Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian dies | Stuff.co.nz

There is probably no religious group New Zealanders have seen more of over the past decade than Gloriavale.

The West Coast Christian community has been featured in a series of documentaries and many news reports.

The allegations made against the community by former members have been well covered - the forced marriages, the sexual and physical abuse, the shunning of anyone who leaves, and the complete financial domination of all members.

The trust owns land worth about $10 million along with buildings, vehicles and equipment worth about $20 million.

Gloriavale members live within the confines of the West Coast base, sign over all their assets to the trust when they join, and work unpaid for the community.

Any income that community members earn is donated to the trust to cover food, medical costs, clothing and laundry costs for the community.

Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian dies | Stuff.co.nz

My life in a religious cult: 'The most dangerous place in the world is the womb of an ungodly woman' | Books | The Guardian

On the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand, a religious cult named Gloriavale Christian Community closed itself off from the rest of the world in 1969.

Founded by the self-styled and self-named Australian religious leader Hopeful Christian – who was convicted and jailed on three charges of indecent sexual assault of a young woman in 1995 – the 500-strong community was run according to a strict and oppressive interpretation of fundamental Christianity.

Women had to cover their heads, show no flesh so as not to tempt sin from the menfolk, do all the domestic work, submit to their husbands and birth as many babies as they could. 

Eight years ago, Lilia Tarawa – granddaughter of Hopeful Christian – escaped with her family into what she had always believed to be the evil, wicked world. This is an extract from her memoir about her life in the cult.

My life in a religious cult: 'The most dangerous place in the world is the womb of an ungodly woman' | Books | The Guardian

Pastor: I’m OK with gay marriage as long as they get shot in the head · PinkNews

Logan Robertson is a pastor at Westcity Bible Baptist Church in Auckland, New Zealand.

In a clip from a sermon uploaded to the church’s YouTube channel, he makes a shocking jibe about gay couples.

He says: “Someone emailed me, asking, what’s your view on homo marriage?

“My view on homo marriage is that the Bible never mentions it!

“So I’m not against them getting married… As long as a bullet goes through their head the moment they kiss.

“That’s what [the Bible] talks about – not homo marriage but homo death. There’s no such thing as homo marriage.

Pastor: I’m OK with gay marriage as long as they get shot in the head · PinkNews

Bishop Tamaki lords his month-long luxury trip on social media | Stuff.co.nz

This coming from the likes of Brian and Hannah Tamaki of Destiny Church.  Known for fancy wheels and flashing the cash, it seems nothing is too extravagant.

First class seats, Greek resorts, a penthouse suite in a Miami hotel and gambling in Las Vegas — it’s not the typical life of a church leader.

A photo of Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki was uploaded to Facebook on Saturday night by an onlooker who saw him gambling.

“What does Brian Tamaki of Destiny’s church do when waiting in Las Vegas airport? He plays the pokies!”
…
The couple posted a slew of bragging photos from desirable locations around the globe, boasting of having taken 14 flights — at least two of which, including their initial long-haul flight out of New Zealand, were business class. On another Emirates flight, they were upgraded to first class.

Bishop Tamaki lords his month-long luxury trip on social media | Stuff.co.nz

Kiwi traveller in Peru dies after Amazon drug ritual - National - NZ Herald News

A young Kiwi traveller has died after taking part in an ancient Amazon "cleansing ceremony".

Aucklander Matthew Dawson-Clarke, 24, was holidaying in Peru when he joined a seven-day ayahuasca retreat designed to foster a spiritual awakening and bring inner peace.

Ayahuasca, also known as yage, is a plant that contains a hallucinogen, and induces intense psychological effects.

The retreats, which are growing in popularity with tourists and holidaymakers, offer a variety of other "purging" drinks.
,,,
Ayahuasca use, which often involves an experienced shaman, has been documented since the 16th century. It is illegal in many countries but legal in Peru, Brazil and Ecuador. Retreats can cost up to $3000.

The Government's Safe Travel website offers advice relating to the dangers of spiritual cleansing rituals that involve ayahuasca tea.

