More on "Cult"

You might wonder why the Twelve Tribes members believe they are not part of a "cult". There are many reasons that I strongly believe the TT is a cult. First of all, what the TT perspectives of why they are not a cult. Ok... when they started the community in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 70's. It was a time where the young people came to the place after the Vietnam war and they seek for social justice, peace and love in the world, not the war. The young people involved in shows like Woodstock, Grateful Dead shows, and Flower Children, Jesus Movements, and others where the young people involved in drugs and suicide and aids has rised in young people. The young people left their families and became hippies and lived in the different groups, different cults, different religious groups. Gene Spriggs was one of it, he was at Jesus Movement and felt that God called him to start the group of his own. It was where it started in Chattanooga, Tennessee and had the house, Vine House where few young people joined and started the Yellow Deli restaurants in south. They did attend the churches but stopped go to the churches because they accused Gene Spriggs for different perspectives, and different doctrines within the community. There were oppressions between the churches and the members of the TT. They ended up moved to Island Pond, Vermont. The church opened up homes for the members in Island Pond. They formed a community calls "Northeast Kindgom Community" ( correct me if I am missing something). It became more obviously how the TT is formed inside the homes with the members and children. It is similar to the Davidian Koresh in Waco.... The community believe they are set apart from the religions, and Christianity. They still use the verses in bible like Christians do. They preach, like Christians do, they pray, sing, and dance like Christians do. They are follow the similar lifestyle of Christianity religion. They always argue they are not part of any religious or Christianity. They said that Christianity are hypricote and do not please God at all. They are part of go to Hell.. The TT members believe that they are the ONLY God's Children on the earth that will rule the whole world when the world comes to end in 50 years. Do you or I believe this? NO!!! IMPOSSIBLE! because they have follow the verses in the bible and how they have the visions or revelations on the world coming to the end. Now my perspective apart from my growing up in the TT and since I been out of the TT for 7 years. After a lot of deep understanding, been involved in different groups even some churches or Christian groups at college. I have learned more about the lifestyle, reading books and talked or watch the programs on TV of some people shared their experiences living in the Cults. It is clear to me that the Twelve Tribes is really a cult, why?? ONE LEADER!, controlling, brainwashed, living in fears, abuses, follow so many rules that is not necessary. There are so much that I could share but I think the other story in this blog has explained what my experience like in the TT with abuses and cult. I am sick of how Gene Spriggs has been establishing this and has been creating so many thousands teachings. I feel that he was self-annointed glory man that seeks to be in Heaven with Jesus Christ. He has so many faults inside himself!! I do not care about him anymore. When I saw Gene Spriggs here in Washington D.C. on July 4th in 2004, he was so cold to me and not say "Hi" or anything to me. How is that kind of man like this representing to the TT members and to Ex members. I have given the thoughts of this man after see his behavior towards me. Is that the way he acting like Jesus Christ, rejecting me for leaving the TT community? NO! Jesus Christ will always reach out to anyone and he represents the LOVE for the humans on the EARTH! that mean not the TT community itself. It has an evidence that the TT is not the way Jesus Christ would represents for the whole world. I have to say that the TT do not understand about Life, Religious, and LOVES! It is very sad how they are being taught to live like that and be brainwashed.

