Comments on: Dangerous Mercies http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681 News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:29:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Sarah http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681/comment-page-1#comment-68288 Sarah Wed, 12 May 2010 08:23:27 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681#comment-68288 Lee you said there are agencies in NSW operating similar to Mercy Ministries. Which agencies are these? I'd be very concerned if there are other agencies forcing exorcisms on people, claiming the program is free while taking their centrelink money, denying medical care and having no qualified staff. Lee you said there are agencies in NSW operating similar to Mercy Ministries. Which agencies are these? I’d be very concerned if there are other agencies forcing exorcisms on people, claiming the program is free while taking their centrelink money, denying medical care and having no qualified staff.

]]> By: Sarah http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681/comment-page-1#comment-68286 Sarah Wed, 12 May 2010 08:03:23 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681#comment-68286 Lee I'm not sure where you're getting your information from,, but it's incorrect. Mercy Ministries wasn't free, I paid hundreds per week to be there. They took my Centrelink money. Also, you say that girls should have left as soon as they realised the staff weren't qualified and there was mistreatment, but I tried to leave and the staff wouldn't let me. There was a contract they had made me sign when I first went there and they brought it out and showed it to me and said I wasn't allowed to leave because of it. I didn't know at the time the contract wasn't legal. I heard about one girl running away at night to get away from them because she wasn't allowed to leave either. I'm very sorry about your friend, and I wish she had have been able to get help from a proper mental health agency, which Mercy was not! Lee I’m not sure where you’re getting your information from,, but it’s incorrect. Mercy Ministries wasn’t free, I paid hundreds per week to be there. They took my Centrelink money.

Also, you say that girls should have left as soon as they realised the staff weren’t qualified and there was mistreatment, but I tried to leave and the staff wouldn’t let me. There was a contract they had made me sign when I first went there and they brought it out and showed it to me and said I wasn’t allowed to leave because of it. I didn’t know at the time the contract wasn’t legal.

I heard about one girl running away at night to get away from them because she wasn’t allowed to leave either.

I’m very sorry about your friend, and I wish she had have been able to get help from a proper mental health agency, which Mercy was not!

]]> By: Priya Lynn http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681/comment-page-1#comment-66286 Priya Lynn Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:58:34 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681#comment-66286 Lee, if your friend had sought help from a proper mental health agency instead of being led astray by "Mercy" Ministries perhaps she'd still be alive today. Lee, if your friend had sought help from a proper mental health agency instead of being led astray by “Mercy” Ministries perhaps she’d still be alive today.

]]> By: Lee http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681/comment-page-1#comment-66271 Lee Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:04:11 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681#comment-66271 What people seem to forget is that the Mercy program is FREE and as such you are not required to stay if you do not agree with their program structure. My friend died after she was told that Mercy Australia would no longer be operating in Australia and that her application would no longer be valid for that reason. I wish no blame on the girls who believe they have done the right thing on coming forward yet personally I feel that if people in general had of left the program if they felt that Mercy was not the right for them them and therefor given the opportunity to people such as my friend then she would still be alive today. Just for the record there are at least two other organisations who run a similar free program within N.S.W alone. What people seem to forget is that the Mercy program is FREE and as such you are not required to stay if you do not agree with their program structure.

My friend died after she was told that Mercy Australia would no longer be operating in Australia and that her application would no longer be valid for that reason.
I wish no blame on the girls who believe they have done the right thing on coming forward yet personally I feel that if people in general had of left the program if they felt that Mercy was not the right for them them and therefor given the opportunity to people such as my friend then she would still be alive today.

Just for the record there are at least two other organisations who run a similar free program within N.S.W alone.

]]> By: Tessa http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681/comment-page-1#comment-58910 Tessa Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:50:44 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681#comment-58910 The government has released its findings and they have found against Mercy Ministries. Exorcisms were found to be happening too. Some interesting links. http://www.mercysurvivors.com/2008/10/07/mercy-ministries-counseling-and-the-casting-out-of-demons/ http://www.smh.com.au/national/mercy-ministries-admits-claims-were-false-20091216-kxl4.html http://www.mercysurvivors.com/2009/12/16/accc-findings-mercy-ministries/media_-_enforcement_-_mercy_ministries-2/ The government has released its findings and they have found against Mercy Ministries.

Exorcisms were found to be happening too.

