FEDS DEAL DOUBLE BLOW TO FLDS AND THE JEFFS BROTHERS

The U.S. Justice Department dealt a double blow to FLDS leadership on Monday:

In Phoenix, a federal jury found that church leaders controlled the municipal governments of two cities that discriminated against nonbelievers. And in Salt Lake City, a federal magistrate ordered Jeffs' brother, Lyle, the so-called bishop of the two towns, to remain behind bars as he awaits trial in an alleged food stamp swindle and money laundering scheme.

Three Jeffs brothers -- Warren, Lyle and Seth -- are now behind bars, creating what would appear to be a leadership vacuum in the FLDS. Warren Jeffs continues to hold sway over the sect from prison, according to testimony at the civil trial in Phoenix.

Amos Guiora, a law professor at the University of Utah stated, "It signals that we are not going to tolerate intolerance," Guiora said. "We're not going to tolerate crimes committed in the name of religion."

http://ow.ly/Zzbz0

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CULT LEADER / PREDATOR KATSURA KAN HIRED AGAIN TO TEACH STUDENTS

CULT LEADER / PREDATOR KATSURA KAN HIRED AGAIN TO TEACH STUDENTS:

We've just learned that Katsura Kan has been hired to teach a workshop to students in Kyoto, Japan from March 24-27, 2016. (For those unaware, Kan is responsible for the death of Sharon Stern, a student of his that he manipulated and exploited physically, mentally, sexually, and financially.)

We are sending detailed warning letters with evidence to the organizers of the 'Kyoto Experiment' who hired Kan, to the local press in Kyoto, and also to city officials and other important relevant entities in an effort to safeguard students from this predatory teacher.

If you would like to help us in our efforts:

1) Please create a new Gmail account to send from (without any personal identifying information)
2) Copy and paste the brief email below and send it to: info@kyoto-ex.jp

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Dear Event Organizer,

Katsura Kan is a known sociopath and predator in the USA; he uses his position as a Butoh teacher to manipulate and exploit his vulnerable students, especially young females. One of his past students is dead as the result of his influence and he is currently being sued by her estate (in the middle of the litigation).

Please don't allow any more students to be harmed by Kan. I ask that you please fire him from his position and never hire him again in the future. After what he has done, he should never be allowed to teach and/or interact with students again.

Sincerely,

First Name, Last Initial

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Guy Miller Ministries Exposed - CBS NEWS REPORT

CHURCH MINISTRY EXPOSED: Guy Miller Ministries

Our recent online expose about Guy Miller Ministries led to a CBS News investigation which aired just last week.

Over a dozen ex-members contacted us, claiming to have experienced and/or witnessed acts of child abuse, member abuse and exploitation, financial exploitation, shunning, and more. Since the airing, many more victims have come forward confirming the terrible allegations against Miller’s church.

COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST - LAKEVIEW CHRISTIAN LIFE CHURCH

COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST 'LAKEVIEW CHRISTIAN LIFE CHURCH'

LOCATION: 1 Lakeview Pl, Bridgeville, PA 15017
LEADER(S): Pastor Norman H. James II, Pastor Christopher Otis
EIN: 25-1250678

We've received some complaints about the Lakeview Christian Life Church that claim this church is being run like a cult group. The pastors leading the church are allegedly controlling the lives of congregants, breaking up families, exploiting members financially and more.

If you would like to file a formal complaint or have any relevant information to share about this organization, please contact us immediately at: http://ow.ly/ZjYXt

MARC GAFNI EXPOSE – CONCLUSION

MARC GAFNI EXPOSE – CONCLUSION

Location: Monterey Bay and San Francisco, CA
AKA (Personal): Marc Winiarz, Mordechai Gafni
AKA (Business): The Center For World Spirituality, The Center For Integral Wisdom
Websites: www.marcgafni.com, www.centerforintegralwisdom.org
EIN: 46-1051882

It’s incredible that with so many strong allegations and evidence against Marc Gafni that somehow he is able to continually move on, reinvent himself and convince new supporters that he is actually the victim. However, we believe it is getting to the point where it will be too difficult for him to continue to pull the wool over people’s eyes. Consider the words of one of his ex-wives, who arguably would know him better than anyone.

