Observation: WHAT connects you to a cult makes a difference

INTRO: This blog pertains to my past involvement with Alamo Ministries. I lived on their properties a few short stretches but for the past 6 years I've supported their ministries from a far and over the Internet. It wasn't until I heard the testimony at Alamo's trial that I realized that he was a con artist. And WORSE. To find out more you can look through my older blog posts..

One connection I felt I had with Tony Alamo was the fact that he was the only "pastor" I ever heard preaching from 1st Proverbs (22-33)

God revealed Himself to me through those verses right before I got saved. 6 months before I ever heard of Alamo Ministries.

Just one small example as to why some people's connections to Alamo could be stronger or weaker.

I don't even want to continue down that road of speaking on these things (positive spiritual connections to Alamo). But people do make those kinds of connections. Then something you don't like happens, you concentrate on the positive spiritual connections you've made. Like when Tony would say something that didn't make sense or was flat out wrong I would think to the connections I've made and say to myself, "But he's the only one I know of that preaches one needs to fear God. And preaches 1st Proverbs" (That is just one example and did hold true for me).

Then these connections grow stronger and also multiply over the years. But what happens is you're put through so much from Tony in the church that you may become very familiar with running through the positive connections often. You do this to balance every thing out. I think after a while you don't have to think of these connections anymore because you're used to them persuading you. So then you begin to reject any critical thinking patterns that expose Alamo or whatever group you're a part of. And that's when these people become like a robot. They become resigned. They feel they could never leave the cult no matter what.

other connections can be,

"I have nowhere else to go"

"I have no job"

"I'm going to die on the streets if i leave"

Others have lead lonely lives and they like the other members of the group. They're very nice people and treat you kindly. That could be a strong connection. I know there are people like that at Alamo Ministries.

I think these connections is the key to each individual caught up in a cult. So the combination to the lock that would set them free could be different every time.

I think I see the spiritual ramifications in Alamo's cult have more of a hold. in other words. I think that if they have the spiritual connections to Alamo then it would be stronger than the carnal connections (such as he pays my rent and doctors bills). Once the carnal attachment is broken. Or the person leaves the church and get a job and are more secure they will no longer have any attachment. But Spiritual connections to Alamo like I had, carried me a lot further. Even to being a supporter of Alamo from outside the church for a while.

I know of people who were saved from reading Tony Alamo's literature and they were instantly delivered from addiction to crack. It was the Word of God that Tony placed in his gospel tract (pamphlet) that set this man free. Nevertheless it is a hold on that person now. That person feels that God used Alamo to save their soul. And that person talks about this event in their lives often. And so it affects others. This person's story affected me while I was there.

These are normal thought patterns though. People make connections like this in every area of their lives. My friends, loved ones, spouses, jobs, churches, whatever. So the reasons why people become connected to a cult isn't too hard to explain or understand.

More soon to come..

(Why do I call Alamo Ministries a "cult"? Because it is. It's manifested in several ways. The one that became clear to me was Tony's insistent preaching on polygamy and his embrace of Mormon doctrines and his embrace of other books like the book of Jasher. Which I enjoyed reading and thought there was some truths in there but didn't think it was really part of the "Word of God".)

Tony Alamo Guilty On All 10 Counts

Jurors convict evangelist on 10 sex-abuse counts
By JON GAMBRELL (AP) – 29 minutes ago

TEXARKANA, Ark. — Tony Alamo, a one-time street preacher who built a multimillion-dollar ministry and became an outfitter of the stars, was convicted Friday of taking girls as young as 9 across state lines for sex.

Alamo stood silently as the verdict was read, a contrast to his occasional mutterings during testimony. His five victims sat looking forward in the gallery. One, a woman he "married" at age 8, wiped away a tear.

"I'm just another one of the prophets that went to jail for the Gospel," Alamo called to reporters afterward as he was escorted to a waiting U.S. marshal's vehicle.

