by Victoria Lister, Brisbane, Australia
If anyone had suggested to me that one day I would attend a meeting where members of the media ambushed an otherwise peaceful gathering to tell me I was in a cult – (that cult being Universal Medicine) -, I would have been incredulous. To have it actually happen was bizarre and discomfiting beyond belief, particularly in an environment where minors were present. To have it happen in a country where the right to a multiplicity of views is upheld, was saddening. To later leave the venue wondering if I was being secretly observed or recorded, was sickening.
To David Millikan, Uniting Church Minister and so called ‘cult expert’ – and ringleader of the events of the evening of Friday 12th October 2012 at a Universal Medicine presentation at Lennox Head Community Centre – I say; acquaint yourself with the Five fundamental freedoms all Australians are entitled to, most notably the rights to freedom of religion and association.
Millikan clearly has his own agenda, manifesting as a drive to conduct a personal crusade against anyone who offends his sense of what constitutes ‘right’ belief. Best he examines also the annals of history regarding religious persecution.
See also: Freedom of Speech? Absolutely – But First Do No Harm!
The Truth about Universal Medicine 
To be honest the self-righteousness and bigotry displayed here by David Millikan is disgusting; that one takes for themselves full advantage of the fundamental rights of every living human to choose to be part of a religion of their own free will, AKA religious freedom, yet seeks to condemn another for exercising the exact same right, simply because it differs from theirs. And we champion ourselves as a humanity for evolving, yet clearly age-old abusive consciousness’ are still rife today in our society such a bigotry and religious discrimination to name but a couple.
I am feeling how limiting ‘right’ is, and how it has no place when we want to apply true freedom.
I so agree Fumiyo. ‘Right’ feels to be limited, as it comes from an ideal or belief that has been selectively created from the minds of man imposing that we do not know how to live who we are, rather than true freedom, being true is a quality that is already known within the heart of every human being.
This incident made it clear to me that there is no real religious freedom in Australia or in any other part of the world. We get told what to think and believe by corporations and established religions and they don’t want to lose any part of the slice of pie they have carved out. If you put forward anything that exposes the status quo for what it is then you are attacked.
It does take some believing when an innocent gathering is ambushed and treated with the disrespect that no-one has the right to accept. On what grounds can we allow this to happen? It goes on and in some cases rightly so as there are no doubt cults being carried out in parts of the world but before an attack is ever made evidence and true evidence at that has to be carried out and no power is given away in trusting another because on paper what they do for a living or is an expert in a particular field because they too are capable of having an agenda up their sleeve!
I would have to ask the question was David Millikan disturbed by the truth that he felt in Serge’s words and as a consequence called it a ‘cult’ because it was easier than acknowledging the truth?
Hmmm…’crusade’ is perhaps spot on here. History repeating itself?
How the media has changed. I remember in my early days there was still a respect for people and a sense of wanting to get to the truth of the story. There were conversations had about what was in the media, in papers and people weren’t being shocked etc, they were genuinely interested in what was going on. I remember delivering papers when I was younger and this in itself was cause for conversation about ‘the world’. There was an air of respect in every way around this. Now where has this gone? I hear most people say these days, “You can’t trust the media” or “You can’t believe what you read in the papers” and yet we are still buying and reading the headlines. I feel we all have more responsibility in how we share things about people, whether this be the media print, in a personal email, a phone call or a face to face conversation. Having this care and detail around people will bring to light more when we don’t see it and when it’s not there. The media needs to be pulled back and we can do this from how we are.
It was very low and pretty shocking what took place that day, I was there and you really do sum it all up in this short and concise blog. I remember I popped in to catch the end of the presentation after work, I had a bunch of flowers with me to take home but I didn’t want them to get hot in the car and so I brought them in. When I realised what was going on, I freaked out and started questing how the media was going to use footage of me? I was paranoid and rightly so, I was worried that it looked like I was bringing Serge flowers, crazy I know but the approach was so aggressive that I was afraid I might even loose my job, thanks for speaking up on behalf of all of us that witnessed that shocking behavior.
David Milikan and others who use aggressive and bullying tactics to denounce and denigrate a gathering of people who are there to share a true way of living are exposed as knowing that their chosen beliefs are being challenged by truth.
Thank you for sharing this Victoria – I could not believe that something like that was happening in our century. Freedom of speech a bit misinterpreted I would say.
When any of us enter the realms of ‘what constitutes ‘right’ belief’ in whatever arena we decide to apply it in then we have gone astray. Right excludes, it imposes on another. Truth on the other hand just is, there is no convincing when it’s lived, it’s there just presented and the other has a choice to do with it as they will. The truth is not diminished if that other rejects it, whereas right insists that the other must agree – there is a big difference, and only truth expands and supports all of us.
Well said Victoria. David Millikan is the one we should be investigating.
