Outreach no. 271

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the newsletter of
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MARCUS BACH founder
no271
THE LETTER
dear friend of the fellowship
again this year during the merciless probing of candidates for public office in all categories the
inner private lives of the rruunnnneerrssuupp have been part of the game called politics again this time
around many a wwoouullddbbee candidate got himself or ohrehresrseellff off the hook with the quip with what ive
done I1 cant run
1I felt almost the same way when reporters and book reviewers began wwaanntitnigntgo to know all about
my past life since WHO STOLE MY UTOPIA made its appearance was the entire story true
are the characters real how do you classify the book truly autobiographical an imaginative
essay an historical novel when I1 suggested it was fiction non fiction a reporter asked whats
that I1 said thats life who knows everything about anyone As in OUR TOWN LOST
HORIZONS LOOK HOMEWARD ANGEL FIDDLER ON THE ROOF huckleberry FINN or
LEAVES OF GRASS could that all be the truth who wouldnt agree with the immortal
shakespeare all the worlds a stage and all the men and women merely players
and that is how this letter evolved it reminded lorena and me that when we came to palos verdes
ttwweennttyysseevveenn years ago we did not know just why we came or where our lives would be led at
that time it happened by chance that we were discovered by a reporter for the PALOS VERDES
REVIEW which carried the story of our research in which we were greatly involved here was
background material for the establishment of FSU here were the true stories documented
verified illustrated
spurred by the review our plans for FSU materialized now more than ttwweennttyyffiivvee years later we
asked the REVIEW people if they might have a copy of the wwrriitteeuupp somewhere in their files they
found the story in their archives and it returned into our lives and now out of our lives into yours
you have made FSU possible and durable and loveable for all time the article is printed in
reproduced form as THE LESSON for this OUTREACH 271
As for THE LEARNING lets devote that segment to WHEN OUR READERS WRITE unfortu-nately
we could make only random selections from the hundred and more comments received up
to now we seem always to be limited by time and space which is one reason for the tendency
of writers to choose ffiiccttiioonnnnoonnfifcicttiioonn and aauuttoobbiiooggrraapphhiiccaallfifcictitoionnaalliizzaattiioonn for some of their most
inspired works
this may also be the reason why we hold on to dreams cherish our romances give thanks for our
blessings look forward to our tomorrows with confidence hold our friends in the deepest feelings
of love and share our UTOPIAN hopes with all who understand
yours for the fellowship
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no 271
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page 2 THE LESSON no271
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DRMARCUS BACH
in the introduction to his first book they have found a
faith dr marcus bach begins 1I always knew that some day
I1 would write a book on religion not in the theological or doc-trinal
sense but about what religion is and what it does in
the lives of people I1 can trace this premonition to the time
my dad took me to a meeting of the holy jumpers up iiirrruvy
waukesha wisconsin when the members of the congregation
got the spirit they began hopping up and down sometimes
they stood in one spot jumping higher and higher sometimes
they skipped up and down the aisles shouting as they journey-ed
I1 was only a youngster and to me it seemed wonderful As
I1 watched I1 was sure that I1 would never find anything more
exciting anywhere in life than what these people found in their
religion
and so he did write that book in 1946 and two dozen more
books and hundreds of magazine articles followed in the suc-ceeding
thirty years engrossing personal observations of every
major and minor religious group in the world today dr bach
is recognized as the foremost authority on contemporary
religious movements and an analyst of the american scene
the early books contain accounts of religious groups and
their leaders as dr bach observed them then and now these
studies form a body of fine historical research there are the
engrossing beliefs of the foursquare gospel and its charismatic
founder aimee semple mcpherson the greatest evangelist of
her time which was the 1920s through the early 40s
aimee riding into the tent on a motorcycle dressed as
a speed cop she rode expertly she drove recklessly to
the front of the auditorium blew a screech on a police
whistle raised a whitegglolovveedd hand to the congregation
