Scopical News - Australia
November 21, 2007
The Exclusive Brethren have reportedly begun campaigning against The Greens Party in Tasmania, distributing leaflets warning against voting for the party.
The leaflets are addressed to the "Citizens of Tasmania", and authorised by over 50 members of the Exclusive Brethren group.
Greens Leader Bob Brown has called into question the groups motives, saying that no one will listen to their "weird" policies.
"I don't think people will take much notice of what the Exclusive Brethren, with their weird policies of not allowing married women to work, of banning their children from being allowed a university education and of dividing families forever," Mr Brown said.
The Exclusive Brethren were recently implicated in accusations suggesting the group had funneled over $300,000 in support of Liberal Party advertising.
It was alleged that the group had used a complex network of cash transportation to pay for advertising in key media publications supporting the Liberal's, and lambasting the Greens Party.
The allegation also raised questions over the ethical standing of the groups leaders and whether or not they declared the deposits to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).
Registered charities and Church groups are by law not permitted to participate in political lobbying or pressure, and risk losing tax exemption if they do.
It was also revealed that both Prime Minister John Howard and Treasurer Peter Costello had met with leaders from the Church on "several" occasions, with Labor Leader Kevin Rudd labeling the group "extreme".
Both the PM and Mr Costello denied their meeting was conspiratorial, saying that anyone has a right to put their views to elected Government.
The Exclusive Brethren however does not allow its members to vote in democratic elections, nor attend school's, watch television or socialise with those outside of the Church.
Fairfax Newspapers also revealed this month that the Prime Minister had exchanged letters with the group on five separate occasions since 2003, but would not release the documents until after the election.
The group has also been involved in American politics and in campaigning for the conservative Republican party.
http://www.scopical.com.au/articles/Election_07/1277/Extreme_religious_sect_campaigns_against_Greens_in_Tassie
If you look at green policy on women , its easy to partly see why the brethren are so against the greens .
ReplyDeleteAustralian Greens believe that:
1 women have the right to equal respect, responsibilities and rewards in society.
2 women have the right to equal access and participation in decision-making processes in all areas of political, social, intellectual and economic endeavour.
3 women have the right to freedom from violence.
4 women have the right to equal pay for work of equal value, and to have their unpaid caring responsibilities acknowledged and properly valued throughout their lifetime.
5 women have the right to make informed, supported choices about all aspects of their lives, including sexual identity, health, reproductive health processes, birthing and child-bearing, and how they balance participation in paid work with caring responsibilities.
6 social structures which disadvantage women must be changed.
http://greens.org.au/election/policy.php?policy=26
The exclusive brethren women by their cult laws ,are expected to be subued and subservient to the men .They must sit behind the men in the meetings ,they are not allowed to participate in preaching or prayer or any discussion during meetings .They are delegated to just suggesting the hymns .
The women are banned from any choice as to reproduction and childbearing .And are expected to be totally subservient to all the decisions of the husband .
Any non compliance with this could lead to seperation from their husband ,children and family .And if repentance wasnt gained by this seperation , in the end total excomunication would follow .
So with the greens have policy which includes this : 6 social structures which disadvantage women must be changed.
Its enough to scare the Exclusive to open their wallets and campaign as dirty as need be . As these policys are a threat to their dictatorship .