Understanding religion – the origins and persistence of such diverse beliefs

The Origins and Persistence of Religious Belief and Faith in God Wonder and awe at existence, at the world early humankind lived in and not least at ‘the heavens’ are common to us all and there is evidence that neolithic humans also had the capacity and the time for this. The human condition of not knowing the whys, hows and wherefores of being pertains even today, though is doubtless not so overwhelming as it once was. This awe cannot have been insulated from fear, which is so closely related to ignorance.

Otherworldliness and futile escapism It is almost unavoidable that a person  – even if not brought up to some religious faith and even well-educated in the relevant sciences – will sooner or later become interested in age-long traditions of many kinds that try to prepare those who aspire to greater understanding and realization of their own potentialities…

Can religion and ideologies lead to cognitive disorder? Religious faith depends upon a system of beliefs, not proven facts and certainly not scientifically verifiable facts. It depends on much more than belief as such. The influences of parents and the mental and emotional imprinting to which their children are subjected forms a basis – naive childhood acceptance of beliefs.

The agnosticism vs. atheism issue and and secularism Some key distinctions for the science-religion debates: If ‘atheism’ means “100% certainty or conviction that there is no god or cosmic intelligence which created or sustains the universe” then there must be few who can – on proper reflection – subscribe to its literal sense. To do so it to become a rigid know-all…

Religion as ’emulation of the adult by the child’ Religion is the encystment of past beliefs: mythology, which is guesswork, the assumptions of trust in the universe, those pronouncements which men have made in search of personal power, all of it mingled with shreds of enlightenment. And always the ultimate unspoken commandment is “Thou shalt not question!” But we question.

The brain as a belief machine Much has been discovered in recent times about how beliefs are formed, what conditions the process – especially through neurological studies.  I recommend the following work as an important contribution to the subject The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies—How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths. By Michael Shermer.

The ‘Labyrinth fallacy’ in extensive belief systems  There are systems of thought and belief which are seldom easily recognised as being a convoluted circular ‘labyrinth’ of ideas. The logical fallacy involved is circularity or self-contradiction, but this is not easily detected because of the complexity and extended nature of the particular idea-system or ‘labyrinthine’ doctrine. Wherever there is a vast collection of thoughts, ideas, beliefs and practices which are based on speculative reasoning and unlikely assumptions, one can become lost to oneself.

Ten Reasons why unbelievers dislike religion Among the restrictions common to most mainstream religions are certain human values which are not recognised, causing the rejection of religion by those who lean towards modern humanitarianism, fairness and equality, avoidance of ideological conflict and and scientifically sound decisions.

The crucial ‘test of faith’ in religions, sects and cults Tests of faith are a part of all traditional religious views and doctrines and are invariably supportive of a priesthood, guru, church or religion. They are a very subtle means of manipulating the minds of guru-followers developed over many centuries, often embroiling people in mental networks of uncertainties and striving, which most likely bear no other fruits than keeping the ‘spiritual master’ in his fortunate, revered and comfortable position.

Religious sex abuse cover-up world-wide, eg. Sathya Sai Organization

It is instructive to look at some present-day examples of what has clearly been an endemic problem of religious institutions and sects worldwide – sexual abuse, especially of children, both female and male.

The Roman Catholic Church has shown itself to be committed to major cover-up of sexual crimes and it continues to hinder prosecutions where it can. The heinous nature of this is matched by Sathya Sai Baba and his protectors, which includes a series of Indian Prime Ministers, Home Ministers and top Supreme and High Court judges. Sathya Sai Baba, if he could despite top protection as ‘a national treasure’ be brought to court and justice, would be liable to vast financial damages, such as which already bankrupted the Catholic Church in many U.S. States, despite it having now cynically insured itself in many countries against financial losses from claimants. (See extent here)

Sky News' report on the wilful deceit by the Pope and the Catholic Chruch over the vast sex abuse scandals worldwide

A two-day summit at the Vatican in Rome with Pope Benedict and 24 senior clergy ended in the Pope condemning child sexual abuse as a heinous crime and a sin against God. As Colm O’Gorman said on Sky News [17-2-2010] “It was nothing more than a rather cynical PR exercise… We don’t need the Vatican to tell us that.” O’Gorman testified that the Pope’s latest announcement is part of a top-level “wilful and deliberate cover-up“. He detailed how history of Catholic sexual abuse and its cover-up goes back to the 1st century AD, but in recent decades has been truly excessive, as three state inquiries in Ireland have shown (eg. the Child Abuse Commission report of 2,600 pages and the Murphy Report). The taxpayers have hitherto footed the £1.4 billion bill for compensation, while the Catholic Church – who should on Christian principles bear this expense – have paid out far less. Further, under the protection of the Vatican, the Catholic Church worldwide has insured itself against possible claims and has “put the interests of the institution, its wealth and its position ahead of the safety of children.” and “The Vatican made a “deceitful and dishonest statement” that it was “a problem in the governance of the national church in Ireland” (O’Gorman).

