Gross negligence and more can be found in the reports of abuse about the church ministries, Rick, and any number of other people involved in supporting, facilitating and protecting Rick. With the underage sexual assaults, failure to report by a mandatory reporter (clergy) is a felony. Where churches such as TLWF try to hide behind the pastor/penitent privilege -- if the information came from th
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Yes I can add to it. You articulated it beautifully. Thank you. G&M and many shepherds were aware of what Rick was doing and has been doing since the 70's. Lorena is wife #4 but he followed his standard procedure on each of the 3 former wives. Those in a place of authority who could do anything about it were always shut down and silenced by G&M. Historically ApCo members wo
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Cultfree - Beautifully stated. G&M knew all about Rick's crimes. They had to approve the financial shenanigans and they reinstrated Rick as the little emperor over L.A. every time they set him aside for a few minutes - maybe even weeks - after knowledge of an affair became public. When Rick's first affair with Lorena (when she was underage) became public the members of TLW CRIE
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Reveal - You express it beautifully. I have so many questions when I try to picture these people as unfettered church leaders. Especially Rick and Lorena. How will they keep up tape sales with any one of them preaching? Especially Rick. Can you picture Rick behind a pulpit speaking? It would be 2 hours of uh..... duh..... and probably him moving restlessly in his skin tight (at the age
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The PTSD answer to the imagined survey is hilarious - except that it is sadly true. I wish there was a survey that we could get our hands on. Wouldn't we have fun with our answers? I heard a rumor last night from someone who said it was a rumor so now this is a third or fourth hand rumor - that Gary is resigning from the leadership position in the churches and basically retiring and tha
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Puddington - YES YES YES! I just posted that Mother Jones article on facebook where I still have a lot of church people as "friends" (some are family members even). I would love to see everyone who has a story of abuse and assault would take a stand. I wonder if the women would outnumber Cosby and Weinstein. I think they probably would - and I hear the abuse is continuing even today
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Everything depends on the context. If a regular guy makes a pass at a regular woman in every day life, that is just a pass. If that same regular man, touches that regular woman then it can be considered assault. If the touching is sexual then that adds a sexual assault aspect to it. If someone with power or authority uses that to take advantage of someone who works for him, is his congregan
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

One issue is that people feels they can't "prove" what happened to them because it was just the perpetrator and victim with no other people as witnesses, no cameras (hopefully), etc. We all need to understand that our testimony is evidence. At the beginning stages of a complaint, you make an allegation. That allegation is supported by your testimony. There are many ways to su
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Reveal - Excellent point. I was thinking about that in the context of the recent findings on the Catholic Church. The organization is under fire for their protection of the perpetrators, and theit complicity in hiding what was done and allowing the perpetrators to stay in position so they can harm additional parishoners. That exact description is what the TLWF has done for decades with both
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

