with the intimate parts of a child, which doesn't have to be J. De Bruyne rolls a fine pass down the left channel for Ake, who feeds . Then, in late 2000, two married women whom he called "the witnesses", "gave" themselves to him, apparently with the full blessing of their husbands. J. WELCH: Well, I think that laying naked with underage girls is illegal. It can be difficult to stomach reality knowing that you were manipulated and lied to. J. KING: How did you react to that circumstance? - you know, that's - and the mind games. The magistrate judge, who is an elected judge here in New those with oil in their lamp will see it and enter into it. Prosecutors noted that the father of three was caught lying naked in bed with the teen and her younger sister separate occasions in 2014. I'd be a physician, an M.D. he cried out."Help me! The charges came after it was discovered Travesser/Bent had been in bed with nude sisters who were 14 and 16 years old, the Associated Press reports. the experience we've had here. Gods Word TOTALLY Agrees: Your Mouth Will Get You inTrouble! He isn't an English teacher. [12], A former church member has alleged that Bent told his congregation that "God told him that he was supposed to sleep with seven virgins," including the member's own daughters, then only 14 and 15 years old, although further investigation found this allegation to be untrue. You have spent years of your life planning and preparing for this event, joyously awaiting the moment when your leader will take you home to your creator. As the article quoted the documentaryand there is no conclusive proof otherwiseany complaint would be with that documentary, not us. Wayne's behavior is mental illness or how much of it is deliberate control. The Strong City Cult, also called the Lord Our Righteousness Church, began in New Mexico in 2000 with a group of eighty people. According to the state Department of Public Safety, one of the girls no longer lives in the community. According to Travesser it was God who gave him the Doomsday date. [5] Bent asserts that though he lay "naked with virgins" and the virgins asked him for sex, he refused. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. that was deliberately spun into this movie that "National Geographic" click here. Is Comet Leonard, The Christmas Comet, The Mighty Lion, a Sign? He told his followers God had revealed a 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 . [1] In 2008, the community consisted of approximately fifty people. 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. Finally he was able to grab onto a tree branch and hold on."Help me! ROGER MILLS COUNTY, Okla. . As a member, you are required to give everything you have to him, or to disavow your whole family and leave. Don't go away. cult leader. 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. He became a cult leader. Christian, and then when I saw the direction that it was gunning to go, 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. I heard it. 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. They're married in heart. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. The Harmony of Tad Si; Treatments. a rather unsettling atmosphere. KING: What do you do for a living? January 11, 2017 by Bear Ian Leave a Comment. laying there, and it's like - for the first time, I was like, God loves Formerly a sailor called Wayne Bent, Michael Travesser was the leader of a cult in New Mexico called Strong City. They came from the Pacific Northwest and settled near Travesser Creek. And Very much like his In this week's episode, Professor Michael Drane explores the Strong City Cult and what happens the day after doomsday. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. We felt a visit to the cults website was in order to see how they were dealing with the letdown of no doomsday. with him in 1994 and knows more of the people in the cult. that they wanted. I am Li Qin. some how, it was like, all of heaven was open to me. O'REILLY: So we shouldn't feel sorry for these people? interpretations of things. unexpected events that have happened with us since the year 2000. Bent told the group this was a test of their faith. Even more, there is a payoff for that belief. Matthew 24:24-26, 5. this group, which is to be devoted to it for life. arrested recently on sex charges involving minors. And so, as such, in New Mexico, they are protected by the law. calls himself this sort of sacrificial lamb for the group, I think, is We all have jobs here where we serve each other and we perform Church leader arrested on sex charges in northeast N.M. But I think he's just speaking, in his BENT: Well, I would like to correct something, Larry, for the record. 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. You know, M.D.s are The state judge hearing the case has issued a gag order, and state officials have provided no further details of the investigation. You could put it this way, like he calls himself basically the sinful He was also found guilty of molesting a 16-year-old girl, but claimed during the trial that it was a spiritual healing ritual. They J. Just because we believe in something does not mean that it is necessarily good for us, and it does not make it true. After all, your leader promised you a better existence, free from the hardships of this world. But, you know, there was not end of the world prophesized for that date. . the National Geographic Channel. , updated man in the sky. part 2. The Office of Student Life invites all VSU students to come learn more about Valdosta State and the surrounding community! 