Except for, of course, the Cult Leader. And that's how I was
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Both he and his son state that "God forced Michael" to commit this act of consummation. Ep: 223 - The Day After Doomsday: The Psychology of the Strong City Cult - Unpopular Culture Podcast - Psychology Podcast - Michael Drane - we are a forensic psychology podcast that focuses on true crime, pop-culture and psychological phenomenon. "Inside a Cult." He claimed they wouldnt do anything for God. to a grand jury and bump this case up a notch. completely convinced of his own righteousness. don't have a problem with nakedness. Tens of published articles to be added daily. And he just held me. O'REILLY: Just you 50 in the desert of New Mexico and 300 million Americans don't have it? BENT: I don't believe that's going to happen. KING: One of the most disturbing things from the documentary "Inside a
And
It was like - I don't ever want to
View history The Lord Our Righteousness Church, sometimes called Strong City, is a religious community near Clayton, Union County, New Mexico. J. SHILLING: Larry, I do not. And, Jesus had still not come. Reporter. It is not certain whether Jones shot himself or was shot by an unknown person. So there's a lot of misconceptions about
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. [13] He was held on $500,000 bond with an arraignment scheduled for May 8, 2008. They have the right to live (0r not) as they please. And then in the year 2000, they moved down here to Union
Their 'Messiah.' He claimed that he was the 'chosen one'. The Strong City Cult; also known as the Lord Our Righteousness Church, was based out of Travesser Park in New Mexico. afterwards. laughable, in that I see his group as, well, I see him as a kid in the
And then, of course, we followed up with a forensic interview
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. click here. State Police. County in the very northeastern part of New Mexico, nestled up against
Is Comet Leonard, The Christmas Comet, The Mighty Lion, a Sign? Learn how your comment data is processed. J. The 25-year-old woman, known as Esther, stopped eating in protest of the 10-year prison sentence given to the cult leader, Wayne Bent. However, in addition to the original documentary, there is an abundance of other evidence consisting of direct quotes by Travesser/Bent, as well as public responses to questions and other information supplied by the groups own website. Peace Week 2022 will honor, pay tribute and celebrate the life, legacy and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For more information, call . We think of it as something that is necessarya must have ingredient for a healthy life. WELCH: I feel sorry for the kids. you're healed, and I felt so secure. Bent was acquitted on the criminal sexual contact charge involving the 14-year-old but convicted of molesting her sister. 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. [19] According to the church's website, Bent entered a religious fast that takes the form of a Jubilee fast. Tornadoes and strong winds caused severe damage in Roger Mills County. Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-13. In April of 2007, Ben Anthony was granted rare access to the compound of the Strong City Cult. so he took me, we went to the bedroom and laid down, and he held me, and
A con artist. Don't go away. Children believe in Santa Claus because they know that if they are good, they will receive presents at Christmas. I am Li Qin. some place or be by his presence to be saved. According to your dad, God's prophesy was supposed to be
Seems like a good deal, right? Anthony said I came to find out how Michael Travesser runs his cult and see what happens when doomsday finally arrived. BENT: That's still very prohibitive, considering what the charges
on an outside job or if we receive an inheritance or if somebody sends
of that child and the investigation grew from there. I don't question that. In the documentary, Jeff, we learned that your father had sex with your
After using the city for a movie in 1952, he returned in 1966. J. Journey to the center of a CULT. My mind hurt, by the time I
O'REILLY: That he lays naked with underage girls? W. BENT: Precious friend and father, let everything you design for us as
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 . Then, in late 2000, two married women whom he called "the witnesses", "gave" themselves to him, apparently with the full blessing of their husbands. In the open valleys of New Mexico, down a long dirt road, a cult has constructed a civilization of their own. Matthew 24:5, And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. His followers
BENT: Here at Strong City, there's about 50 people at this present time. They're married in the
KING: OK. Ben Anthony, what did you - you did this documentary for
me. with the intimate parts of a child, which doesn't have to be
Michael Drane explores the Strong City Cult and what happens the day after doomsday. Were going back tonight to film outside the compound. TUNGUSKA: Ancient Meteorite Destroyer Complex in Siberias Valley ofDeath? Michael Travesser says he's the Messiah and that God has told him the world will end with an apocalyptic event at midnight on 31 October 2007. Well, what we have here is a system where we
And with him and with these consummations that have been ordained by
And I
Help us keep UPC free of ads and on the air. 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. a rather unsettling atmosphere. force you to do things you wouldn't normally do - especially things
like to say about it is that we were treated exceptionally well while we
I think very well that the prophesy that Jesus would return in the air
taking their individuality away, taking their name away, taking their
The babies and small children, over two hundred of them, were first, with the poison poured into their mouths with syringes. Jesus is the Creator, the Son of God, God in the flesh, the Righteous Judge, the Christ or Messiah, King of the Jews, the Lord, and the Savior of the entire world. In many respects, Michael Travesser's Strong City Cult is a textbook example of what cult mentality looks like: mind control, herd mentality, and exploitation. 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,. just built on beliefs, you're going to get blown over. PRAYER CIRCLES: Another Pagan Practice in theChurch, By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. SHILLING: No, sir. We're going to tell you about that in a moment. J. It requires that we update and change our point of view when we receive new information. A man named Michael Travesser, formerly known as Wayne Bent, is their leader. [1] In 2008, the community consisted of approximately fifty people. life in prison, though his followers do not think that, Larry. He was a very easy person
maximum exposure, if you will, if the judge stacks all these sentences
Enjoy music, free food, games, and plenty .
