by P.F., Australia
After reading your article “New age ‘medicine’ of Serge Benhayon leaves trail of broken families”, I am left with a number of questions.
Firstly: Why weren’t some of the doctors and specialists mentioned asked why they might refer people to Universal Medicine? There could possibly be a story in that. Not a sensational ‘brainwashed devotees’ type story but a story that might actually provide people with some useful information that could make a difference in their lives. After all, we have a crisis in our healthcare system. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise, breast cancer is occurring in women in their 20’s and cancer rates in general are one person in three. Serge Benhayon does not claim that he can cure anything, what he does do is present a way of living responsibly that could definitely impact positively on people’s lives including their health.
Secondly: What is the relevance of the comment that Serge Benhayon has “mainly female followers”? Branding people who attend Universal Medicine practitioners and courses as ‘followers’ is demeaning in itself, however, the reporter goes further and implies that women are easily led and manipulated. Sadly he assumes that the public at large accepts this view, otherwise why not also mention the hundreds of men who also attend Universal Medicine courses and the hundreds more who attend practitioners? When I was studying law at university, I studied with many more women than men. More women than men are also studying medicine and psychology. The point being – there is no relevance to your reporters’ comments. As a woman with two degrees, working as a lawyer in an busy law practice, I am offended by the implication that I follow someone else rather than discern for myself how to live my life and that I am gullible and easily led based on my gender.
Thirdly: Why weren’t the stories of some of the women / men who have apparently left their partners told? A serious claim is made by a group of people that their relationships have failed because of the influence of one man. A responsible journalist would have sought out and presented the other side of the story. As a lawyer I see people who are settling their affairs after relationship breakdowns. In my experience, relationships break down for a variety of reasons and that it is rarely the fault of one party. I do find it to be quite common however for people to find it difficult to see their part in the relationship breakdown, and in their hurt they look elsewhere to lay blame. One marriage in 3 ends in divorce, and the rates for the break-down of de-facto relationships is likely to be higher. Around 2,000 people attend Universal Medicine events and many hundreds more attend Universal Medicine practitioners. Many of these people are in relationships. The figure of ‘42’ relationships breaking down over the 13 years that Serge has been a practitioner would therefore appear to be well below the national average. Quoting someone as saying the figures are ‘devastating’ and ‘catastrophic’ does not make it true.
Fourthly: What century are we living in? In the last sentence of the article, the reporter makes the comment that women who attend a Universal Medicine practitioner for esoteric breast massage are told “to not allow their partners to touch them (their breasts) without permission”. I have not needed Serge Benhayon to tell me that a man should not touch me without my permission. Fortunately, I have a mother who gave me this valuable piece of information at a young age. Does the reporter consider that it is acceptable for a man to touch a woman without her permission? Under the Crimes Acts in the various states such sexual touch without consent is called ‘sexual assault’. It is concerning that the (male) reporter and (male) editor considered that this statement was acceptable to go to print.
Women in Livingness Blog 
Say it as it is and how it is! Thank you so much P.F. for this straight to the point article that highlights so many points presented by the media that are not congruent with the truth nor even a common sense approach nor carries any respect.
Unfortunately over the years I’ve seen the media publish more lies about Universal Medicine that is ignorant to common sense. As it stands the media are allowed to get away with printing lies and ruining lives for the sake of profit and attention . It is simply corrupt.
My responsibility I see clearer more than ever is to live what has been presented, make it normal and this naturally highlights the falsification.
Serge Benhayon puts the ball back in our court. He doesn’t offer to fix anyone but reminds us how to live in a way that is healing – thus the term ‘Life is Medicine’. This is far from an ‘out there’ concept as we have known for ages that lifestyle choices affect our health. Serge adds the underlying energetic to this, which from my perspective as a health professional is the missing piece in the puzzle.
My relationship with my husband, and family is more true, loving and real than it has ever been and I do put this down in part to the inspiration that is Serge Benhayon, my choice to make changes, be more responsible and accountable and want to live with more love in my life. Serge Benhayon lives all of this everyday, how can you fail to be inspired….only when as we call it in our house your are ‘Jello’ Jealousy and self fury looking at another’s lived way of truth and love can really be exposing if a person is not wanting to look at the mess of their own creation!
A great series of questions PF. “I have not needed Serge Benhayon to tell me that a man should not touch me without my permission. Fortunately, I have a mother who gave me this valuable piece of information at a young age. ” What planet is this journalist on when he asks questions around permission such as this.
All the questions you raise here P.F are absolutley valid, and equally raise the question to the reporter concerned of why they werent asked. There is clearly an agenda going on here to not give all the facts about an extraordinary man who is raising the awareness of humanity to such an extent, that there are those who are now willing to look at the way they have lived their own lives and the impact they have had on others and to start taking full responsibility for it, and then there are those who are not.
It’s a well known manipulation tool the trend of some press of highlighitng some facts and hiding or not verifying others in order to promote a specific goal. As it is the case, when there is not a transparent and corroborated explanation of the exposed facts, there’s a complete lack of truth in the news offered
This is a very exposing letter. That is blindingly obvious but well worth stating.
To lie about the qualities a person brings as the media is doing is very abusive and deeply disrespectful for what people with true love for humanity bring.
It begs to question ‘Are we open to explore the possibilities that taking responsibility for our lives could lead to a life filled with vitality, joy and a new sense of wellbeing?’ ‘Do we truly want to wake up in the morning ready for our day where we do not rely on sugar, coffee, alcohol etc to get us through the day?’ Surely a way of living that supports our wellbeing is worth consideration and investigating especially when there are many around the world choosing it as fine examples of another way to be and live.
Journalism is surely about truth, sensationalism can be about any fictional scenario. Call the style of reporting what it is so people can be truly informed and represented.
Another concerning article that should absolutely be questioned for what it is prepared to print as it is void of any appropriate investigative research with the intention of reporting truth… a component once synonymous with journalism, now sadly a rarity.
Great questions P.F., you highlight the untruths and faults and blatant disregard for women and men to choose what they feel supports them most. Even reading this I can feel the sinister motive in it, “Branding people who attend Universal Medicine practitioners and courses as ‘followers’ is demeaning in itself, however, the reporter goes further and implies that women are easily led and manipulated.” use a consciousness that demeans women and puts them in the back seat when it comes to leading their lives is then easier to discount in truth what women, when connected to their inner essence (just like men) bring to the world. And this isn’t a ‘girl power’ statement.
This is a brilliant piece of writing P.F. It exposes all that so very, very wrong with the article in question published by the Courier Mail. It exposes how manipulative the media is and it also exposes the writer and editor’s disdain for women in general. I agree with every point you make here.
Spot on Kathleen – this is an article that should be in the newspapers for all to read as a correction to what was printed in the Courier Mail.
You prove that there are no sheep here, you’re writing is like a slap in the face, not a hard one but the type that firmly snaps you back into the reality of whats really being reported here! The article in question published by the Courier Mail is a style of journalism that is designed to shock and disturb the reader beyond what is actually going on, its a cheap and unethical approach that I have been affect by personally.
Your points a very valid P.F. and what a difference this would make to reporting the facts and truth. As you claim we all have that personal right and authority to discern the professionalism and integrity of any written text and act.
I love the questions you present and points you raise in this article, time to bring back truth to the world.
Brilliant points made here, exposing the truth behind the media’s agenda
Great questions P.F. The state of our media today is absolutely terrible but the fact is it has always been this way in some form or another. The shocking thing is that it keeps getting worse not better. Human beings as a collective ask for sensational stories. Most people are not interested in the truth as the truth asks each and every one of us to take responsibility and your letter exposes this perfectly.
I agree 100% .. What century are we living in if this is the standards of reporting some so called “professional” reporters get away with so easily. Shows that history repeats itself if truth is not expressed in full
I love this blog as it is very clear and concise and it is quite revealing that P.F. even has to ask these questions that they have raised in the first place. Come on journalists and editors – a lot more integrity and balance is required before even writing an article, let alone allowing it to go to print knowingly trying to influence readers via innuendo due to personal bias.
This is a fantastic, well written article. I especially picked up straight away on the first point and that is that these days News has a tendency to be sensationalised. Therefore, it is not really News, as it is not reporting all angles of the story and only reporting a biased view of what the author wants you to perceive.
If journalists’ reports were more balanced then readers would have the opportunity to read about living in a way that goes against the current trend of rising ill health – surely this is newsworthy given the strain on all our health care systems.
Three years later and all these questions are still relevant, sad but true. Journalism is here for telling us the truth, both sides of a story, but they choose to make their own story to make money and stay in comfort. Thank you P.F. for asking these questions exposing how we are being misled by our media.
Some great questions PF – thankyou. Of course if the journalists had asked those questions they wouldn’t have had a sensationalist and un-true story to print. They had an agenda to follow – so why let a little thing like truth get in their way? Three years on it’s hard for them to retract, as they have dug themselves so deep in the mire of their own making.
Thank you P.F. for your powerful blog, love the questions. How far off track are we when journalism presents itself as no more than backyard gossip – totally harming all round and a total lack of accountability.
The fact that newspapers can publish stories that are simply false is very exposing not just of how corrupt the press is, but also the extent to which people consuming news are hurt and disconnected from themselves.
The fact that this article was considered acceptable to print in this day and ages shows that we haven’t really moved on from these draconic views of women. Have we really advanced as a society if these ideals are still being peddled? and why are they still in circulation when we have more then enough evidence of these views not engendering a truly equal humanity? Why do we continue to abuse one another on the basis of gender when we are all human beings?
I agree Leigh – we keep ourselves locked in the past when the media is allowed to print things like this, not even questioning the truth or integrity of what they are saying. As you say, it is just horrid that we continue to abuse each other. We try so hard to push people away, react, become emotional – when really this takes us so far away from what we all ultimately want: love.
Powerfull stuff P.F. This question is indeed very well asked: Does the reporter consider that it is acceptable for a man to touch a woman without her permission? As it looks like they indeed find that acceptable. We should worry about those reporters who actually made this normal thing : women are free to say what they want and not want (also if they dont want to be touched), into that this is crazy, an out of hand act, which is just extremely humiliating to all women. Interesting how the media changes things around , control the readers by their own personal gain. It is ri-di-ci-lous and insane. We should worry about the journalism here, not about Universal Medicine.
Great questions P.F. but I find myself asking… do they really care? There seems to be quite a few poorly researched articles on Universal Medicine filled with inappropriate innuendos and false accusations like this one all with the same agenda – dramatic headline, create shock, disgust or sympathy… any emotional reaction really but ultimately sell a story at any cost, even truth or journalistic integrity mustn’t get in the way. I look forward to reading a true story about Universal Medicine and what they really offer, and allow that to inspire people instead of enthrall with the insipid gossip they are currently selling.
There are many things that are alarming in the article you refer too. The last line of your blog says a lot, that the writer could try and make it to look like something bad if women have ownership of their bodies, this in itself is the disturbing factor.
Also the line ‘women followers’ this to me confirms that in society it is so normalised and accepted that men would abuse women or just desire them sexually, all this is implied in how this was written. There is a positioning of the reader to make them think that Serge Benhayon has these motives with women, which couldn’t be further from the truth. If this can be implied with very little words on this it shows me how it is so normal and accepted that men would treat women in this way. It is not normal or acceptable for women to be treated in this way.
In the past I would have accepted this as the norm too, thank goodness for Serge Benhayon has he has shown me what decency and respect of women looks like.
Wow, I had not read the article that you are talking about here, but I can understand what it was about. These are great questions to ask, especially the last one. That question actually makes it laughable that they would publish this letter and it be acceptable to print. We are taught from a very young age that people do not touch us without consent. For this just to be rolled out with no questioning from the editor shows their way of being and the intent of this type of letter.
In the 1980s there was a Liberal Party faction that was referred to as “The Uglies”. I am reminded of these when I read about the rampant misogyny of the journalists with their sly innuendos (mainly female followers) and their “indecent assault is the way it should be” which is implied by them being derogatory about women claiming their body as their own.
Thank you PF for your questions and comments. The points you have raised a very important for us all to consider when we consume our media, especially when a person or business is being targeted. I’m curious to know of the media ever respond to these letters?
These are all great questions and I would love for these to be honestly answered. It’s does not seem to be creating a supportive society for people to live in and our young children to grow up in when reporters and journalists are not even considering interviewing the other side of the story and rolling with an opinion that is very far from the truth, yet they haven’t even checked in to find out how far off from the truth they are. Irresponsibility is the word I would use to describe this type of behaviour.
Maybe it is the case that many unscrupulous reporters and journalists are not ready to hear the truth because then they would have to take responsibility and face up to their own lives. Could it be that they are then choosing to stay firmly put in their own level of comfort and irresponsibility choosing to blame the ‘rest of the world’ for their problems. Reporting and researching the absolute truth takes a certain level of integrity and responsibility, so how can anyone report on the truth when they are not living it themselves (?)
I suspect it may be simpler and worse. The journalists write what sells papers. “Never let the facts intrude in a good story” is not a joke but for some (many?) papers it seems to be the rule.