I started on some research to expose the cult that Xenu is trying to sneak on to this board "Raelians" and I think I might have come across something that will be of interest to all of you. I will address the information that exposes Xenu's cult the Raelians in another thread but at this time I wanted to bring this very interesting information on this thread to see if anyone has heard of this. The information I have run across puts the JW's in a corporation that was started by the Scientologists and has members of some of the more notorious cults in the world. This corporation is called FIREPHiM. That is short for "International Federation of Religious and Philosophical Minorities." FIREPHIM is the French term for this group.
From what I can gather at this time is it is an organization that was incorporated in 1992 in Strasbourg Switzerland. It was founded by Scientology and is headed by the former president of Scientology in France.
Here is a couple of cut and paste sections of articles that I found that explain it. I will do some more research to give you more information tomorrow along with links to the complete articles about this. What I want to know is if anyone here has heard of this?
Here are the two cut and paste sections:
1:
FACTnet 5
FIREPHIM
At the end of 1992, the International Federation of Religious and
Philosophical Minorities (styled FIREPHIM) was registered in
Strasbourg. FIREPHIM was founded by Scientology and is headed by the
former president of Scientology in France. FIREPHIM is an alliance
of cults which also seeks to gain credibility by including genuine
religious minorities. With FIREPHIM Scientology hasjoined together
the Moonies, the Children of God, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Le
Patriache (associated with Lyndon LaRouche), the Raelians and the
witchcraft organization Wicca Occidental.
Scientology has been sharing its techniques with the Moonies for some
years. It seems highly likely that under Scientology's tutelage,
other cults will develop aggressive public relations, litigation and
intelligence strategies. This is already evident in cases brought
against the Children of God (or Family of Love) throughout the world.
The evidence is clear: leader "Moses" David Berg has frequently
recommended the sexual abuse of children from birth onwards. Berg's
followers are known for "flirty fishing" - the use of prostitution to
recruit. So far, the Children of God have been largely successful in
their defense. In Australia, for example, legal moves to put the
children in the custody of the state have thus far failed.
2.
The Children of God: The Inside Story (Zondervan), by Deborah Davis, a former COG leader and Berg's own daughter. Pement testifies to the increase in professionalism within The Family. "The level of apologetic which they were distributing...is far above anything that Moses David Berg is capable of producing."
The Family's New Fight. Pement's exchange with The Family demonstrates more than the fact that the group has organized a well-oiled public relations machine, apparently based out of La Habra. When The Family wrote Pement upon hearing of his plans to republish Davis's book, they challenged Davis's credibility and issued a warning to Pement about publishing the book.
"They're still trying to dissuade us," Pement said.
Moreover, the group has recently begun legally challenging its more avid opponents. For instance, in recent months The Family has pursued charges of theft and kidnapping against former members Edward Priebe and Daniel Welsh, who infiltrated a Family commune in Manila in 1992. The two reportedly carried away large quantities of Family literature, audiocassettes, and videotapes (some of a sexually explicit nature), which they initially planned to use to expose the group.
"After [being robbed of] more than 3-million dollars' worth of audio-visual materials from Family archives in the Philippines last September," says one recent Family press release, "...The Family has...filed official complaints and reports with the FBI, the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the US Attorney's [sic] Office of Los Angeles," while considering libel and slander suits.
The release further states that "although in the past the Family has not been known to take such legal action, due to the growing climate of religious bigotry being fostered by such individuals, the Family has begun to make more full use of the law and exercise their legal rights as American citizens."
Still, The Family's many critics doubt that the sect would actually take anyone to court, since it might open their own organization up to scrutiny as well.
The Family has also seized on the Waco, Texas Branch Davidian incident, seeking to make a case against Cult Awareness Network (CAN). The Family claims that CAN has damaged its work through unfair accusations.
A two-page letter sent out to several U.S. senators, whom Francis would not name, asks: "Waco: Who's responsible? -- Cult Awareness Network?" The letter says that "this organization of so-called 'cult experts' injected prejudice, distrust, and fear into what should have been an objective, unemotional investigation of the Branch Davidians....We, the Family, have also been targets of CAN's 'dirty tricks department' via media smear campaigns and deprogramming attacks." The letter urges the senators to investigate CAN and "its influence on decisions made in Waco," and to launch a broad public educational campaign about "New Religious Movements" (NRMs).
Francis says The Family is pleased with the response they received from Washington, D.C., though he would not provide details.
Priscilla Coates, former CAN president and current chair of CAN's Los Angeles chapter, says that while she was not aware of The Family's communications with members of Congress, she is not surprised at the new tenor of the group's efforts, which she says lack substance.
Says Coates, "They have joined forces...and formed a corporation in Switzerland with Scientology, the Raelians, the Occidental Wiccans," as well as the Jehovah's Witnesses, Moonies, and Baha'is. The group is called the International Federation of Religious and Philosophical Minorities (known by its French acronym, FIREPHIM) and is devoted to defending the cause of NRMs.
Coates says that FIREPHIM's members apparently share information concerning their detractors. In fact, in March 1993 Linda Simmons Hight, media coordinator for the Church of Scientology, told Religious News Service that Scientology "informs [The Family] of trends that are going on in religious freedom issues."
Take care and see you in the morning with more info.
Dave