For those who don't know, S.E.L.F. is the Self Empowerment Learning Fraternity which is based in Trinidad and Tobago (I gather) and hosts this website and quite a few others.
First of all nuff respeck to SELF for donating their time and energy to provide people with these forums to express ourselves.
Now... this is a continuation of another post in which I noted that the SELF people who post on here often seem to use the same phrases... that post is under the "To Ayinde" thread.
Under Bantu Kelani's recent post about reclaiming African traditions/"religion", Yan (who I gather is a SELF member) posited "the religion of no religion" as an alternative.
What I'm wondering is if SELF itself is a kind of "religion".
From what I gather of SELF's positions (and I am assuming that there is at least a significant common ground of opinion within SELF as it appears that way to judge from members' posts), I agree wholeheartedly with many of them. Constantly trying to increase your knowledge and refine your character, being truthful at all times [except to, say, police officers, I would add], being respectful at all times [to those who are respectful to you, I would add... though anyway to judge from a couple posts it would seem SELF members do not always follow this guideline]... obviously these are worthy goals. I find myself at least leaning more towards SELF's position on a number of the controversial issues around race/gender/skinshade issues that have been presented on this board. But a few things trouble me a little...
-It seems that SELF members feel they have life down to such a science that they can lay out the correct path for everyone and predict what people will go through along that path. For example certain "movements" or "vibrations" or something are supposed to happen as one travels on the journey towards one's "higher self." It is unequivocally stated that using kali will impede one's growth towards this higher self. I use this example not because I am obssessed with marijuana, nor because I am totally incredulous that there might be "movements" and "vibrations" that people feel, but because I've seen posts about these specific things. So it seems that SELF members feel that EVERYONE will experience these movements, etc. as they move forward, and that NO ONE who uses ganja even occasionally will be able to attain the state of higher consciousness. Well in my opinion people are individuals and what works for one does not necessarily work for another.
-It seems that there are white SELF members or associates (I refer to Rootsie since I've hardly seen Tracey post and don't know what her affiliation with SELF is) who feel that their efforts to analyze their own white skin privilege and place in society makes them now "better" than
other white people and in a position to lament the stupidity, selfishness etc. of other whites who are not as "advanced". (When patiently trying to bring other whites up to the level they have supposedly achieved would seem a more productive strategy). Also to attempt to define and re-define Black movements (specifically Rastafari.) This is not a dis to you Rootsie, for the record I think you are a good writer with a lot of good things to say (which also goes for other SELF posters) but that is honestly how you come across to me sometimes. (Back in the day you didn't used to). By the way I don't know if you remember but a long time ago selassieilive, a Black man who used to post here and is a teacher like yourself, asked what I thought was a perfectly valid question relating to education and skin shade, which you never answered (that I saw). That's when I started to like and respect you a bit less, though I do still like and respect you (as much as I can like and respect someone I've never met).
-AmonHotep developed SELF's guidelines. What is his position in SELF? Does SELF have positions/titles? Leaders?
-The last part of the SELF guidelines refers to sex. It says that a person consciously pursuing self-developement should never have sexual relations with one who is not. Now first of all I have a problem with any person or group that wants to tell individuals who they can go to bed with. (Although like all the guidelines this sounds more like an unenforceable suggestion than a rigid rule). Secondly this statement is very much open to interpretation. If it means that since sex goes along with (or ought to go along with) some degree of emotional involvement, people trying to consciously develope should not let themselves be "dragged down" by a partner who is absolutely uninterested in refining his or her character, being truthful, etc., then that's one thing and I could see that. (Though it's still no one's business who somebody sleeps with except that person and their partner[s]). But, especially combined with the statement that this is a "very important, very complex" area about which we are to be told more when we get more involved in SELF, it COULD BE INTERPRETED to mean that folks should only get sexually involved with other SELF memebers. If that's the case it's a totally unacceptable imposition on people's liberty and privacy, and obviously a policy that is open to abuse (I need not elaborate as to how as it's obvious).
I'm not accusing SELF or its members of anything here, I'm not trying to air dirty laundry or start a revolt against SELF on this board or anything of the sort. Everything I've said above both positive and negative is part of an absolutely honest question with no ulterior motives and I would hope SELF folks would leap at the opportunity to explain their ideology further.
I had a very strange experience once working for a community organization doing a lot of good works, only to find more and more of the leadership's time and attention devoted to meetings of something called "Re-evaluation Counselling" which I'm not going to get into but it seemed odd and almost cultish to me, and definitely ended up detracting from the organization's work. SELF doesn't seem nearly in the league of R.C. and I am certainly not caling SELF a cult (which is a loaded and half-meaningless word anyway). But that whole experience made me just a little bit leery of ANYONE who claims they have "the path". Just to give y'all some background on where I'm coming from.
Hope folks can respond to this honest question in the spirit in which it was given without getting too defensive.