Name Dennis Orme | ||
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Dennis Frederick Orme (born 17 June 1938), former leader of Unification Churches in England, theologian and author. Orme and his wife were among the earliest Western followers of the Unification Church and he is perhaps best known for his unsuccessful personal lawsuit for libel against Associated Newspapers Group.
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Life
Orme was born in Bedford in 1938. He was educated at Bedford Modern School and HMS Conway where he served as a cadet, midshipman and later navigating officer.
Orme’s travels in China, Japan, Malaya and other far eastern countries led to a deep fascination with the Orient. In his spare time he devoted himself to the study of philosophy and psychology, eventually leaving the Navy to study at University before joining the Unification Church where he was one of the earliest Western born followers. Following a meeting with Sun Myung Moon he later became head of Unification Churches in England and an author on theological matters.
In 1978 the Daily Mail published an article about the Unification Church claiming that it was ‘the church that breaks up families’. Orme issued legal proceedings against the Associated Newspaper Group, owner of the Daily Mail, for libel and the case went to the High Court in 1980. Although a jury trial involving 100 witnesses held that the article was not libellous, the Unification Church appealed the decision which was eventually upheld in the Court of Appeal. The Unification Church was ordered to pay one million pounds in costs and the Inland Revenue were instructed to investigate the tax-free status of the Church.