1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,880 Speaker 1: If you have your own story of being in a 2 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: cult or a high control group, or if. 3 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 2: You've had experience with manipulation or abusive power that you'd 4 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 2: like to share. 5 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: Leave us a message on our hotline number at three 6 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: four seven eight six trust. 7 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 2: That's three four seven eight six eight seven eight seven eight. 8 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: Or shoot us an email at trust Me pod at 9 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: gmail dot com. 10 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 3: Trust me, trust for trust me. I'm like a swat person. 11 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 3: I've never lived. To you. 12 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: Live. 13 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 2: If you think that one person has all the answers, 14 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 2: don't welcome to trust Me. The podcast about cults, extreme 15 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 2: belief and manipulation from two frogs who've actually experienced it. 16 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 4: I'm Lo La Blanc and I'm Megan Elizabeth. 17 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 2: Today is part one of our two part interview with 18 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 2: Zach Comfort, survivor of the Bride of Christ church and 19 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 2: creator of the podcast Boiled Frogs, which is all about 20 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 2: that group. There are several cults called the Bride of Christ, 21 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 2: but Zach's going to tell us all about the man 22 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 2: who started this one, Thomas Clyde Smith Junior. He'll tell 23 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 2: us about tom background as a convicted child molestor who 24 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 2: went to the psychboard and began having visions that led 25 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 2: him to start the Bride of Christ Church, which then 26 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 2: grew into a full fledged cult. 27 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: He'll tell us how Tom started asserting more control while 28 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: the group was in Las Vegas, arranging marriages between people 29 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: who did not want them, what Zach's parents were like 30 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 1: before they joined, and what Zach remembers from his early childhood, 31 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: and how Tom's control and abuse began to grow more 32 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: extreme once they moved to a commune in Oregon. Plus 33 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: how the murderer, a mutilator named Laurence Singleton, nearly came 34 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: to live with the cults. 35 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 2: And next week and part two, we will get into 36 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 2: some of the more heroin parts of Zach's experience and 37 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 2: also talk about how it all fell apart. Content warning, 38 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 2: We will be discussing physical and sexual abuse in these 39 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 2: next two episodes, particularly next week's episodes, so be aware, 40 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 2: be warned, do not listen if you don't want to 41 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 2: hear that Before we dive in with Zach, who I 42 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 2: just want to say, is fucking awesome And I can't 43 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 2: believe he made this podcast, like on his own, about 44 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 2: this group that no one's ever heard of. That is 45 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: absolutely insane. He did an amazing job. So I'm shouting 46 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:08,839 Speaker 2: that out before. 47 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: We I kept talking about him so much that finally 48 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: my boyfriend was like, well, can I like be his friend? 49 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 2: I know we have to go to I know, I 50 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 2: know we should do a cult trip because there are 51 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 2: so many organ cults right, so yeah, just have him 52 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 2: guide us. Okay, So before we dive in, Megan, tell 53 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 2: me your culties. 54 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 4: Okay. 55 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: This story has been going on in the UK for 56 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: a while. There's this woman, her name is Constance Martin, 57 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: and she disappeared on the run with her lover with 58 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: their baby. So it was a fifty three day man 59 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: hunt for her. They couldn't figure out where she went. 60 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: They finally found her and the baby was wrapped in 61 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: you know, plastic left in a shed. Okay, so horrible, 62 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: But there's more to the story. Essentially, she grew up 63 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: in a one hundred million dollar home. Her grandmother was 64 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: the goddaughter of the Queen, so very like into royalty 65 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: and stuff. Her dad said he kept hearing voices to 66 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: shave his head and go to Australia and give away 67 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: his wealth and like live with some tribe and work 68 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: with Wales, so he did that. She meanwhile, went and 69 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: lived in Nigeria for three months, so it's called the 70 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: Synagogue Church of All Nations led by TB. Joshua in Nigeria. 71 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: She said that she had to stay in a dormitory 72 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,119 Speaker 1: of fifty girls who are watched over by armguards, starved, 73 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: woken for biblical readings randomly from her sleep, and made 74 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: to call the leader daddy, which is a lot Hawzak 75 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: grew up having to call his leader dad dad. Yeah, 76 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: it just reminded me a lot of how Zach grew up. 77 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: And then to add on top of it that she 78 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: she's this beautiful woman. She could have technically had everything 79 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: that is important, but these cults are so insidious that 80 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: it overrides all of it. 81 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's you. 82 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 2: Can have the most money in the world, but if 83 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 2: you don't have meaning hmmm or community. 84 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 5: Like, you're fucked. You're fucked. 85 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 2: If they target you, I mean, it's yeah, it can 86 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 2: as we know, as we have talked about many times, 87 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 2: it can happen to anyone. 88 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 5: Most people probably. 89 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 2: Aren't going to end up with their babies wrapped in plastic. 90 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 2: It's very extreme, but obviously, like indoctrination is something that 91 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 2: we are all susceptible to. 92 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: Absolutely and they're not clear on how those two different 93 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: situations played together, but people. 94 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:50,280 Speaker 5: Are coming from it. It wasn't like we have to 95 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 5: sacrifice our children. 96 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 1: I'm sure it doesn't sound like it, but people are like, 97 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: she was so traumatized by what she'd been through that 98 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: she wasn't the same person anymore. So ill to say it, 99 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: they'll be they'll more information, but yeah. 100 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 5: I want to hear more about that. You guys. 101 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 2: Megan is so up on cult news these days. She's 102 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 2: sending me like three cult articles a day. I don't 103 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 2: know how she keeps up. My brain can anteleist. I mean, 104 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 2: my brain's like, no more color exploding. What's the coldest 105 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 2: thing that happened to you? It's not especially cult teat okay, 106 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 2: other than just that I'm passionate about it. 107 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 4: But so it's your cult. 108 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 5: Mama went to couples counseling. Jack and Hyland. 109 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 2: Together to work out some little areas that have been 110 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 2: sticky for us, and I am so stoked. I am, like, 111 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 2: you know, I'm just a fervent appreciator of therapy and 112 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 2: also couples therapy to facilitate healthy communication between people from 113 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 2: someone who is a professional and has outside perspective and 114 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 2: can be neutral. 115 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 5: I'm so into it. 116 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 2: And listen, if doctor Steinman or whatever wants to start 117 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,359 Speaker 2: a cult, maybe I'll join. We'll see how well she 118 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 2: treats us in our couples counseling. 119 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:09,119 Speaker 4: I can't wait to hear how it goes. 120 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 2: I meant you listen, guys, highly recommend. All right, that's 121 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 2: it for me. That's all I'm gonna say about that. 122 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 4: All right, Well shall we talk to Zach. 123 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 5: Let's do it. 124 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: For most of us, learning a second language in high school, 125 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: our college wasn't exactly a high point in our academic careers. 126 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: Myself personally, I took Latin in case I ever became 127 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: a doctor, which obviously I did not. 128 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 5: You're not a doctor. 129 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 3: No. 130 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 2: I took Spanish and I remember approximately three sentences total. 131 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 4: Great. 132 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 2: But now, thanks to Babbel, the language learning app that 133 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 2: sold more than ten million subscriptions, there's an addictively. 134 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 5: Fun and easy way to learn a new language. 135 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: Whether you'll be traveling abroad, connecting in a deeper way 136 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: with family, or you just have some free time. Babbel 137 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 1: teaches bite sized language lessons that you'll actually use in 138 00:06:58,400 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: the real world. 139 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 2: Yes, I chose French because I am so excited to 140 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 2: eventually learn French and I am loving it. The repetition 141 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 2: and the simplicity. It makes it easy for me to 142 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 2: practice and feel like I'm actually learning. 143 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: Also, their lessons are fifteen minutes, which is this perfect 144 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: bite sized way to learn a new language. 145 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 2: And other language learning apps use ai for their lesson plans, 146 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 2: but Babbel lessons were created by over one hundred actual 147 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 2: human language experts. 148 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: And their teaching method has been scientifically proven to be effective. 