Govinda's and the related Gourmet to Go restaurants at Broad and South Streets are run by a dangerous cult, ISKCON. You might know ISKCON as the "Hare Krishnas."Now, you might think that the Krishnas are a little weird but pretty much harmless. You would be wrong. You might also think that giving them your money for food because they prepare vegan food is the kindest thing you could do for the world around you. You couldn't possibly be more wrong.
The diet has little to do with mainstream Hinduism. In point of fact, most Hindus aren't vegetarians. And most Hindus consider ISKCON to be a weird little cult that isn't really Hindu. ISKCON has been involved in brainwashing since its inception; part of this is starving the brain of protein, and even restricting use of garlic and onions (!) on the claim that these are "too stimulating." This, along with the sleep deprivation and chanting, is used to create a cadre of mostly young devotee zombies, removed from their families and former friends, forced to provide cult leaders with cash and sexual favors.
Let's say for a moment that you don't mind forking over cash to a movement that teaches that human women are of less worth than cows, that women are intellectually inferior to men (link to an ISKCON page which makes this very clear). Would you mind giving your cash to a international criminal organization that's involved in everything from stockpiling guns to drug dealing to repeated child sexual abuse (with branches worldwide sharing in legal/compensation costs) and even murder? Don't just take my word for it, read the excellent book on the terror of the Krishnas by a pair of respected investigative reporters, Monkey on a Stick.
Thus I say a hearty "Fuck off!" to Govinda's and Gourmet to Go, and encourage you to do the same. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a comparatively cruelty-free hoagie to eat.
11 comments:
So, they just gave out the MacArthur Fellowships today. Surprisingly, they will be receiving $500K total over five years, not every year. Whoops!
First off, I used to post a weekly post that was for general comments or questions, and this would have been a great place to put that if available. I haven't posted one of those in a couple of months b/c no one was ever commenting on them, and it seemed a waste to even bother. Maybe I should restart that..?
I just looked it up and you're right, Anonymous. I'll publish a retraction on here, possibly today. My source distinctly said 5 payments of $500,000, annually, which is doubly wrong. I probably got that off of the internet, although I don't recall where. it was part of article about something else. My apologies.
Oh you poor soul. Where did you get your completely out dated source of information? Maybe if you were reporting in the early 80's you would be half right. You don't know what you are talking about. Thankfully blogs are around for "reporters" like you haha
actually get a source, then research more than one book, and learn something.
Your evidence that the Krishnas are not a cult is what then..?
Nothing..?
You're countering something with nothing and then say I should cite more than one source (which I did in those links in any event). How about you start with ONE source & get back to me...
This article is a total crock of shit! Have you ever looked up "Gaudiya Vaishnavism" on the internet? It is an authentic branch of Hinduism with an extensive history and temples spread throughout India. Prabhupada brought this culture to America and it became known as the "Hare Krishna" movement because that is the mantra that the devotees are always chanting. It is their form of meditation. Duh.
Saying that Gaudiya Vaishnavism gave birth to ISKCON and therefore ISKCON is A-OK is like saying that because Jim Jones was a theological descendant of Martin Luther that he's OK too.
It doesn't work that way.
"Duh."
Also - what makes you think that GV itself isn't totally bogus?
This is ISKCON:
"Stories of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children at the society's boarding schools in India and America began to emerge in the 1980s, with cases dating back from the mid-1970s onwards.[57] Some of these cases later appeared in print, such as in John Hubner and Lindsay Gruson's 1988 book Monkey on a Stick. In 1998 an official publication produced by ISKCON detailed the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children at the society's boarding schools in both India and the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s.[58] The group received praise for its candor but later was sued by 95 people who had attended the schools.
Facing the fiscal drain likely to ensue from this legal action, the ISKCON centers involved declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This allowed them to work out a settlement of US$9.5 million, meant to compensate not only the former students who had brought the suit but also any others who had undergone abuse but had not sued.[59] About 430 such people responded to newspaper advertisements seeking to identify them. Individual victims are expected to receive between $6,000 and $50,000, depending on the nature and duration of their abuse."
ISKCON = dangerous, fraudulent CULT.
First of all, ISKCON is only a name that was made for people like you (not wise) to understand. You probably do not even know what ISKCON means. And your sources are biased! Obviously to defend your ridiculous side, you use things like sexual abuse and major debt to your advantage. What about the abuse, both sexual and emotional, in churches? What happens to them? Do they ever get sued or go into debt? Those priests seem to have more things on their mind than God. At least there is no more sexual abuse in ISKCON. I am assuming you must be Christian, therefore you did not bring up these points. And women are treated with respect, a lot of respect, on account of the that I am one! Just because the women in ISKCON do not exhibit their bodies like the next slut does not mean that they are not respected. And being vegetarian is not something to be jealous of or to snarl at. We are more healthy than meat-eaters. Try getting your sources right, reading original documentations and fat books, gaining a little knowledge than conjuring up your own ideas or using the sources that fit your point of view! Maybe, just maybe, you will learn something, other than being a narcicist.
Dear Anonymous Cult Devotee -
- I linked directly to a post that explains the "ISKCON" acronym directly. How about you read before commenting? "Con" is right!
- Learn to spell "narcissist" before using it in a sentence. I suppose you use that to mean "someone with a minimally functional ego who can't be taken in by a dumb cult."
- I'm an atheist, not a Christian. Same snake oil, different bottles.
- ISKCON is a CULT. It is dangerous and it and its financial tentacles are to be avoided.
Oh... and your use of "slut" shows what misogynists you ponytailed brainwashed douchebags are.
I personally know the owner. He has nothing to do with any of the things you mentioned. sorry.
You "personally" know the owner? What's the other option for knowing someone?
Thank you for your lengthy, detail-filled and well crafted refutation of this post. I'm sure any reader will now see the error of my ways, based in both your logic and eloquence.
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