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Irish victims of clerical sex abuse have asked Pope Benedict XVI for over $1.37 billion in compensation, in a letter that the head of Ireland’s Catholic Church received. (VATICAN CITY – RNS)

As is seen on the image above, the Pope is the centre of a ring-kissing personality cult not entirely dissimilar – though far less charismatic than – that around Sathya Sai Baba, unlike whom the Pope has never been suspected of the oiling of genitals on spiritual aspirants.  As a role model, his total passivity as to getting justice for criminal sexual acts – including widespread pedophilia –  by his criminal officials shows where his true values are. The same applies with far greater force to Sathya Sai Baba, who is himself widely accused and accursed as an abuser of boys and young men on a large scale. The Sathya Sai Organization is unaccountable and ignores all complaints – as once the Roman Catholic Church did until forced into admissions. This makes the organization party to widely alleged criminality and refusal to honour duty of care and mandatory reporting… just like the Vatican! While Sai Baba can hide behind Manmohan Singh and Co., Pope Benedict cannot hide behind Silvio Berlusconi. Indian society is at present far more inclined to cover-up (and thus prolong and virtually condone) the sexual abuse of children, especially when its Prime Ministers and Presidents worship such a person as Sathya Sai Baba.

scan of table from Indian Government research report

It is officially documented by a commission under the auspices of the UN, the Indian Government and Save the Children that fifty-three per cent of India’s forty million children claim to have been sexually abused. That is over 20 million child victims!). See official Government report

The report states: on page 74;-
1. Out of the total of 2211 respondents, 42% children faced at least one form of sexual abuse or the other.
2. Among respondents, 48% of boys and 39% of the girls faced sexual abuse.
3. The prevalence of sexual abuse in upper and middle class was found to be proportionately higher than in lower or in lower middle class.

See also The Vatican still doesn’t get it on child sex abuse
Organized cover-up of sexual practices by Sathya Sai Baba

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Not all Indians worship Sathya Sai Baba

Many Sathya Sai Baba followers frequently and falsely state that he is far more accepted in India and elsewhere than he in fact is. Many Indians from across a wide social spectrum do not have the least respect for him.

Still others acknowledge the good social work that his devotees perform, but disdain the emphasis on the miraculous aspect or deplore the mass adulation, and also the sway he has over politicians and government officials no matter what the complexion of the ruling government.

Some of Sai Baba’s  key defenders constantly attack former devotees who point out the extraordinary anomalies – charging, for example, “India bashing”, “hatred of Hinduism”, and so forth. They fly in the face of glaring fact. A great many Indian commentators, who could hardly be accused of these motives, themselves make the same points.

In their dishonest interpretation of criticism of their teacher as a criticism of Hinduism or of India, it is as though Sai Baba is the bona fide representative of Hindus or of India. A great many Indians would state otherwise. Barry Pittard has illustrated this and other such tendencies in his article: Sathya Sai Baba: ‘Considerable Concern’ In Wider Hindu Community, in which he quotes distinguished Hindu leader, who writes (see remainder of this email at the above link):

“There is considerable concern among the Hindu Community, especially among the educated. It is very hard to get any action from the temples as they do not wish to cause difficulties with the Sathya Sai Baba groups …”

The Sathya Sai cult apologists also assume that Hinduism is akin to themselves – narrow, dogmatic and homogenous. Any questioning the literalness of the old accounts of demons, of churning an ocean of milk, of flying through the skies, of setting raging fires primed by a monkey’s tail, and so on, they depict as anti-Hindu. When in fact, as in other faiths, there are many intelligent lay persons, theologians, scholars who interpret these stories as having an allegorical, psychological or teaching substance.

There are two perceptive comments to the rather dilatory article about Sathya Sai Baba on the occasion of his last birthday on India’s IBN Live Debate: Sai Baba, a godsend?

Comment #1.

Posted by Shravan at 12:28 AM, Sep 04, 2007:

Sai baba is a big cheat. He is able to manipulate poor, gullible people by giving them free food, education and healthcare. I have seen people calling their own MPs and MLA’s as god just after they get help from them. Anything can go in this country where many of the people are still un-educated and cannot think rationally. This guy gives free food, education and healthcare to garner more support and get more money. Nothing else..

If he is god then why he has built hospitals ? He himself can cure all disease by blessing only.

He might be a philanthropist but not god. But I am not worried as in uneducated parts of India people even call politicans as god…

Comment #2.