“On New Year’s Day, one of Gafni’s three ex-wives posted a Times of Israel blog post. In it she pleaded: ‘Please God, help Marc Gafni undo himself. Let his inner demon loosen his grip. Let it end already. For the sake of his victims, past and future, for the sake of his own broken inner-innocence… And help the rest of us – his victims, his critics, and even his hoodwinked supporters. We have all failed. We failed by praising his genius while ignoring his demons… We failed by honoring the powerful while silencing the victims.”

If you would like to join FACT in support of these victims and in our efforts to stop Marc Gafni from potentially exploiting and abusing again, please start by signing this petition:

https://www.change.org/p/whole-foods-www-esalen-com-stop-marc-gafni-from-abusing-again

It was created by a group of more than one hundred rabbis saying “We, along with all who sign this petition, stand together with those who were his victims and call upon those who support Marc (Mordechai) Gafni to cut all financial and institutional ties with him. As of now the petition has garnered over 3400 online signatures and includes comments from people claiming to have had “unfavorable contact” with Gafni.

“Unfortunately so many victims staying quiet over the years, combined with Gafni’s ability to use his considerable charm and intellect to impress and manipulate others, have allowed him to maintain a life-long cycle consisting of repeated acts of predatory behavior, discovery and scandal, image-rehabilitation, and leadership comebacks unabated. We believe it is time for this pattern to finally stop.” - Gafni victim coalition
For more information on how you can help in this effort, please contact us directly. Thank you for reading, liking and sharing our expose on Marc Gafni with others.

-The FACT Team

http://www.timesofisrael.com/controversial-ex-rabbi-gafni-and-an-alleged-victim-square-off/
https://www.change.org/p/whole-foods-www-esalen-com-stop-marc-gafni-from-abusing-again

MARC GAFNI EXPOSE - PART 4

MARC GAFNI EXPOSE - PART 4

AKA (Personal): Marc Winiarz, Mordechai Gafni
AKA (Business): The Center For World Spirituality, The Center For Integral Wisdom
Location: Monterey Bay and San Francisco, CA
Websites: www.Marcgafni.com, www.centerforintegralwisdom.org
EIN: 46-1051882


Due to the numerous surfacing allegations against Marc Gafni, already some 25 New Age leaders — including Deepak Chopra, the best-selling author; Andrew Harvey, founder of the Institute for Sacred Activism; Craig Hamilton, CEO of Evolving Wisdom; author Jean Houston; and Stephen Dinan, CEO of The Shift Network — have signed a public statement disavowing themselves from Gafni. The leaders, who sent out their statement to 180,000 subscribers to The Shift Network, said they had “concluded, based upon direct experience, investigation, or conversation with trusted allies, that we cannot endorse Marc Gafni as a teacher in any way.”

One of Gafni’s biggest supporters however has decided to remain by his side. John Mackey, founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods market, considers Gafni to be “a bold visionary.” He is a proponent of Marc Gafni’s philosophy of “conscious capitalism” and the chairman of the executive board for Gafni’s center.

We at FACT have personally reached out to Mr. Mackey, asking him to join us in showing support for the dozens of alleged victims of Gafni. As of now we have yet to hear a response from him. If you would like to read our letter, please find it below on this post.

Also, a group of more than one hundred rabbis has launched an online petition, demanding that Whole Foods sever ties with Gafni. As of now the petition has garnered more than 3400 online signatures and includes comments from people claiming to have had “unfavorable contact” with Gafni. The petition can be found here:

https://www.change.org/p/whole-foods-www-esalen-com-stop-marc-gafni-from-abusing-again

Monday we will be concluding our expose on Marc Gafni, so stay tuned…

Sources:
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/national/gafni-faces-fallout-new-age-community
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/us/marc-gafni-center-for-integral-wisdom.html?_r=0

______________

Dear Mr. Mackey, 

My name is Tibor Stern and I am the president of Families Against Cult Teachings, F.A.C.T., a 501c3 non-profit organization I founded after my daughter tragically committed suicide. Her death was the result of the manipulation, exploitation and abuse brought upon her by a corrupt teacher / guru. Since then I have made it my life’s mission to stop predators like this from victimizing followers and destroying families. Judging from what I have read about you, I believe that you are a very intelligent man who not only cares about the planet but also about its people. As such, I invite you to show your support for the many victims of corrupt spiritual leaders and gurus who manipulate and take advantage of those who believe in them.