149 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 2: With Babel, you can choose from fourteen different languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, 150 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 2: and German. 151 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: Plus, Babbel speech recognition technology helps you to improve your 152 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: pronunciation and accent. 153 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 2: There are so many ways to learn with Babbel. In 154 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 2: addition to lessons, you can access podcast, games, videos, stories, 155 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 2: and even live classes. Plus comes with a twenty day 156 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 2: money back guarantee. 157 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: So start your new language learning journey today with Babel 158 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: right now. 159 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 2: Get up to fifty five percent off your subscription when 160 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 2: you go to Babbel dot com slash trust that's babb 161 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 2: e l slash trust for up to fifty five percent 162 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 2: off your subscription. 163 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: Babbel Language for Life. 164 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 5: Welcome Zach, comfort to trust me. 165 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 3: Thank you, glad to be here. 166 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 2: Thank you for being here. Thank you so much for 167 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 2: reaching out to us. This is a fascinating story. It's 168 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 2: a group we've never heard of before, which is doubly 169 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 2: surprising because it has the same name as several other cults, 170 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 2: the Bride of Christ Church. Can you just clarify which 171 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 2: one is the one we will be talking about today, right, Okay, so. 172 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 3: We'll be talking about the Bride of Christ Church that 173 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 3: was started by Thomas Clyde Smith Junior. There is another 174 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 3: one that was an organ They were called like the 175 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 3: Holy Rollers, I believe, and there's no relation. 176 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 5: There, so okay. And there's another one in Sweden. 177 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 3: Uh yeah, I haven't done too much digging in that one, 178 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 3: but I did see it. 179 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, so not Sweden, not the other guys. This 180 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 2: is Thomas's Do we call him Thomas or Tom? 181 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,559 Speaker 5: Tom? Okay? So this is Tom's church? Who is Tom? 182 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:05,319 Speaker 5: Who is Tomas Clyde Smith Junior? 183 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 3: So Tom or as he was called him in church, 184 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 3: everybody called him Dad. But yeah, okay, so he we 185 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 3: actually don't know a ton about him from like up 186 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,439 Speaker 3: until he was about fifty years old. He was in 187 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 3: the military, or he was in the navy. He ran 188 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 3: like a baseball training camp stuff like that. He worked 189 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 3: in a cabinet shop. But the really the things that 190 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 3: got him on the radar was in I think nineteen 191 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 3: sixty five, he was convicted of molesting his daughter and 192 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 3: he went to jail for that and then she was 193 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 3: how old I think it was in his fifties. 194 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 5: And she was like seven, right, So yeah, so that's 195 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 5: the thing. 196 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 3: So the story he always told when he got caught, 197 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 3: she was sixteen or seventeen, and the story he always 198 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,080 Speaker 3: told was that, you know, it happened one time when 199 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 3: she was seventeen, and it's actually kind of gross. I 200 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 3: have a a news video of him talking about it. 201 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 3: The interview is asking him, you know what happened, and 202 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 3: he basically said that, you know, she came on to 203 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 3: him and. 204 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 5: She wanted to do it all. 205 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was pretty gross. But a newspaper article had 206 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 3: like his initial court case about it, and it was 207 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 3: saying that he had been doing it since she was young, 208 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 3: so since she was seven. 209 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, that's so horrible. Okay. 210 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 2: Convicted child molester and committerer of incest and rape and 211 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 2: then when he's about fifty, what happens. 212 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 3: So he gets convicted of that, He goes to jail 213 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 3: for a short time, and then he gets sent to 214 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 3: a psych word a Tascadera State hospital that's down in California. 215 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 3: And while he's there, he gets somehow, I'm not sure 216 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 3: how it happened, but somehow they reversed the plea or 217 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 3: the guilty plea of rape. Essentially it was just incest 218 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 3: at that point. But while he was there, he basically 219 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 3: became a Christian. That's his story anyway. And he started 220 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 3: getting these visions from God. Like first he was hearing voices, 221 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:07,440 Speaker 3: you know, telling him that what he needed to do, 222 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 3: he needed to become a minister and start a church, 223 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 3: but like the true church, because in his opinion, all 224 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 3: the other churches were doing it wrong. 225 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 5: This is literally how Mormonism started. 226 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 4: Go on. Yeah, false prophets fall. 227 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:25,199 Speaker 2: I had a vision all the other churches are wrong. 228 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 2: I must be the one to bring about the real one. 229 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 2: Why was he in the psych ward like were they 230 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,079 Speaker 2: just like, oh, he must be insane if he's molesting 231 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 2: his daughter. Was there a specific thing they said he had? 232 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 3: So I tried to get his psych files, but I 233 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 3: couldn't get ahold of those. But I work in a 234 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 3: psychiatric hospital, so you do. Yeah. Yeah, so a lot 235 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 3: of times you just get sent there for an evaluation 236 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 3: or if they think you need to be on just 237 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 3: like a higher level of care. They do medicate you 238 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:55,719 Speaker 3: in the jail, so it's not like you go to 239 00:11:55,800 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 3: the psych hospital just to get medicated. But I'm not sure, 240 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 3: but there's a number of reasons he could have gone there. 241 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, what was the seventies, right, I feel like, yeah, yeah, 242 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:10,079 Speaker 2: psychology was not super advanced at that point, so that's 243 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 2: why I was like, it could have been anything. 244 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 4: I mean, I feel like the voices in the head 245 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 4: were probably. 246 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 2: One of the well it had, But I wondered if 247 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 2: that was something he had been experienced, like it was 248 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 2: known about him prior to that point anyway. Okay, so 249 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 2: either way, whether or not the people knew he had 250 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,320 Speaker 2: voices in his head, he now has voices in his 251 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 2: head in the psychord exactly. 252 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 3: So he started getting like I said, these like voices 253 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 3: and visions telling him that he needed to start the 254 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 3: true church that was going to take you know, God 255 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 3: selected people to heaven essentially, and he said it was 256 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 3: going to be like a really small number, like I 257 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 3: think he said it was going to be eight. And 258 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 3: he based that off of like how many people survived 259 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 3: Noh's flood. And so when he left the Psyche hospital, 260 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 3: you know, was discharged, he went to Vegas and he 261 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 3: started kind of like Bible study, like little mini Bible studies. 262 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 3: And I mean he's a he's a charismatic guy. Obviously 263 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 3: most of these people are. Yeah, and it's not necessarily. 264 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 3: Somebody asked me, they were like, so, how did he 265 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:15,199 Speaker 3: find the people that followed him? And it wasn't that 266 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 3: he found anybody. It's that he kind of like built, 267 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 3: you know, the structure, and people came to it. 268 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: So he built a little family and people who felt 269 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: lost were drawn to it. 270 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 5: Who was the original family though, so they kind of 271 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 5: came and went. 272 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 3: At first, I talked to a few people that were 273 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 3: kind of like the staples, you know, throughout the whole thing, 274 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 3: and they were there up until the end. 275 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 2: Was it like actual family members or just like people 276 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 2: that he knew? 277 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 3: Yeah? Surprisingly, So one of his daughters was for sure 278 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 3: in there, and she was she was actually a pretty 279 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 3: devout follower of his, the daughter that you know, he 280 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,199 Speaker 3: committed the crime with obviously was not part of that. 281 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 3: And then he had a wife he had gone through, 282 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 3: like I think he was on his fifth fourth or 283 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 3: fifth wife at this point, and his latest wife joined 284 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:10,320 Speaker 3: with him. But he ended up kind of having an 285 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:14,440 Speaker 3: affair with one of the younger members who was pretty 286 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 3: much his most about follower, and ended up divorcing his 287 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 3: wife and then marrying her, and they stayed married until 288 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 3: you know, he ultimately passed away. 289 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: Can you tell us really quickly about the cabinets what 290 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 1: he saw when he was looking at the cabinets. 