“Police and clergy in southern Russia are trying to negotiate with members of a doomsday cult barricaded inside a cave and threatening to blow it up.  The group calls itself the “True Russian Orthodox Church”. Members are waiting for the end of the world, which they are expecting to happen next May.”

Found HERE

Good catch, erasmusinfinity. I neglected to post that article and it’s a good one. Reminiscent of Heaven’s Gate or the Koresh group. I suppose it’ll be interesting to watch what happens around there in June of 2008 ...

Reminds me of a book I read about fifty years ago, “When Prophecy Fails.”

Boy, can you imagine what a cave that has a decent sized group of people staying in it for six months would smell like?  I would think that the authorities would be better off letting them stay there until the members decided they couldn’t take it anymore and came out voluntarally. 

Occam

It seems to me that the most humane thing to do would be to give them food and water until next May when then come out with surprise and awe.

erasmusinfinity - 26 November 2007 02:56 PM

… with surprise and awe.

Nah, there’s a syndrome when these sorts of things happen. Mostly the guru who lured them into the cave in the first place comes up with some ludicrous justification for the mistake. Since the rest of the flock are so totally invested, it’s easier just to swallow another bit of nonsense rather than wake up to the realization that you were duped.

I assume they already have supplies.  The difficult part is what to do with the food after it passes through the members. 

The standard response to failure of the prophecy isn’t suprise and awe.  Rather, they will examine the reasoning that the leader used to come up with the prediction, find a “minor mistake” in the arithmetic and move the time up a year or so. 

Occam

It looks like Occam and I are thinking alike ...

I was surprised because I try not to repeat what a prior poster has said.  However, I see that we posted theee minutes apart which probably means I had started typing my reply after you did, but before you hit ‘post’ so I didn’t see your comment.  Sorry about that.

Occam

Apparently they’ve decided to come out of their cave. See HERE.

Doomsday cult members emerge from Russian cave
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 1, 2008
CBC News
Fourteen members of a Russian doomsday cult have come out from the cave they were hiding in while waiting for the world to end, according to emergency officials in Moscow. ...

Ahh.. so proud of the religion I was brainwashed with all my life. 

Thing is, this isn’t uncommon in Russia but this case happens to be the one that’s internationally reported.  There are many “guru” within Russia (ahh Rasputin how I giggle at thee).  We actually had a gentleman at my nana’s church (she whom lives in a small little hamlet in the Urals) whom tried similar things with the church there. I was so shocked at what he said. He was so sure he knew when the world would end.  I was about 14 and the world was suppose to end when I was 16.. well I’m well past 16.  I remember asking my nana what is excuse was and it was that his calculations were off because he didn’t take into account the different calenders (since most small Russian towns are Gregorian Calender still).

I am very interested with this specific case since it’s hit international headlines. It’s not like doomsday cults are rare or eccentric.  This is fairly timid considering some of the ones I’ve researched in Russia for my papers at school.

Elisa

Thanks for sharing Anya.  Of course these sorts of things happen across the nations of the world, including in the US.  It’s a very interesting first hand perspective that you offer.

Doug, thanks for the update.  I hope that the Russian authorities have some sort of emotional support therapy in mind for the victims who came out.  It is truly tragic for them, but could have been even worse.  What of the ones who are still inside the cave?