Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1 1988 Page 80
―dip their bread into the bowl‖ with the leaders themselves. As a consequence, there are actually
no objective identifying elements to pin- point the ―Judas.‖
[Angie, an Elder's wife] The assumption, when someone was put out of the church,
was that they had never been a believer at all and that we were only deceived into
thinking that they were a believer. The sin in their life eventually showed itself and
that what was being done in disfellowshipping someone was simply acknowledging
an already present reality -that they were a non-believer masquerading as a
believer and that they were being unmasked. But as a result, we could not even
relate to them as a normal nonbeliever because they had already been exposed to
the truth and had rejected it so now they had to be turned over to the devil. It was
something of a Voodoo curse.
The Master Status Imputation
―Enemy deviants‖ generally are former members of the sect who have attained within the
movement a master status of mystical and outlandish proportions. Often the leadership states
that present targets are asking the very same questions that [B] and [H] were asking the sect
many years earlier. [B] and [H] are two of several who are considered the greatest enemies of
the sect. These enemies are believed to have been led by the 1976 excommunicant, [B]. They
are believed to be the originators of the factious attitudes and statements.
It is apparently inconceivable to OASIS leaders that members all over the country could come up
with the same questions that the ―enemies‖ had years earlier unless those members had been
told those questions by the enemies. Thus, a handful of scapegoats are believed by the sect to be
at the bottom of nearly all the defections and purges the sect has encountered. The following
gleanings from several excommunication ceremonies, ten years after [B's excommunication, best
serve to illustrate this scapegoating process. [B] and [H] are the continual scapegoats:
[Elders] This has been H's accusation for the last five years, ―authority at all costs.‖
[B] and [H] both admitted to jealousy and have not repented of it. People will
become unreasonable if they listen to a report given from men that have been
selfish and jealous, and that‘s what‘s happened. We can't even reason at this point.
[B] and [H] have nothing better to do with their time than to seek to undermine
and hurt the faith and conviction of others. Regardless of whether their beliefs are
right or wrong, it has nothing to do with it. You don't go about and seek to divert
people's confidence and convictions.
For the last four years [H] has been bopping around the country to different
churches, never knit in ...
Lord, capture [B] and bring him back to his senses, but he has wicked and selfish
ambition in his heart He knows the Book but he's selfish and he's jealous and he's
wicked at this point, and he needs to repent, and we‘ve told him that
Okay, we never mentioned to you that we had enemies, around the country,
because we didn't think we needed to. Unless something happens, and then we
warn you at that point.
You need to know what has happened with [B] and R throughout the years whole
churches, whole assemblies have been warned about their influence and they have
not repented of their sin.
The only way for [B] and [H] to move out in their sin is to influence us, to try and
pick off ones, and hurt ones, and trouble ones, and that's the ministry they've had
for the last nine or ten years.
―dip their bread into the bowl‖ with the leaders themselves. As a consequence, there are actually
no objective identifying elements to pin- point the ―Judas.‖
[Angie, an Elder's wife] The assumption, when someone was put out of the church,
was that they had never been a believer at all and that we were only deceived into
thinking that they were a believer. The sin in their life eventually showed itself and
that what was being done in disfellowshipping someone was simply acknowledging
an already present reality -that they were a non-believer masquerading as a
believer and that they were being unmasked. But as a result, we could not even
relate to them as a normal nonbeliever because they had already been exposed to
the truth and had rejected it so now they had to be turned over to the devil. It was
something of a Voodoo curse.
The Master Status Imputation
―Enemy deviants‖ generally are former members of the sect who have attained within the
movement a master status of mystical and outlandish proportions. Often the leadership states
that present targets are asking the very same questions that [B] and [H] were asking the sect
many years earlier. [B] and [H] are two of several who are considered the greatest enemies of
the sect. These enemies are believed to have been led by the 1976 excommunicant, [B]. They
are believed to be the originators of the factious attitudes and statements.
It is apparently inconceivable to OASIS leaders that members all over the country could come up
with the same questions that the ―enemies‖ had years earlier unless those members had been
told those questions by the enemies. Thus, a handful of scapegoats are believed by the sect to be
at the bottom of nearly all the defections and purges the sect has encountered. The following
gleanings from several excommunication ceremonies, ten years after [B's excommunication, best
serve to illustrate this scapegoating process. [B] and [H] are the continual scapegoats:
[Elders] This has been H's accusation for the last five years, ―authority at all costs.‖
[B] and [H] both admitted to jealousy and have not repented of it. People will
become unreasonable if they listen to a report given from men that have been
selfish and jealous, and that‘s what‘s happened. We can't even reason at this point.
[B] and [H] have nothing better to do with their time than to seek to undermine
and hurt the faith and conviction of others. Regardless of whether their beliefs are
right or wrong, it has nothing to do with it. You don't go about and seek to divert
people's confidence and convictions.
For the last four years [H] has been bopping around the country to different
churches, never knit in ...
Lord, capture [B] and bring him back to his senses, but he has wicked and selfish
ambition in his heart He knows the Book but he's selfish and he's jealous and he's
wicked at this point, and he needs to repent, and we‘ve told him that
Okay, we never mentioned to you that we had enemies, around the country,
because we didn't think we needed to. Unless something happens, and then we
warn you at that point.
You need to know what has happened with [B] and R throughout the years whole
churches, whole assemblies have been warned about their influence and they have
not repented of their sin.
The only way for [B] and [H] to move out in their sin is to influence us, to try and
pick off ones, and hurt ones, and trouble ones, and that's the ministry they've had
for the last nine or ten years.