and shouted stop youre speeding to hell
he writes just as graphically about all the other religious
groups he has observed jehovahs witnesses father divine
the bahai faith voodoo spiritualism the shakers the
aamfaannaass the hutterites the cmMooorrrmmmooonnnsss to name but a few
among the newer and interesting studies is the japanese
religion the perfect liberty it is called the golf religion
for adherents believe the sport to be symbolic of life and their
lives revolve around playing the game because of the expense
involved most devotees are in the upper classes dr bach
tells us
he has traveled the world over in australias outback he
studied mankinds oldest religion of animism in the american
southwest he studied the indian peyote cults in the philip-pines
he observed the psychic healers in japan and taiwan he
researched the acupuncturists he has interviewed dr albert
schweitzer the late pope john XMXIIIII vviinnooblaa bbheaavvee the walk-ing
saint of india shoghi effendi in haifa
he has lived in an israeli kkiibbbutz in moslem villages in
trappist monasteries studied the impact of religion in the
soviet union has served as a specialist in the department of
state
well you name it and dr bach has been there physically
and spiritually and written about it written about different
religious and spiritual expressions in warm understanding
insightful sometimes humorous and always engrossing style
dr bach who received his phd from the state university
of iowa and holds four honorary degrees from other univer-sities
has been recognized with numerous awards for his em-phatic
interpretation and pioneer work in the field of inter
spiritual and iinntteerrccuullttuurraall relations he is a contributor to both
encyclopedia americana and encyclopedia britannica and is
dr marcus and lorena bach one in marriage and lifes work
photo by lorena bach
listed in cwhhooss who in america and who kknnoowwssaanndd what
A prominent lecturer he speaks in all parts of the nation at
churches on college campuses and lecture halls among his best
known books are they have found a faith will to be-lieve
the power of perception the wonderful magic of
living spiritual breakthroughs for our time strange
altars and the inner ecstasy he has also written a travel
book a novel about a hhHuuuttttteteerriritiettees boy and an aawwaarrddwinning
play
winning
about the trappist monks
what conclusions has he come to after three decades of
research study travel lecturing writing and meeting people
from all walks of life in many parts of the world
1I have discovered that people are more alike than they
are different and that religions have more in common than
they have in conflict all religions are monotheistic all roads
that lead to god are good dr bach says thoughtfully and
adds 1I dont think anyone really understands god
these conclusions have made him receptive to all ideas
new and old concerning the spiritual nature of man he uses
the word spiritual to convey mans quest for truth for a
better understanding of the unknown for a better relationship
to himself and his environmental world dr bach is more than
an advocate of eeccuummeennisimst dr bach encourages total iinnvvoolvlve
ment and empathy with people of all beliefs even those with
different life styles and rhetoric he believes that the spirit
mind and body should be treated as one unified whole in the
total person
to help the individual live in harmony within himself and
within his total environment by sharing his knowledge and
theories dr bach founded the fellowship for spiritual un-derstanding
when he and his wife lorena came to palos verdes
estates nine years ago the FSU office is a few blocks from
their home in malaga cove phplaaazzzaaa
seminars conferences printed materials and recorded lec-tures
created by FSU provide perceptive sympathetic inter-pretations
of most religions and cultures in the world sup
DR MARCUS
sitieshas
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awardwmi ruing
derstanding
pretations
wm
no 271
ported by love oofilffeerriinnggss FSU has a monthly newsletter
outreach home study lessons study groups throughout
the world and workshops among its many services to members
now dr bach is writing a new book a book which he
feels represents the apex of his lifes work the book will in-corporate
and expand upon his newly created workshop
seminar series the total health of the total person
several workshops have already been held the latest in
february at the south bay christian church redondo beach
and two previously on the queen mary
the tthhrreeeeddaayy workshop includes techniques for physical
health mental alertness and spiritual growth and awareness
lorena is the consultant in nutrition for this program as she
