Kim Kardashian and the Exclusive Brethren?
The chatter press has been full of the sudden divorce of the completely over-rated Reality TV star Kim Kardashian from her sports star husband Kris Humphries after 72 days of marriage following a lavish $10 million wedding.
There is absolutely nothing worth writing about in terms of the Kardashians, but a New Zealand writer has managed to achieve the amazing feat of associating the Exclusive Brethren cult with this equally strange woman.
How did she do that?
Catherine Woulfe, deputy editor for New Zealand’s Sunday magazine provides a 5 point worksheet for new Zealand politicians.
As far as we’re concerned, only one really matters:
4. Never overestimate your audience.
They are all kinds of stupid. You can do a really bad thing (say, schmooze with the Exclusive Brethren or earn squillions from your sham wedding) but just smile and say that you didn’t, and it’ll all be okay.
Ouch! Does Catherine know the Exclusive Brethren or what?
The New Zealand public certainly does. The foray by the cult into the world of politics was the brainchild of the current leader, Bruce D. Hales. As Catherine says: ‘they are all kinds of stupid’ …
Sure sign of a cult: nonsensical rules.
The following 2008 letter from Bruce D. Hales and other Exclusive Brethren leaders regarding the restricted use of portable phones and computers has been published before on peebs.net:
but not like this!
We have been sent an audio extract from a May 2008 Exclusive Brethren Care Meeting where the letter is being read, as instructed, to the assembled brethren.
This post marks the first time since the 1970 Aberdeen tapes where peebs.net has been able to play audio from a real Exclusive Brethren meeting.
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2 Year Anniversary for Breakout by David Tchappat
Two years ago this week, Australian David Tchappat launched his autobiographical Breakout: How I escaped from the Exclusive Brethren – and last weekend David married Rachel – they are currently on honeymoon.
A Double Congratulation is therefore due to a brave young man who managed to escape the clutches of the Exclusive Brethren, wrote the most recent story of what life was like in the secretive cult, used his media power to launch the book following his appearance in Australia’s ‘Big Brother’ TV show and doggedly rebuilt his life.
peebs.net has reached agreement with David and the publishers of Breakout to serialize a portion of his book. We are hoping that the limited serialization will raise interest in David’s story and help spread the truth regarding the Exclusive Brethren.
As part of the peebs.net coverage of this 2 year anniversary, we hope to arrange a live Webinar where David will answer questions over a live Internet video feed about his life in the cult, his escape and subsequent new life. The Webinar is yet to be scheduled – it will be recorded and made available from this website for those who miss the live event. We will be providing members of the public an opportunity to submit questions for David Tchappat prior to the event.
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Dario Silcock - now ex- Exclusive Brethren
By Nick Lawrence
Now Dario Silcock has left the Exclusive Brethren organisation, he feels he can pursue his career choice – studying for a degree in musical theatre at Trinity College in London.
But the 21-year-old from Oswestry, Shropshire, has left at a cost, no longer being with his family.
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After a grueling full day in court, settlement was reached in the long-running law suit between Peebs.Net and the Exclusive Brethren. The fact of settlement is public, but not the terms.
We will publish what we are able as and when lawyers advise.
Meanwhile, the wording used by the Court Reporter seems to underline the effort of the process!
Case Name: Bible & Gospel Trust v. Twinam et al
Case Number: 1:07-cv-00017-jgm
Document Number: 159
MINUTE ENTRY for proceedings held before Judge J. Garvan Murtha: Status/Settlement Conference held in chambers on 11/23/2009. Present were Matthew Kirtland, Esq. on behalf of pltf; Ronald Shems, Esq. and Rebecca Boucher, Esq. on behalf of dft Timothy Twinam. Statements by counsel. After extensive negotiations and discussions between the parties, a confidential settlement was reached. The parties shall prepare a written settlement agreement and file a stipulation of dismissal. The record of this conference shall remain SEALED until further order of the Court.
