In 1931 Austrian Oskar Ernst Bernhardt published a book of Christian mysticism called In the Light of Truth: The Grail Message under the name Abd-Ru-Shin which devotees claim means Son, workman or servant of the light. The book is a complex read, rewarding to the academic in that it shows the influence of Theosophy, Orientalism and what we’ll simply call the pre-New Age movement on Christian seekers increasingly separated from traditional theology in the rational age.
The Nazis banned the book and arrested Bernhardt. They released him on the condition he no longer have contact with the growing Grail Message movement he was leading. Later the Communist East Germans banned the book. For most academics this is simply indicative of authoritarian regimes squashing movements that have messages counter to political orthodoxy. But is there a more sinister aspect to the Grail Message that even Nazis and Communists, both movements of extraordinary bloodthirstiness, found horrifying?
One key point to Bernhardt’s writings is the idea that intellect, unguided by spirituality, is a tool of darkness. It is through pure rationalism that Lucifer lures us from the light of God, according to Bernhardt, and while it’s a metaphysically interesting point it is also one that can be easily twisted into supporting the idea of irrationality as holy. That in turn is a slippery slope for those of unstable character, as this recent horrific case from the Czech Republic proves:
A BOY of eight was kept chained in a cellar by his cannibal family — as they ATE parts of him.
Sobbing Ondrej Mauerova was rescued alive when a neighbour’s TV picked up footage from a camera filming his agony.
He had been partially skinned after monstrous mum Klara, 31, caged him for months while relatives who were also in a sick cult feasted on his raw flesh, an appalled judge heard yesterday.
The Christian understands that the flesh and blood of Christ consumed at the mass are not literal bits of flesh and blood, but are transmogrified by Christ to contain the essence of him which he passes on to his followers. However the weak willed and the deviant will often be attracted to the cannibalistic and vampiric undertones of Christian mythology, and coupled with a lack of centralized religious authority groups may pervert the Christian symbolism into a more sinister ritual
Aleister Crowley’s Mass of the Phoenix, for example, contains literal interpretation (some would say blaspheming) of the Mass wherein supplicants cut their chest and soak a wafer in their own blood to be consumed later in the rite. While this rite of Crowely’s own devising may be essentially harmless it illustrates the manner in which pseudo-Christian blood rites may come into being. Crowley incorporated the anti-Catholic imaginings of his fundamentalist protestant family into his Thelemic works, thus producing what most Christians would probably mistake for a Black Mass.
Likewise these Czech Grailists, who the mainstream Grail Movement claims they cut ties with sometime in the early 90s due to their “imaginings and fantasies,” were no doubt re-enacting the communion within the context of some other framework. The Grail myth is inextricably linked to blood and death, and for unstable people this might be the foundation for a modern cannibal cult that most people would have previously thought was mere fiction.
The case is also extremely bizarre because it centers around the mysterious “Anna” A.K.A. Barbora Skrlova, who the mother of the victim is even now claiming brainwashed her into committing horrible atrocities. Yet when the police raided the home Skrlova posed as a 13-year-old girl and was taken into protective custody. The 34-year-old then fled and was later arrested posing as a boy in Norway. Some reports claim that the mother of the victim falsified documents so she could adopt the non-existent “Anna” who was attempting to create an entirely new identity.
The Sun is reporting that Skrlova, sisters Klara and Katerina Mauerova and three other adults all took orders from another cult member called “The Doctor” who contacted them by phone, leading to speculation that the cult is much larger than we would think. So far six people are under arrest in this case. But how much larger might this group have grown in the 11 or so years since they were excommunicated from The Grail Movement.
Bernhardt’s writings are prosaic by today’s standards. But is there a seed of horror waiting to bloom in the minds of those who believe that humanity has fallen due to its embrace of its intellect?
When Bernhardt’s disciples preach a new gospel of irrationality are they sowing the seeds of nightmares in the minds of their followers? The simple answer is yes, that a radical theology based on devolution produces devolved adherents. A movement that sees man as fallen fosters antinomianism and ultimately criminality.
When a cult sees man and his laws as in league with evil, there is no law or taboo that remains, in their minds, intact.
what is the point of this article?Anyone who has read the Grail Message knows that the author is against all forms of mysticism and only sheds light on the way mankind can once again reclaim its lost morality.Just because some former adherent has gone quite frankly in my opinion crazy does not mean the work as a whole should be condemned.We are all imperfect human being looking for answers and articles like this prevent serious seekers of the truth from examining what could be for them the key to getting answers.
A) I didn’t condemn the grail movement in fact I was one of the only people to point out that the criminals above were not members of the movement. You should re-read the article.
B) I did criticize the grail movement, as well as Thelema, radical Christianity and the New Age movement. There is no philosophy that is above examination and your desire to be above criticism is childish to say the least.
