Hillsong’s ‘Shine’ Has Dark Side For Girls

First, I would suggest you read the book review (and even the book!) I wrote on a young woman’s account of leaving the Hillsong Church:

I first learned of the Hillsong Church via two sources: one was Peter Bowditch’s Millenium Project site and an interview with Tanya Levin by Andrew Denton on Enough Rope – which is featured here in transcript and video form.

Then – Religion Report on ABC National Radio, on what Hillsong is doing to young women:

Lyn Allison: I understand that Hillsong ‘Shine’ is designed for at-risk girls – and girls in regional areas – is my understanding. And the basis of that program is to build self-esteem, through make-up and discussion about being pretty, being attractive, making yourself beautiful. Now we know that at-risk use whilst they may engage in that kind of activity, will be further at risk by that being seen to be the only way in which they can fit into society.

So I think any woman will tell you that problems run a bit deeper than just how to do make-up and how to make up your nails, that it is much more important that some more fundamental work is done on these young people who are at risk to uncover if you like, some of the problems that they might be having, and to deal with that in a professional way. And I don’t regard exercises in make-up as being professional for these kids.

Stephen Crittenden: So are you suggesting that the chaplaincy program is being used by Hillsong almost as a Trojan Horse to get this fairly socially conservative program into schools?

Lyn Allison: Yes, I believe that’s what’s happening, particularly in Queensland where there’s by far the largest uptake of chaplains and where Hillsong and the Scripture Union are very active in recruiting chaplains and encouraging schools to take them on. And it’s been my experience that the schools themselves, who are supposed to give their approval across the board, there has to be broad consensus in a school for a chaplain to be there before the Commonwealth says it’s OK. But my experience is that a lot of schools are not reaching broad consensus, in fact a lot of the parents are not even told that this is happening and that there is no formal procedure or process in place for parents to be asked Yes or No, whether they want their children involved.

Read more at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/religionreport/default.htm

Tagged as: ABC radio, at-risk girls, Australia, chaplaincy, Children, cult, girls, Hillsong, Hillsong Church, People in Glass Houses, regional Australia, Religion, schooling, Shine, Tanya Levin, women