CHAPTER 7. THE ROOTS OF CHRISTAFARIANISM

“The best place to find band members is within the Church. You can usually speak to pastors and find out the individual's heart and make sure that their walk and motivations are pure. I cannot tell you how many bands were started out of Sanctuary. Bands like Wedding Party, Vengeance, Christafari and many others found members within the church. In these examples some of the players that they found did not play (or even listen to) the style of music that they ended up playing in the band. You are far better off finding someone inside the Church that is right with God and has to learn a style of music than finding someone outside of a church that knows the music but isn't walking with God. I believe that a band should not be evangelizing those within the band but those outside of the band. Everyone needs to be on the same foundation. It is a lot easier to teach someone a new style of music than to try and force them into your beliefs. A band needs to be united in the Gospel.”

“Pastor Mark Mohr”[1]

Vengeance Rising was a Christian thrash band that was part of the Sanctuary Christian metal music movement  (and) dissolved some years ago when Roger Martinez (vocals) fell into super-duper heresy (satanism).

“The Rough Woodsman”[2]

When I initially went through the fierce and outright unchristian behaviour of the Christafarians, it became clear how I had to dig deeper into the cause of their strange practices. I had to dig through the mud, to find the roots of Christafarianism.

Christafari’s responses to the previous essay had allready been preceeded by a number of private attempts to stop any critical publication. My personal story has a time span of seven years. But even with that knowledge, I still found their response to be shockingly unchristian.

I knew, that I had to map the roots of Christafarianism.

There were a couple of institutes and organizations that I had to check, and I used Mark Mohr’s biography and some additional information to map these very roots (SEE APPENDIX 3). And after I discovered the main foundations, it could easily be seen how all of these foundations had much more connections between themselves than the mere person of Mark Mohr.

I discovered a much bigger complex than Christafari. I discovered what I dubbed “The Christian Industrial Complex”. After all, it was Christafari’s admitted purpose to “plug the gap in the Christian Industry”.

What is an Industry, anyway? Webster’s dictionairy[3] gives us the following definition:

·         Commercial production and sale of goods.

·         A specific branch of manufacture and trade: the textile industry.

·         The sector of an economy made up of manufacturing enterprises: government regulation of industry.

·         Industrial management.

·         Energetic devotion to a task or an endeavor; diligence: demonstrated great intelligence and industry as a prosecutor.

·         Ongoing work or study associated with a specified subject or figure: the Civil War industry; the Hemingway industry.

·         Archaeology.

·         A collection of artifacts or tools made from a specified material: a Mesolithic bone industry.

·         A standardized tradition of toolmaking associated with a specified tool or culture: a stone hand-ax industry; the Acheulian industry. 

Another reference found on the same page even gives more clarity: 

·         the people or companies engaged in a particular kind of commercial enterprise; "each industry has its own trade publications"

·         the organized action of making of goods and services for sale; "American industry is making increased use of computers to control production" [syn: manufacture]

·         persevering determination to perform a task; "his diligence won him quick promotions"; "frugality and industry are still regarded as virtues" [syn: diligence, industriousness] 

I discovered how Christafari, and even Mark Mohr himself (in his role as “The First Christafarian”), was a product of this very same Christian Industrial Complex. I found a perfect description of this particular industry in a book called “The Bible”, and it wasn’t a pretty picture either.

To produce a plug in the (“Reggae”) gap of Contemporary Christian Music or CCM, in other words to produce Christafari, the Christian Industrial Complex used at least the following organizations:

·         JAMES DOBSON AND “FOCUS ON THE FAMILY”

·         BIOLA UNIVERSITY

·         SANCTUARY INTERNATIONAL

·         CCM INDUSTRY 

A closer look at each one of these organizations, displays a truly ugly picture. A picture of a real industry, that uses Christianity as a product and treats people like merchandize. Not to mention Jah Himself! Everywhere you look in the biographies and interviews with The Christafarian, you will find the Christian Industrial Complex.

Comparing the teachings and actions of this Christian Industrial Complex with those of Christafari isn’t hard. Facing the obvious identicality is much harder. We’ve seen often enough, how Christafari claims that plugging the gap in the industry is their Divine Purpose. And later, when we will take a closer look at the fruits of Christafari, they will obviously proven to be identical to that of the Christian Industry in general.

One more significant detail about the word Industry. According to the refered online dictionairy, the word comes from the Latin “Industria”, which means: “diligent activity directed to some purpose”. “Purpose” is the latest buzzword in Christian Industry during  the time this book is written too. The whole world is under the spell of a book called “The Purpose Driven Life”,  where a man called Rick Warren explains new age philosophy in “christian terms”[4].

By looking at Mark Mohr’s life ministry as the first Christafarian, one also gets an impression of a Purpose Driven Life. It’s very striking to see that the word Industry comes from the same word as Purpose Driven Organization and virtually allways is connected to the commercialization of Christianity.

It’s really difficult to find a complete background of Mark Mohr. And in no way does this essay to be some kind of an “unauthorized biography”. Privacy is a very precious and valuable right which we will respect. But because Mark Mohr himself has spoken out in many publications about his private life, bringing it into relevance himself, we will be forced to dig through some situations which we will usually not speak about.

Mark Mohr has repeatly expressed his ignorance concerning the nature of Babylon System. This system of wickedness which we see described in the bible truly is the system of Antichrist. We have seen how he calls on people to “obey the government” as an essential part of their Judeo Christian Believe System.

