Post by EtznabPost by Orion McClureThis is what Sri Harold once announced regarding the future of the ECKANKAR orginazation. Probably the members of ECK have to expect that the successor of Sri Harold will be at most an 8th initiate — at least better than the choice of Sri Darwin at that time, who was only a second initiate when he was chosen as successor of Sri Paul. I would even go so far as to say that there will be no successor at all and ECKANKAR will function as a pure study group without master or leader in the future.
Aside from Paul Twitchell, the founder, nobody afterward was named Mahanta. However, each one in turn did proclaim their self the Mahanta.
So I think it doesn't really matter what Harold said. In fact, Paul Twitchell said something similar that later didn't turn out to be true.
I think it really interesting what is happening with Eckankar dogma. And it seems there are two polar opposite positions. One would be no successor and Eckankar becoming a study group, whatever. The other position being continued fabrications, pseudo history and religion. I find it interesting for the future of religion generally. The option of coming clean, telling the truth and eating some humble pie.
Younger people, it seems, do not feel it hip being force fed bullshit and lies. The older congregants are dying off and Nones are growing in number. I think it because new generations have something the older ones did not have. Like computers and information.
REVISITING "THE WHOLE TRUTH" - quotes list
https://groups.google.com/g/alt.religion.eckankar/c/4ysJK655x2I/m/ugXEgdQWAwAJ
IMO this is how a religious apologist uses fiction and spin to further the cause. Fiction and spin being one of the "freedoms of religion". Like ability to make up whatever. Yet, even the apologist could not escape the following conclusion.
"[...] The only area that I don't think looks good is Paul's lack of crediting his sources, to the point of making it look like he, or Rebazar Tarzs, was the original source. This looks especially bad these days, since copyright law has become much more controlled and publicized. However, it doesn't appear to have been much of a problem while Paul was alive. [... .]"
https://groups.google.com/g/alt.religion.eckankar/c/Er0VHRTk_sc/m/NQYn-wQ00FIJ
IMO it not only looks bad, but it looks VERY, VERY, VERY bad! And this would be the other position concerning the truth. So like with social media generally today, there is a war going on between fact and fiction with people taking opposite sides.
Plus, and importantly so, it was a problem when Paul was alive, and working as a writer, pulp fiction author, pseudo journo, advertising copy writer etc.
EG 1968 1968 Paul Twitchell totally rejected by Orion Magazine for Plagiarism
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-M0yAR0UPhPT3VpS053V1Jia0E/view?resourcekey=0-p4siqlTQO2a-lkeOFatNTw
SEE PLAGIARISM FOLDER https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B-M0yAR0UPhPdzZTdGxkNjBTR1U?resourcekey=0-MtZhCP-XYt9ZJWGKD_TngQ
There's another report back from 1939/40 of someone who knew Twitchell in Paducah when he started writing, and this 'writer' reports on Twitchell copying things back then, and how unpalatable it was to him. Now, can;t find that ref, but it's somewhere.
Twitchell was ALWAYS PLAGIARIZING AND COPYING OTHERS' WORKS FROM THE DAY HE BOUGHT HIS TYPEWRITER. ;-)
MARMAN, is full of opinionated BS that no one else cared about that. And the BS and MYTHS he made up as he went. That Twitchell had no conscience about this is irrelevant.
DARWIN side bar, there was substantive evidence anecdotal reports by people who were there, that Darwin was at least a 6th initiate (the same as Patti Simpson - Bluth was an 8th) when Twitchell died. Darwin was definitely not a 2nd .... he was acknowledged as a new 5th (leader of NW USA sasang) in the eck world news (or similar) in 1970.
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OK .. here's my record, after collecting research on the matter - cant find original info
Darwin Gross got the 6th Initiation in July 1971 and was being appointed as a leader/HI of the NW
for Eckankar. This is recorded in Eck publication. Darwin had got the 5th Initiation from Paul
Twitchell in London in January 1971. This was around the same time that Patti Simpson got her 5th
Initiation from Paul.
SEE . https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-M0yAR0UPhPcGh2Q2N2RFpaMEE/view?resourcekey=0-IXVPOkgjhlTnVp7rd9cMow
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and with regard to what Harold might have said, about anything, well imo, nothing he has said should be thought reliable or grounded.
Of course think differently, but that's their business and choice.
misc info
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-M0yAR0UPhPZ2JhTjh0Zi1MZ2c/view?resourcekey=0-p0fBzEG59COJu0aE89lUeQ
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-M0yAR0UPhPdFd5OVVrc0htb2M/view?resourcekey=0-Bd2zpEeHJp6bdyhjbjnqfA