291 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 3: Oh? Yeah, so, and this is interesting because, like, like 292 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 3: because I worked with psychotic people, and I was thinking, 293 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 3: like he must have been like kind of psychotic, because 294 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 3: if you are like a narcissist or something like that, 295 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 3: like you kind of spin a web, but you don't 296 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 3: like show people like what you're doing, essentially, But he 297 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 3: had these cabinets and he was like he saw. So 298 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 3: his story of it is that he was sleeping, he 299 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 3: woke up from a dream, you know, hearing a voice 300 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 3: calling him out to his was his living room. He 301 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 3: had these stereo cabinets or entertainment center cabinets, and in 302 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 3: the patterns of the wood he saw. You know, basically 303 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 3: the story of the life of Jesus the End Times 304 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 3: was on trooms. 305 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 5: Because I've had a similar. 306 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: Sambion and paintings have done similar things for me. 307 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was like, he sounds like he was tripping. 308 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 3: But so he saw all these things and then he 309 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 3: was at a church at the time. He was part 310 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 3: of a church I think it was Calvary Chapel in 311 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 3: Las Vegas, and he brought it into his pastor. Again, 312 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 3: this is all just what he says. Brought it into 313 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 3: his pastor, and the pastor told him, you know, this 314 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 3: isn't right. Essentially, you need to get rid of it, 315 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 3: like sand, you know, the images off these doors. So 316 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 3: he did do that, and then the next night the 317 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 3: same thing happened. 318 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 2: So the pastor believed that the images were really there 319 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 2: that he was seeing like it was some satanic thing 320 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 2: or something. 321 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, okay, he thought it. I think the way 322 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 3: he put it was is they're not from God, They're 323 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 3: from the devil. 324 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: Very interesting, okay, So these these images on furniture reappear 325 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: to him and he's like, all right, my my minister, 326 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: is actually the devil are speaking from you know. 327 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 4: The devil's voice. 328 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: So now I have to go start my own thing 329 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 1: because I can't trust my pastor anymore. 330 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 3: Exactly. Yeah, and he did that pretty often. He would say, 331 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 3: you know, other churches they were teaching, you know, like 332 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 3: a water down version of Christianity, or they were you know, 333 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,960 Speaker 3: the anti christ teaching, you know whatever. 334 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 2: So right, okay, and so he starts attracting followers. So 335 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 2: how how quickly does it grow? 336 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 5: How big does it grow? 337 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 3: Uh? So it grew to he had like a satellite 338 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 3: churches at the time, or Bible studies, I should say. 339 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 3: So the main one was in Las Vegas, and a 340 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 3: couple hundred people were there, and then you also had 341 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 3: like one in San Bernardino, California, I believe, and then 342 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:57,760 Speaker 3: another one like you know, other ones like spread out 343 00:16:57,760 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 3: throughout Nevada. 344 00:16:58,600 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 5: Wow, he's franchising. 345 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 2: That's like it's amazing to go from like some psych 346 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,959 Speaker 2: word delusions to like, I have a franchised church in 347 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:09,679 Speaker 2: the span of how like how long was it? 348 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 3: Uh? Just a couple of years? 349 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: How I mean the love bombing this man did though 350 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 1: to attract people, and then the fear he would also 351 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:18,120 Speaker 1: put into them. 352 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 4: It makes sense that it would spread. 353 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, absolutely, and that's exactly what he did to everybody. 354 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 3: I talk to you afterwards. Who because obviously I wasn't 355 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 3: around in the late seventies, but the people who recognized 356 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 3: what it was and then looked back, they were like, yeah, 357 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 3: he just love bombed you know, the shit out of everybody. 358 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:39,200 Speaker 2: Basically, do you have examples of stories of how people 359 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:41,400 Speaker 2: would sort of get even come into contact with him. 360 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 2: I'm always interested in that because you know, the internet 361 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 2: didn't exist, Like, how are you actually finding people to 362 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 2: come to your church? 363 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 3: Yeah? So I mean the first people unfortunately, like his 364 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 3: first few, I don't know, but like what everybody did 365 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 3: is people would bring friends, Like that was an expectation almost, 366 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 3: like especially in the early days, like tell your friends, 367 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 3: tell your family, bring people in and witness, you know, 368 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 3: to everybody. So that's how people got in. And then 369 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 3: they also had these these like pamphlets that they called 370 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 3: tracks that they passed out to everybody. But they were 371 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 3: like they were kind of really hateful. So I'm not 372 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 3: sure how many people that brought in. 373 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: Right, You're like scary because he was all about how 374 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: and your damn false prophets whatever it is it. 375 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 2: Like threatening it like if you don't come here, you 376 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 2: won't be saved, you will you will burn with the 377 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 2: evil people. 378 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 3: No. So I mean that was kind of like their witnessing, 379 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 3: which I know, you guys talk to some people from 380 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 3: like Westboro and you know how they like their whole 381 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:45,400 Speaker 3: thing is just kind of condemning people. Yeah, that's what 382 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,160 Speaker 3: they're It seemed like that's what they're witnessing was doing. 383 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,479 Speaker 3: But when they talked to like individuals, like when they 384 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 3: were out on the street, you know, talking to a crowd, 385 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 3: that was kind of like condemnation was kind of the message. 386 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 3: But when they were like talking to individuals, it was like, 387 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,440 Speaker 3: you know, we love you, we want to save you, 388 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 3: like you know, come to this place. And then it 389 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 3: was really just whoever they got in the door was 390 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 3: kind of hooked because it wasn't just him that love 391 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 3: bombed you. Like he would come up and you know 392 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 3: just be overwhelmingly like welcoming, but so would everybody else. 393 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 3: Like you have a room of like hundreds of people 394 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 3: that are all hugging you. You know, there's music, everybody 395 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 3: is like really interested in anything you have to say, you. 396 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: Know, stuff like that, and the kissing can you tell 397 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: us about the kissing Well, was that right away though, 398 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: or did that come like when things started to kind 399 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: of get. 400 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,399 Speaker 3: That was pretty early on, and this guy would do 401 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,359 Speaker 3: stuff and this is kind of why the numbers I thing. 402 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 3: It fluctuates so because he would get like traction, you know, 403 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 3: with people, but then he would do something really weird 404 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 3: like and then people would leave. So the kissing thing 405 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 3: that started pretty early on, but it was somewhat tame 406 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 3: in the beginning, so like and the tame version in 407 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 3: the beginning is what it what happened in the end, 408 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 3: like it stayed through without there was like this little 409 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 3: part where he like tried to experiment. It seemed like 410 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 3: and you know, kind of get away with stuff. So 411 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 3: it was you greet everybody with a with a kiss. 412 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 3: He called it, you know, the holy kiss, and you know, 413 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:16,920 Speaker 3: you walk in the door, you hug everybody, you give 414 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,199 Speaker 3: him a kiss on the lips and that's that. But 415 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 3: then he started French kissing girls. 416 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 5: Right including underage girls. 417 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:30,439 Speaker 3: Including underage girls, and we had a member that uh, 418 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:32,159 Speaker 3: you know, kind of called him out on it. He 419 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 3: was like, hey, man, you know, is is this going on? 420 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:38,120 Speaker 3: Because I guess he didn't attend service the particular day 421 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 3: that this girl was kissed. And I mean the balls 422 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,880 Speaker 3: on this guy was incredible because he did it while 423 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 3: her parents were sitting like in the front row. 424 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 5: Oh my god. 425 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: And this was called the conrated kiss was like the 426 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: and then the conson traded kiss. Consecrated kiss was the 427 00:20:58,600 --> 00:20:59,400 Speaker 1: French kiss. 428 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, you were saying that this was because women were 429 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 2: unable to control their lust or something, so that's how 430 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 2: he sort of marketed it as yeah, yeah, yeah. 431 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:13,439 Speaker 3: He literally would say that, he said he needed to 432 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 3: do this, and of course everything was like him doing 433 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 3: a service for people. He needed to do this because 434 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 3: women couldn't control their lust and he was basically, you know, 435 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 3: meeting that need for them. And I'm. 436 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:31,159 Speaker 2: Sorry, there's just so many things. So there's so many 437 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:32,359 Speaker 2: things that are twisted about that. 438 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 3: Okay, go on, And I'm sure like if he wouldn't 439 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 3: have gotten in as much trouble or as he did 440 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,640 Speaker 3: at that time, you know, it probably would have escalated 441 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 3: from there. I was going to say, this guy, you know, 442 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 3: called him out on it, and he literally grabs the 443 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 3: guy by the face and you know, French kisses him. 444 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 3: And again this is in front of the entire church, 445 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 3: like he did almost everything he did was in front 446 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 3: of the whole church. And then he told the guy 447 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,640 Speaker 3: that he had, you know, a sick mind and it's 448 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 3: only bad because he's like filled with sin and thinks 449 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 3: that it's bad. 450 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: Well, it's interesting because most of these things do come 451 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: they are biblical things, you know, like it does say 452 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,360 Speaker 1: in the Bible to greet your brother with a kiss 453 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: and then to a. 454 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 5: French kiss children. 