plymouth Brethren???

[codswallop]

what do they believe in then?

cant find clear answer on the www

I went to school with a load of them (same family), they lived in a massive house around the corner from my Mums. The girls have v v long hair and wear triangle headscarves, long skirts, sensible shoes and blouses, and the uniform of choice for the chaps seems to be checked shirts and chino-ish trousers.

Lots of kids seems to be a fairly integral part of their lifestyle. They also don't 'believe' in TV or radio. I think it is fairly strict, along the lines of the Mormon faith. They seem to be keen on preaching in the street, I always remember them peddling their god outside the local Co-op in the town where my Mum lives. I think they are still there on a Saturday.

Why do you ask ?

we have two at school and we dont know much aout it. they go home for lunch and miss religious assemblies - why always denim skirts?

Hardwearing I guess.

LOL

Oh and very long hair - split end city

There's an enclave in Stroud if you're near there. From what I understand it's sort of extreme protestantism, a few more paces into the 21st century than the amish etc but not entirely. I think they have meeting houses and the service is along the lines of the Dress as described by WSM.
www.plymouthbrethren.com/ should answer your questions more accurately.

They are basically Christians but very old-fashioned socially, and don't mix much with people who don't go to the same church. But one of my best friends is one and underneath is as normal as me. What they actually beleive is pretty straightforward Christianity, nothing weird, just, like I said, on the traditional and old-fashioned side.

Also interested in why you want to know?

Susamt - beacuse of these kids at school

mL - no it s a remarkably uninformative website - had already looked

oh, bizzarrely enough it's one that a student claimed to use in a Theology essay I'm content-analysing at the moment. Should have realised that it would be useless as students is clearly thick as s**t. Least she's on the Prod training course and not one of ours (me being a slave to the scarlet whore of rome and all that)

ROFL ML

• its crap on the practicalities of "we wear scarves because" - "X cant stay for lunch be cause...."

I m pleased to help with marking!!

(as VERY holy vicars daughter!!)

mmm, well the essay has scored very poorly on all the assessment criteria. anyway, how do you tell off a trainee vicar for plagiarism?

Seriously, is the dress thing to do with derssing "plain", in an amish way? Have you tried Ask Jeeves?

No - baby awake now...

um dont you mean Eastern Orthodox? or is it the same thing

No, eastern Orthodox is justt about the opposite. Will not bore with details but Bretheren are Protestant, so at best very plain places of worship, as I understand, there are no priests. Quite literal interpretation of Bible as well.

this has some useful info and some links.

Tee hee - I notice in his list of famous Plymouth Brethren he doesn't mention that Alistar Crowley was a member as a child....

My grandfather and his sister were put in a home when they were orphaned, his sister became a plymouth bretheren type and whenever he tried to see her she wouldn't let him in!

Don't know much about them though

Try this one . As ml said they have a very literal interpretation of the bible. So the scarf thing is based on St Paul's teaching that women should be silent in meetings and have their hair covered. I think that there is also mention of long hair somewhere in the New Testament. Not sure why specifically denim skirts, but "cross-dressing" would definitely be out. I'm afraid not eating with the other children is based on their ideal of holiness (literally meaning spearation). Some bible scriptures do specifically state that you should not eat with certain categories of "evil-doers". As the bible states that "all have sinned and have fallen short fo the glory of God" this results in very small dinner-parties...

So the basic beliefs are Christian - possible closest to Baptist teaching, and just a bit more "extreme" in some of the outworkings. Main criticisn over the years has been that they have loved the Bible more than they have loved God... But once you have a book that is divinely inspired, you still have the problem of interpreting it - which is in part what the fuss about homosexuality in the C of E is all about.

I went to a Plymouth Brethren mission with a schoolfriend when I was in primary school, Don't remember any odd dress or covered hair, just sitting in a circle for what seemed like ages until one of the men felt "moved" to speak (and they went on and on and on!). Then at some stage was the breaking of bread and wine. The kids polished off the leftover bread and then we went home. Not aware of any real oddness or proselytising. After a couple of years my friend's family swapped allegiance to the Methodists so I went there with them too! Think my parents just wanted me to have some kind of religious upbringing but were too lazy to do it themselves

My God Miriam that sounds awful, the article you sent....Blimey what a life.

you need to read it guys.

What do they do for, like, you know, fun? How do they earn a living?

A friend of mine is a midwife and she helped a PB woman deliver She said it was the only time she has delivered a woman who was silent throughout the whole experience. She said it was wierd! They take it as Eve's curse, I think.

Tinker. Fun?? Don't you know fun is the work of the DEVIL! You whore!