C) “We are all imperfect human being looking for answers and articles like this prevent serious seekers of the truth from examining what could be for them the key to getting answers.” This is new age hokum at it’s worst. You claim we are all imperfect but that is just the self-loathing bookstore philosophy that passes for metaphysics these days. Man is perfect, the top of the food chain and ruler of every corner of the earth.
You claiming that criticizing Bernhardt’s theology will keep people from seeing the truth is laughable. If anything he said was true it would withstand scrutiny, but it simply doesn’t. The Grail Movement isn’t responsible for the criminality above, per se, but it is a stepping stone into spiritual degeneracy.
If you can’t stand having your beliefs challenged, those beliefs aren’t very solid are they?
Well, I still cant understand how u claim the Grail Movement is a stepping stone to spiritual degeneracy.
The Grail Message has never stated the man doesnt use their intellect, it has only said man should not be ruled by their intellect.
The Grail Message is very clear about actions such has this woman’s own and that is y I am sure that this lady or any lawyer working in her favour can NEVER use the Message as an excuse for her actions. I say never emphatically!
Her actions were totally unconnected to the Message and so should not be treated as such.
It is unfortunate that she is in some way connected to the Grail Movement but she is an individual who is responsible for her own actions and she can never claim or twist the Message in such a way that it supports her actions in anyway.
There are lots of individuals who have done wonderful things, lots of people connected with the Message and the Grail Movement, but I do not remember at any point in time where their wonderfully positive actions was connected the Message or their beliefs (so to say), y then is it the case with this singular evil act.
It is important that we see things as they truly are.
i have re-read the article again and yes you did mention that the criminals are not members of the grail movement.as for criticisms, yes no work or knowledge is above that and infact the author urges readers to hold his message to serious examination.As we know most human being do not bother this days to delve into any matter deeply and rely heavily on the media for direction,thereby making people like yourself have a high duty to ensure that only the truth to the best of your knowledge is published.By the way have you examined the grail message yourself?Please do
As we know most human being do not bother this days to delve into any matter deeply and rely heavily on the media for direction,thereby making people like yourself have a high duty to ensure that only the truth to the best of your knowledge is published.That is my concern.By the way have you examined the grail message ?Please do
As I’ve said before I am familiar with Bernhardt’s work and I stand by my criticism of it. As a general point about new religious movements and Bernhardt’s work in particular I will also say that your comment “As we know most human being do not bother this days to delve into any matter deeply and rely heavily on the media for direction,thereby making people like yourself have a high duty to ensure that only the truth to the best of your knowledge is published.” is a good example of the hokum I was complaining about before.
It is an arrogant, elitist and fanciful notion that conveniently places you and your ilk above other people and beyond their criticism. As Mona demonstrates above that is the true metaphysical nature of The Grail Message, a spiritual hidey-hole where people who want to feel superior to the rest of the world without actually having to prove themselves lurk in perpetuity, comforted by the warm embrace of a relativist echo chamber endless repeating a loop of orientalist gobbledygook.
But that’s my opinion of the movement, which I tempered in my original post where I relied on my training as a scholar of comparative religion to (briefly) examine the Grail Message and what relation it had to the off-shoots activity at all. This is not a condemnation of The Grail Movement, simply and examination of it.
An examination that isn’t far from the mark since neither you nor Mona have corrected it substantively but only came here an moralized about how i wasn’t seeing the “truth” of the Grail Message. Since I’m not a believer in it why should I?
I have no “high duty” to present your subjective opinion as Truth nor to philosophize in general. This is a blog, not a religious center or a dissertation. I take news and give my opinions on those stories, which you are free to disagree with. But if your point is I’m doing you a disservice by not actively recruiting for you by claiming that The Grail Message is divinely inspired and awesome then we have little common ground.
What is this grail message thing all about anyway? Why all the secrecy about this group? If your message is true….. then PREACH IT! as God says. Get it out in the open! Go to every mountain and house-top and tell us what God said to you! Preach it; say it LOUD and make it CLEAR!
Why do you subject your “captives” into reading 3 volumes of your message before they realise what they’re doing, they’re influenced. These are innocent minds seeking God whom you capture and give them “stones”. Who told you Man is in-perfect? Havent you read in His Word that “He hath made all things well”?
I know a lot of people in this group… All I have to say to you all is this: The Lord has placed before all man ‘Life & Death’ Choose Life that YOU MAY LIVE & NOT DIE (i.e. Spiritually). The Grail Movement & its Message is the way of Death (Spiritually). I suggest you followers take a turn around NOW for LIFE. Jesus Christ is ready to receive you and give you peace of mind.
Dear Rob Taylor
I have read your article with great interest, and I would like to make one important point-The Grail Movement and the Grail Message are two seperate things. Mr Bernhardt never founded the Grail Movement, and went to great lengths espousing individual responsibility. From the very outset he demanded only earnest seekers of truth, and above all he rejected all religious fanatics, who in their blind faith, are not able to examine things objectively. He says at the beginning of the grail message that is main aim is to fill the gaps in our spiritual unstanding.