Posted by Bhalla at 02:23 AM, Sep 03, 2007

The very meaning of ‘saint’ is denigrated by comparing this pompous, lavish-living, indulgent individual. Saints are those who have genuinely renounced the world, abstain from worldly pleasures, dont seek attention other than from God, and above anything, detach from worldly relations – everything this person has NEVER DONE. Personally lives in lavishness, prosperity, choicest satin clothes, rides in a golden chariot on his birthday back in the 1970s.

The idiocy and insecurity of hundreds of thousands of otherwise educated, even extremely scholarly people is the only greatest factor that gives credibility to the nonsense that this faker is. I still remember the appalling sight of sankar dayal Sharma, as the president of India, prostrate before him !! What kind of law and order can be expected to deal with any such institution, when 5 people where murdered in cold blood in his very bedroom and the adjoining rooms, or when hundreds of video tapes were ruthlessly squished after capturing his fake “magic” of golden necklace appearing in his hand.

Good thoughts from India – re Sai Baba

I received a comment approving my efforts from a blogger, on whose interesting  blog I also then put a comment (see blog with comment here).  He has chosen the pen-name ‘nitwit nastik’ and thus, as an agnostic, he also differs from so many self-important religious believers in my experience (and they are very many) in being able to use refreshing self-ironic pen-name about his standpoint. One can see from his  writings that that he is far from being any nitwit, but an articulate and thoughtful person. He sent me the following reply, which he allows me to post herewith:-

“Thanks Robert for your comment. I am not sure if I am representative of the India of the future because people like me who challenge religious claims are few and far between in India. Most Indians are discouraged from challenging religion and most still don’t have access to internet and are not aware or open to of the vast amounts of knowledge/research available on the internet. The brainwashing of young children and the religious indoctrination at schools are also a major problem (although I am myself a living testimony that such things do not work all the time).

India still isn’t the place where independent thought is encouraged as it is done in a lot of western countries, although I must admit that the situation seems to be improving a bit. You are also right in saying that it might be years or centuries before we can cast off the shackles of organized religion, if at all. There needs to be a political will to uphold and enforce the freedoms guaranteed by our constitutions, the critical mass needed amongst children and youth to give this movement some momentum (as they are the ones most prone to religious indoctrination) and of course the money to support the free-thought/rationalist movement and counter the propaganda machine of believers. I firmly believe that all humans are born with a logical faculty which are discouraged by parents,society or by religious authorities, which leads to blindness in matters of religion. Probably, the only way this vicious cycle can be broken is by showing people reason and logic, patiently and compassionately (tough things to live by when attacked continuously by the religious right) and not through repressive tactics like in China, where repressive tactics have failed to curb religious belief.

Anyway thanks again for your comment. I will definitely visit your site on satya sai baba. Btw I didn’t know that you had written books on Satya Sai Baba so I would like to commend your efforts in bringing the activities of the charlatan to the fore and exposing the fraud that he is.

The International Sathya Sai Organization

“The Sai religion is the harmonious blending, through love, of all religions. Though some followers and other faiths feel that the Sai religion is contrary to theirs, we should not entertain similar feelings. Ours is the totality, the sum. So we should not limit or restrict our vision” (Sathya Sai Speaks Vol. 10 – p. 283f)

The International Sathya Sai Organization has two faces … one for the public, the other for members. This Janus face has one visage towards the general public and another different one towards its own members. This makes its members get used to a kind of mental ‘double accounting’ according to what they say to insiders or outsiders.

THE PUBLIC FACE Its face towards the world is one of promoting religious tolerance and accepting that anyone can worship what or who they will. It for peace between religions and sects in that reciprocal criticism of the various religion’s different doctrines is to be avoided.

It claims that shared ‘human values’ are at the core of all religions, yet the many differences in religious values are ignored or denied. For example, any human rights which challenge the core values embedded in the different religions are rejected (such as freedom of speech, women’s rights and other challenges to backward religions, sects and cults).

THE PRIVATE FACE The Sathya Sai Organization’s face towards its members is intolerance towards those who can not fully accept Sathya Sai Baba as the avatar, incarnate deity or a being who is perfect and can never be wrong or be criticized. This means that one cannot accept the Christians who believe that ‘only Jesus is the way’, nor and Islam’s total rejection of divine incarnations, nor Mahayana Buddhism’s atheist conceptions.

Members are expected not to inform the public about the extreme tenet of faith members must accept, such as that Sathya Sai Baba’s claim to be God Incarnate, the father who sent Jesus, the Creator of the Universe etc. This applies mainly in Western Sathya Sai organizations where leaders keep a tighter control over members’ publicity for Sathya Sai Baba. (See here)
No criticism – however constructive -of any of Sathya Sai Baba organizations or institutions is permitted, for it is lead by a supposedly infallible Divinity.