455 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, but it does say to greet your brother with 456 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 1: a kiss. And then I, like you also said something 457 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 1: about I think it was Peter started off as somebody 458 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:26,199 Speaker 1: very bad who was you know, like punishing Christians. But 459 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:30,119 Speaker 1: then he became a hero. And so this leader was 460 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: kind of giving himself the same story. 461 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 4: That's like, yes, I started off as one man, but 462 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 4: now I'm this man, and so. 463 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:42,879 Speaker 1: He had this whole story around himself that was technically biblical. 464 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:44,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly. And he did that. He did that a lot, 465 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 3: like he always who was the apostle Paul. He always 466 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 3: said he was like Paul, you know, he was this 467 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 3: like horrible man you know, back in the day, but 468 00:22:55,359 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 3: now he's this you know, superboy redeemed. Yeah, reform reborn 469 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:03,919 Speaker 3: and that he was a profit and you know, just 470 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,439 Speaker 3: like really good guy. But yeah he backed everything up 471 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,679 Speaker 3: with like scriptures, like when he got people too and 472 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 3: I don't want to get ahead of myself with questions, 473 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 3: but when he got people to like leave their families 474 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 3: or do anything, it was he always like pulled scripture 475 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 3: to back the Bible. 476 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 4: Can really really really back some crazy shit. 477 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 2: Justify a lot of shit from the Bible, good and bad. 478 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, True trust Me is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. 479 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 2: Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking, yeap. 480 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 2: While you're listening to us talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, 481 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:39,479 Speaker 2: or maybe even grocery shopping. 482 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,920 Speaker 1: But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, 483 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: there's something else you can be doing right now, getting 484 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:46,399 Speaker 1: an auto quote from Progressive Insurance. 485 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 2: It's easy, and you could save money by doing it 486 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 2: right from your phone. 487 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,439 Speaker 1: Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly seven 488 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: hundred dollars on average, and auto customers qualify for an 489 00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: average of seven discounts. 490 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 2: Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, 491 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 2: and more. 492 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,640 Speaker 1: So, just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with 493 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,920 Speaker 1: you twenty four seven, three hundred and sixty five days 494 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: a year, so you're protected no matter what. 495 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 2: Multitask right now, quote your car interns at Progressive dot 496 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:16,760 Speaker 2: com to join the over twenty nine million. 497 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:17,880 Speaker 5: Drivers who trust Progressive. 498 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 2: Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average twelve month 499 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:23,679 Speaker 2: savings of six hundred and ninety eight dollars by new 500 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,359 Speaker 2: customer survey who saved with Progressive between June twenty twenty 501 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:28,880 Speaker 2: one and May twenty twenty two. Potential savings will vary 502 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 2: discounts not available in all states and situations. You were 503 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 2: in it when you were a child, right. 504 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah, So I was born into it. It officially 505 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 3: started in nineteen eighty in Vegas, and then I was 506 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 3: born in Oregon in nineteen ninety in this like really 507 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 3: small town is you know, out in the middle of 508 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 3: nowhere called Azalea. That's where the church kind of got 509 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:57,640 Speaker 3: most of its notoriety, like it had some in Las 510 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 3: Vegas obviously because people thought it was a cult. And 511 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 3: then he made this like prediction that the world was 512 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 3: going to end, and that didn't happen, so he kind 513 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 3: of sulked off and left but he also had this idea. 514 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 3: The reason he gave that prediction was because he wanted 515 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 3: to start a commune. So the world was going to end, 516 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 3: so we need to go be self sufficient somewhere. We 517 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 3: need to pool our resources. And like you said, he 518 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 3: backed it up with scripture saying that it was like 519 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 3: the AX Church. So the AX Church had all things 520 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 3: in common. I think was the was the popular phrase 521 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 3: that he used. And that's when also more people left, 522 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 3: so again his numbers went back up. Then he was like, hey, 523 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 3: you should give me all your money and we should 524 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 3: move to Oregon, and then his numbers went back down. 525 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 5: So let's go back to Vegas. 526 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 2: People are going because it's this like lovely community experience, 527 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:55,960 Speaker 2: Like what else is it promising people? You know, a 528 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 2: lot of very reasonable people joined this group obviously. 529 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 3: Yeah. Really, Salvation was number you know, number one. Everybody 530 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 3: believed that he was the only way to heaven. So 531 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,439 Speaker 3: like you couldn't go to another church, and if you did, 532 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 3: uh this was later on, if you did go to 533 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 3: another church, he called that spiritual fornication. And so the 534 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 3: only way to heaven was through him. So you had 535 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:26,359 Speaker 3: a profit that was offering you salvation and then you 536 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 3: had this community with everybody and that those are basically the. 537 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 5: Two selling points, right right, right, Okay. 538 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 1: I liked the context you gave too in your podcast, 539 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: where you said when it first started, it was the 540 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:40,440 Speaker 1: Cold War, it was the Vietnam War. There was all 541 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 1: of these horrible things going on that people really wanted 542 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 1: a break from. 543 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,399 Speaker 4: They wanted a new a new world. 544 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 3: So yeah, yeah, one hundred percent. Yeah, so you have 545 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 3: you have that environment that's you know, just really on edge. 546 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 3: And I can't remember who said it, but he said that, 547 00:26:57,960 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 3: you know, growing up in the sixties during the Cold 548 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 3: War was like having a gun pointed to your head 549 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 3: everywhere that you went. 550 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:05,159 Speaker 2: I mean, there was an explosion of cults in the 551 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 2: seventies for a reason. 552 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, and it's happening again. 553 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 3: No, I have done a little bit of reading. I'm 554 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:16,920 Speaker 3: really interested why it started to like bloom, like the 555 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 3: cult started to bloom. But I think it does have 556 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 3: a lot to do with that environment as well. 557 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:23,400 Speaker 2: So totally the Laurence Singleton stuff, was that the highlight 558 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:25,880 Speaker 2: of what happened in Vegas or tell us about the Yeah, 559 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 2: the like broad strokes of Vegas. 560 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:33,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely so Vegas. He started really inserting or asserting 561 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 3: control over women starting in Vegas. So and doing a 562 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 3: little bit of like stripping down your personality, so like 563 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 3: no more makeup, you shouldn't, you know, wear certain clothes 564 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 3: you needed to start. Oh, and he would start pairing 565 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 3: couples starting in Vegas. 566 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,880 Speaker 2: So, so he was starting to arrange marriages, telling people 567 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:54,159 Speaker 2: who they could and could not be with. 568 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 5: Classic cult leader moves. 569 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: A little questionable pairings like oh, these two black people 570 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: have to be together, and numberone's like why, and he's 571 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 1: like because, and. 572 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 2: You know, well, and an underage girls also being married 573 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:10,679 Speaker 2: off to much older men was something that happened. 