What would you do if your upbringing inside a fundamentalist Christian community left you scarred and confused — and estranged from family members still inside the sect?
For Tim Twinam, a software developer living in Williston, Vermont, the answer was: Launch a website dedicated to re-connecting lost members driven apart from family and friends by the religion’s “doctrine of separation.”
Twinam was raised inside The Exclusive Brethren in 1960s England. He couldn’t eat or socialize with anyone outside the sect, and TV, radio and university education were strictly forbidden. Internet is also banned.
Today he is the webmaster of Peebs.net, an online community made up of former members of The Exclusive Brethren, which is the subject of this week’s Seven Days cover story.
Twinam, and his wife Sallie (pictured), have devoted the last four years to exposing the secrets of the reclusive Brethren and creating a network of “helpers” to assist those who want to leave the religion but don’t know how.
Now the Brethren are suing the Twinams in Vermont federal court for copyright infringement, claiming Peebs.net downloaded Brethren-owned sermons and letters that are property of the Brethren.
Lawyers for the sect say they’re just protecting their legal property. The Twinams say it’s a lawsuit meant to silence their criticism by bleeding them dry financially.
Two attempts to settle the suit have failed and a third attempt is slated for later this month. Meantime, the Twinams told their story in the hope it would raise awareness about a relatively unknown religion with 43,000 worldwide followers, one they say wields outsize influence in the worlds of business and politics.
We’ve linked to the story here to allow readers to comment.
Photo by Andy Duback.
This article appears in Nov 4-10, 2009.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
Glad this group is finally getting some press in the US. Many of the group are good people, but they have been hoodwinked into thinking they are the only people who are right. Sounds a lot like the FLDS in Utah and BC.I lost my entire family when I left nearly 40 years ago – my father said it would be like I had died! Peebs.net has provided a way to find old friends and hear of other family members who have left. I have also met exEB in other countries as a result of this site and hope the EBs don’t succeed in shutting it down – because in spite of what they say, I believe that is their goal.
LADYKIWI. What a sad, sad, story. You and your husband have my deepest sympathy. The children deserve protection from this kind of abuse by unqualified and self-appointed ‘priests’. Sadly, this is not a one-off event, an over-zealous leader going too far… THIS IS THE NORM with the Exclusive Brethren. I know, I had the same.Peebs.net, thanks for the wonderful service that you provide to us who have managed to get free of the Exclusive Brethren. It’s a place to communicate with others who understand where we are coming form and who are supportive. It’s a source of information that is very useful to the friends, carers and professionals who try and pick up the pieces after the abuse, and attempt to bring the victims back to some form of normality. Without the provision of peebs.net, it would be a lot more difficult. Thank you so much.
My concern that this group of people lie so often they forget what they have stated in the past, and then tell more lies to try to cover up. How can any Judge trust what thay will say in court? The legael system in every country mut be made aware of this so called group of so called Christians.
These brethren split up my happy family and I haven’t seen my wife or 3 of my children for twenty six years. I also had experiences similar to what Ladykiwi posted above. A court ordered that my seven year old boy visit me, but, rather than comply, a “priest” delivered nasty, hateful, notes, which my son had been encouraged to write on toilet paper. That hurt!!! This group does not respect court judgements nor deal honestly. The website has put me in touch with persons the other side of the world and I have found that dishonesty is the norm in every country.
There can be no doubt that this litigation is about suppressing the truth and continuing the deception.Peebs.net is dangerous for the Exclusive Brethren because the movement now survives on the basis of continuing lies and Peebs.net blows their cover. It records in one place vital historical information not disclosed to those “inside” and which is a great help to those who are thrown out or leave. Such people have been subjected to lies and mind control and need some way of researching the truth.Through this site many have been able to connect with others who can understand their pain. The horror stories of abuse and cruelty go on and on (I could tell you many) and irreparable damage has been done.All of this in the name of the Lord who has been so evilly misrepresented!
The Exclusive Brethren publicly claim they are ”not trying to shut down Peebs .net” yet at the SAME time propose the ”Wyman solution”-which resulted in doing exactly that-shutting down a prior public forum where people could meet, exchange information and support each other-precisely what peebs.net facilitates.While at first glance this lawsuit may seem to be a minor tempest in a teapot confined to a relatively few members and ex members,the taxpayers should know that multi millions of their tax dollars in government funds support the Exclusive Brethren,and be asking questions why the Exclusive brethren are throwing huge sums in an effort to shut down this public form-what is there that they are so keen to hide?Is it their finances?is it sexual abuse that has gone on for decades and is now just coming to light? is it their version of sharia law they impose on their members?Up to now the Exclusive Brethen have managed to maintain rigid control over their members by ”shutting up” anyone daring to speak out,isolating them from any contact….and while peebs net cannot stop them ,at least it brings it into the light of dayBeyond the human interest factor of the personal accounts,tragic and heartrending though they be-public money is involved here-and the public has a right to know…and the ONLY window into this cult is peebs.net….no wonder they want to shut it down,questions are beginning to be being asked of this group that claims to be ”the highest court in the land”-questions the Exclusive brethren don’t want to answer….
I’m glad we can provide a forum for all of these comments, but I want to remind everyone posting here to keep this conversation civil. We will take down any comments containing implied or explicit threats, as per our commenting policy.http://www.7dvt.com/blog-commenting-policyThanks,– Cathy ResmerOnline Editor
Even though I am an outsider (I have never been an EB) I have learnt so much from all of the wonderful people at peebs.net. Please don’t allow the EB shut down this site.Cheers to you both Tim and Sallie.
When I left the Exclusive Brethren I went from being a daughter to a nobody. In the eyes of the Exclusive Brethren I had never been born. So why are the Exclusive Brethren concerned about a life-line for ‘dead’ people?Tim and Sallie have brought me back to life. Their dedication to this site for me has provided me with comfort in times of sorrow, joy in times of happiness and the opportunity to reconnect with friends from my past. I don’t have my birth family but I do have my peebs.net family and that means the world to me. I would be so broken without this site.
True Story.An Old man in his late 80’s relaxes in his bed in a local Rest Home.He is visited by two men in suits. He has no idea who these men are, apart from one being older, and the other being younger.They announce to him that his Wife has passed away. The old man is bewildered and very upset that his wife had passed away.The two men in suits leave.The Rest Home management phones the person on their books as the Next of Kin. This is the eldest son of the Old Man who is also an exEBThis Old Man and his Wife (who was now deceased) were separated by the Exclusive Brethren approx 15 yrs previously because the EB made a rule that alcohol should be taken daily and the Old Man refused to have the “Devil’s Water” in his home. So one day when he was out, his youngest son came to the home and removed his Mother and approximately half of the furniture while his Old Father was absent. The two men, who visited the Old man, were his son and grandson. And he recognised neither of them because he hadn’t seen them for approx 15 yrs.Funeral Time.The Old man and his exEB son were refused admittance to the Exclusive Brethren Church Service, so they waited at the cemetery to farewell the Mother and exWife. Even then it was a struggle as the Exclusive Brethren members closed ranks around the grave. The Son with his Father in a wheelchair shuffled him as close to the grave as possible but was forced back by the Exclusive Brethren members around them.Finally it was decided to let the Brethren “DO THEIR THING” and the father and son said a private farewell to a dearly loved Mother and Wife… who through no fault of their own, or hers, were forced into separation by the Exclusive Brethren Cult.The only way these memories can be lived with is by them being shared and in gaining the knowledge that you are not the only one who has been through such a trauma.Peebs.Net provides this. There is no other place. It would be criminal if this service was closed.