The source family is unique in its own way. But there are some similarities when it comes to other communes around the same time period. Rajneesh has actually quite a bit of similarities when it comes to the way they project their message to the people. Rajneesh are very big on meditation and personal betterment through a healthy mindset.
One way The Source Family is different, is how communally engaged they were. Most communes were communal, as in, they lived together and ate together, but the Source Family actually built and worked at their own eating establishment, which was very successful for its kind. They started one of the first Vegetarian eating establishments in the LA area.
They not only compare to local communes, but also religions from much long ago. They have commandments much like Christianity and the ultimate goal of them is to make life better for themselves and others around them. They believed in one god, which they assumed was Father Yod.
https://www.biography.com/people/bhagwan-shree-rajneesh-20900613
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
COMPARE AND CONTRAST
The Source family and The Children of God are two religious communes that are similar. The Source family are criticized for how open
and liberated hey are on the sex. That
is familiar of The Children of God. Both
new religious movements use sex as instruments of their spirituality, and are open
with how they portray sex. For example,
the album cover for Yahowha 13’s I’m gonna take you home is an image of Father Yod practically in the act of
copulating. In the side of the album
there are quotes that add a spiritual description. This imagery can be compared
to the comics produced by the Children of God which depict their views on what
love and sex is in their faith. Both new
religious movements used the media they produced as vehicles to impart their
faith to a wider audience. Yahowha 13’s
music was a tool to preach to those who listened, while the Children of God
comics were a tool to preach to those who read. They both used media to attract an audience,
but their messages are different. The
Source Family’s teachings are rooted in the Age of Aquarius and the philosophy
of Yogis. The Children of God are a
Christian sect. Both had leaders who took different ways of leading. The Source Family had Father Yod who was completely apart of their daily lives and lived in the commune. The Children of God had David Berg who lead his communes without living with them. Both leaders set the spiritual foundations and routine of their communes.
The Source Family has disbanded yet they fill a niche
in society. Their music is inspiration to
modern musicians and their way of living/style is a staple of hippy culture. The Children of God continue today, re-branded
as “The Family International.” They
serve the purpose as a continuation for their members and an alternative to traditional
Christianity. The source Family today is
just a meet-up/reunion of people in Hawaii.
The Children of God re-branding has lead them to try to integrate with
society by de-radicalizing their ideas.
The success of The Children of God re-branding makes me ponder if The Source family could do the same. The Source Family is experiencing a sort of
revival in pop culture through music and style. If their ideas
could be reinvented for a new generation, could The Source Family make a comeback?
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
This article interviewed one of the Source Family members Isis Aquarian. She loved everything about Father Yod and the Source Family. The spiritual and knowledgeable assistance that Father Yod passed down to Isis and all the other members was life changing for all of them. "Had you been wanting to walk out on everything? No. What I had been searching for was some type of spiritual path. I tried Buddhism; I tried different things. I did have a longing for something—there was just something that wasn’t fulfilled within me, but I didn’t know what it was (Fader)."
All of the members were very spiritual when it came to the practices. Everyone who was there, wanted to be there. They all partook in the morning rituals and believed heavily in their "commandments" or rules. Father Yod was a beacon of hope for all of them and it inspired them to be one with the father and he was with them. They relied so heavily on him for guidance, that when he passed, the commune could only sustain itself for a short period of time before the group members just started to disband and go back to their lives before the commune.
Their lives did change a bit when outside the commune. But not in a negative way. They carried on their regular lives but still lived with Father Yods mannerisms. "We were put back into a world that we thought we were never going to have to go back to in a way that we never thought we were going to have to do. We thought we were going to live together the rest of our lives and have that life. I think these last 40 years we’ve just all been processing our own path, and we’re still trying to figure out how we want it. (Fader)"
http://www.thefader.com/2013/05/01/our-father-life-in-the-source-family
All of the members were very spiritual when it came to the practices. Everyone who was there, wanted to be there. They all partook in the morning rituals and believed heavily in their "commandments" or rules. Father Yod was a beacon of hope for all of them and it inspired them to be one with the father and he was with them. They relied so heavily on him for guidance, that when he passed, the commune could only sustain itself for a short period of time before the group members just started to disband and go back to their lives before the commune.
Their lives did change a bit when outside the commune. But not in a negative way. They carried on their regular lives but still lived with Father Yods mannerisms. "We were put back into a world that we thought we were never going to have to go back to in a way that we never thought we were going to have to do. We thought we were going to live together the rest of our lives and have that life. I think these last 40 years we’ve just all been processing our own path, and we’re still trying to figure out how we want it. (Fader)"
http://www.thefader.com/2013/05/01/our-father-life-in-the-source-family
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
MEDIA PORTRAYALS
Cortland Mangio
The posts I seem to be stumbling upon as I continue the research seem to be only positive about Father Yod and the source family. Obviously there are some rough patches in Father Yod's life, but nonetheless, most articles just seem to brush over it very quickly. They do not dive into the fact that Father Yod was an accused murderer or attempted bank robber. They just seem to state the fact and move on.
This is a good thing, in a sense. Father Yod was so profound with his teaching and his religion, that it takes all the light away from his darker past. Another note would be that most of the articles I have found about him have been interviews for him from his recent followers. They had nothing but grateful words to express about his demeanor and the way he portrayed himself to others.
His followers all adored him so much. Recent interviews express how people just visited Father Yod, due to curiosity, and ended up becoming a follower and living communally along side their brothers and sisters in the Family. They expressed his Godlike vibe they took in just from his presence and noted hallucinations that would occur the first time they locked eyes with the Father.
When his death arose, about 7 years after the establishment of The Family, people felt so lost without his guidance, that they ended up disbanding and returning to to their normal lives. The followers were mainly from rich families so returning to them was not much of a big deal, but the amounts of ridicule and "I told you so" remarks are what really irritated them the most.
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/wtf/the-truly-bizarre-story-of-father-yods-cult/news-story/95e5136dd4cd65b2417064a082987c39
Cortland Mangio
The posts I seem to be stumbling upon as I continue the research seem to be only positive about Father Yod and the source family. Obviously there are some rough patches in Father Yod's life, but nonetheless, most articles just seem to brush over it very quickly. They do not dive into the fact that Father Yod was an accused murderer or attempted bank robber. They just seem to state the fact and move on.
This is a good thing, in a sense. Father Yod was so profound with his teaching and his religion, that it takes all the light away from his darker past. Another note would be that most of the articles I have found about him have been interviews for him from his recent followers. They had nothing but grateful words to express about his demeanor and the way he portrayed himself to others.
His followers all adored him so much. Recent interviews express how people just visited Father Yod, due to curiosity, and ended up becoming a follower and living communally along side their brothers and sisters in the Family. They expressed his Godlike vibe they took in just from his presence and noted hallucinations that would occur the first time they locked eyes with the Father.
When his death arose, about 7 years after the establishment of The Family, people felt so lost without his guidance, that they ended up disbanding and returning to to their normal lives. The followers were mainly from rich families so returning to them was not much of a big deal, but the amounts of ridicule and "I told you so" remarks are what really irritated them the most.
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/wtf/the-truly-bizarre-story-of-father-yods-cult/news-story/95e5136dd4cd65b2417064a082987c39
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