See my extensive study and sociological analyses of the Sathya Sai Organization

How Sai Baba devotees behave and why

Foremost in the sphere of excessive claimants to spiritual wisdom and power is Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi (born Sathya Narayana Raju). Having managed to convince ignorant villagers and impressionable townsfolk in Indian most backward region that he has divine powers (something they already believed of many swamis and gurus before him) he gradually set himself up as God Incarnate and avatar, annexing the name and fame of a former very popular saint, Shirdi Sai Baba.

That he is controversial is incontestable. That he has instigated what, for one person, represents a considerable amount of social projects for a large number of people is certain. That he claims to be wholly pure and divine, ever-present everywhere, all-knowing, almighty is a fact, but one against which there is both much reliable negative evidence.

Like countless others through the ages, Sathya Sai Baba – born as Sathya Narayana Raju – has employed the widespread belief in God and divinities – and longing for blessings, spiritual benefits and salvation from all human problems to dupe and dominate everyone who enters his domain. The weakness of people who cannot face life fully but must lean on a mere belief that their have a ‘Father’ of ‘Mother’ somewhere still looking after them ( though invisible and ineffective in helping them) is turned to great advantage by Sathya Sai Baba in the subtlest of ways. Hence, followers have to become as virtual slaves to his agenda to believe that nothing can be done without his “Divine Will”, operating in the ever-unseen, ever-uncontrollable limbo of his inscrutable and unaccountable  person! They are strictly to avoid reading anything negative about him, on pain of banishment from his grace and the ashrams where many have invested heavily in small, simple but expensive apartments (to which, however, they have no right of ownership). He has the tightest protection of a large number of security personnel and that of the past several Indian governments, which provide the visible armed guards at his ashrams.

Sathya Sai Baba has for decades denied interviews to anyone who doesn’t have enough faith in him. Since the infamous murders of young men in his bedroom in 1993 (while he stood by) every visitor has to pass through intensive security checks and metal detectors – with armed guards standing by – to get anywhere near him. They kow-tow, and if they wait endlessly in lines to come and sit for days on end, he may deign to  look at them, which they consider extremely auspicious. The most zealous spend months of waiting all day from the earliest moment it is allowed so as to get to the fore and sit with praying hands until he can hardly ignore them without seeming totally devoid of compassion. If they grovel (as people can be seen doing on countless videos and films issues by the Sai authorities), and/or if they make considerable financial contributions, then then MAY be admitted to the “holy sanctum”, by which time they have humiliated themselves sufficiently to accept almost anything from the hand of God, be it praise or blame!

The Sai Baba movement as a whole has increasingly assumed the features of a closed cult that is protecting a very widely and substantially accused sexual molester and pedophile and an undoubted accomplice to police murders, which he strove to cover up. This collusive complicity is largely possible because of the out-of-hand rejection of any criticism of any kind against their Lord and Master, in accordance with his teaching about himself and outright commands to ignore such. Yet most are now in a position to discover and know many of the facts. That they rationalize away whatever they hear is not least due to their deep involvement (often over decades) at most levels of their lives in following this very personable and socially and psychologically powerful of Indian gurus. Pitiful examples of these blinded acolytes, having resigned themselves to anything and given up the will and ability to distinguish fact and fantasy, are found in the leaders of the international Sathya Sai Organisation.

Sathya Sai prophesied as ‘king of the world’ from 2000

Prophecies supposedly made before Sathya Sai Baba’s birth (as early as sage Brighu around 3000BC) have been promotes as true on a large scale for decades in books and now web pages. None  which name him became public until AFTER the points mentioned in it were very well known in India at least, such as are presented in the alleged Islamic prophecy reproduced below.  The source claimed for it, a volume from a series of apocrypha after Mohammed (incorrectly called “Mehdi Moud” by saibabaofindia.com, for it was supposedly called ‘Ocean of Light”) was originally claimed to have been found in a street market by devotee Irani Ma – has never been traced, yet the Sai Baba museum (Chaitanya Jyoti) also continues to propagate the prophesy. No Muslim scholars or muftis so far approched have ever heard of this volume. All this should be sufficient to rate this prophesy as being a sheer invention. Some devotees will invent anything to obtain some prominence and importance!

Satya Sai Baba himself has never refuted any detail of these predictions but has bolstered them up more or less directly in many ways, both in countless discourses and interviews. Evidently, no follower of his has written a single critical thought about any of them. That is enough to show that this is a blindly gullible and propagandist cult without self-analysis of any serious kind. It will never stand up in the world of genuine historical scholars. The saibabaofindia web site quotes:-

(d) In an ancient Arabic book by name “Mehdi Moud” in which the prophesies made by Prophet Mohammed were recorded many centuries ago, it was mentioned that God Himself would descend on earth in human form with the following signs by which He could be recognised:

“His hair will be profuse. His front teeth will be spaced apart. He will have a mole on His cheek. He will not have beard but will be clean shaven. His clothing will be like flame. He will wear two robes. The colour of His face will sometimes be like copper, sometimes yellow like gold and sometimes like the moon. His legs will be those of a young girl. All the teachings of all the religions of the world will be in His heart from birth. All the science and knowledge of the world from the beginning of time will be in His head. He will give gifts that are light in weight, His devotees will crane their necks to see Him. He will live for 95 years on earth. In the last twenty years of His life time He will be the king of the whole world but at that time (A.D. 2000) only two-thirds of the world will believe Him. Muslims will only recognise Him nine years before His passing away from the world”. (My underlining)

All physical details are more or less recognisable, but all the teachings of all the religions of the world are most certainly not in his heart… he is ignorant of much of the Bible (as has been demonstrated at length)  and had to ask a Jewish devotee Al Drucker whether there was and difference between Judaism and Christianity! He has made only a very few and ver superficial statements about Buddhism and Islam… this is just for a start.

What is rather surprising is how the Sai Baba misinformation machine still continues to exhibit the alleged prophecy of kingship and historically unsurpassed world fame, long after the time having come and gone without him being anything remotely like “king of the whole world”. Now that the prophecy has been shown to be completely false, only the devotee lunatic fringe continues to believe in it. .. or support the massively exorbitant opinion that two-thirds of the world population believed in him from year 2000! If Sathya Sai Baba dies when he predicted he would (aged 92 or 93) then next year we would expect Muslims to flock to Puttaparthi in vast numbers to see their Mahdi. Wait, wait, wait and see!

For more details on separate prophecies, see:-
Bi-location

Love,bliss,wisdom
Men,women,celibacy

Divine incarnation

Healing & Youthfulness

Shirdi and Sathya

Suka Nadi prophecies

Sai Baba as ‘Love, Bliss and Wisdom Personified’

The  prophecies about Sathya Sai Baba (as listed on the saibabaofindia website claimed to be from the Suka Nadi palm leaves) also include the following;-

· He will be PREMASWAROOPA, ANANDASWAROOPA, AND JNANASWAROOPA. (Personification of Love, Bliss and Wisdom)

COMMENT: That he is no personification of pure love is seen in his lectern-thumping, hate-packed and directly untruthful Christmas Discourse, 2000 and, of course, in the profuse allegations of sexual abuse, child abuse and proof of murder cover-up. As to Bliss, he has become stone-faced and morose-looking most of the time, except occasionally when he smiles for the cameras. Students reported on the Convocation address 22-10-2008, as follows:-
“Swami made it clear that He has no enemies. Every one loves Him. Many people may have some misunderstandings about Me but it is only their IMAGINATION.. I have no enemies.. I love all. I am always smiling. Many people think how can I keep smiling? I don’t like castoroil faces.. When you all are happy, I will be happy.”

Apart from his stupendous presumption that ‘everyone’ loves him – when he is not known at all to the majority of humanity, this shows how he has to put on a brave face and is unhappy when his devotes are, as they so often seem to be when begging for his intervention and much more. He himself says he “puts up” a smiling countenance in a discourse in October 2008:-
“The students… …wonder how Swami is able to put up such a smiling countenance (my emphasis) in the midst of great criticism and how Swami could put up such great patience!”.

However, an Indian lady devotee in Norway with connections to some of Sathya Sai Baba’s inner circle sent out an e-mail (see here) telling how she had learned that he sits and cries most of the day. Strangely enough, a very similar account was given to me by a US lady devotee of long standing from Hawaii called Kanta Devi. She had long known Prof. V.K. Gokak well – one of the closest servitors at that time. Gokak was visiting Sai Baba daily in his Trayee Brindavan apartment where he sat suffering a hairline fracture in the hip joint (after his first accident in his bathroom after slipping on the soap). He told Kanta Devi, who he knew very well, that Sai Baba sat in an armchair all day and was very depressed, shedding bitter tears each time Gokak visited him. Kanta Devi was very concerned about this and asked my wife and I how it could be explained. Of course, blind devotees would have said that “it is all Swami’s divine play which no one can understand”. Indeed, as soon as one throws away the last vestige of judgement and common sense, nothing Sai Baba says or does can be understood, as it is just play and has meanings he alone knows. This is the depths to which renunciation of an independent mind can bring anyone who is not very careful.

Healing and youthfulness – Sathya Sai Baba

More Prophecies about Sathya Sai Baba supposedly from the Suka Nadi:-

He will have healing powers and the power to cure himself by sprinkling water. He will use his healing powers not only for the people of this world, but also for the beings of the other worlds and on the higher planes of existence.(Devas, i.e. celestial gods and goddesses). At times He will take on the illness of the others.

This prophecy first ‘came to light’ only after the incident in which Sai Baba seemed to suffer paralysis of half of his body for a week before the 1963 Guru Poornima festivity in Prashanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi, which he cured in a showpiece where he staggered out to his chair during the festivity then sprinkled water on the paralysed side and became as fit as a fiddle. Result: all doubters were confounded and his popularity grew more.