"While not illegal, ayahuasca tourism is not regulated and consumption of the tea does present certain risks.

Kiwi traveller in Peru dies after Amazon drug ritual - National - NZ Herald News

ADDENDUM::Greens keep up criticism of Gloriavale school

I have been picking through the various articles concerning this Gloriavale cult out of New Zealand.  Here is another article focusing on the education of the young girls in the sect.

What female students at Gloriavale's school are being taught is a question that will be put to Government inspectors.

Catherine Delahunty, education spokeswoman for the Green Party, has entered into a war of words with the Christian community over how young people there are being taught.

She is concerned that students appear to be pressured into completing NCEA early so they can work in the community, saddling young women who would excel at university with "endless laundry".

The school has hit back and rubbished Ms Delahunty's earlier claims its students were not achieving NCEA, pointing to high pass rates achieved last year.

Officials from the Education Review Office (ERO) will appear before a select committee next week, and will face questioning over ERO's positive assessment of Gloriavale's school.

Ms Delahunty said she planned to ask ERO officials whether boys and girls have exactly the same subject choices available to them, and what NCEA internal assessments were being sat.

She is concerned the school's narrow curriculum prevented pupils, especially girls, from going on to tertiary study, and instead steered them towards domestic roles within the secretive West Coast community.

"I respect the benefits of a practical education, but am very concerned about the idea of young women being saddled with endless laundry and denied the opportunity to further themselves," Ms Delahunty said.

Greens keep up criticism of Gloriavale school

Gloriavale's men the match-makers - National - NZ Herald News

In some respects, this group shares similarities with the Amish although

The secretive Gloriavale community was founded by Neville Cooper (also known as Hopeful Christian) in the 1960s.

It has been embroiled in controversy since the 1990s, when Cooper was jailed for five years on a raft of sex offences.

Gloriavale was in the news in recent months, amid claims of brain washing and child and sex abuse. Police set up a free phone number after appealing for any information from members or former members of the sect.

Yea, No.  Scratch that, this cult is nothing like the Amish.

A new documentary on Gloriavale has revealed more about what it's like to live in the isolated West Coast community - and how its residents react when someone walks out.

Gloriavale - Life and Death on TV2 tonight returned to check in on the marriage of Paul Valor and Pearl Hope, a young couple who have grown up in the conservative Christian community.

The couple now have a daughter named Esther and were shown during the show having a son named Josiah.
Paul and Pearl, like all married couples in the community, were chosen by the leaders of Gloriavale.

The show's narrator explained that the senior men decide everything, arranging all the relationships through a mix of planning and prayer.

Paul provided further insight into the process.

"The leaders - they have got lists of all bloodlines and so when you come and ask them to get married, they can get you a list of, you know, five or six girls who you can marry without any problems and they'll all be within your age bracket ...

that's what we call the shortlist."

One of the leaders can be heard telling him: "God has got somebody specially prepared for you".

The 22-year-old said it was the lord's will for him to marry Pearl.

"I want to marry a godly wife, the only really godly women that I personally know are here."

Pearl, also aged in her early 20s, said she chose to love whoever God wanted her to marry. "And that's a decision you make and it's not hard, it's easy."

Gloriavale's men the match-makers - National - NZ Herald News

Witch doctors targeting vulnerable Kiwis | NZNews | 3 News

Being that it is 2015 and all, it is sad to see that my "tag" category "witchcraft" is becoming quite full of stories.  Although this story is more akin to what we in the States would refer to as psychic fraud.

Indian witch doctors are arriving in New Zealand on tourist or temporary work visas and duping vulnerable Kiwis into forking out thousands of dollars. 

One Auckland man has lost almost $12,000, and after being alerted by 3 News, Immigration New Zealand says it's investigating.

Indian Community Leader Pratima Nand is on a crusade against what she calls "witch doctors". She's gone undercover with 3 News and says they're using New Zealand as a test market.

"They are destroying families, they are sucking people in. A friend of mine has been sucked up to $1400 with no results. Somebody has to take action," she says.

Witchcraft practitioners in south Auckland are not hard to find. In one newspaper alone there were three ads, all offering 100 percent lifelong protection from black magic, money problems and marriage problems.

