Category Archives: Behavior Control

“Seductive Poison” by Deborah Layton- Voice of a Survivor

    We will break away from our series about the possible defenses for Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), to consider excerpts from the book, Seductive Poison by Deborah Layton (copyright 1998 – Anchor Books, ISBN 0-385-48984-6)  The author gives a fascinating account of the her seven year involvement and escape from the Peoples Temple. The Peoples Temple was run by Jim Jones. He led church members on a journey from Indiana to California to Guyana, South America. They built a “utopian society” called Jonestown. On November 18, 1978, over 900 people died in Jonestown, almost a third of them were children. Deborah Layton escaped a few months before the tragedy and tried to convince others that circumstances in Jonestown were grave. Some listened and believed her.  

   In future posts, I will quote parts of this book in laying out similarities in the practices of Peoples Temple and WOFF.  In previous posts, I have quoted Deborah Layton from a PBS documentary produced in 2007 called “Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple”. She made it clear that no one actually joins a “cult”. People join groups that they think will help them, not hurt them. As I look back over my time at WOFF and the net effects from that experience, I see I was completely unaware that my involvement in that group would affect my life, as it has. What started out as an apparent beneficial membership in a church in Greenville, SC has evolved into a bitter/sweet experience affecting more than just my life. As Deborah Layton explains, “If I, as a young woman had had someone explain to me what cults are and how indoctrination works, my story might not have been the same.” (page 299)

     Layton lays out how a person could become involved in a “cult”, as well as the warning signs from Peoples Temple. These keys are found in the Epilogue of “Seductive Poison”:

Continue reading “Seductive Poison” by Deborah Layton- Voice of a Survivor

What Are the Possible WOFF Defenses? Part 3

Possible WOFF Defenses- Part 3 “Freedom of Religion”

    For the last few days, I have considered the content of this post and how to present it in the most accurate way. My concern has been that in the current political climate, there are those who wish to update or rewrite the U.S. Constitution, as they feel it was written in times wheen the Founding Fathers could not have fathomed the issues facing the country today. I do not agree and proceed with caution. My purpose is not to undermine or hinder in any way the intent of the Founders for the First Amendment and its construction.  

Obama rips U.S. Constitution- Faults Supreme Court for not mandating ‘redistribution of wealth’

Posted: October 27, 2008- 1:46 pm Eastern © 2010 WorldNetDaily Here is a small clip…

“In a newly unearthed tape, Obama is heard telling Chicago’s public station WBEZ-FM in 2001 that “redistributive change” is needed, pointing to what he regarded as a failure of the U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren in its rulings on civil rights issues in the 1960s.”

(see more here.. http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=79225 )

    In order to make my point, let’s consider the US Constitution and the Amendments as a fortress. This fortress is to protect legal citizens from the oppression and tyranny of a Government, out of control and bent on controlling the citizens for the support of a rogue agenda. Inside the fortress, in a perfect world, all citizens would understand the necessity of respecting each other’s freedoms and unalienable rights. There is in a “perfect” state, mutual respect and honor given to each other for the edification of all citizens. Citizens from this fortress would be elected to take positions on the walls and govern others. Certainly, this is a simplistic model for sure.

Continue reading What Are the Possible WOFF Defenses? Part 3

What Are the Possible WOFF Defenses? Part 2

      Possible WOFF Defenses- Part 2 – Jane Whaley Thinks She is Right!

      Recently, I heard someone commenting on the delusion of a famous person. He said that this person did not live in or see the reality of their actions. This famous person thought that they were actually helping folks! When in reality, the long term effects if not changed, will affect millions of folks negatively, for years to come.

    Then it suddenly dawned on me…. Jane Whaley thinks she is helping folks! She must believe she is fulfilling God’s work regardless evidence of the destroyed lives. She must think she is helping improve the lives of members by controlling them and not allowing them to experience freedoms that she and her leadership enjoy every day!

