What is the religion that women wear little head scarfs for?

[bongaling]

Does anyone know? the women and young gils wear a small headscarf (like a hanky) they do not attend assembles in school and go home for thier lunch, as far as I know they do not mix with people not in their religion outside of school.
I am curious as there are alot of them in my area I think they go to church on a Saturday.
I am not religious but would like to know some more about them as there is alot of gossip at the school gate about them (polygamy ect.) I am sure alot of what is said is untrue and would like to correct some of the things people are saying about them assome of it is very nasty. If the parents at the gate are saying such nasty things their children might well be repeating them and the children of this sect (?) must be suffering.
Any ideas.

[Enid]

plymouth brethren

i know this as dh was obsessed with finding out and finally did

[SherlockLGJ]

Plymouth Brethern.

[bongaling]

What else did her learn ?
Pray tell

[bongaling]

he learn even

[Enid]

thats it

ocne he found out the religion he could relax

[southeastastra]

there was a programme on ch 4 this week, the man with 80 wives, maybe they're like that

[Fastasleep]

They wear long skirts too don't they? There was a relatively large amount of people like this in my old area - I used to feel sorry as a kid, their children were told never to speak to any children outside of the religion (outside of school, and at school it was minimal IME) it sounds quite a lonely life... which I presume bongaling already did

[zippitippitoes]

They aren't allowed to watch TV or risk bad witness

[JonesTheSteam]

I taught some plymouth brethren children.

They didn't go into school assemblies, and were not allowed to do RE>

They didn't have TVs at home.

Were not allowed to have anything to do with computers.

They were lovely children - absolutely fab (and the dad was v. good looking )

[Ellbell]

There's been a thread on this before. There are different kinds of brethren. Closed brethren are more like those you describe and don't really mix with people outside their group. Open brethren are more like other quite fundamentalist protestant sects (like primitive methodists, and such like). They believe in the letter of what is written in the Bible (so no evolution, etc.) and are very keen on the book of Revelation, as far as I can work out. AFAIK, women are not allowed to speak in church (blame St Paul) and have to cover their heads (but open brethren don't cover their heads as a matter of course, only in church). The people I knew were quite strict about what was/wasn't allowed on Sundays - no television (although they were allowed to read books and to set the video!), no hobbies, lots of church!

They have fairly strict beliefs (especially closed brethren) and their desire to preserve what they believe in by not mixing with those outside their own religion (closed brethren again) doesn't do them any favour, as it leads to the kinds of stupid rumours you've heard outside school, but they are, in fact, fairly 'standard' - if very strict - Christians. Definitely no polygamy...! Hope this helps a bit, but there are definitely people on here who know more about this than me (one of the New Zealanders, IIRC).

[JonesTheSteam]

Have a look here

[Mercy]

Bongaling, whereabouts are you?

[bongaling]

North Wiltshire
One of the mums in dd1's class often smiles at me and says hello I have wondered about trying to start a conversation with her as the family live very close to my parents. However after reading about the closed brethern which is what I am asuming they are, perhaps this would put her in an awkward position and not be welcome.
Do you think they use mumsnet or is it the devils work

[bongaling]

No they don't use mumsnet they don't use computors. dd1 has just backed this up !

[bongaling]

Mercy where are you?
Do I know you in RL?

[JonesTheSteam]

Our Plymouth brethren parents were very friendly and chatty.

After I'd come back to school after my mat. leave the mum popped her head round my door on parents' evening to see how I was doing.

[Mercy]

bongaling, don't worry - I'm in London But my great great aunt was a member of the Brethren in Devon. Open I would think.

I just had no idea they were still around!

lol at mumsnet being the devil's work

[nearlythree]

We have a big brethren community near us. When dd1 was in NICU after birth there was a brethren family there with a prem baby in an incubator, so they aren't forbidden from using technology to save life (quite rightly). I often see them in the doctors surgery too.

The 'exclusive' brethren go so far as not to use the same water or sewge wokrs as non-members an dhave their own water supply, but I have a friend who has spent time living with an open bretheren family and she says thery are lovely people.

[poisson]

theres a whole thread on this somehwere

[poisson]

oh look started by a evry learned colleague of mine

[poisson]

the long denim skirst and the terribel split ends worry me

[JonesTheSteam]

Oh - I'd forgotten about the not eating with others.

When we went on school trips, the mum would always come and she and the son (the children were all boys!) would go off and find a quiet corner and eat away from everyone else.

[Mercy]

'they go home for lunch'

Hmmmm