BY: JOE MUNIANDY
Nov 12, USA (SUN) — Dear Devotees, I am submitting this with regards to the debate about the ‘fault finders’ and the ‘defenders’. Recently I came across an article written by Anson Shupe, a scholar on religious institutions. The article is based on his observation of the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations and bears relevance to the ongoing debate and the situation in ISKCON. In the article, he laid out a five-step inductive process of disillusionment with religious leadership that ‘begins and ends with religious faith.’ I reproduce the five steps below:
Step 1: Faith in the power of legitimate sacred symbols, including the perception of leadership authority, is established through socialization (or as we call it association with devotees).
Step 2: A mounting set of disquieting events (e.g. scandals, personal knowledge of leadership betrayal of fiduciary responsibility to lay believers) challenges the sacred social reality. Some leaders are accused of base improprieties, others of permitting the “secondary deviance” to continue by essentially looking the other way instead of whistleblowing. This is the beginning of what could be called “symbol erosion.” It begins with a few aggrieved victims and victims’ advocates but gains momentum. Tears begin to appear in the sacred social reality for many believers.
Step 3: There are rearguard attempts by leadership to condemn or refute the scandal(s), blame the bearers of bad news, and so forth. Ultimately these efforts at corrective work backfire as the set of disquieting events expands. Leadership appears as if it is more interested in protecting its own than in offering meaningful redress to victims.
Step 4: As a consequence, the sacred symbols religious leaders called upon to obtain lay compliance, from observing special holy days to contributing financial support to even observing honorary titles begin to fail to mobilize compliance. Increasingly, perceptions of leadership legitimacy are altered among laity, disillusionment for many sets in, and authority is partially if not totally withdrawn for some.
Step 5: The end result is diminished faith for many persons. The normative power of the institution is weakened. The real symbolic interactionist process of constantly negotiating legitimacy, both on the part of religious leaders and their followers, keeps stumbling on irregularities contrary to the ideal social reality.
(Shupe, A. (2003). The Religious Institution. In R. a. Herman-Kinney (Ed.), Handbook of Symbolic Interactionism (pp. 625-637). Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press.)
History repeats itself and I hope ISKCON leaders and devotees learn from the mistakes of ourselves and others and take care not to repeat them.
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I am very happy to hear that you are relishing the anguish created by your heart-felt anxiety for Krsna and His devotees ! This is the most valuable thing in the whole universe. Such thinking quickly carries the devotee to Krsna and Srila Prabhupada at the time of death.
It is this sort of thinking which lead to our mutual creation of this site. All things may be possible here, in that whatever plans we might like to implement, there is a possibility of association in fulfilling the intents. We are quite new, a few months old here, and are listening to each other, to develop a sense of community as we go.
The Prabhupadanugas worldwide, though there is some variety amongst us even in this, are trying to expand a re-born Iskcon. It is devotees such as your good self who are the real Iskcon. Our true sanga is by the trillions of devotees all together in ecstatic kirtana in Vaikuntha. Right now, we may be a handful here, a handful there, and a few nice temples, except for internet. Overall, many hundreds of thousands around the world favor restoring the original Iskcon over the current corporate Iskcon.
Cardinal defends pope, denounces "petty gossip"
Module body
Sun Apr 4, 10:16 AM
By Philip Pullella
ADVERTISEMENT
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A leading cardinal defended Pope Benedict at an unusual address at the pontiff's Easter Sunday Mass, saying the Church would not be intimidated by "petty gossip" about sexual abuse of children by priests.
But in his own Easter address hours later, the pope, looking at times weary, did not mention the scandal that has engulfed the Church and posed a crisis in his five-year-old pontificate.
The surprise speech by Cardinal Angelo Sodano was the first time in recent memory that the ritual of a papal Easter Sunday Mass was changed so someone could address the pope at the start.
"The people of God are with you and will not let themselves be influenced by the petty gossip of the moment, by the trials that sometimes assail the community of believers," Sodano said.
The change of protocol underscored just how much the Vatican is feeling the pressure from a growing scandal concerning sexual abuse of children by priests and reports of a possible cover-up that have inched closer to the pope himself.
Later, the pope did not mention the scandal in his twice-yearly "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) address, which touched on a series of world problems.
Sodano praised Benedict as the "solid rock" and said "The Church is with you!" to the cheers of thousands of people holding umbrellas in St Peter's Square.
