CultNEWS101 Articles: 9/4/2025

The Kingdom of God Global Church, Legal, His Way Spirit Led Assemblies

The Roys Report: FBI Raids Ministry's Properties in Four States, Charges Leaders With Using Psychological and Physical Abuse to Coerce Victims into Soliciting Millions

"The FBI today arrested the leaders of Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI) in a series of raids across several states for allegedly using psychological and physical abuse to coerce victims into soliciting millions.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, JMMI leaders, David Taylor and Michelle Brannon, ran a forced labor organization and a multi-million-dollar money laundering conspiracy. The department called the arrests a "nationwide takedown" of a human trafficking scheme that operated in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

Taylor, 53, and Brannon, 56, were taken into custody this morning in North Carolina and Florida, after a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a ten-count indictment.

Additionally, the FBI raided JMMI properties in Tampa, Houston, North Carolina, and Michigan this morning, according to reports from multiple news sites."

WTSP: DOJ: FBI search at Avila mansion linked to church's 'forced labor and money laundering conspiracy'

"The FBI's response Wednesday at a mansion in the Avila neighborhood of Tampa is linked to the arrest of church leaders on federal forced labor and money laundering charges.

A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment against 53-year-old David E. Taylor and 56-year-old Michelle Brannon —leaders of "The Kingdom of God Global Church" — for their alleged roles in a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy that spanned Florida, Michigan, Texas and Missouri.

In addition to the response in Tampa, the FBI confirmed it conducted an operation early Wednesday morning at a property in Houston owned by Joshua Media Ministries International, the former name of Kingdom of God Global Church.

Taylor, who calls himself the church's "apostle," and Brannon, the church's "executive director," were arrested Wednesday in "a nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization," according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of coercing victims to work at call centers soliciting donations for the church and to work as personal servants or "armor bearers" for Taylor.

The DOJ says Taylor and Brannon controlled "every aspect" of their victims' daily lives, including forcing them to sleep in call centers or "ministry" houses.

"Taylor demanded that his Armor Bearers transport women from ministry houses, airports, and other locations to Taylor's location and ensured the women transported to Taylor took Plan B emergency contraceptives," the document reads.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of requiring victims to work long hours in the call center without pay, forcing them to follow orders and setting unattainable monetary donation goals.

"If victims disobeyed an order or failed to reach his monetary goals, Taylor and Brannon punished the victims with public humiliation, additional work, food and shelter restrictions, psychological abuse, forced repentance, sleep deprivation, physical assaults, and threats of divine judgment in the form of sickness, accidents, and eternal damnation," the DOJ release says.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Kingdom of God Global Church received millions of dollars in donations through the call centers, which Taylor and Brannon used to purchase luxury properties, vehicles, boats, Jet Skis and ATVs.

Taylor has reportedly received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014.

Church donations used to fund lavish lifestyle, FBI says

Court documents emphasize that the millions in donations were collected "under the guise of a religious ministry."

According to the indictment, here are some of the items purchased by Taylor and Brannon:

• Mercedes-Benz — $63,195.94

• Bentley Continental (downpayment) — $70,000.00

• Crownline Boat — $105,595.00

• Bentley Continental (downpayment) — $15,000.00

• Bentley Mulsanne — $50,000.00

• Mercedes-Benz — $14,908.00

• Mercedes-Benz — $13,695.00

• Mercedes-Benz — $12,485.00

• 5 ATVs — $31,805.00

• 2 Jet Skis and 1 Jet Ski trailer — $24,332.00

• 2 Jet Skis and 1 Jet Ski trailer — $24,962.20

• 125 lbs. of super colossal red king crab legs, 6 seafood shears, and 30 crab cutters — $10,353.44

• Rolls Royce Cullinan (lease signing payment) — $123,028.09

• Bulletproof automotive — $33,930.00

• Bulletproof automotive — $32,630.00

• Bulletproof automotive — $37,500.00

• Bulletproof automotive — $18,302.76

Charges for church leaders arrested after FBI search in Tampa

The charges Taylor and Brannon are facing include:

• Conspiracy to commit forced labor, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine

• Forced labor, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine

• Conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine

Brannon will appear today on the indictment in Tampa, while Taylor will appear today on the indictment in Durham, North Carolina.

"Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division wrote in the release. "We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims."

According to a 2022 article from the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Kingdom of God Global Church in Taylor, Michigan, purchased the estate from Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and her husband for $8.3 million.

The sale reportedly included the 28,893-square-foot main house and a 2,620-square-foot guest house.

Avila is an affluent residential community in North Tampa.

10 Tampa Bay: DOJ: FBI search at Avila mansion linked to church's 'forced labor and money laundering conspiracy'

" ... [David E. Taylor and 56-year-old Michelle Brannon —leaders of "The Kingdom of God Global Church] are accused of coercing victims to work at call centers soliciting donations for the church and to work as personal servants or "armor bearers" for Taylor.

The DOJ says Taylor and Brannon controlled "every aspect" of their victims' daily lives, including forcing them to sleep in call centers or "ministry" houses.

"Taylor demanded that his Armor Bearers transport women from ministry houses, airports, and other locations to Taylor's location and ensured the women transported to Taylor took Plan B emergency contraceptives," the document reads.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of requiring victims to work long hours in the call center without pay, forcing them to follow orders and setting unattainable monetary donation goals.

