[imagesource: Screenshot from a College of Integrated Philosophy video]

John de Ruiter has been skirting controversy and accusations that he is running a cult and using spirituality to have sex for decades now.

But all that running has led nowhere as the 63-year-old “self-appointed spiritual leader”, running a multi-million dollar spiritual organisation in western Canada, has been charged with four counts of sexual assault.

Police in Edmonton, where John’s College of Integrated Philosophy is located, arrested him and charged him with sexually assaulting four women in different incidents between 2012 and 2020, BBC reported.

According to reports to police, Mr de Ruiter told certain female members of his group that he “was directed by a spirit to engage in sexual activity with them, and that engaging in sexual activity with him will provide them an opportunity to achieve a state of higher being or spiritual enlightenment”.

Classic messianic rubbish. Add John to the books of cult leaders using spirituality as a guise for their lustful me-me-me-driven impulses.

While police reckon there are more victims and have asked them to step forward to build the case, a spokeswoman for de Ruiter said that he “intends to vigorously contest these charges in a court of law”.

Meanwhile, the guy is returning to work at the College this week:

Mr de Ruiter, whose full first name is Johannes, was raised in rural Alberta and worked as a shoemaker and a junior pastor before developing his own teachings.

He has described himself as the “living embodiment of truth”, urging his thousands of devoted followers to understand life’s meaning through “core-splitting honesty”. The head of the College, Mr de Ruiter is not trained or certified as a psychologist or therapist.

Some of his practice includes staring silently at his followers for long periods of time.

To abate some of the criticism, the frequently asked questions page on de Ruiter’s website tries to answer the burning question:

“There are some extreme criticisms of John de Ruiter, are they true?” one question asks.

The post says: “John did not and does not use sex as a means of control or submission over any person.”

Mmm-kay.

An investigation by The Globe and Mail newspaper in 2017 revealed his son, Nicolas, voicing his concern online about his father’s sexual relationships with married women in his community.

The Globe reported that de Ruiter reasoned that he was meant to “be with a number of women in sexual relations with a purpose of meaning”.

The red flags are bellowing over here.

[source:bbc]