In a service, one of the main leadership was preaching and made a comment about his shampoo bottle having a “new age”; statement on the back. He “did not pay it any attention”. Suddenly, from the front row- Jane Whaley said, “Get rid of it.” She then went on to say that he didn’t need a “new age”shampoo.  Now, this person had a military background and knew where to do an “about face”. He said he was suddenly ready to get a new shampoo! Some the members chuckled, but it was plain that this minister had AGAIN publicly met the “authority of God” in Jane Whaley. That is what is was called when Jane would “correct” him or others while they were preaching. You could meet the “authority of God” in Jane in various different ways. But, for sure you would meet this “authority”, if you stayed at WOFF for any length of time.

      What was the results of this “correction”? You probably already know. This gave folks yet something else to check for;  adding to toilet paper direction, wiping the sink before you left the bathroom and other habits during your personal time. Checking behind each other was/is a major task for WOFF members.

     Steven Hassan, in “Releasing the Bonds” (copyright 2000), explains behavior control as follows: “Behavior control is the incremental regulation of a person’s reality, which includes both his environment (where he lives, who he associates with, what he eats, when he sleeps) and his conduct (tasks, rituals, and other activities). … A former member of Heaven’s Gate told me that Applewhite (the leader) decided “how we lived, what we wore, how we cut our hair, what we ate, how we slept” (page 46)  Does the life at WOFF seem similar to the behavior control listed in the above text?The leader of Heaven’s Gate, Applewhite, I would say never knew Jane Whaley or even heard of WOFF.  So why would similar behavoir control methods be in each group? If there are still doubts- read more posts on this blog. Then leave your comments to answer the question.

     Here is a link for more information on Heaven’s Gate…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven’s_Gate_(religious_group)

     News update: The shampoo company, Herbal Essence®, has changed their bottles. I checked a local Wal-Mart. The marketing campaign no longer include new age rhetoric. But, would it pass the test? I am not for sure. Suppose we need to ask Jane. 🙂

     “In every country and every age, the priest had been hostile to Liberty.”- Thomas Jefferson

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      (Please, take time to read the Terms of Use for this personal blog. As mentioned, the information about WOFF is from my memories and recollections as perfect as that may be or not be. )