"If victims disobeyed an order or failed to reach his monetary goals, Taylor and Brannon punished the victims with public humiliation, additional work, food and shelter restrictions, psychological abuse, forced repentance, sleep deprivation, physical assaults, and threats of divine judgment in the form of sickness, accidents, and eternal damnation," the DOJ release says.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Kingdom of God Global Church received millions of dollars in donations through the call centers, which Taylor and Brannon used to purchase luxury properties, vehicles, boats, Jet Skis and ATVs.

Taylor has reportedly received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014."

KTLA: Cult-like California religious group at center of missing persons investigation

"Detectives in San Bernardino may have caught a break in a more than two-year-old missing persons case that they are now investigating as a possible homicide.

Emilio Ghanem, 40, vanished in May 2023 while on a trip to the Inland Empire. He was last seen at a Starbucks in Redlands.

At the center of the investigation into Ghanem's disappearance and possible murder, according to the Redlands Police Department, is a Hemet-based religious group known as His Way Spirit Led Assemblies run by a woman named Kathryn Martin who goes by the title "prophetess," and her husband, Pastor Muzic.

A former member of the organization who did not want to be identified explained to KTLA that the group believes the prophetess is God on Earth.

"When the spirit of God comes over her, everything changes in her, like her voice changes, the way she talks changes, and everything has to be quiet," he said.

Martin and her husband reportedly have complete control over the group, which, according to the former member, is always preparing for the end of times, storing enough packaged food, water and other supplies to last for years.

Ghanem had been a member of the California group for more than 20 years and just prior to his disappearance, he'd left the organization and quit the pest control company the group runs to move back to Nashville where his family was."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultNEWS101 Articles: 9/3/2025

Premanand Maharaj, India,  Guru Wars, Legal,  Zizians, Singularism, Religious Freedom

LatestLY: Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Makes Open Challenge to Premanand Maharaj, Says 'Speak Even One Word of Sanskrit or Explain the Meaning of Sanskrit Shlokas That I Have Said' 

Spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya has challenged Premanand Maharaj over his knowledge of Sanskrit. In an interview that went viral on social media, Jagadguru Rambhadracharya also said he does not consider Premanand Maharaj a miraculous saint. A viral clip shows Rambhadracharya giving Premanand Maharaj an open challenge and saying that if he is really miraculous, then he should come in front of him and speak in Sanskrit. When asked about Premanand Maharaj, Jagadguru Rambhadracharya told journalist Shubhankar Mishra, "There is no miracle. If there is any miracle, then I challenge Premanand Maharaj to speak even one word of Sanskrit in front of me or explain the meaning of the Sanskrit shlokas that I have said. Today I am openly saying that he is like my child. It is a miracle that he knows the scriptures. He is living on dialysis." As the video moves further, Jagadguru Rambhadracharya says that he considers Premanand Maharaj like his child. "I am neither calling him a scholar nor a miracle worker. Such popularity lasts only for a few days. However, saying that this is a miracle is not acceptable to me. Sing bhajans and read and write," Jagadguru Rambhadracharya added.

AP: Prosecutors seek death penalty against cult member linked to Chatham County raid, border agent's death

"The Justice Department said Thursday it will seek the death penalty against a member of the cultlike Zizians group accused of killing a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont in the latest Trump administration push for more federal executions.

Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, is among a group of radical computer scientists focused on veganism, gender identity and artificial intelligence who have been linked to six killings in three states. She rented a house in rural Chatham County raided in February by FBI agents.

She's accused of fatally shooting agent David Maland on Jan. 20, the same day President Donald Trump was inaugurated and signed a sweeping executive order lifting the moratorium on federal executions.

Youngblut initially was charged with using a deadly weapon against law enforcement and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. But the Trump administration signaled early on that more serious charges were coming, and a new indictment released Thursday charged her with murder of a federal law enforcement agent, assaulting other agents with a deadly weapon and related firearms offenses.

"We will not stand for such attacks on the men and women who protect our communities and borders," Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti said in a press release."

KJZZ: Singularism, a religion that uses psychedelic drugs, is testing Utah's religious freedom law

"Last year, Utah lawmakers passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which gives people more power to challenge the government if it interferes with their religious beliefs.

Religious freedom is, in many ways, the backbone of the major religion in Utah — the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — and the Republican-sponsored measure passed easily.

But that law is being put to the test in the courts by an unexpected group — a very small religion that's been targeted by law enforcement for using psychedelic drugs as part of its practices. The religion is called Singularism.

In 2023, police carried out a warrant at its Provo headquarters, seizing its sacramental psilocybin and, later, hitting its founder with criminal charges. Singularism founder Bridger Jensen is suing, and citing this religious freedom law as his argument."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

Two Self-Professed Religious Leaders Who Used Physical and Psychological Abuse to Coerce Victims to Solicit Tens of Millions in Donations Federally Charged and Arrested

Office of Public Affairs

U.S. Department of Justice

Press Release

August 27, 2025

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a ten-count indictment against two defendants for their alleged roles in a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy that victimized individuals in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

The two defendants, David Taylor, 53, and Michelle Brannon, 56, were arrested today in North Carolina and Florida in a nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization.

“Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims.”

“We will use every lawful tool against human traffickers and seek justice for their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan. “A case like this is only possible through a concerted effort with our federal partners across the country and the non-governmental agencies who provide victim support. We thank them all.”

