Word: sects
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...unite yourselves with unbelievers," St. Paul told the first Christians of Corinth. To the surprise and dismay of their fellow Britons, more than 10,000 members of the Exclusive Brethren sect are currently trying to take the injunction literally and separate themselves from the rest of society...
...offshoot of the fundamentalist Plymouth Brethren, the Exclusives have traditionally been a clannish sort, clustering in self-imposed ghettos in small English towns and Scottish fishing villages. They seldom marry outside the sect, and refer to each other as "saints"-the only true disciples of Christ. The Brethren do not smoke, dance, watch TV or wear makeup, but official doctrine says that "strong drink is to be regarded as a creation of God and saints should freely drink...
They had always remained distantly courteous to their neighbors until 1960, when new orders came from James Taylor Jr., a retired New York businessman who is the leader of the sect. Taylor, who styles himself "the authoritative voice of God," decreed that his followers must avoid "contamination" from the unclean by abandoning all association with non-Brethren. The Exclusives were thereby forbidden to mix professionally or socially with outsiders, and Taylor warned: "Those who do not agree will be excommunicated...
...faith-renewing institution. Many of Jesus' own sayings can be traced to the teachings of the much-abused Pharisees, notably the great Rabbi Hillel (circa 110 B.C.-A.D. 10). Moreover, Isaac notes, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls proves that Judaism can claim a monastic sect-the Essenes of Qumran-that rivals the early Christians in ascetic ideals...
...cases, members burned a family's Shinto altar, or prevented a doctor from treating a sick devotee on grounds that faith alone would cure him. Because of public protest, Soka Gakkai eased off on such tactics, but even today it stresses obedience, and members must vote for the sect's political candidates as a religious duty...