Health, Wealth and Stealth Continued: Faith Healing

A CULTURE OF DEFIANCE: History of the Reform-Conservative Party of Canada

James Lunney is the Conservative MP who has been leading the charge against Health Canada for meddling in the snake oil business.

Since first joining Stockwell Day and his Alliance Party as health critic, he has launched an ongoing battle as an advocate for alternative medicines, believing that they will cut down on wait times at hospitals.

Homeopathy and herbal medicines are fields where there is a lot of potential, and I fully support research money being given to study their effectiveness.

But that is not what Lunney wants. What he wants is for alternative medicines to be reclassified as food so that they don't require the rigorous testing that drugs would.

And these products are being sold as "miracle cures", at exorbitant prices, to unsuspecting customers, while they could have devastating side effects. There is also concern that they might interfere with other medication being taken, and the dispensers of these "cures" are not properly trained or educated in the health sciences.

But what I've found that most do have in common, is radical religious fundamentalism. Even the fascist sites that David Lethbridge found were selling this stuff, still use 'Jesus', when dispensing hate.

I am so frustrated, because I know this is not what religion is supposed to be. Why aren't more of the mainstream churches or the Evangelical Fellowship not stepping in here? If anything turns people off Christianity faster, it will be these crazies who have taken over our government.

It's been suggested that there needs to be a lot more research into Stockwell Day and his troop, and I couldn't agree more, but it's hard, because everywhere you turn it just gets crazier. And I have to be honest, whether I'm following the links to the neo-Nazi sites or the Christian extremist sites, they are no different. They both leave me feeling ill. The horrible things they say about other human beings, is unbelievable.

Have the hate groups just gone underground and now latched onto the Religious Right?

To catch up, these are the previous posts if you didn't see them and thank you to David Lethbridge who led me down this path:

The Health, Wealth and Stealth of Right-Wing Coalitions

The Health, Wealth and Stealth Continued: Health Coalitions

The Health, Wealth and Stealth Continued: Roots of Change

Health, Wealth and Stealth Continued: Religion vs Knowledge

Health, Wealth and Stealth Continued: James Lunney and Quackery

When Lethbridge suggested in his article Prescription for Fascism (1), looking into this, I had no idea. Absolutely no idea. I had mentioned in Health Coalitions a groups called the Consumer Health Organization of Canada, who hold annual 'Total Health' fests, though their list of guest speakers reads more like Ripley's Believe it or Not. In 2000, Dr. (?) Len Horowitz delivered a lecture on 'Why I should be locked up'. That's not what he called it, but what he should have called it. After going on about how it was the U.S. military who actually started the Aids virus and lauding his friend Dr. Icke. (Icke is the man who believes that a group of extraterrestrial reptiles, who can take on life forms, are plotting to take over the world.)

The good Dr. Horowitz, was at this health convention to flog his new book Healing Codes for the Biological Apocalypse:

"In this next book, what you are going to realize is that I was divinely guided ... [and] was praying to have the Achilles heel of the Illuminati .... Ultimately, I was praying for the Achilles heel because there has got to be a place, a soft spot, that we can knock the oligarchy off and if you've heard me lecture in the past I've always said, I don't know what it is going to be, but in the very last days there will be something happen whereby Satan and his boys will have the carpet pulled from under them and we win in the end.

"Ultimately, why I went on a 40 day fast is because through this new totally exciting, uplifting, new revelations, new codes, that involve creation, destruction, miracles, healing, miraculous healings, including not only personal, but world. I was then so moved because we had our first what is called a healing celebration event, now if you don't have a healing celebrations flyer because first of all I want to acknowledge John and Libby Gardon for putting this whole event together. These are the directors of the Canadian Consumer Health Organization, who put this together every year and if you know them personally they are extremely loving human beings who are only in this because they understand what the illuminati have been doing to suppress true health care and self care, that is preventative medicine, and that they are totally dedicated as David Icke, as myself, as anyone else is on the front lines." (2)

And the good John and Libby Gardon are two of the people Lunney invited to the committee studying his bill on dropping the requirement to have these 'miracle cures' tested before use. The same John and Libby Gardon who invited the late Eustace Mullins, the man who called Jews "furry insects who drink children's blood", to one of their so-called 'Total Health' shindigs.

I'm feeling a little sick, how about you? Not to worry though, because Lunney has the answer: Pig Pills!