“The indictment of David Taylor and Michelle Brannon demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast efforts to protect the American people from human exploitation and financial crimes, including forced labor and money laundering,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The alleged actions are deeply troubling. I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Field Office, with strong support from our federal and agency partners in the FBI Tampa Field Office, FBI Jacksonville Field Office, FBI St. Louis Field Office, FBI Charlotte Field Office, FBI Houston Field Office, and the Detroit IRS-CI Field Office, in addition to several local, county and state law enforcement partners, for their role in executing this multi-state operation. The FBI in Michigan will continue to investigate those who violate federal law and remain focused on ensuring the protection and safety of our nation.”

“Money laundering is tax evasion in progress, and in this case, the proceeds funded an alleged human trafficking ring and supported a luxury lifestyle under the guise of a religious ministry,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. “IRS-CI stands committed to fighting human trafficking and labor exploitation, and pursuing those who hide their profits gained from the extreme victimization of the vulnerable.”

The indictment alleges that Taylor and Brannon are the leaders of Kingdom of God Global Church (KOGGC), formerly Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI). Taylor refers to himself as “Apostle” and to Brannon as his Executive Director. Their organization ran a call center that solicited donations for KOGGC/JMMI every day. Taylor established his first call center in Taylor, Michigan, and then operated call centers in other locations in the United States including in Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

Taylor and Brannon, according to the indictment, compelled their victims to work at their call centers and to work for Taylor as his “armor bearers.” Armor bearers were Taylors’s personal servants who fulfilled Taylor’s demands around the clock. Taylor and Brannon controlled every aspect of the daily living of their victims. Victims slept in the call center facility or in a “ministry” house, and Taylor and Brannon did not permit them to leave without permission. Taylor demanded that his Armor Bearers transport women from ministry houses, airports, and other locations to Taylor’s location and ensured the women transported to Taylor took Plan B emergency contraceptives.

In addition, according to the indictment, Taylor and Brannon required victims to work in the call centers long hours without pay or perform other services for Taylor. Taylor set unobtainable daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly monetary donation goals for victims working in the call centers and required victims to follow the orders he created without question. If victims disobeyed an order or failed to reach his monetary goals, Taylor and Brannon punished the victims with public humiliation, additional work, food and shelter restrictions, psychological abuse, forced repentance, sleep deprivation, physical assaults, and threats of divine judgment in the form of sickness, accidents, and eternal damnation.

KOGGC/JMMI received millions of dollars in donations each year through its call centers. Taylor and Brannon used much of the money to purchase luxury properties, luxury vehicles, and sporting equipment such as a boat, jet skis, and ATVs. In total, Taylor received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014.

Defendant David Taylor will appear on the indictment today in Durham, North Carolina. Defendant Michelle Brannon will appear today on the indictment in Tampa, Florida.

Upon conviction, the alleged crimes carry the following penalties:

Conspiracy to Commit Forced Labor: up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.

Forced Labor: up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.

Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering: up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $500,000 or twice the value of the properties involved in the money laundering transactions.

This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Resnick Cohen for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Christina Randall-James of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll free at 1-888-373-7888, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Further information is available at www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-self-professed-religious-leaders-who-used-physical-and-psychological-abuse-coerce

DOJ: FBI search at Avila mansion linked to church's 'forced labor and money laundering conspiracy'

Andrea Chu

10 Tampa Bay 

August 27, 2025

Leaders of "The Kingdom of God Global Church" are accused of using physical and psychological abuse to coerce victims into soliciting millions in donations.

"The FBI's response Wednesday at a mansion in the Avila neighborhood of Tampa is linked to the arrest of church leaders on federal forced labor and money laundering charges.

A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment against 53-year-old David E. Taylor and 56-year-old Michelle Brannon —leaders of "The Kingdom of God Global Church" — for their alleged roles in a forced labor and money laundering conspiracy that spanned Florida, Michigan, Texas and Missouri.

In addition to the response in Tampa, the FBI confirmed it conducted an operation early Wednesday morning at a property in Houston owned by Joshua Media Ministries International, the former name of Kingdom of God Global Church.

Taylor, who calls himself the church's "apostle," and Brannon, the church's "executive director," were arrested Wednesday in "a nationwide takedown of their forced labor organization," according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of coercing victims to work at call centers soliciting donations for the church and to work as personal servants or "armor bearers" for Taylor.

The DOJ says Taylor and Brannon controlled "every aspect" of their victims' daily lives, including forcing them to sleep in call centers or "ministry" houses. 

"Taylor demanded that his Armor Bearers transport women from ministry houses, airports, and other locations to Taylor’s location and ensured the women transported to Taylor took Plan B emergency contraceptives," the document reads.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of requiring victims to work long hours in the call center without pay, forcing them to follow orders and setting unattainable monetary donation goals.

"If victims disobeyed an order or failed to reach his monetary goals, Taylor and Brannon punished the victims with public humiliation, additional work, food and shelter restrictions, psychological abuse, forced repentance, sleep deprivation, physical assaults, and threats of divine judgment in the form of sickness, accidents, and eternal damnation," the DOJ release says.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Kingdom of God Global Church received millions of dollars in donations through the call centers, which Taylor and Brannon used to purchase luxury properties, vehicles, boats, Jet Skis and ATVs. 

Taylor has reportedly received approximately $50 million in donations since 2014.

Church donations used to fund lavish lifestyle, FBI says

Court documents emphasize that the millions in donations were collected “under the guise of a religious ministry.”

