Comments on: Life’s 4 Living, The Energy Clinic, Claire Sutton and Sarah McCrum

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:42:03 +0000

dvnutrix, I couldn’t agree with you more. Particularly the ‘diagnoses’ of cancer which are made without any substantiated evidence and then miraculously cured. And believing in what you are doing is not a justification for misleading, others as has been illustrated countless times through history. Self deception is a deeply human trait and something that we all suffer from in one form or another. As to whether it’s the job of friends and family to wake someone up – I don’t know. It hasn’t worked so far: in fact it only seems to strengthen the attachment to the ‘process’.

By: dvnutrix

dvnutrix — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:51:24 +0000

Mike, yes, competent adults have full autonomy but sometimes, it doesn’t stop the frustration for friends and family. Particularly where such large sums as you mention are involved. And, I should also say that I know people who are familiar with Sarah’s excellent work that made such a substantial contribution to the way in which media interview and interact with children – I don’t know why, but that just seems to make this involvement the more regrettable and poignant.

Unfortunately, believing in what you are doing doesn’t preclude the possibility of harm. There was the sad case of the woman with breast cancer who died in NZ. Plus, I can’t think it is harmless to ‘diagnose’ cancer in the manner that Sarah outlines, that sort of information needs to be handled sensitively and appropriately when it is true – never mind the harm it can do when the diagnosis is not justified. Plus, there is the possibility of this diagnosis being used to convince people that they need to purchase energy healing that seems to be quite costly.

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:07:01 +0000

To dvnutrix. Yes many friends and family have expressed their view on this, but ultimately the people who are involved in this process are adults and are therefore free to do what they like within the letter of the law.
As for whether Sarah suspending her judgement has enabled Aiping to continue in her activities – I would say that it makes absolutely no difference. Aiping completely believes that she is doing the best she can for humanity, as do her followers. The biggest problem is that – as with many groups like this – there is no-one to pick Aiping up on her more ‘dubious’ dealings as everything is justified as a means to reach a higher goal. There is no argument that’s going to persuade people until they want to be persuaded which is why there has been no forceful intervention from friends and family. I would say there is nothing malevolent about this group – they really do believe in what they’re doing. Hopefully something will happen that will disband them.

By: gabby

gabby — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:45:40 +0000

Life’s4Living were rattling their buckets on a DAILY basis outside a large store at the Angel, to the annoyance of most shoppers. After complaints to the Police and the Charity Commissioners, they disappeared for a while from the store … but one of their collectors was approaching people at nearby bus stops – and he became very aggressive when I pointed out he was not supposed to be doing this. He then had the nerve to tell me that ‘Oxfam collected all the time’ which is absolute rubbish – Oxfam obeys the law completely re street collections.

What sort of ‘charity’ offers to pay its collectors ‘£30 – £80 a day’? Who is getting the money collected and what do they do with it? Anyway, if they are still rattling their buckets more than ONCE A YEAR they are breaking the law. Report them to the Met. Police, the Charity Commissioners. By doing this, they are being unfair to real charities.

By: dvnutrix

dvnutrix — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:06:06 +0000

Gabby, I suppose that it doesn’t look good if the Met refers a charity to the CPS for repeated violations and some charities might take advantage of that.

By: gabby

gabby — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:53:24 +0000

Oops, penultimate sentence of my post should read ‘… £30 – £80 a day …’

Nice work if you can get it!

By: gabby

gabby — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:43:07 +0000

brainduck, charities are allowed ONE street collection a year. The Met. Police are aware of Life’s4Living blatant disregard of the rules and have reminded them of this. Obviously they are still at it. As for are the collectors paid, see
http://part-time-job.vivastreet.co.uk/part-time-job-ads+london-e1w/cash-paid–immediate-start/5595268

Seems a little – er -strange to promise street collectors ‘£30 – £40 a day’ for collecting for a charity!
Charity? Or a business?

By: dvnutrix

dvnutrix — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:54:35 +0000

Mike, you are obviously acquainted with her to know such things. Has anybody from Sarah’s family or circle of friends spoken to her about all this as it must be very distressing for them to see that this is happening and yet do nothing to intervene?

Drawing on your comments, might it be more accurate to say, “She is at worst foolish and has suspended her judgement in such a way as to enable Aiping’s continued exploitation of others”?

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:03:16 +0000

I can categorically say that Sarah McCrum is not evil, and has made no money from any of these schemes in the 10 years that she has been with Aiping. She is at worst foolish and has suspended her judgement. She has also given Aiping hundreds of thousands of her money in order to follow and take courses with her. Aiping is a charistmatic guru and very attractive to those in need. It makes me laugh to see that people think that anyone else in this organisation is making any money from these courses apart from Aiping. Warwick Powell is alive and well and living in New Zealand.

By: jonhw

jonhw — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:46:02 +0000

Interesting – I wonder if they’re using paid staff or volunteers…