Cult News

Church Universal Triumphant (CUT), the creation of Elizabeth Clare Prophet, has now named the mother of Jesus to serve on its corporate board according to a recent church newsletter, reports the Billings Gazette.

Apparently the church often called a “cult,” seemingly adrift and withering since the “retirement” of its founder due to a “neurological disorder,” needs new guidance and now says Mary is helping out.

President of the group’s teaching center in LA Joe De La Garza discussed Mary’s new role in the church newsletter “Heart to Heart.”

CUT believes that its “ascended masters” can act as channels for many revered figures to communicate with the world, including Mary, St. Francis of Assisi and Jesus. St. Germain supposedly is a “co-chairperson” on its board with Mary.

CUT has gone through several organizational shake-ups in recent years. It has also had financial problems that have apparently forced the group to sell off some of its assets.

Cut’s decline appeared to begin when Prophet failed to live up to her name. She predicted a nuclear holocaust would occur in 1990. CUT even sold space in bomb shelters within its Montana compound. And when nothing happened, many disillusioned members packed up and left.

Prophet’s problems persisted when in the late 90s her daughter Erin began to publicly raise questions about what was really going on at CUT. She concluded that church practices could “be a detrimental thing.” And that following its dictates seemed to require ”putting aside your rational mind.”

It is doubtful that the proclaimed installment of Mary on CUT’s board will really change anything. With its founder first discredited and now incapacitated, diminishing membership, declining resources and repeated staff changes—Cut’s “ascended masters” look like they’re losing altitude.

Perhaps a better personage for CUT to claim for its board would be Saint Jude—the patron of lost causes.

The practice of “therapeutic touch” or Reiki, is based upon the claim that practitioners can somehow “channel energy” to help people.

Now the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will spend $400,00 to determine if there is any physical and objective proof to substantiate the claims made about Reiki, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Basically, to any objective observer Reiki is simply someone waving his or her hands over another person. And this activity looks more like a religious rite than a medical practice.

However, Reiki practitioners claim they are somehow moving “energy,” which in turn affects the “chakras” of their clients. They often charge for such sessions.

Some of those that have experienced Reiki say it makes them feel better, but these anecdotal stories are subjective. There is no proof that the practice actually accomplishes anything physically.

NIH will do a controlled study through the Albert Einstein Health Care Network.

But such a study has already been done and published within a prestigious medical journal.

Emily Rosa, a nine-year-old fourth grader, tested 21 “therapeutic touch” practitioners and found that they were unable to detect an energy field, reported CNN. Rosa’s findings were later published in JAMA.

So why must taxpayer’s money be needlessly dumped for any additional study? And why waste valuable NIH staff time when Ms. Rosa has kindly already done the work for free?

The editor of JAMA said, “I do not believe age should be a bar on anything, either young or old, it’s the quality of the science that matters.” And they accepted Rosa’s findings. If its good enough for JAMA, why not NIH?

Obviously it doesn’t take an “Einstein” to prove that “therapeutic touch” is bogus, much less a Health Care Network named to honor the late scientist.

Reiki appears to be little more than quackery and with the budget deficit rising, the government could easily find better uses for taxpayer’s money.

Former truck driver now “cult” leader Ronald Lloyd Spencer calls himself “Buddha Maitreya.” But it seems being “Buddha” is just not enough for the Californian.

According to a listener Spencer claimed on his radio show, “that [the Dalai Lama of Tibet] will retire next July and in recognition of ‘Buddha Maitreya’…crown him…and hand over all…ashrams…as well as [his] spiritual seat” to Spencer.

This announcement was made on Spencer’s “Shambhala Hour” program, which is broadcast in the Bay area, Santa Cruz and Omaha, Nebraska.

The self-proclaimed “Buddha Maitreya’s” new position of spiritual authority was supposedly decided upon during a “transcontinental phone call” between Spencer and the revered Tibetan religious leader.

Right.

Ron Spencer has now brought new meaning to that classic rock song “California Dreaming.”

The Mt. Shasta guru reportedly has a penchant for pot smoking. Was this dream was discerned through a cloud of Cannabis smoke?

Officials associated with the Dalai Lama deny any recognition whatsoever has been given to Spencer by His Holiness and describe his claims as “nonsense.”

Spencer has also said that he and the Dalai Lama will occupy “throne seats next to each other.”

It may be time for the self-proclaimed “Buddha” to find a new “throne,” but not one anywhere near the Dalai Lama’s spiritual seat.

Perhaps Ron Spencer should set his sights on finding a seat in a restroom. He seems full of something, but it doesn’t appear to be “holiness.”

Cambodian cult leader Dem Mam was released from custody despite the fact that he is apparently responsible for three deaths, reports Reuters.

It seems there no law in Cambodia to convict him for undue influence, no matter how tragic the consequences.

Three cult members incinerated themselves in a bathtub filled with gasoline because they believed it was their only way to heaven.

Dem Mam walked out of jail a free man and arrogantly claimed that he was “already holy enough” and thus didn’t need to end his life through ritual suicide. A seemingly tacit acknowledgement of his deadly teachings.

Why is not so surprising that what’s good enough for his devotees, is somehow not good for Dem Mam. The 54-year-old cult leader will now likely move on to find new victims.

It seems that authorities have finally decided to crack down on the most powerful polygamist group in Utah.

A policeman from Hildale, Utah, which is dominated by the polygamist group known as “Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” (FLDS), has been charged by Utah’s attorney general with bigamy and illegal sex, reports the Associated Press.

FLDS member Rodney H. Holm 36 has three wives and two of them are sisters. His third wife, his first wife’s sister, bore Holm two children before reaching 18.

