E-mail David Christopher Lane
directly at dlane@weber.ucsd.edu
Author: David Christopher Lane Publisher: Gakko Came From Venus Publication date: forthcoming
E-mail David Christopher Lane
directly at dlane@weber.ucsd.edu
I
want to go back to the home base now.
The History Behind The Spiritual Counterfeits Journal (SCP)
The History Behind The Spiritual Counterfeit's Journal (SCP) entitled: ECKANKAR: A HARD LOOK AT A NEW RELIGION. (Or, How Did They Get Lane's Research Back in 1978 and 1979).
In 1977 and 1978 I wrote two term papers on Eckankar for California State University, Northridge. In 1977 I took a class on Sects and Cults. In that class was an Eckist named Jim Peebles. We both wrote papers on Eckankar: mine was critical and his was mostly positive, with a few critical comments. Peebles then read my paper in its entirety and became convinced that Eckankar was a fraud. Eckankar eventually sued Jim Peebles for over a million dollars for his "12" page term paper. Eckankar claimed that Peebles had "published" it by giving "one" photocopy of it to Professor Ed Gruss at L.A. Baptist College. Eckankar, by the way, also sued Professor Gruss for a million dollars plus, as well as his school, for also "publishing" the term paper by giving one xerox copy of it to an Eckankar member (Mike Noe) who lied about his real intentions (claiming that he was a member of SCP). Jim Peebles was so upset with Eckankar that he contacted the Spiritual Counterfeits Project to see if they would investigate Eckankar. SCP was already doing a research piece. Through Jim Peebles they learned of my term paper. Then one of their researchers--Nichols (not to be confused with an Eckankar attorney of the same name)--flew down to L.A. and interviewed me extensively. Finally, in early 1979 I met with a number of their researchers in Berkeley. They asked me if they could use my research for their upcoming journal. I agreed that they could do so, provided that they understood explicitly (I wrote them a letter which underlined my disagreement with their theology) that I did not take their theological position. They agreed and even mentioned the same in their introduction. Thus SCP quoted my research extensively. They did a fine job and published tens of thousands of journals. Naturally, they gave it their Christian twist. SCP realized that my research was on the most part very well documented and did not take offense that I was a follower of an Eastern path. Indeed, they checked out my research themselves to verify what I had written. Thus, SCP gave wide circulation to their own research as well as mine, even though I was a member of a "non- Christian" movement. SCP was concerned with the research as such, not with my personal beliefs. They later wrote an article on Radhsoami and shabd yoga from their Christian perspective for UPDATE (a journal that used to be published in Denmark). I hope this explains why SCP used my material. If anyone needs further details I would be most happy to supply it. The SCP journal, by the way, would never have had my research, if it hadn't been for an Eckist, Jim Peebles, being sued by Eckankar for his twelve page term paper. Sidebar: Eckankar sued Jim Peebles because when they originally tried to sue me they had to back off since I had cited and referenced and documented most of my major allegations. Darwin and crew couldn't resist suing one of their own, however, when he quoted something about Darwin's personal life (something which he learned about at an Eck seminar, coincidentally). And something which Harold Klemp himself has criticized Darwin for. Jim Peebles was an Eckist in good standing and really loved the group; it was a devastating blow to him when he got sued for his term paper (he naively thought Darwin would like it). Of course Eckankar could have simply supplied Jim with further information, but for some reason that never occurred to them. Much better to sue for a million dollars. And it was a filed lawsuit.
E-mail The Neural Surfer directly
at dlane@weber.ucsd.edu
I want to go back to the home base now.