It is interesting that ‘the right to freedom of religion’ is something written on paper, but not actually something that is upheld, at least not for all religions equally so. I am sure if David Millikan had behaved such in a congregation of the Catholic Church this would have caused an uproar and dire consequences for him.
Such a misrepresentation of our true God by a man proclaiming to be a man of God, all for recognition and profits.
A minister of religion who planted hidden cameras in the audience in order to sell a sensationalised story to the tabloids – the deceit is literally palpable. Would a man truly representing and living the qualities of God in that moment really be able do that to anyone?
Where self-interest is imposed on others true freedom cannot be lived.
As a society we absolutely deserve for these freedoms to be upheld…. And we deserve better than what we have allowed through our apathy. Thank you for speaking up against such atrocities.
“To David Millikan Uniting Church Minister and so called ‘cult expert’ ……I say; acquaint yourself with the Five fundamental freedoms all Australians are entitled to most notably the rights to freedom of religion and association”. Hear hear Victoria.
Millikan’s agenda this night was truly sickening, thank you Victoria for exposing the real scandal here.
Well said Joe, David Millikan really showed his true colours that night.
“Millikan clearly has his own agenda, manifesting as a drive to conduct a personal crusade against anyone who offends his sense of what constitutes ‘right’ belief. Best he examines also the annals of history regarding religious persecution.” Shocking indeed to find oneself – in a ‘free country’ that such an event could occur. The media’s lies and vilifications sadly continue and cyber abuse has now become mainstream. Thank goodness there are those who stand up for truth and integrity.
There can be no true excuse behind David Millikan’s actions here. The common misconception is that breaking of the rights, laws and freedoms of another is justified if they have wronged through what we perceive to be a wrong first. This is an ill that has long pervaded society as two wrongs do not in any way make a right as they say.
If we believe in what others tell us to be seemingly true, we give our power away. This has happened throughout history again and again. The people attending the meeting on October 12th 2012 have set another example, an example of speaking up, knowing the truth from their innermost.
Well said, I couldn’t agree more.
Totally agree Victoria. In fact it is interesting a man who claims to be religious seems to have no tolerance for anyone else’s choice to their own beliefs.
Thank you Victoria for succinctly pointing out the duplicity of David Millikan’s behaviour. The fact that he calls himself a Minister of the Uniting Church adds to the hypocrisy and dishonesty of his behaviour.
It absolutely felt like religious persecution… well said.
David Milikan’s actions were extremely bizarre, it’s the most peculiar behaviour particularly of a minister in a country where freedom of speech is firmly established.
David Milikan’s actions were extremely bizarre, it’s the most peculiar behaviour particularly of a minister in a country where freedom of speech is firmly established.
Thank you Victoria, so well presented, simple and factually true. David Millikan as a minister has missed the mark about Serge Benhayon and the students of the Livingness. A question that comes to mind – is he being employed and paid as a so called cult expert and therefore that is what he is looking for and sees?
David Milikan has presented himself and his company as the inquisition of true religion. Who on earth has the right to humiliate a group of people in such way. It is our duty to care for each other as a society. But there is absolutely no care in such a behavior. The only thing that is cared for is to not get shaken too much by truth.
Victoria you share with us here the shock of what happened. I was not there but through a number of blogs and accounts I get a sense of what it was like. For David Milikan to abuse his position and come into the community of Universal Medicine for the simple purpose of trying to create hysteria shows the abhorrent behaviour. Yet after being pulled up and put right – after being shown the truth – the question I now have (3 years on) is why has the real true story not been written why has an Anti-Cult expert not delivered a true account of Universal Medicine being the very opposite of what a cult is? And that in its Religious Way – The Way of the Livingness is a deeply responsible and loving way to live.
Thank you Angela for confirming these rights. I was not aware of them. It really adds to the understanding of what happened at this event.
Well said Victoria. It is a concern when someone in an apparent position of religious authority, targets a group (who he knows nothing about) and begins name calling, belittling people and their rights and intimidating people. This is supported by a powerful media organisation who seem to rub their hands together with the thought of running a sensationalist story as opposed to the truth. There is great responsibility in these positions which are apparently easily abused.
Well said Victoria, thankyou.
Sounds incredulous alright Victoria. Sounds like a trouble maker. An agitator. Sounds like a man swimming against the tide of humanity.
Thank you Victoria for sharing your experience, well said.
Beautifully expressed Victoria. David Millikan does not know me, has never met me and yet has the arrogance and a prejudice disposition to say that I am unintelligent and ignorant because of my association with Universal Medicine. A most disrespectful behavior David Millikan for not allowing another human being to have their own personnel relationship with God in their heart.
I have a feeling David Millikan was simply following a well-tested formula – surprise and frighten people and when they react with anger, film their anger and thereby justify your transgression and show that you were right in the first place.
It was the same when he was on stage and shouted ‘why aren’t you answering my questions’? That was actually the first question he asked that evening – up to then he was just lecturing.
Strange guy.
Christoph – this is such a astute observation. Strange guy indeed.