A friend called me at work to let me know that three Twelve Tribes buses were parked in Washington Square Park, so I made a quick journey to see and record the event. Vehicles of this size are rarely allowed IN the park – apparently their permit for assembly was confused with another group, and they were ushered in and allowed to remain.
Twelve Tribes is an unusual religious group – kind of a fusion of the unrealized dreams of hippies with fundamentalist Christianity. They live communally in various locales in nine countries. The journey to NYC was part of their Merrymakers Caravan Tour. The bus in the photo, Garden (another photo here), was modeled after the Furthur bus of the Merry Pranksters of the 1960s. Click here for some photos I took of the interior of their Peacemaker bus, which sleeps 17. I did as much reading as possible on their sites and others before this posting. There has been some controversy regarding aspects of their practices, but I have chosen to be as neutral as possible and leave it to you, if you are interested, to investigate on your own and draw your own conclusions…
Je ne connaissais pas,merci pour les liens et pour la photo. Bravo et super
the bus … like wow … the photos … like far out man … it’s just … like whoa man.
They are a trip, aren’t they? I’ve known the tribes for years and I think that within the decade most people in the US will have run into them somewhere or other.
De rien.
Brian
They’re a cult. Sweet pics though.
http://velvet-sea.blogspot.com/2006/08/twelve-tribes-take-manhattan.html
Your photo documentary is something that I look forward to every day.
Aahhh, but there is money to be made in the name of religion. One of the “brothers” on the garden bus was sporting a pair of Chaco sandals. I have some like that. They cost $75. They wear nice clothes, have expensive rides and so forth. I’m not impressed by religious affairs, but they are having fun in its name, I suppose.
You are right – my friend and I had a long converation with someone in a Ralph Lauren Chaps shirt about use of a $4,000 Nikon camera. I was surprised. But I tried to be more neutral in my post. Thanks all.
Brian
I had never even heard of them. They sound like a fun bunch though.
If it’s attention you want, the bus certainly will get it!
Two days after you saw the “Merrymakers Caravan” in Central Park, they arrived in Ithaca, NY where they have a small community and run a café on the Ithaca Commons. I and others handed out flyers with quotes from Eugene Spriggs, their cult leader that effectively quashed their efforts to recruit any lost souls that day. We’ve started a group we call Ithacans Opposed to the Twelve Tribes Cult. Our website/blog is at http://www.iottc.blogspot.org.
Stunning photos here and I’ll be back frequently!
i was actually there that day. its amazing to see it actually documented. the visit struck up curiosity on my part, and i foudn out some interesting information about this marrymakers caravan. supposedly they have been arrested on numerous accounts for their abuse of children and such.. i dont know i thought it was interesting.
If you want to find out more about them visit http://www.yattt.blogspot.com
My advice is run!
these people are assholes
Shopping the cheap battery,you can see from here.
These people are a CULT with a capital C and are quite dangerous. They always seem to park near a University and lure in young people. They are now using the old hippie style and words to lure in young people. Stay away. They are NOT hippies. Just people trying to steal you away from your family and money.
As a former member of the twelve tribes it is my opinion that: It it is the aim of the twelve tribes to obliterate all independence (thought, action, freedom of movement, opinions, access to information, access to families) and to drive them into a hopeless, dispirited, gray herd of robots. They have lost all personal ambition, are easy to rule willing to obey and willing to exist in selfless slavery to Elbert Eugene Spriggs (the leader).
I've also been a former member, but have a more positive view overall. I continue to stay in touch with friends who are members. They seem intelligent and willingly choose a lifestyle that is controversial. So have the Amish, other conservative Mennonites, Hutterites, Essenes, and monks and nuns of various religions. As one who has been openly critical and caustic at times, I am still shown love and hospitality. As a religious subculture who aim is to follow Jesus and the Gospel as they understand it, I think they have that right. No ex-member thus far, has shown me a better alternative to their life or Savior. For myself, I became bitter after leaving, because I wasn't able to face the fact that I don't get along well with others at times and give up easily on almost everything I've done in life. Other ex-members may have valid grievances I don't question. Only to say wherever there are people there will be problems that arise that need solutions and love. Tribes members have admitted to me that they are not perfect and have made mistakes. But wish to be more like Messiah. Let's pray for one another, and that God's will be done for all. I want the Tribes to be the best they can be. They took me in several times when I was destitute.
Stay away from members of this group.
