stripping the gurus - Brahma Kumaris Info

98 STRIPPING THE GURUS
* Erhard has denied all allegations of abuse. Jane Self’s (1992) 60
Minutes and the Assassination of Werner Erhard has further offered a
staunch defense of Erhard against the uncomplimentary picture of
him painted by the media. There, she alleges that the orchestration of
his downfall can be found within the Church of Scientology. In that
same book, Erhard’s daughters are quoted as retracting their previous
allegations of improprieties on his part, having supposedly made them
under duress.
Dr. Self does not address the alleged negative effects of Erhard’s
seminars on their most vulnerable participants nor, in my opinion,
convincingly refute Erhard’s reportedly messianic view of himself.
(Curiously, though, both she and Werner’s friend Mark Kamin refer to
Erhard’s public downfall as his being “crucified.”) Nor, unlike Pressman
(1993), does she delve into the serious, alleged behind-the-scenes
issues with the Hunger Project. (That project was Erhard’s failed attempt
to wipe out starvation by the year 2000.) Instead, she simply
repeats the “public relations” line on that topic.