     Jane Whaley thinks she is right!  She believes she does no wrong. Jane must feel TOTALLY justified in living her life, as she does. She must have no qualms about keeping ministry spending secretive. She must have no objections to publically berating members and embarrassing by telling them they will not make it with God and will go to hell. From my perspective, she had no conviction about telling a class of high school girls that they were “homely” looking. (see post here https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=918 ..) She expressed some surface concern about having “enough clothes to cover two city blocks”. (I am not sure if that included her shoes…) This confession did not seem to change her shopping habits. She felt completely justified in acting as a third party medical debt collector. There were no regrets expressed in the meeting described here.. https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=235

     Jane Whaley does not see her ministry as destroying individuals or families. How would I know? How likely is it that Jane could continue with the charade knowing her whims, edicts, antics and “words from God” were responsible for tearing families apart? Would it not follow that Jane believes she is helping people? She believes she is helping others to hear Jesus and fulfill the call of God. For the spouse, family or individual that leaves Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF)- they “just did not want to give up their sin”… After all, what good reason would there be to leave the safest, most holy place on earth? There was/is some strong rationalization going on to cover up or spin the reasons that people have left or will leave WOFF.

   Continue reading What Are the Possible WOFF Defenses? Part 2

Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Part 5

    We are wrapping up our series as an answer to the question from our title- “Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Our direction is still with the list of unalienable rights which members of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) must surrender in order to continue with the group.  Our source for the list of unalienable rights is listed in the book, “The Five Thousand Year Leap” by W. Cleon Skousen (copyright C&J Investments, ISBN 0-9815596-6-2). There are 22 rights listed, we are only reviewing a few of them that are obvious ones which WOFF members surrender. A more complete discussion of each right and how controlling groups violate these rights would be a topic taken up in a different forum.  I recommend that readers obtain a copy of the book in order to read and study the entire work of the author.

    Skousen’s list on page 95 continues:

    “The right to free association”    This right is null and void with a membership at WOFF. The timing of just how this right disintegrates in the lives of individual members varies. There is a push for new members to break off old relationships and only associate with WOFF members. “You need to be around the people of God”. “Can your relatives who are not in WOFF and your old friends- draw you “closer to Jesus”?” It may start with not being allowed to visit relatives on holidays or your friends on a weekend visit back to your hometown. If you are allowed to go, many times another WOFF member is sent home with you to “guard” and make sure you don’t “come under attack”. The companion WOFF member would stay in contact with leadership or Jane Whaley  about the trip and how the WOFF members were being received, what situations there were to walk through and if the new WOFF member was acclimating well to their “new place in God”.

     WOFF standards which would cause situations when visiting relatives or former friends would be clothing of other folks in the group (especially in the summer..), dealing with TV or radios/stereos being played in the presence of WOFF members, newspapers and magazines laying out that might catch the attention of the new WOFF member. It also would be a concern who would be with the new WOFF member alone- if anyone.  Another situation could come up over where to eat-out, which place serves alcohol? WOFF member shun places that serve alcohol. (sorta…)  

Continue reading Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Part 5

Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Part 4

     Again, we are continuing our series as an answer to the question from our title- “Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Our direction is still with the list of unalienable rights which members of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) must surrender in order to continue with the group.  Our source for the list of unalienable rights is listed in the book, “The Five Thousand Year Leap” by W. Cleon Skousen (copyright C&J Investments, ISBN 0-9815596-6-2). There are 22 rights listed, we are only reviewing a few of them that are obvious ones which WOFF members surrender. A more complete discussion of each right and how controlling groups violate these rights would be a topic taken up in a different forum.  I recommend that readers obtain a copy of the book in order to read and study the entire work of the author.

    Skousen’s list on page 95 continues:

     “The right to privacy” This was considered an unalienable right by our Founding Fathers. From what I can tell, there are two ditches, so to speak in this discussion. One ditch or extreme view would be to de-regulate the activities of citizens, to allow that an act done in the privacy of the home that crosses good moral bounds should be excused, in the name of privacy. The other extreme would be to over-regulate the personal lives of citizens as to deny even the simple and obvious rights to privacy that would be confirmed by common sense and reason.

    It is odd that for a religious group such as WOFF, that demands privacy during their services by not allowing video, pictures or recording of any kind (unless determined by Jane Whaley to be appropriate for the specific occasion); they trample and destroy the right to privacy of their members in many areas. Members who live in WOFF households give up and surrender their privacy as a general rule. Some rights are given up, some are “taken” by those exercising leadership or “authority”.

     As a member, you must first understand that any “sin” found in your room, personal space, on your computer, on your phone, in your thoughts or discovered in your daily lifestyle is subject to public exposure and correction during a service- for the “learning” of all other members. Every member is responsible to expose sin in every other member. If you don’t then you are just as guilty of that sin. If you don’t realize this going in, you will soon learn by watching some other member as an example or becoming an example – yourself.