A little about us: our organization’s work is to investigate, monitor, and fight cult groups / leaders, rescue victims and aid in their rehabilitation, in addition to educating and bringing awareness to the public.

Unfortunately the problem is widespread, as evidenced by the thousands of support requests and complaints received by our organization from all over the country. It is truly a “hidden epidemic” within our society with more than 5,000 different cult groups possessing over 6 million members.

If you are willing, I would like to speak with you sometime to discuss the issue more in depth. My family has been destroyed by my daughter’s death and I am asking you to show your support for the victims of spiritual leaders (like the victims of Marc Gafni). Please join us in whatever way you wish to help prevent future abuses and tragedies from happening to any more people and families. 

Thank you for your time and consideration with this very important matter. 

Sincerely, 


Tibor Stern
President of F.A.C.T.

MARC GAFNI EXPOSE – PART 3

MARC GAFNI EXPOSE – PART 3 - Bayit Chadash

Location: Monterey Bay and San Francisco, CA
AKA (Personal): Marc Winiarz, Mordechai Gafni
AKA (Business): The Center For World Spirituality, The Center For Integral Wisdom
Websites: www.Marcgafni.com, www.centerforintegralwisdom.org
EIN: 46-1051882


On May 9, 2006, three young women filed complaints of abuse with the Israeli police against Rabbi Gafni, who was then head of Bayit Chadash (The New Home), a Jewish spiritual community in Israel. The women were his students and each had suffered through periods of abuse and trauma, thinking she was the only one, and after finally speaking out, became aware there were others who had also been harmed in similar ways. From the article written in Haaretz, "The women's complaints say that the Rabbi exploited them sexually by abusing his authority over them." Less then 24 hours after being told about the complaints filed with the police, Gafni fled Israel never to return. Soon after the head of the foundation decided to fire Gafni from all his positions. According to the head of the foundation, as written in the article, "We have no doubt that these women are speaking the truth." The article also states that Gafni does not deny the allegations. In a public letter sent May 15, 2006, Gafni took responsibility for his actions, apologized, and acknowledged that he was sick. He also said he would stop teaching, and made a commitment to get serious treatment at an in-house facility immediately. He has since expressed regret for his public apology, has revoked any claims of sickness, and, rather than taking responsibility, has been trying to portray himself as an innocent victim.

Gafni's letter to Aleph (Alliance for Jewish Renewal) and his public statement can both be found here: http://nhne-pulse.org/rabbi-marc-gafni-sexual-improprieties/

From his letter to Aleph: "I must act now to discover what led to me to make these damaging choices that hurt people I care about, hurt my community, and hurt the people who have supported me for years in building Bayit Chadash. In light of all that has happened I am leaving all of my rabbinic teaching capacities."

According to the Gafni victim coalition, since May 2006, dozens of women and men have come forward and shared their till-then undisclosed stories of manipulation, exploitation, and emotional and sexual abuse at his hands over the years. In addition, he has been removed from at least nine organizations where he was a teacher and/or leader, every time due to abuses in the areas of power and sexuality. These are the places they are aware of; there may be others as well:

o JPSY (Jewish Public School Youth), New York
o Boca Raton Synagogue, Florida
o Tzufim settlement, West Bank, Israel
o Kfar Saba settlement, West Bank, Israel
o Isralight, Jerusalem
o Livnot U'Lehibanot, Jerusalem
o Melitz: Center for Jewish Education, Jerusalem
o Milah: The Jerusalem Institute for Education
o Bayit Chadash, Tel Aviv/Jaffa


One of his earliest victims who has been outspoken against Gafni states, “Every time a story comes up about him he just moves on to another community. He just keeps moving.”

PART 4: Tomorrow's focus is on the co-founder of Whole Foods, John Mackey, who maintains his support for Gafni in the face of the numerous allegations and our effort to reach out to him.


Sources:
http://nhne-pulse.org/rabbi-marc-gafni-sexual-improprieties/
http://jewschool.com/2006/05/10587/gafnis-letter-to-aleph/
http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2006/05/call-to-all-survivors-of-rabbi-marc.html
http://www.timesofisrael.com/controversial-ex-rabbi-gafni-and-an-alleged-victim-square-off/
Haaretz article (not online)
Maariv article (not online)