Books, Resources, Uncategorized

“How I got sucked into a cult…” from the UK

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    A few days ago, Google Alerts® provided a link to an article about Nick Skinner. I did not know who Nick Skinner was but, the title of the article caught my attention. The subtitle told me a little more: “Nick Skinner, husband of Savannah Miller, talks for the first time about life inside a Costa Rican cult.” I continued reading this article written by Lynne Wallis and knew it had many points that could prove helpful to our readers.

  According to Steven Hassan, a leading cult expert, there are four main types of cults. We have reviewed mostly religious cults on this blog. Other that religious cults, there are political groups, therapy/large group awareness training groups and commercial groups. Source: “Releasing the Bonds” (Copyright© by Steven Hassan 2000, A Freedom of Mind Press Book, ISBN: 0-9670688-0-0) It helped me to review this article and see the common techniques used in the group Nick Skinner became a part of and the practices of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). The link to view the entire article is here – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9061694/How-Igot-sucked-into-a-cult.html . We will only review certain parts that coincide or appear similar to the practices of WOFF we have discussed here on this blog.

  Skinner begins, “People don’t tend to go looking to join a cult,” he says. “Instead, curious and often idealistic people are led into recruitment and their lives are then ruined. That is certainly what happened to me.”  Well, that seems to fit the WOFF experience. How many WOFF members, present and pervious were drawn into Jane Whaley’s group by their desire to “know God”, have a family living in God’s ways… I can say for myself that there was certainly the curious idealism that led me to be a part of WOFF. Oh, it was disguised as “seeking the call of God” or “wanting to know more of God’s ways”. In reality, I look back and remember the curiosity and desire to live the life God had for me and yet I did not use any discernment or verify anything about WOFF. It was so easy to believe what was going on at WOFF as being the “move of God”… because I wanted to believe it.  I have done more research about a car I wanted to buy than performing any research or verifying the past of Sam and Jane Whaley. That was sad to realize.

   Continue reading “How I got sucked into a cult…” from the UK →

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

The “It Hurts” Post by Jan Groenveld

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 The following post came to my attention recently. I may have read it before, but was not ready to admit how much truth was in it. Today, I read it and instantly knew it had to be shared here. First, let’s review a little background about the author. “Jan Groenveld (1945 to October 22, 2002) was a former member of the LDS Church and the Jehovah’s Witness.[1] She spent a total of fifteen years in these organizations before leaving them in 1975.[1][2] After her negative experiences in these organizations, she resolved to make more information about what she saw as “cults” available to the general public.”

 

 

Jan Groenveld
Jan Groenveld

“The most dangerous lie is that which most closely resembles the truth.”Jan Groenveld

Continue reading The “It Hurts” Post by Jan Groenveld →

Books, Resources, Information control, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

More Conflictions, Conundrums and Confusion… VIDEOS!

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Not all posts end when I finish writing them. Many times I keep learning even after I have written about a subject here on this blog. This subject of conflictions, conundrums and confusion is one of the areas of new learning. I continue to see areas that confuse me about Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) and its members. The confusion is especially evident in the advertising that the WOFF member-owned businesses are doing! These things just did not occur when I was in WOFF. This all makes me wonder if members are allowed to skip free through Youtube®?  Or can they now ride the wild Internet any time they chose? Somehow I doubt that …. But, here is some new information to consider.

As mentioned in the previous post, Rutherford County is starving for jobs. The new Facebook® hub will help. Still many leave the county for work every day. When I was inside WOFF,  I worked outside the county most of the time. Some days I drove up to an hour or more one way to work. Several others inside WOFF do the same or more. During one stretch while working for Two Mile Properties; I traveled to North Augusta to work. Our first stop in reviewing the confusions will be Two Mile Properties (TMP). My unique experiences will be saved for another post. Today, we will let others talk about TMP. First off, property management was a difficult business. It was so tough to make everyone happy all the time. That being said; I did a simple search and found these reviews….

What do you want to know?

Do not live on any of their properties they are cult owned, by word of Faith Fellowship…..bad news – By rucrazy on October 02, 2009 at 09:54 AM

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

“Best of” WOFF Conflictions, Conundrums and Confusion…

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  As I was traveling in my car last Wednesday, my radio was tuned to a local station in Rutherfordton, NC. As happens many times, one can be listening and not really hearing what is being said or the music being played. Actually, I was half listening- that is until a commercial played for a company I was very familiar with: Carlson-Farmer Construction Company. Last I knew this company was owned by Kris Carlson and Ray Farmer. Both of these men and all of their employees attend Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale, NC. Many of them I had known very well over the years I attended WOFF. Why bring this up? The irony of a WOFF-member owned company using the radio to advertise for business struck me as odd and full of hypocrisy! WOFF members are NOT allowed to even LISTEN to the radio! Ask RL! He was “corrected” several times in front of us all for listening to the radio and reading the newspaper! Any member of WOFF who has been there for any length of time has already met with “the authority of God” in this area. Her name is Jane Whaley.

   The thought of using the exact thing that Jane Whaley said could take you out of the move of God and into hell, to solicit business seemed wrong! But, that thought reminded me of years ago when I was working for Two Mile Properties in Gaffney, SC and then in Spartanburg, SC. I was the manager of two different apartment complexes over a period from January 2003 until August of 2005. During that time, it was approved to use the newspaper to advertise for renters for the apartments. Naturally, I had to verify the ads were running. So, I had to buy a paper and at least look at the classifieds. At first, I was hesitant because reading the newspaper was billed as something to take you out of the move of God and into hell. Wow! What a conundrum! Required to read it and told not to read it! That was pretty indicative of several things while being a part of WOFF! 

