[www.firstplumbline.net]



I have had past experience with Remar UK, what I am about to say Remar will never admit to, I used to be in fellowship with them I have been to their church in Sheffield and Nottingham and have observed how they live, and what happens to the members. The following statement I will make may put them under a cult category but I speak from experience.

1. (Food) All members are dependent on food donations, many members get a lack of protein and they get fed on a diet of mostly junk food , stale cakes and buns,. One time I was at the meeting in Sheffield and found that a visiting leader was taken to eat out at a restaurant whilst everyone else was being poorly feed on chicken wings cooked in pasta (no vegetables) stale donuts and water. The diet was really lacking. This type of diet is typical of many cults, it was virtually the same when my father joined a similar cult back in the '70's. Such poor diet keeps the members malleable and under the control of the leadership. their was no time for independent thought,

2. (sleep deprivation) a lot of the members work from very early in the morning until late at night. They did not receive proper Biblical instruction (in fact the local leader at the time admitted that he didn't know very much about the Bible at all.) After a long day of very hard work this so-called Bible study could be from 9 pm onwards. Most of the members were tired all the time often fighting the sleep. The members seemed to have little time to think. Afterwards they went to bed and got up between 5 - 6 am giving them 5 - 6 hours of sleep. They worked 6 days a week, some times 7 after church.

3. (indoctrination) Members were indoctrinated to work on the basis that if they didn't work they wouldn't eat. Most of the focus seemed to be on recruitment and fund raising. Most of the members seemed to come from Portugal and spoke little or no English (although some did come from other countries.)

Psychological coercion seemed to be how they recruited, indoctrinated, and retained its members. My father had been told scare stories of what had happened to people who left the organisation (ie; death via AIDS.) Members who joined were not expected to leave Remar, but to continue as full-time members. The rehabilitation programme was not geared towards anyone leaving the group, gaining employment or entering into further education. Remar claimed that they were turning people into "useful members of society," whereas it appeared that they were actually being turned into "useful members of Remar." In conversations with members who admitted that they wanted to leave Remar but felt that they were in a situation that they would be put back onto the streets. Members have little else to look forward to other than continued membership. Remar seemed to believe in the axiom, 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds, recruit new people particularly drug addicts.

4. (High Dependency) Drug addicts, and alcoholics seem to exchange their particular dependency from one form to another one of high dependency on the group.

5. (Benefits) Though on the outwardly they seem like a well represented Charity, under the surface it is a whole different story. The group's income did not benefit its members or society. People were often poorly treated, poorly fed and the rehabilitated members are often kept in the group out of fear.

6. (Communal living.) All members live in a commune, even after they have been "rehabilitated." The leaders kept a close eye on all the members monitoring their movements.

7 other characteristics

Members could leave but on the understanding that they would receive no help once they stepped out of the door, they were on their own. No one was expected, nor allowed to get normal employment. Remar makes much of it's use of "voluntary" workers (especially on it's annual statement to the British Charity Commission,) however it seems to me that these are more like forced labourers than true volunteers.

It appears that the common practice with new recruits is to transport them abroad to countries where they have little or no knowledge of the language. This creates insecurity and a feeling of even greater dependency on the group.

Average age at the point of recruitment is in the 20's.

Registered as a religious group.

Appear to offer association with a group interested in making the world a better place via political, spiritual or other means.

Miguel



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2007 09:07AM by rrmoderator.

sorry it was actually ment to say My Experiance with Remar i was wondering if the mods can correct this thanks

miguel

I was wondering if any one had any more info on this group because i am trying to add more to my research.