574 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:14,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, and one of the girls actually that's why 575 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:16,520 Speaker 3: she ran away because she was like, you know, I 576 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 3: don't want to marry this old, older guy, and her mom, 577 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 3: you know, told her, no, this is what you're expected 578 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:26,359 Speaker 3: to do. So you know, women started having to call 579 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 3: her husband's lord lord. Ye. 580 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 4: That sucks. Same. 581 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 2: So tell us who Lawrence Singleton was and how what 582 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 2: he has to do with all of this. 583 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 3: Right, So, Lawrence Singleton, he became known for chopping off 584 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 3: her girl's arms. Mary Vincent, I want to say her 585 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 3: name was, I think it was back in the seventies 586 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 3: maybe late sixties, chopped off her arms. She was hitchhiking. 587 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 3: You picked her up, you know, raped her, beat her, 588 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 3: chopped her arms, left her for dead. She survived, and 589 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,719 Speaker 3: I think she was actually on the show called I 590 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 3: Survived or there was a show about that. And he 591 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 3: went to jail for about ten years down in California. 592 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 5: That's crazy. 593 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 2: You can chop up someone's arms. I go to jail 594 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 2: for ten years? Oh my god, I know. 595 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:20,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, And there's a test. You have that kind of 596 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 3: tests people to tell if they're likely to reoffend. And 597 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 3: I'm sure he just scored off the charts because ultimately 598 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:33,600 Speaker 3: he did. He did kill somebody a few years later 599 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:38,719 Speaker 3: after after he was released. But so he did that 600 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 3: and he was released from prison and he served his time. 601 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 3: But basically the communities in California were like, you can't 602 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 3: let this guy out, and there was kind of an 603 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 3: outcry for that. So our pastor Tom heard about it 604 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 3: and he was like, well he can come live with us, 605 00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 3: So yeah, great idea. He sent him, you know, letters, 606 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 3: he was calling him. They had like communication back and forth, 607 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 3: and Singleton was going to come move in to our commune. 608 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 3: Like they had a room set up for him, they 609 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 3: had a house set up for him. You know, it 610 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 3: was the plan was go h. But the news, the 611 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:24,479 Speaker 3: local news, you know, it was kind of everywhere at 612 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:28,719 Speaker 3: the point. But at that point the community heard about it, 613 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 3: and then they they were unhappy, let's put it that way. 614 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 3: They started driving by and shooting at like the houses, 615 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 3: they shoot at like people when they were out in 616 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:38,719 Speaker 3: the fields. 617 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 5: Thank god. 618 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, there's that stuff. 619 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 2: We had to shoot at people because Lawrence Singleton might 620 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 2: be going to live in their community. 621 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, So it was like it was like scare tactics, 622 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 3: and I mean they they kind of like harassed the 623 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 3: group anyway because we had, you know, after American people 624 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 3: in our in our church and oh that that's another 625 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 3: way by the way that you know, Tom was very welcoming, 626 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:09,320 Speaker 3: like you know at the time, like there was a 627 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 3: lot of like racism going on, but he was accepting 628 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 3: to you know, people of all colors and everything. 629 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 4: But so yeah, no gay people though, No. 630 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 3: Gay Yeah right, so he was accepting but not but yeah, 631 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 3: so people would harass us already, but then they started 632 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:27,240 Speaker 3: like shooting at us, and we had this huge gas 633 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:31,080 Speaker 3: tank that I I vividly remember like the bullet holes 634 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:33,000 Speaker 3: in it. They would shoot at it. It was right 635 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 3: next to the house to try to blow it up. 636 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 2: So you were in this was in Vegas or this 637 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 2: isn't this was an organic We've moved by this point, Okay, got. 638 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 3: It so magically nothing happened and it should have blown 639 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:47,760 Speaker 3: up because it was I think it was like almost empty. 640 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:52,480 Speaker 3: And that's like when generally when you know, the explosion 641 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 3: would happen, but nothing happened. You know, just how to. 642 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 2: Cut they could have they like very easily could have 643 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 2: and would have caused an explode on the commune. 644 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, did Lauren Singleton ever end up getting to your community. 645 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 3: No, So he was going to, yeah, and I mean 646 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 3: this would probably have a much different outcome if he did. 647 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 3: He was going to, but when people started shooting and 648 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 3: doing all that stuff, he said, you know, this is 649 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 3: causing a lot of trouble. I don't want to cause 650 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 3: you guys more trouble. So you know, I'm just I'm 651 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 3: not going to do that. And I think he ended 652 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:29,960 Speaker 3: up moving to Florida. And then, like I said, a 653 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:33,200 Speaker 3: couple of years later, you know, the police responded to 654 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 3: a call at his house and he was like covered 655 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 3: in blood. He had just stabbed some lady to death 656 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 3: in his living room. 657 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 4: So I love it. 658 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 2: He was like considerate of you guys. He's like, I 659 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:46,480 Speaker 2: don't want to cause you more trouble. I do, however, 660 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 2: want to murder a woman. 661 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 4: Let me translate this. 662 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 1: I don't want the publicity for when I started murdering. 663 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, oh yes, there it is. 664 00:32:56,120 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 3: Yeah. And you know, like I said, I work with 665 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:03,800 Speaker 3: a lot of people like that. Sometimes they have the 666 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 3: nicest people ever know, or that's their front anyway. 667 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:13,239 Speaker 4: Yeah, right, what were your parents like? How did they 668 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:13,760 Speaker 4: get into this? 669 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 3: So? I mean they both had really rough childhoods, and 670 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:24,480 Speaker 3: my mom grew up she I don't know she'd be 671 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:30,400 Speaker 3: fine with this. Her grandfather, you know, molest her when 672 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 3: she was young, and then her dad kidnapped her from 673 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 3: her house out of her front yard and basically was 674 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 3: on the run for you know years with her who Yeah, So, 675 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 3: I mean she didn't have a great childhood. And then 676 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:46,640 Speaker 3: she actually joined I think she was one of the 677 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 3: youngest members that joined. A friend of hers brought her 678 00:33:50,480 --> 00:33:54,520 Speaker 3: to it. So so she had this pretty bad childhood. 679 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:56,800 Speaker 3: Joined when she was young and That's basically that was 680 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 3: her life for the next you know, twenty years. And 681 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 3: then my dad, my dad had you know, crazy childhood too. 682 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:08,000 Speaker 3: I I did put it in the podcast. He's he's 683 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:10,839 Speaker 3: the guy talking about like, you know, his upbringing. His 684 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 3: mom was a prostitute and a drug dealer, and his 685 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:19,640 Speaker 3: dad wasn't in the picture. And when he was twelve, 686 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:24,759 Speaker 3: he actually ran away from home. He took the grocery 687 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,520 Speaker 3: money and booked it up to Oregon with his uncle. 688 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:33,360 Speaker 3: And I'm actually going to do a podcast about his uncle, Mark, 689 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:37,840 Speaker 3: who was a very prominent figure in like civil rights 690 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,839 Speaker 3: back in the day. And he, you know, he had 691 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 3: a wildlife of his own. You know, people always try 692 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 3: to kill him. The reason he moved to Oregon was 693 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:51,080 Speaker 3: because the FBI at the time was killing black panthers 694 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 3: in the Bay area and he knew that he was 695 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:57,799 Speaker 3: kind of next on their list. So he moved up 696 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 3: to the hills in uh wow wow. 697 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 5: And did he join this church as well or no? 698 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 3: No, no, So what happened to him was when he 699 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:15,600 Speaker 3: when my dad was fourteen, his brother, his cousin killed 700 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:20,759 Speaker 3: their dad in front of him. Yeah, shot shot him 701 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:26,239 Speaker 3: to death in their room and so you know, so 702 00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:28,800 Speaker 3: saying that to say he had a pretty bad. 703 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 2: Childhood as Yeah, your parents were both so traumatized, I 704 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:33,440 Speaker 2: imagine coming into this. 705 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:35,879 Speaker 5: Did they meet in the group in the church? 706 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:38,800 Speaker 3: They did, Yeah, and they were one of the arranged 707 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:44,200 Speaker 3: marriages as well. Oh really, and yeah, and he joined 708 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:47,080 Speaker 3: the church because he joined the Air Force. And there's 709 00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 3: a Nellis Air Force Base I believe is in Las Vegas. 710 00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:55,439 Speaker 3: And you know, again one of his friends went there 711 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:59,319 Speaker 3: and they you know, invited him to come, and he 712 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:02,399 Speaker 3: was pretty much hooked, you know, from the first first visit. 713 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:05,239 Speaker 2: So what are your some of your earliest memories of 714 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 2: being in this group? 715 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:08,080 Speaker 5: You lived on the commune. 