Cult vs Community

There are many ideas if the Twelve Tribes is really a "cult" or "non-cult". I have believed before that it was not a cult but there are many definition of what "cult" really mean... I have looked at dictionary.. And here are
1.a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2.an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3.the object of such devotion.
4.a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5.Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6.a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
7.the members of such a religion or sect.
8.any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific. –adjective
9.of or pertaining to a cult.
10.of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie. Those definition of "cult" is very clear evidence of the Twelve Tribes Community. The members of TT do not believe they are "cult" because they are set apart from the religious and apart from all the ideology and religions in the world. It is not TRUE!! because they have a Leader, who said, he is appointed by God to lead and establish the group that are Jesus Christ's People, not Christianity, not Catholic, etc.. I have looked at this dictionary "cult".. It is very true that the Twelve Tribes is a cult.. because LOOK at this!! The TT is small number, about 3 thousands or less members in whole world that is one religion calls TT. The TT have ONE LEADER, whose name is Elbert "Gene" Spriggs who controls all the bodies of the TT community, and all places, houses, his own money from everyone, The community members are being taught to have ONE MIND, ONE HEART, and Same FAITH, same believe, all kind of expectations of everyone.... EVERYONE are being taught to live in FEARS of GOD to be sinless.. is that possible? IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!! Everyone are expected to be PURE, PERFECT people! Is that possible? IMPOSSIBLE!!!!! Look at Jesus Christ, he died for your sins, my sins and everyone's sins so that we do not have to face theconclusionss of suffering in the death with guilty of our sins.. We still have SINS and we have to live with it for rest of our lives even we ask God for forgiveness.. He will always and have always forgive us even we have FAITH in GOD...Wee will live to be the happy people on the earth.. I have to say that the Twelve Tribes is a "cult" because they damaged everyone's lives to be the follower of Leader in the community...

History of Abuses in Twelve Tribes...

There are a lot of things that people are not aware of the abuses inside the homes of Twelve Tribes.. People who are visiting from outside inside the houses of the community but do not know what it is like in closed door rooms that the members of community live. There are millions of things that you do not know what is going on inside the community.. There are a lot of secrets that I believe I should share... In June 22, 1984 state of Vermont sent police, social workers and others to go to 12 households in Island Pond, Vermont to seize the children from the community and parents. They came to the houses at 5 am and ordered the children to get dressed and get in school buses. The parents were not willing to let go of their own children. The Parents and children together walked to the school buses to the town, calls "Newport, Vermont" where there is a court building and we all stayed in the gym next to the court awaiting for the judges or social workers to interview or talk to the children or parents. It has been all day long in that gym. I was 6 years old when the police came to my house, Branch House and I was told that I led the police around the house like a little innoncent boy do not know what is happening with the community. I guess I was not shy of the police at all. It is funny thou. My Dad was in the block building teaching in the morning and Mom and I, my sister and my baby brother were at home when the police came to the house. Dad later met us and joined with us somewhere I do not remember either leave the House or meet in gym. Mom was so afraid and did not know what to do, but she took me, Magdalene and Adam all ready and walked us to the school bus and waited with Mom and rode on the way to Newport. There were the 110 children seized from the community include all the parents. For the years after that happened, I started to come to understand more and more about why the state of Vermont had raided on the community upon te abuses that the children were getting and how the state got reports/complaints from the residents of town of how the children were getting beating, and using of the rods/paddles to discipline the children. The children do not go to public school and concerning over the lack of education on the children. All kind of issues. The community had won the judge's heart to return all children back to the parents and homes. I was like why the hell that I had gone through like this and I did wished that the state could do something more on the children in the community, like forcing the community that the children must go to public schools or be provided of their curriculum programs to educate the children within like one-room schoolhouse. There are pretty so much damages that go beyond between the community and the State Government of Vermont. The community did a lot of things to hide from the state over what they were doing with education and children. I have grew up seeing so much hypricote within the community with dishonesty, hiding and defend themselves from the government in Vermont. I would think of accusing the state of Vermont for not doing enough and lack of "watchdog" over the community in Island Pond, and several other communities in some towns in Vermont. The community are continue their celebrations of June 22, 1984 to remember how the judge has release the case and dismissed the state of Vermont for violating the constitution and freedom of religion. There are positive and negative perspectives that I see about the Twelve Tribes vs. State of Vermont. Positive of State of Vermont is to protect the interest of the Children, Interest of the education for the community, Interest of the Families Welfare, Health, and environments. Negative of community, they avoid the State of Vermont to involve, reject of accepting their responsible to follow the laws, failing to provide the best of education for the children. There are 70% children who were born and raised in the community do not get education, just forced child labors, getting married and have their own families. They do not write or do math well. The community do not provide the children high school levels of education, only up to 8th grade.
There are children who work involved chainsaws, woodshops with the machines, farms, farm machine equipments, bakery with machine equipments, restaurant with machine equipments, candle shop with 300F HOT POT to melt the wax for making candles, the chemical and heat are dangerous for the children to work around, soap shop using the same heat pots, chemicals, rarely wear the mask or protections. carried the heavy over 100 pounds of boxes, supplies from streets to streets during school hours. It is very dangerous how the community forced the children to do child labors within around the machines. I could not or hate to do these. I did not want to cut my fingers or hands from working around the machines. I do not believe that my own future children should experience that I have experienced in the community. I want my children to get education, have good time, playing sports and social with their friends and have a good time with family. That is what I strongly believe in this instead of child labors and no childhood fun experiences like I have missed for most of my life in the community. The children do not deserve this kind that I and other children have went through. It is not safe! I believe in safety for the children.

