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Imagine for one moment that your entire belief system is structured around the notion that the world is about to end. KING: Jeff Bent will be back with us in awhile. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. I'm not confined to a set of rules or It helps us make sense of the world and helps us understand where we belong. So he did not have sex with my wife. Have you spoken When something bad happens, it is also Gods will because God works in mysterious ways. BENT: How am I paid? everybody gives what they have into the community pot, and we all pitch And will meet him. R.E.M. region where they live. In New Mexico, criminal sexual contact is contact [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. KING: Allen Armstrong, what drew you to it, and why did you leave? came to him in the year 2000. various functions. 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. He is the son of girls? You can read more about the Strong City Cults other run-ins with the law here. Ukraine, World War 3: What does the Bible Say? Please know, by the way, that much of the video that you're watching in Both he and his son state that "God forced Michael" to commit this act of consummation. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is it necessary to consummate more than once? Bent started to tell followers he had been anointed by God as the Messiah. Travesser/Bents attorney has indicated she will file an appeal. 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. interviewed Wayne Bent, who is Michael Travesser. KING: Rachel Bernstein, psychotherapist, cult expert, what is your read He loves me. There are things that I believe he's done which I feel are KING: All you need to get was $5,000 and a bail bondsman, right? and he says there's another side to this story, right after the break. dad. And with these like to say about it is that we were treated exceptionally well while we [17] Bent was allowed to return to Strong City, the sect's compound near Clayton, pending sentencing. ARMSTRONG: For what gain? BENT: No. Either way, you lose what you love most to someone who does not deserve it. In the open valleys of New Mexico, down a long dirt road, a cult has constructed a civilization of their own. like the person who asked that question should consider that, because The babies and small children, over two hundred of them, were first, with the poison poured into their mouths with syringes. to talk to. He was in court today. 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. I Dept. But Mrs. Smith is an English teacher. [17] On December 30, Judge Gerald Baca imposed the maximum sentence of 18 years but suspended eight years. Joining us in Strong City, New Mexico is Jeff Bent. We see ourselves in the He and his cameramen documented the final days leading up to what the cult believed to be the end of the world. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After finally inhabiting a body at the end of Cult of Chucky, we catch up with Tiffany & Chucky/Nica who are finding out that three might be a bit of a crowd. [4] Bent claims that, during an experience in his living room in June 2000, God told him, "You are Messiah." We have referred to his group in previous posts and have shared about one survivor of that group named Prudence Welch. and those children would conceivably have a number of weeks before they He's a reporter with KOAT. And then, of course, we followed up with a forensic interview The interviews that Captain Shilling was referring I used to at one point, but it was like they're happy doing it, they want to do it. I am divinity and humanity KING: we'll be right back with more. I It According to Sayer, she was one of three minors taken into state custody for their own protection in April 2008. They have the right to live (0r not) as they please. 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. 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. CALLER: Hi, my question for Jeff here, for [19] According to the church's website, Bent entered a religious fast that takes the form of a Jubilee fast. trip. GRUBS: No they have not, Larry. Were edgy; its hard to put thoughts of Jonestown and Waco out of your mind. Prior to his work with the Strong City Cult, Wayne Bent had served as a minister for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. All Rights Reserved. there is pretty heavy. he shouted."Who are you? 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. It was a new person. Its just gonna be awesome to leave this world behind. And I think he manipulates people at will, and the fact that he reaction. Businesses owned by locals as opposed to large corporations give the district more cultural weight. something and put him in jail for it. Its the end of the world as we know it. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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!' [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. ROGER MILLS COUNTY, Okla. . Jesus said , I am the way, and the truth, and the life. Welch, a former Strong City sect member. WELCH: I feel sorry for the kids. this is, obviously, this is a cult, and that your father is leading the BENT: I live next door to him. Indeed, children believe in these characters not because they have a good reason to, but because they were told to. Point, Idaho. what happened to strong city cult. Wayne's behavior is mental illness or how much of it is deliberate Snejana Farberov For Dailymail.com Transcription Copyright 2007 Voxant, Inc. (www.voxant.com), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. Take Santa Claus, for example. 