Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2005, Page 114
Cult-Like Characteristics Alleged
An expert associated with an Ohio facility that helps rehabilitate former cult members says
that followers of an Apostolic Faith Church Body of Jesus Christ of the Newborn
Assembly congregation in Ashtabula County, OH, believe that ―their bishop, Charles Keyes,
is a prophet of God, that he is the voice of God telling them what to do in every detail of their
lives. The children are in fear of being hit — but also have the fear of going to hell if they
don‘t work hard or do exactly what they‘re told.‖ Liz Shaw, who has tracked the church since
1999, from her base at the Wellspring Retreat and Resource Center, was speaking in the
context of the recent murder of Carolyn Clark, a former member and church critic, whose
husband has been arrested and charged with the crime.
Former members, including a relative of Keyes, say that he uses fear, intimidation, and
beatings to manipulate parishioners and micro-manage their lives, including their sexual
practices. Six weeks before she was murdered, Carolyn Clark alleged in a court document that
her husband was under Keyes‘ ―mind control.‖ She said she was concerned for her safety and
for the safety of her children simply because she had expressed the wish to leave what she
called the ―cult.‖
Shaw says the church is a time bomb, and she‘s concerned that Ashtabula authorities might
not act in time to protect church members. The head of the local branch of the NAACP
declared: ―We need a special prosecutor, we need special prosecutors. This is a very serious
matter.‖ (Michael Scott, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Internet, 6/13/05 MSNBC News in
NewsNet5.com, Internet, 6/15/05)
Michael Balfe
“Unspeakable” Abuse
Self-described Internet evangelist Michael Balfe, of Deland, FL, arrested on charges of
sexual battery of his children and domestic violence, is a ―controlling personality‖ whose
actions arose from ―his interpretation of the Bible,‖ according to police official Randel [sic]
Henderson.
Arrest affidavits indicate that Balfe ruled by fear and humiliation and enforced his will though
sexual abuse and physical violence, sodomizing his children, forcing them to perform oral sex,
and beating his wife — who teaches special needs first-graders at an elementary school —
when she objected. He told his family that he had Mafia connections, and could eliminate
them if they told any outsiders what was going on. He kept five rifles and 20 handguns, and
used surveillance cameras inside the house to keep track of everyone. (Lyda Longa, Daytona
Beach News-Journal, Internet, 4/29/05 Daytona Beach News-Journal, Internet, 4/30/05)
Bountiful/Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
(FLDS)
Call to Expel Group that Banishes Boys and “Traffics” in Girls
―Horrifying, that boys — like male animals exiled from the pride because they threaten the
alpha male— are dumped on city streets and left to fend for themselves [by the Bountiful
community so that they don‘t compete with older men for wives.] They usually end up living
on the streets. ..
―B.C.‘s (soon to be retired) attorney general has refused to even investigate the allegations
of child trafficking [of young potential wives among Fundamentalist Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints communities] and the admitted practice of polygamy. Our
federal justice minister, Irwin Cotler ...was very explicit in speaking about trafficking:
Canada‘s policy is, and I quote, ‗Protection, prosecution, prevention.‘

Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2005, Page 115
―So I call on him, and on our community, to ask for protection for the ‗lost boys‘ ousted
from this cult, for prosecution of polygamists, and for prevention of this odious cult from
continuing to share our country while flouting its laws. I call on the federal government to
enforce the law, to go to Bountiful, to investigate, and to proceed to remove these people
from our midst.‖ (Jean M. Gerber, Canadian Jewish News, Internet, 5/11/05)
Gilbert Deya Ministries
“Miracle Baby” Clergyman Released
Gilbert Deya, head of Gilbert Deya Ministries, taken into custody on suspicion of illegal
human trafficking between Kenya and the UK, has been released from police bail. It is alleged
that Deya and others stole babies from Nairobi slums and sold them to infertile women in
Britain, who were convinced they had conceived through prayer. (Gitau wa Njega, The
Standard, Nairobi, Internet, 6/22/05)
Dahn Hak
Death in Seung Heun Lee’s Yoga-Tai Chi Course
The recent death of a 41-year-old Bronx college professor has drawn attention to the
nationwide chain of personal development courses in mostly affluent communities run by
Dahn Hak, an organization that arrived from Korea a decade ago with its founder, Grand
Master Seung Heun Lee.
Julia Siveris died of heat exhaustion on a hike in the Arizona desert that was calculated to
break her down so she could achieve heightened spiritual awareness and become a ―master‖
of Dahn Hak. Lee, who markets his own version of yoga, says he wants to begin an
―enlightenment revolution.‖
Mind control experts say Dahn Hak is a destructive cult that lures followers and persuades
them to give up their time and money — workshops and retreats can cost up to $10,000 —
with the result that they leave their families or change careers in order to concentrate on the
group. Cult observer Rick Ross says Dahn Hak actually purveys a religious system behind the
image of a yoga, meditation, or martial arts façade, ―whichever exercise is popular.‖
Lee, whose spiritual name is Ilchi, claims supernatural powers, including healing, and teaches
members to control their thoughts through ―brain cleaning‖ and the use of ―brain respiration,‖
a breathing technique.
Practitioners at the Greenburgh, NY, facility are guided through a series of exercises in a
softly lighted room by a white-robed Korean woman. There, they stretch, and pound their
abdomens to facilitate the flow of ―Ki,‖ or life energy, before they lie down, close their eyes,
and breath deeply to soothing music. Then, the woman puts ―power brains‖ on their chests to
induce vibrations in their bodies. Deeply relaxed, they adjourn to the lobby for tea.
Newcomers follow the same routine, but at the end the woman encourages them to sign a
contract for a program that promises to change their lives.
Ari Laqidara, who chose to become a Dahn master rather than attend graduate school, said
celibacy was not required, but was rather an ―intention or wish‖ designed to keep them
focused on spiritual pursuits, and so they could better help and heal others. But Iris Song said
a Dahn instructor told her to divorce her husband, who resented her devotion to the group.
The instructor, she recounts, said ―my spirit was too pure to be tied down. They made me
believe this was my destiny that I needed to leave my family.‖
Lee tried to demonstrate –without success — the power of brain respiration at the University
of California-Irvine‘s Institute for Brain Aging by holding up a card and having his child
―trainees‖ see through them and identify objects on the back side. (The Greenburgh facility
runs a school that claims to help children with ADD and similar conditions.) ―He was there for