Named after the Reverend Jim Jones and his 1100 disciples, the Peoples Temple became known as a place of mass murder and suicide as 913 members wound up dead. of Corrections: Clarification needed for cult leaders release | KRQE News 13. so he took me, we went to the bedroom and laid down, and he held me, and
because periodically, through that 15 years, Jesus was going to come. got done there, my mind ached. what happened to the strong city cult - devaranaspaegypt.com It makes a better story if your cult is somehow persecuted, the old us against the wicked rest of the world. On November 18, 1978, in Guyana, it was reported that Congressman Leo J. Ryan and four others of his party were shot as they attempted to leave what was known as Jonestown. Posted by Michael Travesser at 1:34 PM | (17) Comments, I am writing to the family to give an overall view of the events of our last twenty one years together as a church family. expert on cults. Claimed to be God and that Doomsday would be on October 31, 2007 is at midnight when there would be an event of apocalyptic proportions, marking the end of the world. Her mother and father still live in the compound. [22], Wayne Bent was paroled from prison in February 2016 after being diagnosed with a cancer that threatened the hearing in his left ear. As leader of a cult in a remote corner of New Mexico called Strong City, this 66-year-old former sailor, previously called Wayne Bent, has spent nearly 20 years preparing his 56 unquestioning and devoted followers for Doomsday. The married father-of-three cult leader testified that the 14-year-old came to his house late at night after he was in bed and asked to be skin-to-skin with me. Bent said there was space between him and the girl and that he was wearing undershorts; the girl had testified she believed he was naked. For a little background, Wayne Bent is now 70 years old and has been the leader of a small religious cult in New Mexico called "Strong City". who was doing surgery. It is something that's spiritually discerned. On October 31st, 2007 (the day the world is supposed to end) Anthony notes in an excerpt from his Journal: 31 October: Spend the day filming landscapes. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I love him with all my heart. We felt a visit to the cults website was in order to see how they were dealing with the letdown of no doomsday. KING: we'll be right back with more. Your thoughts, beliefs and even attitudes are inconsistent. completely convinced of his own righteousness. Both fictional characters that were devised by cultural norms, both have been reinforced by society collectively for decades. WELCH: They want to be there. She's a psychotherapist, an
Be Sure! GOAL! Serial Killers - Psychology of Cult Leaders, Serial Killers, & Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, Ep: 10 - Jim Jones And The Jonestown Massacre- The Psychology of Cults and Mass Suicide, Ep: 224 - Scale of Evil, Part 13: Torture Murders - The Psychology of Murder, Ep: 222 - CBT 101 (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) - A Therapist Explains CBT . up on each other, of about 50 years. never seen him contrive a story once for his own self- interest. Its just gonna be awesome to leave this world behind. The babies and small children, over two hundred of them, were first, with the poison poured into their mouths with syringes. Oregon. Travesser/Bent insisted the act was spiritual, not sexual, saying he never touched the girls inappropriately and that he was convicted over the rumors of [his] enemies who just hate [his] kind of living.. Bent has since stated, "I am the embodiment of God. That was - I would say that was just a lie. own way to get his own needs met. It adds flavor to our lives, but we also must be careful about what we choose to believe in. Now, here's how he explained it in the documentary. How Did Linda Kasabian Die? The Former Manson Family Member Passed 53 While Wayne Bent has refused interviews, he posted a message on the group's Web site, StrongCity.info, after getting out of jail on Saturday. Except for, of course, the Cult Leader. Prior to his work with the Strong City Cult, Wayne Bent had served as a minister for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. And I'll say more than that. Tornadoes and strong winds caused severe damage in Roger Mills County. [3] Bent, once a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, left his denomination with others of like mind in 1987 and has since referred to that church as one of the "daughters of the great harlot" condemned in the book of Revelation. GoStats provides a free hit counter for your site. people. Businesses owned by locals as opposed to large corporations give the district more cultural weight. says he is, and he is telling the truth. He cleverly manipulated his followers into a scenario where he plays both the Arsonist and the Firefighter. him and his rights under New Mexico law, and, of course, his Miranda
Your father was arraigned today. He wants to explain
KING: Isn't this kind of a - for want of a better word - strange
My mind hurt, by the time I
SHILLING: No, sir. like to say about it is that we were treated exceptionally well while we
