Keith Raniere as per Government Exhibit GX-46 in US v. Raniere, Source https://www.newschannel10.com/2019/06/19/self-help-guru-convicted-lurid-sex-trafficking-case/, Author US District Court, EDNY (PD as work product of federal govt.)
“And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many’ ” (Matt. 24: 4-5).
NXIVM is old news. Keith Raniere has joined the ranks of such infamous cult leaders as Marshall Applewhite, Jim Jones, Warren Jeffs, and David Koresh [1].
But the NXIVM phenomenon has lessons for us. Here are a few:
1. A charismatic leader may not be what he claims.
All that glitters is not gold.
Though venerated as a virtual god, Keith Raniere was originally an Amway distributor [2A]. The self-proclaimed guru and life coach called himself the “smartest man in the world” when, in fact, he had difficulty completing college.
2. The endorsement of celebrities is no guarantee of an organization’s trustworthiness.
NXIVM was supported by Seagrams heiresses, Clare and Sara Bronfman, to the tune of some $85 million [2B].
Among the celebrities who once endorsed NXIVM were actresses Allison Mack, India Oxenberg, and Sarah Edmondson [3]. Keith Raniere even appeared with the Dalai Lama.
3. Hierarchy and ritual are no guarantees of an organization’s spirituality.
NXIVM had both.
4. Finances often reveal the true nature of an organization.
Actions speak louder than words. Lofty sounding goals are not enough.
Keith Raniere promised his followers they would change the world [2C]. Instead, Raniere’s actions confirmed his desire for sex, money, and power.
Legally, NXIVM was comprised of dozens of shell corporations, their finances dubious [2D]. Functionally, NXIVM was little more than a pyramid scheme, designed to bilk Raniere’s followers of their savings [2E].
A seemingly endless series of classes were heavily promoted. All promised self-knowledge and self-improvement, albeit at a cost. Meanwhile, members often went unpaid for their labor.
Raniere’s earlier venture, Consumer Buyline (a multi-level marketing company) was shut down in 1993 after being investigated for fraud by 20 states.
5. Excessive control is a major red flag.
There is a fine line between indoctrination and brainwashing; that line must not be crossed.
New members were introduced to NXIVM’s philosophy of “rational inquiry” at intensive, 14 hour per day seminars lasting over 2 weeks.
Loyalty to NXIVM was emphasized over loyalty to family. The manner of dress, diet, and life decisions of members were all closely regulated by NXIVM. Even the weight of members was monitored.
Other tactics employed at NXIVM included sleeplessness, isolation, starvation, corporal punishment, and coercion via blackmail. The cult leaders Jim Jones and Charles Manson, also, used “love bombing” – excessive displays of attention and affection intended to overwhelm [5]. Read more…
Loaf of French bread, Author David Monniaux, Copyright © 2004 David Monniaux (CC BY-SA 1.0 Generic)
Many of us have a bagel and coffee in the morning. But anyone who has ever baked bread knows that the baking process is not an easy one – particularly from the bread’s perspective.
The dough is prepared, seasoned, floured, and folded on itself; kneaded and rolled flat; allowed to rest and rise; then punched down, again and again. Ingredients can be beaten or whipped, with the dough sometimes actually thrown against the counter, so that flavors mix and the dough attains proper consistency.
So too are we, with God the loving baker and life the process
The results, of course, are rich and varied. Even the smell of baking bread makes mouths water, drawing others to the table. Knowing this, may we be able to say with Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 12: 15).
“Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews? You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit” (Job 10: 10-12).
Father, we know ourselves to be the product of Your loving hands and in Your tender care. Where better could we be?
Uphold us this day. Give us peace in the midst of turmoil, and patience in the midst of trial. Help us submit to Your will for our lives. And may our aroma be sweet to You.
Amen
Originally posted 4/11/12
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://avoicereclaimed.com
Philadelphia District Attorney, Larry Krasner, Author Michael Candelori, Source ttps://vimeo.com/216412159 (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
- There were 264 federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial police officers killed in the line of duty in the United States in 2020; there were 135 killed in 2019 [1A].
- Overall, there are 22,217 names of fallen police officers inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., extending back to 1786 [1B].
- Since 2015, police officers have fatally shot at least 135 unarmed black men and women, nationwide [2A].
