| Author | Message | ||
| Butterfly_poette Registered user Username: Butterfly_poette Post Number: 6 Registered: 5-2011 |
I have heard of many cults started by SDA members and former members. They are very, very interesting. #1 Branch Davidians. Well, we have all heard of them and David Koresh. He showed up at "Mount Carmel" one day and eventually became their leader. He had Bible studies that were long and rigorous. He would punish anyone who was late. He had many "wives" and these women gave up everything to be with them. They did practice the Sabbath there. I recently watched a documentary on them and when he released some children during the famous standoff, he only released those that weren't close to him. Those kids that were "his kids" stayed with him and perished in the fire. I still wonder who started the blaze. #2 Church of God World Mission I met up with some of these people in Korea. A man named Ahn Sang-Hong proclaimed himself to be the second coming of the Messiah. He was an Adventist. His wife, Zhang Gil-Jah, claims to be the female version of God. The church today has 1.1 million followers worldwide. Ahn Sang-hong died in the 1980s. Zhang Gil-Jah is alive today and her followers travel from all around the world to meet her. The church practices the 7th day Sabbath, communion, and women wear head coverings during worships. 70% of the church is female. #3 Mike Travesser He started the Lord Our Rightousness Church. The church uses hypnosis. I heard that from a former member. She is a SDA now, works for the SDA Language Institutes with her husband in Korea. The leader has called himself a Messiah, and claims God told him so in his living room. He later went to jail for having sex with minors. Years ago, maybe around 1999-2000, I did correspond with him a few times on the internet (I'm serious). I knew nothing of him then. I met him on a religion board. We talked about Adventism. In the e-mails the sender's name was "Mike Travesser", yet his screen name was "TheTrueWitness". He told me that he left the SDA church because things were bad there. Few SDAs would do anything for God. They had no real commitment, and the hypocrisy was getting worse. (I can relate to that). I am thankful he is in jail now. Let him rot there. #4 Roch Theriault He had a commune in Ontario. He had about 9 concubines and fathered more than 20 kids. He murdered a wife while performing surgery on her. He chopped off the arm of another (she lived). He died this year while serving a life sentence in jail. Good riddance. http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25939/man-to-be-charged-with-first-degree-murder-of-notorious-cult-leader-theriault Some others: Orthodox SDAs "OSDA Church" celebrates feast days, men wear scriptures in little boxes on their heads (like some jews), etc. Creastion SDAs "CSDA" they think the SDA Church will have probation closing on them and they will be found wanting. They are the "real" SDAs. http://csda-adventistchurch.to/ Shepherd's Rod--Davidians...really into Ellen White and there are more... | ||
| Loneviking Registered user Username: Loneviking Post Number: 785 Registered: 7-2000 |
This is quite the list! I've been out of touch with the SDA church for many years and have no idea what's going on with the offshoots. I know that Firm Foundation/Hope International is still going and that the OSDA still has adherents in the Walla Walla area. This list tells me one important thing---that aberrent theology begets aberrent theology. I thought of that because last Sunday, in the Liturgical churches, was Pentecost. The early church only survived by hammering out key points of doctrine that were non-negotiable. This next Sunday, in the Liturgical calender, is Trinity sunday. On this Sunday, the focus is on the Trinity and the Athanasian creed. The key point of this creed is found in this statement: And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. If you find a church that proclaims this truth, odds are that you've found a church with good theology. | ||
| Butterfly_poette Registered user Username: Butterfly_poette Post Number: 10 Registered: 5-2011 |
This is my first post. I have wondered why it isn't on the main forum...I'll figure this site out better someday. I would like to find another church. I need somewhere else to worship. | ||
| 1john2v27nlt Registered user Username: 1john2v27nlt Post Number: 313 Registered: 5-2009 |
Butterfly, It took me forever to figure out how to start a new thread, in fact I think I had to ask. When you clikc on Forum, the list of topics comes up; go all the way to the bottom of the page, at the end of the oldest posts, & find a button: Start new thread. I also see that at the Top of This post, above your name when I click on this topic. Maybe that is something new now. I never saw if before when I was trying to figure this site out. J9 | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 874 Registered: 5-2009 |
Mike Travesser's real name is Wayne Bent...a good friend of mine is a classmate of one of his followers--she is an RN educated at LLU. You can see her in a documentary on the cult by National Geographic...she, like the other people there, follow him around with glassy, staring eyes. They all believe he is Jesus and God told him to sleep with young girls. Last I heard he was starving himself in prison--good riddance to him, too. | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1953 Registered: 7-2007 |
Years ago, when I was an Adventist, an elderly friend took me to an afternoon Bible study at a home way out in the country. The leader, who played the piano or organ at church, had a small group of followers and they had the wierdest beliefs I had ever heard of. (If I'm not mistaken, there may be a book about this offshoot in the ABC. The leader's name was David Green. He may be still that cult leader. I haven't heard about him in quite some time.) Even as an Adventist, I could see that their beliefs were way off! He was sending news letters to all the SDA church members. The church leaders told him to stop, but he didn't stop, so they disciplined him by taking away his office of playing the piano. |