According to the indictment, here are some of the items purchased by Taylor and Brannon:

• Mercedes-Benz — $63,195.94

• Bentley Continental (downpayment) — $70,000.00

• Crownline Boat — $105,595.00

• Bentley Continental (downpayment) — $15,000.00

• Bentley Mulsanne — $50,000.00

• Mercedes-Benz — $14,908.00

• Mercedes-Benz — $13,695.00

• Mercedes-Benz — $12,485.00

• 5 ATVs — $31,805.00

• 2 Jet Skis and 1 Jet Ski trailer — $24,332.00

• 2 Jet Skis and 1 Jet Ski trailer — $24,962.20

• 125 lbs. of super colossal red king crab legs, 6 seafood shears, and 30 crab cutters — $10,353.44

• Rolls Royce Cullinan (lease signing payment) — $123,028.09

• Bulletproof automotive — $33,930.00

• Bulletproof automotive — $32,630.00

• Bulletproof automotive — $37,500.00

• Bulletproof automotive — $18,302.76

Charges for church leaders arrested after FBI search in Tampa

The charges Taylor and Brannon are facing include:

• Conspiracy to commit forced labor, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine

• Forced labor, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine

• Conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine

• 

Brannon will appear today on the indictment in Tampa, while Taylor will appear today on the indictment in Durham, North Carolina.

“Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division wrote in the release. “We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims.”

According to a 2022 article from the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Kingdom of God Global Church in Taylor, Michigan, purchased the estate from Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and her husband for $8.3 million. 

The sale reportedly included the 28,893-square-foot main house and a 2,620-square-foot guest house.

Avila is an affluent residential community in North Tampa.

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/fbi-presence-home-avila-tampa-kingdom-of-god-global-church/67-2d27ffb5-ac5e-4c3b-be1b-ae4fdc91be0f

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/27/2025

Nine O'Clock Service, Neuroscience of Religion, Peru, Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, Legal, Sexual Abuse

BBC: Ex-priest found guilty of 17 indecent assaults

"A former priest accused of abusing members of a "cult-like" church group he led has been found guilty of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women.

Chris Brain, 68, was head of the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS), an influential evangelical movement based in Sheffield in the 1980s and 90s.

Brain, of Wilmslow, in Cheshire, was convicted of the charges following a trial at Inner London Crown Court.

He was found not guilty of another 15 charges of indecent assault, while jurors are continuing to deliberate on a further four counts of indecent assault and one charge of rape."

" ... The NOS began in Sheffield in 1986 and was initially celebrated by Church of England leaders for its nightclub-style services, which attracted hundreds of young people.

The Church fast-tracked Brain's ordination as a priest in 1991 due to the success of the NOS, with jurors told the group spent "large sums of money" to obtain robes worn by the actor Robert De Niro in the film The Mission for Brain to wear in his ordination ceremony.

In the early 1990s the NOS moved to the city's Ponds Forge leisure centre in order to accommodate the growing congregation.

But prosecutors told the jury NOS "became a cult" in which Brain abused his position to sexually assault "a staggering number" of women from his congregation.

The group was dissolved in 1995 when concerns about Brain's behaviour were first raised.

The jury heard Brain later admitted in a BBC documentary, aired the same year, to having "improper sexual conduct with a number of women".

He resigned his holy orders two days before the programme was broadcast."

Patheos: The Real Neuroscience of Religion – Doing Drugs in Church

" ... In the 1980s, Nancy Reagan encouraged us to say no to drugs, but some chemicals are produced inside our bodies, not ingested. When we get excited at concerts or we feel love and acceptance from our relationships, our bodies release pleasurable chemicals. Other chemicals occur naturally to protect us, like stress hormones. We often even experience these types of chemicals in church.[1]

Our cortisol levels tend to be lower when we pray, meditate, or even just breathe. Cortisol is the stress hormone often linked to belly fat. Elevated cortisol levels also contribute to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, anxiety, depression, and a weakened immune system. Chronic stress levels decline during certain church activities, though they can also be elevated during other parts of the experience. Prolonged high cortisol levels from chronic stress can harm the brain, raise the risk of heart problems, and weaken the immune system.

My main concern with religious practices and this chemical is that church services now seem designed to trigger this stress hormone intentionally.

We might call it conviction, accountability, or rebuke. Still, sometimes these practices increase our cortisol levels and then quickly lead us to use things like prayer to bring us back down, reducing the cortisol again. My issue is that these chemicals are meant to protect us from real danger and shouldn't be used as tools to dysregulate us, so we feel regulated shortly afterward. The damage is still done, even if we feel better after leaving the church.

It's almost like someone punches us in the arm, then rubs it to make it feel better, and afterward looks to us for approval.

What about serotonin and dopamine? Practices like group singing, prayer, and worship trigger the release of this "feel-good" hormone that creates feelings of happiness and well-being. The same neurotransmitters are also activated during other pleasurable experiences. They are released whenever we feel good, even from harmful activities like overeating, using drugs, and taking risks.

Chemicals motivate us to keep coming back because we want to feel that high. Even if it is just the high of righteousness from attending religious services, we experience these pleasurable hormones and crave them again, so we return, keep eating, or use more of what produces that feeling.

Someone once said, "Religion is the opiate of the masses." We rely on these chemicals to motivate us to get our next meal, seek safety, and enjoy life. However, in my opinion, religion often creates a high and a co-dependency where we feel like we are forever "chasing the dragon" of our learned co-dependence and our addiction to the chemical high."

RNS: Pope Leo abuse case in Peru muddled by language, cultural barriers

"A Peruvian woman who says she was sexually abused by two priests as a girl traveled to Pope Leo XIV's hometown of Chicago in late July to personally tell the media her claims of how the newly elected pope mishandled her case when he served as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru.

