Oh! But they did not charge admission to that particular shit show.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Puddington - I was trying to remember that when I wrote the history. It might have been Bill Maybee or maybe it was Dan Statton. I can picture Statton there but I can't remember who stood up and did the deed. The bride wore a red and white t-shirt dress that was either a tunic top with no pants or a super short mini-dress. Very classy.....
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The JRS-> Gary transition. Holy crap where to start. Not long after the open house at Kling and the procession of people paying last respects and the subsequent temporary interment of JRS' body at Valhalla, a bunch of us went to Las Vegas. I don't know why the decision was made to go there but for people living in shock and dismay and grief, it was kind of a cool atmosphere beca
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Puddington - Thanks for your inquiries. I can describe the robbery at TLW. What I can't do is explain what happened with the Wallers and Laughlins. was at the building when Richard and Denise stormed out after a meeting. My private thoughts at that moment (that LONG ago) was that Rick did something to Tamar. I don't know any specifics. And I have tried to find out and cannot get
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Lawsuits: There was one brought by (if my memory is correct) Dad Stevens regarding the ownership of the church property in Iowa, City. It would be VERY interesting to see that file if anyone in Iowa wants to see if they can pull it from the archives. It seems that some of the declarations or allegations by Dad Stevens included a challenge to the hierarchical and/or patriarchal history of the c
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Thanks kBOY. I wanted everyone who had been uninformed because, as usual, everything was a secret, to know the straight scoop. Two things to add to what I wrote about the time of JRS' death: (1) That thing where Marilyn & whoever could turn you into a potato, it usually lasted a while and then if they needed something from you they went back to praising you and treating you like you
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I loved hearing the details on what you heard about JRS' death and events after. Since I was there, I can give you my personal knowledge as to the details. JRS had prostate cancer and had known that for a couple of years before he died. Why he never sought medical care in the normal medical setting is something I couldn't answer then and don't know now. In 1982 as he bega
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hello One and All - Apparently Gary is still inviting input from the discontented and I would like to respond so there is a record of my particular points of contention. Could anyone please provide me with the contact information they are using to ask people for communication? If there is more than one method for contact, I would like to send my communication to each and every mailbox/porthol
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Thanks TCMJonah - I was curious about this as well since my dad and a number of my cousins are buried there too.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I haven't gotten an email telling me of new posts in about a week. I went back over my registration and everything is current and accurate. There has also been a very unusual quietness to the "Former Cult Members..." group so I am wondering if some others aren't getting notices. Thank you!
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Thanks Chicago. I was raised with my mother telling me of my two great grandfathers that both had a lot of Indian blood. My mom had a prominent nose and her family was from the South and then East Texas so we assumed our Indian heritage was from there. After mom died I got the dna test - not a speck of American Indian. My mom would have called them liars but a cousin told me that the Indian g
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Thanks, Southchi. Chicago is a special place for me because my dad was raised near there in Illinois and one of my favorite Aunt (Jessie) waiting tables in a diner in Chicago for 50 years. When I was in graduate school she would send me a check every month when she got her social security. The checks were anywhere from $1.50 up to $3.00 and were the most priceless gifts I received. Her son st
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I echo Changedagain's thanks to you Chicago (may I call you just Chicago?). I lived with Marilyn and her kids and Bessie for many years. The little I know about her family history came in conversations with her in the 70's before she had come into power. She rarely talked about her family or her childhood and I have been wishing we could find out more about where she really came from
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I am less than impressed when writings about shame are posted by someone who has FREQUENTLY tried to shame people on this forum. If the soft spot bruised by abuse is most sensitive to bullying and shame, it would seem the victim would be far less apt to bully and shame. There is a disconnect in the posts or maybe it is just the irritatingly inconsistent flow of an identity shared by more than o
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Cloudwatcher & Changedagain - I agree but I am stumped about how to dribble in my soup or how to find a cuckoo's nest. Can you help?
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Changed - your wit is such a blessing brother.;-) One of the Blix House prayers during intercession for the neph death was a foot-stomping repeat chant: "straight line heart stop." Phyllis taught us the lingo for death from the Cardiac Critical Care Unit of the hospital. We were blood-thirsty bitches one and all. THANK GOD our prayers were ignored. Sickens me now.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