    Continue reading Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Part 4

Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Part 3

       We are continuing our series as an answer to the question from our title- “Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Our direction is still with the list of unalienable rights which members of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) must surrender in order to continue with the group.  Our source for the list of unalienable rights is listed in the book, “The Five Thousand Year Leap” by W. Cleon Skousen (copyright C&J Investments, ISBN 0-9815596-6-2). There are 22 rights listed, we are only reviewing a few of them that are obvious ones which WOFF members surrender. I recommend that readers obtain a copy of the book in order to read and study the entire work of the author.

    Skousen’s list on page 95 continues:

    “The right to beget one’s kind” At WOFF, it would be considered being “locked under authority” to ask Jane Whaley if God was saying that it was the right choice to make to bear a child and if the timing was right. She may or may not give her approval.  Does this give new meaning to family planning? The faithful WOFF member would be sure to ask before attempting to have a child, I know.

    “The right to free speech” Well, at WOFF, you can say “whatever God tells you to say” as long as it is not foolish and “sanctifies God before the people”. Translated: everyone at WOFF is responsible to watch out for everyone else. If you speak “not by the Spirit of God” about ANYTHING, your fellow WOFF member will be required to get the word to Jane, relaying what you said. Then you will be given the correction to “help you find a place of repentance” and “bring you back into your place in Jesus.” If you buck the correction or are a repeat offender, you could end up in discipleship or out of the church altogether. That is the “free” part.  

    (A side note: Deborah Layton in “Seductive Poison” (copyright 1998, First Anchor Books Trade Paperback Edition, December 1999, ISBN 0-385-48984-6) writes the following, which was told to her when she first arrived at Jonestown. (Shanda was describing the work crews at Jonestown) ”It works like this… Everyone is told they are responsible for reporting their crewmates. So, if someone writes up an incident and no one else on the crew reports it, all of you will go on the Learning Crew. It’s a guarantee that everyone writes everything up at the end of the day,” (page 158) The same arrangement worked at WOFF, if “sin” was uncovered and you knew it or saw it and did not report it when someone else did, you would be corrected and possibly spend time in discipleship or be put out of the church. Why? Because if you see it and don’t report it, you are in agreement and the “sin” is in you! Amazing how WOFF and Jonestown had/have that in common. ) Back to our list..

Continue reading Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Part 3

Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Part 2

     In the previous post, we began a series revealing why those outside of the immediate drama circle of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) should care what goes on and why. Why should those who do not have friends or relatives involved at WOFF care what happens in the group?  Isn’t the group innocuous? After all, they are always so nice and friendly. They don’t “bother” anyone…oh, really? For sure, WOFF does not advertise their record of destruction to individuals or families.  We will speak to that later in this post or the next.

      The resourceful book, “The Five Thousand Year Leap” by W. Cleon Skousen (copyright C&J Investments, ISBN 0-9815596-6-2) will be the main source for this series. This book explains in great detail the foundations and structure of our government. Our Founding Fathers put together a balanced government structure in order to not repeat the mistakes seen in governments previous to the United States. The second part of the book explains the 28 principles used as a basis for our U.S. Constitution. We reviewed the first four principles and will continue the review for the principles which I believe compose an indictment of the practices of WOFF. We will not list all 28 but, encourage our readers to obtain a copy of the book for a more complete study.

    Skousen reveals principle number 6 – “All Men are Created Equal”. Since no two human beings are exactly alike, “Then how can they be equal? The answer is, they can’t, except in three ways. They can only be treated as equals in the sight of God, in the sight of the Law and in the protection of their rights.” (page 79) Skousen goes on to quote Constitutional writer Clarence Carson as he explains two areas that people should have their equality guaranteed. “First, there is equality before the law… A corollary of this is that no classes are created or recognized by the law. Second, the Declaration refers to an equality of rights… Each man is entitled to his life with every other man; each man has an equal title to God-given liberties along with every other.” (Clarence Carson, The American tradition, Foundation for Economic Education, Irvington on Hudson, New York, 1970, pp.112-113) (page 79-80, emphasis added)

     Continue reading Why Should Others Outside of WOFF Care? Part 2