Organized by The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the July 31 press conference was the first time Ana María Quispe Díaz, whose story has been amplified by advocates and rehashed in the media, spoke for herself since Leo's election.

Quispe Díaz told reporters she first met with Leo, then-Bishop Robert Prevost, in 2022 to report two priests that she and other Chiclayo women claimed abused them as girls. Initially, she said, Prevost encouraged her to report the abuse to civil authorities, but, according to Quispe Díaz, he later failed to properly investigate, remove the accused priests from ministry or provide adequate support for survivors.

Despite Prevost's initial posture of support, Quispe Díaz claimed he told her there was no way to carry out a church investigation and that they must rely on the civil system. She said Prevost and other diocesan leaders did not approach the situation with transparency and did not take sufficient actions against the accused priests, the Revs. Eleuterio Vásquez Gonzáles and Ricardo Yesquén Paiva.

SNAP, a survivor-run advocacy group based in the U.S., said they organized the conference to give Quispe Díaz a platform to tell her story to English-speaking media. However, a Spanish-to-English translator hired by SNAP for the press conference made several translation errors that altered the meaning of Quispe Díaz's words.

"We were listened to and encouraged to report what happened to us," said Quispe Díaz in Spanish at the press conference. "We reported exactly what happened to us," the translator incorrectly said in English.

"We were mistreated by those representatives of Christ who, by faith, we call fathers," she said in Spanish at the press conference. "We have been denied representation of Jesus Christ who through faith we call father," the interpreter mistranslated.

Sarah Pearson, spokesperson for SNAP, told RNS she had hired CBS translation for the first time based on Google reviews, something she would not do again. Pearson is now working with another translator to dub a correct translation over the video of the event to send to reporters.

The press conference, with its serious translation errors, indicated the difficulties Quispe Díaz has faced as her story is scrutinized on an international stage — and the challenge for the international Catholic community in understanding a Peruvian abuse case that now has global implications.

Paola Ugaz, a Peruvian investigative journalist who exposed sexual abuses by the powerful Peruvian Catholic group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, told RNS Prevost's handling of the case needs to be understood within a Latin American context.

Many Latin American bishops "persecute the messenger" with threats and wouldn't encourage women to go to civil authorities as Prevost did, according to Ugaz. Prevost also sent the case to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Ugaz believes showed he took it seriously and wanted the women to be protected. Sending the case to the Vatican is "a measure that Latin American bishops don't do because either they don't know or they want to protect priests," said Ugaz in Spanish.

Leo is credited by Sodalitium survivors as having an instrumental role in moving Pope Francis and the Vatican to suppress the group, and he has praised Ugaz's "unwavering pursuit of justice and commitment to truth" as she and another journalist have faced lawsuits, death threats, false accusations and judicial harassment.

"Unfortunately, in my country, Peru, most people who report cases of abuse do not find justice at the end of their story. The system is designed to favor the perpetrator and neglect the victim. It's a mistake to apply North American standards," said Ugaz.

The church's actions against Sodalitium, suppressing the group, only came 15 years after she began to investigate, Ugaz said, and despite over a decade of investigation into Sodalitium abuses, no perpetrators have been convicted in Peru courts.

SNAP has not reached out to Sodalitium survivors and has not included those survivors' praise for Leo in its communications. For Pearson, different global norms shouldn't mean an abuse case is dealt with any less expediently, thoroughly or safely."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

Prosecutors seek death penalty against cult member linked to Chatham County raid, border agent's death

HOLLY RAMER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

Associated Press

August 14, 2925

WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department said Thursday it will seek the death penalty against a member of the cultlike Zizians group accused of killing a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont in the latest Trump administration push for more federal executions.

Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, is among a group of radical computer scientists focused on veganism, gender identity and artificial intelligence who have been linked to six killings in three states. She rented a house in rural Chatham County raided in February by FBI agents.

She’s accused of fatally shooting agent David Maland on Jan. 20, the same day President Donald Trump was inaugurated and signed a sweeping executive order lifting the moratorium on federal executions.

Youngblut initially was charged with using a deadly weapon against law enforcement and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. But the Trump administration signaled early on that more serious charges were coming, and a new indictment released Thursday charged her with murder of a federal law enforcement agent, assaulting other agents with a deadly weapon and related firearms offenses.

“We will not stand for such attacks on the men and women who protect our communities and borders,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti said in a press release.

In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi mentioned Maland as an example when saying she expects federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in cases involving the murder of law enforcement officers. And Youngblut’s attorneys recently said they had been given a July 28 deadline to offer preliminary evidence about why she should be spared such a punishment. Her attorneys, who declined to comment Thursday, asked a judge last month to delay that deadline until January, but the judge declined.

At the time of the shooting, authorities had been watching Youngblut and her companion, Felix Bauckholt, for several days after a Vermont hotel employee reported seeing them carrying guns and wearing black tactical gear. She’s accused of opening fire on border agents who pulled the car over on Interstate 91. An agent fired back, killing Bauckholt and wounding Youngblut.

The pair were among the followers of Jack LaSota, a transgender woman also known as Ziz whose online writing attracted young, highly intelligent computer scientists who shared anarchist beliefs. Members of the group have been tied to the death of one of their own during an attack on a California landlord in 2022, the landlord’s subsequent killing earlier this year, and the deaths of one of the members’ parents in Pennsylvania.

