The Brethren Vs Freeganism

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via Wikipedia

Freeganism is an anti-consumerist lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies based on “limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources”. Freegans “embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed.”[1] The lifestyle involves salvaging discarded, unspoiled food from supermarket dumpsters, known as dumpster diving. The foods may have passed their display date, but haven’t passed their edible date. Freegans salvage the food as a political statement, rather than out of need.

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The Brethren is one of several informal names for a nameless religious movement created by Jimmy T. “Jim” Roberts. Other names include the Brothers and Sisters and the garbage eaters, after their reputation for eating food from garbage bins. The movements’ members shun material things and family, living essentially as vagrants and doing odd jobs to pay their expenses. The movement’s way of life has led to accusations that it is a cult. The Roberts group should not be confused with various other groups that have the word “brethren” in their names, nor with the freegan lifestyle.

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This came to me through this. I thought that it made interesting reading, though I’m not sure about the cult-status of the Brethren, people are free to do as they please. Living off the grid is pretty interesting.

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2 responses to “The Brethren Vs Freeganism”

  1. Wide Lawns Avatar
    Wide Lawns

    I’m familiar with both and the group some call “The Brethren” has nothing to do with the Freegan movement although they may share some of the same practices and maybe even have similar reasons. I think the Brethren group would qualify as a cult because of the tremendous demands being part of the group puts on its members. They must renounce their families and follow strict rules. They have a charismatic leader who dictates their actions. They also recruit new members like a cult. So while people are free to do what they want, no matter how crazy it may seem to outsiders, I don’t know if you can be certain that the members of the group are really making a legitimate choice based on their own free will instead of fear and brainwashing. There’s no real quantitative way of knowing that though and it could be endlessly debated.

    Freeganism definitely isn’t a cult. It’s a social movement with a really valid point about wastefulness in our society. I personally, find it really interesting. I’ve seen awful wastefulness from grocery stores and restaurants who have to throw away perfectly good food. I’ve asked around about it and most of the establishments can’t even donate the food because they fear lawsuits. It’s a shame.

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  2. range Avatar
    range

    I find it obscene that restaurants and grocery stores throw away food while people are still going hungry.

    I don’t know much about the Brethren, except for what I’ve read on Wikipedia and your blog. However, I don’t like cults. The brainwashing and the donations make it kind of hard to believe their righteousness.

    What I do find interesting is that they aren’t calling themselves a religion or a cult. The name comes from others. That is significant. Why? I don’t know since I haven’t really studied comparative theology.

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