West Australian Newspaper Article
As the information about Bethel is really in the public domain, the job of this blog is over.
If further comment is necessary, maybe you could address them to Bethel or the "Letters to the Editor" .
For all you many victims, I pray that you get the assistance you need.
For the people who have doubted that Kevin Horgan could do something like what has been suggested here, please think again.
For all of you I pray that you all grow closer to God, by the love you express to your fellow journeymen(women).
Thank you to all the contributors to this blog.
Comments
I again offer my support to any one who wants to leave as I know how difficult it is. I hope that all people who were abused and dont feel good can find some help - but I hasten to add that the last thing I would do personally is talk to Bethel defenders for clarification or help.
Those occasional conversations I have with current Bethel people at shops etc are always really "spooky" as they still give you the "message" that they have obviously discussed in their group and try to grill you for information they can take back. So its not a real conversation. Its more them trying to keep everything a secret.
I note that organisations commonly recognised as doing good are regularly portrayed in negative light in the public domian. for example:
http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/shields_18_1.html
I'll wait until charges are laid.
Nuetral,
Good on you for being nuetral!
I clicked on your link and have only scanned the information as I don't have time at work to read it in full.
I'm guessing you weren't in Bethel. It made me sad that Mother Theresa was painted in that light. We have a family friend who's parents are millionaires and gave up all of it to join the "daughters of charity". My mother and I went to the Philippines last year to spend time with these nuns but mainly as it was her 10th year and she was taking her final vowes.
I grew up with this girl and barely recognised what I saw. These nuns put everyone I know - even the most holiest to shame. I talked a lot to many of them and they had something so special about them. Something I will never be able to explain to anyone. Although they have their trials - a bloody hard life, they had an inner peace beyond my comprehension. I don't doubt that some teachings may have been wrong but how anyone could compare mother theresa to kevin horgan is a bit of a joke.
Whether Mother Theresa is misguided or not, I guess none of us will know until we die but she lived a life for other people. She was humble and selfless. None of these qualities could be applied to Kevin Horgan. The little good Bethel did (all internally) at the beginning has no comparison to the world wide good that she did in her life time.
Yes I agree Mary. Bethel is a registered charity and there was a whole lot of fundraising done in the name of OUTREACH but there was never any outreach. Who have they outreached to outside of the community? No one. so where was all the outreaching fundraising money going?????
none of us need to have mother theresa's standards but we're not claiming to be outreaching.
on a side note;
do you remember the dinner over 10 years ago that kevin encouraged everyone to go to. it was gold plate at burswood and $100 per head. everyone had to pay for themselves and a lot of families couldn't afford the $100. Anyone not going was asked to put up their hand and told they were a slave to poverty or too poverty conscience or something ridiculous. These families were just trying to feed their own families and simply couldnt afford to pay it but were belittled in front of everyone. what's the bet special k's tickets were paid not out of his bethel wage but out of the greater bethel kitty!!!
This blog is a trip down memory lane and thoughts I had at the time, though never said them aloud. Those dinners were expensive and I do remember the "encouragment" to attend!
A previous post was "Future of Bethel", well we will see....
1. AVOID PROBLEMS OF THE PAST:
You better look carefully! You are all trying to move on, new leadership, women on the board etc, though the past problems aren't dealt with! A lot of people are hurting NOW, due to a NUMBER of people!
Also, a majority of people in Bethel are guilty of "us/them" mentality. Relationships you once had,then "poof", gone up in smoke! This has a profound affect on a person, especially if you grew up in Bethel. The BETHEL LIFESTYLE IS ALL YOU KNOW!
2. CAN BETHEL BE A GROUP THAT HAS A FUTURE?
I'm not sure. Too many people have been hurt, not just by K and others, though everything it stood for back in 1979, no longer exists- this blog proves it!
3. WHAT DIRECTION SHOULD BETHEL GO? MISSION/OUTREACH etc
OUTREACH- to those in AND OUT! Many people left, as they couldn't live the secrets that existed in Bethel, clearly seeing Bethel was morally wrong and wrong in the eyes of the Catholic Church, on many levels.
OPEN YOUR EYES!
God bless if Bethel continues....
EVERYTHING needs to be on the table,have time to think for yourself and family and then, MOVE ON! God created life and it is beautiful!
No One in Particular. I understand your desire to finish this blog. You have fulfilled your aim - well done and thank you for the opportunity to blog with others.
If ex-members and current members are interested in continuing to blog about your expereinces in behtel and after bethel you can go to my blog @ http://feminist545.vox.com/
Finally! has also started a blog.
I hope to hear from you.
Does anyone know when the article is going to appear in the West?
From the rumour: Saturday's West
Let's see.....
This site is being edited. I have just carefully looked for a posting wishing to discuss it and it is no longer there. While doing this I realized that at least one other that I remember is not here either.
I have observed the numbers of comments attached to each stream fluctuating and wondered why, now I know.
No one in particular- I am very disappointed, I thought it was an open forum, not your wheelbarrow.
Hi WWJD,
You may be talking about my posts. I asked the blog host if I could change two of my posts because I felt that parts of them were too attacking of people, and I thought I had crossed the line of decency. The host said that would be difficult to do, so I asked him to delete them, and he did. I didn't think that removing them disrupted the flow of discussion as written.
I don't believe the host would delete or edit comments to favour particular points of view.
You can send me a message if you want.