Their 'Messiah.' He claimed that he was the 'chosen one'. Former Strong City Cult Member Speaks Out | Fox News Were not quite sure who the persecutors are that Michael refers to. Take Santa Claus, for example. We think of it as something that is necessarya must have ingredient for a healthy life. Seems like a good deal, right? afterwards. The leader of an apocalyptic New Mexico cult who is serving a 10-year sentence for molesting a teenage girl is set to get an early release to undergo cancer treatment. Madonna was accused of shunning her brother but truth is complicated KING: Allen Armstrong, what drew you to it, and why did you leave? Do you know, Captain, if any of his followers were in court today? his father is, I'm a born again Christian. The leader; Wayne Bent, known in the church as Michael Travesser claims to have conversed with God in the year 2000, when God told him that he is 'The Messiah'. BENT: My work is here. KING: Captain Shilling, what led to this investigation? J. And this is where things start to go awry. He was in court today. asking myself that same question. 21:06 GMT 26 Jan 2016 CAPT. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Alex Murdaugh unanimously found GUILTY of murder of wife and son, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. J. After using the city for a movie in 1952, he returned in 1966. And I
ears hear. You can check out his Doomsday Diary on the event here. View history The Lord Our Righteousness Church, sometimes called Strong City, is a religious community near Clayton, Union County, New Mexico. And once they are out, they start to realize that all the rationalizations they created, all the compromises they made, were created by that one kid in the sandbox to keep everyone in line. initially started off about three weeks ago, when Children Youth and
And so, let him who has eyes see, and let her who has
SHILLING: Larry, I do not. No one comes to the Father except through me.". W. BENT: Could you not answer that question yourself? 50 miles from the nearest town, they are purposely isolated. Christ returned, he would return into one of us. ROGER MILLS COUNTY, Okla. . because they have been so programmed for so long to really believe in
other members of the cult. The two minor children, the state's only witnesses to the facts at trial, both testified in the primary trial, in subsequent court proceedings and by affidavit, that Bent never touched them sexually in any way, and asserted that the charges against him were baseless. Sect leader Wayne Bent released from prison - Albuquerque Journal Former follower: Sect leader wanted to sleep with daughters. Esther- I think I really feel relief that its the end, Danielle- Thats what father is saying- just a little bit longer and were gonna come home where we were meant to be. ANTHONY: For awhile, I wasn't sure. Wayne Bent.com is subtitled Prisoner of the Lord, 7. Religions - The Psychology of Cults, Ep: 158 - Manson Vs. Jones - The Psychology of Cult Leaders and Serial Killers (Preview), Ep: 146 - Scale of Evil (Part 7) Cornered Killers - The Psychology of Murder, Ep: 123 - Cult Psychology: Order Of The Solar Temple, Ep: 106 - Cult Vibrations - The Psychology of Teal Swan and Cults, Ep: 90 - The Handmaid's Tale VS The FLDS Cult, Ep: 61 - Why We Fall for Stuff - The Psychology of Being Gullible, Ep: 48 - Top 10 Most Toxic Cults (Preview), Ep: 45 - The Children of Thunder Cult- The Psychology of Shared Psychotic Disorder, Ep: 25 - Cult Leaders Vs. fulfilled on October 31, 2007. He is still incarcerated. It originated with a group of about eighty adherents who migrated to the area from Sandpoint, Idaho in 2000. How do they live with the cognitive dissonance? They also unsuccessfully attempted to release toxic hydrogen cyanide at rush hour in subway stations. Is Santa not real? Yet rather than confront the reality that Santa is not real, the parent will help their child rationalize a new belief system. BEN ANTHONY, DIRECTOR: Well, it was a fascinating experience, Larry. [citation needed], A shorter version including interviews with cult experts and entitled Inside a Cult was broadcast on ABC in Australia, and the National Geographic Channel in the United States. Point, Idaho. After reading a bit more of Michael the Messiahs post on the It is Finished thread, weve come to this conclusion: What to say about a group of people who have made the decision to live in perpetual fear of this life? Matthew 24:11. And by the time my
ANTHONY: I think Wayne believes it. But I think he's just speaking, in his
You are still here. O'REILLY: Should we feel sorry for the people in the Texas cult and your cult, the New Mexico, that's still going on, too? Who knows what state theyll be in? WELCH: You're right. But there's a strong sense of delusion I feel with him, and he is
His proposed bill to ban gender studies, destroy tenure, and turn the governing of higher education over to his political hacks is a mirror image of what unfolded in Nazi Germany and other . That's why I left, because WELCH: Yeah, because they throw a fit, they play with toys. Demands like God told me I am supposed to sleep with your wife or God told me I should take your daughter as my wife, or God told me that we need to kill ourselves before the Second Coming. O'REILLY: But we've got to feel sorry for the kids. Snejana Farberov For Dailymail.com
are sand. If you don't
Welch, a former Strong City sect member. He thinks children are evil. Bent told the group this was a test of their faith. Matthew 24:24-26, 5. UPDATE 9-24-2016: Brillo, as we take these matters seriously, have conscientiously looked into your contention. Asahara was put on death row. BENT: Well, the Bible talks about the marriage of the lamb. What that means is that all those proceedings will take place in secret
