Wow! This part of the Charisma® group got one right! A Google Alert® brought the notice of this article to my inbox Friday evening. The article was written by A. James Rudin/RNS and was posted on the “Opinion” page at 8:00AM EST 11/15/2013. The link for the entire article is here. I am unfamiliar with the author but at the end there is information about one his other works – “A. James Rudin, the American Jewish Committee’s senior interreligious adviser, is the co-author with Marcia Rudin of “Prison or Paradise: The New Religious Cults.” That book sounds interesting.
Recently, I mentioned to a blog reader that I planned to do a post about Jonestown and sent links to two previous posts from a few years ago. They said to be sure and include the links for others to read. We have made comparisons between Jim Jones and Jane Whaley before and we will again as we review further the material in “Raven” by Tim Reiterman with John Jacobs (copyright ©1982 Tim Reiterman, Introduction copyright 2008 by Tim Reiterman, ISBN 978-1-58542-678-2); the authors tell “The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People”. For now I will include the two links and then continue the review of this article.
More From “The Raven” and More From The “Raven” (2)
Rudin outlines some of the basic known events surrounding Jim Jones and his rise to power, his abuses and the tragic end. For those who are unfamiliar with the events involving Peoples Temple- it is a good introduction. From the article:
It’s been 35 years since 918 people, including 257 children, died on Nov. 18, 1978, at the Peoples Temple massacre in Jonestown. The mass murder inside the South American jungle commune in Guyana was engineered by Jim Jones, a murderous cult leader, and was the only time in American history a member of Congress, Leo Ryan, D-Calif., was killed in the line of official duty.
Rudin goes on to make points that intrigued me when comparing the experience I had at Word of Fellowship (WOFF) to what is known about Peoples Temple. Here is the first paragraph that caught my eye:
“Jones employed mind control techniques, including blaring his constant sermons and speeches on loudspeakers day and night, interrupting normal sleep patterns. He physically separated married couples, controlled the community’s diet and banned communication with the outside world. He required long hours of hard labor in the tropical heat and humidity, and no Peoples Temple members were permitted to leave the jungle compound.”
Three characteristics noted by Rudin as “mind control techniques” were common during my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). First, “He (Jones) physically separated married couples…” Married couples were separated at WOFF for various reasons – the outcome of which is to subvert the decisioning control and cohesion that should be between married couples. Children were also separated from their parents if Jane determined the parents “don’t have a hold of them in God.” Jane assumed custody “in the spirit” of many of the children in WOFF. Who can deny that? This euphemistic statement was her excuse to supersede the authority of the parents in many if not ALL decisions about the children inside of WOFF. From the testimony of those who have left after me, these practices have not changed.
Next, Rudin mentions- “(Jones) banned communication with the outside world…” Jane Whaley has practiced information control for YEARS! She filters, monitors and decides what her members will read or consume. This is especially true for those in the lower ranks of the pyramid structure. Her excuses for doing this included having access to magazines, newspapers, television and the Internet will cause them to “sin.” Can any WOFF member in all honesty can deny that practice?
Again, Rudin mentions this about Jones- “He required long hours of hard labor…” Would a WOFF member deny that there were and still are periods of long hours of hard labor for them? Does the term- “work project” mean anything to WOFF members? In years past, I remember some working all night into the wee hours and maybe getting a nap before getting back up to go to work at their day job. This “work project” requirement of course interrupted normal sleep patterns.
From the article: “Even as the Peoples Temple fades into history, Jonestown is a bitter reminder of what happens when people surrender their emotional and moral independence and become spiritual slaves to evil leaders who guarantee salvation, eternal life, utopia either here on earth or in outer space.”
Can this statement be true for those involved at WOFF? “…a bitter reminder of what happens when people surrender their emotional and moral independence and become spiritual slaves to evil leaders who guarantee salvation, eternal life…” I believe so since I lived it. Membership in WOFF REQUIRES you to surrender emotional and moral independence and succumb to a state of spiritual slavery that is NO different from those members of Peoples Temple. And yes, the entrapment includes promises about salvation and eternal life for those who live the “God’s way” as seen through Jane’s eyes…
Rudin concludes-“ Jones evolved into a monster when he discovered he could manipulate and dominate people with false promises. Jones was a mass murderer, but he did not have to invent lethal poison, harsh re-education camps or isolated gulags. Years earlier, Adolf Hitler, Mao Tse Tung and Joseph Stalin wrote the book that Jim Jones malevolently followed.” After noting the similarities between such obviously deviant leaders and Jim Jones, one must wonder how far into “the book” Jane Whaley will go? She has already adopted several chapters into the dynamics of her group. When will she be stopped?
As Monday approaches and the 35th anniversary comes and goes, let us NOT forget the lessons and the reality of Jim Jones and the end of Peoples Temple members at Jonestown. May the lessons learned cause us to act in warning others and exposing the lies of the systems that employ the techniques Jones used to hurt many people in order to enhance his life. In my opinion, Jane Whaley is doing the very same things Jones did by employing many of the same methods he used. Who can deny that with a clear conscience?
Will Jane Whaley read this article or even this post to her members? As far as I can recall, the Jonestown tragedy was never discussed at WOFF. Is there a wonder why? How many of her faithful followers will never be given the opportunity to learn the lessons from Peoples Temple and the Jonestown massacre by reading about it? Will the day come when many WOFF members realize these lessons through reflection on their time inside of WOFF? We can certainly hope sooner rather than later.
We will continue our comparisons between Jim Jones and Jane Whaley in future posts from other resource material. Please, return and continue to read this blog. Share what you learn with others.
And with that, let us remember:
“It is never too late to wake up and leave and reclaim your life!” Steve Hassan
Thank you, for taking time to visit and read this blog. Please, consume the information on this site responsibly. The author is not a licensed mental health professional and encourages those that need professional help to seek it. The intent of the material is to inform and be a resource. Be sure to tell every member that you know at WOFF about this blog. There are readers at WOFF. Jane told me. Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.
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Please, take time to read the Terms of Use for this personal blog. As mentioned, for posts written by John Huddle, any information about WOFF is from his memories and recollections as perfect as that may be or not be. Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted. (Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ) This is post number 446.