On his CD “Gravity - the Audio Commentaries” he expressed his disgust for those Rastas and others who are exposing Babylon System. Since September 11, 2001 we are living in what the ruling elite calls “The New World Order”. One of the aspects of this New Order is the creation of a total control police state everywhere. But Mark Mohr speaks laughingly about what he calls “Big Brother Conspiracy Theories”[5].

In this “judeo-christian civilization”, there is no place for to be conscious about all of this. After all, people are taught to believe how the American President is a “Born Again Christian” and how everything he does is to be seen as an expression of his Judeo Christian believe. And the Christafarian is well rooted into this very same “Judeo Christian Belief System” too.

One very revealing article was written by a guy called Jeremy Reynolds. Although the website on which it was originally published has gone off-line, there is still a copy available[6]. That website’s name was BUSHCOUNTRY.org. It was a so-called “neo-conservative” website, with adverts like “Support The President” and “Pray For The Troops”, in a referance to the war in Iraq.

The Neo-cons are a political group that can be seen as purely Babylonian in the Rastafarian and Christian sense of the word. They support the Satanic New World Order of George Bush as some kind of “Global Christian Justice” just like the Christian Industrial Complex does. After all, this complex is a daughter of what the Bible reveals as “Mystery Babylon, Mother Of All Harlots And Abominations”.

Under the title “Reggae For Jesus”, the “christian” neo-cons could read about the Big Bad Rasta and the Great Good God of the Christian Industrial Complex and how Mark Mohr was “saved” to become the Elect of God he now claims to be in his Christafari Cult. Let’s quote from the article:

“Christafari founder and lead singer Mark Mohr’s mother Margaret described her son’s turbulent teenage years as “pure hell.”

(...)

In his mid teens Mohr went to Jamaica with his parents, on what should have been an innocent and enjoyable family vacation. That experience introduced him to reggae music, which is pro- marijuana.

Mohr explained that reggae is the music of the Jamaican counter culture, Rastafarianism. Rastafarians worship the late Emperor Haile Selassie (whose previous name was Ras Tafari) of Ethiopia as the black Christ (or the living God for the black race). They use marijuana as a holy sacrament to draw themselves closer to Selassie.

(..)

During his prodigal years, Mohr attended 14 Christian camps at which he rededicated his life. However, it seemed that nothing made a lasting difference in his life. Even then, his parents persisted with their wayward son, ultimately sending him to the J H Ranch[7], a high adventure extreme camp. Then came the time for which his parents had patiently waited and prayed.

(...)

The Lord began speaking to Mohr even before he came home from that eventful camp. “When I was (there) and I came to Christ I remember saying, ‘God, I don’t want to be some suit and tie missionary,’ and He impressed upon me to start the first Christian reggae band.”

Consequently Christafari was birthed in 1989 with Mohr and a few of his friends.

Mohr was blessed almost immediately with wise advice from a good pastor. “He said, ‘If you’re really serious about that, you need to get doctrinally sound.’ He was a Biola (University of La Mirada, Ca.) alumni and it was natural where to go.”

(...)

(Mark’s Father...) Edward Mohr praised Focus on the Family’s Dr. James Dobson as a “stabilizing influence in our lives. We got all the tapes he had on this subject and listened to them a lot.”

(...)

I was curious what had happened to Mohr’s brother. After all, he was the one who had initially “helped” Mohr stray from the straight and narrow. Mohr said after a little while that he turned out good. “He got real bad when he was in a fraternity but at about the age of 23, he became a missionary in Nome, Alaska. When I ran away from home he was begging me to come back. Now he raises money to help fund those in the Lord’s service.”

The article itself was a short biography. It turned out, that the author itself was closely connected to BIOLA UNIVERSITY[8]. A very interesting institute, that made some news completely in line with Bushcountry.org and the Christian Industry. On their website, they boast:

On October 29, La Mirada and Biola University were cited in "The Los Angeles Times" as major Bush supporters in a historically democratic county. In the 2000 presidential election, the University was instrumental in providing Bush with 93% of votes for the precinct containing La Mirada. This was his best mark in California for a polling ward of more than 35 voters. La Mirada is located 20 miles south of the city of Los Angeles.

Biola is a theologically conservative, Protestant university that provides biblically centered education in a wide range of undergraduate programs and graduate education through the doctoral level.[9]

When you research the Evangelical Movement, the name BIOLA pops up every now and then. It turns out, that it is a school in the true spirit of the Christian Industrial Complex. It has ties with the United Nations and is actively involved in some of her programs[10] as well, and naturally there’s a very strict discipline on the school’s campus.

A look at the “Student Handbook and Guide to University Policies”[11] reveals the kind of mind set that was expected from Mark Mohr.

“Biola students have chosen, freely and willingly, to abide by the following standards. We regard any violation of these standards to be a breach of integrity, since each member has voluntarily chosen to associate with the Biola community and to accept, uphold, and live by the following standards.”[12]

As the article by Reynolds revealed, Mark Mohr was not unknown at Biola University. He went there before, in his “pre christian” time. His child and teenage years are presented as being away from the very system that he grew up in. He has his earlier education at this Biola school, his parents were indoctrinated by the teachings of James Dobson, a very infleuntial man in the life of many Christians in the Evangelical world.