LaSota and two others face weapons and drug charges in Maryland, where they were arrested in February, while LaSota faces additional federal charges of being an armed fugitive. Another member of the group who is charged with killing the landlord in California had applied for a marriage license with Youngblut. Michelle Zajko, whose parents were killed in Pennsylvania, was arrested with LaSota in Maryland, and has been charged with providing weapons to Youngblut in Vermont.

Vermont abolished its state death penalty in 1972. The last person sentenced to death in the state on federal charges was Donald Fell, who was convicted in 2005 of abducting and killing a supermarket worker five years earlier. But the conviction and sentence were later thrown out because of juror misconduct, and in 2018, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.

____

Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wral.com/amp/22118836/

Zizians

Based on news reports from early 2025, the FBI raided a property in Chatham County, North Carolina, linked to a small, cult-like group known as the "Zizians," which is connected to multiple killings. The group's leader is identified as a figure who goes by the online alias "Ziz". 

About the FBI raid:

Location: The raid took place on February 5, 2025, at a property in a wooded area near the intersection of Bell Circle and Woodbridge Road, outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Context: The search was related to a series of violent crimes in multiple states that authorities have connected to the Zizian group.

Investigation: The FBI has been investigating the group for its links to at least six deaths in California, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. 

About the Zizian group

Leader: The group is reportedly led by a transgender woman named Jack LaSota, who published a blog under the name "Ziz." The writings included discussions of artificial intelligence, veganism, and radical rationalist philosophy.

Members: Followers of "Ziz" are sometimes referred to as "Zizians" and are described as being comprised of young, highly intelligent computer scientists. Some members are also transgender or have rejected binary sexuality.

Crimes and connections:

February 2025: The group gained public attention when two members, one of whom was later killed in a shootout, were involved in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont.

Arrests: The Zizians' leader, Jack LaSota, and another member, Michelle Zajko, were arrested in Maryland shortly after the raid, though Zajko was later accused of providing weapons related to the Vermont incident. LaSota has also been indicted on federal firearms and ammunition charges.

Earlier incidents: Zizians have been connected to earlier violent incidents, including the deaths of a landlord in California and the parents of a group member in Pennsylvania. 

Outcome of the raids: 

The FBI's investigation and raids resulted in the apprehension of several group members and revealed the group's alleged connection to multiple deaths. However, some members of the group, including a figure known as "Ziz," were initially missing following the raid. LaSota was later arrested in Maryland. 

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/21/2025

Gloriavale Christian School, New Zealand, Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, Community of Jesus, Legal, Meditation

RNZ: Children's Commissioner calls for closure of Gloriavale primary school

"The Children's Commissioner is calling for the urgent closure of Gloriavale Christian School, saying she has zero confidence that students are safe. Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad spoke to Corin Dann."

HuffPost: My Husband Said God Wanted Him To Spank Me. Then He Made A Chilling Request That Had Me Gasping For Air.

"If this sounds familiar to you, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is part of the same denomination."

" ... Wilson is a Christian patriarch who teaches, among other puritanical and high-control doctrines regarding family government, that women are to submit to their husbands and shouldn't be allowed to vote. My family was part of Wilson's congregation, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), until 2007, when I narrowly escaped what I now call church-sanctioned domestic abuse. The scene above is an excerpt from my bestselling memoir about that life and escape, "A Well-Trained Wife."

My husband believed Wilson's teaching held the key to the Christian Golden Age, a shining millennium where Christian ethics and white men rule without resistance or room for anyone else. It goes by several names. Dominion theology. Federalism. Calvinism. New Calvinism. Fundamentalism."

Rock Harbor Truth: Former Member Alleges Forced Labor, Trafficking by Community of Jesus

"A recent court case has brought serious allegations against the Community of Jesus, a religious group on Cape Cod, from a former child member who claims he was forced into unpaid labor and trafficked. The testimony describes exploitation during his time in the group, framing the Community as an abusive environment masked by religious practice. The case is drawing attention to long-standing concerns about the organization's treatment of members, with court proceedings now putting those claims under public and legal scrutiny."

PubMed: Relaxation-induced anxiety: mechanisms and theoretical implications

"Literature evidence documenting the occurrence of relaxation-induced anxiety is reviewed, and several hypothesized mechanisms to explain the phenomenon are discussed. Possible avenues for circumventing the problem in therapy are offered. Finally, a theoretical model is presented wherein the phenomenon is viewed with a broader framework designed to explain the development and maintenance of the more generalized anxiety disorders. That framework emphasizes the emergence of fear of somatic anxiety cues and fear of loss of control from more fundamental interpersonal anxieties."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/20/2025

MLM, FLDS, Conspiracies, Geelong Revival Centre, Australia

The Guru: A Crypto MLM Scam is Taking Over a Mormon Town—It May Be Run by the Chinese Mafia

A crypto scam has inundated the once polygamous town of Short Creek. A man named Harvey Dockstader has roped hundreds of people into it, including one local who invested $200,000. A man in Sebastopol who invested 1 million dollars was found dead last December

CBC: Young people more prone to believe in conspiracies, research shows

" ... [P]eople younger than 35 are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories than other age groups, according to a recent study by Stockemer and co-author Jean-Nicolas Bordeleau that surveyed more than 380,000 people internationally.

The research was recently published in the journal Political Psychology.

"Conspiracy theories are now for everyone," Stockemer told CBC Radio's All In A Day, noting that between 20 and 25 per cent of the population believes in one.

"But the young are slightly more likely to believe in them."

For example, their research suggests a slight year-over-year drop in conspiracies to the point where an 80-year-old is about 10 per cent less likely to believe one than an 18-year-old."