BRILLIANT!!! Could there be a verse on the leaders of TLW having the job of hiding Rick, hiding Rick, hiding Rick? Perhaps this brilliant song could have many choruses designed around various jobs and individuals. As an aside, Kevin Hargrave has been one of the most horribly mistreated people to ever have the honor of working for Gary and/or Marilyn. That's another story for another da
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Reveal - Thank you so much for speaking out and sharing your very personal story. I too still struggle with PTSD - like an abused dog ducking its head expecting a blow. Or the feeling that suddenly everything is wrong about you and looking around for who is coming after you to tell you how bad you are. I hope all of us communicating with one another continues to help people come forward with
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I am learning so much from everyones' posts and especially today, the responses to "They Called Me Jonah." Puddington - so right about being "not special." Remember how there were all these references to the little people? Every person is a little people when we get honest with ourselves. And right on about how Marilyn would push you to feel special. She is the first
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hi "They Called Me Jonah." You wrote as if you could read the depth of my soul and my mind and what I have gone through in moving out of the TLWF little by little and then just accepting it was mostly false. The higher purpose we were indoctrinated into is what I mean was false. I agree with Puddington that love is the answer but I have also learned to value the things I can do to
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Girls Turn It Off -- YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! OMG I can remember when I very first moved into the Blix House (February of 1972 when I was 21) I went over to my friends to socialize with a group of my age people - 3 couples and I was single because of course I was helping birth the Blix House. One of the guys got drunk and tried to make out with me. When I got home I told Ma
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As the tape editor who handled the raw material that became the tape, Girls Turn It Off -- I would love to know how you relate your name "girls turn it off" to that tape. It is always nice to read your posts. Former YASPers! Excellent. Walkntalkn - I called you Redacted - Excellent mention of Lady Aretha. Excellent time to be grateful to her. "You only need to hear Aretha
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I am overcome with joyous emotion. Well, as emotional as an old warhorse can be after living so many years as a sycophant and perpetrator of all sorts of acts of loyalty to the heirarchy, and as someone who didn't just drink the koolaid but tried to pour it on or down everyone else. Thank you Redacted and I Woke Up. I'm pretty excited to have you posting here. I just began posting
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Back before JRS died (and maybe after) a documentary would air on local Iowa television that compared JRS and Shiloh to Jim Jones and Jonestown. JRS was completely upset every time it came up and any mention of "cult" or anything along that line was cause of a royal freak out. Some of the similarities noted (if I remember correctly) were having a weapons aresenal, stashing gold and
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Thank you Twoteetwo - I like your name. I'm not sure what will come from the reporting. I think the news people were much more interested in hearing that suspicious activity has continued at Shiloh in time for them to plan a replay of the documentary comparing Jonestown and Shiloh by the end of the year anniversary. Especially since the exposure of controlling groups is back in the tv r
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I have reported this post by Nickle & Dime to the moderator. Calling a contributor to this forum a "nephilim" is, in my opinion, a death threat. Or at the very least, evidence that whoever this idiot is, he or she is likely exposing the children who are members of YASP to doctrines of violence and death prayers/threats. I will be reporting this to the local police as a concer
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Interesting: I happened across a complaint against Scientology filed in the Superior Court in Los Angeles back in 2009. I have no opinion on the quality of the complaint (except I know the lawyer who filed it is a pretty well known and respected person) and I have no idea if this lawsuit was successful -- but it is interesting to me to see the misuses of a church with many similarities to the w
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

kbyrne & goingrogue - I took a while to reply to your messages about what you felt when Marilyn died because I had to really look at what I experienced at that time. I had a very close relationship to Marilyn for many years starting in 1971 unti about 2007. I had pulled away from the church and wouldn't go to church services or get involved in any of the hoo-hah for a long time. My
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hi Light777 - I had you in my mind as Liberty777 sorry for mistake. Light and liberty must be closely related in my brain.
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Liberty777 - I cleaned up my mailbox and look forward to your pm. Joy.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I didn't see much of the behind the scenes or "in the bedroom" as JRS was dying but I too believe Vere Thomas. I was next door in the office handling the admin side of everything. But it's interesting to see how many people who were there in the bedroom where JRS was living his final months, have been kicked out, sent away, and generally ostracized. Hey Rick, G&M - Feel
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

NancyB - I was one of the church lawyers for a while and trust me, they did not pay well. Dan Statton was paid as a ministry so that may have been pretty good. Lisa Runquist was paid for her (and my) work on the lawsuit brought after JRS' death. I don't think she is paid much for her regular corporate work but her big payoff is getting some glory, sitting up front by G&M, having a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Larry Cotton was indeed included with G&M as a leadership role after JRS died. But Marilyn was onto Gary immediately and there were rumors it started long before JRS died. I have no information on that. But I know about the little core of four from after JRS' death because I was one of them. Marilyn never approached Larry for herself but she did her best to throw him together with
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Mandatory Reporters include every level imageineable of school employees. In 1963 mental health professionals became mandated reporters and that was all. As the years went by, the law was amended MANY times to include every other type of professional that might come into knowledge of, or reasonably suspecr, child abuse. INCLUDING THE CLERGY. I am not sure when Clergy were added to the l
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Tmason - Well I guess there could be many bio sons and daughters we just haven't heard about yet. Aren't you glad you aren't one of them? Or are you.....
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Going Roque - You are a brilliant writer. Never stop expressing yourself. As another individual who found the hefty price tag of escape irresistable, I appreciate you and the others who write on this forum.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Tmason - Is it you, who? Give me some background on your question. I just had cataract surgery and I've been a little loopy for a few days just in case my lack of memory reflects on my brain power. ;-)
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families