Before Mark Mohr went to Biola to learn to be a Christafarian, he had major problems with his parents and vice versa. To understand as to what made Mark Mohr join Biola in the first place, it’s neccesary to check a little bit about his youthly years. From the information that can be traced from public sources, it’s obvious how James Dobson’s “Christian Teachings” more or less formed young Mark’s ideas about the Christian God.

As one studies the teachings of this James Dobson, one comes to the conclusion that manipulation in name of Christianity has been an essential part of the upbringing of young Mark. It was this kind of Christianity, that was introduced to him at a very young age. And it is the very same methology, that Christafari seems to be using in case of confrontations too. In a very revealing article on the Internet[13], the following book quote can be found:

"... Dobson ... recommends strictly behavioristic methods for child raising in the name of Christianity ... His near total capitulation to behaviorism is couched in Christian terms but really introduces an equally godless system into the Christian home while purporting to be a Christian reaction to permissiveness ... Reward and punishment are prominent (particularly the former), and the need for structure is emphasized. But Dobson's approach is cold and godless. It centers upon manipulation but says nothing of biblical confrontation. Conspicuously absent in such child discipline is the use of the Scriptures, conversion, repentance, the work of the Holy Spirit, and sanctification. ... Biblical persuasion, conviction, and personal commitment are ignored."[14]

This is almost a blue-print of the methology that is used in the Christafari Cult whenever they are confronted with unbiblical aspects of their teachings. For them, a teaching is not as important as the behaviour. There is an outright unbiblical emphasis on personal behaviour. The emphasis is being brought as Christian virtue.

Reward and punishment can also be recognized in the actions of the Christafarians. A look at the message board of Christafari, as well as other online places, reveal a culture where people are continually praising eachother into high heaven. Critisism, especially when it is brought with argumentation, is being discouraged. And when the critisism is too hard, in other words when the behaviourial methods can no longer be applied, punishment is being applied.

Let’s take a look at one particular debate on the Christafari website[15], where a visitor had some argumentation that did not please the “moderator”. He felt “personally touched”, and where emphasis are on behaviour rather then principals, a discussion can turn into an example of a practical work-out of this “Dobsonian Approach”.

First, the Visitor asks: “How come my post was deleted?...Trying to avoid the question?”.

Then the first moderator, who was in a debate with this visitor, simply answers: 

“I deleted the post because you said that I was going to end up worshiping the Antichrist. That is ridiculous.”

Another moderator steps in and explains even further:

“For crying out loud.... No wonder why non-Christians don't trust the church.... Some of these comments on here are digusting. I am editing your posts. I'm tired of the name calling and the accusations.  

This should be a place that is edifing and building each other up, not tearing each other down. These aren't discussions...you can't shove your views down my throat. I will give you space and the opportunity to share your views, but when it comes down to calling people names and accusing them of things that aren't true, those comments will disappear.  

When you take away the doctrine and the do's and don't's of being a Christian, you'll find 'love' at the center of it all. That's what will win people over in the end, that's what caused God to send His Son to the cross for us. He loves us more than we can dare to believe. For us to take what He did for us and start arguing over the particulars has to be disgusting in His sight. Where did the love go?”

The discussion then went on for a short while, in which the moderators told each other how taking away the doctrine and the do's and don't's of being a Christian was important, until “love” is the only thing that is left. This is then subsequently brought and explained as: “edifing and building each other up”. But, as we see throughout the book: the public’s eye decides. And those things that would you expect a Christian Pastor to motivate his life ministry? the doctrine and the do's and don't's of being a Christian?

But when you look at the quote about James Dobson’s philosophy of manipulation in name of Christianity, a picture begins to arise from the dirty mud that surrounds the lower part of the tree of Christafarianism... Let’s take a look at that quote again, and take away the “child-raising” aspects of it:

"... Dobson ... recommends strictly behavioristic methods in the name of Christianity ... His near total capitulation to behaviorism is couched in Christian terms but really introduces an equally godless system into the Christian home. Reward and punishment are prominent (particularly the former), and the need for structure is emphasized. But Dobson's approach is cold and godless. It centers upon manipulation but says nothing of biblical confrontation. Conspicuously absent in such is the use of the Scriptures, conversion, repentance, the work of the Holy Spirit, and sanctification. ... Biblical persuasion, conviction, and personal commitment are ignored."[16]

Ofcourse, James Dobson is not unique. Although he is seen as one of the most influential people in the Evangelical World, all he does is teaching a certain thing that he himself has learned too. It is a post-modern, westernized life-style in which everything is called by some Christian name in order to “sanctify” it for use.

As we will see later on in this chapter, in reality the Evangelical movement of which Christafari claims to be a part of, is in fact called “Neo Evangelical Movement”. This movement is strongly influenced by something which is called “positivism”. An extreme “Christian” example is the “Positive Confession” movement, where it is even considered “negative” to tell someone of a headache.

The emphasis on behaviour is reflected in the quotes from the Christafari website, but in a more extreme variant it can be recognized in the responses from the Christafari cult towards my previous book too. There were some serious doctrinal critiques that were layed down in the book. Some of the critiques have even been answered. For example, Mark Mohr has made an “Political Correct Concession” when it comes to his descriptions of Rastafari.

But his “concession” was not done out of a love for the Truth. It was not done because he saw the neccesity for a doctrinal soundness when one claims to be a “pastor”. He brought it as some kind of “concession” in a personal conflict. It was his solving of what he perceived as a “behavioural problem” of –in this case- me.