The Age: I escaped a cult - for years I didn't even realise I was in one

"A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across the livestream for the Victorian parliament's inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups. It was launched after recent claims by former cult members, including from the Geelong Revival Centre, and as I looked at the inquiry's terms of reference I felt an unexpected fear escaping. I read about the coercive practices organised religious groups can use, their methods to recruit and retain members, and the significant psychological harm they can cause and found myself nodding along in recognition.

The next day these feelings came flooding back when I read a news story about a child in Queensland who died within a secretive cult, and the efforts of churches to expose coercion with their ranks.

"Good," I thought, surprised but pleased at this attention being drawn to a reality that has thus far remained largely hidden.

For five years, from late adolescence into my early 20s, I was in a cult. And for decades, I have carried and hidden this early part of my life, feeling great shame that I was gullible enough to be lured into such a group, and even more ashamed of the grievous mental health struggles I experienced upon leaving, as I tried to rebuild my life from scratch.

There is a perception that someone who finds themselves in a cult is different to the rest of us – perhaps more naive or vulnerable. While to some extent this is true, as it was my own early trauma history and psychological vulnerability that made me responsive to the recruitment tactics used, I have also spoken to numerous people who had healthy and safe lives, but still found themselves in these groups.

Many highly intelligent professionals have spoken to me of their time in organised high-control religious groups, and I have come to realise how common some of these groups are. But broadly, societal awareness of their existence is sorely lacking, perhaps led by misconceptions that cults demonstrate their strangest behaviours and beliefs openly for all to see.

In reality, most such groups will have a seemingly normal front, with stranger beliefs and coercion only appearing once you are embedded within the structure of the organisation and have bought in to some of their beliefs. That's when they warn you that changing your mind now would cause distress.

The word cult is often used unthinkingly. Cults are social groups that have extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Devotion to a particular person is another characteristic, and they are set apart from religious groups by the coercion and secrecy which characterises their actions. However, normal religious groups too can have these elements of coercion. Due to their secretive nature, it's difficult to determine how many cults operate in Australia, though estimates suggest approximately 3000, including some well-known ones such as The Family.

The hardest part of leaving a cult is the recognition that you are in a cult, and for me, this early stage took the longest. I was only able to make my way to this conclusion through anti-cult education resources, which allowed me to see the common patterns across high-control groups."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/19/2025

Unification Church, Legal, Japan, SGA, Gabriel of Urantia

Mainichi: 'Second-gen' of Unification Church members in Japan sue for 320 million yen in damages

"Eight individuals who are the children of followers of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly the Unification Church, filed a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on July 24 seeking a total of about 320 million yen (roughly $2.19 million) in damages from the religious organization.

These "second-generation" members claim that their parents prevented them from making free decisions and caused them severe psychological harm. The plaintiffs hold the church responsible rather than their parents, arguing that the parents' actions were strongly influenced by the church's teachings.

According to the plaintiffs' attorney, this is believed to be the first class action by second-generation members. The plaintiffs argue, "The church instructed parents to prioritize religious practice over the human rights of their children, severely distorting the environment in which the second generation grew up. These children suffered abusive acts that violated their rights to freedom of religion and marriage, among others."

The issue of second-generation members suffering due to their parents' religious beliefs gained national attention after the July 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara. Tetsuya Yamagami, who was charged with murder and other offences in the shooting, reportedly claimed his family was destroyed by his mother's deep involvement with the Unification Church."

AsahiShimbun: Unification Church land seized for donation refunds

"A Tokyo court has approved the provisional seizing of land housing the former Unification Church's Japanese headquarters, a key step toward allowing former followers to reclaim large donations made to the religious group.

A legal team that supports victims of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification's fund-raising tactics announced the development at a news conference on July 30.

The Tokyo District Court issued the ruling on July 18 in response to a request by 10 women in their 50s to 80s who are former members of the religious organization.

The women claim to have collectively lost 227 million yen ($1.52 million) to the former Unification Church, through what they describe as exploitative donation extraction practices.

The court order prevents the organization from selling its property in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, effectively freezing the asset while legal proceedings are ongoing.

However, activities at the headquarters may continue as usual."

Obituary: Gabriel of Urantia: 1946-2025, Death of the Cosmic Gatsby

"Many words have been used to describe Gabriel of Urantia over the years — preacher, prophet, father, grifter, cult leader, con artist, "CosmoPop." On Friday, August 8th at 2:10 a.m., Gabriel of Urantia passed away at the age of 79. He was not doing well — there were difficulties related to diabetes and a 2010 kidney transplant, so in some ways this wasn't a shock. Then again, he was a cult leader, and cult leaders don't necessarily make it easy to know what's going on with them health-wise, so we were all taken a little off-guard."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/18/2025

United Nation of Islam, Legal, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Book Review, QAnon, Research, Trauma 

Department of Justice: Six Former Cult Members Sentenced for Years-Long Forced Labor Conspiracy to Compel the Labor of Multiple Minor Victims

" ... As established at trial, all six defendants were former high-ranking members of the United Nation of Islam (UNOI) who assisted UNOI's late founder Royall Jenkins in managing UNOI operations. Defendant Peach was also one of Jenkins's wives. Jenkins represented himself as Allah, contrary to principles of the Islamic faith, and demanded compliance with strict UNOI rules. UNOI operated multiple businesses including restaurants, bakeries, gas stations, a laboratory, and a clothing factory.

