Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1 1988 Page 84
elders.‖ To Albert, conformity has been reduced to a single option: submission to his elders.
―Growth,‖ ―security,‖ and ―protection‖ have become Albert‘s primary goals in life. But more
importantly, he can only attain them through submission and obedience to the OASIS leadership.
Conversely, Albert is convinced that ―insecurity‖ and a ―lack of growth‖ will always result if he
―steps out from under authority.‖ To Albert, deviance is anything other than strict submission and
obedience. Deviance is defined by Albert as ―being out of my proper position.‖ Albert is also now
able to identify when he is out of ―his proper place.‖ If he is ―doing wrong things,‖ ―hearing wrong
things,‖ or ―not supporting [his] elders‖ he is out of his proper position. Albert sees no difference
now between ―usurping authority‖ and ―stepping out from under authority.‖ In the denunciation of
his friends he is renouncing his liberties. In proclaiming loyalty to the elders, he proclaims
betrayal of his right to govern himself.
The Function of Expulsion: Psychological Immobilization
Most of the subjects interviewed for this research were not militant in their actions toward OASIS.
Most were simply hollow shells. It became clear that excommunication had no therapeutic
function for those experiencing it. Many readers may wonder why excommunication is not seen as
a relief for those undergoing it. Yet for most, it was not. Truly, the subjects were victims of a
psychological tragedy. Very few could really put the events behind diem. The effects of
excommunication are also seen as resulting from an environment that has married extremes of
loyalty and betrayal. Many ex-members still wonder why they were betrayed by their trusted and
loyal friends.
The Jesuit priest Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld, who heard the confession of 200 condemned
witches in Germany in the early 1600s, placed a value on the dignity of the human being by
saying, ―It is regret that has turned my hair all gray, regret that I've had to accompany so many
witches to the place of execution and among them I found not one who was not innocent. Spee's
book, Cauntio Criminalis (Circumspection in Criminal Cases) was the first published criticism of
the European witchhunts and, as a result of his revelations, the prince-bishops of Mainz and
Wurttemberg prohibited further witch trials in their realms.
This paper closes with the candid remarks of two women, both excommunicated from OASIS, and
both still suffering. [Martha] was excommunicated in 1978, and [Ruth] was excommunicated in
1986:
[Martha] When I was subjected to excommunication I fully expected not to live.
And I hoped not to live. And I didn't want to live. And I didn't know what to do
about it because I still had social constraints about taking my own life. I quit
praying then and I just kept praying that God would let me develop a terminal
disease or that I could die in some way and God wouldn't let me die. I felt very
trapped. I felt that God wouldn‘t let me have what I wanted here and He wouldn't
take me home and I felt like He wanted to punish me. And I didn't know why He
wanted me to be so miserable but I was very angry about it. And that continued to
be my attitude after I was excommunicated.
I tried to the best of my knowledge to keep my heart pure. I know it‘s hard to keep
the human heart humble and pure -that it‘s like peeling an onion -there is no end
to it. But oh how I tried. I sat before Him telling Him that I would go through
anything if I could just be a good soldier -if I could just feel His blessing and feel
that what I was doing was what He wanted and feel a little bit of approval to
remove this terrible void inside of me. I had got into that [sect] because I didn't
want that void inside of me. And I still wonder how a person, to the best of their
knowledge, could maintain a pure heart and yet be so betrayed, and yet God let it
happen. I still wonder that …
elders.‖ To Albert, conformity has been reduced to a single option: submission to his elders.
―Growth,‖ ―security,‖ and ―protection‖ have become Albert‘s primary goals in life. But more
importantly, he can only attain them through submission and obedience to the OASIS leadership.
Conversely, Albert is convinced that ―insecurity‖ and a ―lack of growth‖ will always result if he
―steps out from under authority.‖ To Albert, deviance is anything other than strict submission and
obedience. Deviance is defined by Albert as ―being out of my proper position.‖ Albert is also now
able to identify when he is out of ―his proper place.‖ If he is ―doing wrong things,‖ ―hearing wrong
things,‖ or ―not supporting [his] elders‖ he is out of his proper position. Albert sees no difference
now between ―usurping authority‖ and ―stepping out from under authority.‖ In the denunciation of
his friends he is renouncing his liberties. In proclaiming loyalty to the elders, he proclaims
betrayal of his right to govern himself.
The Function of Expulsion: Psychological Immobilization
Most of the subjects interviewed for this research were not militant in their actions toward OASIS.
Most were simply hollow shells. It became clear that excommunication had no therapeutic
function for those experiencing it. Many readers may wonder why excommunication is not seen as
a relief for those undergoing it. Yet for most, it was not. Truly, the subjects were victims of a
psychological tragedy. Very few could really put the events behind diem. The effects of
excommunication are also seen as resulting from an environment that has married extremes of
loyalty and betrayal. Many ex-members still wonder why they were betrayed by their trusted and
loyal friends.
The Jesuit priest Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld, who heard the confession of 200 condemned
witches in Germany in the early 1600s, placed a value on the dignity of the human being by
saying, ―It is regret that has turned my hair all gray, regret that I've had to accompany so many
witches to the place of execution and among them I found not one who was not innocent. Spee's
book, Cauntio Criminalis (Circumspection in Criminal Cases) was the first published criticism of
the European witchhunts and, as a result of his revelations, the prince-bishops of Mainz and
Wurttemberg prohibited further witch trials in their realms.
This paper closes with the candid remarks of two women, both excommunicated from OASIS, and
both still suffering. [Martha] was excommunicated in 1978, and [Ruth] was excommunicated in
1986:
[Martha] When I was subjected to excommunication I fully expected not to live.
And I hoped not to live. And I didn't want to live. And I didn't know what to do
about it because I still had social constraints about taking my own life. I quit
praying then and I just kept praying that God would let me develop a terminal
disease or that I could die in some way and God wouldn't let me die. I felt very
trapped. I felt that God wouldn‘t let me have what I wanted here and He wouldn't
take me home and I felt like He wanted to punish me. And I didn't know why He
wanted me to be so miserable but I was very angry about it. And that continued to
be my attitude after I was excommunicated.
I tried to the best of my knowledge to keep my heart pure. I know it‘s hard to keep
the human heart humble and pure -that it‘s like peeling an onion -there is no end
to it. But oh how I tried. I sat before Him telling Him that I would go through
anything if I could just be a good soldier -if I could just feel His blessing and feel
that what I was doing was what He wanted and feel a little bit of approval to
remove this terrible void inside of me. I had got into that [sect] because I didn't
want that void inside of me. And I still wonder how a person, to the best of their
knowledge, could maintain a pure heart and yet be so betrayed, and yet God let it
happen. I still wonder that …