Some interesting links.
http://www.mercysurvivors.com/2008/10/07/mercy-ministries-counseling-and-the-casting-out-of-demons/

http://www.smh.com.au/national/mercy-ministries-admits-claims-were-false-20091216-kxl4.html

http://www.mercysurvivors.com/2009/12/16/accc-findings-mercy-ministries/media_-_enforcement_-_mercy_ministries-2/

]]> By: ex mercy girl http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681/comment-page-1#comment-8279 ex mercy girl Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:00:47 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681#comment-8279 Kaz, I don't know what Mercy is like in the USA (is that where you are from?), but I can tell you that in Australia they definitely do exorcisms on the girls. So please do stop spreading lies and gossip when you do not know the facts at all. It is wonderful that Mercy wherever you went helped you; I have heard from many people that Mercy in the USA is run a lot differently to in Australia and I only wish that the Australian Mercy Ministries would run the way it is supposed to - so that it can help girls rather than abuse and harm them. Please also stop lying about the girls breaking rules and 'yelling' etc. You don't know these girls. Don't Mercy graduates in the USA or wherever you are leave there knowing that lying is a sin? Jim, many thanks for helping to get the truth out there. Kaz, I don’t know what Mercy is like in the USA (is that where you are from?), but I can tell you that in Australia they definitely do exorcisms on the girls.

So please do stop spreading lies and gossip when you do not know the facts at all.

It is wonderful that Mercy wherever you went helped you; I have heard from many people that Mercy in the USA is run a lot differently to in Australia and I only wish that the Australian Mercy Ministries would run the way it is supposed to – so that it can help girls rather than abuse and harm them.

Please also stop lying about the girls breaking rules and ‘yelling’ etc. You don’t know these girls. Don’t Mercy graduates in the USA or wherever you are leave there knowing that lying is a sin?

Jim, many thanks for helping to get the truth out there.

]]> By: Yikes http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681/comment-page-1#comment-8069 Yikes Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:23:28 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681#comment-8069 @Kaz: i dont think the 3 girls were that wild as you describe (unless you knew them of course :)) i just think they were a bit gullible and might have had a bit of selfcritism/stress (often the reason for anorexia) going that went out of proportion due small triggers @Jason D: they harmed themselves in a way too tho why not just leave at the first signs of dislike. can never be so desperate for healing to have oneself tortured... @Kaz: i dont think the 3 girls were that wild as you describe (unless you knew them of course :)) i just think they were a bit gullible and might have had a
bit of selfcritism/stress (often the reason for anorexia) going that went out of proportion due small triggers

@Jason D: they harmed themselves in a way too tho
why not just leave at the first signs of dislike. can never be so desperate for healing to have oneself tortured…

]]> By: Yikes http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681/comment-page-1#comment-8068 Yikes Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:55:46 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681#comment-8068 i dont really know... i do believe it would be good to see both sides of this coin. these girls might have felt being under attack/misunderstood beause of miscommunication/misinterpretation and for being approached in a wrong way. might as well have been a bad supervisor and things people lightheartedly said causing a wrong impression (if id have gotten a dollar everytime my kindergarden peps said "yeez has the devil gotten into you??" id be rich by now haha...). ive seen professional psychiatrists doing a worse job than fortunetellers... i dont really know…

i do believe it would be good to see both sides of this coin. these girls might have felt being under attack/misunderstood beause of miscommunication/misinterpretation and for being approached in a wrong way. might as well have been a bad supervisor and things people lightheartedly said causing a wrong impression (if id have gotten a dollar everytime my kindergarden peps said “yeez has the devil gotten into you??” id be rich by now haha…). ive seen professional psychiatrists doing a worse job than fortunetellers…

]]> By: Timothy Kincaid http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681/comment-page-1#comment-8040 Timothy Kincaid Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:30:22 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681#comment-8040 This story immediately brought to mind the movie <i>Saved</i>, in which the gay or otherwise undesireable kids were shipped off to Mercy House. This story immediately brought to mind the movie Saved, in which the gay or otherwise undesireable kids were shipped off to Mercy House.

]]> By: Jason D http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681/comment-page-1#comment-8031 Jason D Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:47:33 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/03/22/1681#comment-8031 Kaz, I appreciate that your experience was different, but your one story does not vindicate Mercy at all. These women were harmed, and have needed additional therapy to overcome what was done to them. That can't be dismissed, nor can they, or their stories. We will just have to wait and see what the government investigation uncovers, if anything. More than likely they've covered their tracks by now. On a positive note, I got our receptionist at my office to stop buying the Gloria Jean's brand of coffee! Small victories where you can get 'em, eh? Kaz,
I appreciate that your experience was different, but your one story does not vindicate Mercy at all. These women were harmed, and have needed additional therapy to overcome what was done to them. That can’t be dismissed, nor can they, or their stories.

We will just have to wait and see what the government investigation uncovers, if anything. More than likely they’ve covered their tracks by now.

On a positive note, I got our receptionist at my office to stop buying the Gloria Jean’s brand of coffee!

Small victories where you can get ‘em, eh?

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