Child Abuses in Twelve Tribes.

There are the times that ex-members or members of the community believe that the children were not abused. Physcially, mentally, emotionally and spiritually..... The truth from my own experiences living in the community I was abused! The children were abused in the community for many thousands reasons. The community have been very opinionate on how the parents were raising the children within the elders and governments in the community. I have to say that each families do not have the privacy as it supposed to be for each families. One day, when I was 12 years old. My parents were sent away on tours (Grateful Dead shows). I was staying with someone watching over me. There is a time that I was getting angry for being corrected of my behavior, the person was restraint me and spanked my face, took all my clothes off and beat me up badly and putted me in cold shower. I was very outraged of this situation that I became uncontrollable keeping getting out of everyone from restraint me. There were 4 adults sat on me on the floor. I could not even breath, I had blue face and body started to faded and I was not moving. Few adults putted me in cold shower with my clothes on. I was so UPSET about this! I could not wait for my parents to come home. I was crying everynight praying that my parents be home soon as possible because I hated being with other people who are being abusive on me that my parents do not do on me. It was not right! I was so mad and could still REMEMBER this situations today from many years ago. I guess it has been putting me to scars for years of my miserable life that I was with other adults while my parents were away. I strongly believe that each child that are living or raised in the community was abused. I have to say that the community always have many rules for the children and teenagers to make their lives miersable and suffering more than adults. The children are innoncent and they do not deserve to live this kind of suffering in the community. I believe that I was abused! Within my issues on being deaf, boy and independent mind guy. I am not letting this going to stop me from moving on with my life. I did not want to get married or raising my own children in the community because I do not believe that my own children need to experience what I had experienced in the community and they need to live their lives better, places, and better education that the community have failed to protect their own children from all harms. There are many children who are phyiscally damaged like cutting off their fingers, or hands or blind, or other things that they were involved with machines. There are laws that are against the Child Labors, but the community are still using the children to child labors and taking advantages of the children to work and making money for the community. I OPPOSE this! Because the children are small, and need education and be in safe environment. The community never meant to provide the safety environment for the children at all. They risked so many dangers out around inside the community. I have been traumatized from the experiences of abuses that I have and other children are too. I could not forget the every moments of times I have been punished or doing things that got me in troubles. I could not believe how much the children and myself have went through an exteme times of abuses in the community. There are 20% of children being taken away from parents and live with other adults. Is this ridiculous? Yes! Sad! I have to say it is very wrong how the children are being taken away from the parents. It is abusive of parents' authorities for families itself. My parents are being abused on authority over parents over the children. It is not right. There are a lot of lists I can share about all kind of abuses that occurred inside the community, more of sexuality that happened to the children as well not well explored around within the sexual between children and adults. I believe there are few who had experienced those. I am very grateful that I am free from the community and I do not have to raise my future children inside the community and to see my own children have to suffer that I have suffered in the past. My brothers and sisters are saying that they have and are against the community for the way my family was treated and abused. I do not blame the children because they do not deserve this kind of abuses that they happened to experience in the community.

