Saturday, September 09, 2006

The shameful sham of Shem and Châm


Amazingly, it can't be denied, there are a few African Americans in the Twelve Tribes. I saw one with my own eyes and talked to him. They are trotted out whenever and wherever TT comes under public scrutiny, for instance at the "Merrymakers Caravan festival" on the Commons on August 12. This has been quite effective, apparently, at throwing TT's critics for a loop. These black TTers who have adopted the robot culture of the group and accepted their "giftings" of serving and cooking are accepted by the others. (See "Why blacks deserve to be slaves, explained" below.) As the revealing note from a former TTer reproduced below relates, TTers only disapprove of those 99.999% of blacks not yet in the TT, most of whom believe they are the equal of white people and that the civil rights movement was a good thing, etc. Because they accept black recruits and regard Sprigg's teaching on the Curse of Ham (Cham) as the Word of God and not the product of the hate-filled, twisted mind that it is, TTers don't think of themselves of racists. (But come to think of it, find me a racist who does.) I thank this former TTer for his/her honesty and for clarifying some of the niceties (or not-so-niceties) of Sprigg's racism as revealed in his exegesis of the Curse of Ham story. Turns out that according to Spriggs, apparently only white people have a conscience. So where is his?

It is hard to explain how they actually "hate" blacks, because the blacks in the TT are not treated any differently than any other race. It is the blacks that are not in there that are technically "hated" .

(They would never use that term, and most living there don't even have those emotions towards others!)

an example:

"Without conscience there would be no restraint. By the time of Gen 6:5, everyone had continually gone against their consciences, to the point that every intent of their hearts was continually evil — all except Noah and his family. Then after the flood, Châm went against his conscience and again brought this principle in the world. But Abraham kept a good conscience. Through a line of Shem, obedience to conscience was preserved."

That is Yoneq, from the Confession Teaching, Sus France, March 1989

So Cham ( All Africans, according to their teachings) is the sole responsible party for bringing evil into the current world, and apparently are not even able to listen to their conscience, if they even have one. While wonderful Shem can do this. And what about Yapheth?

(An example of a question you probably won't get an answer for. Things kind of get made up as you go along there.)

Anyhow all is forgiven when you come into the Tribes, see? God changes your DNA.

So it doesn't really appear racist at all, to most.

It took me a long time to see that I had been racist in my thinking, because I had all these good fuzzy "feelings" towards other races, yet adhered to these teachings, that I really had little knowledge or understanding of.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

For a clearer understanding on why things about race are "cleared up" when you join the TT (oh- and why Martin Luther King and Abe Lincoln are "antichrist")please read Yoneq's words here in full context:

http://www.twelvetribesteachings.com/pdf/Cham1.pdf

note towards the end, the little blurb about the fact that Cham's PHYSICAL attributes are part of the curse!

Aloysius Horn said...

Thanks, anon. You're right that Spriggs' Cham teaching really is a must-read.

It made me think what a a great idea it would be to hold President's Day and MLK Day celebrations on the Commons in front of Maté Factor.

I'd like to know when "Cham" supposedly got these physical attributes...the curse was on Cham's son, Canaan, but there's nothing in Genesis about Canaan's appearance changing.

Anonymous said...

Well, I think the first and largest error even biblically speaking, comes in who is who when talking about where the tribes of Cham, Shem and Japheth settled.

One of our oldest maps of the (then known)world, historically called the "T and O map" shows clearly, that "white" people were always considered of Japheth descent.


The Jewish descent is from Shem. (That's where the word "Semite" came from)

And Shem did not settle in Europe, rather in what was known at the time of the T and O maps as Asia.

And although it is true that Cham is considered to have settled in Africa, Caanan (the one actually considered cursed in the book of Genesis..) settled fairly far away geographically from Africa, ironically or not, in Israel (I say ironically because that is what the TT call themselves).

One would be hard pressed to prove otherwise with the bible or the reams of historical evidence supporting this traditional view.

So Yoneq got those basic facts pretty well jumbled up, I am not sure how he explains those important historical incongruiencies,(I guess he can just say it was a revelation or something?).

You can check all those out on Wikipedia, including a beautiful image of one of the ancient T and O maps.

Anonymous said...

Cham isn't the only one getting a bad rap there in the tribes- here is another classic quote-

"The Talmud is the most gross and grotesque writing ever to be published, and the most gross and grotesque people absorb its slop. " quote from Yoneq October 4, 2002 Vista CA (from the teaching called What Abraham Did).

Now THAT sounds like hate. Hate.