There are of course countless spiritual healers of more and less credible kinds. The phenomenon is not well understood and scientific medicine has not succeeded in researching the apparently genuine cases by any means. More on this here ‘Faith healing, self-suggestion and Sai Baba’

· He will have power to extend the life of deserving persons. When the Kali yuga influence grows even more intense, people will see His true might and will acknowledge that He is the Supreme Power. Then mankind will bow to him as a great Emperor and He will be revered as the greatest living being, MAHAPURUSHA, in the world.

We can most confidently state that day will not come within his lifetime, or ever – for that matter, considering the huge damage he has himself done to his reputation. His many false and ignorant statements alone would ensure that, apart from his sleight-of-hand ‘materialization’ as revealed by video footage and testified by many who were at his interviews and countless false predictions and promises, constant boasting, trying to get recognised by the Duke of Edinburgh, to get a Nobel Prize and his frequent ungodly and outright rude words to people, constant spreading of slander and rumours etc.

· Sri Sathya Sai Baba will perform great miracles. He will also retain youthful look, age notwithstanding

Sathya Sai Baba - the ever-youthful - in recent times

By what stretch of the imagination can one say that Sathya Sai Baba has retained his youthful looks?

Two vague, unworkable ideas Sathya Sai Baba promotes

Sathya Sai Baba preaches – but never really teaches – because his ideas are too vague, over-generalised and often in conflict with fact and proved theory. In common with other sects and cults in other religions, he relies most heavily on countless abstractions which are woven into a traditional dogma to try to make people believe in many things which are sheer superstition, speculation and have no counterpart in real life. This is using the power of the belief in otherworldly realms (the existence of which is unproven and doubtful in the extreme) to try to control people – a most unrealistic way to try to solve the world’s conflict problems (which conflicts no religion so far seems ever to have solved, but which they have often caused and aggravated).  Like many universal religious and also political abstractions, these ideas lend themselves to authoritarian agendas to obtain social control and manipulative power and turn out to function as subtle ways as a means of control and manipulation in religious or ‘spiritual’ sects and cults..

TWO KEY RELIGIOUS IDEAS CRITICALLY EXAMINED

Love, love, love… meaning what exactly? The concept of eternal, unconditional love… a dream!
Read what is wrong with the impracticable and delusory idea of  ‘love’ as ‘eternal’ in Sathya Sai Baba’s “teachings”

The idea of Unity (as in unity with all beings, God etc.) is highly misleading when used to set up behavioural ideals from which to measure, judge (and denigrate) the unique individual and the diversity of life.

Read what religious ideas of ‘unity’ are misused as constantly preached by Sathya Sai Baba’s in simplistic and unworkable otherworldly ways.

Sathya Sai Baba’s editor V.K. Narasimhan – 1

Had it not been for my many long conversations with the once-famous Indian journalist V.K. Narasimhan over a decade, and the many matters he told me about in confidence, I may not have come to realise the sheer extent and depth of Sai Baba’s deceptions… not least his undoubted involvement as an accomplice – along with his brother Janakiramiah – to the cold-blooded murder of four of his devotees who invaded his apartment in the Puttaparthi ashram. V.K. Narasimhan disillusioned me constantly, despite my faith at the time and told me now and again how odd that he was such “a doubting Thomas” yet also still the editor of Sai Baba’s ‘personality cult’ journal Sanathana Sarathi (not always a comfortable job!)

V. K. Narasimhan became a kind of captive at Sai Baba ashrams after his wife died and his health and ability of self-care deteriorated a lot so that he had to be looked after by others. He was also hooked on the attention and privileges he received, not only from Sathya Sai Baba but all the many visitors to the ashrams, including many of his former contacts but also royalty and heads of state for whom he often translated at interviews.

I reported our confidential discussion only after his decease, not least because of the dire consequences this would have had for him while still alive. However, so that the public should have some documentation of the facts I report, I have scanned numerous selected pages of my notebooks made at the time on a daily basis through 15 years. One can test their authenticity by checking on many of the reported details about what occurred on the dates of the diary pages, and in other ways.
See articles on V.K. Narasimhan, including scanned notes recorded at the time of conversations with him

Sathya Sai Baba and India in-depth study

Barry Pittard articles on India and Sathya Sai Baba

Some of Barry Pittard’s articles at his blogsite – http://barrypittard.wordpress.com – are as: see below. For three decades, he has been well-known for his great love of India, where he lived for several years, often engaged in service to the very poor, and also teaching at the Sathya Sai college outside Bangalore. The issues he raises about India’s profound levels of corruption and superstition are issues that thinking Indians themselves have great concern about. Critical comment on India’s problems can equate to a genuine care for that country to see far better days. Countless of India’s greatest thinkers and reformers have been among those who have criticised many things within Indian society, such as superstition that penetrates most sections, the blind and fervent worship whether of gurus, film stars, cricketers, etc., the appalling record in human rights, casteism, endemic corruption, attitudes towards women, and so forth.