My Daughter is in. She graduated from a bible college. If you spend the weekend you’ll be OVERWHELMED with kindness and welcoming. >> ON other sites that discuss cults this is known as the LOVE BOMB. Its pretty irresistible especially if you have minimal solid plans going on in your life. Before you know it – a weekend will turn into a year and soon a year will turn into several. Funny thing with these folks – they’ve been around since early 1970 and have never gotten past 3000 members. Seems that recruiting has stayed even with those that wake up – smell the coffee and defect or “go back to the world” …… If their doctrines weren’t so twisted I’d say they were OK. But, you have to “TEST ALL THINGS” according to the bible. There are many sites on the net that will shed the light on these folks. Research before you visit – commit – join …….. As with many persuasive groups…. It only makes sense if you don’t think about it.
I think the admin of this website is actually working hard in
favor of his site, because here every material is quality
based material.
I miss many of the people i used to live with as a Twelve Tribes community member and the daily gatherings, but some of their apostle’s/prophet’s Teachings are terrible and i am posting a portion of these with the hope that Gene or Marsha Spriggs (Yoneq or Haemeq) will change these before they pass on and all of their Teachings become permanent in the Twelve Tribes communities.
REGARDING CHILD CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
“The blueness of the wound drives away all evil.””
(October 1980 Child Training -Notes from Teachers Meeting – Page 5)
“Unless your son has blue wounds, by this standard, you know what kind of a
standard is in you — it is the spirit that hates your son. If one is overly concerned about his son receiving blue marks you know that he hates his son and hates the word of God.” (No date – Execution of Justice – Page 1)
Also: the children are not allowed to have or to play with toys, nor to have yearly doctor checkups, receive immunizations, or to get a high school level education.
BLACK AMERICANS CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT is condemned as evil and BLACK SLAVERY is taught, for dark-skinned people who do not join the Twelve Tribes Community (also known by Yellow Deli):
“What a marvelous opportunity that blacks could be brought over here to be slaves so that they could be found worthy of the nations. A good master would work by the sweat of his brow. If his slaves were lazy and disrespectful he would beat them, which is what he was supposed to do.” (Cham, Island Pond, 3/19/91)
“Striving for civil rights is of the world – it is disorder to the established social order. In the social order of the world there is distinction between black and white. We shouldn’t try to change it and mess it up. It is going against something fundamental. Cham (blacks) should have been a slave all through history.” (Unraveling the Races of Man)
“If the slaves were mistreated, it was the fault of the slave. Even if the master was unreasonable the slave was to bear up under it. This was Cham’s (black people’s) discipline. For 4000 years Israel had slaves….Cham was a servant (slave) to Shem (white people). This is the Word. You can’t break the Word. The more men try to liberate Cham (black people), the worse he gets. It is more destructive for man to try to redeem himself, changing social order. The three races are to be distinct.” (Unraveling the Races of Man)
“Niger means black. When people first started saying this word, it wasn’t bad, but it became a curse word, having a bad connotation. Before civil rights black men would say, ‘Yes, boss man’ in the south. Yes man, no man. This was respect. We need respect in people. We must beat respect into our children. Cham must get this respect in them. These blacks during the pre-civil rights time, were really slaves – they had respect for people. They got along well because they were submissive…” [Unraveling the Races of Man]
“Cham is no longer, to his detriment, slaves or servants to Shem. This is a terrible thing, a great deception. It is of the anti-Christ to think Cham is emancipated when he really is not emancipated.” [Cham, Island Pond 6/26/90]
“This is what Cham should be like in the world – like black nannies – this is sort of what they were to do. They were to be helper to Shem. It was to be a natural thing. There is nothing wrong with this. Civil Rights, forced equality is anti-Christ, trying to change the heart – it can’t be done.” [Unraveling the Races of Man]
“The politicians and Martin Luther King have taken the provision away (a place in the “Nations” [a lesser Heaven for good people who don’t join the Twelve Tribes]). There is no equal for the hatred Martin Luther King had for the black people.” [Cham, Island Pond 3/19/91]
“Martin Luther King was filled with every evil spirit there is to say Cham doesn’t have to serve Shem. All manner of evil filled that man.” [Cham, Island Pond 3/19/91]
I have read so many posts on the topic of the blogger lovers however this post is
actually a pleasant article, keep it up.
cheap Dolphins jersey for mens kids and womens sale
Cheap Wholesale Nike NFL Oakland Raiders #32 Maurice Jones-Drew Black Stitched Jersey Free Shipping
wholesale jerseys Giants cheap Blank With Paypal