I have the read the message. Does this fact alone makes me a good person? The obvious answer is No. I believe you have the right to critique the book or criticise the grail movement. Concerming the issue of the intellect it must be tempered with the voice of reason and intuition. The message says the over-cultivation of the intellect over thousands of years ultimately has led to advances in SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY but at the very expense of our spiritual development,
Grail movement isnt of God! i know because a very close relative delved into it for God knows what reason
Consider this sceanario; A wretched man dying of hunger under a lonely tree. He has no access to food because he has cut himself off from all supply of food.He has become acustom to eating sand and debris. Now the sand and debris has become POISON in his body. He needs HELP urgently else he dies and perish of disease and hunger.
A merciful KING in a distant land, out of Love, decides to send his servant to save this wrethed lost man. The servant came, sought him out in his loathsome corner, pulls him out of the mud and offers him the BREAD OF LIFE. But instead of him to gratefully accept this GRACE, he started cursing, criticising and acussing the king’s servant for attempting to poison him with his Bread of Life.
MY SUBMISSION: Any human being on this earth today who can, without remorse, still speak ill of the GRAIL MESSAGE can be likened to the wretched man described above…HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR.
Yes,He who has ears,Let him hear.The Grail Message is a Book on the open market.Abd-ru-shin,the author,demands a careful examining and inflexible weighing of the message by all readers and listeners as opposed to the exercise of blind faith.
Rob Taylors criticisms are well grounded but mere familiarity cannot be compared to knowledge truly absorbed and experienced.
Any reader of the Grail Message knows the criticisms cannot stand the Truth revealed in the Message.
I was brought up a fully Bible believing Christian.My encounter with the Grail Message deepened my understanding of the Biblical truths and answered the unresolved questions that kept burning in me.It is an enlightenment Not a cult.
I hope Rob has accessed and assessed the ruling of the Czech Supreme Court and subsequent apology rendered to the Grail movement on the subject that prompted his article.
The Grail Message defends itself.Just read and examine it for yourself. You may need guidance just like a child in its first steps.
That whole criminal situation looks like a Zionist plot to discredit the Grail Message?
What?
Falsified allegations involving a Czech child abuse case – Press article attempting to involve the Grail Movement
In May 2007 the case of an abused 7 year old, Ondrej, was discovered in the small town of Kurim near Brno, Czech Republic. Two weeks later, on 19 May, a sensationalist article appeared in the Czech newspaper Mlada Fronta DNES stating that a bizarre cult might be involved, most probably the so-called Grail Movement.[2] The newspaper article was subsequently quoted by many others all over the world.[3]
The Czech Supreme Court however, on the 27th October 2010, upheld an earlier court verdict that the allegations and inferences regarding the Grail Movement in this and subsequent articles were without substance and falsified, and ordered the Czech newspaper involved to print a public apology.[4]
Further details:
The Grail Movement responded vigorously to the falsified Czech newspaper article, at press conferences and in articles, stating that the people involved had previously been a part of it, but the Movement broke with them 11 years previously in 1996, due to their behavior being quite opposite to the Grail Movement’s principles. They may have established their own bizarre cult, having nothing to do with the Grail Movement. This statement was supported by the opinions and research of all Czech religion & religious entity researchers / observers interviewed.(,[5][6][7] in Czech)
In 2008 the abuse case was tried, some more details disclosed and the people involved were sentenced to 5–11 years imprisonment. At that time, the cult was called the “Nameless sect of Mr. Skrla” in Czech media,([8] in Czech) however the falsified article insinuating that the Grail Movement was connected to the case has already been quoted in foreign papers.
In October 2009 a lawsuit took place in Prague between MAFRA, the publisher of Mlada Fronta DNES, and the Grail Movement Foundation in the Czech Republic, who demanded a public retraction of the false allegations and a published apology. The Foundation won the lawsuit.[9] The publisher had subsequently appealed the court findings, however the Czech Supreme Court confirmed the verdict one year later, on 27. 10. 2010. The paper has since printed the apology on 21. 12. 2010.[10]
A consequence of the falsified article is the reprinting and quoting of the original article in foreign newspappers, which can still be found and are not subject to the Czech Supreme Court order.
[edit] Publications
I think It was a Zionist plot to discredit the Grail message.
This isn’t evidence – it’s an anonymous person’s conspiracy theory. I say in the article that this is an off-shoot not affiliated with the Grail Movement – however your anti-Semitic conspiracy mongering (why would “Zionist” care about the Grail Movement? That’s just asinine) makes me think I should look into what other things the Grail Movement is up to.
There is more evidence, researching this phrasing, that you’ve been cutting and pasting this false information into various publicly accessible sites to bolster a lie you’re making up. Provide one reference, internet or not, that makes this claim. Show me one website where you couldn’t have posted this information that makes these claims.