« on: October 12, 2009, 01:23 »
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3788112,00.htmlut it is not only politicians who have very public relationships with their religious guides. Madonna is often outspoken about her respect for Michael Berg at the Kabbalah Center. And Tom Cruise is public about his faith in scientology. In fact Scientology leader David Miscavige was best man at Tom Cruise’s wedding to Katie Holmes and in 2004 Miscavige awarded Cruise a medal for being “the most dedicated Scientologist I know.”
Now clearly the rich and famous are as much in need of religious and spiritual guidance as anyone else. And any successful spiritual guide or clergyperson will count the rich and famous amongst those that they have relationships with.
There has been lots of discussion about the authenticity of spiritual and religious leaders such as the Berg family of the Kabbalah Center, David Miscavig of Scientology and those who have tried to cultivate an image of spiritual guide to the stars.
People should certainly be free to say whatever they want and if a famous individual thinks highly of a particular spiritual guide they should feel uninhabited to say so. But what should the role of a clergyperson or spiritual guide be in the life of the guidance seeker? Should the relationship be similar to that of a lawyer and a client, a doctor and patient or a coach and the coached? Is it correct for a spiritual or religious guide to ride the fame of a celebrity guidance seeker to further their own reputation?
The answer lies in why people turn to a religious or spiritual guide. They do so because they believe that the guide not only has greater knowledge but is also more spiritually evolved than they are. Unlike qualifying to become a doctor or a lawyer, spiritual development cannot be attained by passing a university exam.
It is very personal and it is often difficult for the layperson to discern between an authentic spiritual guide and a fake. This is why there are so many charlatans and narcissists posing as religious leaders and spiritual guides.
Religious leaders often go wrong. However sci seems ready for it. Is sci leaders more narcissists than the others
