I was born into the Christian sect known as Exclusive Brethren, a movement started by J N Darby around 1832 in Dublin and Plymouth, hence "Plymouth Brethren" which is the softer part of this movement.
The EB gradually became more extreme over the years, especially after 1959 when the son of the long-ruling leader James Taylor took over the leadership worldwide. He was James Taylor Junior and he lived in New York as did his father.
The central tenet of the Brethren was always "separation from the world", but under James Taylor Junior this was pushed to an extreme, based on 2 Timothy 2, verse 19, "Let him that names the name of the Lord separate from iniquity."
From 1959 onwards, until his death in 1970, Taylor issued a stream of what he called "directives" which he claimed to get direct from the Lord.
These directives covered almost all aspects of our lives: not to eat or drink with "unbelievers", (in practice this was all non-members of the EB fellowship), not to have TV or radio, to attend church meetings every day, and much much more. He eventually claimed to be God's Representative on Earth, and the "Personification of the Holy Spirit". His many henchmen around the world enforced the rules with very little, if any, compassion, and numerous families were split apart in bitterness and sorrow.
His one concession to freedom was alcohol, largely due to his own addiction. He got everybody drinking alcohol as a matter of course. We couldn't smoke or eat with outsiders or have radio or theatre or TV, but boy could we drink!
Ironically, a few months before he died this supposed holy man was found in bed with a naked lady not his wife. This resulted in a great schism and thousands of members left the fellowship. The vast majority stayed, though, believing his explanation that he had been directed by God all along. I, alas, was one of these deluded followers and it took another thirteen years before I finally freed myself.
On this blog I am exploring how I found my way out of this darkness into a more positive and (in my opinion) sensible view of the world and of greater realities beyond. In the process I lost my way a few times, and then had the bitter blow of losing my lovely wife to cancer at the age of 52.
This finally set me on the Great Search, first of all for where she went, (and I found her!) In the process I discovered an exciting multidimensional universe of never-ending life beyond the distortions of religions and science.
In case you wonder at this point: I do not subscribe to any of the weird conspiracy theories and dark views of how the world is run. I see no doom or spectacular end of the world. I believe that we each one create our own reality and that we have always been alive and always will be. I believe in the essential goodness of human beings. I believe in Love, Faith, Hope, and in Service to our fellow men and women.
If you want to read my story have a look at:
http://www.edenvalebooks.com
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