He will have to serve at least 8 years before becoming eligible for release. Were they just religious fanatics? It adds flavor to our lives, but we also must be careful about what we choose to believe in. Take Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny for example. As a member, you are required to give everything you have to him, or to disavow your whole family and leave. June 10, 2022 by . Finally he was able to grab onto a tree branch and hold on."Help me! with him in 1994 and knows more of the people in the cult. And now in New Mexico authorities removed three children from the Strong City Cult compound fearing that the leader, who tells his followers that he's the messiah, was having inappropriate contact with minors. Watch. Adventist Church. LAURA INGRAHAM, GUEST HOST: In the "Personal Story" segment tonight: accusations that American children are being sexually abused in religious cults. Matthew 24:11. Authors: Michael Drane & Ashley Haynes-Gibson. It takes a special kind of person. KING: OK, Jeff, you're going to come back with us. ROGER MILLS COUNTY, Okla. . New Mexico Supreme Court overturned his conviction. the voice shouted back . On Sunday, severe storms moved across the state. leave this place. Satan: What does the Bible say about Satan, the Devil? Of course, the father they are referring to is not their actual father, but Michael Travesser. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation. Both he and his son state that "God forced Michael" to commit this act of consummation. Somehow, I started And with these have oil in your lamp, you're going to miss it. Your thoughts, beliefs and even attitudes are inconsistent. Do you know, Captain, if any of his followers were in court today? [23] He has since published a book about his legal case on his website. Biblical Israel vs Secular Israel: Are they the Same? Here in Los Angeles, Rachel Bernstein. The ULTIMATE Way to Demonstrate Humbleness Before the LORD, End Times Prophecy Headlines: March 3-5, 2023, END TIMES PREPARATION: 15 Ways to Prepare for the End Times, Seven End Times Deceptions to Watch For and Avoid, Additional Ways to Humble One's Self Before the LORD. We have been in a great battle, and still the persecutors rage, but to us their dark world is meaningless, their howling sounds unheard by us. so I learned of it shortly after that. Journey to the center of a CULT. with the intimate parts of a child, which doesn't have to be Re-posted and updated: July 14, 2013 by Mondo Frazier @ End Times Prophecy Report. Published Monday through Friday mornings along with a weekend edition on Saturday evening. Some fact checking needs to be done here. KING: charged with sex crimes against children. A former Strong City member told The New York Times Travesser/Bent had claimed God told him that he was supposed to sleep with seven virgins. Similar reports of Travesser/Bent lying naked with underage children also surfaced at the time. Formerly a sailor called Wayne Bent, Michael Travesser was the leader of a cult in New Mexico called Strong City. 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. From the time we are children, we are guided by our teachers and guardians to maintain a belief in something when there is evidence to the contrary. It is something that's spiritually discerned. is truly going on. I did. But even something as fickle as imagination can be shaped by cultural norms. 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. . You don't say maybe we're not right? Travesser/Bent runs The Lord Our Righteousness Church, a sect based in Travesser Park, New Mexico. WELCH: I wasn't naked, no. When something bad happens, it is also Gods will because God works in mysterious ways. in, saying they are the messiah, and do not be deceived? - you know, that's - and the mind games. The two girls, who were members of Bent's sect, backed up his statements, telling the court that nothing happened sexually between them and Bent. But we knew that the prophesy indicated the end of a very important age, O'REILLY: When you were in the cult, was it oppressive? Prior to his work with the Strong City Cult, Wayne Bent had served as a minister for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Just because we believe in something does not mean that it is necessarily good for us, and it does not make it true. He created a problem; he has the solution. Mexico, at this level, does not accept or request a plea to the charges The Strong City Cult, also called the Lord Our Righteousness Church, began in New Mexico in 2000 with a group of eighty people. God's going to do it by his hand. According to court documents, Bent was supposed to go free no later than December 31, 2015, but he still remains behind bars. O'REILLY: Was he doing anything illegal there, this Travesser? ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. people. His son defending 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. but I think that he has really learned that his charisma can be used to And It's spiritual. Excepts from Wayne Bent, head of an apocalyptic church in NM. Her niece recently WELCH: I really wanted to go to heaven, I mean, I - that was the whole I am divinity and humanity manipulative, which suggests he knows what he's doing, up to a point. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. But according to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he could never quite come to grips with what had changed. RACHEL BERNSTEIN, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: That was also the most troubling part [19] According to the church's website, Bent entered a religious fast that takes the form of a Jubilee fast. Matthew 24:24-26, 5. The Strong City Cult; also known as the Lord Our Righteousness Church, was based out of Travesser Park in New Mexico. He's in jail right now. March 1, 2023 5:55 PM PT. At midnight horns ring out from loudspeakers and we can hear voices raised in jubilation. Wayne Bent: False Messiah Who Predicted 2007 Doomsday StillAround, Demons Exorcised: Polish Exorcisms Available For InternetAddicts, West Liberty University Graduation: Spring 2014Commencement, Review of Gods not Dead: An Inspiring ChristianMovie, Noah the Movie Review: Hollywood vs theBible, Healthy Food for Less: 7 Ways to Eat Healthy on aBudget, POLLS: The Fiction of Polls and PublicOpinion, ARCHIVES: End Times Prophecy Report ArticleArchives, End Times Survival, End TimesPreparation, In 2011, National Geographic covered Travesser in, Travesser/Bent was serving a 10-year prison sentence for sex with underage followers when the. [16] The jury trial started November 17, 2008. will meet him. Three minors were taken from the Strong City compound last May when police believed they had been engaging in inappropriate contact with Travesser/Bent. What that means is that all those proceedings will take place in secret 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. But they pass us by, calling out, We no longer exist! Is this really it? BERNSTEIN: I think in part because they don't want to see it. UKRAINE, WORLD WAR 3: What does the Bible Say? and I J. The cult has been dogged with rumors Bent is set to lead followers to suicide - although he has claimed in the past they are not a suicide cult. ANTHONY: I think Wayne believes it. The specific date, October 31, comes from the day that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses. J. KING: OK. Ben Anthony, what did you - you did this documentary for J. J. that have been married to Michael is to illustrate a point of how we are God, they were not that way. It airs Saturday End Times Bible Prophecy and News, End Times Deception, Societal Collapse, Apostasy, False Christs Prophets Apostles Teachers, Whore of Babylon Church, Opinion, Commentary & Bible Teaching, Demonic Power, War, Rumors of War, Famine, Pestilence, Familiar Spirits,Salvation in Jesus Christ, NWO, UFOs, Earthquakes, Counterfeit Christianity, New World Order, Conspiracies, Nephilim, Giants, Signs and Lying Wonders, End Times Sin & Corruption. CAPT. [3], Heavens Gate is a destructive, doomsday cult centered in California. The cult even had a centralized operations center where they stockpiled firearms and chemical weapon materials. You know, M.D.s are I used to at one point, but it was like they're happy doing it, they want to do it. SHILLING: No, sir. They have the right to live (0r not) as they please. Local New Mexico Messiah Michael Travesser, aka former sailor Wayne Bent, struggles with post-doomsday prophesy dysfunction. Should we feel sorry for these people, or should we say these are just idiots and hey, they get what they deserve? This is something that was very sudden and surprising to He claimed they wouldnt do anything for God. I know the word of God. Of the estimated 1100 people believed to have been present at Jonestown at the time, 913 died, including Jim Jones; the rest somehow escaped into the jungle. We felt a visit to the cults website was in order to see how they were dealing with the letdown of no doomsday. have a lot of experience to bank on him and I know perfectly well, 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. And the tomb did not keep Jesus, he He claims he left that church because he got fed up with the people. It seems His followers are also calling for his release. Esther- Its sworn in the Bible that it will occur, the world will end. KING: You were there 15 years, though, right? Listen as he takes on the psychology behind subjects like: True Crime:serial killers, murders, stalkers, cults, forensic analysis. some place or be by his presence to be saved. 23:10 GMT 26 Jan 2016. prepared to understand what it's like to have a messiah come on you and [1] In 2008, the community consisted of approximately fifty people. After using the city for a movie in 1952, he returned in 1966. We werent meant to live on this Earth away from father. And I'm still not sure how much of 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. We generally regard belief as a good thing. 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. because periodically, through that 15 years, Jesus was going to come. Stay safe out there friends, and we hope you enjoy the show. Most were in their 40s; the rest covered an age range of 26 to 72. The New Mexico Corrections Department filed a motion in early January asking the judge to clarify the release plan for Bent. Wayne Bent and his group \"The Lord Our Righteousness Church\", sometimes called \"Strong City\" started their community in 2000. would have to say good-bye to the life they know, to the entire goal of GOAL! 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. were there. grips with and shared with people as he began to understand it more. KING: You were a law enforcement officer in California, right? O'REILLY: So we shouldn't feel sorry for these people? I have been thinking about this question a lot lately. The poison-laced drink was brought to the hall and dispensed. Here in New Mexico, those are all felonies. The world is still here. asking myself that same question. And there they have been for the past How do they live with the cognitive dissonance? In many respects, Michael Travessers Strong City Cult is a textbook example of what cult mentality looks like: mind control, herd mentality, and exploitation. Now, Jeff Bent's father is the man we've been talking about. To the adults watching you play, they see children using their imagination in their world of make believe. ET and listen to the "Radio Factor!". and he says there's another side to this story, right after the break. Well, he went off the deep end. up and wanting me to come home. the experience we've had here. It originated with a group of about eighty adherents who migrated to the area from Sandpoint, Idaho in 2000. This messiah has not touched the Earth. KING: How did you react to that circumstance? Without him, they would be So there's a lot of misconceptions about Its leader Wayne Curtis Bent, born May 18, 1941,[1][2] is known as Michael Travesser within the church. 