From the Messenger Newspaper.
The Brahma Kumaris international property portfolio acquisition campaign has suffered a set back.
The religion's leaders, who encourage their adherents to believe in an imminent and desirable End of the World called "Destruction", during which all continents of the world will sink below the oceans, have shown an apparently contradictory interest in gaining expensive properties worldwide. They have also been criticized for the methods they employ in encouraging followers to take on mortgages, or sell their own properties, to pay for such properties.
Internationally, surrendered Brahma Kumaris are know to have fought legal battles to retain such properties, sought compensation from governments for loss of buildings, demanded financial compensation from adherents who wished to leave the religion and take their property with them, and come into conflict with the family members of adherents seeing to donate their homes to the movement.
Followers, intensely separated from their families who are considered to be "impure" and "devilish" according to the sect's teachings, are further encouraged to donate all their wealth and property to the group in a standardized Will prepared by their trustees. BKs do so in the belief that it will gain them a high status in the forthcoming "Heaven on Earth", during which the same leaders will rule for 2,500 years, and they will be closely related to them.
Eight local residents objected to the plans to open a BK Raja Yoga center in the converted Union Chapel on Edge Lane in Stretford, Manchester. They voiced their concerns, and objections, on the grounds of the potential noise disturbance and parking problems in the area which caused the BKWSU pulled out of the leafy, expensive suburb at the 11th hour.
The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University had planned to take over the Grade II listed Rylands Hall where their adherents would have lived, meditated and studied the spiritualistic teachings they believe to be the God of all religions speaking exclusively to them via their trance mediums.
The application, marked for approval by planning chiefs, was due to be heard by Trafford’s planning committee when BKWSU press officer Rosemary Turberville told local papers that the group had decided not to go ahead with its plans for the building.
The BKWSU is known to have come into conflict with other local residents because of the noise of slamming car doors and parking congestion caused by adherents arriving and leaving between 4 am to 8 am every morning.
Living a life from which the Brahma Kumaris could learn a great deal, the Union Church was built in 1862 by the 'Cotton King' John Rylands but had since been converted into office accommodation for a local housing association.
Like the Sindi Brahma Kumaris, John Ryland, once the largest textile manufacturer in the United Kingdom and Manchester's first multi-millionaire, was noted primarily for his interest in wealth creation. But he was also a genuine philanthropist. Unlike the BKWSU charity, Ryland established and maintained orphanages, homes for aged gentlewomen, rest homes for ministers, town-hall, baths, library and more.
Making many donations to the poor of Rome, he was further awarded the Order of the Crown of Italy. Entirely contrary to the secretive Brahma Kumaris, who hide their teachings not just from the general public but even control access to them by adherents, Ryland employed leading scholars to prepare special editions of the Bible and other religious works which he printed and distributed for free.
Edge Lane is also home to another spiritualist organization, the St. Francis Greater World Christian Spiritualist Church which is part of the Greater World Christian Spiritualist Church association.
For more information, please contact:
The Brahma Kumaris international property portfolio acquisition campaign has suffered a set back.
The religion's leaders, who encourage their adherents to believe in an imminent and desirable End of the World called "Destruction", during which all continents of the world will sink below the oceans, have shown an apparently contradictory interest in gaining expensive properties worldwide. They have also been criticized for the methods they employ in encouraging followers to take on mortgages, or sell their own properties, to pay for such properties.
Internationally, surrendered Brahma Kumaris are know to have fought legal battles to retain such properties, sought compensation from governments for loss of buildings, demanded financial compensation from adherents who wished to leave the religion and take their property with them, and come into conflict with the family members of adherents seeing to donate their homes to the movement.
Followers, intensely separated from their families who are considered to be "impure" and "devilish" according to the sect's teachings, are further encouraged to donate all their wealth and property to the group in a standardized Will prepared by their trustees. BKs do so in the belief that it will gain them a high status in the forthcoming "Heaven on Earth", during which the same leaders will rule for 2,500 years, and they will be closely related to them.
Eight local residents objected to the plans to open a BK Raja Yoga center in the converted Union Chapel on Edge Lane in Stretford, Manchester. They voiced their concerns, and objections, on the grounds of the potential noise disturbance and parking problems in the area which caused the BKWSU pulled out of the leafy, expensive suburb at the 11th hour.
The Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University had planned to take over the Grade II listed Rylands Hall where their adherents would have lived, meditated and studied the spiritualistic teachings they believe to be the God of all religions speaking exclusively to them via their trance mediums.
The application, marked for approval by planning chiefs, was due to be heard by Trafford’s planning committee when BKWSU press officer Rosemary Turberville told local papers that the group had decided not to go ahead with its plans for the building.
The BKWSU is known to have come into conflict with other local residents because of the noise of slamming car doors and parking congestion caused by adherents arriving and leaving between 4 am to 8 am every morning.
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Living a life from which the Brahma Kumaris could learn a great deal, the Union Church was built in 1862 by the 'Cotton King' John Rylands but had since been converted into office accommodation for a local housing association.
Like the Sindi Brahma Kumaris, John Ryland, once the largest textile manufacturer in the United Kingdom and Manchester's first multi-millionaire, was noted primarily for his interest in wealth creation. But he was also a genuine philanthropist. Unlike the BKWSU charity, Ryland established and maintained orphanages, homes for aged gentlewomen, rest homes for ministers, town-hall, baths, library and more.
Making many donations to the poor of Rome, he was further awarded the Order of the Crown of Italy. Entirely contrary to the secretive Brahma Kumaris, who hide their teachings not just from the general public but even control access to them by adherents, Ryland employed leading scholars to prepare special editions of the Bible and other religious works which he printed and distributed for free.
Edge Lane is also home to another spiritualist organization, the St. Francis Greater World Christian Spiritualist Church which is part of the Greater World Christian Spiritualist Church association.
For more information, please contact:
- Rosemary Turberville, Press Officer
Direct line: 020 8955 1935
Urgent enquiries: 07952 188 779
Email: Rosemary.turberville@uk.BKWSU.org