His speech of solidarity listed those who support the pope, particularly "the 400,000 priests who generously serve" in schools, hospitals and missions around the world. This was a clear attempt to underscore the Vatican's position that only a tiny minority of priests have abused children.
VICTIMS GROUP "INSULTED"
But victims said they were disappointed.
"Lofty statements from Vatican officials do not change the facts," said Barbara Blaine, president of the U.S.-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
"Deeply wounded victims and our family members need comfort and healing, but instead receive reprimands and insults. When we speak up and tell how our childhood innocence was shattered by sexual assaults by priests it is not 'petty gossip'," she said.
Easter has been clouded by weeks of accusations the Church in several countries mishandled and covered up abuse of children by priests, sometimes for decades.
Shaken by the crisis, the Vatican has several times accused the media of waging a "despicable campaign of defamation" against the pope. Some reports have accused him of negligence in handling abuse cases in previous roles as a cardinal in his native Germany, and in Rome.
The Vatican has denied any cover-up over the abuse of 200 deaf boys in the United States by Reverend Lawrence Murphy from 1950 to 1974. The New York Times reported the Vatican and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, were warned about Murphy, but the priest was not defrocked.
Catholics leaving the rainy square were mixed in their reaction to the pope's silence on the issue.
"The pope should just address the crisis directly ... they should deal with it in a lawful, equitable and just manner, and they should treat victims with respect," said Nancy Malone of the United States.
But others said Easter was a time to talk of peace and not of scandal.
(Additional reporting by Antonio Denti in Rome; Editing by Jon Hemming)
My Dear Tamoharadasa....Radha krishna... Basu Gopala
my sincere respects to you all...it is sad to me to coment that the re editors of Prabhupada books
is a good thing because the the cant live with the errors of the first editors....
I think minor correction can be...but really with scholars and senior devotes working along not no one excluted this should be because all you senior devotes knew Prabhupada....
BUT THERE ARE OTHER CHANGES...that have alot of mising words that Srila Prabhupada wrote....that are esencial....
this re editing has its own style.....some may say far away from Bhaktivedanta s original devotional works....I think they should obey what his divine grace said clearly
Go back to the original.texts...this was his desire....they are simply not following THERE Spiritual masters orders...where is the fidelity where is loyalty. I DONT GET IT...SOME WERE SO CLOSE STILL...this happeninig.
MAN I DONT GET IT..... IS THIS OBEYing THE SPIRITUAL MASTER IS ONLY FOR THE BEGINNERS...OR FOR ALL.... I know the answer seems...... they do not .
Bhaktivedanta said it clear in his clases tapes..videos....letters...his personality showed us the way his great sence of humor.He was so extatic.....
Srila Prabhupada s ISKON really is to obey his will...to preserve his liturature even with errors not putting down the first editor still with ther work many have converted to Krishna.
some may say we cant live with errors....well the biggest one is not obeying the Spiritual master
My Dear friends i m really not initiated but once i long ago i ve dreamed Srila Prabhupa gave me a japa and i got the mesage....is it because i was trying to understand...and i began selling his books as some devotes i found by the grace of the lord came my way when i was looking for answers...
i was really not alone i had A Jesus Crist background that kept alive till Bhagavan Krishna came my way by the mercy of his Dvine grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad MY HUMBLE HUMBLE DANDAVATS TO HIM, if you wish you can take my out of your page...Im not initiated by a Spiritual master.......but i am active...but i understood he gives me services and a act when i m capable.
Replies
I am very happy to hear that you are relishing the anguish created by your heart-felt anxiety for Krsna and His devotees ! This is the most valuable thing in the whole universe. Such thinking quickly carries the devotee to Krsna and Srila Prabhupada at the time of death.
It is this sort of thinking which lead to our mutual creation of this site. All things may be possible here, in that whatever plans we might like to implement, there is a possibility of association in fulfilling the intents. We are quite new, a few months old here, and are listening to each other, to develop a sense of community as we go.
The Prabhupadanugas worldwide, though there is some variety amongst us even in this, are trying to expand a re-born Iskcon. It is devotees such as your good self who are the real Iskcon. Our true sanga is by the trillions of devotees all together in ecstatic kirtana in Vaikuntha. Right now, we may be a handful here, a handful there, and a few nice temples, except for internet. Overall, many hundreds of thousands around the world favor restoring the original Iskcon over the current corporate Iskcon.