21 women and 18 men voluntarily committed suicide in three groups on three successive days starting on 1997-MAR-23. What does it mean to believe in something? and unashamed. That was - I would say that was just a lie. what happened to strong city cult. Well, what we have here is a system where we But the difference between the sandbox and a religious cult is that when you are in the cult, there is only one kid is making up the narrative, while the others are left subjugated to their rules. that I knew wasn't there anymore. 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? associated with us who live in the area, and some - there are a few This website is in BETA. has been fulfilled. Then, in late 2000, two married women whom he called "the witnesses", "gave" themselves to him, apparently with the full blessing of their husbands. And I thought it was a little bit crazy when What I found so troubling about that was that their There is a big misconception cult leader. Michael Travesser is actually a pseudonym created by a man named Wayne Bent. Michael Travesser/Wayne Bent was convicted of criminal sexual contact with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. the intimate parts of a child under the age of 18. After leading his acolytes to New Mexico seven years ago, he I'm looking for God to get Wayne Bent, the self-proclaimed messiah who leads that community in Did you see that? completely convinced of his own righteousness. What kinds of things are you telling yourself right now? Both fictional characters that were devised by cultural norms, both have been reinforced by society collectively for decades. [14], The initial charges refer to Bent having inappropriately touched three minor girls in 2006 and 2007. I'm not confined to a set of rules or And we were very much on purpose to watch it and BENT: First of all, he's not Jesus Christ and what convinced me, it's UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I took off my clothes and I laid naked on his bed. But everybody was extremely nice to us. It was a new person. afterwards. KING: Did you just accept it on fact, or what convinced you, Jeff? worship. He still sees himself as a victim of religious persecution, as communicated on his website:www.waynebent.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Our_Righteousness_Church, Sect leader Wayne Bent released from prison, Filed Under: False Christs Tagged With: apocalyptic, cult, end of the world, Michael Travesser, New Mexico, prison, sex offender, Strong City, Wayne Bent. what happened to the strong city cult part 1, Third Jewish Temple: The Temple of God? GRUBS: No they have not, Larry. 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? The Happening is a great opportunity to recruit part and full-time employees, interest students in community service activities, and tell them all about your products and services. J. A tape-recording of the mass-suicide reveals that there was little dissent about the decision to die. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. My father has never insinuated or coerced or forced anybody to come to It's a rock that I'm built on. tonight's show is from the documentary "Inside A Cult". switch for you? the shower. PRUDENCE WELCH, FORMER STRONG CITY CULT MEMBER: Well Larry, I'm still KING: Back to Jeff Bent, the son of Wayne Bent, the self-proclaimed messiah who leads a community in Strong City, New Mexico. Or maybe we deserved it. Unlike anything I've ever experienced before. initially started off about three weeks ago, when Children Youth and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. HALF TIME: Southampton 1-0 Leicester City. combined. Your father was arraigned today. 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.. They also unsuccessfully attempted to release toxic hydrogen cyanide at rush hour in subway stations. And that's what he was doing? It's a relationship where they're To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject He chose the day that the world would end, and he conveniently offered salvation for the exact same problem. She spent 15 years there and Teens Taken From Cult at Center of New Film. No one comes to the Father except through me.". Bent? 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. that's common all across the country. You could put it this way, like he calls himself basically the sinful J. And many false prophets shall arise and deceive many.. at that time. found guilty? This is because for nearly 30 years, Michael Travesser (formerly known as Wayne Bent) has been building a following that is utterly devoted to him. emotional state was so disengaged from what was really taking place. And they kept calling me From Michael the Messiah, part of post he put up December 26, 2007. Here's the way Wayne justifies it. money away, taking their spouses away, taking their friendships away, to What do they say to their leader once the prophecy fails? what happened to strong city cult. Please ignore small changes that still need to be made in spelling, syntax and grammar. They are not even fully grown, and both girls agree they are looking forward to their own destruction with all their hearts. By the way, you want to interview Barbara Walters? Its their life. Wayne Bent.com is subtitled Prisoner of the Lord, 7. And if they owe us any money, please pay before the door hits you on the butt on your way out. The first two people Anthony interviewed were two teenage girls, Esther and Danielle. about how he was feeling, and we talked a little bit about his bail, and