VOLUME 13 |ISSUE 3 |2022 31
governments and the far right. In his delightful
encyclopedia of invented Hitler sympathizers, “Nazi
Literature in the Americas,” Roberto Bolaño talks of a
large estate located south of Chile’s capital—’at the end
of the world’—called Colonia Renacer (Rebirth Colony),
which at first glance seems like many other immigrant
communities in the region. But upon a closer look, one
finds important differences. ‘To begin with, Colonia
Renacer has its own school, medical clinic, and auto repair
shop,’ Bolaño writes. ‘It has established a self-sufficient
economic system that allows the colony to turn its back
on what Chileans, perhaps over-optimistically, like to call
“Chilean reality,” or simply “reality.” Colonia Renacer is a
profitable business. Its presence is unsettling: the colony’s
members hold their festivities in secret no neighbor, be
they rich or poor, are invited. The colonists bury their dead
in their own cemetery.’ But ‘perhaps the most vital,’ Bolaño
continues, is the ethnic origin of its inhabitants: They are
all, without exception, German. Though many of the Hitler
sympathizers in the book are fictional, when it comes to
this German outpost, Bolaño isn’t making anything up. In
South America, colonias is the word used for immigrant
colonies. There were plenty of them, many agricultural in
nature—places where Jews, for instance, relocated from
Poland and other parts of the ‘Pale of Settlement’ starting
at the end of the 19th century. Other immigrants, among
them Germans, Italians, Swiss, French, and Belgians, had
their own colonies too. But one of the most infamous was
Colonia Renacer’s real-world analog: Colonia Dignidad,
on the banks of the Perquilauquén River, a magnet for
Nazi emigrants that, from its founding in 1961 until the
early 1990s, was the site of countless atrocities, a vast
majority of them committed under the auspices, and with
the blessings, of Augusto Pinochet’s military apparatus.
The colony, which in many respects resembled a cult
compound, was led by a Hitler enthusiast who had
served as a medic in a German field hospital in occupied
France its members, including a few Indigenous children
‘accepted’ into the cult in order to be redeemed from their
own fate, believed the place to be an arcadian haven.” (The
Nation, 03/24/22)
Perth Christian rehab facility apologizes after
allegations of psychological abuse, inappropriate
treatment
“The Esther Foundation, a Christian-based residential
rehabilitation centre in Perth, says it will cooperate
with any criminal investigation after a growing number
of women have spoken out about allegations of
psychological abuse and inappropriate treatment at the
facility. Former residents of the centre this week told the
ABC that the program treated their mental health and
addictions by attempting to ‘exorcise demons’. One woman
said she was not allowed to speak for two months. The
women say they did not receive any psychological or
psychiatric care from a qualified medical specialist during
their time at the residential centre for young women from
crisis backgrounds, which claims to provide counselling
for issues including addictions, sexual abuse and mental
health.
“Key points:
• Esther House has issued an apology to former residents
for any ‘hurt’ or ‘abuse’ they might have experienced while
living at the Perth rehabilitation centre
• Former residents have come forward with claims of
psychological abuse and inappropriate treatment
• The centre has parted ways with the former managing
director and founder” (abc.net.au/news, 3/10/22)
Hillsong Church apologises after investigations find
Brian Houston engaged in ‘inappropriate’ behaviour
“Hillsong has been forced to ‘apologise unreservedly’ after
the church’s founder, Brian Houston, was found to have
engaged in conduct ‘of serious concern’ by the church.
Following media reports on Friday, the church’s global
board said in a statement that Houston had breached
Hillsong’s pastor code of conduct in two incidents over
the past decade. ‘We have sadly been dealing with two
complaints made against Pastor Brian over the last 10
years,’ the church’s global board said. The board said the
first incident occurred ‘approximately a decade ago’, in
which ‘inappropriate text messages’ from Houston were
sent to a staff member, ‘which subsequently resulted in
the employee resigning.’ ‘At the time, Pastor Brian was
under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had
developed a dependence,’ the statement said. The board
said it ‘worked with Pastor Brian to ensure he received
professional help to eliminate his dependency on this
medication, and this was achieved successfully.’ The second
investigation concerned a complaint the church received
in 2019, about behaviour which attributed to medication
and alcohol.” (The Guardian, 03/19/22)
Norway will no longer fund the Jehovah’s Witnesses
“A government official cited the Jehovah’s Witnesses’
exclusionary policies as justification for denying them
state aid. In a move that’s both long overdue and shocking,
the Norwegian government said it would no longer
provide funding to the Jehovah’s Witnesses because of
the religious sect’s cult-like practices. Norway, which has
a national Church but no longer has a national religion, is
one of those countries where religion is literally supported
by taxpayers the more members you have, the more
money your preferred religious (or Humanist) organization
receives. Any ‘religious’ group with 50 registered members
are [sic] allowed to apply for state subsidies, and more
governments and the far right. In his delightful
encyclopedia of invented Hitler sympathizers, “Nazi
Literature in the Americas,” Roberto Bolaño talks of a
large estate located south of Chile’s capital—’at the end
of the world’—called Colonia Renacer (Rebirth Colony),
which at first glance seems like many other immigrant
communities in the region. But upon a closer look, one
finds important differences. ‘To begin with, Colonia
Renacer has its own school, medical clinic, and auto repair
shop,’ Bolaño writes. ‘It has established a self-sufficient
economic system that allows the colony to turn its back
on what Chileans, perhaps over-optimistically, like to call
“Chilean reality,” or simply “reality.” Colonia Renacer is a
profitable business. Its presence is unsettling: the colony’s
members hold their festivities in secret no neighbor, be
they rich or poor, are invited. The colonists bury their dead
in their own cemetery.’ But ‘perhaps the most vital,’ Bolaño
continues, is the ethnic origin of its inhabitants: They are
all, without exception, German. Though many of the Hitler
sympathizers in the book are fictional, when it comes to
this German outpost, Bolaño isn’t making anything up. In
South America, colonias is the word used for immigrant
colonies. There were plenty of them, many agricultural in
nature—places where Jews, for instance, relocated from
Poland and other parts of the ‘Pale of Settlement’ starting
at the end of the 19th century. Other immigrants, among
them Germans, Italians, Swiss, French, and Belgians, had
their own colonies too. But one of the most infamous was
Colonia Renacer’s real-world analog: Colonia Dignidad,
on the banks of the Perquilauquén River, a magnet for
Nazi emigrants that, from its founding in 1961 until the
early 1990s, was the site of countless atrocities, a vast
majority of them committed under the auspices, and with
the blessings, of Augusto Pinochet’s military apparatus.
The colony, which in many respects resembled a cult
compound, was led by a Hitler enthusiast who had
served as a medic in a German field hospital in occupied
France its members, including a few Indigenous children
‘accepted’ into the cult in order to be redeemed from their
own fate, believed the place to be an arcadian haven.” (The
Nation, 03/24/22)
Perth Christian rehab facility apologizes after
allegations of psychological abuse, inappropriate
treatment
“The Esther Foundation, a Christian-based residential
rehabilitation centre in Perth, says it will cooperate
with any criminal investigation after a growing number
of women have spoken out about allegations of
psychological abuse and inappropriate treatment at the
facility. Former residents of the centre this week told the
ABC that the program treated their mental health and
addictions by attempting to ‘exorcise demons’. One woman
said she was not allowed to speak for two months. The
women say they did not receive any psychological or
psychiatric care from a qualified medical specialist during
their time at the residential centre for young women from
crisis backgrounds, which claims to provide counselling
for issues including addictions, sexual abuse and mental
health.
“Key points:
• Esther House has issued an apology to former residents
for any ‘hurt’ or ‘abuse’ they might have experienced while
living at the Perth rehabilitation centre
• Former residents have come forward with claims of
psychological abuse and inappropriate treatment
• The centre has parted ways with the former managing
director and founder” (abc.net.au/news, 3/10/22)
Hillsong Church apologises after investigations find
Brian Houston engaged in ‘inappropriate’ behaviour
“Hillsong has been forced to ‘apologise unreservedly’ after
the church’s founder, Brian Houston, was found to have
engaged in conduct ‘of serious concern’ by the church.
Following media reports on Friday, the church’s global
board said in a statement that Houston had breached
Hillsong’s pastor code of conduct in two incidents over
the past decade. ‘We have sadly been dealing with two
complaints made against Pastor Brian over the last 10
years,’ the church’s global board said. The board said the
first incident occurred ‘approximately a decade ago’, in
which ‘inappropriate text messages’ from Houston were
sent to a staff member, ‘which subsequently resulted in
the employee resigning.’ ‘At the time, Pastor Brian was
under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had
developed a dependence,’ the statement said. The board
said it ‘worked with Pastor Brian to ensure he received
professional help to eliminate his dependency on this
medication, and this was achieved successfully.’ The second
investigation concerned a complaint the church received
in 2019, about behaviour which attributed to medication
and alcohol.” (The Guardian, 03/19/22)
Norway will no longer fund the Jehovah’s Witnesses
“A government official cited the Jehovah’s Witnesses’
exclusionary policies as justification for denying them
state aid. In a move that’s both long overdue and shocking,
the Norwegian government said it would no longer
provide funding to the Jehovah’s Witnesses because of
the religious sect’s cult-like practices. Norway, which has
a national Church but no longer has a national religion, is
one of those countries where religion is literally supported
by taxpayers the more members you have, the more
money your preferred religious (or Humanist) organization
receives. Any ‘religious’ group with 50 registered members
are [sic] allowed to apply for state subsidies, and more