716 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:10,560 Speaker 3: Yes, so I'll go back a little bit. So they 717 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 3: moved to Oregon after he kind of brought forth the 718 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:20,319 Speaker 3: idea of communal living, and they were there from I 719 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:24,360 Speaker 3: think eighty four, you know, basically until it ended. They 720 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:28,879 Speaker 3: did move around a lot and had different properties. But yeah, 721 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,080 Speaker 3: so we were in Oregon, and my earliest memories, I mean, 722 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 3: they're pretty terrible. I don't know, I'm trying to think 723 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:39,200 Speaker 3: of happy ones first. 724 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 2: I mean, whatever whatever comes to mind, whatever you feel 725 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:44,560 Speaker 2: comfortable sharing, you. 726 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:47,880 Speaker 3: Know, I just remember being on a farm, you know, 727 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:53,320 Speaker 3: working a lot. We didn't really play. I remember learning, 728 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:55,799 Speaker 3: you know, we had these schools, like a school set up, 729 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:00,000 Speaker 3: you know, kind of basic stuff as far as like 730 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:03,840 Speaker 3: the good memories, hanging out with you know, kids, my age, 731 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 3: stuff like that, and then as far as like the 732 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:11,719 Speaker 3: bad stuff. I mean, do you want to get into 733 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:12,400 Speaker 3: this now. 734 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 5: Yeah, that means up to you. 735 00:37:14,719 --> 00:37:18,560 Speaker 3: But yeah, as far as the bad stuff. One of 736 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:23,560 Speaker 3: my earliest memories was one of the older boys would 737 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:28,280 Speaker 3: come into my room during nap time and hold a 738 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:33,319 Speaker 3: pillow over my face until I passed out. And yeah, 739 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:39,640 Speaker 3: he would do that pretty pretty frequently. Yeah, but abuse 740 00:37:39,719 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 3: was pretty rampant in the church at that point. So 741 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:45,920 Speaker 3: you know that that old phrase hurt people, hurt people. 742 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:50,520 Speaker 2: So was it like that top was Tom abusing people 743 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 2: and then they were abusing people? 744 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:56,080 Speaker 5: Like what was the landscape of abuse? Weird question, but. 745 00:37:56,280 --> 00:38:00,360 Speaker 3: No, no, makes sense. So the abuse started out verbally, 746 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:04,360 Speaker 3: and of course it was again he was doing a 747 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:07,439 Speaker 3: service for you, like you stepped out of line, you're 748 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:10,799 Speaker 3: going to hell, so he's going to correct that and 749 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:14,400 Speaker 3: get you back on the right path by addressing your 750 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:18,279 Speaker 3: sin or the wrong that you did. And So it 751 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:20,000 Speaker 3: started out first he would bring you up in front 752 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:22,960 Speaker 3: of the church and kind of yell at you, you know, 753 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:27,040 Speaker 3: and that was like the punishment. But then he started 754 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:31,040 Speaker 3: getting into like hitting, like you needed to hit people 755 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:33,840 Speaker 3: to to kind. 756 00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:37,120 Speaker 5: Of like them or keep them in line exactly. 757 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:41,239 Speaker 3: Yeah, keep them inlign exactly, and that you know, that 758 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:45,480 Speaker 3: tapered or you know, it kind of tapered upwards. He 759 00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:48,760 Speaker 3: would i mean the guys. He would punch the guys 760 00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:51,400 Speaker 3: and stuff like that. He pretty early on, actually he 761 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:56,319 Speaker 3: had the guys hit start hitting the women. He one 762 00:38:56,400 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 3: day he said, you know, all basically all the women 763 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:04,360 Speaker 3: had send who knows how, and that the guys needed 764 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:08,200 Speaker 3: to slap their wives. So you know, in the middle 765 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:11,560 Speaker 3: of a church service, all the women and or the 766 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:14,239 Speaker 3: couples would come up in front of the church and 767 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:15,919 Speaker 3: the guys would you know, smack them. 768 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:25,320 Speaker 2: Oh my god, yeah, wow, okay, gosh. Uh So it's 769 00:39:25,360 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 2: so it's incredibly physically abusive. 770 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:30,440 Speaker 1: Also, these church services were like five hours long, correct, 771 00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:37,760 Speaker 1: Like yeah, yeah, consuming your way till no sleep kind. 772 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:41,880 Speaker 3: Of thing exactly. And he was I mean, the stuff 773 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 3: he did. He would do like sleep deprivation stuff, especially 774 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:48,840 Speaker 3: in the early days. He just kind of part of 775 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:53,160 Speaker 3: the love bombing was he had everyone together every day, 776 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 3: so every day you were doing something with people from 777 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 3: the church. And then once he had the you know, 778 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,400 Speaker 3: people hooked on each other as on the community, then 779 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:04,799 Speaker 3: he started saying, well, you need to you know, your 780 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:07,360 Speaker 3: family's not coming to church, or you know, your family's 781 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:09,839 Speaker 3: not listening to me. You need to separate yourself from 782 00:40:09,880 --> 00:40:15,400 Speaker 3: your family, and he you know, by whatever means. And 783 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:18,839 Speaker 3: he eventually had them write letters to their family and 784 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:21,280 Speaker 3: tell them, you know, cut off contact. 785 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:26,040 Speaker 2: With them, especially so classic like over stimulating people, turning 786 00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:28,560 Speaker 2: off their critical thinking by not giving them any alone time, 787 00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:32,600 Speaker 2: isolating them from their families, to also like shut them 788 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:35,239 Speaker 2: out from their previous identity and their ability to think 789 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:38,120 Speaker 2: for themselves. Just all the greatest hits of how cult 790 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:40,600 Speaker 2: leaders do their thing exactly. 791 00:40:40,719 --> 00:40:44,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, the five hour services, you know, I remember those 792 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 3: pretty pretty pretty vividly. He would just rant, you know, 793 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:53,120 Speaker 3: for five hours straight and not. 794 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:54,960 Speaker 4: Sit down, stand up the whole time. 795 00:40:55,719 --> 00:40:58,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, but that went away too, so you know, 796 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:01,480 Speaker 3: everything was kind of like once he didn't have to 797 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:04,239 Speaker 3: do something anymore, he didn't you know what I mean. 798 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:07,520 Speaker 3: So yeah, so he would stand and he would make 799 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:10,160 Speaker 3: these sacrifices and he would be loving or you know, 800 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:13,680 Speaker 3: happy or whatever until he didn't have to be, and 801 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:15,120 Speaker 3: then that would all go away. 802 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,879 Speaker 2: Right, So things start getting pretty dark in Orgon once 803 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:20,279 Speaker 2: kind of get moved there and cut off from the 804 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:21,160 Speaker 2: rest of the world. 805 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:23,680 Speaker 5: You were going to school on the commune as well. 806 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:29,279 Speaker 3: Yeah, and you're you're cut off, like completely cut off 807 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:32,239 Speaker 3: from the world. The only people, you know, we spoke to, 808 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:35,360 Speaker 3: us kids spoke to a lot of the women were 809 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:38,560 Speaker 3: people in the group. And at that point, I think 810 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:41,040 Speaker 3: when I was born there, it had probably dwindled down 811 00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 3: to about one hundred, maybe eighty two, one hundred members 812 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:47,560 Speaker 3: from three hundred to one point fifty and it just kept, 813 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:51,920 Speaker 3: you know, dwindling down because when we first moved to Oregon, 814 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 3: it was you know, people were starving, like everybody lost weight, 815 00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:59,920 Speaker 3: people were boned in, you know, people were working like 816 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:02,560 Speaker 3: crazy hours. You know, they were hallucinating on the job 817 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:03,279 Speaker 3: stuff like that. 818 00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:05,560 Speaker 5: Where's no one working? Were people allowed to work? 819 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:09,839 Speaker 3: Yeah? So he started when they left Vegas, everybody had 820 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:12,240 Speaker 3: to sell their home, sell their cars, you know, liquid 821 00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:14,759 Speaker 3: a assets and give him all the money. And then 822 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:17,680 Speaker 3: he bought a property, a couple of properties in Azalea, 823 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:21,000 Speaker 3: and then he started two companies. One was a cabinet 824 00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:23,280 Speaker 3: shop and the other one was a construction company. 825 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:24,400 Speaker 1: He loved cabinets. 826 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:27,880 Speaker 3: We love cabinets, Yeah, he did. He was obsessed with cabins. 827 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:32,919 Speaker 5: At least you're covered on cabinets. All the other shit's bad, 828 00:42:32,960 --> 00:42:34,359 Speaker 5: but you got cabinets. Yeah. 829 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:40,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. He would bring people and show you the cabinets 830 00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:42,680 Speaker 3: and be like, do you see what's happening? Like can 831 00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:45,480 Speaker 3: you see it? And everybody was like, yeah, I see it, 832 00:42:45,520 --> 00:42:46,120 Speaker 3: but nobody else. 833 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:48,400 Speaker 5: It's the Ash conformity experiment. 834 00:42:48,520 --> 00:42:51,880 Speaker 2: That's the this experiment that they did back in the 835 00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:53,880 Speaker 2: fifties where they would they would have a group of 836 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:55,960 Speaker 2: people and they would ask them to say which line 837 00:42:56,080 --> 00:42:59,160 Speaker 2: was long longest, and it'd be very clear, there's one 838 00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:01,399 Speaker 2: line that's long with them there. But they would have 839 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:04,040 Speaker 2: they would like plant people to say that something like 840 00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:07,760 Speaker 2: obviously not true about the which line was longer. 841 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:09,839 Speaker 5: I might it might be shorter. I'm getting the details wrong. 842 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:13,440 Speaker 2: But if someone else said the thing that was clearly 843 00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:16,640 Speaker 2: not true, all the other people would be significantly more 844 00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:20,600 Speaker 2: likely to also completely not listen to their own senses 845 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:22,560 Speaker 2: what they were seeing right in front of their eyes, 846 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:24,200 Speaker 2: and to just say that they also saw it that 847 00:43:24,239 --> 00:43:25,760 Speaker 2: way because people are free. 848 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:27,080 Speaker 5: To not conform. 849 00:43:27,239 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, did you see the images in the cabinet? 