Books, Resources, Uncategorized

Does the Green River Run Through Spindale? (Videos)

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Yesterday, I was attempting to work from home and was very distracted. On a lark, I had turned on the television and stumbled upon a movie about the Green River Killer. My knowledge of this case had been very limited as I had only heard of it in passing as a reference on Criminal Minds®. So, I ventured a few minutes and became captivated at the struggles of the detectives to catch the individual who would later confess to murdering 71 women. The majority murders were between 1982 and 1984 and took place in the Seattle and Tacoma area. The murderer was given the title of “Green River Killer” because many of the bodies were dumped in the wooded areas along the Green River. The Green River Killer, Gary Ridgeway, was eventually apprehended on November 30, 2001 after a nineteen year search.  (see this link for an overview-  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Ridgway#Murders )

To consider the magnitude of the grief and loss for the victims, their family and friends was daunting. The community was gripped with fear for many years. I felt certain no movie could fully capture the horror and intensity of the citizens living the area during those years. After the capture of Gary Ridgeway, the authorities struck a deal to not seek the death penalty and allow him to disclose additional dump sites. The purpose was to give the families of victims’ closure from the horror of not knowing the fate of their daughters. Ridgeway was able to lead authorities to additional bodies but, admitted there were so many he had lost count.

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Books, Resources, Cult Leader News, Uncategorized

Sun Myong Moon Dies at 92 (Videos)

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On Sunday, I received a text message from CNN® saying: The Rev. Sun Myung Moon — founder of the church colloquially known as the Moonies — died early Monday in South Korea, according to the Washington Times, a newspaper that he founded, citing Unification Church leaders.

This is part one of a video of a mass wedding officiated by Moon in 1992

Admittedly, I do not have expert knowledge of Moon, but, even with what I do know; I found it hard to mourn his passing. I would venture that many of the readers of this blog may be as unlearned about Moon and his organization as I have been. This post will share some sources that will reveal things about Moon, his “religious beliefs”, his MASSIVE organization and his political power.

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When This Thing “RVs”- I Will Pay-off My Car!

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My job includes talking to folks in hard financial situations. Many times, I get to hear their plan for getting out of the financial strain that they have been experiencing. If the plan works quickly, then my contact with them is brief. For those who experience ongoing struggles, I end up talking with them for much longer periods of time.

There is one fellow I have talked to almost every month for over two years. Let’s call him Rob, since I can’t use his real name.  For a while, the story was the same, I will mail the check next week. For the most part, he did exactly what he said he would do and the conversation was once or at the most, twice a month. Rob has been very pleasant and positive. He has been cheerful, polite and almost always ending his conversation with – “Thank you, brother.” For those unfamiliar with this phrase, in the South, it is a term generally used to acknowledge you as a “brother in the Lord.” Looking back I can’t remember at what point that started or what would prompt him to say it. But, I let him continue and do not add to the comment.

Over the last few months, Rob has added a statement to his plans to pay. One day he said, “When this things RV’s, I am going to pay-off my car!” It was as if he was continuing in the middle of a conversation he had been having in his mind. Not being familiar with the term “RV”, I let it pass and decided to see if he mentioned it again. The next month, he said it again. By the third month I was feeling ignorant, but, still did not ask him. Finally, after several months he added a tidbit saying “My pastor said this thing will RV soon…” OK, I am all over this being curious what a pastor meant by “RV”.

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Information control, Uncategorized

Why Do Members Stay? (video)

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Over the last few years since leaving Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), several folks at different times have asked this question or one similar. Why do people stay inside WOFF? For many, the idea behind the question is: John, if things are as bad as you say, why don’t folks just leave? For those being more inquisitive, they are asking me: John, if it was that bad, why did you stay for so long? These are very fair questions. In this post, I will share an answer from a cult expert and add my reflections to help complete the answer for my situation.

During my research, I came across a video put out by Steven Hassan. This video is an informal conversation filmed in a hotel room about 2 years ago. The participants were Steven Hassan a leading cult expert, Attorney Paul Grosswald, ex-Scientologist, and Karen Pressley also a former high ranking ex-Scientologist. Much of the content does center on Karen’s experiences and her successes since leaving the group. During the discourse, there are several notable quotes which include answers to why folks stay in controlling groups, as well as other points of interests for those trying to understand the cult experience.