- At least 75% of the police officers involved in such shootings were white [2B].
- At least 6 of the police officers involved in such shootings had histories of drug use, domestic violence, or other troubling behavior. Several were convicted of crimes like battery while on the force, but retained their jobs [2C].
- These deaths are all in the context of 10 million arrests, annually [3].
The issue of criminal justice reform is a thorny one. To begin with, there is little or no agreement about what actually constitutes reform.
Self-serving agendas, political ambitions, and appeals to prejudice rather than rational argument further complicate the situation. Shrill voices have been raised on all sides
For many of us, the prospect of “defunding the police”, as the slogan goes, is terrifying. What is meant by this phrase, also, though varies. Read more…
Amputation by Boko Haram, Author Voice of America (PD)
WARNING: Graphic Images
The following is excerpted from an article in the March 2021 edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Magazine. VOM, http://www.persecution.com, is a Christian non-profit serving the persecuted church.
“She never expected to suffer persecution, but when Naomi’s town was overrun by Islamic terrorists, she was ready. Her church and the Bible had taught her well: ‘Persecution is God’s Word being fulfilled’…
Boko Haram, whose name means ‘Western education is forbidden’…began waging an insurgency across northern Nigeria, targeting military installations, police stations, government buildings, churches and civilians…
The day of the invasion, Naomi was working on her plot of farmland…when she heard distant gunfire. ‘The Muslims who were at the farm with us told us to be careful while going home,’ she recalled, ‘because they knew what was happening.’
Naomi’s first concern was for her children at home. But as she rushed down the road toward town, she and several other women were caught by Boko Haram fighters. ‘They asked us to show them the houses of Christians, and they challenged us to renounce our faith,’ Naomi said. ‘They threatened to kill us if we did not.’ ” Read more…
Orthodox Bulgarian icon of St. George fighting the Dragon (1621 AD), Source Alciato’s Book of Emblems (PD-Art, PD-old-100)
It can, at times, seem as if this modern world of ours is hell-bent on driving us insane.
We are forced to grapple with government agencies, insurance carriers, banks, utilities, credit card companies, credit rating agencies, phone companies, computer companies, investment companies, and many more – often wrestling with the very technology which is supposed to assist us.
Corporate giants have taken the place of kings who once ruled with an iron fist. Little wonder that we are left feeling frustrated and small. Powerless, for all practical purposes.
The spiritual reality is, of course, that Satan, “the ruler of this world” (John 12: 31), is hellbound and determined to bring us along, or at least discourage, distract, and disable us. Even the most sincere Christians can fall into his traps. The daily struggle simply wears us down.
What then are we to do? How ought we to respond? Read more…
Anglo-Saxon disc brooch from Kent on display at Oxford University’s Ashmolean Museum (Accession No. 1972.1401), Author Ethan Doyle White (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
“Orwell’s Newspeak, the ultra-political new language introduced in Nineteen Eighty-Four…facilitates deception and manipulation, and its purpose is to restrict understanding of the real world…By manipulating the language, the government wishes to alter the public’s way of thinking.”
-“Language as the ‘Ultimate Weapon’ in Nineteen Eighty Four” by Jem Berkes, Copyright © 2000 [1A]
George Orwell’s classic novel 1984 predicted a chilling future in which language would be stripped of its meaning and used to convey the very opposite of its original intent.
For those who may not have noticed, 1984 has arrived.
While Newspeak was employed by the government and media in Orwell’s novel, it is now part of so called woke culture and white supremacist counterculture.
Reinterpretation of the phrase “Anglo-Saxon values” is a prime illustration. Read more…
Apollo 11 Commander, Neil Armstrong, on the Moon (1969), Author NASA (PD as work product of federal govt.)
“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
-Apollo 11 Commander, Neil Armstrong, taking mankind’s first step on the Moon (July 20, 1969)
Before Neil Armstrong took that momentous step onto the moon’s surface, another astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, privately took communion on the moon [1].
Aldrin – who helped develop the complex technology necessary for the mission (and would later inspire the Pixar character Buzz Lightyear in the movie “Toy Story”) – told the story in his book Return to Earth.
“[Pastor Dean Woodruff] often speaks at our church, Webster Presbyterian…about the many meanings of the communion service.
