September 22, 2008
Brethren expresses regret over sister
The Age
September 22, 2008
An elder of the controversial Exclusive Brethren religious sect says he feels sorry for his 85-year-old sister, who did not see four of her sect children for 20 years after being excommunicated.
But he says animosity to the group has “blinded” his sister, who has described the sect as “grossly evil”.
Sydney man David Stewart said the Exclusive Brethren had apologised for its “harsh” treatment of his sister, Alison Alderton, and her late husband Bob when they were leading figures in the group at Bathurst in central western NSW in the early 1980s.
But she had refused invitations to rejoin the brethren, described last year by Labor leader Kevin Rudd as an “extremist cult” that broke up families.
“I feel sorry for her,” Mr Stewart told AAP.
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September 20th, 2008
The Exclusive Brethren sect has attempted to prevent a sick 85-year-old former member from revealing her terrible life story by saying that if she remained silent she could be reunited before she dies with the children she was separated from 28 years ago.
Alison Alderton’s family was torn apart at the order of the sect’s world leader in 1980, and she has barely had contact with her children, who are “in fellowship”, since.
Inside the sect, kept apart from Mrs Alderton by the Brethren’s founding doctrine of “separation,” are three daughters and a son, 18 grandchildren and a number of great-grandchildren she does not know and cannot count. Continue reading »
