The Fredösphere

On select occasions this blog has declared an Anti-Pope Thursday. Today I continue in that spirit, while following up (as promised) on an exposé of the bizarre world of Neo-Tech. Regular readers will also recognize a connection to my long-running series of posts on The Varieties of Religious Art. For indeed, Neotech is a religion. I'm not thinking particularly of its attempts to appropriate Jesus or religious terminology. I'm thinking of the movement's totalist aspects, as claimed by the author of this FAQ. Here is the juicy bit:

I began questioning my involvement in the company directly following the infamous monthly meeting where a bust of Christ was smashed to pieces with a sledge hammer by JF. The statue rested on the table surrounded by live microphones. I was recording the meeting and wore headphones, not knowing what was about to occur. Hours later, after regaining my hearing I was accused of doing speedballs and other drugs. I was temporarily fired and then re-hired a week later. (Matt referred earlier to this incident as the Great I&O Purge of 1988.) After this incident, the common question running throughout the company (outside the family) was "Is this a cult?"

Read the whole thing, the tangles with the IRS, the founder's weird career as an expert at poker, the claims about space aliens and the power to raise the dead, and above all the organization's -- how shall I put this? -- interesting track record dealing with human resource issues. Also you may want to browse the official Neo-Tech website, especially the sections devoted to what it alluringly calls Psychuous Pleasures. Enjoy.