If you do not want to be accused of "taking something out of context", you can read the quote in it's full context here:

http://www.twelvetribesteachings.com/pdf/Jews/TTTWhatAbrahamDid.pdf

Anonymous said...

Here's another hideous example of HATE - not only racial hatred, but of children as well. Sorry, but I see no "warm fuzzy good feelings" here.

"Niger means black. When people first started saying this word, it wasn't bad, but it became a curse word, having a bad connotation. Before the civil rights,black men would say,"Yes, boss man", in the south. Yes man, no man. This was respect. We need respect in people. We must beat respect into our children. Ham must get this respect in them."

...Yoneq- 11-22-88 (from the Unraveling the Races of Man teaching.)

http://www.twelvetribesteachings.com/pdf/Unraveling%20the%20Races%20of%20Man.pdf

Aloysius Horn said...

anon #1: Thanks for your note. I had seen the map on the wiki page of which you speak, and read elsewhere that Japheth was the supposed progenitor of the "white race" (whatever that is), not Shem, so I was a bit confused (and I guess still am) how people of western european ancestry get to be "Shemites."

The idea of three human races might have made perfect sense to someone living in bronze age Palestine, but anyone today who uses this Bible story to explain anything about human origins or human nature are as out of their tree as the flat-earthers. There is a good presentation about modern views on human race on Wikipedia.

anon #2: Thanks for passing along the quote from Spriggs on the Talmud. I hadn't seen that that teaching, but from its colorful language and loving tone there can be little doubt it's an authentic quote from the great Elijah himself.

Aloysius Horn said...

anon #3: Yes, the "boss man" quotation was so good it made it into the IOTTC flier. What I really love is how, in his nostalgic discussion of race relations in the Old South, he throws in that admonition to beat our children for emphasis. Keep those juicy quotes coming, Yoneq!

Anonymous said...

So how does one sign up for your newsletter?

Anonymous said...

I am so glad that there are people out there who are concerned with the actions of the TT. I feel as though we are living in a world which is becoming more and more tolerant of the abuses of others, whether it is on humans, animals, the environment, etc. Unfortunately, we do have to pick our battles, and fight for what we believe to be worthy of our time. Fighting the battle of having the TTs in my backyard (and on the Commons, for goodness sakes!) seems like time well spent... and easy enough - just stop buying their food and purchasing their goods, such as the 'Common Sense' line of products that they carry. The way that I see it, if we can't get together in this small city and agree that what the TT's are doing and openly preaching is absolutely repulsive, than we are truly in a sad state. Maintain your ethics - or begin developing some.

Anonymous said...

Well put.
So does anyone have a comprehensive list of ALL the businesses (and addresses) that the TT's run globally? Perhaps that would help knowing exactly what to boycott for those of us who don't live in Ithaca....thanks!

Aloysius Horn said...

To the poster directly above: You ask a good question & I don't have such a list currently, but will try to produce one soon. TT uses the names "Common Sense" and "Common Ground" for their cosmetics and baked goods, respectively. Estee Lauder and Robert Redford's Sundance catalog store used to carry some of their products, but both companies dropped them after the child labor allegations surfaced. I know that in some communities TT also have construction companies. This website started as a local Ithaca thing, but clearly many people from outside the area are coming here for a look, so compiling such a list is a great idea.

To the anon poster next above, THIS is our newsletter (at least for now). IOTTC is just getting off the ground. You might be referring to our flier which we distributed around Ithaca. (300+ copies of it went fast.) We SHOULD make a pdf of it avaialable on our website, since it would be useful for many to have. I will work on a way distribute it from a link on this webpage. Check back soon!

Anonymous said...

This is a quote from one of the links on your blog that relates to why a person had left the TT: 'AI Jayne "Ne'eman", one of my shepherds told me candidly, "We make people unable to survive and stand on their own two feet in the world." The children of the TT are being raised into the institution of the TT, with very limited possibilities of employment in their future. They are home-schooled, and none of the children are given the tools to be able to succeed in 'the real world' if they choose to because they aren't encouraged (and are actually discouraged) to get high school diplomas or GEDs. The very young women are reproducing at such an alarming rate (maybe similar to the upcoming populus of the Mormons?) and beginning to have children at such a young age. This concerns me because they are creating more and more children who are in this predicament - who aren't able to have a more 'worldly' view of this planet that they live in. They are raised in an environment that promotes small thinking and a stifled, prejudiced, and warped sense of multiculturalism. They must be proud that they OWN a preachy black man that is scripted in believing that MLK led the black man down the wrong path. What a twisted and perverted belief system they live by.