holds a degree in nutrition from UCLA lorena is also the
talent behind the camera in the movies and pictures which
illustrate dr bachs books A recognized artist in her field
her latest winning entry is currently hanging in the 1974
kodak international newspaper award collection in new york
city
lorena and marc have had a marvelous thirty year partner-ship
with marriage work and social life so intertwined that the
three facets have merged they travel together he writing and
she photographing they jog together five miles a day in the
ppaarrkkssttrriipp behind their home they are faithful to the nutrition
guides they espouse to others and they have made life rich
and fun and vital through a variety of activities associated with
their religious work they recently produced an educational
motion picture available at most big libraries for religious
study on japan land of the kami on another occasion the
two escorted a group
of japanese religious leaders around the
united states for thirty days introducing them to all the major
religious groups of america
dr bach must have been an excellent tour guide for he is
good company with an easy manner quick wit unaffected
air and the optimism and hope expressed in his books is con-veyed
in his demeanor you know he must be the author of
his latest book the inspirational whats right with the
world dr bach confides that as a young man he met several
authors and they were so unlike their warm outgoing books
that he was determined never to disappoint anyone who met
him especially a budding author he was himself a budding
author at a very young age which brings us around to the
beginning and how dr bach started his quest
marc comes from sauk city a little town in wisconsin
which surprisingly has produced two other notable writers
mark schorer and august dDeelrrllliiittthh marcs father louis was a
businessman two uncles were bankers another a photograph-er
and a fourth the pastor of their eevvaannggeelliiccaallreformed
church
reformed
marcs mother albertina was according to dr bach
comfortably and irrevocably dedicated to the church but
marc describes his father as a spiritual stray hunting for the
green pastures louis trotted marc around to off the beaten
path religious groups and thus it was that the father set his
son upon the peregrinations of his later ilfhiliifffeee
As a youngster marc loved the violin and learned to ppilpayy
fairly well his other fascination was with writing he was
always writing in fact wrote more than he read today the
dr albert schweitzer is one of the famous religious figures dr
bach has interviewed
words come tripping over each other he writes so much and
has so much to say on his yellow sheets using always a nnoo2a
ticonderoga pencil
after high school marc studied at the evangelical seminary
for two and one half years but began questioning beliefs As
he says in his first book whenever I1 came home for vacations
my dad prodded me with questions once he asked me if I1 had
seen any miracles the only ones I1 could think of were the art-ful
mmeetthhoodds students used to get in and out of the dormitories
after hours
in his third year he enrolled in the state university of iowa
school of religion iowa city from which he received his
phd and where he taught for eighteen years he was one of
the earliest to talk about ecumenical spirit in class and his
classes were always large and popular enhanced understand-ing
and interest because he brought into the classroom expon-ents
of the religion being discussed
his interest in his fascinating investigative field was sparked
during his own undergraduate years when a traveling fellow-ship
provided an opportunity for personal contact with aaammrmneeennrrniii
pr0 ddeuucceedd
whats
page 3
s
in
des-cribing
the book and the program he says this is the place
where my entire life has ddoovveettaaiilleedd we have been saying that
the individual is a trinity and we put him into these happy
categories but the result has been that ilfhiliifffeee has become too
fragmented the synthesis of the body mind and spirit is
necessary to the development of the new person for the new
age this is the view of the new age and the coming of the
new century
page 4 no271
A visit with dr larry meillon at the dr albert schweitzer
hospital in haiti
cas minority religions when he took his teaching post his
research continued during periodic leaves of absence during
these years he also lectured widely throughout the mmiiddwest
and
west
the south and had a regular radio program which was very
popular
marc and lorena met in their youth on one of his visits
home from college his mother had told him that new people
were in the house next door and soon thereafter when he was
walking the dog he passed the house As he looked casually up