My family....

Want to know what is going on with my family? This is very interesting..... and I am happy and sad about my family.. When my family - my parents, Adam, Abshalom (Ben), Tesumet (Tess), Tsemayah (Samantha), and Mivnah were living in Missouri and moved to Colorado. There were a lot of situations that happened to my family. My mom was not happy living in Colorado, but she loves the weather and state there in Colorado but inside the community was pretty ugly when the people were being so harsh and make judgments about my family, the behaviors of my brothers and sisters as teenagers and how there were out of control within the children. I do not think it is a big deal because the children are just children, teenagers are just teenagers. I think the governments, elders and leaders in the community are very harsh and mean to the families with the teenagers. I just am blame Andrew Lamb for mistreated my family hugely. I lost my respect for him because he has been treating my family awful and his own children were spoiled brats! His own children accused against my family. And I think Andrew Lamb is just too blind to see his own problem within his own family. Just outlook at others problem and get the families involved to have the problems, not his own family. I hate that! I feel it is not respecting for others as his own and his own family problem. I have to admit that I am sick of Andrew Lamb as well for how he has been treating my family. My family was asked to leave the community and also my own Mom was asked to leave. My father was willing to leave to be with the family. I was very shocked! I could not understand about this and I felt that it was not right how my family was treated. I think Andrew Lamb and his family has to leave the community too for not disciplining his own children well. My family ended up rented a mini van and drove around some in West and then to Chattanooga Tennessee and then visited me in Washington D.C. and we all were camping together. My family ended up move to Maine. My parents were not given any of money to help with starting new life in Maine and they were also not given the car to live functional as well. That is why my family went to Maine and had my aunt do everything for them, getting them to start with buying new car and rent a house for the family. It hurts me so MUCH!! Why would the community in Colorado treated like that to my family. I do not like how it was in the community. My family was living and stay out from the community for a whole year. Adam, Dad and Ben worked on some odd jobs around in several states and made some money. Life was beautiful and good for the family. Tess and Samantha got to do some jobs making money. My mom was working at Daycare Center. She seems so happy and comfortable and enjoyed her moments living in the house. It is so hard to see that my parents went back to the community few weeks ago after being away for a year. I could not imagine my own Mom being back and be sad, be miserable living in the community again without her children around, only her last daughter, Mivnah who is only 11 years old. I have a huge feeling that someday Mivnah will leaves. Samantha is just 14 years old. She started to go to High School, Yarmouth High School in Yarmouth, Maine. She is doing so well and success in school. Joined in cross country and other sport activities. I am so PROUD Of her.. she was brave and fought so hard to get her parents to let her go to high school. I know she will make it all through. I hope someday Mivnah will leaves and I will be so happy for her and she can go to school and that mean my family will get all opportunities for education. Tess and Ben will start go to college in January 2007.. I am so proud of them. I know it is so hard for my parents. I believe there will be a time they will realize that.. I want to be there for my family and help them to success in their future. About Adam.. He is on his own and has his own business.. You can ask him! Smile...

Struggling with Life, Struggling with Spiritually?

