OTHER RELIGIONS
HOW DID THE PRESBYTERIANS LET THEIR OLD CHURCH BECOME A BUDDHIST TEMPLE?
The Buddhists bought the old West St Presbyterian church near Bridge St, it
was reported to me 16/8/01 they got away with it as they originally nominated
the application under some alleged "Asian Contingent". Inside the
church now stands a graven image, a 60 cm high stone Buddha.
How many Buddhists are there? They have only one centre and a distinct majority are overseas visitors. In 2004 some 30 Buddhists were raising money in a fete at a Catholic church in Toowoomba. There are about 30 Toowoomba people which have attended since about 1994.
How many Muslims are there? There are only a few original Toowoomba people who are Muslims, perhaps as low as 50 and only one Muslim centre In Toowoomba opened in August 2004. Overseas Muslim students have attended the University of Southern Queensland. It was reported that in at least one Darling Downs abattoir there are Muslim "priests" who make sacrificial prayers over all the meat before it leaves the abattoir.
HOW MANY BAHAI's ARE THERE?. This is a small group of about 30 people in Toowoomba. They follow the Muslim Quran and Hindu and Buddhist scriptures and Holy Bible equally. Generally, Christians do not accept such teaching.
WHAT'S THE 5 HOUSE COMPLEX IN GOGGS ST? It's a NEW AGE CENTRE. Of some 5 houses
in Gogg St is a new age centre where there are courses like Sandplay (spiritual
therapy presenting your life publicly to a group on sand with little people
and bridges etc..) Owner is from Sydney and owned New Age bookshops there. Has
said "You will find a number of people here who have been disillusioned
with the church very much so."
HAVE YOU MET ANY WITCHES?
I've met 2 or 3. Most recently I met another witch. I found out something about
Satanism though. I will quote her words. This 21 yo Haley Stafford, a recent
arrival to Toowoomba originally from Sydney she said these words "No, there
are no formal Satanic groups in Toowoomba at all, there are some full on covens
in the city of Sydney and especially the Eastern seaboard of the USA. In Toowoomba
there are only people doing their own thing, this inverted cross I'm wearing
gets plenty of looks in this very religious town. I'm not a wicked witch or
anything, I'm a Satanist and all of that and a witch, that is a true, but a
nice witch, I love Fiona Horne."
FALUNDAFA WAS IN THE CARNIVAL OF FLOWERS, WHAT IS IT? Only between 2 and 12
people meet Sundays 10am for what is "not a religion but a form of meditation."
It's not Christian.
DO THE HARE KRISHNAS HAVE A FORMAL MEETING PLACE IN TOOWOOMBA? Yes.
It's called HARE KRISHNA BHAGAVAD - GITA The Wisdom of the East at 22b Cambell
St Newtown Toowoomba. 1. There are 2-3 people in this religion locally. 2. 10%
3. I began questioning a street worker called Davie who explained how she got
into the movement "My boyfriend and my girlfriend's dad was influenced
by Krishna which is how I got into it." 6. 20yo German with a visa. 10.
Davie said "We picked the wrong town, there are too many of these crazy
type Christians in this town as they always say objecting things to us."
11. 16/5/02 12 minute chat on the street. 13. 4.30pm Sunday; 6pm everyday. 14.
Simon and Eva.