Module body
Sun Apr 4, 10:16 AM
By Philip Pullella
ADVERTISEMENT
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A leading cardinal defended Pope Benedict at an unusual address at the pontiff's Easter Sunday Mass, saying the Church would not be intimidated by "petty gossip" about sexual abuse of children by priests.
But in his own Easter address hours later, the pope, looking at times weary, did not mention the scandal that has engulfed the Church and posed a crisis in his five-year-old pontificate.
The surprise speech by Cardinal Angelo Sodano was the first time in recent memory that the ritual of a papal Easter Sunday Mass was changed so someone could address the pope at the start.
"The people of God are with you and will not let themselves be influenced by the petty gossip of the moment, by the trials that sometimes assail the community of believers," Sodano said.
The change of protocol underscored just how much the Vatican is feeling the pressure from a growing scandal concerning sexual abuse of children by priests and reports of a possible cover-up that have inched closer to the pope himself.
Later, the pope did not mention the scandal in his twice-yearly "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) address, which touched on a series of world problems.
Sodano praised Benedict as the "solid rock" and said "The Church is with you!" to the cheers of thousands of people holding umbrellas in St Peter's Square.
His speech of solidarity listed those who support the pope, particularly "the 400,000 priests who generously serve" in schools, hospitals and missions around the world. This was a clear attempt to underscore the Vatican's position that only a tiny minority of priests have abused children.
VICTIMS GROUP "INSULTED"
But victims said they were disappointed.
"Lofty statements from Vatican officials do not change the facts," said Barbara Blaine, president of the U.S.-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
"Deeply wounded victims and our family members need comfort and healing, but instead receive reprimands and insults. When we speak up and tell how our childhood innocence was shattered by sexual assaults by priests it is not 'petty gossip'," she said.
Easter has been clouded by weeks of accusations the Church in several countries mishandled and covered up abuse of children by priests, sometimes for decades.
Shaken by the crisis, the Vatican has several times accused the media of waging a "despicable campaign of defamation" against the pope. Some reports have accused him of negligence in handling abuse cases in previous roles as a cardinal in his native Germany, and in Rome.
The Vatican has denied any cover-up over the abuse of 200 deaf boys in the United States by Reverend Lawrence Murphy from 1950 to 1974. The New York Times reported the Vatican and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, were warned about Murphy, but the priest was not defrocked.
Catholics leaving the rainy square were mixed in their reaction to the pope's silence on the issue.
"The pope should just address the crisis directly ... they should deal with it in a lawful, equitable and just manner, and they should treat victims with respect," said Nancy Malone of the United States.
But others said Easter was a time to talk of peace and not of scandal.
(Additional reporting by Antonio Denti in Rome; Editing by Jon Hemming)
my sincere respects to you all...it is sad to me to coment that the re editors of Prabhupada books
is a good thing because the the cant live with the errors of the first editors....
I think minor correction can be...but really with scholars and senior devotes working along not no one excluted this should be because all you senior devotes knew Prabhupada....
BUT THERE ARE OTHER CHANGES...that have alot of mising words that Srila Prabhupada wrote....that are esencial....
this re editing has its own style.....some may say far away from Bhaktivedanta s original devotional works....I think they should obey what his divine grace said clearly
Go back to the original.texts...this was his desire....they are simply not following THERE Spiritual masters orders...where is the fidelity where is loyalty. I DONT GET IT...SOME WERE SO CLOSE STILL...this happeninig.
MAN I DONT GET IT..... IS THIS OBEYing THE SPIRITUAL MASTER IS ONLY FOR THE BEGINNERS...OR FOR ALL.... I know the answer seems...... they do not .
Bhaktivedanta said it clear in his clases tapes..videos....letters...his personality showed us the way his great sence of humor.He was so extatic.....
Srila Prabhupada s ISKON really is to obey his will...to preserve his liturature even with errors not putting down the first editor still with ther work many have converted to Krishna.
some may say we cant live with errors....well the biggest one is not obeying the Spiritual master
My Dear friends i m really not initiated but once i long ago i ve dreamed Srila Prabhupa gave me a japa and i got the mesage....is it because i was trying to understand...and i began selling his books as some devotes i found by the grace of the lord came my way when i was looking for answers...
i was really not alone i had A Jesus Crist background that kept alive till Bhagavan Krishna came my way by the mercy of his Dvine grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad MY HUMBLE HUMBLE DANDAVATS TO HIM, if you wish you can take my out of your page...Im not initiated by a Spiritual master.......but i am active...but i understood he gives me services and a act when i m capable.
VIVA Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada