by Jeanette Macdonald. RN (palliative care), Esoteric Healing Practitioner (EPA accredited), Tauranga, NZ

On the one hand we have people gathering together in a public place, by choice, to listen to someone (Serge Benhayon) who openly and consistently presents simple loving ways of living and being in the world: by openly, I mean the doors are always open and have always been at any Universal Medicine presentation I have attended.

And on the other hand, David Millikan, who Serge (due to his open door policy and having nothing to hide) had generously agreed to give the time and space to go on stage so that he could ask questions, supposedly prepared for those gathered. 

But he revealed a different colour and delivered instead rants and accusations in an effort to incite and inflame the audience to some kind of action /reaction.

It was patently obvious that this was a deliberate ‘sideshow’, set up solely for the benefit of a known TV channel’s concealed cameras that he had stashed amongst those present.

All this it seems, for the manufacturing of a ‘juicy story’!

What I want to know is this:

If you are the minister of a church (which Millikan claims to be), a ‘man of God’ so to speak, is it loving, respectful or in fact, responsible to:

• Lie about motives and intentions

• Condone and set up filming of those present without their express permission

• Be guilty of prejudiced opinion

• Make unfounded allegations, rant and rave in a manner that seriously frightens people, particularly the children present.

Or to put it in perhaps more apt words:

• ‘Rev it up’ (pun not originally intended) for his own ends and the agenda of the TV channel that, it transpires, he was being paid by.

From my understanding of love, respect and responsibility, or indeed acceptance of another’s way of being….

No, it is not!

This display was in direct contrast to why people were actually gathered, and I feel saddened that he didn’t choose a more respectful and responsible way to engage with everyone there. It would have been so easy to do so, as it was so obviously welcomed.

Though I was not present on Friday night, I spoke with many who were, independently of each other over the next few days, and each gave in essence the same shocking account.

What I gleaned from them was that they were expecting to be met with genuine enquiry – without bias – and an opportunity for truth and understanding to be arrived at, for the benefit of all.

I believe this would have been fair and responsible – but they were hit instead with something that was not: something that sent shivers down my spine and felt more in keeping with the Dark Ages. Something that vilified and hectored (hectoring, n. to treat with insolence; to threaten; to bully) ordinary every day people for their opinions/beliefs and their chosen way of living.

Here? Now? Australia today? Surely not!

I understand that the resulting footage and likely selective editing will make it possible to show only the TV channel and Millikan’s view of how they want it to look. This is depicted in Barry Levinson’s film “Wag the Dog” – a revealing look at ‘spin doctoring’ at its most chilling!

But the over 150 people present know the truth of what happened! Their loved ones, family members, friends, work colleagues et al who were not present, but who know their integrity, will also know the truth of what happened.

Such a shame that David Millikan had been paid to run an angle on a story, that the angle was decided before he even met the people he was reporting about, and that he didn’t take the opportunity to simply engage in normal conversation with them.