Because this particular focus has been taught by James Dobson, admittedly the main influence in Mark Mohr’s upbringing, and the focus is being presented as “Christianity”, it is no wonder that Mark Mohr got into some serious conflicts with who he thought to be “God”. It was no wonder that he “gave his life to Christ” over 14 times until he finally was overwhelmed by some behavioural action that convinced him of the “truth of Christianity”.

The “love” that the Christafari moderators which we saw quoted above constantly speak about, is a behaviour that is completely in-line with post-modern thinking. Emphasis on feeling over truth. When you have a biblical critique, you can not express that critique when some “feels hurt” by it. This is the mind set that brings them to ask people: “Show Us That you Have The Holy Spirit By Leaving Us[17]”. It doesn’t cross their mind that when they write a sentence like that, they are doing something very unbiblical: they are silencing the Holy Spirit!

Take a look again at what the Christafari Moderator wrote:

When you take away the doctrine and the do's and don't's of being a Christian, you'll find 'love' at the center of it all. That's what will win people over in the end, that's what caused God to send His Son to the cross for us.

In practice, we see how they indeed take away the doctrines and replace it with something they call “love”. This “love” is not a love for the Truth, it is not in anyway a love that can stand the biblical test. It’s a hippie style positivism dressed as Christian. But in the post modern mind set of the Christafarians, it doesn’t ring a bell as to why they have to take away the doctrines in order to express themselves in this behaviour that they call “love”.

This mentality you find also reflected in the slogan that perfectly describes the Christafarian behaviour: “All Things To All Men”. It is a marketing methology in the hands of the Christian Industrial Complex. It shows the character of the head of this Industry: “Mystery Babylon, mother of all harlots and abominations”.

But I’m running ahead here.

Let’s for now, simply establish how the emphasis on behaviour rather than doctrinal soundness forms the foundation of Mark Mohr’s “Christianity”. His parents raised him in the tradition of the Christian Industrial Complex by applying James Dobson’s New Age Manipulation. It can be safe to say that Mark Mohr, at his “conversion” at JH Ranch, in reality bowed for the Christian Industrial Complex.

He stopped from being a rebel against the Church Industry, he stopped from basically being a puber and joined the philosophy that he was being preached to all his life. His conversion to “Christianity” was followed by him returning to BIOLA University and becomming a conformed citizen of the United States Of America, a so-called “Christian Nation”....

Biola, as we have seen, uses a particular kind of manipulation to keep their students in obedience to the system: they simply say that you’re not someone with integrity if you do not do what they say. In a system like that, there is a strong hierarchy and basically people are being told not to think for themselves but simply learn what the teachers tell them.

It was at this very same Biola University, that Mark Mohr made his first steps into the missionairy business. It was at Biola, that he saw a business plan some friend had made. A business plan that would form the foundation for Lion of zion Entertainment[18]. Because he wanted to form Christafari and plant Christafarian churches in Jamaica, he went to this school and “learned” how to be a “missionairy”.

As we’ve allready seen, it was also at this university that Mark Mohr started to write on his book, a book that has been published before and caused what we know as “The Buju Incident”, Mark Mohr’s first “confrontation” with a “subject of his mission”.

We have seen in a previous chapter, how Mark Mohr wrote about the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. He discredited the Ethiopian in that book. The book was originally a part of his education, as he wrote it while doing a project on “cults”. Because this was a school project, the book can be seen as an examination, too. Compare it with getting an education that claims how the evolution theory is the truth. Even though you, as a Christian, could not agree with that theory you would still have to write your essays in the spirit of the evolutionists. The teachings of Biola concerning the Ethiopian Emperor were therefore pretty well translated into his book. And the fact that Mark Mohr distributed them at christafari concerts, ment that he himself wholeheartedly agreed with the contents too.

Although the book is currently unavailable, Mohr used it as a way of “spreading the Word” as they say. What Biola University approved, is (become?) Mark Mohr’s personal stance on Rastafari too. And where Biola University taught Mark Mohr to come up with “snappy slogans” to describe the Ethiopian Emperor, these very same slogans are not applied at all when it come to the so-called “Christian” President of the United States, George W. Bush who is an admitted satanist disguising as a Christian[19].

We have allready read the quotations about Selassie. But let’s briefly glance at it again:

“Haile Selassie arbitrarily took the throne by force, through trickery and even murder. He chose himself and crowned himself despite public opinion. Even if he was Elect by God, according to the New Testament, Almighty God would not have chosen for things to have happened in this manner”[20]

But still, this very same university brags how they were influential in bringing George W. Bush to power. George W. Bush has come to power through trickery and murder, which has been documentated sufficiently by such renown reporters as BBC Newsnight’s Greg Palast[21] and many others. However, the Christafarian will probably see that as another Big Brother Conspiracy Theory too...

So is there just a double standard going on here? Or something deeper? When Mark Mohr teaches how Haile Selassie can never be a King because of things that George W. Bush does, but when George W. Bush does it it’s all about “obeying the government”, is this “just” a double standard?

Suppose Haile Selassie really came to power in the same way that George W. Bush came to power. Why then is Haile Selassie discredited as being “illegal in the sight of God” and George Bush hailed as “Christian President” by sites such as Bushcountry.org?

The answer is obvious.

The Christian Industrial Complex itself is a part of Babylon. That very same Babylon which has a political system we currently know as “New World Order”. That very same system the Bible reveals as the mother of all Harlots.

And while Mark Mohr was given the impression that he was being prepared for his big mission, to “plug the gap”, in reality he was being brainwashed into the very same mind set that James Dobson propagates.

Mark Mohr didn’t finish his education at biola. Before he could reach the diplome that would have made him an official Biola graduate with the neccesary credibilities in the Christian Industry, he went along with his band Christafari and had the Buju conflict.

This is also the period that Mark Mohr stepped out of Biola into yet another branch of the Christian Industrial Complex, that of the so-called “Counter Culture Church”. This appealed to Mark Mohr as he had allready been trained to look at Rastafari as a “Counter Culture”. Like the hippies in the 1960’s were only a sub culture of the mainstream, so does the Christafarian look at Rastafarianism, as he calls it. The Christafarian has admittedly not had a youthly love for Reggae Music. He needed to smoke a lot of marijuana in order to be able to enjoy it. Around the same time as the Buju incident, we could read the following quote in “CCM Magazine”[22]:

It was a root of another kind that first attracted Mohr to reggae. "From a musical perspective, I hated reggae at first," he admits. "What really drew me to it was that it justified using marijuana. But, as I listened more, I started to like it."

Mohr's interest in reggae deepened while vacationing with his family in Jamaica. When he rededicated his life to Christ in 1989, he chose God over ganja, but he wondered if he would have to forfeit his love for reggae and the Jamaican culture as well. He recalls, "I pleaded with God, 'Please don't make me wear a suit and tie and be a missionary in Alaska.[23]'"

Reggae, Rastafari and Dreadlocks as a “Counter Culture”. Something to do with “not wanting to wear a suit and tie”, like many western kids in the 1960’s became hippies. And like many other western kids in the 1980’s became Heavy Metal fans. Reggae as an “excuse to smoke weed”.

Reggae as an excuse to imitate things which are unaccepted in their authentic form in the Christian Indstrial Complex.

An analysis of the biographical data that Mark Mohr has released about himself showed how his behaviour towards his parents and vice versa is seen as similar as that to his behaviour towards JAH!

In the neo-con article, it is said that he “gave his life to Christ” at least 14 times before he came to the point in which it is now said he gave his life to Christ. Unless we are speaking about some bizarre spiritual reincarnation theory that makes someone claim to be born again at least 14 times, there is some serious confusion as to what it means to become born again in Yesus Kristos.

Socio-Psychologically, the whole story displays how this whole “giving my life to Christ” is also a synonym for: “getting it right with my parents”. A continuous struggle between parents who claim that their “child raising methods” are so connected with Christianity, that young Mark was clearly shown how he could only get a good relationship with his parents by “accepting Christ”. And so he did. Over 14 times...

Of course, true Christianity is neither a spiritual reincarnation theory or a method of child raising. But when you are a True Christian, you would never claim to be born again so many times. And when you are a True Christian, you would never mix a normal “generation gap” conflict with your child as synonymous to that of your child with your God!

And so young Mark ran away from home often, while his older brother introduced him to drugs at the age of nine. At that moment, Mohr’s brother was involved in what we can only know as “a pretty bad fraternaty”[24]. Currently, he is “raising money for missionairies”[25], by the way.

We’ve tried to get in contact with the Jeremy Reynolds concerning this fraternity. After all, we can taste a strong support for George W. Bush, who himself is a member of Skull and Bones to name just another fraternity that is, in the words of Mark Mohr, “pretty bad”.

A researcher wrote to Jeremy Reynolds, to ask what fraternity this was. Posing as a “fellow conservative”, the researcher wrote some “critique” towards mr. Reynolds. The question was asked, as to why “fraternities” are being protrayed as “pretty bad”. Another question was, basically: “How can Christafari be good conservatives and look like a Rasta?”. The writer was extremely paranoid. He wanted to know, why the questions were asked and didn’t respond to any other e-mails. We left a posting on his website instead...[26]

There is obviously many things to be exposed still. Many things hidden for the public’s eye. In everything that Christafari teaches as “Christianity”, an emphasis is placed on exactly the same things that James Dobson and other big ones in the Christian Industrial Complex. Obeying the government, supporting the war in Iraq and elsewhere, even discrediting the Rastaman who continually chants down Babylon System by labeling consciousness as a “Big Brother Conspiracy Theory”[27]. And these are only a few things that makes many people believe that Christafari is much more then “just” a cult in the christian Industrial Complex.

There are even people who claim that Christafari could very well be a CIA operation. This is not so far-stretched, as it has been sufficiently proven how the CIA has infiltrated Reggae Music in the 1980’s by killing Bob Marley and introducing Cokane to the population of Jamaica[28].

When I had my telephonic conversation with Mark Mohr, I confronted him with this idea. I told him how I was in contact with people who had serious reasons to claim their suspicion, that Christafari was a CIA operation. He started to laugh very loud, as if I just told him a very good joke. Where before that he was kind of hysteric and everything but happy, he turned out to be able to stop that vibe immediatly. So I asked him, if that was his answer. A laugh. He confirmed: “It is ridiculous”, and stopped laughing...

Did he laugh because he is unaware of what the Christian Industrial Complex in reality is up to? Another “Big Brother Conspiracy Theory”?

There is definitely much more to be discovered, when a detailed investigation is applied into the Christian Industrial Complex and Christafari in particular. They are surely trying to change the culture of Reggae Music just like the CIA did. The whole Carribean Archipel is being flooded by “Gospel Dancehall”, while Christafari’s “mission activities” can be summarized as a literal work-out of the message: “No More JAH, here is God”.

The movement of Rastafari, documentated[29], is a threat to Babylon System, or the New World Order if you will. That very same New World Order which is so actively promoted by the complex that created Christafari in the first place.

But for now, let’s stick with the biographical data as released by Christafari.

Mark Mohr’s parents promote[30] James “Focus On The Family” Dobson and his focus on behaviour rather than spiritual Truth when it comes to defining, or discerning, true Christianity from the false one of the Christian Industrial Complex. Mark Mohr’s usage of drugs and marihuana is easily identified as the focus on the family problems that Mohr constantly uses to describe his “pre-christian phase in life” from which he “repented”.

He didn’t really “give his life to Christ” 14 times. That’s impossible according to Christian standards. What he did, close analysis reveals, was reconciling with his parents by admitting to their demands. He smoked marihuana and used all kinds of drugs while he was “rebellious” to his parents. Too many times did parents and son try to reconcile, but everytime the parents had their demands. These demands allways included abstainance from drugs and marihuana. Only when Mark Mohr was able to stop using drugs and marihuana, would he be accepted by his parents and with that, accepted in the “family of God”. Spiritually, one would call that “faith by works” instead of “faith by grace”.

What was said about Dobson again? “strictly behavioristic methods in the name of Christianity ... (...) Behaviorism is couched in Christian terms but really introduces an equally godless system into the Christian home. (..) It centers upon manipulation but says nothing of biblical confrontation.[31]”

The fact that at a certain time Mark Mohr “gave his life to Christ” for the xxxth time, doesn’t really mean anything spiritually. A con-fusion of behaviour with the referred spiritual Truth is shamelessly displayed in the neo-con article. The shamelessness is the obviousness that the writer assumes his readers to be allready brainwashed by such a serious mix-up. The mix-up is in the fact that Mark Mohr has found a way to please his parents and still enjoy himself...

Now he was no longer a “Rastafarian”, but a “Christafarian”, someone told him shortly after his “conversion to Christianity”[32]... He didn’t smoke marihuana or used drugs anymore... The music he had learn to “justify his marijuana usage” before, now became a tool to justify the Christian Industrial Complex to the body of Kristos!

In the Christian Industrial Complex, people are being seen as (potential) customers for the product “Christianity”. This product comes as a lifestyle full of happiness, full of the “joy of the Lord”. You can “buy” the product by “becomming” a “Christian”. You do so by “giving your heart to Yesus” and... I’s allways something more than that.

But when you have “become a Christian”, you will enter into the Christian Industrial Complex, and by vanity and flattery you will be forced to buy the true products of the Industry: books, albums of music, “great witness tools” and even relief from feelings of guilt by “sponsoring for the salary of a clergy or missionairy”.

When you are “blessed” or “called” or “decide to work full-time for God” as they call it, you might gain something from that yourself, too. When you don’t want to only buy stuff in the Christian industry, why not make some? There are enough “gaps to plug” in every industry!

In the 1980’s and early 1990’s, there were a lot of gaps to plug in the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) Industry. Ever since the “Jesus People”[33] gave birth to the “Gospel Rock” phenomena in the 1960’s, CCM has become a business that exceeds every imagination. There are even those who say that the music branch of the Christian Industry generates more money than it’s “secular” equivalent.

The Sanctuary Movement had been instrumental in creating many stars for the CCM Industry. Spearheaded by “Pastor Bob” Beeman, who we have shortly been introduced to in the previous book, a “Christian Variation” of the Heavy Metal “Counter Culture” was being institutionalized. On a Christian Metal website, the following can be read about “SANCTUARY  -  The  Rock'n'Roll Refuge”:

“Numerous people came to know Christ through Christian Metal. Unfortunately though they were not welcome in many churches but were kicked out because their long hair and different style. To help these folks Pastor Bob Beeman started up the ministry Sanctuary. Through Sanctuary christian rock'n'rollers finally had a home and a church that understood and not condemned them. First worshipleader in Sanctuary was Michael Sweet of Stryper. Throughout the years thousands of metalheads have come to know Christ and grown in faith through the ministry of Sanctuary.”[34]

The connection between Mark Mohr and “Pastor Bob” is not a secret, although its relevance seems to have been underestimated. The preceeding essay briefly mentioned it. Bob Beeman, who was approached to clarify the connection, wrote to us:

“We fully support Marks ministry.  He is officially an ordained Sanctuary pastor.  But in our organization, we are not a denomination. In other words, we do not have a structure that each must adhere to. Mark is free to do whatever he feels is best for his band and for the Christafari ministry. Our "connection" is one of support and encouragement.”[35]

In the research for this book, we have come across some serious facts concerning Bob Beeman and his Sanctuary organization. There was a reason for Mark Mohr to be seriously disturbed to find out that we have contacted Bob Beeman to even simply ask about this connection[36]. There was definitely a reason for Beeman to write the word “connection” between quotation marks, as we found out. They had every interest in trying to act like there was not really any connection at all.

However, their reaction was kind of strange. On one hand, both Beeman and Mohr are public figures. On the other hand, they get seriously disturbed when you adress certain public statements and critisize them.

The Bible clearly states how people have to check and critisize every public statement done in the Name of Christianity. That same Bible states how everyone who utters a public statement in the name of Christianity should be willing to have his statements checked. This can not be recognized with Mark Mohr and Bob Beeman.

None of the close associates interviewed for this book were aware of this connection. That is to say, they had heard of it, but were never explained the importance. This is a detail in the whole Christafarian mystery that simply screams for more revelation.

Even stronger: when you are a public figure, stating all kinds of things in the open, how is it possible to state in private to a criticaster: “What Are You Doing Man? You Are Exposing Us!”[37]

Exposing a ministry? Or: Revealing a mystery?

These contradictions with the truth and the Biblical message that Christafari claims to uphold, can be reconciled when one takes into consideration, how the Christian Industrial Complex is a prison in itself.  Heavy Metal and Reggae Music are approached in the Christian Industry as “styles” which have to be “sanctified” by putting “Christian lyrics” and other elements to it. Only when the music is “sanctified”, are Christian youths allowed by their parents to enjoy the music of their choice.

Bob Beeman and Mark Mohr are considered “pioneers” because they have provided the Christians with music they would otherwise never have been able to enjoy.

When you ask Mark Mohr about the connection with “Pastor Bob”, he will tell you that Bob Beeman is his big example.

Further research reveals even more.

You can you consider Mark Mohr to be the “Reggae Equivalent” of Bob Beeman.

Which then turns out to be a key fact.

Beeman is very interesting and enigmatic figure. He mixed the Church of Yesus Kristos with business and the fruits of his works are obviously not neccesarily that of a prophet as described by Yesus Kristos. But “Officially Ordained Sanctuary Pastor” Mark Mohr praises him into high heaven.

“In 1996 I was ordained by Pastor Bob Beeman (Sanctuary International)”, the official Christafari Biography[38] reads. More details can be found in an article written for the Sancturay Movement called “How To make It In The Music Biz?”, signed “Pastor Mark Mohr”[39].

“I just got back from Trinidad and saw the most awesome reggae band there. It was great to see that they not only had a strong church support system, but their Pastor was their manager. He was keeping them in check and protecting them from the wrong people and negative influences. This is a great way to start off. This is the position that Pastor Bob held in the early years of Christafari (in fact he got us our first deal). I still consult him for all of my important decisions.”

“The best place to find band members is within the Church. You can usually speak to pastors and find out the individual's heart and make sure that their walk and motivations are pure. I cannot tell you how many bands were started out of Sanctuary. Bands like Wedding Party, Vengeance, Christafari and many others found members within the church. In these examples some of the players that they found did not play (or even listen to) the style of music that they ended up playing in the band. You are far better off finding someone inside the Church that is right with God and has to learn a style of music than finding someone outside of a church that knows the music but isn't walking with God.”[40]

When Bob Beeman “ordained” Mark Mohr, he also introduced him to another aspect of the Christian Industrial Complex. What could not be achieved in Biola was done at Sanctuary: an initiation into “pastorship”. To be able to say that you’re an “ordained Pastor”, significantly increases your credibility ofcourse. And more credibility means: more income.

We have allready established how activities described in the Bible as actions of the church are being transformed into moneymaking concepts for the Christian Industry. In the Lion of Zion “ministry”, for example, the “pastor” becomes the “president”. “Pastors”, in itself an unbiblical function as it means “leader of a particular group” in the language of the Christian Industrial Complex.

And when the “pastor” is also the “manager”, you have a symbolical illustration of the mind set that welcomes this heretical culture of money. This culture of reli-business goes unnoticed for what it is. Even when it is adressed, people have a really hard time to understand this. Later on in this book we will be introduced to a number of Christafarians who even try to explain their ignorance as Christian virtues.

So Bob Beeman was the first “manager” of Christafari and provided many things, like the “first deal”. The Pastor is also the manager. He makes sure that the income flows from whatever way: the strong church support system on one hand, and the deals on the other.

Mark Mohr and Christafari present it as: “Get grounded: It is absolutely essential that you are grounded in God's Word, a church and have a strong support system. This is essential for all musicianaries. Christafari was born within a church and if it wasn't for the support of my pastor (Bob) we would not have survived and flourished. You must have a strong church base and a group of people that are committed to praying for you. You need to be supported and held accountable by your pastor and youth workers.”

“Musicianairies”, he calls them. A mix-up of the words Musician and Missionairy. Like Yesus was fully man and fully God, the Mark Mohr’s of this world are “fully musician” and “fully missionairy”. Or aren’t they?

Mark Mohr has also stated literally about his own position: “This is my mission field. The artists that we sign I work with, we mentor, teaching music seminars”[41]. As the “tour morals” document from the previous essay showed, there’s also some tight control in the band itself, too. Mark Mohr again: “In concert we will issue a challenge for prodigal sons and we still do alter calls. Not so much shepherding. I shepherd a flock of 8 people in this band.”[42].

It’s clear that Mark Mohr is following in the footsteps of Bob Beeman. What “Pastor Bob” has done for the Heavy Metal music, “Pastor Mark” will do for Reggae. And, with the same results or to state it more biblically: “fruits”...

Some of these fruits are self-evident, and others are more subtle as they seem to be biblical but in reality they are a very dangerous imitation. The long lists of “saved souls”, for example. Research has shown, how 80-90% of the people that “become Christian” in the Christian Industry, fall away from their “newly found faith” pretty soon[43]. Mark Mohr’s own “fruits” have shown to be exactly the same.