Before we begin, let me explain that I have no experience with Scientology or the Moonies. The purpose of this video is only as an aide to help answer the question: Why do members stay? The video is over fifty (50) minutes long and there is no way I can review the full content here. For this post, we will just hit on some major keys for understanding given by the participants. Some of the terms describing the rules or actions within Scientology were foreign to me and can only be explained by context.

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

Is “Surfing” Allowed Inside of WOFF?

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What triggers memories for you? Do you remember things best from sights or sounds? When you come across a particular aroma, does that aroma trigger memories? Tonight, for me it was a particular sound. The sound was the plethora of often indistinguishable noises that come out of an AM radio at night time. Let me explain the path of memories this “noise” took me on this evening.

Many years ago as a child, I was given a small handheld AM radio. Maybe there was an FM band, but, I doubt it. This would have been in the mid 1960’s. As far as I remember, my grandfather gave me this electronic treasure. It was probably a Christmas present purchased from Sears and Roebuck. The radio was battery powered and one that could be easily held while drifting off to sleep. That is what I remember doing for some years as a young boy. Music, sports and news filled the airwaves then. Talk radio as we know it today was non-existent. I would slowly push the tuner to catch the next strong station from states far away… It was a fascinating hobby for me at that age.

Tonight, as I drove home from work, I continued this habit begun many years ago. I turned the car radio to the AM band and began to surf the stronger stations that my car antenna would receive. To my dismay, I could not find a particular sporting event which I knew would be broadcast from somewhere… it just happened not anywhere I could hear. But, that did not stop me, as I still found it a challenge to listen to a radio show and try to figure out what state the radio station was broadcasting from. Now, for those fellow radio surfers, you know some of the larger AM stations. There is 1510 WLAC out of Nashville, 660 WFAN out of New York, 1120 KMOX out of St. Louis, 720 WGN which transmits out of Chicago and WSB 750 out of Atlanta. When it comes to talk show or interview show, not every time to I agree with the point of view being put forth; but, it is still fun to listen.

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

Bullying in the Name of Jesus…

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This evening after work, I watched an episode of “Without a Trace”. The story line was about a young boy who was harassed, physically pushed, mocked and jeered by his classmates because he appeared weak and not cool. The episode was originally aired in 2004 on CBS and was titled- “Wannabe”. Here is a plot summary:

The FBI investigates the disappearance of Eric Miller, a middle school student who disappeared during a bathroom break. He was only away for about ten minutes, so either he or his suspected kidnappers may have known what would happen. The investigators learn that Eric had low self-esteem and saw himself as part of the loser crowd at school. When his friend tells Agent Johnson about a bullying incident and they also locate a surveillance video from a local arcade showing an older boy pushing him, they realize they may have something other than a kidnapping.

A second plot summary reads as follows:

The “Without a Trace” team is called to a school after the sudden and unexplained disappearance of a pupil during a bathroom break in class. What at first seems like a sinister kidnapping soon leads the team into high school culture and on a trail of bullying and violence.(emphasis added)

 (source link- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0749727/plotsummary )

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

Did You Win a Medal? (Videos)

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As a beginning, let me thank all the faithful supporters and blog readers who have contacted me over these last few weeks to check on me. Yes, it has been over five weeks since I have written a post. What would explain the absence? In part, I will share that I have been recounting the losses and assessing the aftermath of my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). At times, I have ignored or denied that the losses were as devastating as they actually turned out to be. During these last few weeks, life events have occurred for the family that remains inside WOFF. I was not invited, asked to participate or briefed on the outcome.  There has been no contact in reference to these events or others that are yet to come. Admittedly, it would have been awkward to revisit WOFF, as I am told that I am forbidden to step foot on their property. Shocked?  All that being said, it is still regrettable beyond words, and more accurately, a severe life-changing emotional tragedy to realize the outcome for once being a part of Jane Whaley’s kingdom. Words are often shallow and do not come with enough color or accuracy to describe to others the pain of losing the family you had been with for over twenty years- all in the name of a religious cult.

But, where will I go from here? That is still to be determined. For certain, I don’t plan to stay in the gully of despair or in the ditch of rejection and pass the days away lamenting what could have been. No. In conjunction with recounting the losses, I have been setting my sights on the future. As other survivors learn, I have also found to be true; the road to a positive future can sometimes be elusive and hard to navigate. What do the next few years hold? None of us knows for sure. But, I am determined to find a more rewarding life-path than these last four years have been.

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