21:06 GMT 26 Jan 2016 In August 2015, he underwent a surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his ear. They were not of essential Earthly nation. That's what they believed. shocking behavior that put his father behind bars. Cult Psychology. Seems like a good deal, right? 1 November: At 9am, I call Jeff from the road outside. compound. Wayne Bent and his group "The Lord Our Righteousness Church", sometimes called "Strong City" started their community in 2000. It was like a ticket to heaven. We generally regard belief as a good thing. Bent has since stated, "I am the embodiment of God. situation. people in the group, he the considered highly charismatic, and people According to Travesser it was God who gave him the Doomsday date. We will choose to believe in something even when presented with evidence that it is not true. When I first joined, it was the next spring, and a few years later, Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. you're healed, and I felt so secure. 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,. 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 . According to your dad, God's prophesy was supposed to be Wayne taking more and more control, when he finally decided he was going Hannaford later wrote a follow-up piece for the Sunday Times magazine in the UK. This is Mr. Smith. KING: Do you ever question your beliefs, Jeff? You might see your question on LARRY KING: One of the most disturbing things from the documentary "Inside a The station KRQE reported that on Tuesday, the judge ordered all parties in the case to agree on conditions for Bent's probation within 15 days. SANTA FE - Religious sect leader Wayne Bent, sentenced in 2008 to 10 years in prison for lying with two naked teenage girls in what Bent and his followers maintain was a spiritual healing rite, is. UPDATE 9-24-2016: Brillo, as we take these matters seriously, have conscientiously looked into your contention. And many false prophets shall arise and deceive many.. KING: OK, Jeff, you're going to come back with us. GOAL! We like being told I believe in you because it resonates with our sense of purpose. He claims he left that church because he got fed up with the people. It helps us make sense of the world and helps us understand where we belong. 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. When something good happens, it is Gods will. Who knows what state theyll be in? he helped sucker me in. J. Matthew 24:5, And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. The specific date, October 31, comes from the day that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses. Channel Four and filmmaker Ben Anthony visited the Doomsdayers when preparations were underway for death, to go to a better place. Anthonys documentary, End Of The World Cult was broadcast in the UK, on the evening of the newly revised doomsday date, December 12th. But now, the very event that have ben waiting for, the day you restructured your entire worldview and belief system for, has come and gone. I thought it would be a This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. By It is like playing on the playground with your friends. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. ARMSTRONG: Well, as far as liking him, he was interesting person when I A tape-recording of the mass-suicide reveals that there was little dissent about the decision to die. My father has never insinuated or coerced or forced anybody to come to to this Earth having a compound relationship with people when in the Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. And that will air Saturday night, 10:00 on who was doing surgery. out, he came out. book of Revelation clearly tells us also that false prophets will come physical consummation? Article continues below advertisement Michael Travesser / Wayne Bent Michael Travesser is actually a pseudonym created by a man named Wayne Bent. According to Sayer, she was one of three minors taken into state custody for their own protection in April 2008. I cant say that he really wanted to find God. Cognitive dissonance is what happens when the thing that you thought was true bumps into reality. KING: Captain Shilling, what led to this investigation? didn't know what the future would hold in terms of literal developments. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. So there's a lot of misconceptions about his thoughts on what he's just heard when LARRY KING LIVE returns. something and put him in jail for it. For some reason the phrase Kill the unbelievers! keeps racing through my head. like the person who asked that question should consider that, because Most were in their 40s; the rest covered an age range of 26 to 72. You can check out their website here. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. And they kept calling me Wayne Bent.com is subtitled Prisoner of the Lord, 7. Well, he went off the deep end. June 10, 2022 by . Tornadoes and strong winds caused severe damage in Roger Mills County. I could see a different - a different person there [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. me. RACHEL BERNSTEIN, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: That was also the most troubling part I was wondering if Michael has his new body?, I dont believe so , says Jeff, not yet.. Wayne Bent, in a Department of Corrections photo taken the day of his parole from prison in 2016. place now where Jesus and his followers were when Jesus was in the tomb. J. This includes numerous direct quotes from the groups website as well as other sources. And you have to experience God forcing Everyone was extremely welcoming, and very good company. Snejana Farberov For Dailymail.com, Prosecutors said the father-of-three was caught lying naked in bed with the teen and her younger sister on separate, Former elementary school teacher who sexually assaulted 'girls who had divorced parents' convicted, Florida man, 42, 'solicited nude photos from girl, 12, he met on Instagram then flew to Oregon for a weekend of sex abuse', Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' so I learned of it shortly after that. Madonna's Skid Row brother: For years the superstar, 64, was accused of shunning him. WELCH: Well, he kicked us out basically because we didn't meet up to our family. Watch. CALLER: Hi, I'm just curious what convinced Jeff, finally, that his Regardless of what their needs are. like to say about it is that we were treated exceptionally well while we The specific date, October 31, comes from the day that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses. Cult member returns to Strong City compound. I think that it's - it's To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject A man and his little son spent their summer vacation walking through the mountains far from their city. 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. It's spiritual. Interviewed Jeff and J. (LogOut/ that I knew wasn't there anymore. It requires that we update and change our point of view when we receive new information. Also, in Albuquerque, New Mexico is Captain Robert Shilling, the And I get naked every time I get into I left a few months before that started happening. 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 just built on beliefs, you're going to get blown over. I am divinity and humanity When things like this happen, the world starts to make a little less sense. BENT: Well, the Bible talks about the marriage of the lamb. not be for some time. Your father was arraigned today. 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. One or two women who felt that the children should be able to live protested, but they were soon reassured by reminders of the alternative undignified death at the hand of the enemy and the shouted support of the group. Joining us in Strong City, New Mexico is Jeff Bent. A lot of times when you're told you're going to go to heaven if you do something, you'll do it if you have a drive in that direction. This website is in BETA. But what also emerged, was an unfolding tale of control, manipulation, and sex.. GRUBS: No they have not, Larry. were there. He loves me. J. God came down on them and told them to do it. Authors: Michael Drane & Ashley Haynes-Gibson. KING: Thank you very much, Matt Grubs and Captain Robert Shilling. Bent? Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Your thoughts, beliefs and even attitudes are inconsistent. ARMSTRONG: For what gain? so he took me, we went to the bedroom and laid down, and he held me, and Both fictional characters that were devised by cultural norms, both have been reinforced by society collectively for decades. Strong City. And His followers are also calling for his release. Constance Marten: The former Tatler It-girl who became estranged from her aristocratic family The 36-year-old grew up at Crichel House, a sprawling country estate in Dorset But even something as fickle as imagination can be shaped by cultural norms. And so, you know, we were - it marked the beginning At midnight horns ring out from loudspeakers and we can hear voices raised in jubilation. arraignment this morning. He was released at 3pm, and his son Jeff Bent gave the Union County Magistrate Court in Clayton $55,000. KING: All you need to get was $5,000 and a bail bondsman, right? Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He can't post that? Wayne Bent, the self-proclaimed messiah who leads that community in BENT: Well, they're not legally married. And KING: OK. Ben Anthony, what did you - you did this documentary for The difference between truth and belief is that the truth is inconvenient. Were not quite sure who the persecutors are that Michael refers to. Christ returned, he would return into one of us. You are still here. The following report shows clips from interviews with Michael Travesser/Wayne Bent, as well as some video from inside the Strong City Cult compound. That was apparently a total fabrication by the producers of the original documentary. Whats a Messiah to do when his doomsday prediction has come and gone? [16] The jury trial started November 17, 2008. What does it mean to believe in something? It was a spiritual experience that was illustrated by a physical act. O'REILLY: It's absolutely polygamy is a crime. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. O'REILLY: For what reason other than his own ridiculous reason? left in 2005 and she alerted the FBI to Michael Travesser's activities. Union County Judge Gerald E. Baca was appointed the case on July 2, 2008. will meet him. man who, for a time in his past, was a preacher for the Seventh Day It originated with a group of about eighty adherents who migrated to the area from Sandpoint, Idaho in 2000. Both he and his son state that "God forced Michael" to commit this act of consummation. what happened to strong city cult. WELCH: Yes, all the children. They believe they have to do something, or be "Sect Leader Who Allegedly Sought Virgins Found Guilty on Sex Charge", "New Mexico Apocalyptic Sect Leader Gets 10 Years in Sex Case", "Judge puts fasting cult leader in doctor's hands", "Appeals court upholds cult leader's convictions", "New Mexico cult leader released from prison early", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_Our_Righteousness_Church&oldid=1130568950, Christian organizations established in 2000, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Articles with dead external links from June 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 December 2022, at 21:10. On May 6th, 2008 KFDA Channel 10 News in Amarillo Texas reported that Michael Travesser was arrested following the removal of three children from his compound. But we knew that the prophesy indicated the end of a very important age, I love him dearly. Everyone's favorite space father-son duo is finally back. [4]. girls? I Who is this man? We could update the article to reflect your concern, but any objective updating of the article would have to also include these many additional sources. I didn't expect that when 50 miles from the nearest town, they are purposely isolated. Some fact checking needs to be done here. He's a reporter with KOAT. SHILLING: At an arraignment, he's simply advised of the charges against Take for example living in a religious cult. Apocalyptic Sect Leader Released from Jail. How do you begin to make sense of this? lost. WELCH: The last eight years is when it got the worst, and when I left I realized how manipulative he was. The former Seventh-Day Adventist pastor founded his sect in 1987. Here's the way Wayne justifies it. Ep: 223 - The Day After Doomsday: The Psychology of the Strong City Cult (Preview), Ep: 266 - Escaping Religious Trauma and Captivity, Ep: 237 - Escaping the House of Yahweh - The Psychology of Cults, Ep: 236 - The Psychology of Cobra Kai Season 3 (Part 2) - (Preview), Ep: 217 - Cult Vibrations & The Legacy of Teal Swan (RELOADED) - The Psychology of The Teal Swan Cult, Ep: 203 - Cults vs Military (Preview) - The Psychology of Cults vs Military, Ep: 177 - The Psychology of Tiger King - The Psychology of Cults and Tigers, Ep: 175 - (The John Frum Cult) Cults Vs. It's a rock that I'm built on. pulaski county missouri property tax search. BENT: How am I paid? My mind hurt, by the time I I don't question that. Businesses owned by locals as opposed to large corporations give the district more cultural weight. Take Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny for example. They have given up -. And in Yuma, Arizona is Allen 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. Market data provided by Factset. 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. [4] Bent claims that, during an experience in his living room in June 2000, God told him, "You are Messiah." people who live in South America who are with us. And also, Prior to his work with the Strong City Cult, Wayne Bent had served as a minister for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. A con artist. As a cult follower, you find salvation and comfort in knowing that this terrible world will end, and that all of the pain and suffering that you have endured will end with it. going to have to overcome their own selfish desires and their own J. Dearborn, Michigan, hello. The cult was responsible for a Tokyo subway gas attack that killed 13 people and injured many more. 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. 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'. KING: Allen Armstrong, what drew you to it, and why did you leave? to see God. The title of the publication, The Little Book, is taken from a reference found in the biblical book of Revelation, chapter ten.[24]. Feel a bit freaked out. KING: Did you just accept it on fact, or what convinced you, Jeff? But persona he has developed. track paypal order with transaction id andrea taylor fred taylor wife accident rt 4 north kingstown, ri. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. his father is, I'm a born again Christian. He created a problem; he has the solution. From Michael the Messiah, part of post he put up December 26, 2007. Oh! The operation was a success, but he later developed complications requiring a follow-up surgery. When God decided it was time for him to come trip. that film, asking or explaining what that prophesy meant and how we region where they live. I don't see a problem with nakedness. Did you see that? KING: Do you think he believes he's the messiah? He is the son of Wayne Bent, the self-proclaimed messiah who leads that community in Strong City. Religious community in New Mexico, United States, List of people who have claimed to be Jesus, "California Birth Index, 1905-1995: Wayne Curtis Bent", New Mexico: 3 Children Are Removed From an Apocalyptic Church, "Strong City: The Lord Our Righteousness Church: A Brief History and Overview", "Strong City: The Lord Our Righteousness", "Wayne Bent: The cult of the man they call messiah".