Bizarre cult funds Bush election? Weird story

[Zuni]

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/01/18/State/Veiled_sect_hails_Bus.shtml

[LiberalinNC]

1. My favorite line in the article...

"The president thought we had gotten rid of this kind of shadowy activity," said White House spokesman Taylor Gross. "I have never heard of this group."

Aren't most of the people who support him "shadowy"!?! LMAO!

[Zuni]

3. I caught that too

Like he worries about Moonie cash flowing into his coffers....

[peacetalksforall]

7. Oh the irony...the opposite of shadowy is crowning Moon in the

(what was it?) the Dirksen Building with some of our leaders present?

Yes, that was a literal Crowning of Rev Moon and his wife on Government property with Government employees present - employees at the highest level of the Congressional branch.

How many times has this been asked...can you imagine what THEY would have done to Clinton if any stuff like the Moonies and Falwell and Robertson types plus this group had been an equivalent influence on the Clinton admin?

[Zuni]

11. I remember that---scary ass shit

[Maat]

2. Now, that's a freaky story!

Interesting post. Thanks.

[Shiraz]

6. If they support *

they have really been duped or they're waiting for the end times also.

[Maat]

10. No doubt.

Sad.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Yeehah! Some of my ancestors were Plymouth Brethren

and they were comprehensively nuts. They believe they are saved, that the rest of the world is damned (however much good they might try to do), and are largely responible for the idea of The Rapture - eg http://www.sullivan-county.com/news/cathouse/darby.htm . My ancestors were 'Open Brethren' - they were allowed contact with normal people (the cult had a major schism over this).

[BR_Parkway]

5. There was something on DU a couple weeks ago, Draft exemptions were

confirmed for the group members and, if I remember correctly, was something weird in the article about the gov't big shot who was telling them this was "in the neighborhood and just stopped by"

[Warrior4Peace]

8. Juicy but does it mean anything?

I'm no expert -- but isn't there a significant connection betw. the Moonies and D.C. elected officials?

Anyway, this doesn't *on the surface* look like such a powerful influence, but who knows what the future holds?!

Seems to be "just" a group aligned w. fundamentalist and evangelical Christians...

Excuse my temporary ignorance but what's the law regarding political contributions from non-U.S. citizens?

Anyway, a quick Google search:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Brethren#Politics
"EBs have always eschewed the politics of government. They do not vote, even in countries where voting is compulsory. However, in 2004 the EBs held prayer meetings and donated money for the re-election of George W. Bush as USA president. In this they are aligned with the 'religious right' of that country."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/brethren/
http://www.mybrethren.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_Brethren
http://www.plymouthbrethren.com/
http://www.gbs.sha.bw.schule.de/tsld047.htm
http://peebs.net/

[peacetalksforall]

9. Harmless?

I am totally against any secret societies or religions getting involved in American-U.S. politics.

If they are so cut-off from the secular world, why would they even involve themselves with an election or advertising.

This is as phoney as it gets. And no one can refute my position because of the secrecy. (Just as no one can refute my position when I say that S & B is not just a fraternity.) Because of the secrecy. Ours is supposed to be the number one open society in the world.

We are hypocrites all.