As an example of the Spin Doctor’s art, the following paper recently produced by Jackson Wells (the Exclusive Brethren Public Relations firm) is textbook quality. There are many other examples of ‘lipstick on the pig‘ publicly available, ranging from ‘Living Our Beliefs’ (purportedly) by Bruce D. Hales, to virtually every Planning Application that the Exclusive Brethren submit for their fortress-style Meeting Rooms and very private schools.
Jackson Wells seem proud of their unusual client – quite probably the only ‘christian church’ to have published a web site where the only means of contact is the telephone number of their expensive public relations firm! For those who were brought up in or know the truth regarding the Exclusive Brethren cult, ‘Into the Light: understanding the Exclusive Brethren‘ by Jackson Well’s Ben Haslem is easily recognized as an outrageous example of whitewash. However, the principle of spin-doctoring has a purpose – it is designed to seed the possibility of doubt.
Today we reproduce the Jackson Wells paper. Tomorrow, we publish a letter to Jackson Wells written by an ex-member of the cult – a letter that has remained understandably unanswered.
Into the Light: understanding the Exclusive Brethren
by Benjamin Haslem
Jackson Wells
April 2009
In early 2007, senior members of the Exclusive Brethren Christian Fellowship approached Jackson Wells seeking assistance dealing with a sudden and intense increase in media interest in their small Christian church.
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Examples of media attention focused on the Exclusive Brethren are very hard to find in the United States. The ability of the group that Kevin Rudd, now the Australian Prime Minister, described as “an extremist cult and sect” to “fly under the radar” is well-known. Peebs.Net, has attempted to ‘pull back the covers’ since the site started in May 2004. As you might imagine, this process has not been encouraged!
Unlike the USA, most citizens of Australia and New Zealand know of the Exclusive Brethren and of their track record in recent years. Perhaps the closest the US press came to looking at this “dangerous group” in any detail was following the secretive activities surrounding the ‘Thanksgiving 2004 Committee’, a political 527 group that funded pro- G.W. Bush advertisements in various US papers during the last president’s second run for office in 2004.
Today in Burlington, Vermont a news article appears that shows signs that this lack of exposure might change. The Burlington Free Press describes what it calls a ‘Contentious Lawsuit’ that has been raging in the New England state since early 2007.
As far as Peebs.Net is concerned, it is vital to maintain Truth and therefore, it is interesting to note how quickly the Exclusive Brethren resort to the smear tactics that has brought them increasing negative press exposure in Australia and New Zealand.
It is estimated that there are now over 46,000 Exclusive Brethren members worldwide, with as many as 10,000 located in USA. The closest North American Exclusive Brethren gatherings to Vermont are Boston, MA and Montreal, Quebec.
Secretive worldwide sect battles Vermonter in court
The Burlington Free Press, USA
By Sam Hemingway
Free Press Staff Writer
April 5, 2009
Timothy Twinam of Williston says he just wants to tell the truth about what’s really going on inside the Exclusive Brethren, a well-heeled, reclusive evangelical Christian group with 43,000 members around the world.
“This is a very closed group,” said Twinam, 54, a native of Great Britain. “They don’t circulate much with people, and over the years they’ve become ever more exclusive and cultish.”
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September 14th, 2008
Following the successful serialization of ‘Shut Up Sarah’ by Marion Field during 2007, the Peebs.Net Team have successfully negotiated with the publisher Highland Books and the author to bring her 1993/1998 autobiographical story of life in the Exclusive Brethren to a wider audience.
The serialization commenced today and is expected to run for about 6 months.
Access Peebs.Net to view the first episodes of Don’t Call Me SISTER!
Scientology under attack – are the Exclusive Brethren next?
November 21st, 2009
The impact of Australian senator Nick Xenophon’s comments in Canberra this week regarding the Scientology ‘church’ should not be under-estimated.
First there is the man. Nick Xenophon is an independant and carries no party allegience. His 400BC namesake was also a soldier as well as a respected historian. Nick has a background in law and is a resourceful and intelligent political warrior. Several are noting that the modern-day Xenophon seems to have a strategy in his carefully worded attack against the ‘religion’ of Scientology.
This is not a ‘flash in the pan’. Xenophon has been planning his attack for some time:
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