Comments on: Dangerous Mercies

By: Tessa

Tessa — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:50:44 +0000

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

ex mercy girl — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:00:47 +0000

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

Yikes — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:23:28 +0000

@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

Yikes — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:55:46 +0000

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

Timothy Kincaid — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:30:22 +0000

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

Jason D — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:47:33 +0000

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?

By: ebohlman

ebohlman — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:03:38 +0000

Someone needs to bring this to the attention of Maia Szalavitz, who’s written a book and several articles on the “troubled teen industry.” I’m not quickly finding an email address for her, so if anybody knows one, please call this to her attention.

By: Kaz

Kaz — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:31:55 +0000

This so called investigation wasn’t even done properly. All the media have done is listened to 3 girls who are bitter being expelled because of continual bad behaviour such as yelling at staff, starting fights with girls, etc over a long period of time not what they claim. The media have blown it all out of porportion and ignore the fact the many girls who have finished Mercy Ministries and even those who have left and been expelled have great things to say. A one-sided opinion is NOT an investigation.
Second, there is no exorsism and it is not a cult – it is simply untrue. There is prayer and Bible reading involved and is stated to each girl before they start and they can leave if they choose to.
Last I know all this because I am a graduate from Mercy Ministries and experienced no such thing – just love and support with professional help. My life has been given back to me and I am happy and independant working girl which is a complete 180 degree change from what I was.

By: Jason D

Jason D — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:03:28 +0000

aw damnit, we have GJ at work. I did like the mudslide (note I am not a coffee person)

By: grantdale

grantdale — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 04:19:07 +0000

Quite apart from it being rather hideous coffee, reason enough of itself, now you also know why we do not ever purchase from GJ. Refuse to even step foot in/around the places, actually.

Hillsong will be an all too familiar version of “prosperity doctrine” megachurches (and Assembly of God) for those of you in the US: if you loved God more, he loved to make you financially rich (but don’t forget to send your 10% tithe to us first)

And to make up the final angle of the triangle — covering religious, social and political activism — AoG leader/membership (ie Hillsong) are deeply involved in the all too predictably named “Family First” political party in Australia. Their policies, and underlying attitudes, are as equally predictable as they are for all such named parties.

(Perhaps best known for having a supporter agree that lesbians should indeed be burned at a stake during recent years).

David Marr wrote a fascinating piece for the SMH in mid-2007, for more background

Marr mentions the 2000 resignation of the father of the current Senior Pastor (and founder) of Hillsong. Paedophilia… and homosexual at that.

And more on that here.

(Nice piece from you Jim.)