Date Posted:28/03/2010 3:24 PMCopy HTML
Coast woman calls for cult inquiry Janine Hill | 10th January 2009 Helen Pomery says
a church cult is responsible for stealing her family. Photo: Warren
Lynam/18028 A Sunshine Coast woman who blames the
Brisbane Christian Fellowship for breaking up her family has called for a
Senate inquiry into “cult” churches. Helen Pomery has been
divorced by her husband of 30 years and cut off from two children and
three grandchildren since she was ex-communicated from the BCF in 2001.
She was given a week to leave home after refusing to “submit” to the
orders of her husband and other BCF elders, who had banned her from
contacting a daughter who had already been ex-communicated from the
church. Ms Pomery, who has relocated to Maleny, wants a once
proposed Senate inquiry into the right wing religious sect, the
Exclusive Brethren, to go ahead, and to include the BCF. She said
the BCF, which is a part of a network of 25 churches, including one at
Forest Glen, used intimidatory and abusive tactics to maintain control
over members, and was responsible for family break downs. Senator
Bob Brown has twice proposed an inquiry into the Exclusive Brethren to
examine its role in family breakdown, the psychological and emotional
effects related to its practices, and its exemptions from regulatory
requirements. However, his proposals have been defeated and the
matter was instead referred to the Senate Standing Committee on
Community Affairs late last year. Ms Pomery said organisations
such as the BCF were granted government concessions as churches but were
not subject to regulation or answerable to any external authority. The
Daily contacted the BCF for comment but had not received a reply. Mrs
Pomery has written to all Federal and State politicians about the BCF
but she said feedback indicated Labor politicians were reluctant to
support an inquiry because they believed that religion and politics
should remain separate. She said France had already set a
precedent by establishing a group to look at sectorial aberrations.
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