Rick Raw: Cult Madness–Strong City Cult Leader Convicted of Sexual Contact with A Minor

By Rick Grant Commentary rickgrant01@comcast.net www.rickatnight.com

In my book, The Mind Further Out, in which I debunk organized religions and meld spirituality with quantum physics, I devoted a whole chapter on the evil of cults. Recently, National Geographic Channel aired an in-depth documentary on one of the strangest cults to come to light, the Strong City Cult.

The second part of the documentary was an update. It focused on the arrest and trial of its leader, 66 year old Wayne Bent a.k.a. Michael Travesser. The Cult is an offshoot of The Lord Our Righteousness Church, based in Travesser Park, New Mexico in a sprawling remote parcel of land.

Incredibly, this grifter, Bent, declared himself the Son of God–the Messiah. He demanded seven virgins from the teenage girls living on the compound and held a ceremony crowning himself the Holy Trinity. He had also predicted the end of the world on a specific date in 2008, which passed with no apocalypse.

Undeterred, Bent carried on looking for a new world ending date. In a blatant grab for complete power, Bent seduced the married women in the cult, who naturally would prefer the Messiah rather than their ordinary mortal husbands. Thus, Bent broke up long standing marriages among his flock which emasculated the men and gave him absolute power.

In contrast, some cult leaders claim they are a vehicle through which God communicates. But Bent went all the way by saying he was God almighty. Of course, it was a preposterous claim, but it got him multiple bed partners–brain washed zombies! Remember Charles Manson’s followers–a gaggle of twisted teenage girls from the suburbs.

Bent’s legal problems were a result of the National Geographic Documentary in which he said he had laid naked with two underage girls. He said God directed him to do this. (paraphrasing) "I was struck down on the floor by a mighty power that told me to let them feel God’s energy." He claims no sex was involved (right). He merely put his chest on the girls’ chests. Yeah, and I believe in the fairness of the IRS..

However, in Bent’s trial, one of girls said he kissed her on her mouth and touched her breasts in a sexual way. Chances are, the girls were covering up what really happened–sexual intercourse-- since Bent was having sex with all the women in the cult.

The parents and relatives of the children who had left the cult were trying to get their kids out, but when they turned 18, some of them returned to Strong City. Bent had a powerful psychological hold on his flock. More significantly, these damaged young people could not function in the real world. They were "educated" by surfing the internet.

After the jury returned with their verdict, Bent was found guilty on multiple charges including sexual contact with a minor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and other less serious charges. Bent was sentenced to 18 years in prison. His flock returned to Strong City and waited for Bent’s appeals to grind through the courts.

Intelligent people ask: Who would be so stupid to get involved with this oppressive cult–or any cult? People are sucked into the black hole of cults gradually. It usually starts with a charismatic preacher, like Jim Jones, who had a church with a loyal following. Then he played on their fears of the denigration of society, saying there is nothing but strife and violence on the streets. He told them they must find a location where they are free of society’s evils.

Then, the leader takes his flock to a remote area in America or a foreign country. Isolation is the first step to control. Then he takes all their money and forbids their relatives from interfering with his way of the Lord. He preaches that his flock’s parents and relatives are responsible for their unfulfilled lives and confused minds. Now, the flock has nowhere to go and no money. The leader then owns them. They are an extension of his warped mind.

Before they realize it, the cultists are trapped and psychologically brain washed by the leader, who has proclaimed himself a prophet with a direct line to God. As this process develops, the leader gradually seduces the married women, and alienates the men. This is the peak of his power. His entire flock is dependent on him for their existence. They shun their relatives and believe they have found Nirvana.

Cult leaders force believers to submit to restrictive dogma that limits their thinking. People get involved with cults because they are unhappy with their lives and they think that the leader or preacher has all the answers.

Indeed, everyone should question their root assumptions and never fall for these false prophets’ lies. They’re clever con men who seek power and control.

Dogma of any kind forces a person to believe in a limited interval. They then have to conform their thinking to the narrow ideology of the cult or organized religion. A cult is an extreme example of dogma run amok.