at one of the windows he noticed it was covered with bon
dr bach investigates acupuncture personally getting a treat-ment
from dr wei bpingin taiwan
ami cleanser As the cleanser was removed in an eevveerrgrowing
circle
growing
by an industrious hand lorenas face appeared he said
to himself thats the girl im going to mmaarnryy
and so he did and they have lived happily ever after sharing
life as a totality in the colloquialism of todays youth which
dr bach seems more a part of than his own contemporaries
he appears to have gotten it all together and through his books
he hopes to get it all together for the rest of us
grace claire
dr bachs polaroid land camera was of great interest to the
workers on a collective farm in russia
dr bach in rome
no 271
weiping in
mellonat
ping
no271 page 5
THE LEARNING
WHEN OUR READERS WRITE
dear dr bach
thank you for your new book WHO STOLE MY UTOPIA started reading and couldnt put it
down those of us who lived through the period you talked about ah what memories I1 guess
all of us boys felt and asked the same questions of ourselves was quite iiiennnrttteesrretssetteeddd when you
mentioned the free thinkers ingersolians being one this may have been one who was on the
quest like you
harold ingersoll
austin texas
dear marc
thank you forthe book delightful nostalgic I1 cannot put it down so glad you are sharing your
growing up years I1 had always wondered what growing up in the midwest was like somehow
I1 could always identify with it hayloft chicken wholesome milk and all that good stuff reading
your book is like walking down memory lane in a certain kind of innocence and purity cannot
be compared with todays upbringing
mathilde hoermann
ridgewood new york
dear marcus bach
I1 was thrilled to receive a first edition of WHO STOLE MY UTOPIA and I1 greatly appreciate it
1I found the bbooookkwtoo be fbaefsacsicninaattiinngg reading partially 1I suppose because of the stories my father used
to tell about his life as a child in his swiss family
helen menegat
north bend oregon
dear marc
youve done it again another masterpiece has been unleashed from your mindheartpen
roger hupp
pueblo colorado
dear marcus
thank you so very much forthe copy of your new book WHO STOLE MY UTOPIA I1 finished
reading it last night and was deeply touched by its tenderness and beauty however I1 feel that
with those kinds of memories no one can ever steal yyxyoooouuuunr utopia
olive pemberton
laguna hills california
dear marc and lorena
we read with great interest your letter about WHO STOLE MY UTOPIA we decided immediately
to order enough copies to provide them as gifts probably at christmas to each of our ssoonns and
daughters families
evelyn & jerry heyl
delaware ohio
no 271
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foundthe myfatherused
for the
readwith
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page 6 no271
dear marcus
we are eagerly looking forward to this new book the samples in your no 270 OUTREACH
brought back many memories of my youth some 80 years ago
mabelle deane richardson
nampa idaho
dear marc
thanks for your gift of love through WHO STOLE MY UTOPIA it is real entertaining has
educational potential and I1 believe it can and will make a great contribution to families churches
and educational systems the greatest compliment I1 can make for it at this moment is frieda will
not put it down long enough for me to read it again
jack townshend
fairbanks alaska
dear dr bach
thank you for your new book I1 am enjoying it very much it reminds me of my childhood on an
isolated farm I1 was an only child and I1 learned about god from studying the bible and observing
nature
john R jones
swansboro north carolina
dear marcus
what a joy it is to hold in my hands your latest gift to your friends in the fellowship WHO STOLE
MY UTOPIA I1 had so many smiles chuckles and nods of remembrance as yyoouurrwwoorrddss quickened
my own memories of searching and questioning my religious beliefs especially about adventures
into catholicism as a teenager being raised in a protestant tradition
I1 love eileens drawings dolores swinney
vienna virginia
dear lorena and marcus
I1 love surprises and am delighted to be reading WHO STOLE MY UTOPIA and to enjoy love and
laughter along with a faint yearning to reexperience those wonderful childhood memories
lucile herr
fair haven new jersey
all rights reserved
no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher
while copies of OUTREACH will be sent to anyone upon request your tax deductible contributions are invited
additional copies for use by organizations study groups etc are available write to fellowship FOR SPIRITUAL
understanding PO box 816 palos verdes estates CA 90274 phone 310 33773322666699
no 271
ajoy yourfriends