The Exclusive Brethren.......BBC2 Last night.

by qwerty 3 Replies latest jw friends

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  qwerty

  Did any of my fellow Brits see the program last night on Everyman BBC2?

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/tv_radio/everyman/index.shtml

  Watching the program gave me cold shivers because the practices and beliefs, though perhaps more extreme, are very like the Borg! In this group the women all have to wear head scarfs, most of the time, and always in church meeting.

  The practice of Shunning was the main area that brought tears to my eyes. One Girl left home and was then cut off from everyone she knew from being a baby. She eventually did go back and was take to a house to be "Shut up" till the church Elder decided that God had forgiven her! The practice was born from the Old Testament command, that anyone with Leprosy should be isolated from the populace until clean.

  One man, who came out from the group, had a restraining order brought against him by the Church, so he could not visit his own children unless he came back!

  The program interview three church (Elder) Priests, it was like watching JW Elders explaining their beliefs; they were trying to fit the rules into "we try to follow Jesus' example in our life". They came over as very robotic and cold, just like how JW Elders reacted when questioned on Panorama about child abuse.

  Qwerty
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  Brummie

  I saw the last 20 minutes. The 3 men who sat talking to the interviewer where smarmy to say the least, they looked like a judicial committee with no ties on. It was ironical to hear them say they take action against "an opposer" to protect the congregation, and how they are family centred and feel inclined to protect the family from opposers even if the opposer is the son or daughter. So they destroy the family while claiming to protect it!

  Apart from a few doctrinal matters that differed from the WT their practices & shunning were exactly the same.

  Shocking!

  Brummie
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  refiners fire

  Querty. Just as the Witnesses think that preaching door to door is the identifying sign of the truth, so the Exclusive Brethren church believes that seperation and remaining free of the "world" is the sign of Gods true church. What is regarded as the most rabid of the brethren cults is based right here in Australia. The Raven / Taylor Brethren. Their church is right at the end of the road.
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  Angharad

  I meant to watch it after I read an article about it in the TV guide - but I fell asleep

  I noticed the similarities in the article about the shunning and elders and it also mentioned that people outside the religion are refered to as worldlies. (sound familiar?)