Exclusive Belligerence

There has been much publicity this week surrounding PM John Howard’s meetings with the extremist religious sect, often referred to as a cult, the Exclusive Brethren.

The radical fundamentalist group believe they are chosen by God, and they long for The Rapture - a teaching that there will be a time when all of those who are Christian and alive at a particular time will be swept up into the next life, and left behind will be those who are not pure.

Members of this sect are forbidden to socialise with those outside the fellowship or attend tertiary education. They say the Bible tells them to separate themselves from evil. Separation, they say, "is as old as time itself.” “The scriptures from beginning to end teach separation." They sure do.

Television, radio, personal computers and mobile phones are also strictly prohibited amongst members. Brethren management however seems acutely aware of every instance of bad publicity it receives through the mediums of TV, radio and the internet. Perhaps the voice of God is tipping them off.

The sect has 31 schools throughout Australia. Ex teachers have claimed that at these schools, most modern novels are banned, pages are removed even from permitted 19th-century works and entire chapters are censored from science books. It’s also claimed children are told what jobs they will do and who they will marry. Despite this, the Australian Exclusive Brethren schools receive federal funding of around $20 million yearly.

EB members have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on attack campaigns against the Greens in state elections in Australia, and New Zealand. Its members have bankrolled pro-conservative ads in the US and Canada. Its leaders are based in the Prime Minister's Sydney electorate of Bennelong - where one member's former company spent $370,000 on pro-John Howard ads at the last federal election. Interestingly sect members, while totally free to support political campaigns, are at the same time forbidden to actually vote in elections.

Regarding government meetings with the evangelists, John Howard is on record saying “I do not deny for a moment I've met representatives of the Exclusive Brethren, and why not? They're Australian citizens, it's a lawful organisation.” Treasurer Costello has added that there is nothing wrong with politicians meeting the group, this is no crime.

A lawful organisation? No crime? I’m pretty sure for the rest of us “impure” Australians, not voting is unlawful, a crime. I’m pretty sure if Australian Muslim leaders forbid their followers to vote, Howard would cry “Un Australian” and Kevin Andrews would deport them for bad character.