Oh please...Just because Hillsong sings about God and call themselves Christian doesn't mean Christians should assume whatever Hillsong does is good.
Let's see, where else can I get lot's of *info* about Hillsong...Oh yeah! CFers with Liberal Party and/or Pentecostal icons! Yup, they're definitely going to give me un-biased information...
Just to clear something up, Mercy Ministries is not Hillsong. Probably should have given you that information first up. They do not run MM, they do not benefit from MM, they have very little to do with MM.
I dont believe everything ANY church does is always good. It would be nice to believe that it always is, but unfortunately because churches are run by people, occasionally things are done for people and not God.
Get all the info you want on Hillsong, and your opinion on Pentecostals or liberal people, that has nothing to do with Mercy Ministries and the allegations made by the media. Many people love to talk bad about Hillsong and other churches, I for one will leave that to the non believers as I dont see how talking bad about a denomination will glorify God in any way possible.
There were I think seven articles that Tigercub posted...no ones saying the media is not biased...but you must be looking at some really rose-tinted glasses if you can't see that there is at least an element of deception in what was happening. I reiterate that that it was reported that there were no such support, plus a program advertised as "free" required signing up centrelink payments to the program...if you are a young woman in such a vulnerable situation and you had one of your only possible income sources being tied up to a "free program", I that rings of oppression and abuse by anyone's standard let alone a Christian one.
You are correct that Tigercub posted up many links. Most coming from the same information and regurgitated into some other persons work. Take this for an example. I go to the many scientists that believe the theory of evolution. I ask them about it and they all tell me it is true, I only take their information given and from that, make my argument that the Theory of evolution is true! According to the people I spoke to, it is true, so my argument is backed up %100!
Lets have a look at some other links:
http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/jun/15/girls-story-hope-and-survivial/
http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/jun/15/closure-wont-be-end-mission/
http://castlehill.yourguide.com.au/...-mercy-ministries-success-stories/321768.aspx
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/on-a-mercy-mission-to-rescue-lives/2008/03/23/1206206916406.html
You must understand that it would be incredibly hard for these girls to talk of their past like this. That is possibly why there are not so many 'success stories', and also the fact that as we all know, the media is not one for publishing 'good' stories as much!
It is correct that Mercy does take Centrelink payments for the 24/7 care they provide, although the program is offered free of charge. I believe that is more relating to the thousands and tens of thousands that other similar 're hab' places charge on entry, where this gives the girls who have no money a chance to change their life, without having to somehow source the money that a lot of them would not have. Make sense?
No such support? That is totally incorrect. Mercy offers General Practitioners, Dietitians, Psychiatrists, Psychologists and counseling staff that all hold government accredited qualifications.
As for my "rose - tinted glasses", Mate you have no idea. You may think I live in some fairy tale life where I am blind to the abuse that happens by many organizations, but after hearing the testimonies from people I care about who have come from places you couldn't even imagine being in, and finally having a hope, after going through years and years of the governments mental health system, only to be told they have no hope, just get used to the system, to come out of a program that has given them a hope for the first time in their life. Maybe that has made my heart "rosy" and am blind to the facts that all these people I care for are now actually alive and living their lives for God as apposed to committing suicide and spending eternity in hell. One of my close friends who entered the program (a non believer) had decided that upon coming to Mercy, she would run away and commit suicide. She was not able to get away where she lived, and thought it would be easier on everyone if she just ran away from Mercy and 'disappeared'. When she arrived at Mercy, things changed. She found God, was taught of Salvation through Christ, and even though she didn't graduate, still holds on to the things she learned at Mercy and is alive today! What do I tell her? That the program she went to was abusing her, they did nothing but take advantage of her and that Mercy Ministries is a sham? I guess my "rose - tinted glasses" just make everything seem so wonderful!