Category Archives: Books, Resources

Books, Resources for learning about religious cults

Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Peoples Temple vs WOFF

What Are The Questions? (2)

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    In the last post, we stated questions that have been asked about Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Some questions were about Jane Whaley, the leader. Some were about daily life at WOFF. “Why” was/is a common question and well as “how”? We shared some questions that new members have to face. Those answers would be very interesting as each new member would face them first in the church and then in their private lives. The main point being that their private life morphs/merges into their life at church. For sure, new members learn that there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed – to Jane. When a new member joins WOFF, at whatever degree or stage that is or becomes, he or she will face the realization at some point that privacy is a dwindling commodity. All facets of life merge into the realm of the church’s/Jane’s purview.

     Life at WOFF becomes all consuming- why? Why did/does membership at WOFF require ALL of a member? What other churches which claim to be “Protestant, non-denominational church…( as defined by classical Christianity) with traditional, evangelical doctrines” require so much of their members? I am not saying there are no others; I just want to know who they are… We shared about this type of group in a post from August 1, 2010- “Know the Marks of Cults” Part 6 found here: https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=2896 .

    Continue reading What Are The Questions? (2) →

Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Frederick Douglass- The Nature of Slavery (2)

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Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass 1852
    In the previous post, we began the review of a speech, “The Nature of Slavery”, by Frederick Douglass. He delivered the speech December 1, 1850. The resource text for this speech is from “Classic Speeches” (Copyright 1965, Philosophical Library Inc.) We have reviewed the beginnings of the speech and made a few conclusions to help answer the question- “Is membership in Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) a type of slavery?”  After 16 years of being under the indirect and direct influence of Jane Whaley, leader of WOFF, my search for answers continues. In this post, we will continue the review of a speech by a man who escaped slavery and sought to educate others as to its evils.

       Continue reading Frederick Douglass- The Nature of Slavery (2) →

Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Frederick Douglass- The Nature of Slavery (1)

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     In the previous post, we reviewed a speech by Henry Ward Beecher. The speech was presented in 1859, titled “The Nation’s Duty to Slavery”. The resource text for this speech is from “Classic Speeches” (Copyright 1965, Philosophical Library Inc.) We reviewed the speech and made a few conclusions to help answer the question- “Is membership in Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) a type of slavery?”.  After 16 years of being under the indirect and direct influence of Jane Whaley, leader of WOFF, my search for answers continues. In this post, we will review a speech from the same resource text, by a man who escaped slavery and sought to educate others as to its evils.  

    “Fredrick Douglass was born a slave in Tuckahoe, Maryland in 1817, presumably in February, and died, a figure of national importance, at Anacostia, D.C., on February 20, 1895… He was self-educated…. His intelligence, his greatness of spirit, and his determination to become free—a determination conceived when he was nine years old—made him a difficult slave and he was sent for a time to a notorious slave-breaker. .. but he would not be broken.” (page 181) Later, Douglass would escape slavery in a sailor’s suit. He began to tell his story and even lectured abroad in England and Ireland. “From 1871 to 1891, Douglass held various appointive offices, among them the post of counsel-general to Haiti.” (page 181) 

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Henry Ward Beecher- “… Who Shall Forbid Him?”

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     On October 30, 1859, Henry Ward Beecher preached a message at Plymouth Church titled, “The Nation’s Duty to Slavery”.  I will review this speech and attempt to draw some conclusions in reference to the question- “Is membership in Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) a type of slavery?” My resource text for this speech is from “Classic Speeches” (Copyright 1965, Philosophical Library Inc.) “Henry Ward Beecher was born in 1813…the son of the famous Calvinistic minister, Lyman Beecher. His sisters, Catherine and Harriet, were successful writers, the latter the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” (page 2) He attended seminary and was the pastor for a time of Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, N.Y. “John Hay called him “the greatest preacher the world has seen since Saint Paul preached on Mars Hill.” (page 2)

     Without surprise, there will be those who are upset with even posing the question about membership at WOFF. However, I will attempt to make a case for the question. First, let us recognize some obvious differences between the slavery of years past the WOFF-life. Slavery in this country during the time of Mr. Beecher was not optional for the slaves involved, practically speaking. There were options to end one’s involvement in slavery but, to take them could cost your life. Some took those options and made the flight to freedom. Those who escaped left familiar surroundings and some even left their families behind to take the chance at freedom. The torment of not knowing if you would make it to freedom must have been small compared to the hope of a better life.

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Adolph Hitler – “I am also religious, deeply and intrinsically religious.”