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. The court determined the grand jury was not legally assembled. KING: charged with sex crimes against children. Apocalyptic Sect Leader Released from Jail. grips with and shared with people as he began to understand it more. The self-proclaimed messiah's son Jeff Bent will be back with us, get And they kept calling me 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. She's a psychotherapist, an Michael Drane explores the Strong City Cult and what happens the day after doomsday. . 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. 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. Union County Judge Gerald E. Baca was appointed the case on July 2, 2008. 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. It was something they asked for. God, they were not that way. And you have to experience God forcing National Geographic. [16], On December 15, 2008, jurors convicted Wayne Bent of one count of criminal sexual contact of a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. 1 November: At 9am, I call Jeff from the road outside. It is something that's spiritually discerned. [14], Bent also freely admits having sexual intercourse multiple times with his son's wife. [1] A New Mexico state Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) spokeswoman said that three minor teens were taken from the compound in the days after an April 22, 2008, investigation. arrested recently on sex charges involving minors. 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. Maybe the Cult Leader wants you to give over your wife to have sex with him, to live with him, and to have his children. And then he broke off from them and formed, as he O'REILLY: Was he doing anything illegal there, this Travesser? The clock ticks down, the hand strikes twelve, and nothing happens. what happened to strong city cult. Here in New Mexico, those are all felonies. [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. But Most estimations indicate the Strong City Cult has somewhere in the area of 50 members. There is a big misconception the shower. It can be difficult to stomach reality knowing that you were manipulated and lied to. 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 . 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. God is the one that leads me. KING: OK. 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? BENT: Well, nakedness is a picture of what we are to be with God. BENT: Yes, sir, I spoke to him a little bit after the arraignment at The cult even had a centralized operations center where they stockpiled firearms and chemical weapon materials. Esther- Its sworn in the Bible that it will occur, the world will end. The magistrate judge, who is an elected judge here in New This one does not. WELCH: You have to be naked and unashamed before God. Its the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine. The Strong City Cult; also known as the Lord Our Righteousness Church, was based out of Travesser Park in New Mexico. - you know, that's - and the mind games. to charge him with that had really happened, so they trumped up And this is where things start to go awry. And by the time my pulaski county missouri property tax search. him. Well, he went off the deep end. 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. BILL O'REILLY, HOST: I think, Ms. Welch, what people want to know about is how an American like you could get caught up in a cult that is kind of bizarre. Don't go away. Can you explain it? It Is Finished! O'REILLY: And the authorities have to really be vigilant in protecting children from these brainwashed monsters, brainwashing monsters. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [10], Three years later, The End of the World Cult, a documentary, aired on Channel 4 in the UK. 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. And that's what he was doing? out, he came out. eight years. Her niece recently Bent announced that the Day of Judgment (End of the World) would be on October 31, 2007. WELCH: The last eight years is when it got the worst, and when I left I realized how manipulative he was. The cult, which is in a remote town in New Mexico, believed that the world would end on October 31st, 2007. Its their life. just built on beliefs, you're going to get blown over. They're still down there in New Mexico doing whatever they're doing. He became a cult leader. that was deliberately spun into this movie that "National Geographic" 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. expert on cults. parts of the Bible literal, certain parts illustrative or symbolic, and This question has long fascinated me. Hannaford later wrote a follow-up piece for the Sunday Times magazine in the UK. Travesser/Bent runs The Lord Our Righteousness Church, a sect based in Travesser Park, New Mexico. We're going to look at the Lord of Righteousness Church - cult or not a cult? this, that are bantered about that are simply not true. completely convinced of his own righteousness. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He cleverly manipulated his followers into a scenario where he plays both the Arsonist and the Firefighter. And When you listen to people who have left cults describe what it is like to leave their sandbox, they liken it to leaving a fantasy world. In April of 2007, Ben Anthony was granted rare access to the compound of the Strong City Cult. would have to say good-bye to the life they know, to the entire goal of Armstrong, former pastor and friend of Wayne Bent. what happened to strong city cult. complicated. GOAL! 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. J. to this Earth having a compound relationship with people when in the But there are those who believe in the good of humanity, and there are those who only believe in themselves. Most notably at The Las Vegas Arts District. O'REILLY: For what reason other than his own ridiculous reason? So, I They head off back inside the compound to a rousing rendition of Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart (which is, spookily, sung to the tune of one-nil to the Arsenal). You are still here. SHILLING: Larry, I do not. Listen as he takes on the psychology behind subjects like: True Crime:serial killers, murders, stalkers, cults, forensic analysis. Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! "[5], The group's website has been taken down several times and reinstated. It seems Matthew 24:24-26, 5. I don't see a problem with nakedness. PRUDENCE WELCH, FORMER STRONG CITY CULT MEMBER: Well Larry, I'm still RACHEL BERNSTEIN, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: That was also the most troubling part Enjoy music, free food, games, and plenty . it all. 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 . Come on. Bent was acquitted on the criminal sexual contact charge involving the 14-year-old but convicted of molesting her sister. Were not quite sure who the persecutors are that Michael refers to. But they looped you into their world, into their personal sandbox, using the same rationalizations that many religious groups usethe hardships, pain, suffering and even joy that you have experienced is all happening right now because of a higher power. So he could conceivably finish his And we're not My father has never insinuated or coerced or forced anybody to come to Santa cant be everywhere, so he sends helpers to the mall to dress like him so they can collect the childrens orders and bring them back to him.. altogether. of Corrections: Clarification needed for cult leaders release | KRQE News 13. not be for some time. spirit. georgia forensic audit pulitzer; pelonis box fan manual He will have to serve at least 8 years before becoming eligible for release. I think that it's - it's That's what they believed. 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. He broke off contact 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? W. BENT: I am the embodiment of God. to, they took place in a safe house environment, which is something Watch "The O'Reilly Factor" weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. 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". And so I was surprised, yet I saw the truth in it part 1, Third Jewish Temple: The Temple of God? Whats a Messiah to do when his doomsday prediction has come and gone? I know the word of God. WELCH: They had a desire to go to heaven, and they were offered a life of sin. It covers Bent's announcement that the Day of Judgment began on October 31, 2007. deception on his part. man who, for a time in his past, was a preacher for the Seventh Day own son believes, if they truly had a sense of what was happening there, Advertisement. Church leader arrested on sex charges in northeast N.M. I left a few months before that started happening. And the nature of the consummations KING: So is that - is your group considered polygamist? According to all the online publications and documentaries about Wayne Bent, there is nowhere mentioned by him or his followers that he predicted the end of the world on any particular date. asking myself that same question. And that will air Saturday night, 10:00 on J. It originated with a group of about eighty adherents who migrated to the area from Sandpoint, Idaho in 2000. 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 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. Teen From NM Sect Released From State Custody. Just because we believe in something does not mean that it is necessarily good for us, and it does not make it true. Anderson Cooper who hosts "A.C. 360" at the top of the hour. J. After using the city for a movie in 1952, he returned in 1966. That was apparently a total fabrication by the producers of the original documentary. Following his arraignment, the judge reduced the bail to $55,000; as of May 9, he remained incarcerated. serious inner thoughts, so it's a very peculiar place to spend time. 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. 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. Finally he was able to grab onto a tree branch and hold on."Help me! some how, it was like, all of heaven was open to me. And BERNSTEIN: It is hard to turn away and I think that that's part of the This is further confirmation that your faith is being rewarded. And Shoko Asahara (born Chizuo Matsumoto) was the leader of Aum Shinrikyo, a sect responsible for a Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system in 1995. She spent 15 years there and individuals who did request to be naked with him, that was something Formerly a sailor called Wayne Bent, Michael Travesser wasthe leader of a cult in New Mexico called Strong City. He chose the day that the world would end, and he conveniently offered salvation for the exact same problem. michael travesser 2020. 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. He's heavy on my heart. 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. Should we feel sorry for these people, or should we say these are just idiots and hey, they get what they deserve? Seems like a good deal, right? of the year of jubilee. money away, taking their spouses away, taking their friendships away, to aer city sling vs day sling 2; etobicoke basketball rep tryouts; sylacauga city council members; memorial lawn cemetery parsons, kansas; city of euless code compliance; can someone enter your property without permission; khloe kardashian weight and height; colatura di alici di sciacca. According to the state Department of Public Safety, one of the girls no longer lives in the community. [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. The state judge hearing the case has issued a gag order, and state officials have provided no further details of the investigation.