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The following video is an excerpt from the January 14, 2009 episode of the Dr. Phil television program. Much of the episode, “Family Cult (part 2)”, focused on Wayne Bent and his Lord Our Righteousness Church. More specifically, it showed the efforts of two former LOR members who attempted to reach-out to relatives still living at Bent’s Strong City.]
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It has to be a little disappointing for those of us here at Beyond 90 Seconds to see a big media personality like Dr Phil with a huge national audience covering a story like Strong City and gloss over almost all the pertinent information, the history of this cult, the influence Wayne Bent has had over their lives, the families that have been torn apart, the verbal attacks on the outside world, the sexual acts that now have sent Wayne to prison and so very much more!
I cannot understand Dr Phil as I know there have been times where he has taken a “planned show,” and then updated it accordingly when the show actually was aired.
He glossed over the “fasting,” that he showed and made it appear that it had stopped. But currently there could be an even more dangerous fast going on with Esther and maybe others. That needed to be included for the viewer to understand how serious Cults can be.
Dr. Phil, in my opinion really missed the boat. He needed to use as someone else said the full hour which even then would not be enough as this case is a full length movie of drama and concerns.
Dr. Phil did show how crazy it is, and I guess that explains it all in a nutshell!
One wonders how exactly a person would get involved with something like this, living out in the middle of nowhere, listening to some nut who tells you he’s the Messiah.
Note, I didn’t say some nut who THINKS he’s the Messiah, because I’m sure he’s just a huckster. Because when a guy says, “you need to lay down here naked with God. And by God, I mean my penis” (I made up the last part of the quote, can you tell?) I have a feeling that he’s not really the Messiah.
I guess in real life (whatever that is) we do have to abdicate a little bit of ourselves in order to get along or just have a roof over our heads. The bank holds the title to your house, but you don’t have to offer up your wife or daughter to the loan officer just for the privilege of having a mortgage.. And in the big picture, I suppose living out in the sticks with no responsibilities other than planting trees and growing tomatoes has a certain lure. Until the “Messiah” makes you un-clog his toilet or something.
But it got me thinking, how the hell are these nuts any worse than any other organized religion? The big ones just happen to maybe be on TV and have better lawyers.
I have the same contempt for all of these modern Elmer Gantry-types.
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