Michael Travesser told his followers, "The end of the world is coming, and I am the only salvation", automatically making him King of the Sandbox. When I first joined, it was the next spring, and a few years later,
And we'll get your
In many respects, Michael Travessers Strong City Cult is a textbook example of what cult mentality looks like: mind control, herd mentality, and exploitation. And that's the marriage that these seven women have with Michael. He's a reporter with KOAT. BENT: Sir, we were divorced - separated. WELCH: Well, I think that laying naked with underage girls is illegal. And God told me personally that he is who he
Peace Week 2022: Extending the Dream Celebration. He's in jail right now. O'REILLY: It's absolutely polygamy is a crime. I don't see a problem with nakedness. 1 November: At 9am, I call Jeff from the road outside. And so he adopted the name Michael, which
I treated them with the same respect and deference as if
They are not even fully grown, and both girls agree they are looking forward to their own destruction with all their hearts. Everyone's favorite space father-son duo is finally back. History [ edit] According to Travesser it was God who gave him the Doomsday date. He will be with us the last two
Reporter. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael Travesser is the 66-year-old man they
[2]. Last month, a judge ordered Bent to be released so he could undergo the necessary procedure on his ear canal outside of the prison system. So, and then,
He became a cult leader. Oh! Imagine for one moment that your entire belief system is structured around the notion that the world is about to end. emotional state was so disengaged from what was really taking place. laying there, and it's like - for the first time, I was like, God loves
Globe Staff May 7, 2008. In the documentary, Jeff, we learned that your father had sex with your
According to court documents, Michael Travesser was supposed to be released from prison on December 15, 2010, but CBS News reported on May 9th, 2008 that he was released from prison due to a cancer on his ear. We have referred to his group in previous posts and have shared about one survivor of that group named Prudence Welch. Come on. O'REILLY: These people go in there, and then they're told by some leadership that you've got to do this to go to heaven, and the rest of America is going you guys are crazy. JEFF BENT, SON OF STRONG CITY LEADER: His legal name is Wayne Bent. Ukraine, World War 3: What does the Bible Say? Regardless of what their needs are. Its their life. would have to say good-bye to the life they know, to the entire goal of
So there's a lot of misconceptions about
Travesser/Bent runs The Lord Our Righteousness Church, a sect based in Travesser Park, New Mexico. listen to his word as though it is God's. New Mexico Supreme Court overturned his conviction. reaction. When things like this happen, the world starts to make a little less sense. declared himself the messiah. Michael Travesser & Strong City - Page 6 of 7 I just fi [13] He was held on $500,000 bond with an arraignment scheduled for May 8, 2008. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Either way, you lose what you love most to someone who does not deserve it. And then Allen Armstrong stopped by the school that I was at and
The End of the World Cult Amanda Van West Right now, let's check in with
he helped sucker me in. take care of everybody. the innocence of the leader, rather than his guilt. KING: Thank you very much, Matt Grubs and Captain Robert Shilling. well, he might come in this year or this year, and every few months,
As Cult Leaders grow in power, they often become more erratic, and so do their orders. Biblical Israel vs Secular Israel: Are they the Same? He has not, he's not an earthly
J. Church leader arrested on sex charges in northeast N.M. I am Li Qin. And so, you know, we were - it marked the beginning
They
Wayne Bent, the self-proclaimed messiah who leads that community in
worship. a voice shouted back.The boy was very surprised. Leicester were on top for half an hour. And you have to experience God forcing
During his trial, Bent denied any wrongdoing, insisting that he only placed his hands on the girls' sternums, not breasts, as part of spiritual cleansing rituals. distance entre support tuyauterie pvc. O'REILLY: Naked and unashamed before God. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-13. Copyright 2023 The Inquisitr. Was this guy doing bad things to you? How do you begin to make sense of this? Source: Home Schooling Invisible Children. him out of there. Somehow, I started
All you must do is wait. And
J. Bill recently spoke with a former member of the Strong City Cult, which will be profiled on the National Geographic Channel on Wednesday, May 7 at 10:00 p.m. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BILL O'REILLY,. Things to do in Las Vegas for Black History Month 2022 - KTNV It changes the way you behave and think. girls? Wayne Bent -- Lord Our Righteousness Church - Apologetics Index Can you explain it? In an attempt to cope with the cognitive dissonance brought on by this betrayal, your mind will begin to rationalize how the cult leader is right. O'REILLY: But that should be a signal to every one of the 50 people that the guy is a kook. BENT: Well, nakedness is a picture of what we are to be with God. It airs Saturday
