Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005, Page 75
News Summaries
Electronic
Action Secte Secours Outaouis (ASSO)
New Group toAid Cult Victims
Monique Ostiguy, of Notre-Dame de-la-Paix, Québec, has created Action secte secours
Outaouis (ASSO), an organization to assist cult victims in the Outaouis [a region in western
Québec]. Ostiguy says that while the Montréal-based Info-Secte is playing its role of
education about cults, ASSO aims directly to help out-on-the-street victims of cultic groups
with food and clothing. She and her associates would also like to be able to form a group to
deprogram victims. (Petite-Nation, Internet, 10/31/04)
Branch Davidians
Koresh Car Auctioned
A 1968 Chevy Camaro ―muscle car‖ belonging to Branch Davidian leader David Koresh
was sold at auction in San Antonio in late September for $37,500. Prior to the sale, the
auctioneer said the car, with ―David‘s 427 Go God‖ stamped on the engine block, might
bring as much as $60,000 because: ―This is history. This is what David Koresh was all
about.‖ The car appeared in broadcasts of the 1993 Branch Davidian siege, in Waco, as a
tank pushed it out of the way. The buyer says he‘ll restore and resell it. (Reuters, Internet,
9/23/04 AP in Chicago Sun Times, Internet, 9/26/04)
Circumcision/Bible-based Misc.
Jailed for Circumcising Son
Oregonian Edwin Baxter, who founded his own home church, is now serving a three-year
jail term for trying to circumcise his eight year-old son with a hunting knife. He said the
attempt was in accordance God‘s law. (Wendy Owen, The Oregonian, Internet, 12/29/04)
False Memories
How False Memories May Be Remembered
Attempting to explain the existence of false memories, Northwestern University
researchers recently reported they learned from tests ―that parts of the brain used to
actually perceive an object and to imagine an object overlap. Thus, a vividly imagined event
can leave a memory trace in the brain that‘s very similar to that of an [actually]
experienced event. When memories are stored for perceived or imagined objects, some of
the same brain areas are involved. ...The remarkable finding is that brain activity during
the study phase could predict which objects would subsequently be falsely remembered as
having been seen as a photograph.‖ (Northwestern University, Internet, 10/19/04)
Freeman Group
Former Followers Warn of Couple
Former followers of Bill and Patsy Freeman, as well as local ministers and college
administrators, are concerned about the couple‘s recent purchase of three houses in
Spokane (WA) adjacent to Whitworth College. They expect an attempt to revive a 40-year-
old ministry that has ―left a trail of broken churches, families, and relationships.‖
Critics say Patsy Freeman manipulates and micromanages members‘ lives and urges
parents to discipline children by ―breaking their will.‖ Former members say that Bill

Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005, Page 76
Freeman, a Fuller Seminary graduate, author, and owner of a publishing company, provides
financial support and defers to his wife, although he is said to be a great Bible teacher.
The Local Church, a worldwide Christian movement, reprimanded Bill Freeman almost
twenty years ago — he and his wife were leading members in the 1970s and 1980s —
saying: ―Splitting up homes and marriages for the sake of oneness with the Freemans
became acceptable, often resulting in great distress and irreparable damage.‖ The
reprimand declares that ―too many‖ husbands had wives more loyal to and dependant on
Freeman than their spouses. The Freemans have in the past recruited very successfully
among college students and young families. (Chris Collins, The Whitworthian [Whitworth
College], Internet, 2/15/05)
Kenja Communications (Ken Dyers)
Woman's Condition Linked to Group
Hearing about Cornelia Rau, a woman suffering from mental illness who was picked up by
police after she wandered from the Kenja Communications ―self empowerment‖ group
recently, the family of Richard Leape told the press that he vanished while being treated for
schizophrenia there twelve years ago. Now, police are investigating the organization, which
is headed by millionaire Ken Dyers in the Surry Hills suburb of Sidney, Australia.
"I'm appalled, said Annette Leape, ―to read this organization is still in existence, and I have
grave concerns that there may be many other persons who have had contact and so-called
therapies with this organization, and developed very serious mental illnesses." Leape says
her brother stopped taking his medication after attending Kenja (as did Cornelia Rau,
according to her family). She said her brother once confided to her that he‘d been told by
―the master‖ to sever ties with his family ―for the good of all concerned.‖ (Lisa Davies, Daily
Telegraph [Australia], Internet, 1/10/05)
Keroyan
Beaten to Death in Ritual
A woman was beaten to death in Tokyo during an October religious training session of
Keroyan, a group made up mostly of former Aum Shinrikyo followers led by Yuko
Kitazawa and including ex-Aumist Masataka Funibayashi. The thrashing, with a bamboo
sword, was aimed to eliminate the 36-year-old woman‘s ―bad kharma.‖ Finibayashi, who
reported the death after the incident came to light in September, was nonetheless arrested
along with three others in October on suspicion of causing it. Police placed in child care
custody five boys whom they found during a search of 13 places associated with Keroyon.
Authorities say Keroyan follows Aum founder Shoko Asahara’s teachings but is not
involved in its activities. (Kyodo News Service, Internet, 10/2104)
Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Name Above Every Name
Investigation Following Mother's Complaint
The City Council and government social workers are investigating a complaint by a mother
from Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines, that Apollo Quiboloy, founder and leader of
Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Name Above Every Name, has lured into his church her 19-
year-old daughter as well as other teenagers and young adults. Quiboloy has refused to
deal with government mediators on the ground that the issue is entirely a church matter.
He has also refused to let government psychologists counsel the young woman ―in the spirit
of Christianity.‖ (Vincent Cabreza and Donna Demetillo, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1/19/05)