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Behavior Control, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Jane’s Perception Became Your Reality…

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   Today, in a conversation I had with someone who had never been a member of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), I tried to explain to them how a member of WOFF could be accused and found guilty of a sin, while never committing the act. Jane Whaley uses the Scripture in Matthew 5:27-29- (Amplified Version)

 27You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. 28But I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  29If your right eye serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be cast into hell (Gehenna).

   I was not trying to explain the correct way to incorporate this in one’s life, I was trying to explain how Jane uses this passage to control members- often members who are younger and may not have any idea what the term describing the sin act – actually meant. If Jane perceived that a member had a thought or evil desire, then she often would press for a confession to confirm her “word from God”. The pressure could be light at first, and then increase intensity as she would be convinced she had heard God and that member was in sin. This tactic was not limited to Jane, as many in leadership would have the same “skill” to root out sin in WOFF members. Remember, the environment we are talking about- a pyramidal control structure. Regular members toward the bottom of the pyramid had more “leadership” above them looking at them and pressing them to open their heart and expose their sin. A few young boys (men, now) have confided in me that they would confess to sin when they did not actually know what the sin act consisted of. Many times, this was sexual in nature. After leaving, one man told me he found out what he confessed to and was mad since he had never done that act. Other told of being required to write their confessions. After they left WOFF, they would be reminded of their written confessions and that they could/would be used against them, if they attacked! Can you say black-mail or at the least- WOFF-mail?

  Continue reading Jane’s Perception Became Your Reality… →

Uncategorized

Forgive and Forget?

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   There are people from many walks of life that read this blog. Some are former Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) members but, many are not. Some readers are survivors from other groups. Inevitably when discussing the religious cult question or any other subject that involves abuse, someone will put forth the notion that we must “forgive and forget” and move on. Yes, there are many references to forgiveness in the Bible and it is a prudent thing to consider for anyone who has been wronged. Where does the command to forget how one has been treated or abused fit in? If there is a fading of the intensity of the emotions that were present during the abusive acts- does that equal “forgetting”? What benefit is there from forgetting abuses done to you or to ones you love? Is the proof of forgetting reflected in a not caring for those who remain in the abuse and doing nothing to help them escape their real time surreal destructive world? Can someone forgive and yet continue to fight for those who remain in abuse? I believe so.

   A comment submitted by Don and Angie Tumioli to the recent post titled- “But, that is no excuse for us to tolerate it here…” (link- https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=4859 ) The subject of the post dealt with the question of religious slavery. The comment contained some excellent insight into the question for “forgive and forget”. I felt it appropriate to include this in the post as we have just passed another celebration marking the life and deeds of Martin Luther King, Jr. From the comment: “…You can forgive someone as Jesus did when he said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. Yet Jesus spent a large portion of his life preaching to the hypocrites and pointing out that they were the ones that were keeping others from entering the kingdom of God. Yes, I can understand the example set by Jesus. He, who knew no sin, forgave those who sought to harm him. But, he did not stop from exposing their oppressive and harmful ways.

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

“But, that is no excuse for us to tolerate it here…”

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   There are times when watching a movie that you get caught up in the plot and seemingly forget your own life and struggles. Maybe that is the attraction to so many folks watching movies in this country. Recently, I watched “Gods and Generals” (Warner Home Video and AOL Warner Company presenting a Ted Turner Film, Antietam Filmworks Production, a Ron Maxwell Film, Copyright©2002 Ted Turner Film Properties, LLC) From the back cover- “Based on Jeffrey M. Shaara’s bestseller, Gods and Generals recounts the fierce allegiances and combat of the early Civil War. Ronald F. Maxwell directs the prequel to his Gettysburg, framing the story with three bold men and three fateful battles. The men: Joshua Chamberlin (Jeff Daniels), “Stonewall” Jackson (Stephen Lang), Robert E. Leee (Robert Duvall). The battles: Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville. Through these combatants and conflicts we witness bravery and strife of a nation at war with itself.”

  During my viewing of this film, I must admit, at least for a few minutes, forgetting about my life and the present events unfolding. Yes, this film is a representation of what happened and can only in a very small way capture the depth of the struggles, emotions and turmoil of the times. I knew this going in. But, during this film there was a scene that woke me up and captivated me in a very intriguing way. It was during a monologue by Joshua Chamberlin. This scene takes place as Chamberlin leads his brother, Tom to a view point over a river. I will paraphrase the introduction as Chamberlin points out to his brother that each person in the army of thousands is loved by someone, a whole person loved or cherished in a home far away. “Many of them will never return.”

   Next, he describes armies as tools of power meant to coerce others. He goes on to recognize that they have seen more suffering than any man should ever see. And if there is going to be an end to it, then it must “be an end that justifies the cause.”  Then he swings his arm out over the valley below and says, “Somewhere out there is the Confederate Army. They claim they are fighting for their independence, their freedom. Now, I cannot question their integrity. I believe they are wrong, but, I cannot question it. But, I do question the system that defends its own freedom while it denies it to others, to an entire race of men. I will admit it Tom; war is a scourge, but, so is slavery. It is the systematic coercion of one group of men over another. It has been around since the book of Genesis. It exists in every corner of the world. But, that is no excuse for us to tolerate it here, when we find it right before our very eyes, in our own country. As God is my witness, there is no one I hold in my heart dearer than you. But, if your life or mine is part of the price to end this curse and free the Negro, then let God’s will be done.”  

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