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A member of a religious cult, living in Indiana, has been nominated to the SC
and since this has been on my mind lately, it dredged up memories of a cult from the not-too-distant past. This one was centered in a location not far from South Bend, home of Ann Coney Barrett.
Although Faith Assembly never gained the notoriety of Jim Jones and Guyana (coincidentally, Jones began his People’s Temple in Indiana), the results were no less deadly. Without further ado, I present the tale of the Glory Barn.
UPI ARCHIVES MAY 2, 1983
WARSAW, Ind. -- At least 52 people have died for lack of medical care because they or their parents belonged to a fundamentalist church that insists only faith in God will heal them, but a coroner said Monday the church is beyond the reach of state law.
The 52 victims were linked to the Faith Assembly, a 10-year-old church based in Wilmot, Ind., and headed by the Rev. Hobart Freeman. It has about 2,000 members.
The deaths, which occurred in seven states, were reported by the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. The newspaper said most of the 52 people who died while refusing medical treatment were women and children -- including babies -- and only a fraction were old enough to understand the teachings of the church.
(snip)
Eastlund said many of the estimated 2,000 members of the church, who worship in a rural building also known as the 'Glory Barn,' are highly educated people who abandoned 'decent occupations' to join Freeman's sect.
more...
WARSAW, Ind. -- At least 52 people have died for lack of medical care because they or their parents belonged to a fundamentalist church that insists only faith in God will heal them, but a coroner said Monday the church is beyond the reach of state law.
The 52 victims were linked to the Faith Assembly, a 10-year-old church based in Wilmot, Ind., and headed by the Rev. Hobart Freeman. It has about 2,000 members.
The deaths, which occurred in seven states, were reported by the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. The newspaper said most of the 52 people who died while refusing medical treatment were women and children -- including babies -- and only a fraction were old enough to understand the teachings of the church.
(snip)
Eastlund said many of the estimated 2,000 members of the church, who worship in a rural building also known as the 'Glory Barn,' are highly educated people who abandoned 'decent occupations' to join Freeman's sect.
more...
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/05/02/At-least-52-people-have-died-for-lack-of/3692420696000/
There’s so much to take away from this story that is directly relevant to current events, including benign neglect on the part of government, brainwashing of converts, violent endings, etc. As I had a tangential relationship through locals, I am aware of even more tales of weirdness than what is presented in this story.
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