James Lunney and Pig Pills

When Health Canada raided offices of Trucorp in 2003, for dispensing illegal drugs, James Lunney went ballistic. Using his Parliamentary office he fired off a press release waging war on Health Canada, suggesting that people now may die if they can't get their hands on the pig pills.

I shouldn't really joke, because there is a chance that the stuff they are selling might have some merit. However, they flog is as a cure for all mental illness, and that's a dangerous thing. I should mention though that recently, the creators of this stuff also made the claim:

"...this product can grow back brain cells, and because the Creator is a lot smarter than scientists, 90% of poor health would disappear ... Will it help everyone? YES IT WILL....”It's a God given answer!” (3)

The trade name for it is EmPowerplus and it has helped hyperactivity and less serious mental disorders, but the problem that Health Canada had was that it had not been properly tested, and they had sent the company warning letters in the past, but they continued to distribute the mixture.

Brad Evenson, the medical advisor for the National Post wrote a lengthy article on the product and it's founders, who came up with the idea after using vitamins and minerals to cure pigs from "ear-and-tail-biting syndrome". Having had experience with mental illness in their families:

The company is now known as Truehope Nutritional Support Ltd. Devout Mormons who wanted to help other families like theirs, the two men vowed to set up so-called Synergy Houses to feed and care for people with bipolar disease, schizophrenia and other mental illness. (4)

Along with the success stories, there are also some tragic ones, and selling a medication as a miracle cure can not only provide false hope, but also create devastating results when people go off their medications as prescribed by medical doctors. Neither man behind the company have any medical training. And none of the people who sell the product from the call centre, are medical professionals.

And along with the treatment, which can run into thousands of dollars, they also offer 'spiritual guidance'. Not for free mind you. One young man spent $ 600.00 in a single month for this support.

It would appear that this is a version of faith healing with a twist, and while there is potential here, they have to go through the normal channels. Do we really want medications on the market without proper trials and labelling?

I'd like to say that James Lunney is the most dangerous member of Harper's caucus. I'd really like to say that, but unfortunately, I can't. And this is not about persecuting Christians or not allowing people to hold personal beliefs, but when they are in government, they have to at least be rational. I can't believe that this is happening, but they were given four years of free rein because nobody wanted to question their religion. And now look at the mess we're in.

Marci McDonald's book The Armageddon Factor*, brought up so many important issues, but I think she could immediately start working on a second edition. Stephen Harper not only allowed this to happen, but encouraged it for power, and now I don't think he knows what to with them. I certainly know what to do with him. Send him to see Dr. Icke.

Footnotes:

*The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada, By: Marci McDonald, Rndom House Canada, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-307-35646-8 3.

Sources:

1. Prescription For Fascism: Alternative Medicine and Right-Wing Politics, By David Lethbridge, April 2001

2. Total Health 2000 - March 2000 - Toronto Convention Center, Healing Codes for the Biological Apocalypse, Guest Speaker Len Horowitz

3. Truehope Conference in Shiloh, Ohio, Founders David Hardy and Anthony Stephan presentation, September 16, 2009.

4. Pigs Will Fly, Every good product needs a good legend. By Brad Evenson, MD Review, February 2004

The Health, Wealth and Stealth Continued: Health Coalitions

Increasing numbers of Canadians have begun to embrace a variety of alternative medicines, and are spending more and more of their dollars in health food stores. Often enough, these medicines and health food supplements have little actual medicinal or nutritional value, but the vendors of these products appear to have tapped into a widespread and dangerous anti-science tendency.(1)

What Lethbridge is referring to is the 'quackery' industry, not legitimate homeopaths and health stores. And when I looked into some of the people involved in this 'quackery' movement he's right on target. And the thinking is probably that those who follow this industry, would be more receptive to listening to it's other "extreme-right" messages.

Consumer Health Organization of Canada

At the time the article was written, Libby Gardon was heading up the CHOC. Lethbridge continues:

A case in point is the Consumer Health Organization of Canada's (CHOC)Total Health convention, held in Toronto, on 17-18 March 2001. Scheduled speakers, alongside the usual alternative medicine hucksters, were Eustace Mullins and Bob Baker. Mullins has a fifty year history of advocating the most vicious neo-Nazi, antisemitic, and white racist ideology. Baker is associated with Lyndon LaRouche's extreme right organizations. Is CHOC's combination of alternative medicine and right wing politics at the Total Health convention simply a mistake, or some sort of anomaly, or are there deeper and more pervasive connections between the two movements?

