Changed wrote:
The connection between idolizing a dishonest, ego-driven leader and normalizing the use of violence against his perceived enemies. That would include his first wife, of course.
Posted by: Lilith
Date: October 03, 2023 04:23AMThat was quite an eye-opening episode. The violence against JRS's wife Martha at the time described in her divorce filing was horrible, and the death prayers which if there had been talk about his violence against her would have been explained away as "battle" and accepted by the congregation at the time. The lifting basically word for word of the text "Cut Gems" and selling it as his own literally a cornerstone of what the Walk was built on was a stunning discovery. We have been hearing for years about his plagiarism and the "borrowing" from other movements but here it is in black and white. JRS never had a "revelation" of anything in his life. He was a charlatan, a thief of works, and a thief of lives. Human life is so very short it is tragic how many gave decades of their lives, how many children's entire childhoods wasted and young adult lives to this scheming con man and the people that picked up and continued the con after his death. If this doesn't peel those remaining in thrall away then there is no hope for them. They will stay until they die in the lie.
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I was part of JRS' family during the time period that this violence would have occurred, but I never heard about anything remotely resembling this treatment of Martha Stevens. This is so sad. In fact, I had not heard this particular piece of information until the "Oops! I'm in a cult" episode aired. This was carefully hidden from church members. Makes sense, though. After all, John Robert Stevens had apparently been praying for his wife to die since 1962 or before. The "Apostle to the Kingdom"? Feeling extremely disgusted thinking about this! : (