In watching the "48 HOURS" report on the suicides in California of The Heaven's Gate people, they also had a segment on about a religious community in New York, the Bruderhof.  I believe it was very inappropriate to run these two segments together.  Societies like The Bruderhof have existed for centuries and are a fundamental part of the Christian community, and should not be associated with cults such as Heaven's Gate or Branch Davidians.
During the segment they had a young lady on who had fled The Bruderhof because she had been disciplined for breaking its rules by kissing boys.  When one is a member of a religious group, one must keep that group's rules, or leave.
I do not question this young women's right to LEAVE the group if she does not like its rules.  But I do condemn her for attacking that group because they would not permit her to behave in the manner that SHE wished to behave.
A religious group has the right not to associate with those who attack the principles of their belief.  Sometimes this is difficult.  Sometimes it hurts those who chose to leave their way of life and enter the secular community.
Unless the religious group is engaged in purely criminal activity they have the right to follow their beliefs and associate or, not associate with who they please.
This young lady criticized her parents because they would not give her unconditional love.  In other words, they would not let her do whatever she wanted to do, and disregard the rules of their society.
There is no such thing as unconditional love.  ALL love is conditional.  Even the Great Teacher Jesus put conditions on love.  Though He taught to love your enemies, and to do good unto all men, he also taught that one must stop sinning and become right with The Divine before they could enter into Eternal Life.
We ALL have rules and regulations we must keep.  Every source of religious teaching sets down guidelines by which their followers should live.  "Thou shalt not steal." "Thou shalt not lie."  "Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother," are but examples of such guidelines.
I believe the "48 HOURS" program slanted its presentation of The Bruderhof to fit the 'do anything you want to' philosophy of much of today's society, and this was wrong.  Their report was very unbalanced, very unfair, and showed very poor journalistic character, which surprised me.  Because this is not the common practice of this program, or, its network.
We must be fair to those with ideas that are not in the mainstream.  Not all of them are kooks, not all of them have ulterior motives, some of them just believe in rules that the weaker members of society have chosen to abandon. And we must be fair to those who stick to their principles, who stand by what they believe.  It is not fair, it is not just, it simply is not right to do otherwise.

"And you do not have his word remaining in you, because the very one whom he dispatched you did not believe."

-The Bible, John 5:38

***These magazines are provided free of charge, but any donations to keep our work going would be gratefully appreciated! See our mailing address on the main page of this web site!***

Click Here To Go There! 

Return To Links Page