Anonymous said...

What next? Hassling Roman Catholics?

Anti-religious BIGOTS!

Anonymous said...

Nope- they'll bash Catholics all by themselves in at least 20 of their teachings.

"The Roman Catholic Church claims (through them) that their poor deceived victims are to gain remission of sins. It’s the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (clergy and laity) that God hates, it is the Sprit of Anti-Christ, “conquer the laity, “this is a hated doctrine."

From the teaching called Roman Catholicism - Island Pond, December 12, 1978.

Oh. And there's that word again..hate. Tsk-tsk. Is there anyone that isn't the Anti-Christ?!

Anonymous said...

First the 12 Tribes THEN the Amish!

Pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. I don't think the TT thinks too much about the Amish either.

"For the last 1900 years the Spirit does not dwell in what remains of the first church. It is obviously not the true church anymore because it is divided. The edah is the ONLY one. Christianity is not the church; it is another religion altogether, and we REFUSE to be called what the first edah would not even call themselves; we are not Christians and neither were they. That is what the outside world called them. WE are disciples, followers of the way, we ARE the way, we are brethren, the edah, the faithful witness, the wife, the faithful followers, those who submitted, those who were intent on the same heart and the same purpose."

That was December 13, 1992, at the morning sacrifice, in Londrina Brazil.

But at least now you are learning to spell the word pathetic. ; )

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Aloysius Horn said...

Up till now, in the spirit of free discouse, I've thought it best not to moderate these comments. The result has been quite a number like the above containing no arguments, but plenty of expletives and epithets like "jackass."

I encourage people who want to express opposing points of view to post here. But be forewarned: keep expletives and ad hominem attacks out them or the no moderation policy will change.

Anonymous said...

You actually think Ithacas 12 Tribes community will be driven from the Commons, sell their properties and move on? Funny.

Med cart late on your ward...AGAIN??

Yikes.

Aloysius Horn said...

I think it's more realistic to think that an organized boycott effort could limit the growth of the Ithaca group by keeping Maté Factor less profitable than it would otherwise be and make it difficult for them to open any new businesses in town. I'd count that as success. Since Maté Factor doesn't have to pay anyone any wages & health insurance, etc., they obviously don't require much of an operating margin to keep going. But who knows? They might one day decide to sell their properties (likely at a large profit) and move to another small town where fewer people care if their dollars promote racism, child beating and psychological exploitation.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Aloysius Horn said...

From now on all comments will be moderated. Any comment with profanity or use of insults will be deleted. Apologies to those who wish to post here responsibly, but there will now be some delay between when you post your comments and when they appear here. Please keep the reasoned comments coming. Those from former TTers have been especially thoughtful and informative.

It's sad, but telling, that defenders of TT repeatedly resort to foul language and don't even try to defend the beliefs and practices of TT. Can they believe they're going to win anyone over to their side like that? I hope I'm right in thinking that none of gutter-mouths are actually TTers. Not very Yashua-like.

Anonymous said...

Isn't the kind of outcome you are hoping to attain limiting the members of the TT freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness?

Aloysius Horn said...

The phrase from the Declaration of Independence is “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” No one is advocating taking away these things from you.

But if what makes you happy involves adding converts to a high control group that exploits people, preaches intolerance of gays, inferiority of blacks and beating children for engaging in make believe, then your pursuit of happiness is at odds with the rights of others and there is a conflict with widely held community values. We have a moral and a legal responsibility to respect your right to belief, speech and personal safety. But we don’t have to give you our money or wish that more Twelve Tribes converts would arrive in our small town. Ithacans have a long history of exercising judgment as consumers to shape the community for the better, and businesses whose practices are not in keeping with community standards should not expect to thrive here. I have no doubt that if all Ithacans were educated about Twelve Tribes, very few would to continue to patronize Maté Factor.

Anonymous said...

So,let me get this straight- is the anon above actually asking if boycotting someone is unconstitutional?... (shaking my head in utter disbelief...)

So I guess no one should EVER boycott anyone ever again then. Right? Ever?

Could SOMEONE please just stand up here and just ONCE deal with one real issues being addressed on this forum and the purpose of the boycott?! It's totally ludicrous. Please.

Address the *issues*.

Child Abuse being taught by Yoneq.

Racism being taught by Yoneq.

(Both served with a gentle smile, an icey cup of lemon mate and a magnificent bluberry muffin...)

Any takers?

Anonymous said...

