The Exclusive Brethren

[rexx]

As many people would be aware, there has been frequent media coverage about The Exclusive Brethren recently. I would be interested to hear a few opinions/views people have about this group of people, considering we have a community of these people living in Adelaide.

Personally, there are a few Brethren families that live in my area and they send their children to the primary school I attended. I actually had one girl in my class for a few years. Although I didn't know who the Brethren were back then, I noticed some obvious differences they had to most people in our society, eg. they weren't allowed to watch tv or use the computers at school, and they always would go home to eat lunch.

I have noticed that quite a few people I have spoken to have never even heard of this group of people, and I'm not surprised by this given the secluded lifestyle in which these people live. So for anyone who is unaware, the Exclusive Brethren are a Christian group who practice 'separation from evil' as they believe society is under control of the devil. They therefore refrain from having hardly any contact with the 'outside world' (the sociey in which 'we' live) and they are forbidden to watch tv, listen to radio, read newspapers, or even eat in the presence of non-Brethrens.

There are approximately 40 000 Exclusive Brethren world-wide, and they only live in countries which have 'Christian governments'. I find it very interesting that the Brethren are not allowed to vote, however, they have provided significant funding to politcal campaigns eg. supporting John Howard at the last Federal election, and also running advertising campaigns against political parites they do not 'support' like the Greens.

Considering that the Brethren are believed to be quite a wealthy community due to operating their own businesses and paying tax at a minimal rate due to running these businesses as church businesses, I am very annoyed at the fact that they are trying to influence who gets in Government which determines where our hard-earned tax paying dollars are spent and what kind of policies are implemented in our country. They want to have the best of both worlds by living their secluded lifestyle and not be in contact with the rest of us but also influence who is going to run the country in which we live even though they are forbidden to vote. Basically they are trying to stop the world becoming more evil in their minds.

However, I believe that they will find it more and more difficult to live the way they do as time progresses due to the largely increasing reliance on technology in the functioning of our society.

For extra information this website has been endorsed by the Exclusive Brethren in response to the recent media criticism
http://www.theexclusivebrethren.com/index-1.asp

[duke]

They are a cult. Cults are illegal. They should be shut down and the members re-educated.
They are slowly trying to expand themselves out. Last I heard they were buying up entire towns.
If we leave it too long we will wake up one day and suddenly find one of them in power. I will vote for which ever party shuts them down, considering Liberals seem to be funded by them, I doubt it will happen any time soon.

[Will]

I think that the Exclusive Brethren are an extremist cult.

[jimmy_2486]

I used to wash my uncles cars for pocket money when I was a kid (way before water restrictions) and I knew there were a brethren family living next door.

Thing is though is that the kids used to always ride their bikes up and down their driveway, and watch me wash the cars all day long??

I thought this was weird, and I tried talking to them and asking why they were staring but they wouldn't talk to me. So I soaked them with the hose and they never bothered to watch me again heheh.

But yeah they are brainwashed people and the cult shouldn't have any power, and personally its all a money making scam in the end.

I think the media is actually doing a good thing by exploiting this cult and more of it should happen so that people can understand and not get sucked into this money making scam.

[rogue]

They are just bizzare. They are definately bordering on cult status.

Any views on Scientology?

[Cruise]

So I soaked them with the hose and they never bothered to watch me again heheh.

isnt it funny how soaking someone with the hose makes them never come round again?

one of lifes mysteries i spose.........

[Howie]

They are just bizzare. They are definately bordering on cult status.

Any views on Scientology?

Yep.. a friend of mine was taken for one of those "free psychological tests" down at their waymouth street branch.. they basically tried to break her down, she left the place in tears. I'm really against what they try to do to the weak minded.

Also speaking of cults, falun gong, boy can i tell you a few stories about them. They once tried to brainwash me and some friends, they actually did get one of my friends at the time too, he's now devoted his entire life (monetary and otherwise) to falun gong and completely excludes anyone outside of the cult, even his own family... it's really sad to see that happen to a bright young person.

[Norman]

There are a few Scientologists on the Wharf Markets at Port Adelaide, they tried to get personal info off me and I just said get lost. Creeps...

[Will409]

I had a couple of Mormans (I think anyway, they had American accents) come door knocking one day a week or so ago. I basically slammed the door on them in typical pissed off northern suburbs fashion. Nothing violent, just slammed the door on them and everything was done and dusted.

[Norman]

I had them as well, wasted 15 inutes of my life. I should have closed the door

[duke]

We get the Jehovah witnesses here. My mum just doesn't know how to get them to go away so she ends up talking to them for 30mins

[jimmy_2486]

They are just bizzare. They are definately bordering on cult status.

I think they have crossed that border and spat on it...

The head of the joint is an accountant and has his own private jet.

The whole thing is a tax dodge so they don't have to pay any (or stuff all) taxes because its all run under the church. And it would take an accountant who knows all the tax loopholes to pull off such a stunt.

I mean if they aren't allowed to communicate with the outside world, then why do they have a website? Also if they have a website that speaks of the brethren, then why don't they want to talk to the media about anything, and then go and slash their tyres?

[rexx]

You raise some fair comments there Jimmy. Slashing tyres is definately un-Christian like. They should be ashamed of such dirty tactics... not helping their case in trying to convince us.

[Bulldozer]

They're a cult, just like Scientology and should be outlawed.

Like Scientology, they have some very dodgy dealings going on as Four Corners recently showed. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if they're copying Scientology by infiltrating the government in order to gain influence and access private information on opponents for blackmail, etc.

[Howie]

A southpark look at scientology