How many of you, ex-members are and have struggling with the life outside the community? How many of you are angry with God? How many of you are bitter against the community? There are so many questions I can ask you all but for now, these three questions I just put above is enough to start and we will go more deeper. I hope you are attracted to have discussions with me and others. Please do not be afraid to open your discussion because it will help you to realize that there are so much we need to speak from our thoughts, our feeling, our fears, our frustrations, our depressions, and all other things that we need to work things out inside our feeling, our hearts and our minds. I am not going to sound like I am a community member and follow their teaching. I believe that the community teachings do not allow you to open your heart, your mind, your feelings, and fears. It is because Yoneq taught us to live in fears for God. Will you be allowed to be afraid of God? I do not believe in this because there are and were so much insecurities that we have lived in the Twelve Tribes Community. Everyone do not have happy smiles or look exciting. They are just living their rituals lives like getting up at 5 am, and go for a walk to pray to God, reading bibles and get dressed and go to the gathering at 6 am and then breakfast, then work and lunch and work then gathering again for evening and dinner and then bedtime or meetings. What kind of life is that for families? The Family tradition is totally damaged because everyone do not have privacy lives within the household. There are so much we have went through in the community. I think it is so common that we have get used to this all the times till we are getting old and tired of this lifestyle rituals. It is because everyone are in fears! Everyone do not know what they were chose to live or believe. It is hard to imagine yourself, once you were at Grateful Dead Shows, or Phish concerts, or Woodstocks, looking for love, peaces and justice in the World. There you felt the love that you have been drawn from the members of Twelve Tribes and easily join in the community and living your life in the community. Does that sounds easy for the younger people who are drop out of high schools or colleges. There is eventually families that were growing up in the community for years and the parents have left the community with their own children, some decided to stay or return. It is hard to understand what we all have gone through living in the community, or outside the community in the world. I have found myself feeling so totally different from being around the ex-members. There are times that they would talk about their experiences living in the community, how much the damages the elders/leaders did to their children, how the children have been struggling with nightmares, struggling with education in public schools or colleges and dropped out and got involved in drugs. I would recommend you to sit down and put your deep thoughts on things that you have gone through both positive and negative in your past and present life from community to outside. Think of how good life is good, how hard it is. And think of how you can make things better for yourself, think of how to reach to others and show your loves and be full of lights to the community, put them in darkness because what you are doing is truth and you have reveal yourself that you have and what you have. I am not bitter against God, I am not bitter against the community. I have not chose to live in the community. I was born and raised. There was something I do not believe in the community beliefs/religion. Everyone do all struggle with their lives. I have and am still struggling with my life even outside the community. But there will be good things coming to you one day. I have a strong faith in myself that once I do good, I will be rewarded for doing good. Life is short! You got to think of something positive to experience in your life, like traveling, go bar/clubs, or church, or social activities, doing community services, participating in your children's activities in school and sports. You will get the self-esteem to grow. Why not do that? Lets talk about this. I think it is important for you to come out and start something and you will not have to live with negativity feelings that you have from living in the community.

5 things....

Wondering what are 5 things? Well, there were 5 things that happened to me within one year, October 1999 to October 2000. First thing, I left the Twelve Tribes..... Second things, I went to school in January 2000, and third things, I felt that I was in another cult group "Jehovahs Witness" and went to several different churches to see what it is like there in churches different from the Twelve Tribes, Forth things, I went to Gallaudet University, a new different life and educational environment for me, and the last thing I faced the most horrible experiences living in the dorm at Gallaudet University, one student got murdered in the next dorm of mine. We were all freshman... I could not believe what I have gone through so much in my life. It made me realize that it was God's plans that I go through all these things in my life. Sure enough, it made me a strong man with strong understanding and faith in myself and knowing that I am doing things right and the Twelve Tribes are saying that world is full of evil and it is very dangerous out in the world. I have to disagree with this because there are so many diverse, races, cultures, and religions all over the world. None will come to one place like the Twelve Tribes thinks they are meant to be in one place together. It is impossible and Twelve Tribes is so WRONG! They do not really respect the diverse, such black people, deaf people, handicap people, and other kind of people. I have to admit that I was not taught in loving other people. The Twelve Tribes community believes they know what love is about. I feel that I was never loved because I was looked down all the times. How can people understand what love is about. It is hard to explain what love is about because I strongly believe none will understand till you have your own vision to understand about faith and love and there you will grow to love the person, creations, and animals no matter what. Like I have two dogs at first I was not comfortable with them because they were just animals but as I live with them and they live with me and the longer we are together, we are showing our unconditional love for each other. They are comfortable with me and I am comfortable with them, it is something it has and has to be developed in you to really love what you have. Will talk more about the love apart from my own understanding and the Twelve Tribes community perspective. I have LOVED my life so much after I went through all these 5 things and it shows me how we are just all human beings with dignity of respecting. It is well worth to experience these and learn from them.