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    On November 8, 1943; Adolph Hitler gave a speech which was broadcast over The Greater German Radio. My resource text for this speech is “Classic Speeches” (Copyright 1965, Philosophical Library Inc.) Hitler’s speech would not warrant mentioning except that the text reveals what I consider some large presumptions. Before we discuss those, let’s review some background to the setting. “Adolph Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau-am-Inn, Austria.” (page 237)  Many know some of what happened in World War II. The most recognized tragic event accredited to Hitler would be the extermination of six million Jews. However, this resource puts Hitler’s career in a more defined perspective. “Hitler’s historic achievements, as head of the Nazi Party, chancellor of the Third Reich and commander of the German armed forces, can best be measured in the terms of rape of independent nations, the destruction of cities through aerial bombardment, the suppression of German domestic liberties, the seas of bloodshed in battle, the enslavement of the women and children of conquered territories and their removal to German labor camps, the extermination of six million Jews, etc. Measured in such terms his achievements were unparalleled. (page 237) From this list, I can admit that the “suppression of German domestic liberties” caught my eye. This could be one of the parts of the tragedy that gets overlooked in comparison to the horror and death he inflicted on those in other nations. As Hitler came to power, he had to first gain control of the German people by denying “domestic liberties”. What did that include? Read more about the process here- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler#Appointment_as_Chancellor 

   In 1923, Hitler was a part of a failed coup and was imprisoned for his part. Others in the failed move were not so fortunate. During his prison stay, he wrote “Mein Kampf” – My Struggle. This work included his political ideology. Eventually, Hitler would ascend to power ten years later in 1933 as Chancellor of the Germany. The events following his move into power are well documented and make for a fascinating study.

    Continue reading Adolph Hitler – “I am also religious, deeply and intrinsically religious.” →

Books, Resources, Peoples Temple vs WOFF

More From “The Raven”

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   Earlier this year, I reviewed the beginning of the “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”. “Tim Reiterman is a prizewinning journalist who extensively covered Jonestown for the San Francisco Examiner. He was wounded in the jungle airstrip attack that killed a U.S. Congressman, plus three reporters, and a Peoples Temple defector.” (from the back cover)  The link to the previous post is here… https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=2778 .  Recently, I started reading this book again and found a few points that caught my attention.

     The title of the book comes from Jim Jones’ own description of his hair color- “raven hair, as he would say later”- (page 15) Reiterman goes into great detail in telling the early years of the life of Jim Jones. This was very interesting as he outlined several episodes from Jim Jones’ childhood and younger years that seemed troubling. Jim learned to manipulate others at an early age to do his chores such as cleaning up after his many pets. “Like Tom Sawyer, he convinced them that feeding and cleaning were just another form of play. If the kids tired of this “fun”, he scolded them impatiently.” (page 16)

   Also, because of his unstable family life, he looked for family in church. “While most other children in Lynn worshipped with their parents, Jim began a solitary quest for a church that would embrace him…” (page 17) He visited several churches in town until he found the Gospel Tabernacle. “Gospel Tabernacle had started out as a storefront service for a few faithful, but the congregation had mushroomed. Now worshippers by the hundreds gathered in a solid-looking church made of glazed tan building blocks. …The Pentecostal church was considered radical; its members were called Holy Rollers for their gymnastic, almost orgiastic, services complete with boisterous healings and people babbling in tongues.”(page 17)   Continue reading More From “The Raven” →

Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Thought Reform, Uncategorized

Thought Reform? At WOFF? (9) “The Dispensing of Existence”

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   We are continuing on the subject of thought reform. This post is the ninth in a series which will tell what thought reform is and what behavior is evidence of a thought reform environment. Our reference book is “Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism” by Robert Jay Lifton (original copyright 1961, later published again in 1989, ISBN 0-8078-4253-2 [alk. Paper]). This work has been from Chapter 22 titled “Ideological Totalism”. The eighth post explained the “Doctrine Over Person” and how that affected members within WOFF. Next, we will review another characteristic of thought reform- “The Dispensing of Existence”. Did I see this characteristic of thought reform during my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF)? WOFF is run by Jane Whaley. As a review, I spent 16 years being involved in WOFF. My experience within the group is a “normal” one as far as I can tell.

   In this post, we will examine the last characteristic of the totalist environment as explained by the author- Robert Jay Lifton. Before we go on, let it be known that by writing this series, I am not claiming to have the depth of understanding that the author possesses on this subject. Also, in no way will I pretend to have written a complete argument of the thesis that I experienced these same thought reform techniques while at WOFF. I found that each time I sat down to write, more remembrances from the past came forth in relation to previously mentioned thought reform techniques. So, in short, the aim of explaining the author’s observations in comparison to my experience is in reality – a work in progress. At this time, I cannot give a methodical explanation how Jane Whaley and her leadership took on these devices that were/are also found in Chinese thought reform. The author’s ideas on the origins of thought reform should be restated here: “…the coming together of immoderate ideology with equally immoderate individual character traits—an extremist meeting ground between people and ideas. (page 419) The first post in this series is worth a reread… https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=3225

    Continue reading Thought Reform? At WOFF? (9) “The Dispensing of Existence” →