Holy Flim-Flam Man

I have a very low tolerance for people who choose to use religion, any religion, as a means for justifying the fleecing of followers under false pretenses. But I'm even less tolerant of people who fall for these false 'prophets' and blindly follow their teachings or recommendations and then remain puzzled when something unexpected occurs. Take for example the case of supposed holy man Dr. Commander of the Hindu Temple of Georgia.

Recently the local Fox News affiliate in Georgia broke the story of how Dr. Commander (not his real name obviously) was being investigated for charges of overcharging those who requested his services as a holy man. A self-proclaimed siddhar (a type of enlightened person), Dr. Commander has founded a large temple in Norcross, Georgia, a short distance from many Indian-owned shops and businesses. As such, there are many who come to the temple in search of some religion and Dr. Commander has been more than willing to provide his own form of assistance. In addition to being a religious leader, he also proclaims to have the power to heal and cure almost any ailment known to man or beast. The news report indicated that one woman came to him with health problems and he sold her a holistic cure which consisted of sand supposedly taken from a cobra's pit while the cobra was still sleeping in it, a bag of unknown 'jelly' and some other powders which were to be rubbed on her belly with warm water. The total cost of this cure? Approximately $13,000.

Now I'm hoping and praying that this woman was so desperate for a cure that she decided to put her faith in religion and hope that the cure of the holy man helped make her feel better. I have been in situations where it's seemed that there is no answer but to turn to religion and in some cases, that's when hearing a message that makes sense seems to cut through all the frustration and make things seem right. Religion, no matter what faith, is a powerful thing and I've heard it said that the reason religion has persisted for so long is primarily because there is a compelling need within man to believe in something greater than the limits of man, there's a need to believe that perhaps there is some greater force within the universe that is behind everything that we go through and experience. What's distressing is that there are those who seek to take advantage of those messages and use them to their advantage.

The Dr. Commander of Georgia is just one in a slew of such zealots who try to sell you on cures that are really just lightning in a bottle, it doesn't really exist. But what perplexes me is how people can fall for these claims. There have been holy men like Dr. Commander for years. They have done everything from pull coins from the air (through sleight of hand) or made outlandish claims which are impossible to confirm or deny but seem to give the person and air of omniscience. It's sad but true that so many people have so little direction in their lives that they seek to find answers from those who claim to have it. They will blindly believe what they're told because I think for a lot of people it gives them a sense of having some control in an uncontrollable situation.

What makes it easier for con-men like Dr. Commander to pull scams like this is the fact that many people feel that if an activity is seen to be 'religious' or religious in nature, then there can't be anything wrong with it. Why do you think that so many Catholic priests have been able to abuse children for so many years? It's simply because young children didn't think that they could speak out freely since it was a priest who was doing the abuse and not some regular adult. Both cases are wrong but the priests obviously have greater clout as they are 'religious'. The same way, by packaging sand and calling it holy, it's seen as something more. Maybe there is some merit to such cures. A lot of times placebo medicines or cures can help you because they help your frame of mind and your frame of mind can make a huge difference. If that's all that someone like Dr. Commander provided then it's all well and good but when you charge people months of salary for it, it is simply a crime in the name of religion.