Families Department here in New Mexico, Child Protective Services,
Were going back tonight to film outside the compound. to see God. he shouted."Who are you? man who, for a time in his past, was a preacher for the Seventh Day
with him in 1994 and knows more of the people in the cult. GRUBS: No they have not, Larry. that's common all across the country. One day, the little boy slipped 20-30 meters down the side of the mountain. Watch. That's why I'm not looking at bail and looking for
During the documentarywhich took place on the eve of the claimed doomsdaythere was no denial of the basic information contained in the documentarys title, which was End of the World Cult.. And I just decided I wanted to go to hell because it was much easier; I'd be happier. The Strong City Cult; also known as the Lord Our Righteousness Church, was based out of Travesser Park in New Mexico. have oil in your lamp, you're going to miss it. Anderson Cooper who hosts "A.C. 360" at the top of the hour. In April of 2007, Ben Anthony was granted rare access to the compound of the Strong City Cult. Strong City End of The World Cult - Signs of the Rapture left in 2005 and she alerted the FBI to Michael Travesser's activities. Proverbs 16:6, Third Jewish Temple: The Temple of God? me. Your cult leader will tell you what God wants, but there is no way to really truly know if those wants are those of God or the cult leader himself. so I learned of it shortly after that. Bent started to tell followers he had been anointed by God as the Messiah. My father has never insinuated or coerced or forced anybody to come to
some place or be by his presence to be saved. persona he has developed. | MORE | Severe storms with risk of tornadoes, strong winds moving across Oklahoma. Bent, who also goes by the name Michael Travesser, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of lying naked in bed with two sisters, ages 14 and 16, in separate incidents 2006 at his Strong City compound near Clayton. BENT: Well, they're not legally married. My - the mind games, if you left, you were going to be lost. what challenges do advertisers face with product placement? Indeed, children believe in these characters not because they have a good reason to, but because they were told to. RACHEL BERNSTEIN, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: That was also the most troubling part
up and wanting me to come home. father had been taken over, transformed from Jesus Christ? [1] In 2008, the community consisted of approximately fifty people. [Originally published December 27, 2007] UPDATES @ End. deception on his part. prepared to understand what it's like to have a messiah come on you and
This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation. I used to at one point, but it was like they're happy doing it, they want to do it. on an outside job or if we receive an inheritance or if somebody sends
Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Michael Drane explores the Strong City Cult and what happens the day after doomsday. It's a rock that I'm built on. J. consummation with him, our relationship was over. there was a possibility of him coming and pretty soon, it's 15 years. Wayne Bent, in a Department of Corrections photo taken the day of his parole from prison in 2016. cult leader. Top 10 Cults With Massive Followings - Listverse us some money for something, it all goes into the community fund, and we
Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. SHILLING: Larry, my understanding is, is bail was reduced from a half a
part 2. was in there a short time. When you look at what's going on in Texas now on a much larger scale, we're talking about almost a thousand people involved, a little less, it's the same mentality. Colorado and Oklahoma and Texas. The leader and Messiah of a 56 member cult in a remote area of New Mexico called Strong City, Travesser predicted the end times would be midnight, October 31, 2007 when an apocalyptic event would destroy the world. Transcription Copyright 2007 Voxant, Inc. (www.voxant.com), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. The other children do not really seem to mind though because the personality and charm of the leader is so magnetic that they will gladly do what he says. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I took off my clothes and I laid naked on his bed. Southampton 1-0 Leicester: Premier League - as it happened LAURA INGRAHAM, GUEST HOST: In the "Personal Story" segment tonight: accusations that American children are being sexually abused in religious cults. found guilty? day that leads me and interprets things for me. Wayne Bent and his group \"The Lord Our Righteousness Church\", sometimes called \"Strong City\" started their community in 2000. Here in New Mexico, those are all felonies. BENT: How am I paid? So he could conceivably finish his
All of this time together we have watched the powers of heaven battle with the dark world below, and it is clear to us now what the issues are in the spiritual realm. She spent 15 years there and
[10], Three years later, The End of the World Cult, a documentary, aired on Channel 4 in the UK. Its the end of the world as we know it. The specific date, October 31, comes from the day that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses. fulfilled October 31 last year. Also, in Albuquerque, New Mexico is Captain Robert Shilling, the
Most were in their 40s; the rest covered an age range of 26 to 72.