by Thomas, Carpenter & Handyman. Northern NSW

What happened on the night of Friday 12 October, 2012 when the press stormed a peaceful meeting at Lennox Head Community Centre, was awful. I arrived after a busy work week to come to what is always a lovely, relaxed talk in a safe, friendly environment.

Instead, when I walked in there were people with TV cameras standing on a couch trying to film members of the public who had paid to come for the talk. When I asked one of the press what was going on, they said they had come to “…film a silly meeting”, perhaps not realising I myself was coming to the meeting. It was rude and disrespectful, and discriminating against my, and others’ beliefs.

Outside the building I had a film camera shoved in my face and was asked my name, without asking my consent or telling me who they were and what actually were they doing, which was ambushing a quiet meeting of individuals.

The whole incident has been deeply traumatising to me, and made me fearful of what they might do next. It’s kept me awake some nights, worrying about it.

To sum it up, this is Australia, where there is meant to be the freedom of belief – without some cheap TV show ambushing peaceful members of the public like me, so they can sell their invented, sensational story.

The next thing is, we were accused of being a ‘cult’. Cult – my foot! I was part of a cult for 30 years – a fully involved and willing member. So as you can imagine, I know what a cult is, and Universal Medicine is the absolute opposite. I choose when to do workshops, which I’m free to walk out of should I choose to do so; not only that, I can get my money refunded. I feel more myself attending Universal Medicine events than I have my whole life.

So the next time the press want to make some money selling a story to the public, come and talk to me – I will tell them what a horrible experience it is to be in a real cult.

The media doesn’t have to lie and invent some trumped up story about everyday people who teach other people to simply be themselves, by falsely calling them a cult. They must be desperate for new stories.

If my post sounds angry it’s because I’m a gentleman, and don’t like being bullied by gutless reporters and camera crews on a quiet night out after a big week working on the tools.