Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

Pointing and laughing at religious lunacy for more than half-a-century

Misery cult back in the news following the exposure of an adoption scandal

Please click this link to help me keep The Angry Atheist active with an donation.

FIVE years ago Laura Conti, above, a former member of a secretive Christian cult started in the late 1800s by Scotsman William Irvine, inset, spoke out against the evangelical movement, saying that members believed that a life of misery was the gateway to heaven, and that sexual abuse was rife with in the movement.

Well, the cult — known as The Truth or the Two by Twos — is back in the news.

The BBC revealed that women members of the cult, which has an estimated membership 75,000 to half a million worldwide, were coerced by The Truth into giving up their children for adoption.

At least two two of the children who were adopted faced sexual, physical and emotional abuse in their adoptive families, while one who spoke to the BBC said she had been subjected to emotional abuse by her adoptive father.

Another said she was removed from her first adoptive home by social services because of extreme physical abuse and was placed in the home of a Truth “elder” — a person of seniority who holds meetings in their own home — and his wife. She said the couple started sexually abusing her within weeks, when she was 15.

The claims the claims by the women follow a BBC investigation last year into allegations of child sexual abuse spanning decades within the movement.

Four women — all unmarried at the time — told the BBC they were given no option but to give up their babies.

Three of them feared being cast out of The Truth.

The Four — who were all unmarried at the time — spoke of being forced to give up their babies. Three of them feared being cast out of The Truth and sent to hell if they refused.

One says she was pressured into giving her baby to a married couple in the church after she was raped in 1988, age 17.

Another says she was pressured into giving her baby to a married couple in the movement after she was raped in 1988, age 17.

Hundreds of adoptions could have taken place between the 1950s and 1990s, say former members.

Hat tip: BarrieJohn

  1. barriejohn's avatar
  2. matilddaa's avatar
  3. Broga's avatar
  4. Vanity Unfair's avatar
  5. Broga's avatar

Please help me keep The Angry Atheist going with a donation.

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

€5.00
€15.00
€100.00
€5.00
€15.00
€100.00
€5.00
€15.00
€100.00

Or enter a custom amount

€

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Barry Duke

, ,
,

2 responses to “Misery cult back in the news following the exposure of an adoption scandal”

  1. Broga Avatar
    Broga

    Religious faith has developed very differently from how we evolved over millions of years. In the distant past small groups or tribes remained small numbers and unacceptable behaviour including murder had punishment quickly meted out to the criminal. Dependent on hunter gathering the tribe never grew very large,

    Now with billions of people and fuel, electricity, vehicles and an abundance of food the restrictions are gone, We have a plague of obesity and within the billions which religion does not want reduced the believers are well hidden.

    We also, despite our behaviour with its killing including each other, insist we are specially chosen by a God for which there has never been any evidence, The human pest is out of control and there is no indication that it can be restricted. As we continue to wreck the planet and large parts can no longer be lived on it looks like it’s game over.

    When I mentioned this to a Christian recently he vehemently diasgreed and described my thinking as “over simple”. His view, a pleasant man whom I like, is that God can be relied to “sort everything out, and I couldn’t expect God to explain it to a human with our limited brains.

    Like

    Reply
  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    ‘Misery cult back in the news’, muhammadism, christianity and judaism have never been out of the news!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a reply to Anonymous Cancel reply