RRModerator - Someone recently mentioned to me that often a shock or drastic event is what breaks a member free of the cult. That is exactly what happened for me. I was in the middle of something I felt I couldn't handle and as I tried to work through it I had an "aha" moment about "The Walk" cult I had been in for over 40 years. I had pulled away from attending serv
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Puddington: I heard recently that drunk driving was involved in Boney's fatal car accident. I don't know if that is confirmed information or suspected. That breaks my heart all over again. I also heard recently that Rich Lindy's fatal heart attack was a result of long term alcohol abuse. Again, I don't know if that is substantiated. The TLWF leadership allowing and e
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Having a few drinks isn't a bad thing. In fact not long ago (like an hour ago) I had a celebratory shot or two with my friend concerning a case she is working on (successfully). Forcing underage people to drink because they are afraid of you and afraid not to be the cool people in the little social clique formed by Rick and his cronies is disgusting (and illegal). Influencing "of a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Changedagain - You mean grapefruit juice with a hearty pour of vodka - that's called a salty dog and that's what most hard workers could expect before working, during working, after working and any time. After all, that's why at CLW alone there are at least 4 Bars (behind the platform for the musicians, behind the recording booth for the audio guys, in the admin offices probably f
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The TLWF method has always been to silence anyone who has negative information about any of the leadership. I have it on good authority that G&M have had many indiscretions over the years. I'm beginning to think everyone in leadership tends towards smarmy sex as a perk of their positions. The reason women (and men per the Kevin Spacey problem) are so brave to come forward is that ri
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Saw - Thank you for your eloquent post. The only thing I want to be careful about is encouraging people to "move on" and "not focus on the past." People find healing in a lot of different directions and especially with sexual assault victims. Some focus on the past, exposure of the sexual assault, and standing up for ourselves is often necessary to achieving healing from
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Puddington - There are many factors that make sexual seduction illegal, in fact if "consent" is obtained by false representation or coercion then the consent could be viewed as void and the sex then becomes rape. All rapists say it was consensual sex instead of a violent crime. From what I have learned from several of Rick Holbrook's victims, he has a pattern of seduction w
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

40 Years - I agree with some additions. The forensic audit needs to also look at the Trust managed by ApCo as well as offering and spending records for any account used to construct the amphitheatre, the Rayen party house, the horse barn and corral behind the Rayen house, the Christmas Truck, That Studio, the bars at various churches and any other project overseen or at the direction of Rick Hol
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

dbc - ditto
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Questionnaire? Where can I get one. I would like to see the questionnaire that is apparently being used in the current "open communication" drive. I would also REALLY like to see the Non-Disclosure Agreements that TLWF uses when they settle a dispute or kick someone out. Just for my curiosity.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The current campaign requesting communication is nothing more than a fishing expedition. The leadership is going after another wave of people who like them and believe them and feel warm and fuzzy when they say, "trust me." If we communicate with them about our concerns and the actual problems that name criminal actions and tax violations, all it will do is give them a lot of free rese
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

There is mention that Gary is seeking information from former members. How is he communicating and who is he communicating to? I haven't seen any communications along that line. Howmidoing -- it is incorrect to assume that anyone who does not communicate directly with TLWF is afraid to confront the perpetrator. I am not afraid of those people. Their power in the earth or on the lega
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The saying "Actions speak louder than words" was something I started looking for a few years back that led to me finally and fully cutting from any involvement with TLWF. We were trained on how to "bring down" fulfillment of promises by storming heaven, hitting God under the eye, wrestling with God and not letting go, etc. But at least for me, I also believed all the promise
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

kBOY - Very well said. In my ranting analysis of Gary trying to fix the church issue, I only went back to 1983 because that is when Gary came into power. There is no question that the wrongs committed by church leadership, both moral and possibly criminal, started long before 1983. In fact, I heard details of Rick's seduction technique and I previously heard details of JRS'. Mayb
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families