israel, the authorities have refused to give the charity a certificate of proper management for three years running because of accounting inadequacies, and in Britain the Charity Commissioners have criticised the centre's accounts for "significant shortcomings in transparency".

Missed the program, but the group sounds perfectly respectable...

I actually thought you were supportive of them elsewhere, BB?? Or did you mean that their core theological position is fairly sound, but it's badly dressed up??

[Faithfulservant]

I read the articles and felt dirty. It wasnt anger I was feeling at the fleecing.. It was just disgust. It smacks so much to me of all these miracle cures you see on infomercials but on a grander scale. Or these televangalists that tell you to send in money for a vial of annointing oil that can cure this or that... or that if you send them a pledge they will put you on a prayer chain.

[dauer]

There was a recent review on Beliefnet of Berg's new book by Rabbi David Wolpe that gives concrete examples of the issues one might have with Bergian theology as well as with its claims and the way it deals with Judaism. It's very short and said everthing I would have liked to have said if I had the capacity for such words:

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/158/story_15887_1.html

It was a response to an article by Berg found here:

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/158/story_15886_1.html

Dauer

[bananabrain]

I actually thought you were supportive of them elsewhere, BB?? Or did you mean that their core theological position is fairly sound, but it's badly dressed up??

blimey, i really doubt it. i absolutely condemn these guys. they're a travesty and, imho, crooks to boot. i think *i* could have been more tough with them.

b'shalom

bananabrain

[Salonius]

I likewise did not see the episode in question... However, i know that their origins are legitimate, but they have taken it past the high water mark. I had professor of mysticism at the University of Judaism named Pinchas Giller who has extensive information on them. Maybe if you google his name, some of his material might become available.

-Salonius

[I, Brian]

Apologies for the error then, bb.

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

Originally posted by I, Brian
Apologies for the error then, bb.

Thirty lashes with a wet strand of vermicelli, I, Brian.

Anyway, I din't see it either (I don't own a tv, plus I've been gearing up for the spring semester at school [starts Monday.])

I did read some of the articles you linked, and I can't believe the chutzpah the group has, "donating" water (which the people in the region hit by the tsunami need) and copies of their version of the zohar (which they don't.)

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine