Question:
What do the ‘Brisbane Christian Fellowship’ and ‘The Exclusive Brethren Christian Fellowship’ have in common?
Possible Answers:
1 – They both have ‘Christian Fellowship’ in their preferred title?
2 – They both break up families?
3 – Their leaders both live in Australia?
4 – There are reports of sexual abuse in both organizations?
5 – Both are accused of spiritual and emotional abuse?
6 – Both are sparking demands for a full government level investigation?
7 – Investigative reporters have just published compelling books on both?
8 – They give Christianity a bad name?
9 – All of the above?
(The answer is 9.)
Coast woman calls for senate inquiry
The Daily.com Australia10th January 2009
By Janine HillA Sunshine Coast woman who blames the Brisbane Christian Fellowship for breaking up her family has called for a Senate inquiry into “cult” churches.
Helen Pomery has been divorced by her husband of 30 years and cut off from two children and three grandchildren since she was ex-communicated from the BCF in 2001.
She was given a week to leave home after refusing to “submit” to the orders of her husband and other BCF elders, who had banned her from contacting a daughter who had already been ex-communicated from the church.
Ms Pomery, who has relocated to Maleny, wants a once proposed Senate inquiry into the right wing religious sect, the Exclusive Brethren, to go ahead, and to include the BCF.
She said the BCF, which is a part of a network of 25 churches, including one at Forest Glen, used intimidatory and abusive tactics to maintain control over members, and was responsible for family break downs.
Senator Bob Brown has twice proposed an inquiry into the Exclusive Brethren to examine its role in family breakdown, the psychological and emotional effects related to its practices, and its exemptions from regulatory requirements.
However, his proposals have been defeated and the matter was instead referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs late last year.
Ms Pomery said organisations such as the BCF were granted government concessions as churches but were not subject to regulation or answerable to any external authority.
The Daily contacted the BCF for comment but had not received a reply.
Mrs Pomery has written to all Federal and State politicians about the BCF but she said feedback indicated Labor politicians were reluctant to support an inquiry because they believed that religion and politics should remain separate.
She said France had already set a precedent by establishing a group to look at sectorial aberrations.
Quote:Mrs Pomery has written to all Federal and State politicians about the BCF but she said feedback indicated Labor politicians were reluctant to support an inquiry because they believed that religion and politics should remain separate.
http://www.australiavotes.org/policies/index.php?topic_ids=6
Quote: Response by Australian Labor Party:
Australian Labor Party
* The practice of opening the House of Representatives with prayer is a longstanding feature of Australian parliamentary practice.
* An Australian Labor Government would not support any change to this practice.
http://news.smh.com.au/national/christians-slam-changing-parly-prayers-20081027-59by.html
http://mattcbr.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/lords-prayer-in-parliament/
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/australian.parliament.considers.changing.lords.prayer/21758.htm
I think its total hypocrisy that on one hand the labour government is totally all for keeping certain religious/politics mixes ,while on the other hand trying to suggest they believed that religion and politics should remain separate.
What a complete utter joke.What a total farce.
And as Senator Brown points out, any claims of common good or respectability are hypocritical to say the least.
“I am repeatedly dismayed that we have people going through prayers by rote about being good to each other then immediately getting into the business of attacking each other in the Senate,” Senator Brown said.”
And oh just how completely right he is.
Here we have also people DEFINITELY suffering through CULTS that have been allowed to exist.And a prayer said by government that asks for people to be delivered from evil, blah blah etc etc.
And to cap it all off a Ruddy government who makes the feeble claim “were reluctant to support an inquiry because they believed that religion and politics should remain separate”
Quote:”A spokeswoman for Mr Rudd said the Prime minister viewed the prayer as an important tradition that should not be broken.” http://mattcbr.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/lords-prayer-in-parliament/
Yet it seems its no matter that families are broken by CULTS.
Guess families just are not something to be considered traditional any more in Australia
The term’man of God’ is a generic one used in 2 Timothy and refers to all who accept the Lordship of Christ who alone is the “elect vessel of God’s choice.”
He too is alone the ‘leader of the recovery of the Truth’ and is the WAY, TRUTH AND LIGHT.
To claim these titles for a man in Australia or elsewhere is a satanic fallacy. Were anyone to claim these titles why fear that ‘someone might attack me?’ Were anyone to be so titled he would be surrounded by angelic protection without fear of violence.
The man and his sect are surely undone, seen for erroneous assertions and will the entire monolith not soon be spewed out of the mouth of Christ, Lord and King? That is the heaven-sent prayer of many and will be answered timeously, please God.