INFLUENTIAL 'UNITY MAGAZINE' WARNS OF SATHYA SAI BABA
Posted: Sunday August 31, 2003.
Author: Barry Pittard
Email:
bpittard@beachaccess.com.au
Refs: www.unityworldhq.org
To gain an impression of the international outreach of the
Unity Church, see:
http://www.unityworldhq.org/index.html
Note: Just to hand, an
email from a former devotee, Barbara Shocket, USA, who is one
of the very qualified therapists from various countries the
Exposé has in the background. They stand ever ready to
serve those who have suffered at the hands of Sathya Sai Baba,
and those shameless leaders in the Indian political,
government, police and judicial power echelons, and in the
world Sathya Sai Organisation who cover up for him.
Feeling very strongly that it is morally
and ethically intolerable to allow Sathya Sai Baba and his
devotees to get away with falsifying the good status of former
devotees as responsible citizens in their many cultures and
communities, I am asking professionals such as Barbara to permit
me to include, where possible, their names and professional
qualifications. Barbara's qualifications are: M.S., L.M.H.C. State of Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She has a
Master's Degree in Counseling from University of Miami, Coral
Gables, FL., a Bachelor's Degree in English from University of
Texas, Austin, TX, and has been a Practicing psychotherapist
since 1980.
Barbara has typed a part of Thomas
Shepherd's article (see below). I shall be writing to the widely
read Unity Magazine seeking a copy of the whole article. The
(missing) year of the UNESCO Media Advisory, which also
criticised the Sathya Sai organisers of other serious grounds
too, was 2000.
- from Barbara Shocket's email: Saturday,
30 August 2003 11:24 PM
I would like to call your
attention to the current Unity Magazine (Sept-Oct, 2003)
published by the Unity School of Christianity, Unity Village,
MO., USA.
On
Page 25 in the column "I've Always wondered ABOUT" - written
by a prominent Unity teacher and writer, Thomas Shepherd -
the first question asks about the controversy surrounding Sai
Baba... Shepherd's answer is wonderful and should be posted
on the expose websites. One of us couldn't have done a better
job! (If
I had a scanner I would send it -- sorry I don't. Best I can
do is landmail it to you if you cannot get a copy of this
magazine)
Unity is the largest "new thought" Christian Church in
U.S. Their website:
www.unityworldhq.org. Wayne Dyer is or was affiliated.
Barbara Shocket
- Excerpt from Thomas Shepherd's article,
Unity Magazine. Sept-Oct, 2003.
A concern has been brought to our
attention regarding Sathya Sai Baba. A search on UNESCO's website
yields a "media advisory"
(but is not there anymore, but
on
Bibalex org we can still find the
UNESCO Media Advisory) dated September 15 (year not given)
stating .... 'the Organization (UNESCO) is deeply concerned about
widely reported allegations of sexual abuse involving youths and
children that have been leveled at the leader of the movement in
question, Sathya Sai Baba.' We recognize that our colleagues will
have a range of responses to this information - some will feel it
is not pertinent, others may choose not to include Sai Baba
material in the bookstore ...
... Frankly, I wish the association reponse had been a little more
alarmist. When the bridge up ahead is out, it's entirely
appropriate to yell 'Stop!' at a passing school bus. Sexual abuse
of minors is a serious offense, and we should not be promoting
works of someone who is quite possibly a sexual predator, even if
he does have some ideas that sound like spiritual teachings.
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