Another self-evident bad fruit is the music itself. When you admittedly imitate a certain style, trying to “adopt” it as the word goes, in order to get some message across, then you will never be able to bring authentic music. This is what the marketing and advertizement companies do all the time. One half minute of listening to the so-called “Reggae” of Christafari speaks volumes in this respect.

Many people wonder why Christafari, and all other music they label as “Gospel Reggae”, sound so “watered down”[44]. In the CCM Industry, which because of it’s nature is completely made out of imitators, this question is heard in as much variations as there are different styles to be imitated, or as they prefer to call it: “sanctified”[45]. The reason for that is given by Mark Mohr himself, even though he wouldn’t agree with it.

As the Music Bizz article shows, the whole band is formed in what is called “The Church”. Even people who don’t like Reggae , let go who know how to play the music, are preferred by Mark Mohr over with is disdainly called someone outside of a church that knows the music but isn't walking with God[46].

Without shame, he continues: “I believe that a band should not be evangelizing those within the band but those outside of the band. Everyone needs to be on the same foundation. It is a lot easier to teach someone a new style of music than to try and force them into your beliefs. A band needs to be united in the Gospel.”

Mark Mohr mentioned a band called “Vengeance” as an example. And indeed, this band is just an example. But let’s take a look at the group. After all, Mark Mohr claims that this is how the Christian World should work, and Yesus also said that we have to take a look at the fruits.

The band “Vengeance Rising” is not just one of the many christian heavy metal bands that came out of the Sanctuary movement or cult. According to a fan-site, they produced “the first true thrash metal album in the Christian industry”[47].

A heavy Metal information website writes this:

“In 1987 Pastor Bob Beeman brought together singer Roger Martinez and Vengeance.[48]”

“They were one of the best thrash bands to come out of the Sanctuary Christian metal movement of the mid-80's.”

“Band leader Roger Martinez became a pastor for Sanctuary, began producing teaching tapes about Christianity, as well as forming alliances with other big-name Christian leaders. After the "Once Dead" tour the band discovered that they were hopelessly in debt. Everyone but Martinez bailed and formed Die Happy, while Martinez scrambled to form another lineup and record a new album for Intense Records, as the band had already missed their deadline for a new CD.”

“Roger released to more albums that sold relatively well, but did not do well enough to erase the huge debt he was left with from his former bandmates. Struggling with his faith, the strain of his situation, and feeling betrayed by his friends and former band mates, he vehemently turned from Christianity and the friends he had surrounded himself with and began announcing he was an atheist and began dabbling in the occult.”[49]

Bob Beeman and Sanctuary: Corner Stones in the complex of CCM! Did they bring the money in the Church, or did they bring the Church to the money? In anyway, it’s a rotten structure to say the least.

Roger Martinez was, like Mark Mohr, an “officially ordained Sanctuary Pastor”. He was also a public frontman from (like Christafari) another Sanctuary based band. But as we can read, having your “Pastor” as the manager of your band may sound very Christian and holy but in reality it is just a public image aimed at aiming credibility in order to get more “support”.

Money.

There are various websites that tell the dramatic story of Roger Martinez[50]: The Officially Ordained Sanctuary Pastor Now Professed Satanist! In many ways are Martinez and Mohr comparable and therefore it might be relevant to take a look at this sad, sad story.

Poor Roger. He couldn’t take the antichrist and he couldn’t take Kristos. We tried to contact Roger. But thusfar he did not respond.

How many are there, like Roger Martinez?

He was introduced to a kind of Christianity that sucked him completely empty, only giving him some form of credibility in the Christian Industry. A credibility he could lose anytime his superiors chose...

Now he professes himself as a “blasphemer” on his website with interests such as “heresy”[51]. Browsing through his website reveals a serious hate towards what is presented as Christianity. “Christians still sell my records,” he wails on one page.

At least he knows what the “Christianity” he came out of was really all about... Not so much different as the “satanism” he now professes to follow...

A few pages earlier we could read how a member of the band “Stryper” was also an ordained Sanctuary Pastor. The story of Stryper is equally bizarre. It turned out, that while pretending to “live Christian lifes”, they were quite the contrary in private. Just prior to the publication of this book, Stryper was in the news because of more money scandals.

Here are some quotes from members:

“As a matter of fact, the band was one thing that was making us turn and walk the opposite direction from Christianity. . . If you’re doing something you like doing, and God says not to do it then you’re not going to pay attention.”(“Officially Ordained Sanctuary Pastor” Robert Sweet of Stryper, RIP magazine, April, 1987 p. 49)

“From the end of 1988 ‘til February of this year [1997], I was drunk every day.” (Tim Gaines of Stryper, HM, Mar/Apr 97 #64, p.47)

“To be honest, Stryper wasn’t what we should have been spiritually speaking... there was sin happening in the band. . . And the reason why it was happening is because we didn’t know the Lord like we should have.” (Oz Fox of Stryper HM, Mar/Apr 97 #64, p.49)

Now in the midst of this we see Bob Beeman’s Sanctuary Organization. The Church of Yesus Kristos presented as something which the Bible defintely not describes as a local gathering of believers in Yesus Kristos. Instead we see a created culture, a “sanctified” imitation of the Satanistic Heavy Metal culture.

There can not be another conclusion than the Sanctuary Chur