I am trying to address the issues. If Black members of the TT want to subject themselves to the teachings what is the problem? ITS THEIR RIGHT TO BELEIVE WHAT THEY WANT!!! Are they actively promoting racism,homophobia, etc? Even Aloysius said at the open forum he had to draw their beliefs out of them so that says to me they do not readily share them with every body. I have lived around them for 7 years now and not once have they offered their beliefs about homosexuals or other hot button issues unless I started the conversation. Beliefs are a private matter between you and whatever diety you subscribe to and I think its reminiscent of witch trials the way you guys think about things. Where is the ability for people to think for themselves? Are humans reduced to no better than herd animals in your eyes? Could it be that the people in the TT are there because they want to be instead of they are brainwashed? I don't think you can make anyone think other than what they want

Aloysius Horn said...

Anon:

First, thanks for presenting your objections in a reasoned way. Comments like yours will always get posted here.

To answer your question: Yes, they absolutely are very actively promoting racism, homophobia and anti-semitism! Teachings on the “three races of man”(derived from the Shem, Ham and Japheth story) and on the evils of multiculturalism (which to the authors seems to mean living in proximity to blacks who listen to rap music and to “sodomites”) are given places of prominence on the Twelve Tribes’ own web page for the public. (Of course the extra-strong stuff are Sprigg’s own teachings which are intended for in-house use only.) Now look…I understand that racism and homophobia aren’t what make Twelve Tribes appealing to most potential recruits. No doubt a good number who join don’t have these beliefs going in. But they at least have to pay lip service to them once inside. And surely many if not most really come to believe that these are truths given to man by God.

But here’s why we should care: the dogma that blacks are inferior to whites and that jews are cursed and that homosexuals “deserve death” (Sprigg’s words) are not quaint, harmless ideas, like the view that the earth is flat or the moon is made of green cheese. These beliefs are responsible for the greatest crimes against humanity of modern times. (Were you paying attention in history class?)

TTers absolutely have the right to believe these things and even to promote their way of thinking, but the rest of us absolutely don’t have to subsidize it, or keep quiet out of respect for their religion. I think to do so is a big mistake.

On your point about choice: I agree that adults in TT joined by their free descision and no doubt many remain in TT because they want to, not because they are brainwashed. However, there are many reports by ex-TTers who describing coercion and the extreme psychological and financial pressures placed on those wishing to leave. “An ex-TTer’s account” below seems very credible to me, as do many of the others. Unlike the Amish, who insist their children get experience living in the “world” and make a choice to stay in their community, TT children get no such experience and no such choice (as well as no high school education). Teen escapees like Zebulun Wiseman, son of Sprigg’s second-in-command, Charles “Eddie” Wiseman, have harrowing tales to tell.

Anonymous said...

I* think a few things should be noted (for the sake of fairness and objectivity, or at least perspective):

1 - On the statement that homosexuals "deserve death," I think an important context to consider is that the Tribes believe and teach that Death is a place...Christ spent 3 days and 3 nights in the "agonies of death"...those agonies were the process of paying for the sins of mankind. The Tribes beleive that those who are not in the Body will experience death (not dying itself, but death the place) to pay for their sins. If my understanding of their teachings is correct, Christ paid for the sins of all mankind, but only those who believe in Him actually escape death and are covered by His sacrifice...others are in sin and the wages of sin is death. So they are not singling out homosexuals when they say they deserve death...everyone but believers in the body "deserves death" (meaning the agony of paying for their own sins). So it's not like they are promoting hate of homosexuals or saying they should be killed. Based on what I've seen, they love the sinner and hate the sin.

2 - As for evading taxes...it is my understanding that they are following a special section of the tax code set aside for religious communities, which allows 'employees' of community businesses to be considered volunteers. Basically, they aggregate the income of all the business and divide them by the number of members, and that number ends up being low enough on a per person basis that they are exempt from personal taxes. That's how it was explained to me, but there wasn't much detail. I figure very few members know the workings of that aspect, and most probably don't care. They hate their lives in the world, they are tired of the world system and government, they render to Caeser what is Caeser's based on the government system, and have surrended themselves to the community system don't worry about where their clothes or meals will come from. And they trust their leaders or treasuers or whatever to follow the scriptural teachings about respecting authorities and paying taxes.