For over 12 years from October 2000 through November 2012, the defendants conspired to enforce rules that required UNOI members to perform unpaid labor, using beatings, threats, punishments, isolation, and coercion to compel the unpaid labor of over a dozen victims, including multiple minors, some as young as eight years old. The defendants required the victims to work up to 16 hours a day performing unpaid labor in UNOI-owned and operated businesses in Kansas City, Kansas; New York, New York; Newark, New Jersey; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia, and elsewhere. The defendants also required the victims to perform unpaid childcare and domestic service in the defendants' homes. The evidence showed that the defendants lived comfortably while housing the victims in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions along with restricting their food and water.

As proven at trial, the defendants used false promises of education, life skills training, and job training to induce parents to send their children to Kansas. After isolating the victims from their families and making them wholly dependent on UNOI, the defendants required the victims to attend UNOI's unlicensed, unaccredited school and used strict rules, isolation, punishments, humiliation, threats, and coercion to compel the victims' unpaid labor. This included restricting and monitoring the victims' communications with others along with their whereabouts."

ICSA Reviews: The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family. By Jesselyn Cook. Crown. 2019. 272 pages. Reviewed by Doug Duncan

" ... [T]hese stories were emotionally difficult [to read]. One of them involved a woman who had raised three children as a single mother after her husband, a physician, committed suicide. She was an admirable and courageous person, and after her husband killed himself, she went back to school and was able to get a law degree and become an attorney. She was a champion for people and tended toward liberal views to the extent that she was political, but after her children had embarked on adult lives of their own, she was drawn into QAnon. She ends up completely alienating her adult children and has no family to help her when she later encounters health issues.

Another story involves two Black sisters who are closely bonded to each other after growing up with a single mother in economically and socially challenging circumstances, struggling against poverty and racism, until one of them gets totally sucked into QAnon. After years of closeness, they drift apart, and the QAnon believer, Kendra, blames her sister, Tayshia, for the death of Tayshia's husband by heart attack due to them having obtained COVID-19 vaccinations.

Some of the recruits get out, and some of them do not, so each case does not have a happy ending. A couple of them manage to get out but are unable to repair the damage done to their relationships, so they are left with lasting consequences. All the stories are quite sad, but they are all interesting. Cook is an investigative reporter with a master's degree in journalism from New York University, and she was selected as a 2025 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. She is a talented writer, and the book is beneficial in helping to humanize the people and families who are affected by this terrible cult.

As somebody who ascribes to the thought reform view of cults that is expounded by Robert Jay Lifton, Margaret Thaler Singer, and others, I find the whole topic of conspiracy theories to be fascinating. In some ways, the process by which somebody is indoctrinated into a set of dubious beliefs, such as those of QAnon, is the quintessence of thought reform. This is made even more effective because the recruits manage to use the techniques of thought reform on themselves. They are given information and told to conduct their own research. They are exhorted to be free-thinking skeptics and not to simply accept the establishment narrative. In the name of avoiding propaganda, they walk themselves, step by step, into groupthink. They are even more convinced because they think they have arrived at their conclusions on their own. All the hours spent watching the videos, discussing the clues on the forums, and searching for confirmations in the news become a sunk cost.

Having worked so diligently to arrive at their beliefs, they are reluctant to let go of them. Furthermore, spending so much time watching videos and looking for clues from "Q"—the government insider who is supposedly privy to the on-going behind-the-scenes war between the true patriots and the Deep State—parallels what happens in more traditionally organized cults, where members may spend most of their waking hours attending Bible studies or lectures, practicing meditation, or participating in struggle sessions of some kind. At the very least, one becomes consumed with whatever the cult is doing and disconnected from other people and one's previous daily activities.

In the afterword, Cook discusses what can be done about QAnon. The problem is enormous. By some estimates, "[b]y late 2023, as many as one in four Americans were in agreement that 'Satan-worshipping pedophiles' controlled the government and the media" (p. 232). Even if these estimates are high, it is nevertheless undeniable that we are talking about millions of people who have adopted at least some portion of the QAnon belief system. To some degree or another, they all hold beliefs that are substantially out of the mainstream, such as the notion that the COVID-19 vaccines were a ruse so that Bill Gates could implant microchips in everyone. There were real societal harms that resulted from this. The United States fared significantly worse during the pandemic than did other advanced countries, and the vaccine reluctance that grew out of QAnon contributed to that. Some people in this country died because of these strange beliefs."

Emerging From a Cult – Rorschach Indications of Traumatic Damage to the Self

"This case concerns a 22-year-old White nonbinary British person who sought a consultation following an abusive childhood. The family belonged to a religious cult that required strict conformity to traditional gender stereotypes. The patient's attempts at rebellion were met by the family's determination to cast their child as mentally ill, thereby invalidating their identity. Diagnosis was used as a weapon of control and humiliation to discredit the patient's own independent thinking. The patient had left the cult in which they were brought up. They wanted recommendations for how to adapt to adult life outside of the cult. The Group Psychological Abuse Scale, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI–2), the Trauma Symptom Inventory-2 (TSI–2) and the Rorschach were administered. Judith Herman proposed the concept of complex posttraumatic stress disorder in 1992, which is applicable to this case. Some of the research literature with ex-cult members who grew up in a cult is reviewed to place the test data in context. Results from the three self-report measures are presented. The Rorschach results are then discussed in detail. The combination of morbid, reflection, and vista responses demonstrates the impact of the abusive system on the patient's sense of self and it provides some pointers for therapeutic intervention."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery