Interesting article on mentalfloss

applepwnz · 02-16-2010, 08:10 PM

mental_floss Blog 4 Cults You Might Not Know About

Check out #4:

http://mentalfloss.cachefly.net/blog.../02/cult-4.jpg

4. The Source FamilyWhat Jim Baker had that other cult leaders did not was timing and (as realtors say) location, location, location. Retired medal of honor-winning Marine and judo champion Baker first headed to Los Angeles after the end of World War II to work as a movie stunt man with his eye on becoming filmdom’s next Tarzan. When that dream didn’t pan out, he fell in with a local group of beatniks called the Nature Boys, strict vegetarians who lived according to “Nature’s Laws.” Baker flourished in the hippie lifestyle to the extreme—he studied philosophy and religion and became a follower of Yogi Bhajan. Like all good gurus-to-be, Baker eventually left Bhajan and formed his own religion. He also adopted a more spiritually-jazzy name, Father Yod. He called his new religion the Source Family and opened an organic vegetarian restaurant in Laurel Canyon called (what else?) The Source. Religion plus natural food plus nubile young servers in colorful robes equaled celebrity cachet in the early 1970s. Marlon Brando, Warren Beatty, Frank Zappa, Julie Christie and many other famous people made The Source the hip place to dine. As a result, Father Yod was able to rent a small home in which to house his devoted followers, which numbered about 160 at its peak. In addition to the sex and drugs typical of most communes of that era, Yod also embraced rock and roll. He and his faithful formed an ersatz band called Ya Ho Wa 13, which ultimately released nine albums (recorded in a home studio and mostly sold via his restaurant). The recordings were a mixture of an avant garde acid rock-type background while Father Yod chanting his wisdom. All seemed groovy until Father Yod’s natural treatment of whatever ailed his minions failed, and a Source baby had to be taken to a local hospital due to a severe staph infection. In anticipation of The Man swooping down on his kingdom to investigate the possibly unsafe environment in which children were being raised (more than 100 people in a three-bedroom house), Yob moved his “family” to Hawaii. In 1975, a totally inexperienced Baker decided to try his hand at hang-gliding, and his first flight was his last. The Source Family pretty much disintegrated after his death.

slunken · 02-16-2010, 08:26 PM

Do you have a point?

applepwnz · 02-16-2010, 08:32 PM

not really, it's just an interesting article, hence the thread title.

slunken · 02-16-2010, 08:58 PM

If that's your definition of interesting then I'll say that the wiki entry is far more interesting.

02-16-2010, 08:10 PM	#1
applepwnz Ownz Posts: 729	Interesting article on mentalfloss mental_floss Blog 4 Cults You Might Not Know About Check out #4: http://mentalfloss.cachefly.net/blog.../02/cult-4.jpg 4. The Source FamilyWhat Jim Baker had that other cult leaders did not was timing and (as realtors say) location, location, location. Retired medal of honor-winning Marine and judo champion Baker first headed to Los Angeles after the end of World War II to work as a movie stunt man with his eye on becoming filmdom’s next Tarzan. When that dream didn’t pan out, he fell in with a local group of beatniks called the Nature Boys, strict vegetarians who lived according to “Nature’s Laws.” Baker flourished in the hippie lifestyle to the extreme—he studied philosophy and religion and became a follower of Yogi Bhajan. Like all good gurus-to-be, Baker eventually left Bhajan and formed his own religion. He also adopted a more spiritually-jazzy name, Father Yod. He called his new religion the Source Family and opened an organic vegetarian restaurant in Laurel Canyon called (what else?) The Source. Religion plus natural food plus nubile young servers in colorful robes equaled celebrity cachet in the early 1970s. Marlon Brando, Warren Beatty, Frank Zappa, Julie Christie and many other famous people made The Source the hip place to dine. As a result, Father Yod was able to rent a small home in which to house his devoted followers, which numbered about 160 at its peak. In addition to the sex and drugs typical of most communes of that era, Yod also embraced rock and roll. He and his faithful formed an ersatz band called Ya Ho Wa 13, which ultimately released nine albums (recorded in a home studio and mostly sold via his restaurant). The recordings were a mixture of an avant garde acid rock-type background while Father Yod chanting his wisdom. All seemed groovy until Father Yod’s natural treatment of whatever ailed his minions failed, and a Source baby had to be taken to a local hospital due to a severe staph infection. In anticipation of The Man swooping down on his kingdom to investigate the possibly unsafe environment in which children were being raised (more than 100 people in a three-bedroom house), Yob moved his “family” to Hawaii. In 1975, a totally inexperienced Baker decided to try his hand at hang-gliding, and his first flight was his last. The Source Family pretty much disintegrated after his death.

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02-16-2010, 08:26 PM	#2
slunken Virgo Posts: 42,781	Do you have a point?

02-16-2010, 08:32 PM	#3
applepwnz Ownz Posts: 729	not really, it's just an interesting article, hence the thread title.

02-16-2010, 08:58 PM	#4
slunken Virgo Posts: 42,781	If that's your definition of interesting then I'll say that the wiki entry is far more interesting.