Thank you for this. I completely understand that this is an immensely stressful situation for you and Sally, and you have my sincere sympathy, especially in the light of Sally’s recent diagnosis.
While you and I might have doubts and questions about the Universal Humanitarian Church, it is a legally registered entity and has never been successfully prosecuted.
Unfortunately, I have concerns about Kevin Pirbright’s credibility if we bring him before a judge. He’s already been forced to retract inaccuracies in his blog posts about the UHC, and some of his allegations about the church strain credulity, particularly his accounts of the Manifestation of Prophets, which he continues to attribute to supernatural causes.
If you know of any other ex-UHC members who could be persuaded to testify as to the use of coercive control, template letters and so forth, I think we might have a case, but I’m afraid I think your chances are very slim if you proceed with Kevin as your sole witness.
I’m sorry for this gloomy prognosis, Colin. If you can track down further ex-church members, I’ll be glad to rethink.
Best, David
An excerpt of an interview with author Giles Harmon,
CL: Some readers have seen a really profound shift in your thinking on religion in this latest novel.
GH: It isn’t really a shift at all. It’s a development, an evolution. I’m merely a few steps further along the path than I was previously. All that’s happened is that I’ve stumbled upon a unique way of meeting what I feel is the universal need for the divine, which doesn’t bring in its wake any of the attendant evils of traditional religions.
CL: You’ll be donating all royalties from
GH: I will, yes. I’ve been deeply impressed by the change the UHC has made in the lives of many, many vulnerable people.
CL: There was an incident at your first reading, where an ex-member of the UHC was escorted from the venue. Can you comment on that?
GH: The police told me the poor man’s quite seriously mentally ill, but I don’t know any more than that.
CL: Are you aware of the public comments Sir Colin Edensor has made about the UHC? Specifically, that it’s a cult?
GH: That’s pure nonsense. I can hardly conceive of any group less like a cult. The place is littered with intelligent professional people – doctors, writers, teachers – and the whole ethos is to freely inquire into any and all philosophies and belief systems, including atheism. I’d encourage any open-minded, intelligent person disillusioned with traditional religion to drop in on a UHC meeting, because I think they might be very surprised by what they find there.
Emails between Sir Colin Edensor and Kevin Pirbright
Sir Colin Edensor
2 March 2015
Giles Harmon’s Reading
To: Kevin Pirbright
Dear Kevin,
I was extremely unhappy to read about your behaviour at Giles Harmon’s book reading. I’m mystified as to how you think it will help any of us for you to stand up in public and start hurling abuse at a respected author. Given that they also publish Harmon, I wouldn’t be surprised if Roper Chard terminated your contract.
Colin
Kevin Pirbright
20 March 2015
Re: Giles Harmon’s Reading
To: Sir Colin Edensor