3 - Regarding their homeschooling of their children and the fact that they don't prepare them for the outside world...well, yeah. Why should they? Think about the context for a minute. They are raising their children to STAY in the Tribes, to grow up, get married, and have children of their own, to repeat the process over 2-3 generations while the Tribes expands...to prepare the Body to become the Bride and have those generations generate 144,000 pure and virginal young men (the "male child" of Revelation) to be martyred against the Beast. Of course they won't bother to prepare their children for worldly jobs...they expect them to embrace the life they were raised in for a very Holy purpose. (I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying I can understand the context.)

*I am not a member of the Tribes. I am one who has visited, felt the draw of their life, and is considering joining...so maybe right now I'm a bit of an apologist...but some of their teachings (Cham in particular) are very hard to swallow, and I'm not yet certain I can enter into that covenant with a clear conscience.

Aloysius Horn said...

Dear anon (above),

On point 1: Read any one of Sprigg's statements about homosexuals and it's clear that he is not saying that they're just like anyone else who is not getting to heaven. He says that not only is their "sin detestable," but that the homosexual is himself (/herself) detestable. (We all know how hard it is to love a sodomite.)

On point 2: I never said anything about TT and taxes. Perhaps another commenter did. I know nothing about it.

On point 3: Praise be for your conscience! I hope you listen to it. As for the children, I don't see why they can't be given a choice. Being martyred against the Beast might not be for everyone. Wouldn't inclusion of the less than fully committed in "The Body" despoil the purity of the "Male Child" and thus ruin the fun for everybody? If every child/young adult made the choice to stay, think how much sexier and tempting a bride she'd be for Yahshua!

Anonymous said...

PLEASE, PLEASE CONTACT ME.
I JUST LEFT THE TRIBE IN NELSON BC, CANADA. I LOST MY FIANCEE TO THEM WHEN HE AND I JOINED, HE CHANGED SO MUCH.... BUT I GOT MY FREEDOM BACK!
I WOULD LOVE A COPY OF ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE PUBLISHED THAT I COULD HAND OUT THE NEXT TIME THEY HAVE A CARAVAN COME THROUGH TOWN. I AM WRITTING AN ARTICLE AND IF YOU CAN NOT SEND ME SOMETHING I WOULD LOVE THE PERMISSION TO CUT AND PASTE SOME OF THE ARTICLES THAT YOU HAVE ON THIS WEBSITE, IT IS TOO EMOTIONALLY DRAINING TO TRY AND WRITE ABOUT EVERYTHING. YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF IT FOR ME. CAN I USE IT??? I DONT WANT ANYONE TO EVER LOSE THEIR FREEDOM LIKE I DID, OR LOSE THEIR husband/sister/brother/LOVE! We were not even christians before we got sucked in! They are so convincing, but they could not make me change my mind about black men and white women or an Indian man and a Native American woman... they told me i was 'defiled' when my male friend came to see me and gave me a hug. I had to ask before calling my dad. My big brother was so sick and in the hospital and I could not go see him because the holy spirit was not sending me. My two lesbian friends came to see me and everyone made bad comments. They even told me they thought it was disgusting that I was so comfortable talking to men in the community. I shouldn't talk with my hands, its to dramatic. Everything I did was wrong. I didnt think it was bad to sunbathe naked, I am a nudist... but that was wrong too! Whats wrong with being naked?!? My 'covering' (the big sister who told me what to do) even told me that she was shocked that i was so comfortable wearing a short top that showed my belly and pants to bed, I wonder what she would have said if she found out tha i prefer to sleep naked. My every moved was dictated, I never wear a bra or underwear, its not comfy, they say I have 'the spirit of a harlot'. Sorry for my rant but I dont know anyone who would understand.
Please reply.
Autumn (or Avivah Qesheth, as they called me)

Long live nudity, freedom and all that they would not allow,

serenityrains@hotmail.com

or autumn raine on tribe.net

Aloysius Horn said...

Feel free to make use of our flyer. It's available for download from a link on this page. Congratulations for leaving the group! I wish you luck encouraging others to leave. I admire your commitment to nudity and freedom!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your blogg and the information. I'm a young female professional who is moving to Ithaca. I stopped in the Matte Factor today for what I thought was a simple cup of coffee and had a really disturbing conversation that left me shook up for the remainder of the day. It shook me up so much, that I made sure to google the Matte Factor this evening and appreciate the insights I've learned. It seems that my gut reaction was on target.(Note in the few minutes that it took to quickly finish my coffee - because I definitely was not slowly savoring it - I overheard the same conversation repeated to the next female customer who walked in.)

Aloysius Horn said...

What exactly was the content of the conversation they had with you that was disturbing? Please write back and provide some more details and I'll post your comment as a blog article. Could be very interesting!

And welcome to Ithaca!

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!