Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Country religion

I have discovered a group on the net which discusses people and events from around Narrogin 120 miles south east of Perth in Western Australia. There are sub-headings for smaller towns and sidings. One is the town of Wickepin which was about 15 miles from my grandparents' farm at Toolibin.

It seems that there was a group of families in the Wickepin District who started a Jewish based sect with one man believing he was the Messiah. It is thought that the group is still living rough in isolation in the area. There are some interesting stories I have heard about the original leader. At one time he asked his flock if they believed he could walk on water, to which they all yelled 'Yes'. He replied, 'Good, so now I don't have to demonstrate'. When he died he was buried facing down. I have yet to find out what that was about. More on this story later.

About 50 years ago my uncle left his wife and family in Narrogin to start up his own church. I am unsure how he got his funds, but he paid for his weekly religious column to be published in the Narrogin paper for many years...sort of a rambling dissertation as I recall. His wife, my aunt, is a deeply religious person and I do not know what caused the split.

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