850 00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:33,000 Speaker 3: So no, he never showed me the cabinets, but I 851 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:37,640 Speaker 3: saw something else. They went on a field trip, I 852 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:40,600 Speaker 3: guess you would call it one day, and the story 853 00:43:40,719 --> 00:43:43,440 Speaker 3: is that they saw these demons in these caves. They 854 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:46,839 Speaker 3: went to these the organ caves, and while they were 855 00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:49,240 Speaker 3: down there, all their lights stopped working and their cameras 856 00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:52,080 Speaker 3: started flashing off and they were like harassed by these 857 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:57,359 Speaker 3: like spirits or whatever. So you know, fast forward years later, 858 00:43:57,800 --> 00:43:59,680 Speaker 3: I was living with him for a short amount of 859 00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:03,719 Speaker 3: time and he had this these stacks of polaroids and 860 00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:07,040 Speaker 3: they were all of like picture you know, cave walls 861 00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:09,319 Speaker 3: and stuff like that, and you could see like some 862 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:11,680 Speaker 3: of the members in the pictures and stuff. And he 863 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:14,560 Speaker 3: caught me looking at him and he was like, you know, DC, 864 00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:17,040 Speaker 3: He's like, you see the demons and blah blah blah, 865 00:44:17,239 --> 00:44:21,280 Speaker 3: And I was just straight up like, no, I don't, 866 00:44:25,960 --> 00:44:28,200 Speaker 3: because I really wanted to see him, because you know, 867 00:44:28,239 --> 00:44:30,600 Speaker 3: I had heard the story obviously, so I was like 868 00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:31,880 Speaker 3: you know, where are they? I was like, is it 869 00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:35,680 Speaker 3: in you know, another picture? But you know, so part 870 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:38,360 Speaker 3: of me is like I think this guy might have believed, 871 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:41,280 Speaker 3: you know, some of the shit he was selling. 872 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:44,719 Speaker 5: Yeah. Yeah, I mean I feel like they frequently do. 873 00:44:44,680 --> 00:44:46,960 Speaker 4: Or even if they start off not, then they eventually 874 00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:48,040 Speaker 4: they do. 875 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:51,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, like I am so awesome and write about everything 876 00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:52,240 Speaker 2: that it must be true. 877 00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:53,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's true. 878 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,640 Speaker 2: So tell us a little bit more about your trajectory, 879 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:01,320 Speaker 2: Like do you have have this like sort of harrowing 880 00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:03,440 Speaker 2: experience on this commune? 881 00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:04,640 Speaker 5: How long did you live there? 882 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:08,839 Speaker 3: So I was in from till two thousand, so until 883 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:12,440 Speaker 3: I was ten, and you know, just to break down 884 00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:14,520 Speaker 3: kind of like what the day to day life was, 885 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:17,200 Speaker 3: because if you kind of get like a feel for 886 00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:19,000 Speaker 3: like what the day to day life was, it doesn't 887 00:45:19,040 --> 00:45:21,800 Speaker 3: really matter where you are. That was pretty much your experience. 888 00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:28,799 Speaker 3: You know. For us kids, we worked NonStop. That everybody did. 889 00:45:28,880 --> 00:45:31,520 Speaker 3: The women were working, the guys are working. He kept 890 00:45:31,640 --> 00:45:34,520 Speaker 3: the guys away from everybody else, so he would send 891 00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:37,919 Speaker 3: them on jobs to Portland, you know, in all around 892 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:42,280 Speaker 3: the Portland area and they'd be gone for like two weeks, 893 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:46,680 Speaker 3: so you know, kids didn't see any men except for 894 00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:52,120 Speaker 3: certain guys that like the accountant stayed and Tom obviously, 895 00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:54,080 Speaker 3: and then like one or two other guys that like 896 00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:58,640 Speaker 3: helped Tom, you know around his house and stuff, stayed 897 00:45:58,640 --> 00:46:01,760 Speaker 3: in the area. And the women worked on the farms. 898 00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:03,920 Speaker 3: The kids worked on the farms, because the whole idea 899 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:07,520 Speaker 3: was to be you know, self sustainable, so they wanted 900 00:46:07,560 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 3: to have these like massive farms and whatnot. And then 901 00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:14,960 Speaker 3: as far as like experience for the kids, it was 902 00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:18,560 Speaker 3: you did a little bit of school, you worked all day, 903 00:46:18,960 --> 00:46:23,799 Speaker 3: and then you got like pretty severely punished for everything 904 00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:28,920 Speaker 3: that happened. And the I mean depending on the adults. 905 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:33,360 Speaker 3: So some of the adults were a lot nicer about 906 00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:36,400 Speaker 3: how they dispersed punishment, and some of the adults were bad, 907 00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:40,120 Speaker 3: like really bad, Like they would do pretty horrible things 908 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:42,880 Speaker 3: to the kids, you know, like to their own kids. 909 00:46:43,080 --> 00:46:45,439 Speaker 3: You know, you could do this to other kids as well, 910 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:46,840 Speaker 3: but to their own kids, you. 911 00:46:46,840 --> 00:46:48,640 Speaker 4: Would think in other person's kids. 912 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:51,960 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, absolutely, some of the adults if they thought 913 00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:55,040 Speaker 3: that your kid did something and you didn't discipline them 914 00:46:55,440 --> 00:46:57,640 Speaker 3: like you should have, and they would they would then 915 00:46:57,680 --> 00:46:58,920 Speaker 3: discipline you afterwards. 916 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:02,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, so not even like oh his dad's not around. 917 00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:04,600 Speaker 2: I got to do this, but like, oh, his dad 918 00:47:04,760 --> 00:47:06,480 Speaker 2: or his mom or whatever, his mom didn't do a 919 00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:09,560 Speaker 2: good enough job at disciplining him, So now I'm going. 920 00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:09,799 Speaker 3: To do it. 921 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:12,360 Speaker 1: My parents' friends want spank me like they weren't in 922 00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:14,520 Speaker 1: the religion, I think, I think same. 923 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:16,520 Speaker 5: I think not my parents' friends, but maybe like a 924 00:47:16,520 --> 00:47:17,640 Speaker 5: friend's parent or something. 925 00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:19,480 Speaker 4: Really, it was disturbing was. 926 00:47:19,440 --> 00:47:21,920 Speaker 5: That coming from Tom? Was he like, y'all got to 927 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:23,799 Speaker 5: punish your kids a lot. 928 00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:30,600 Speaker 3: Absolutely, And because my dad, like my brother says this 929 00:47:31,200 --> 00:47:33,480 Speaker 3: in the podcast. He you know, my dad was not 930 00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:37,880 Speaker 3: very physical in the beginning, like he would barely swat you. 931 00:47:38,239 --> 00:47:42,040 Speaker 3: But then Tom would always you know, one up everything 932 00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:44,640 Speaker 3: and he would say this, like and I talked to 933 00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:46,560 Speaker 3: the adult afterwards, and some of them are like, oh, 934 00:47:46,560 --> 00:47:48,480 Speaker 3: you know, you guys got spankings. They weren't that bad 935 00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:50,960 Speaker 3: that he would say, like there needs to be blood, 936 00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:53,439 Speaker 3: like you have to you know, you have to draw 937 00:47:53,480 --> 00:47:55,719 Speaker 3: blood for like these certain things. I want to see 938 00:47:55,760 --> 00:48:00,240 Speaker 3: blood stuff like that. And like some of the kids 939 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:02,040 Speaker 3: who got it the worst, you know, they'd get like 940 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:04,520 Speaker 3: beat with extension cords and they'd like cuts all over 941 00:48:04,560 --> 00:48:07,640 Speaker 3: their body and then they'd like put them in these 942 00:48:07,680 --> 00:48:11,040 Speaker 3: like hot epps and salt baths, so like it stings 943 00:48:11,080 --> 00:48:11,600 Speaker 3: really bad. 944 00:48:12,120 --> 00:48:12,719 Speaker 5: God. 945 00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:16,439 Speaker 3: Yeah, there was, I mean just lots of stuff like that, 946 00:48:17,080 --> 00:48:20,520 Speaker 3: lots of beatings. There was like there was like stuff 947 00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:22,960 Speaker 3: they would do too, like if you were a really 948 00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:27,080 Speaker 3: bad kid, they would take you from your family and 949 00:48:27,640 --> 00:48:31,120 Speaker 3: give you to like a more strict individual. And then 950 00:48:31,400 --> 00:48:34,160 Speaker 3: that individual one in particular, I won't say her name. 951 00:48:35,160 --> 00:48:38,040 Speaker 3: She it was kind of like boot camp. Like she would, 952 00:48:38,640 --> 00:48:40,000 Speaker 3: you know, wake you up in the middle of the 953 00:48:40,080 --> 00:48:42,640 Speaker 3: night and just make you stand on the wall for hours. 954 00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:46,040 Speaker 3: Then she'd make you go work. You know, she'd wake 955 00:48:46,040 --> 00:48:48,160 Speaker 3: you up by throwing water in your face, kicking you, 956 00:48:48,160 --> 00:48:53,759 Speaker 3: you know, whatever happen. No, No, I I tried to 957 00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:58,399 Speaker 3: fly under the radar, like I kind of noticed, you know, 958 00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:02,799 Speaker 3: where it pushed the limit to. You know. I I've 959 00:49:02,840 --> 00:49:07,040 Speaker 3: still got disciplined plenty, but I kind of knew, like 960 00:49:07,080 --> 00:49:09,160 Speaker 3: I didn't want to go live with these other people. 961 00:49:09,560 --> 00:49:12,560 Speaker 3: Uh they were pretty terrible. Yeah, and but you know 962 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:16,480 Speaker 3: my siblings did. My two older siblings you know, got 963 00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:17,919 Speaker 3: sent away for years. 964 00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:20,160 Speaker 5: And uh years years. 965 00:49:20,280 --> 00:49:23,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, and yeah, I mean you just don't see them 966 00:49:23,440 --> 00:49:27,040 Speaker 3: like they're they're gone, like they're miles you know, miles away, 967 00:49:27,120 --> 00:49:30,879 Speaker 3: sometimes states away. And uh, you know, as a parent 968 00:49:30,880 --> 00:49:32,840 Speaker 3: could because I have a daughter now, I could not 969 00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:35,400 Speaker 3: imagine sending my kid away to be disciplined. 970 00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:36,920 Speaker 5: Well, I'm just so sorry. 971 00:49:36,920 --> 00:49:40,040 Speaker 2: This is just so you know, this sounds so traumatic 972 00:49:40,120 --> 00:49:43,239 Speaker 2: and hard and sad, but it is. 973 00:49:43,280 --> 00:49:47,480 Speaker 3: And when I was making it, I mean, unfortunately, Uh, 974 00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:51,400 Speaker 3: I was trying to like find like a silver lining 975 00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:53,880 Speaker 3: in it, and you know, try trying. I wanted to 976 00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:55,359 Speaker 3: like pepper it in. I was like, well, it wasn't 977 00:49:55,480 --> 00:49:57,520 Speaker 3: like you know, it just felt like I was like 978 00:49:57,719 --> 00:50:00,560 Speaker 3: almost having like a sob story, Like but you know, oh, 979 00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:02,000 Speaker 3: we had to do this and we had to do that. 980 00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:04,000 Speaker 3: I was like, actually we kind of like every day 981 00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:04,800 Speaker 3: it was horrible. 982 00:50:05,120 --> 00:50:09,000 Speaker 2: Oh no, yeah, I mean I'm sorry for laughing. It's 983 00:50:09,040 --> 00:50:11,000 Speaker 2: just like so it's so sad. 984 00:50:11,160 --> 00:50:13,480 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, no, I mean it's totally fine. And I 985 00:50:13,520 --> 00:50:15,520 Speaker 3: mean I'm a and I was thinking about this too. 986 00:50:15,640 --> 00:50:19,760 Speaker 3: Like the best thing was when we started laughing about 987 00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:24,239 Speaker 3: the things that happened, Like we started finding like, you know, 988 00:50:24,680 --> 00:50:27,240 Speaker 3: the how mad the adults would get. We started finding 989 00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:29,120 Speaker 3: that funny. 990 00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:30,719 Speaker 4: That's amazing. 