surprised to find an email in his inbox from the Padre.
TO: [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Research
Sergeant Major,
I thought I would follow your example and do a bit of research on the internet. It appears there have been many cases of cults forming since the early 1990s across Europe and America, some of which have practised murder/suicide. These include the obvious one of WACO, but interestingly there are others including:
The Order of the Solar Temple, spanning France, Switzerland and Quebec, a new religious movement drawing on the Western esoteric tradition.
Aum Shinryi Kyo, a new Japanese religious order, an idiosyncratic Buddhist movement.
Heavens Gate, a UFO religious movement based in California.
The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, a fringe Catholic group in Uganda.
Therefore the cult tradition is still alive and well in our times. As I explained yesterday there are differing theories for people joining cults and the persuasiveness of cult leaders. Firstly, brainwashing and secondly, out and out madness of both the leader and his followers.
I don’t believe our soldiers are out and out mad, despite the awful duties that befall our brave men these days, so I am erring on the side of brainwashing. The questions are, who was brainwashing them and why?
I am delighted to be of some service in my so called ‘area of expertise’ and will continue my investigations this end.
Regards
Padre Symonds
“Bloody hell,” was Crane’s reaction to the email.
“Sir?” asked Billy, as he was passing the door.
“Come and look at this, Billy,” Crane swivelled the monitor to face the other side of the desk. “Looks like the Padre thinks he’s some sort of religious detective now, after not wanting to get involved.”
Billy leant over the desk to get closer to the monitor. After a few moments of reading in silence, Billy wanted to know why the Padre was off on this tack. Crane realised he had kept the Padre’s involvement quiet, so he recounted their meeting yesterday.
“Surely no harm can come of it, though, sir,” Billy said, taking a seat in front of Crane’s desk. “After all he’ll probably just approach it from an academic point of view, rather than a ‘hands on’ one. It seems to me he’s relishing the thought of doing some research to help, that’s all. And let’s face it, it may mean something to him, but to be honest phrases like ‘the esoteric Western tradition’,” Billy placed air quote marks around the words, “don’t exactly mean a lot to me. How about you?” he grinned at Crane.
“No.”
“So there you go, this is probably just appealing to his academic side.”
“I hope you’re right, Billy. And I hope I’m wrong,”
“About what, sir?”
“I hope I’m wrong about there being a darker side to these murders.”
Peter
08:55 Hours 9th October
It was nearly time . Just five minutes to go . Peter could hardly contain his excitement . His wife had left about half an hour ago for work , leaving him alone in the house with his son , Ryan . He was glad he persuaded her to take the Sunday job at the local supermarket a few months ago , after he returned from his posting in Afghanistan . Since then it had just been the two of them every Sunday , free to worship without interference .
Oh and how she would interfere . He knew that . That’s what she was , an interfering old cow . It was always the same whenever he came back from a posting . He felt an outsider in his own home . ‘ That’s not the way we do it , ’ she said constantly . Or , ‘ I’ve had to manage without you all this time , so leave things alone . Let me do it . ’ Even worse was , ‘ Ryan has his routine , we can’t change things just because you’ve come home . ’ Well , he’s in charge now and leaving her out of it for a change .
He thanked the Lord every day that he found the church . And thanked him even more that he
TO: [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Research
Sergeant Major,
I thought I would follow your example and do a bit of research on the internet. It appears there have been many cases of cults forming since the early 1990s across Europe and America, some of which have practised murder/suicide. These include the obvious one of WACO, but interestingly there are others including:
The Order of the Solar Temple, spanning France, Switzerland and Quebec, a new religious movement drawing on the Western esoteric tradition.
Aum Shinryi Kyo, a new Japanese religious order, an idiosyncratic Buddhist movement.
Heavens Gate, a UFO religious movement based in California.
The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, a fringe Catholic group in Uganda.
Therefore the cult tradition is still alive and well in our times. As I explained yesterday there are differing theories for people joining cults and the persuasiveness of cult leaders. Firstly, brainwashing and secondly, out and out madness of both the leader and his followers.
I don’t believe our soldiers are out and out mad, despite the awful duties that befall our brave men these days, so I am erring on the side of brainwashing. The questions are, who was brainwashing them and why?
I am delighted to be of some service in my so called ‘area of expertise’ and will continue my investigations this end.
Regards
Padre Symonds
“Bloody hell,” was Crane’s reaction to the email.
“Sir?” asked Billy, as he was passing the door.
“Come and look at this, Billy,” Crane swivelled the monitor to face the other side of the desk. “Looks like the Padre thinks he’s some sort of religious detective now, after not wanting to get involved.”
Billy leant over the desk to get closer to the monitor. After a few moments of reading in silence, Billy wanted to know why the Padre was off on this tack. Crane realised he had kept the Padre’s involvement quiet, so he recounted their meeting yesterday.
“Surely no harm can come of it, though, sir,” Billy said, taking a seat in front of Crane’s desk. “After all he’ll probably just approach it from an academic point of view, rather than a ‘hands on’ one. It seems to me he’s relishing the thought of doing some research to help, that’s all. And let’s face it, it may mean something to him, but to be honest phrases like ‘the esoteric Western tradition’,” Billy placed air quote marks around the words, “don’t exactly mean a lot to me. How about you?” he grinned at Crane.
“No.”
“So there you go, this is probably just appealing to his academic side.”
“I hope you’re right, Billy. And I hope I’m wrong,”
“About what, sir?”
“I hope I’m wrong about there being a darker side to these murders.”
Peter
08:55 Hours 9th October
It was nearly time . Just five minutes to go . Peter could hardly contain his excitement . His wife had left about half an hour ago for work , leaving him alone in the house with his son , Ryan . He was glad he persuaded her to take the Sunday job at the local supermarket a few months ago , after he returned from his posting in Afghanistan . Since then it had just been the two of them every Sunday , free to worship without interference .
Oh and how she would interfere . He knew that . That’s what she was , an interfering old cow . It was always the same whenever he came back from a posting . He felt an outsider in his own home . ‘ That’s not the way we do it , ’ she said constantly . Or , ‘ I’ve had to manage without you all this time , so leave things alone . Let me do it . ’ Even worse was , ‘ Ryan has his routine , we can’t change things just because you’ve come home . ’ Well , he’s in charge now and leaving her out of it for a change .
He thanked the Lord every day that he found the church . And thanked him even more that he
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