Exclusive Brethren have a MySpace

, posted: 3-Oct-2006 17:06

Back from IDF and feeling like I've been hit by a truck after spending a night sandwiched between two considerate, but nevertheless six foot plus passengers in AirNZ Premium Economy - those seats are way too narrow, damn it - my brain was idling in neutral so I checked out the local blogs.

Thinking my tiredness was playing tricks with me, I had to read this Hard News entry by Russell Brown over at Public Address a couple of times, as it is quite extraordinary. Russell writes:

It's such a modern problem: the Exclusive Brethren ask to be added to your MySpace friends list - what do you do? After all, if you say yes, you will be able to send The Exclusive Brethren personal messages, view The Exclusive Brethren's photos and blog, and you and the Brethren can interact with each other's friends and network. Hookups are probably out of the question, but we might be looking at a veritable orgy of understanding here.


Hold on, the EBs have a MySpace? Seriously? The EB profile says:

About me:
The Exclusive Brethren are an Evangelical Protestant Christian church, whose members follow a rigid code of conduct based very strictly on Biblical teaching, which provides a firm moral framework and is focused on a strong family unit.

We themselves separate because we believe the world is a place of wickedness. Fathers are the breadwinners. Mothers stay at home to care for the household.

Exclusive Brethren generally either own their own businesses, providing employment for their families and others, or are employed in a business owned by Exclusive Brethren.

Their baptism requires that their children marry within the fellowship, although some who have defected have later been recovered to the fellowship, along with their spouses.

Exclusive Brethren do not attend restaurants or venues of worldly entertainment, nor eat with others outside their fellowship.

Who I'd like to meet:

Nobody


Well, that's curious. MySpace is after all the place where you hang out to meet others, isn't it? Also, if there was a wickedness contest between MySpace and restaurants, I think the former place would win hands down.

Makes me wonder if the EB MySpace is for real actually.


Other related posts:
Wikileaks keeps publishing despite Assange's arrest
Letter to Simon Power, minister of commerce re: Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill
NZ government could create new last-mile monopoly with UFB


 





Comment by Andrew, on 3-Oct-2006 18:43

The weirdness being that they are on a myspace and trying to recruit people and have this at the bottom of their description:

"Who I'd like to meet:

Nobody"

From what I've heard on TripleJ, they are anti-technology to the point that they refuse to use computers in their schools, which is something they're apparently supposed to allow for federal funding... but quite willing to use technology to gain members, or promote their opinions.

It's all round just weirdness, and another reason why extremist anything isn't so wonderful.

http://www.down.net/amish/


Comment by bradstewart, on 3-Oct-2006 20:46

This actually sounds fake!!

Somebody trying to mock the EB?


Comment by Daniel, on 3-Oct-2006 20:50

Well, if you check out their likes/dislikes, you get great things like:

Movies Sinful, sinful, sinful

Television Our homes and vehicles are free of the pipelines of media filth: television, radio, and the Internet, in accordance with our baptism and commitment to separation from the world.


It is awesome. The comments are equally good:

I really like your work, and I'm totally stoked you hired a heathen to build this website.


Comment by RobiNZ, on 4-Oct-2006 01:14

They also "endorse" a website which seems like a very "tech" thing for a group that seek "separation"

It's very confusing...
http://rcd.typepad.com/personal/2006/10/confused_about_.html


Comment by Russell Brown, on 4-Oct-2006 10:25

I won't hear a word against my new friends, even if they do drink bad whisky.


Comment by Barney Rubble, on 6-Oct-2006 08:30

Sounds like some youngsters who know what they are doing (although they are not supposed to use the internet) are having a prank and siting back to see what is being said.


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