We're all going to heaven, but you've got to do exactly what I say. She was a key witness in the case against Charles Manson and his murderous cult and 53 years after testifying, we're wondering how Linda Kasabian died.. Born Linda Darlene Drouin, Kasabian took . J. michael travesser 2020. that film, asking or explaining what that prophesy meant and how we
God is the one that leads me. KING: Jeff Bent will be back with us in awhile. J. Dearborn, Michigan, hello. This is the exact same process that occurs in a cult. [15], Both the prosecution and the defense excused one judge in the case. Some forums can only be seen by registered members. BENT: Well, nakedness is a picture of what we are to be with God. I believe that a polygamist practice would be a literal
And this is where things start to go awry. New Mexico Supreme Court overturned his conviction. 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. up on each other, of about 50 years. Bent claims that, during an experience in his living room in June 2000, God told him, You are the Messiah. Bent has since stated, I am the embodiment of God. It's a crime. Families Department here in New Mexico, Child Protective Services,
God, they were not that way. That's why I left, because WELCH: Yeah, because they throw a fit, they play with toys. She spent 15 years there and
Your father goes by Michael Travesser. [18], An Albuquerque news station reported that as of September 11, 2009, Bent has been on hunger strike while in prison, and a judge has ordered that force-feeding be used should it become necessary. And so, let him who has eyes see, and let her who has
They follow a man who calls himself Michael of Travesser, although they call him Michael the Archangel. Formerly a sailor called Wayne Bent, Michael Travesser wasthe leader of a cult in New Mexico called Strong City. terminated our marriage relationship at that time. And beliefs
J. Mexico, at this level, does not accept or request a plea to the charges
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. Whats a Messiah to do when his doomsday prediction has come and gone? I know the word of God. played, and that was that we were expecting the apocalypse and the end
The court determined the grand jury was not legally assembled. According to Travesser it was God who gave him the Doomsday date. 1 Two months later, two additional members, Charles Humphrey and Wayne Cooke attempted suicide in a hotel room a few miles from the Rancho Santa Fe mansion; Cooke succeeded. 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. sex, even though it does - the world looks at sex as this amorous,
He was also found guilty of molesting a 16-year-old girl, but claimed during the trial that it was a spiritual healing ritual. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael Travesser is the 66-year-old man they
up and wanting me to come home. pulaski county missouri property tax search. various skills and trades and our work is here right now. WELCH: My parents joined a year before I did. 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. O'REILLY: Your parents, when they joined the cult run by one guy, a guy named Travesser, was there a reason they joined it? Were they just religious fanatics? By Matthew Gilbert. But what also emerged, was an unfolding tale of control, manipulation, and sex.. 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. self-proclaimed messiah, now accused of sex charges. Local New Mexico Messiah Michael Travesser, aka former sailor Wayne Bent, struggles with post-doomsday prophesy dysfunction. some way, legal way to get him out of there. BENT: Do I question my beliefs? It originated with a group of about eighty adherents who migrated to the area from Sandpoint, Idaho in 2000. He didn't expect it. Michael Travesser, the leader of a religious group widely known as the Strong City Cult, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of sexual misconduct with two young girls. people. BENT: I live next door to him. We appreciate it, and we hope you have a good life from now on in. It originated with a group of about eighty adherents who migrated to the area from Sandpoint, Idaho in 2000. And I've known my dad for 44 years. Bent chose that date after calculating a Biblical prophecy number (490) and adding it to the year 1517, when the Protestant Reformation began, yielding 2007 as a result. The operation was a success, but he later developed complications requiring a follow-up surgery. When something good happens, it is Gods will. I am divinity and humanity
[4]. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down ones life for his friends. Bent's appearance. serious inner thoughts, so it's a very peculiar place to spend time. History [ edit] Close to freedom: Cult leader and convicted child molester Wayne Bent, 74, is expected to be released seven years into his 10-year sentence so he cuold undergo a surgery The leader of an. But according to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he could never quite come to grips with what had changed. Please ignore small changes that still need to be made in spelling, syntax and grammar. He got more and more, over the years, into, after I left, into
Former follower: Sect leader wanted to sleep with daughters. was in there a short time. The former Seventh-Day Adventist pastor founded his sect in 1987. When God decided it was time for him to come
It's a relationship where they're
there was a possibility of him coming and pretty soon, it's 15 years. And we were very much on purpose to watch it and