991 00:50:30,840 --> 00:50:31,120 Speaker 3: Yeah. 992 00:50:31,200 --> 00:50:32,479 Speaker 5: Yeah, So and. 993 00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:34,399 Speaker 3: I mean, and it helped, Like you know, it kind 994 00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:37,319 Speaker 3: of changes your outlook on everything, because if you are 995 00:50:37,400 --> 00:50:40,400 Speaker 3: in there and you're thinking this is horrible, you know, 996 00:50:40,520 --> 00:50:42,560 Speaker 3: it just puts you in a really dark place. But 997 00:50:42,600 --> 00:50:45,080 Speaker 3: if you, you know, if you can like lighten it 998 00:50:45,160 --> 00:50:49,000 Speaker 3: up somehow, especially when you have no control over it, yeah, 999 00:50:48,480 --> 00:50:52,400 Speaker 3: it makes your It may not make the experience better, 1000 00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:54,400 Speaker 3: but it makes your mindset better. 1001 00:50:54,800 --> 00:50:58,920 Speaker 2: I'm curious about your relationship with your parents while all 1002 00:50:58,960 --> 00:51:02,080 Speaker 2: of this was happening. Were you guys close and did 1003 00:51:02,120 --> 00:51:04,160 Speaker 2: you believe in it? I know those are two separate questions. 1004 00:51:07,840 --> 00:51:10,440 Speaker 3: I'll answer to the second one first. Yes. The short 1005 00:51:10,480 --> 00:51:14,280 Speaker 3: answer is yes, I believed in it because I literally 1006 00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:17,840 Speaker 3: didn't know anything else. Yeah, but that only lasts so long, 1007 00:51:18,080 --> 00:51:20,560 Speaker 3: Like you know, even I think it was like nine 1008 00:51:20,680 --> 00:51:22,520 Speaker 3: or ten when I was kind of like, I think 1009 00:51:22,560 --> 00:51:26,399 Speaker 3: this is kind of horseshit. But at first I did 1010 00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:28,479 Speaker 3: believe in it, and that kind of made it hard 1011 00:51:28,520 --> 00:51:32,799 Speaker 3: because everything that was happening you believed was like, you know, 1012 00:51:33,040 --> 00:51:35,680 Speaker 3: this was from God, like this is supposed to be happening. 1013 00:51:36,760 --> 00:51:39,239 Speaker 3: You're kind of like the reason things are happening are 1014 00:51:39,400 --> 00:51:41,480 Speaker 3: because what you did, not because somebody else is doing 1015 00:51:41,520 --> 00:51:44,040 Speaker 3: them to you, like you messed up, so you deserve 1016 00:51:44,120 --> 00:51:47,920 Speaker 3: this kind of thing, right, But my relationship with my 1017 00:51:47,960 --> 00:51:50,480 Speaker 3: parents was not good. I didn't see my dad a lot, 1018 00:51:50,560 --> 00:51:54,000 Speaker 3: and when I did, you know, I was basically getting 1019 00:51:54,320 --> 00:51:58,400 Speaker 3: getting beat for things. They would write like a list 1020 00:51:58,600 --> 00:52:01,400 Speaker 3: of all the things you did during the week, and 1021 00:52:01,440 --> 00:52:04,520 Speaker 3: then the men would get home. There was the men, 1022 00:52:04,640 --> 00:52:07,799 Speaker 3: the women, the pastor the kids. So when the men 1023 00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:12,200 Speaker 3: got home, you got punishments were dealt out basically fun. 1024 00:52:12,960 --> 00:52:14,160 Speaker 4: This is literally hell. 1025 00:52:14,520 --> 00:52:20,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, it wasn't fun. But so no, didn't have a 1026 00:52:20,920 --> 00:52:24,080 Speaker 3: good relationship with my dad because of that, because every 1027 00:52:24,080 --> 00:52:26,200 Speaker 3: time you saw him it was like just not good. 1028 00:52:27,480 --> 00:52:31,279 Speaker 3: And then with my mom, you just don't like the 1029 00:52:31,320 --> 00:52:33,040 Speaker 3: things that are happening to you. And when you don't 1030 00:52:33,080 --> 00:52:35,400 Speaker 3: like the things that are happening to you, it's hard 1031 00:52:35,480 --> 00:52:39,400 Speaker 3: to you know, correlate good emotions with the people that 1032 00:52:39,440 --> 00:52:43,040 Speaker 3: are around you at that time. You know. Yeah, but 1033 00:52:44,680 --> 00:52:48,799 Speaker 3: things got really disconnected for me personally. Things got really 1034 00:52:48,880 --> 00:52:53,880 Speaker 3: disconnected when they kind of gave me a way to 1035 00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:57,279 Speaker 3: go to live with the pastor and I kind of 1036 00:52:57,320 --> 00:52:59,959 Speaker 3: I had a feeling like by the time he brought 1037 00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:02,000 Speaker 3: me to his house and This happened to all the kids, 1038 00:53:02,040 --> 00:53:04,160 Speaker 3: So I'm not like special in any way. This happened 1039 00:53:04,160 --> 00:53:08,360 Speaker 3: to all the kids. He brought them. He would basically say, 1040 00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:11,160 Speaker 3: instead of waiting for a parent to give him a kid, 1041 00:53:11,800 --> 00:53:13,759 Speaker 3: because he cycled through him, like a kid would come 1042 00:53:13,760 --> 00:53:16,080 Speaker 3: over for like a month, two months, and then he 1043 00:53:16,120 --> 00:53:20,080 Speaker 3: would say, you know, they're terrible. Or he said one 1044 00:53:20,120 --> 00:53:22,239 Speaker 3: girl was lusting after him, a five year old. 1045 00:53:22,320 --> 00:53:22,839 Speaker 5: Oh my god. 1046 00:53:23,560 --> 00:53:26,840 Speaker 3: Yeah. He said she would like, you know, rub herself 1047 00:53:26,880 --> 00:53:30,200 Speaker 3: on him and like masturbate, and she was lusting after 1048 00:53:30,280 --> 00:53:31,880 Speaker 3: him and all this stuff and made her come up 1049 00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:36,000 Speaker 3: in front of the church and say how I'm unfortunately 1050 00:53:36,160 --> 00:53:40,160 Speaker 3: I'm serious and say how she was like thinking these 1051 00:53:40,160 --> 00:53:44,480 Speaker 3: like dirty things about him. God, And uh so I knew. 1052 00:53:44,520 --> 00:53:45,759 Speaker 3: I was like, oh man, if I have to live 1053 00:53:45,800 --> 00:53:48,600 Speaker 3: with this guy, it's not going to be fun. And 1054 00:53:49,719 --> 00:53:51,480 Speaker 3: he was he was kind of looking at me, and 1055 00:53:51,520 --> 00:53:53,600 Speaker 3: he was he was talking to me like for the 1056 00:53:53,600 --> 00:53:55,000 Speaker 3: weeks leading up to it, he was talking to me, 1057 00:53:55,080 --> 00:53:57,480 Speaker 3: and like, looking back, I kind of realized it is 1058 00:53:57,520 --> 00:54:02,279 Speaker 3: like grooming behavior. And then, you know, one day in 1059 00:54:02,360 --> 00:54:04,960 Speaker 3: church he was like, you know, asked me to stand up, 1060 00:54:04,960 --> 00:54:07,440 Speaker 3: and then he said, uh, you know, do you do 1061 00:54:07,480 --> 00:54:09,640 Speaker 3: you want to beat my son? And you know you 1062 00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:13,960 Speaker 3: can't say no. So I was like sure, and he 1063 00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:16,759 Speaker 3: was like, Okay, you're coming home with me, So I went. 1064 00:54:16,840 --> 00:54:18,279 Speaker 3: I went home with him, but I just kind of 1065 00:54:18,320 --> 00:54:20,960 Speaker 3: remember like looking at my parents to be like, you 1066 00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:25,640 Speaker 3: know you're gonna do anything about this, and you know nothing, 1067 00:54:25,840 --> 00:54:29,520 Speaker 3: So I kind of I felt very detached at that moment. 1068 00:54:30,680 --> 00:54:37,440 Speaker 3: And then I mean, really hasn't been better since. I mean, yeah, yeah, 1069 00:54:37,600 --> 00:54:40,399 Speaker 3: things are, things are better. I shouldn't say that things 1070 00:54:40,440 --> 00:54:43,960 Speaker 3: are better now. They're better with my dad, especially because 1071 00:54:44,000 --> 00:54:47,640 Speaker 3: like he just kind of stopped like once he left, 1072 00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:50,080 Speaker 3: like things were bad for a little while him and 1073 00:54:50,120 --> 00:54:56,239 Speaker 3: my mom got divorced, but he just stopped all discipline 1074 00:54:56,400 --> 00:55:00,880 Speaker 3: basically and kind of became a different person. And then 1075 00:55:01,520 --> 00:55:04,040 Speaker 3: my mom did too. But I mean we still bumped 1076 00:55:04,040 --> 00:55:06,080 Speaker 3: heads a lot of times, and just when you have 1077 00:55:06,120 --> 00:55:09,200 Speaker 3: that kind of background, anytime you bump heads, it just 1078 00:55:09,200 --> 00:55:12,279 Speaker 3: seems so much more severe than it really is. So 1079 00:55:12,840 --> 00:55:15,080 Speaker 3: there was never really any reconnection. 1080 00:55:15,640 --> 00:55:19,040 Speaker 2: Okay, that is the conclusion of part one with Zach. 1081 00:55:19,120 --> 00:55:23,600 Speaker 2: Stay tuned for next week. It gets very serious, but 1082 00:55:23,760 --> 00:55:28,400 Speaker 2: it is very good. He's amazing, So that'll be next week. 1083 00:55:29,080 --> 00:55:32,640 Speaker 2: Until then, Megan, I know you probably would not join 1084 00:55:33,400 --> 00:55:36,279 Speaker 2: Tom's group, but is there anything about this group that 1085 00:55:36,360 --> 00:55:38,759 Speaker 2: you identify with or that speaks to you? 1086 00:55:39,160 --> 00:55:43,400 Speaker 4: Oh my god? The seeing images in the wood. 1087 00:55:44,160 --> 00:55:47,400 Speaker 1: Something tell me more something that I have done for 1088 00:55:47,440 --> 00:55:52,280 Speaker 1: a very long time. Granted it's not usually entire scenes. However, 1089 00:55:52,360 --> 00:55:55,840 Speaker 1: if I am on drugs, it will be so ambient. 1090 00:55:56,280 --> 00:55:59,440 Speaker 1: Was very fun to look at paintings. I would get messages. 1091 00:56:00,360 --> 00:56:01,520 Speaker 4: Thank god. I didn't think. 1092 00:56:01,400 --> 00:56:04,560 Speaker 1: These messages were meant for anyone but myself. And when 1093 00:56:04,560 --> 00:56:06,480 Speaker 1: I woke up in the morning, I also didn't think 1094 00:56:06,480 --> 00:56:07,320 Speaker 1: they were for myself. 1095 00:56:07,400 --> 00:56:07,920 Speaker 5: Oh good, but. 1096 00:56:10,120 --> 00:56:10,759 Speaker 4: Definitely. 1097 00:56:11,880 --> 00:56:14,400 Speaker 1: And I'm the kind of person who's like, oh my gosh, 1098 00:56:14,440 --> 00:56:16,840 Speaker 1: there's a rabbit in the marble of our bathroom. 1099 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:19,479 Speaker 4: And then every day we'll be like, can you see 1100 00:56:19,480 --> 00:56:20,520 Speaker 4: the rabbit? Can you see that? 1101 00:56:20,560 --> 00:56:22,759 Speaker 1: And then there's the person looking at the rabbit, and 1102 00:56:22,800 --> 00:56:24,839 Speaker 1: like finally the person will be like yeah, I mean 1103 00:56:24,960 --> 00:56:27,680 Speaker 1: the person my boyfriend, the only other person in our bathroom, 1104 00:56:27,680 --> 00:56:29,279 Speaker 1: will be like, yeah, I guess I see it, And 1105 00:56:29,480 --> 00:56:29,759 Speaker 1: you know. 1106 00:56:30,280 --> 00:56:34,120 Speaker 2: Yeah that kind of I I yeah, I mean, listen, 1107 00:56:34,160 --> 00:56:35,440 Speaker 2: we all see things in shapes. 1108 00:56:35,480 --> 00:56:38,000 Speaker 5: We stare at the clouds. We see beautiful images. 1109 00:56:38,480 --> 00:56:42,840 Speaker 2: I remember on mushrooms one time the tiles in my 1110 00:56:42,960 --> 00:56:45,480 Speaker 2: boyfriend at the times bathroom. 1111 00:56:45,640 --> 00:56:48,000 Speaker 5: Were oh well, the tiles. 1112 00:56:47,640 --> 00:56:50,520 Speaker 2: Were speaking to me. But then on the TV there 1113 00:56:50,560 --> 00:56:53,120 Speaker 2: were these what were they? It was some kind of 1114 00:56:53,200 --> 00:56:55,880 Speaker 2: sea creature on you know how it has that like 1115 00:56:56,080 --> 00:56:57,160 Speaker 2: screensaver thing. 1116 00:56:57,239 --> 00:57:00,160 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's like the sea or whatever there was. I'm 1117 00:57:00,239 --> 00:57:00,839 Speaker 5: kind of sea creature. 1118 00:57:00,840 --> 00:57:03,280 Speaker 2: I'm forgetting what it was, but I thought they looked 1119 00:57:03,400 --> 00:57:08,000 Speaker 2: like women's torsos, and the women's torsos were tell were 1120 00:57:08,120 --> 00:57:10,160 Speaker 2: like reaching out to me and telling me that they 1121 00:57:10,200 --> 00:57:13,480 Speaker 2: loved me because I felt so unloved by my boyfriend 1122 00:57:13,480 --> 00:57:16,400 Speaker 2: at the time, and the feminine energy of the women, 1123 00:57:16,480 --> 00:57:18,960 Speaker 2: I was like, I need female energy. Was it was 1124 00:57:19,000 --> 00:57:21,280 Speaker 2: embracing me and telling me that I was loved. So 1125 00:57:21,360 --> 00:57:24,480 Speaker 2: that's nice. That's my experience with seeing that. I'm assuming 1126 00:57:24,680 --> 00:57:25,760 Speaker 2: these were sea horses. 1127 00:57:26,080 --> 00:57:29,480 Speaker 5: Was it seahorses? I don't think it was. I think 1128 00:57:29,520 --> 00:57:31,080 Speaker 5: it was like something, well, other. 1129 00:57:31,080 --> 00:57:33,680 Speaker 4: Fish has a torso, oh, a jellyfish. 1130 00:57:33,960 --> 00:57:37,560 Speaker 2: Maybe it looked like it just like had a general God, 1131 00:57:37,640 --> 00:57:40,560 Speaker 2: I can't remember, I will find it. It had the 1132 00:57:40,680 --> 00:57:43,800 Speaker 2: general like hourglass shape, but that was like the entire 1133 00:57:43,880 --> 00:57:46,840 Speaker 2: shape of the thing. I don't remember it having anyway, 1134 00:57:46,920 --> 00:57:48,840 Speaker 2: whatever it was, I will figure it out and I 1135 00:57:48,880 --> 00:57:50,400 Speaker 2: will keep you out. I'll post it because I know 1136 00:57:50,440 --> 00:57:51,800 Speaker 2: you're all diet, you know. 1137 00:57:55,600 --> 00:57:57,520 Speaker 5: In any case, I was like. 1138 00:57:57,480 --> 00:58:00,240 Speaker 2: I need women who can talk about feelings and make 1139 00:58:00,280 --> 00:58:01,880 Speaker 2: me feel like I'm not a freak. 1140 00:58:02,560 --> 00:58:05,080 Speaker 4: Ah Well, I hope you feel more connected. 1141 00:58:04,640 --> 00:58:06,560 Speaker 5: These days, very much, so thank you. 1142 00:58:06,880 --> 00:58:10,000 Speaker 2: Shout out to Couples Counseling woo boo. 1143 00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:12,360 Speaker 1: Well, thank you guys so much for joining us for 1144 00:58:12,400 --> 00:58:14,800 Speaker 1: another week. Can't wait to see you again next week. 1145 00:58:15,080 --> 00:58:17,680 Speaker 1: As always, remember to follow your gut, watch out for 1146 00:58:17,720 --> 00:58:18,840 Speaker 1: red flags. 1147 00:58:18,560 --> 00:58:21,360 Speaker 4: And never ever trust me. 1148 00:58:22,000 --> 00:58:22,280 Speaker 1: Guys. 1149 00:58:22,280 --> 00:58:29,160 Speaker 2: I Trust Me as produced by Kirsten Woodward, Gabby Rapp 1150 00:58:29,240 --> 00:58:30,800 Speaker 2: and Steve Delemator. 1151 00:58:30,360 --> 00:58:32,280 Speaker 4: With special thanks to Stacy Para. 1152 00:58:32,200 --> 00:58:34,640 Speaker 5: And our theme song was composed by Holly amber Church. 1153 00:58:34,840 --> 00:58:37,720 Speaker 1: You can find us on Instagram at trust Me Podcast, 1154 00:58:37,920 --> 00:58:42,040 Speaker 1: Twitter at trust Me Cult Pod, or on TikTok at trust. 1155 00:58:41,720 --> 00:58:43,000 Speaker 4: Me Cult Podcast. 1156 00:58:43,160 --> 00:58:46,520 Speaker 2: I'm Oola Lola on Instagram and Ola Lola on Twitter. 1157 00:58:46,240 --> 00:58:49,800 Speaker 1: And I am Megan Elizabeth eleven on Instagram and Babraham 1158 00:58:50,000 --> 00:58:51,040 Speaker 1: Hicks on Twitter. 1159 00:58:51,200 --> 00:58:53,479 Speaker 5: Remember to rate and review and spread the word