Holm’s first wife is also criminally charged for abetting the crimes of her husband.

The polygamist policeman’s lawyer, who also represents the FLDS, claims his client is being persecuted. He says Holm is guilty of nothing more than “living [his] religion and teaching it.”

This seems to be a common refrain when members of some religious groups called “cults,” are held accountable for their actions by authorities. They seem to feel that anything done in the name of their beliefs is legal, or at least should be immune from prosecution.

But certainly a lawman like Holm should have known better than that.

“Cult” leader Lucille Poulin testified in a Canadian courtroom that “God” told her to beat children under her control, reports the National Post.

Poulin claimed that she asked, “God, do we have to hit these little ones?” Then she explained that the beatings were “What God said to do.”

Poulin seemed to be threatening the children who reported her saying, “They all might be damned, I’m not damning them, but they’re in great danger.”

It seems that the 78-year-old former Roman Catholic nun is delusional. But when asked if she was, of course Poulin denied it.

Seemingly unfazed by the court proceedings she proclaimed, “I know without a shadow of a doubt if I died right now, I would be with Jesus in glory. I have passed judgment already. There will be no judgment for me.”

But the point is what judgement Poulin passed upon the defenseless children she brutalized within her commune. The “cult” leader claimed she was protecting them from “evil.” However, the real “evil” that threatened the children appears to have been Poulin herself.

The daughter of Florida Governor Jeb Bush and niece of the President of the United States Noelle Bush 25, has been a resident of a Florida drug treatment facility since Spring. But this apparently didn’t stop her from getting crack cocaine while staying at “The Center for Drug Free Living,” reports Newsweek.

Despite the center’s “written policy,” which instructs its staff to report illegal drug possession to the police, when they found drugs in the possesion of Noelle Bush it was not reported. And when police arrived the staff refused to cooperate. How did law-enforcement find out? Another patient at the center phoned them.

Why did Noelle Bush apparently receive “special treatment” at a drug treatment center?

Is it possible they had some concerns about their funding and/or other support? The “Center for Drug Free Living” is a recipient of both federal and state grants.

Ironically, the Bush family has championed very strict drug rehabilitation programs. They have supported the “Drug Free America Foundation,” formerly known as “Straight,” which was founded by long-time political allies and Bush friends Mel and Betty Sembler.

Straight had a deeply troubled history of lawsuits, bad press and complaints. Some former participants and families compared its harsh authoritarian methods to a “cult.”

Never the less the Bush family supported the Sembler’s organized anti-drug crusade, through its various incarnations. And the wealthy Semblers have been generous to Bush political campaigns and the Republican Party.

Mel Sembler has been appointed to two ambassadorships by Bush presidents. He is currently serving as the United States Ambassador to Italy.

Ironically, it seems that the drug treatment facility Noelle Bush now is in has not upheld the strict standards historically embraced and promoted by both the Semblers and the Bush family.

One expert told Newsweek, “It’s important that addicted people that run into trouble be held to the same standards.”

But it appears that both “The Center for Drug Free Living” and the Bush family have accepted and/or set different standards for the care and treatment of Noelle Bush, which are rather inconsistent with their past positions.

Move, a cult group with a history of disregarding the law, is refusing to let a father who is a former member, exercise his court ordered visitation rights. Rather than let the man see his son they have boarded up the cult house where the mother who is a member and her little boy live, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Move fired upon Philadelphia police when they came to serve warrants in 1978. This confrontation ended when police dropped a concussion bomb, which caused a neighborhood fire. Authorities are loath to repeat that episode and have stated that they will not initiate action.

The cult claims the father abused his child, but this appears to be only a fabrication. Cult groups frequently invent such stories to control their children and environment. The father is not a Move member and therefore the group may see him as evil, or at least a negative influence. And destructive cults not only isolate their adult members, but also their children.

Only the most extreme cults create a controlled environment through a compound or communal housing. Move is certainly extreme and now a six-year-old boy is caught in the middle.

Stewart Unholtz, the Illinois County State’s Attorney says he has “looked over the statutes, which should be applicable” to Neo-Nazi Matt Hale listing himself as an “attorney.” without any official status to practice law in Illinois.

In a phone message left yesterday Umholtz said, “A person who falsely represents himself to be an attorney not authorized to practice law for the purpose of compensation or consideration commits a criminal act.”

However, Umholtz thinks the critical words are “compensation or consideration.” He seems to think a “criminal act” must involve billing clients and/or receiving something for legal work done.

Why did Matt Hale list and/or represent himself as an “attorney” if he did not intend to do any work? Didn’t Hale hope that Illinois residents who found his name listed as an “attorney” would call him for services, or was this just a gesture to indulge his ego?

Umholtz says this matter will continue to be “looked at.”

Note: To see the original article regarding Matt Hale click here

The Peoria Journal Star picked up today on the story about “attorney” Matt Hale. They report that County State’s Attorney Stewart Umholtz says he is now following-up on a second complaint he received about Hale two weeks ago.

But the Peoria newspaper neglected to mention that Umholtz and the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission actually received their first complaint two months ago.

The second complaint involves an associate of Hale’s now in prison. He wrote the inmate and on the envelope listed himself as an “attorney.” Interesting, and why is it not surprising that this “attorney” has an associate in prison, rather than in a law office?

Hale claims that listings of him as a lawyer were done when he thought Illinois would let him practice law. Good cover story, maybe it’s true. But the US Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal to practice law in Illinois, so that time will never come.

The Neo-Nazi Hale then offered this analogy, “Abe Lincoln didn’t have a law license but he was an attorney.” Excuse me Mr. Hale, but you’re no “Abe Lincoln.”