‘One of the principal symbols,’ Dean says, ‘is that God reveals Himself in the common elements of everyday life.’ Traditionally, these elements are bread and wine – common foods in Bible days and typical products of man’s labor.
One day while I was at Cape Kennedy working with the sophisticated tools of the space effort, it occurred to me that these tools were the typical elements of life today.
I wondered if it might be possible to take communion on the moon, symbolizing the thought that God was revealing Himself there too, as man reached out into the universe…” Read more…
“Christian Martyr” by Joaquim Ribeiro (1879), Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis, Portugal, Author Daderot (PD-Art, PD-Old)
The following prayer is taken from the January 2021 edition of Voice of the Martyrs Magazine:
“Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters who faithfully stand as witnesses of Your grace no matter the cost.
When they are beaten and delivered to the courts, may they gain confidence through Your presence in all situations. As they stand before any opponent, whether family members, former friends or government authorities, replace their anxiety with peace, love and faith.
When they face slander allegations, and legal charges, may they speak boldly, lovingly, and truthfully with wisdom.
Give our bold and faithful persecuted brothers and sisters courage and endurance as they recall Jesus’ promise that His followers would face persecution.
Thank You for their sacrifice and faithfulness. We join them in joyful praise to the name above all names: Jesus.
Amen”
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://avoicereclaimed.com
“The Deposition” a/k/a “The Florence Pieta” by Michelangelo (1547-1555), Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Author George M. Groutas, Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/22083482@N03/48199230596 (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
“Many believe – and I believe – that I have been designated for this work by God. In spite of my old age, I do not want to give it up; I work out of love for God and I put my hope in Him.”
– Michelangelo
The great Renaissance artist, Michelangelo, sculpted “The Deposition” or “Florence Pieta” late in life. We see Christ lowered by Nicodemus from the cross into the arms of His waiting mother. The sculpture is in sharp contrast with the more well-known “Pieta” at St. Peter’s Basilica whose perfection first established Michelangelo’s reputation.
Dissatisfied with “The Deposition”, Michelangelo attempted to destroy it after some eight years of effort. A novice sculptor was later hired to restore the piece. It is said the face of Nicodemus is Michelangelo’s own.
As Christians, we can sometimes feel battered. One struggle follows another. We are slandered and misunderstood; begin to accumulate scars.
The further along we go in life, the greater the challenges and the less clear their outcome. Weren’t we promised a mountaintop? Don’t we deserve a rest? Read more…
Bear trap. Image courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society.
(CC BY-SA 2.0)
Imagine you are a single mother in your mid-30s, with two children.
Minimum Wage
You have worked since your teens at thankless, minimum wage jobs. Never mind that they serve a worthwhile purpose.
Only 1 in 5 of the jobs economists view as “good” are available to people without a college education [1A].
Unpaid Child Support
The father of your infant son is resisting child support. Approximately 70% of the nation’s $15 million in unpaid child support is owed by parents who make less than $10,000 annually [2].
Support will not be retroactive, in any case, as the court managed to lose your paperwork.
Limited Financial Aid
Your older son (whose father is incarcerated) is about to enter college. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world; incarceration rates in low-income areas are far higher than in wealthy areas [3].
Your son has aspirations, but not enough financial aid to cover tuition. The cost of college tuition has outpaced financial aid [1B]. The young man is hoping to find a summer job. If not, he will have to take out student loans.
Even then, he may not stay in college. The six-year graduation rate of students with a low-income background is just 31% [4].
Student Loan Debt
You have tried for well over 10 years to complete your own education, racking up enormous student loan debt, but making little progress.
Inadequate preparation by low quality “inner city” schools, childcare issues, and the pressing need to support your children have all played a role [5].
If you were to pass away, your federal loans would be forgiven. However, you do not have student loan insurance [6]. Private loans would be enforced against your home on your death [7].
Illegal Flipping
After scrimping and saving for years, you paid top dollar for that home, a recently refurbished older property.
What you did not know was that the price was inflated as part of a flipping scam in which your appraiser participated [8]. Only superficial improvements were made, though major repairs were needed.
You do not have money for those repairs, and do not have mortgage insurance which might salvage the home for your children in a worst case scenario. Read more…
A Lawyer's Prayers 