Friday, July 27, 2007

Hard to Beat


It's hard to believe that a month of fourth year has already passed. I just finished my rotation in ophthalmology and it was great to finally have my weekends and evenings off. Coming off the Trauma and Emergency Surgery rotation, it was a welcome relief. There was finally some time to catch up with old friends and enjoy the outdoors. After third year, I had almost forgot what daylight looked like.

This weekend, I took the chance to drive out to West Texas. I guess it has been over three months since I have been out here. Anna, my youngest neice in Snyder didn't even recognize me. Weather permitting, there might be a chance to get up flying this weekend. It has been a while since I have been up. I guess it was one of those hobbies that has been neglected during medical school.

Last Friday, one of the ladies in my assembly gave me a DVD that had a 45 minute ABC (Australian) film peice about the "Exclusive Brethren" in New Zealand and Australia. From what I could tell it was about the group known as the "Taylorites." Interesting stuff. Over the past 10-15 years, I have met a good amount of various shades "open" and "closed" brethren. I don't know that I have ever run across any "exclusives" though. It is such a shame that there are so many small pockets of "brethren" across the continent that really don't have much to do with each other.

Well, the weather in Dallas has been unreasonably hot for the past few weeks so I thought I would throw in a picture of the snow.

12 comments:

Kimberly said...

What are "open" and "closed" brethren?

Anonymous said...

Open Brethren accept people into their church ,they might not (sometimes) have holy communion with you ! but they wont exclude you from their church/lives.This is open.

Closed brethren will only have to do with certain people,some maybe you might have to pass some sort of test first .Exclusive brethren the "Taylorites" are a good example of this closed group .whether they are good in the meaning of the word i`ll leave that up to your decision ! try visiting www.peebs.net or google exclusive brethren and you will find out all about them .

TK said...

anonymous. I don't know if that is a fair characterization of the "closed brethren." I have been to several "closed brethren" assemblies where I have been welcome to attend. I am not sure that I would be permitted to participate in the breaking of bread though. I think there is a wide spectrum amongst the assemblies. Have you had a different experience?

Anonymous said...

Yes im sure you are right tk !! im not disagreeing with you at all .That is why i added (maybe)you might have to pass some test .Maybe i should have added a ? to that maybe ! im sure that some you dont .And i was mostly referring to the breaking of bread.

But however !! the (Taylorite) Exclusive Brethren are differnt. Unless you are part of their group you are not allowed to even attend meetings with them . Though as with many of their cultish laws these laws they have change ! it almost seems at times depending on the direction of the wind .Silly laws like your sewerpipes outside your house must notenter your neighbours next door !! or you might be defiled .Cell phones are banned ! yet somehow new laws have been passed lately that allow ones in cars as these are not cell phones but car phones .Crazy huh ??? .You dont know half of it yet my friend !! go to the site of those that have been excomunicated from this cult and lost family who treat them as if dead once they are withdrawn from .Google exclusive brethren ... Then click on a site called Peebs . Net

I look forward to your return to post your remarks here on what you think .

burndive said...

I'd be interested in looking at that DVD if it's at all practical.

TK said...

anonymous. Some of the material about the Taylorites/Jims is suprising. I guess it hard though, given their shunning of the internet, to get their point of view. I wonder if there are any in Texas.

Tim. I will try to get or make a copy of that film. A couple other people were interested in seeing it too.

Anonymous said...

Hi tk and tim !! yes i bet it was surprising to you .I dont think they are in Texas , but i will try and find out .Of course i understand that you wish to know their point of view ! this i understand . But as to what they will tell you ! i am doubtful it will be the total truth . May be half truths .

You may ask why i say this , you might say is what has been said on that site Peebs net the truth .I understand that to .

Im gonna be truthful with you and say i was born into this cult .I lost family , family was misstreated in many ways .Family in treated family out as dead .I have been around attempted suicide .I have seen and by my birth into this cult before i left! been involved by being amongst them , in wrongful excomunications which lead to terrible heartbreak and was later within this cult admitted within closed doors to be wrongful judgement .I know envelopes of (tax free money) have been transported to these men who run this cult including the elect!all over the world .Transported in peoples pockets by areoplane etc.I myself put money into collections and was there when it was decided how much they would receive .I know of sex abuse covered up ! and dealt with within !so as not to let it out or ruin their name .