The late Eustache Mullins certainly was an odd choice for a 'Health' convention. You can listen to a brief interview with him soon after Obama was elected, on a site called RestoreAmericanProject, under the heading: Vote against those who deny Jesus Christ is the Son of God! From their website:

Restore America Project was born March 9, 2008, on the 85th Birthday of Eustace Clarence Mullins. We are dedicated to presenting the truth to a world that has been compromised by misleading Educators, Teachers, Ministers and organizations that have been controled [sic] by a handful of evil people.

We promise to work tirelessly to improve the knowledge of our people and affect positive change in the world around us. We affirm the importance of working together to find solutions. We will operate lawfully and respectfully in all matters. We will not profit from our endeavors. We believe in fairness for all. Restore America Project will not waiver in the conviction to create a better world for all citizens.

We subscribe to the following solution to rid ourselves of the Evil Executive, Judicial and Legislative members in our government. 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways: Then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

It is time for Christians and those other patriots to stand up against the encroaching evil on our land. The true target of the evil doers is to wipe Christianity from the face of the earth. Founders: Eustace C. Mullins, Mark W. Blackburn

A founding member of the group is L.A. Samples, and you can be linked from this site to his Global Prayer Outreach. They too are working toward the Great American Revival:

I believe that only a move of God through-out America will save our nation from impending collapse in all areas of our society. Historically, great moves of God in America and around the world, were preceded by intercessory prayer. ... This nation is now held captive Spirit, Soul and Body by satan [sic]. The hedge is down and we as a country have been bitten by serpants [sic] ... We, the children, must break these satanic chains of darkness off of our nation so that the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ may shine again. It is now so very important that the many churches and prayer groups begin to pray for our country from a common platform, on the same page, as one. If we do it the way God said, then He will hear from Heaven and heal our land (2Chronicles7:14). A national sovereign move of God is the only answer!

Mullins himself, among other horrendous comments about Jews, wrote in his, The Secret Holocaust:

The real holocaust was a Christian Holocaust by Jews of sixty-six million, mostly Christians. The devastation of civilization to date by the rapacious hordes of Godless Communism, as well as their planned annihilation of all non-Jewish societies and political organizations, began to ravage the world in the nineteenth century. It has resulted in incredible suffering and death for many millions of Christian victims in many parts of the world.

He is clearly from the Holocaust Denial, Protocols of Zion crowd. Yet as Lethbridge points out:

Libby Gardon, the president of CHOC, when confronted with the nature of Mullins' work ... said she "was unaware of Mr. Mullins' early writings in which he challenged the authenticity of Holocaust reports and made several unfounded anti-Semitic slurs." Now this is a very interesting and half-hearted disavowal, to say the least. Gardon has reportedly known Mullins for fifteen years. Her organization openly sold Mullins' hate propaganda ... He has written that Jewish priests drink the blood of little white boys, that Jews are "furry scavengers who have found their way through the sewers into ever civilized place," and that "the Christian peoples totter on the verge of worldwide annihilation by the Jewish master scheme."

And he was invited to speak at a 'Health' conference in Toronto? The National Post wrote at the time:

Organizers of next month's Total Health show have refused to drop an anti-Semitic writer from their speakers list, triggering outrage among Jewish groups and conference sponsors. As revealed by the National Post yesterday, Virginia author Eustace Mullins, who in his books has described Jews as "parasites" who control the world economy and murder Christian babies for blood rituals, is scheduled to speak on medical and financial monopolies at next month's show.

"At this point in time, Mr. Mullins will continue to participate in this event. Any decision to remove him from the program will have to be discussed by the board of directors," said a statement released yesterday by the Consumer Health Organization, the group putting on the show.

John Gardon, a founding member of the health organization, was defiant. "Do you think we're going to cancel a speaker?" Mr. Gardon said. "It's excellent publicity. People will come to hear his side of the story." His wife, Libby Gardon, president of the organization, said she has known Mr. Mullins for 15 years and never heard him make anti-Semitic remarks. (2)

Is she kidding me?

