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Well, the Brethren sure are real, and all about them is stated correctly. But I have no idea about Howard's connection. It would surprise me - he is 'conservative' in all his views, including, I would thing, religion. Meeting with them would be his duty if they so requested - but I would have liked to have seen Abbott and Costello with them! Hee hee ... there would have been a lot of insincerity and smarminess going on. In my state of Western Australia, they have a cluster down south somewhere which interferes in the local school, etc, but is tolerated ... just. Andrew On 23/08/07, Douglas Barbour <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Howard attacked for links to secret Christian sect the Brethren > By Kathy Marks in Sydney > Published:23 August 2007 > > They describe themselves as "a Christian fellowship based on the Holy > Scriptures", but others call them a sect, and they have meddled in > elections in New Zealand and Australia. > > So when the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, admitted that he > had recently met leaders of the ultra-conservative Exclusive Brethren, > his critics smelt something unsavoury. The group, an offshoot of the > Plymouth Brethren, with followers in Australia, New Zealand, Britain > and the US, enforces a policy of separation, including from other > Christians. Children are educated in Brethren-run schools; adults work > in Brethren-owned companies. Brethren eat, drink and socialise only > with other Brethren. Television, mobile phones and computers are > banned. > > But although members are also forbidden to vote, the group tries to > mould the political landscape. Australian Federal Police are > investigating expenditure of A$370,000 (£150,000) on advertisements > supporting the Howard government by a company owned by Mark Mackenzie, > a senior Breth-ren member, before the last election in 2004. > > During the last election in New Zealand, in 2005, the Brethren spent an > estimated A$100,000 on pamphlets attacking the social policies of the > governing Labour Party and the Greens. The former leader of the > conservative National Party, Don Brash, later admitted meeting Brethren > leaders during the campaign, and said he knew about the pamphlets. > > Last year, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, accused the > group of spreading rumours that her husband, Peter Davis, was > homosexual. She said they had hired a private investigator to follow Mr > Davis. It was later confirmed that the Brethren did recruit a private > detective to investigate Labour politicians. Now an election is due in > Australia before the end of the year, and polls suggest that Mr > Howard's chances of winning a fifth term for his right-wing > Liberal-National Party coalition are slim. > > But yesterday he defended his meeting two weeks ago with Brethren > elders, including Mr Mackenzie, and the group's world leader, or "Elect > Vessel", Bruce Hales, in his Sydney electoral office. > > "I do not deny for a moment that I have met with members of the > Exclusive Brethren, and why not?" Mr Howard said. "They're Australian > citizens. It's a lawful organisation." Asked about political funding, > he told ABC radio: "As to matters relating to financial support, > they're things that you should talk to the Liberal Party organisation > about." > > A Brethren spokesman told local media that the elders had merely > assured the Prime Minister that they were praying for him. > > Two other members of the Government, the Treasurer, Peter Costello, and > the Health minister, Tony Abbott, said they had also met Brethren > members. "I have no reason to think they are not people of decency and > goodwill," said Mr Abbott, who is a conservative Roman Catholic. > > But the opposition leader, Kevin Rudd, described the Brethren as "an > extremist cult and sect... [that] breaks up families". The group has > also been accused of trying to cover up sexual abuse by a Brethren > elder. > Douglas Barbour > 11655 - 72 Avenue NW > Edmonton Ab T6G 0B9 > (780) 436 3320 > http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/ > > Latest book: Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy) > http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664 > > > Every time Dick Cheney smiles > an angel in heaven > gets waterboarded. > > Jon Stewart > -- Andrew http://hispirits.blogspot.com/ http://www.inblogs.net/hispirits http://www.flickr.com/photos/aburke/