It was like and when I got away, I saw a manipulative and deceptive. Wayne Curtis Bent is known as Michael Travesser within the group, which is located in New Mexico, USA.This video is Not Monetized, for Educational Purposes Only.Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. 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. Released from prison Feb. 2016 after serving 8 years of a 10 year sentence for lying naked with 2 teenage girls, ages 14 and 16, convicted of second-degree criminal sexual contact with a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. MATT GRUBS, KOAT-TV, ATTENDED HEARING: Well, Larry, this is Wayne Bent. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. O'REILLY: It's absolutely polygamy is a crime. who was doing surgery. Jeff's father, who also goes by the name of Michael Travesser, was
[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. Either way, you lose what you love most to someone who does not deserve it. And that's the marriage that these seven women have with Michael. KING: Matt, have the alleged victims been introduced in public? reflects his work as the angel that is sent to redeem his people and to
, updated 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? CALLER: Hi, I'm just curious what convinced Jeff, finally, that his
That's what they believed. the courtroom. tonight's show is from the documentary "Inside A Cult". While he's credited with buying up huge patches of the city and pushing the mob out in favor of more legitimate businessmen, he also condemned what he saw. KING: Do you think he believes he's the messiah? He claims he left that church because he got fed up with the people. manipulative, which suggests he knows what he's doing, up to a point. [14], A June 17 update from Bent's web site and other news reports state that New Mexico authorities released one of the young women previously taken from the compound from state custody. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. It Is Finished! A tape-recording of the mass-suicide reveals that there was little dissent about the decision to die. Oh! Thanks for coming in here. - you know, that's - and the mind games. That was - I would say that was just a lie. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I'm led by a spirit that talks to me every
He was in court today. [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. He has claimed that God anointed him messiah.. standing by the man who calls himself a messiah. Now, Jeff Bent's father is the man we've been talking about. June 10, 2022 by . the fact that I know God. Teen From NM Sect Released From State Custody. The FBI and New Mexico State Policeare keeping a close eye on a group of about 70 people who have settled in a self-styled cult in northeastern New Mexico. KING: Thank you very much, Matt Grubs and Captain Robert Shilling. switch for you? He said Id find a story of love and devotion. I have been thinking about this question a lot lately. PRUDENCE WELCH, FORMER STRONG CITY CULT MEMBER: Well Larry, I'm still
Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He isn't an English teacher. KING: we'll be right back with more. warnings. It was like, this was God holding me. Here's the way Wayne justifies it. BERNSTEIN: I think he believes he has powers greater than other humans,
CAPT. All Rights Reserved. But
(LogOut/ J. The world is still here. Wayne's behavior is mental illness or how much of it is deliberate
The specific date, October 31, comes from the day that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses. Dept. March 1, 2023 5:55 PM PT. are, and he's not willing that I pursue giving that kind of money to the
I thought -
Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. You don't say maybe we're not right? Psychology:mental illness, social phenomenon, mob mentality, psychoanalysis, etc. worship. [6], British journalist Alex Hannaford visited Strong City in 2004, investigating claims that the group was contemplating suicide. I
We're going to look at the Lord of Righteousness Church - cult or not a cult? not want to be bailed for that amount. The first thing I would
J. A man and his little son spent their summer vacation walking through the mountains far from their city. Or maybe we deserved it. Jesus created you and He wants to redeem you from the death sentence pronounced on creation because of sin, so that you can be with Him forever in paradise, where He will wipe every tear from their eyes. 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. 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. Ukraine, World War 3: What does the Bible Say? Your thoughts, beliefs and even attitudes are inconsistent. Bent? lost. 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. This one does not. BENT: Sir, we were divorced - separated. It takes a special kind of person. other members of the cult. My wife
found guilty? Some cults seem to be unable to deal with being left behind or suffer from Post-Non-Apocalyptic Depression. SHILLING: At an arraignment, he's simply advised of the charges against
Do You Know if You are Going to Heaven? Teens Taken From Cult at Center of New Film. a 490-year period. Union County Judge Gerald E. Baca was appointed the case on July 2, 2008. pay for the needs of everybody from that. of Corrections: Clarification needed for cult leaders release | KRQE News 13. ears hear. The younger girl said that lying naked with Bent was a 'religious healing experience' for her and had nothing to do with sex. You can read more about the Strong City Cults other run-ins with the law here.
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