TIuesdy, June 5, 1973
THE SUMMER DAILY
Page Five
WHO'S SAVING WHO?
Parents take on 'Jesus Freaks'
By RODNEY ANGOVE
Associated Press Writer
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Par-
ents from across the United Stat-
es have organized to "rescue our
children from the Jesus com-
munes," says a Californian who
is their national coordinator.
Ted Patrick, a former com-
munity relations officer for Cali-
fornia Gov. Ronald Reagan, says
the group he coordinates is call-
ed "the Parents Committee to
Free Our Sons and Daughters
from the Children of God -
FREECOG."
ABOUT 500 PARENTS are
seeking to locate youths in com-
munes such as those run by the
Children of God - COG - "and
get them back on the right
track," Patrick said.
But commune leaders h o 1 d
different views about "the right
track," and they resent w h a t
they consider is undue parental
interference. One commune has
filed a $1.1 million libel and slan-
der action against Patrick and
three FREECOG parents.
Patrick himself has been charg-
ed with second-degree kidnap-
ing, unlawful imorisonment, con-
sniracy and third-degree assault.
The charges were brought in
New York last month by a mem-
ber of the New Testament Mis-
sionary Fellowshin, who claimed
he was forced into a car while
walking to a prayer meeting.
Patrick said the fellowship mem-
ber was "rescued."
THE TUG-OF-WAR between
the parents and the communes
has transcended theological con-
siderations and touches on ques-
tions of family, freedom and
rights to nroperty.
FREECOG parents say t h e y'
favor the resurgence of religion
among youth, that religion has
held an important place in their
families.
But they describe themsetses
as religiously soohisticated. and
they do onoose the tyne of com
munes which they say try to
dominate their children to the
excision of normal parental re-
lations.
PERHAPS THE best known in
the movement is the Children of
God - COG - which leaders
say once had 135 communes in
the United States. COG leaders
say only 40 remain, but 100 have
been set up in Europe, South and
Central America, the Caribbean,
Australia, Japan, South Korea,
and Thailand.
In California, the COG com-
munes have diminished from 10
to three in only the past few
months, according to 22-year-old
"Micah" Farmer. Micah ishis
adopted Biblical name and he's
an adviser to one COG ranch
near King City in west-central
California.
But COG is not the only target
of FREECOG, said Patrick. In
California alone there are about
40 communes of all types, and
FREECOG is concerned about
many of them, he said
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IN ABOUT two years, Patrick
said, he has gathered statements
from about 400 youths who hav
turned their backs on the com-
munes. Last year, he said, he
quit his state job to devote full
time to FREECOG.
Patrick said the youths almost
always told him "they had been
programmed to do anything their
lenders ordered." He conte nds
their testimony, on recorded tap-
es, supports the parental
complaint that communes com-
pletely dominate their children-
brain, body and bank account.
Parents say their children are
difficult to locate and are dif-
ficult to visit privately. O n e
father said he "literally kidnap-
ed" his son away. Parents com-
plain that their children sign
over cars and savings, and often
write home for more money.
"THESE YOUNG people s a y
they are taught to go against
their parents, their family
churches, and the schools and the
government," Patrick said.
The tapes, used in persuading
other youths to quit, are made
after "deprogramming" sessions.
"Deprogramming" is the pro-
cess, sometimes lasting days,
through which Patrick and
FREECOG parents try to con-
vince a youth he should abandon
a commune. It consistIs of argu-
ments in which Patrick, him-
self a former evangelistic organ-
izer, tries to demolish the youth's
faith in the commune's leaders.
"GIVE ME 15 minutes with any
kid in any commune and I'll show
you that he's taught to worship
his leaders, not God," said Pat-
rick.
He said most youths maintain
they have been "hypnotized" and
"brainwashed."
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COG leader Micah Farmer
calls the hypnotism charge "ri-
diculous."
AN INVESTIGATOR for the
California Department of Jus-
tice, Steve Crawford, said,
"We've heard a lot of accusa-
tions, but no proof of anything
illegal." He said donations to
cult leaders are apparently vol-
untary, hence legal.
In Florida, former Opa-Locka
Police Chief John Ripa said he
is trying to help parents.
"What I'm concerned about is
the breaking up of the family,"
Ripa said. 'Parents can visit
their children in these communes,
but the kids can't go home. Why
not?"
COMMUNE LEADERS d e n y
the youths cannot go home.
"We don't agree with the Ca-
tholic Church, but we certainly
wouldn't take somebody from
there and lock them inside here,"
said Susan Alamo, who with hus-
band Tony operates the inde-
pendent Tony and Susan Christ-
ian Foundation near Saugus, a
small town about 25 miles north
of Los Angeles.
Micah believes parents are pro-
testing "because what we're do-
ing requires a 100 per cent com-
mitment, to Christ. A youth ac-
cepts it. Some parents find it
bard to accept. It's a selfish love
for the child. A kind of posses-
siveness. They find 'it hard to
take second place to God."
A FREECOG group in Houston,
Tex., circulates what it says is
a copy of a COG application
blank describing COG as "revolu-
tionary."
The application states: "We
have declared war on the Spirit
of the system's Godless schools,
Christless churches and heart-
less mammon."
"We hope to stop the pollution
and destruction of the earth by
the worst rebels of all time, the
generation that produced us -
our parents - who taught us re-
bellion against God and his laws,"
it says.
QUALIFICATIONS of a "Christ-
ian revolutionary" are described
as 'very rigid." He must be
"born again, a new creature,
transformed by the renewing of
his mind. Instant obedience is
imperative."
The applicant's pledge is, "I
promise to give all my goods
and income, let you open my
mail, obey rules and officers."
This "instant obedience" must
be broken down by "de-program-
ming," said Patrick. He describ-
ed the case of Pat Alexander,
whose parents lured him from
the Tony and Susan commune
with promises of a square meal
and a shopping spree for clothes,
blankets and other items in short
supply. Commune leaders let him
leave.
THEY KEPT the promise, then
drove him to a motel where an
uncle and his father stood guard
physically until the "de-pro-
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grammer" arrived.
"First thing you do is get
their Bible away, because that's
their crutch," Patrick said.
Alexander muttered, "Jesus, oh
Jesus" in an apparent effort to
screen himself. "I'm backslid-
ing," he pleaded, "I'll burn in
hell,"
THE YOUTH was "saved from
the Jesus freaks," he now says,
by arguments such as this one
that Patick uses: "Go gave
humans one thing different - a
mind to think. Once someone.
takes your mind away from you,
you're an animal."
Alexander now admits "acting
like an animal - mean and nas-
ty." He is now trying to pick
up the pieces of a university
career.
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.prisoners.
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volvement and action on my part if I really were convinced that it were
true. 1 wanted to believe that here really were no political prisonors jailed
in Sailgonwithout trial.
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prisoners, with government officials, with Catholic priests and layleaders,
with Buddhist leaders and with some men who had been released from
jail within the past few weeks.
"I can state unequivocally that there are political prisoners in Saigon's
jails anddin, jails throughout the provinces. They re in jail not tor any
crime, but sitply because they are in opposition to the present government.
And it is clear that these prisoners are subject to inhumane treatment,
including deliberate and prolonged torture. I do not make that statement
lightly"
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