Will World Accept Sathya Sai Baba? He Says Yes. Very Soon
CNN-IBN Reports Action On Corrupt Indian Gurus
Indian Ex Top Official Dogs Sai Baba On BBC. ‘Cold-blooded Murder’
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The Genesis of the BBC’s ‘The Secret Swami’ (Sai Baba)
BBC Caught UNESCO Head Bowing To Indian Government
Indian Minister Shields Sai Baba on BBC television
A Top Indian Editor Vir Sanghvi Fails Research Test
UNESCO and Indian Government – Were Up To Tricks
Indian Media’s Reticence on Top Guru, Sathya Sai Baba, Weakens
Sai Baba Sparks Political Furore
Serial Sex Molestation and Bedroom Killings. But Much More
Police Killings in Sai Baba’s Bedroom At Puttaparthi
Self-documented Folly of India’s Would-be God
Sai Baba Is God Says Top George Bush Doctor
Has ‘World Saviour’ Missed His Plane?
Sai Baba Will Act Against His Dissenters
A Strong India Can Bless The World
Watershed year for India-U.S. relations, says Rocca
Supercool Indian Gurus Under Fire
The Guru Trap. Will India Be Forever Trapped?
Flag Follows Trade. Abetting Indian Government Corruption
Criticism of Sai Baba No Reflection On Hinduism
Genital Oiling. Do Hindu Religious Leaders Approve?
Renowned Indian Editor VKN. Diary and Letter Scans Reveal
Is Sai Baba’s Governmental Influence ‘Miraculous’?
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Sai Baba Promised to Transform India. But Child Abuse Rampant
Dr Naresh Bhatia. Silenced Now In Indian Child Abuse Scourge
Indian Government Study of Child Abuse Is Groundbreaking
Child Abuse in India. Will Minister Renuka Chowdhury Act?
Child Abuse Rife In India. But Who Would Speak Out?
Sai Baba Promised to Transform India. But Child Abuse Rampant
Taboo On Acting Against Sexual Abuse In India
Indian Nuclear Scientist Now Sai Baba’s Global Radio Chief
Sathya Sai Baba’s ‘Minister of Propaganda’ – Dr G. Venkataraman
Sathya Sai Baba’s Deputy Head, Dr G. Venkataraman, Speaks of “Mr Idi Amin”
P.N. Bhagwati, India’s Ex-Chief Justice: Wild, Reckless Claims
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Inequality before the law in India
Is Indian ‘Godman’ Sai Baba’s Moon Waning Still Further?
Will India’s New Backlash Against Corruption Lash Sathya Sai Baba?
Sai Baba: I Will Save India Then World. But he’s Failed
India Lead World? Sai Baba Says Yes. Robert Priddy No
The Secret Swami. BBC Docu. Review. Condensed
Exposure of Sathya Sai Baba. Media Source List

Sathya Sai Baba as the Vedic Trinity

Sathya Sai Baba claimed to be Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

Sathya Sai Baba claims to be all Gods rolled into one (see here)

Not satisfied with claiming to be the central figure of the supposed triple avatar of this Kali Age, Sathya Sai Baba lays claim (through his close followers – see left) to being Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. This is an affront to Hinduism – because Brahma and Shiva are regarded throughout Hinduism as never incarnating. (as proof Search Google for “Shiva does not incarnate”) That Brahma, believed by most Hindus to be the Creator, should also appear incarnated as part of his own creation is just ridiculous. For example see this quotation from Ramananda Prasad on the Gita, “In a true sense Para Brahma does not incarnate. He actually never leaves His Param Dhama, the Supreme Abode!”

Sathya Sai Baba has said many conflicting things about Shiva – that he is a real disincarnate Being existing beyond the senses, that the name Shiva actually represents a form of bodily energy in everyone, that the Shiva-Parvathi story is a myth, that Shiva never incarnates and that Shiva has incarnated as himself!

See also Sathya Sai Baba’s excessive claims
Sathya Sai Baba – claims to world fame

More sexual abuse evidence emerges against Sathya Sai Baba

Muz Murray is a world renowned mystic and mantra yoga master of 40 years’ experience. Although endowed with the saffron robe and spiritual name of “Ramana Baba” in India, he sees himself neither as a ‘Swami’ nor a ‘New Age’ teacher, inclining rather to the notion of a ‘No Age’ seeking the teachings suitable for any age of the world. Muz Murray signed the Public Sai Petition, stating that he had been warned by Swami Muktananda of Ganeshpuri over thirty years ago never to get into a private darshan with Sai Baba, since he had just returned from Puttaparthi adjudicating in a court case regarding Sai Baba’s molestation of the son of two of Muktananda’s disciples. Also an Arab friend of Muz Murray was penetrated by Sai Baba many years later, he states.