Witch doctors targeting vulnerable Kiwis | NZNews | 3 News

Former Brethren set to slam church with 'abuse' lawsuit - National - NZ Herald News

"We're building worldwide momentum for a class action," Forrest told NZME News Service today.
 
He said the group comprised "several hundred" ex-Brethren members planning to challenge the impact of church dogma and doctrine on people's lives.

"Forced indoctrination, denial of basic human rights, denial of rights to tertiary education - there's a whole raft of things but that should give you an idea," he said.

"All I can say is, there's people involved right across the world and it's something that's being slowly developed."
Forrest said a discussion paper in circulation was intended to foster debate over how aggrieved ex-Brethren could sue the church over alleged human rights abuses.

He said the case would possibly raise claims Brethren used threats of excommunication and damnation to hell to allegedly dissuade members from acquiring tertiary education.

Mr Forrest said any class action would aim to improve the lot of children who were "through no choice of their own" stuck in unpleasant situations.
 
He said the class action would aim to force "regulation and oversight" of various Brethren activities including education and "discipline practices."

Nobody from the Brethren could be immediately be reached for a response to claims about the possible class action.

Former Brethren set to slam church with 'abuse' lawsuit - National - NZ Herald News

ADDENDUM::Pastor tells gay ONE News Reporter to commit suicide - One News | TVNZ

Awe,,,how sweet, Pastor Steven has a boyfriend,,,

An openly gay ONE News Reporter has been labelled "filthy" by the pastor of a Baptist church while he was trying to request an interview for a story.

Matt McLean phoned Pastor Logan Robertson today over comments the Westcity Bible Baptist Church member made in an email to a gay Christian man who has just published a book about his faith.

Jim Marjoram wrote an email to around 400 churches but received an email back from Pastor Robertson telling him, "we are not interested in your filthy lifestyle or book."

The email went on to say, "I pray that you will commit suicide, you filthy child molesting fag."

When Mr McLean rung the Pastor to try and hear his side of the story, he was also met with a highly offensive response.

Pastor Robertson told Mr McLean he would not give an interview to a "filthy faggot" and he hoped that he too would commit suicide.

Of note is the response from the Baptist Churches of New Zealand:

,,,In the case of Pastor Logan Robertson, he is not an ordained or registered pastor of any denomination. He does not have a congregation or a church building or meeting space. He has established a church website thereby claiming to be a church. Therefore his desire to call himself a pastor is entirely fraudulent,,,It's understood that Mr Robertson has had a recent history of mental illness

So wondering what this says about our own Mr Anderson,,,hmmm? Because you see, I am mentally ill, bipolar type 1 w/ psychotic features but I have never wished for the death of any individual due to differences in beliefs.

Pastor tells gay ONE News Reporter to commit suicide - One News | TVNZ

New Zealand pastor tells Christian author he prays for him to commit suicide – LGBTQ Nation

A New Zealand pastor has admitted to sending a hate-filled email to a prominent gay Christian author in which he tells the author he prays for him to commit suicide.


Logan Robertson of the Westcity Bible Baptist Church in Aukland, says he stands by an email he sent to writer and community advocate Jim Marjoram calling him a “filthy child molesting fag.”

Gay NZ first reported that the message came after Marjoram had emailed churches across Auckland seeking support for his initiative “Silent Gays,” which offers support to people “trapped and silently suffering” in churches and religious systems. He was left shocked by Robertson’s response.

The pastor, who runs his small church out of his home, says he sent the email because he doesn’t agree with “the homosexual lifestyle and so I thought I’d send him an email back with my piece of mind about it.”

“We are not interested in your filthy lifestyle or book,” writes Robertson. “The Bible says you are vile, strange (queer), reprobate, filth, sodomite, natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed.

“I pray that you will commit suicide, you filthy fag.”

Robertson says the Bible says gay people should be put to death, “and if we had a righteous government, that’s what we’d be doing.”

New Zealand pastor tells Christian author he prays for him to commit suicide – LGBTQ Nation