A Bakery, a Christian Cult, and the Reach of Social Media

The Blue Blinds Bakery in Plymouth, Massachusetts looks to all outwards appearances like a nice friendly family-owned business. It’s gotten great reviews for its food and service in major media outlets like the Boston Globe and, until rather recently, their Yelp page also contained many positive reviews for their friendly service and delicious fare.

But the recent creation of a Facebook page that exposes the family behind the establishment as a fringe sect of evangelical Christians who believe in severe corporal punishment or children, as well as the importance of slavery to “save” black people from “degradation” (huh?) is drawing the ire of many former and potential customers in New England, not to mention decent human beings everywhere.

Boston Magazine‘s recent article draws attention to the Facebook page that has been reportedly created by a former employee of the bakery. On the page, which started out posing as an “official” business page first established in 2011, went dormant after scant activity in 2012. But recently a post on July 7th stated “We have decided to use our Facebook (sic) page as an active evangelism tool.” Then the racist post promoting slavery happened; along with one that was oddly supportive of the LBGTQ community (or was it?); and perhaps most disturbing, since it hinted at the personal experience of the poster, statements about punishing children with long and recurrent beatings. Another post seemed to be sarcastic, posting from the point of the view of the “parents” of children who had stayed up all night painting the bakery’s exterior.

Responding to the reprehensible views displayed on their page, most commenters have stated their displeasure and intention to never support the business again (although some have been supportive). The business’ tax -exempt status for being a religious organization has also come under fire. A statement that appeared on the page late last night, linking to the Boston Magazine article (which also contains a brief interview with the former employee), begins:

Pretty soon you’re going to see articles on Boston Magazine and possibly Boston Globe alleging that this Page is being run by a former employee who is disgruntled. That is both false and true.

Firstly, the Blue Blinds Bakery has no employees because to be an employee you have to get paid. But yes, it is true that I worked at the Blue Blinds Bakery for some time.

I was born into the Twelve Tribes, which owns the Bakery, and over the time I grew up there, the things I have posted on this Page were all taught to me as being fundamental truths. Without access to internet or books that carried an opposing view, I knew nothing else.

It was only after I left that I started realising how demented and twisted the views behind this religion are.

Friends of mine in Boston have told me they’re familiar with the business, and that the Twelve Tribes “family” or sect  has more than one business in the greater Boston area (like the Common Ground cafe in Hyannis). The business’ website is very open about their religious affiliation.

Meanwhile, according to Boston Magazine, the actual owners of the bakery have created a Facebook page of their own, and have begun addressing what they call the slanderous remarks of this former employee.

More on this story as it unfolds.