Shouts of "Bye, bye, Bernie" — Alamo was born Bernie Lazar Hoffman — came from a crowd gathered on the Arkansas side of the courthouse, which straddles the Texas-Arkansas border.

Jurors were convinced Alamo had had sex with the girls when they were underage, but deliberated for more than a day to ensure that they considered everything, jury foreman Frank Oller of Texarkana said.

"That was the evidence. That was proven," Oller said. "We came up with a full decision that we are quite satisfied with."

Defense lawyer Don Ervin said the evidence against the 74-year-old preacher was insufficient and that the preacher would appeal. He also said Alamo's criminal history — he served four years in prison on tax charges in the 1990s — "will hurt him" at sentencing in six to eight weeks.

"We believe he will face the rest of his natural life in prison," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyra Jenner. The penalties on the 10 charges total 175 years in prison, she said, and violations of the century-old Mann Act also carry fines of up to $250,000 each.

The five women, now age 17 to 33, told jurors that Alamo "married" them in private ceremonies while they were minors, sometimes giving them wedding rings. Each detailed trips beyond Arkansas' borders for Alamo's sexual gratification.

Alamo never testified. Though he announced to reporters that he wanted to, his lawyers told him he should not directly challenge their testimony and the attorneys argued to jurors that the girls traveled for legitimate church business.

State and federal agents raided Alamo's compound last Sept. 20 after repeated reports of abuse. Defense lawyers said the government targeted Alamo because it doesn't like his apocalyptic brand of Christianity. Alamo has blamed the Vatican for his legal troubles, which include a four-year prison term for tax evasion in the 1990s.

With little physical evidence, prosecutors relied on the women's stories to paint an emotional portrait of a charismatic religious leader who controlled every aspect of his subjects' lives. No one obtained food, clothing or transportation without him knowing about it.

At times, men were ordered away from the compound and their wives kept as another Alamo bride. Minor offenses from either gender drew beatings or starvation fasts.

In the end, prosecutors convinced jurors in Arkansas' conservative Christian climate that Alamo's ministry offered him the opportunity to prey on the young girls of loyal followers who believed him to be a prophet who spoke directly to God. They described a ministry that ran on the fear of drawing the anger of "Papa Tony."

"You really appreciate the courage that they showed stepping up to face their demons," said Thomas Browne, the special agent in charge of the FBI office at Little Rock.

Alamo remained defiant during the trial. He openly referred to the Branch Davidian raid at Waco, Texas, muttered expletives during testimony and fell asleep at times — while alleged victims spoke from the witness stand and again as prosecutors urged his conviction.

He had built his multistate ministry on the backs of followers who worked in various businesses to support the church. In the 1980s, he designed and sold elaborately decorated denim jackets, hobnobbed with celebrities and owned a compound in western Arkansas that featured a heart-shaped swimming pool.

Federal agents seized a large portion of his assets in the 1990s to settle tax claims after courts declared his operations a business, not a church. Among items offered for auction were the plans for the studded jacket Michael Jackson wore on his "Bad" album.

The Southern Poverty Law Center considers his ministry a cult.

The woman considered to be Alamo's common-law wife, Sharon Alamo, and several other of his 100-200 followers missed the verdict, hustling up the courthouse stairs and entering an empty courtroom five minutes after court adjourned.

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http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=88474&catid=238

Jurors have found Tony Alamo guilty on all 10 counts of child-sex charges. Each count carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Jurors arrived at the Texarkana federal courthouse at 8:30 a.m. Friday. They spent 8 1/2 hours discussing the 10-count federal indictment against the 74-year-old Alamo on Thursday.

Jurors paused twice to ask questions of the judge. The court won't say what they were about. Alamo's attorneys said it was about clarification of the Mann Act.

Prosecutors allege Alamo took five underage girls across state lines for sex as far back as 1994. They claim one was as young as 9 and was "married" to the evangelist.

Defense attorneys say the girls traveled on legitimate business for Alamo's ministry, which espouses an apocalyptic form of Christianity.