And then look at some of the other speakers at this 'Health' conference, including David Icke, who is described as a British Conspiracy theorist, though I think just "Icke" is appropriate. One of his theories is that "... the Illuminati plot to take over the world is actually being carried out by a race of extraterrestrial reptiles in human form. They are described, literally, as being child-sacrificing, blood-drinking Satan-worshippers capable of changing their shape." (3)

And Bob Baker with the Lydon Larouche Youth Movement and the Schiller Institute. Larouche was in the news recently after the death of Jeffrey Duggan, who many people believe was murdered by someone or several people from the group. Larouche released a statement "describing the media reports as a press "hoax" orchestrated by Dick Cheney, then the Vice-President of the United States, and Cheney's wife."

But probably the most disturbing guest speaker (and yes even more disturbing than Mr. Icke) was David Butterfield, one of those anti-tax guys. No, I mean one of THOSE anti-tax guys. He recently wrote on the site TaxTyranny.ca:

Eventually, the masses will realize that their only hope for freedom, now that "constant vigilance" is a moot point, will come through mass civil disobedience. Of course this also means that those masses will have to be committed to "Live free or die." What are our chances of that happening? Without first educating those masses of the rights and freedoms to which they are lawfully entitled, the chances are slightly less than zero.

And that site links to several 'Health' product sites. I believe that David Lethbridge may be on to something. Orrrrrrr ... maybe he's an "extraterrestrial reptile in human form". I wonder.

Now again I stress that this does not mean that all or even most health product providers are involved with extreme right-wing politics, but there is a group that appear to be (allegedly) using the industry as a cover.

Which brings me to David Lethbridge's next organization for discussion: Citizens' Voice for Health Rights (CVHR), run by Debbie Anderson. According to Lethbridge, Anderson is also a member of the National Executive, as well as BC Chair, of the Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB), the organization of Craig Chandler. She spoke at a "Unite the Right" conference, sharing a stage with Link Byfield and Stockwell Day.

Now simply speaking at a conference with someone means absolutely nothing. Guilt by association, is hardly legitimate. However, Chandler is, and was, directly involved in the political success of Stockwell Day, Mike Harris and Stephen Harper. Maybe not in the way he often brags, but he did provide money and support to all three, and is a card carrying member of Canada's Religious Right movement.

That coming up.

Sources:

1. Prescription For Fascism: Alternative Medicine and Right-Wing Politics, By David Lethbridge, April 2001

2. Health show stands by anti-Semite: 'Excellent publicity,' organizer says, By: Nate Hendley, National Post, February 22, 2001

3. New Age Meets The Third Reich - David Icke & the Politics Of Madness, By Will Offley, Everywoman's Health Centre in British Columbia, March 7, 2000

Health, Wealth and Stealth Continued: James Lunney and Quackery

A CULTURE OF DEFIANCE: History of the Reform-Conservative Party of Canada

Dr. Stephen Barrett is a retired American psychiatrist, author, co-founder of the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF), and the webmaster of Quackwatch. He runs a number of websites dealing with quackery and health fraud, focusing on consumer protection, medical ethics, and scientific skepticism. (Wikipedia)

He publishes a list of 'Questionable Organizations' and the Consumer Health Organization of Canada made his list of one of those he would treat with considerable distrust.

I posted on them earlier as one of the groups that David Lethbridge cornered, as a possible front for fascist activities, given the people they bring to their "health" fests.

The founders of the group Libby and John Gardon, have defended their choice of guests, suggesting that the controversy is good for business. At the time they were speaking in particular, of the late Eustace Mullins, one of the most controversial anti-Semites in the United States. He referred to Jews as furry insects who drink the blood the children.

What was telling was the fact that Libby Gardon called Mullins a friend. She said she has known him for 15 years and described him as gentle and caring. Eventually the Jewish community banded together and Mullins speech was cancelled.

David Lethbridge had suggested that the connection between some of these so called 'Health' experts with their miracle cures, and neo-Nazi fascist organizations, needed further research, especially since some of the names also link to our current government.

So I did a bit of googling to see if there was any merit to that, and indeed there appeared to be. One of the names that cropped up on a regular basis was that of James Lunney. Lunney was a friend of Stockwell Days, who was encouraged to run in 2000, with Day's new Alliance Party (formerly Reform Party). He was given the health critic post while in opposition, but instead of making health his focus, he instead became an advocate for the snake oil vendors, many of whom have been exposed by Dr. Barrett.