The thing is tk would you expect truth from people who run election campaines , where they have purposly hidden things ? . Where companies have been set up to hide paper trails ? .This is all documented in the news and being investigated !! ,why would this be happening if everything was above board and not of deceit? .Would these needs for investigations be happening if they were being completly honest ? .

If not how could you expect to get a truthful point of view by talking to them ?.

I have nothing against you talking to them because i have nothing to hide . But i just wanted to mention this thought !!so you keep this in mind .

The thing is they have been seen as such wonderful Christian people and have built up a good name .And many of them are very nice ! dont get me wrong ! i love my family in there still , so do many others !.But it is the wrong transulations of the bible,the deceit , the heartbreak it causes and the cultish hold it has on the people that is what is wrong .Churches should not bring about suicide and widespread depression ! should they ? .See this cult has something that is known as heavenly deceit !! , it makes it ok to tell fibs if it fits the cause .
If you go back and google they do have a site !! not quite sure what its called . Trouble is you have no right or way to ask questions .Infact if you do find one of their churches and get to talk to somebody , be careful what you ask as if they get an idea you are reserching things !! they are very likely to clam up and cease any further discussion with you .And you would not be the first to be sued if they thought they had the chance !! .

Sound unbelievable ? well i can understand it does . I am not suggesting you have to believe it !! im just telling you (some) of what i have experienced .And i am only one ! of many who have experienced these things and much more .

TK said...

anonymous. I am sort of curious how you came across this site.

I would be interested in knowing more of your experiences and your current situation if you have the time. If you would prefer email, that's fine too.

Anonymous said...

Google is a handy tool ! and im interested to put another point of view out there .For to long many many excomunicated members have kept quiet , and just tried to accept things .And i think its a good thing people are more aware .For instance somebody might meet somebody that is in this exclusive brethren sect , they will likely be very timid and withdrawn .Not likely to talk of their situation .So by people such as myself speaking out on this thing the internet ,understanding of those both in and out ! is gained .
It may just well be that friendships can be made , with the help of this better understanding .You see some of these people trapped within see no way out . They are scared of the outside and because of their timidness people often do not try to get closer to them .
So this is in a way to help break down those walls !! ,that some might get the chance to see and feel that there are also good people ! with love ! on the outside .
It is so hard to understand i know ! but when born into this closed society you feel like you are in another world .Outside is a frightening thing ! for instance most likely you have never been to a resturant , joined a club ,got close in a friendship with people outside the church/cult when at school ! and would never have been to another church . This is taught as the most damming thing to do !! their position within the Exclusive Brethren is taught as the only way to heaven .
So i hope this helps explain !! .

Im happy to email and continue discussion , but not sure how to find your email address? .I would give you mine ! but not to interested in the spam mail that can come with it .Thats the problem isnt it ! sometimes this internet gets you more than you wish for .
Just like to say sorry for my rather long posts ! but its not easy to explain it in short .

TK said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

gHave been brought up in open
assemblies and now am old now.

I have read the bad things about
the Taylorites or super closed
exclusive brethren especially in
Australia.

Wonder if this group just wants to
be left alone? Maybe there are
some wonderful Christians whom
we will never meet because of
these walls of separation.

Somewhere maybe on the internet I
read about a fireman who was put out of the Meeting because of his
job being secular and having to work on SUNDAYS.

In my older age I have to work on
Sundays and have had to do so for
many years. Wish our economy didnot
foce us to do SUNDAY WORK. Donot know how to get around this.

Can't really see the decision about
the Fireman can apply to all assemblies in a particular circle of New Testament Bible Meetings.

Anonymous said...

Hi. I was searching for peebs.net, and happened across your blog. I am ex-EB, but belong to one of the "closed" assemblies. I'd be pleased to discuss anything you need to know.
The Taylor EB have certainly cast a dark shadow over what I have accepted as a good way to live a christian life. I am thankful to be away from them.