Twelve Tribes Experiences: Gallaudet University

Twelve Tribes Experiences: Gallaudet University

Gallaudet University

It was close to the beginning that I have to start looking into go to college. I have decided it was time for me to go to college. My Vocational Rehabiliation Counselor encouraged me to start apply for Gallaudet University, as it was one of the places I wanted to attend. I only had 7 months with Professional Learning Center in New York and then in June, I applied to Gallaudet University. I was so ready and looking forward to new life, new experiences and new enviornment of Education and College Life. Few weeks later, on July 4th, I was at Dante's House for 4th of July with ex-members. Maggie Mehr came with my letter from Gallaudet University. I opened very nervous. I read and it said "Congratulations, on your future to be a student at Gallaudet University as a freshman." I jumped with joy and shared with everyone. They were so happy for me and I danced. It was so unbelievable for me to imagine myself going to college even I have never visit or touch Gallaudet University myself. I was so ready and decided to drop off going to PLC and passed my driving road exam and got license and went shopping and packed and ready to go to Gallaudet University for New Student Orientation Week in August, a week before officially start school. Bill Mehr was dropping me off to Gallaudet University. I was very nervous and happy. We left the night before the First day of NSO week and stayed at hotel. We woke up early in the morning and drove to Gallaudet University, went to Department of Public and Safe (Police Dept) and get the new ID card with photo and number. We walked up to dorm and got the key and paperworks done and found a room for me to move in. I was very uncomfortable about the dorm enviornment and their system. I feel so weird about dorm style because I am so used to grow up as a home person style, my room, my bed, my foods, my bathroom. I had to share my dorm with one roommate. I had to share shower and bathroom with my whole floor of boys. I felt so weird and so different. I was scared! All those new students were interesting, snob, too young for me. I had to deal with this. I tried my best to be patient and adjust to this lifestyle at Gallaudet University and dorms. I met my new roommate and there is a bit of uncomfort about each other. I somehow ended up moving to 4th floor with a new roommate that I have met the other day later on. It was much better haha.....When Bill and I were done with moving my stuffs to the dorm, we went to eat breakfast at cafeteria and met some new people, and then went to the Chapel Hall building to register and do all kind of paperworks, etc for financial aids, health insurances, my VR counselor, my parents, my name, all kind of information. Bill Mehr had to leave to go meet his wife and kids to go to Florida for vacation. I was left alone and it was so hard and not comfortable for me. I tried to get adjust to living situation at dorm, and meeting people. At evening, there were called for all freshman to get together for ceremony, then met with a group counselor to help with getting adjusted to Gallaudet University. I just started becoming involved and joined in activities. It was a lot better and had fun. I started to feel better and tried to be assertive to meet people and do things I can do. I somehow met some nice students and formed into group and worked on things together. It was nice. We had to get up on Monday and take English exam, then on Tuesday, take Math exam, then on Wednesday, went to meeting about academic, what to start taking courses, what to decide about picking major, all kind and I had an academic counselor. I then had to meet with someone to inform me my score of English and Math exams and what courses I should take. I found that my English was not that bad but had to take non-credit course related to reading. I accepted that. And Math was lowest score! I am not surprised! i knew my math was weak..... On Thursday, I met with my academic counselor and registered for 4 classes. It was just a starting. Then on Friday I registered for all my courses and got approved. That was all for the week and start of the weekend came, went out with friends and tour around some places in DC city and went out to restaurant. That was pretty easy week and getting ready for officially courses on Monday. Wow! I made it through, i was not comfortable for few first days, but got adjusted and used to it and then started having classes, met with professors and made new friends with students in my classes. It was all great! I enjoyed it so much and can understand their ASL/English sign language. Gallaudet University is World's Most Only Liberal Art University for the Deaf. There were alot of deaf people come to Gallaudet from other countries. I am and will always be proud of Gallaudet University as well i am now an alumni of Gallaudet University of 2005.