Lunney introduced Bill C-420 which has been tossed around for a bit, an attempt to move these "miracle" cures from the restrictions of what he refers to as the "regulatory regime" and move them to food, claiming they are mostly just vitamins and food products. (His favourite EmPowerplus sells for $74.95 a bottle)

The Standing Committee on Health, dealing with the issues surrounding Bill C-420, called in some experts, and one of these experts was Libby Gardon. Another was Trueman Tuck, a purveyor of some of this stuff, whose mission statement is:

“God created Sovereign Spiritual / Human Beings as children of God. God's children cannot and should not claim to have sovereign supremacy with their creator. The Sovereign Children of God created artificial entities, which are all sole or aggregate corporations including rulers, governments, parliaments, senates, judges, etc. THEY do not posess [sic] any sovereign supremacy and cannot and should not claim to be equal or greater than their creators.”

Trueman of the Tuck clan (aka Trueman Tuck), is a son of God and a Sovereign Spiritual / Human Being that is purpose driven to educate, assist and defend the unalienable rights, freedoms and liberties of other sons and daughters of God.

Did I mention that Trueman Tuck was a bit of a nut? But more importantly he dispenses 'herbal' medicines but has no medical degree or training, and even offers legal advice to other 'herbal' medicine businesses, calling himself an "Attorney-In-Fact", when in fact, he is not an attorney at all. He is a salesman. A salesman providing 'expert' testimony to the Standing Committee on Health. That's how low we've sunk.

Wrapped up in all of this is such a maze of organizations, you'll be needing some "herbal magic" just to keep your head from exploding. Most have 'Freedom' and 'Health' somewhere in their titles and are run by people like Gardon and Tuck. This is not to say that Health food stores, etc. don't have a purpose. They clearly do and homeopathy is definitely something that needs to be researched extensively as an alternative to chemical therapy. However, I believe that anything with 'cure' or include the suggestion of a 'cure', need to be regulated by Health Canada. Lunney and his pals do not.

Quackwatch has exposed another dubious character who has been making the rounds, when they discovered that his books and products were being sold on a Neo-Nazi website.

Dr. Cassim Igram, aka Dr. Oregano, Cass Ingram, is a frequent guest .. in Canada. On November 20, 2003 he appeared again on the Michael Coren TV show on Canada's foremost Faith-based family TV cable network CTS-TV. We told Michael that Ingram's products were being sold by at least one neo-nazi web site, but he ignored us completely. In fact, he mentioned at the beginning of the show that people had e-mailed him to basically complain about the show before it aired.

Three days later, Cass Ingram appeared at a rally at the OISE in Toronto to raise money to help pass Bill C-420. On that panel was Trueman Tuck, Helke Ferrie, and MP James Lunney. It seems that the "freedom" to sell nutraceuticals is heavily entwined with right-wing politics around the world. Some of these agendas are anti-gay, anti-semitic, anti-tax, etc. A few years ago the Consumer Health Organization's Total Health Expo, where Cass Ingram regularly appears, was in the spotlight because Eustace Mullins, a self-proclaimed rabid anti-Semite was cancelled after numerous complaints were filed.

... Ingram still wanders around North America proclaiming that he has the answer to SARS, toxigenic E. coli, and other ills despite all of this? Hmmm.........Could it be it improves his bottom line? ... Now Trueman Tuck has hooked up with Nick Jerch in another attempt to support nutraceutical misadventures.

I checked out the website they mentioned; Free American, and it is extremely racial. They have a video touting Hitler as a hero and promote a book claiming that "2000 years ago the bible told us of the coming of the New World Order as the English Beast, the mark of the beast and warned us about the Jews who would say they are Jews but are not. Jesus told us they were liars and of their father Satan." This is quite a racket.

Now I don't believe that Lunney or Tuck are involved with any of that, and as David Lethbridge reminds us: "Wherever we find tendencies to irrationalism and conspiracy-mongering, there we find fertile ground in which fascism can grow, or a movement which fascism can exploit. These tendencies are rife within the ever-expanding and overlapping alternative medicine, New Age, and tax refusal* circles." (2)

But there is another element that binds these groups together: "faith healing". That's up next.

Footnotes:

Trueman Tuck also runs a site TaxTyranny.ca

Sources:

1. Cass Ingram's oregano oil products and books sold by neo-nazi web site, Quackery Watch Canada

2. Prescription For Fascism: Alternative Medicine and Right-Wing Politics, By David Lethbridge, April 2001