This kind of information has been flowing in – mostly since 1999 when the Internet made it possible for victims, otherwise isolated, to confer and stand forth with their testimonies. Muz Murray further criticises Sathya Sai Baba for excessive claims as to his much-publicised service projects, such as his hospitals (where a kidney theft took place – see updated info here) and the flawed Rayalaseema water project. (Read more of Muz Murray’s statements on this here)

Banking on Heaven – the sectarian snare

Banking on Heaven is what many religious followers do, if not all to the same extent. However, those sects which make ‘salvation’, ‘nirvana’ and ‘liberation from rebirth’ the key motivation for their followers, are liable to be able to indoctrinate them into acceptance of much else. As is increasingly evident, leaders of sects and cults use such levers to exercise power over followers and to make them accept, hide and cover up a variety of sexual abuses and other crimes, even to the extent of covering-up murders in which their leaders have been involved (usually claiming to be prophets, saints or God Himself). The more geographically isolated a sect is, the less chance of followers being able to avoid virtual ‘brainwashing (i.e. in this case that the particular charismatic figure is the ONLY way to reach heaven (or whatever other panacea is offered). Those entrapped within this social-mental-emotional web become very fearful of leaving and so losing their chance of ‘heaven’. In yet another of an endless stream of revelations about such sects, that oft of the Mormon-inspired polygamist Warren Steed Jeffs, has been exposed:-

“The largest known organized community of polygamists in the USA is the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, headed by Jeffs, has about 8,000 members, broke from the Mormon church, which disavowed polygamy a century ago.The 1,900-acre YFZ Ranch near Eldorado in Texas where members are confined was built by followers of imprisoned polygamist “prophet” Warren Steed Jeffs. Girls deemed by adult sect members to be of “child-bearing age” were forced to submit to sex and have babies. An affadavit to this effect by a victim provided the legal basis for authorities to remove the children and place them in state custody. The allegations prompted police and social workers to remove hundreds of children from the Texas ranch. One teenage bride said she was in an abusive “spiritual” marriage to an older sect member, the documents stated. She reported that she was the man’s seventh wife and had been beaten and choked. She said she had been hospitalized in the past with cracked ribs and hoped to escape the abuse by faking a medical condition.”

Watch a former plural wife describe her escape »

See also Polygamy Practiced More Widely than Ever Before – Los Angeles Times
(http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_8856953)

A parallel case of banking on heaven – the Sathya Sai Baba sect
While the polygamy is not a part of the Sathya Sai Baba teaching, he does have a prediliction, according to reliable witnesses, for underage sexual partners (boys). His movement also shares other strong cultist features with the sect described above. Practically all followers of Sathya Sai Baba are banking on heaven in that he preaches the overriding and indeed sole aim of human life is ‘liberation from the wheel of life’ (Moksha). The Sathya Sai Baba movement is geographically widespread, but despite that most of its members soon come to live in a kind of mental-emotional and consequently social isolation, spending much of their time with other followers and consequently not thinking outside the box within which their minds have become closed off through indoctrination from other social and intellectual influences. Further, many key followers of this self-appointed God Incarnate live in geographical isolation in Sai Baba ashrams or are confined to Sai Baba colleges, where homosexual abuses by Sai Baba and other staff members – including some of his former victims – have been reported on a considerable scale by many persons, and where four devotees who were students were murdered in cold blood in Sai Baba’s own bedroom while he stood by. In these ashrams it is unthinkable to utter a single word of criticism against Sai Baba, and blackballing follows discovery of suchlike.

These ashrams are the hub from which of the world-wide Sathya Sai Organizations is actually directed and controlled, its members being strictly censored against expression of any criticisms or doubts. They face exclusion from the organisation and ashrams – plus total ostracism from all Sai contacts – if they even discuss the many and very substantial allegations of sexual abuse and murder complicity against Sathya Sai Baba. The only reason why Sai Baba has not been brought to book for the many alleged crimes is the huge influence of Sathya Sai Baba and his many prominent followers in India – including a long list of Indian Prime Minister and Presidents – up to an including the present incumbents.

Yet other strong similarities exist between the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Sathya Sai Baba sect. One such is chauvinistic male domination, which ensures that the entire organisation is put together by men and benefits men in favour of women. Sathya Sai Baba is well known for his great preference for men over women, spending most of his day exclusively with male servitors and giving very much more attention to men than women during his former ‘walkarounds’ in the ashram. (‘Former’ since he can no longer walk). Women are segregated from men within the ashrams, but men are given pride of place on all occasion (except partly on one day, so-called Ladies Day). See how the Sai Organization defends all this here.