KEVIN R.D. SHEPHERD - BRITISH AUTHOR
ON SHIRDI SAI BABA AND THE 'SAI BABA MOVEMENT'

A new set of web pages has been released (in 2009) http://www.kevinrdshepherd.info. Through many independent publications of a high standard of philosophically-informed writing on a wide range of subjects, Kevin R.D. Shepherd has also given expositions of diverse interesting aspects of cultist figures and movements. The much revered figure of the Muslim 'saint', Shirdi Sai Baba, gave rise to a tradition. As Shepherd writes: "The conflatory phrase "Sai Baba movement" refers to a complex phenomenon which has been given different interpretations. That disputed phrase encompasses the entities known as Shirdi Sai Baba, Upasni Maharaj and Godavari Mataji, Meher Baba, and Sathya Sai Baba. The treatment below analyses components of the contested convergence, with the primary accent on Shirdi Sai Baba, who has been revealed as a Muslim Sufi."

The following set of links lead to his on-line publication at http://www.kevinrdshepherd.info :-

1 Sufism in the Deccan 2 The Liberal Muslim Sufi 3 The Hinduization Process 4 Some Aspects of Teaching 5 The Pathri Legend 6 Religious Syncretism in Maharashtra 7 Religious Insularism 8 The Disciple of a Muslim : Upasni Maharaj 9 Meher Baba 10 The Sai Baba Movement at Issue Annotations

Kevin R.D. Shepherd is the accomplished author of numerous philosophical and books and critical analyses, including coverage of Shirdi Sai Baba and his self-appointed 'reincarnation', Sathya Narayana Raju. After having been attacked widely on the Internet by Gerald Joe Moreno - who is infamous for his unending harassment of everyone whio raises acritical voice as to Sathya Sai Baba, Shepherd responded in resonable and civil terms only to be subjected to a much more despicable and unwarranted set of web pages against him by this would-be character assassinator. Shepherd's informed writings, sober style and extreme accuracy stand in stark contrast to everything written on the Internet by the unqualified and uneducated full-time cyber persecutor, whose language and ad hominem smear tactics show him up for what he really is.

Shepherd points out: "There are religious sects who do no harm, and others which tend to become aggressive, comprising a social problem. The difference between harmless religious sects and organisations which become suspicious cults, has been much discussed. A cult can easily violate norms of social behaviour and flout basic etiquette. Dissent within a sect can too easily become regarded as a punishable offence, and this is one symptom of the cult mentality. Critical outsiders are also prone to being castigated by the cult mentality, a development that can pose further crises for the majority. The present article is a contribution towards the analysis of this problem."

One can go directly to any of these pages concerning Gerald Joe Moreno here:-

5.1 Harassment on Google Search 5.2 Hate Campaign of Gerald Joe Moreno 5.3 Offensive Descriptions on Google Search 5.4 The Findhorn Foundation Misattribution 5.5 Misleading Tactic of Gerald Joe Moreno 5.6 New Age Confusions and Sectarian Misinformation 5.7 Defamatory Sectarian Blog 5.8 Self Publishing as Distinct from Vanity Publishing 5.9 Web Harassment Requires Exposing 5.10 The Militant Sectarian Campaign of Gerald Joe Moreno 5.11 Penetrating the Blog Underworld 5.12 Duplicated Items on Pseudonymous Blog 5.13 The Reductionist Anti-Guru Label 5.14 The Anti-Sai Complexity 5.15 The Proof of Internet Terrorism 5.16 The Sheilawaring User Name

Kevin R.D. Shepherd also maintains a blog here

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