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The Hidden History of 10 Cults That Started in California

California is popularly known as the hub of a large number of cults and shady religious movements thus not a surprise that most of the cultic movements in the world have their roots in California. The main reason for this is due to the fact that there鈥檚 an obvious lack of dominant protestant establishments, their economy is based on get-rich-quick schemes and failing businesses. There鈥檚 also a diverse population of rootless people in a cultural blank slate and the heady effects of California weather. Here are some of the hidden history of cults that started in California.

1. Children of God

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This cult was started by the legendary psychotic David Brandt Berg. He combined Christian theology with very bizarre reinterpretations of scripture, trance channeling from angels, and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Before that, he had founded the Teen Challenge youth ministry known as Light Club. It sought to entice what they called 鈥榝lower children,鈥� with rock music and free peanut butter sandwiches. This guy literally plagued on the vulnerabilities of young people and exploited them. In 1969, he apparently had a vision that California would be hit by an earthquake and sink into the sea. He thus led his group to wander the American Southwest for eight months and renamed themselves, 鈥楥hildren of God.鈥� Naturally, this is where the name came from. The group ended up adopting some very bizarre and unorthodox beliefs; some were harmless like the notion of not there being hell and humanity would all be saved by Jesus Christ. Others however were much dodgier, like the belief that sex and masturbation were gifts from God and hence cult members should masturbate while fantasizing about having sexual relations with Jesus. The cult also encouraged love bombing and being flirty as a means of recruiting new members. His teachings were derived mostly from apocalyptic Adventist preaching tradition and this was influenced by his grandfather鈥檚 involvement in the separatist Disciples of Christ Church.

2. The Source Family

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 Jim Baker, the self-professed guru, and alleged bank robber used his popular health food restaurants as a vector for spreading his cult. He would attract the young with appealing teachings like marijuana-based sex as the true route to enlightenment. He was an ex-Marine and jujitsu expert who moved to LA in order to audition for the role of Tarzan. He fell under the guidance of the philosophical research society and the hippie lifestyle where he even opened a sandal shop and two health food restaurants. In 1969, he opened 鈥楾he Source,鈥� a health food restaurant just as he was falling under the influence of Sikh Kundalini master Yogi Bhajan. He soon started leading meditation sessions in his restaurants and even developing his own teachings. He attracted a lot of followers and established a commune Chandler Mansion that was popularly known as the Mother House. This cult even had its own psychedelic rock band 鈥榊a Ho Wha 13,鈥� which even went on ahead to release nine records. While 65 albums based on improvisations by cult members were recorded, the most interesting tracks entail Baker giving sermons of his wisdom, including 鈥淒ie to live again鈥� and 鈥淚 can be you and you can be me- ultimate orgasm we will see!鈥� From his teachings, you can tell he was deluded and misleading but then again he had followers so that also says something about the people who were following him.

3. Symbionese Liberation Army

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Even more bizarre is the fact that this cult was started by an escaped convict, Donald DeFreeze aka General Field Marshall Cinque Mtume who led this political cult of Berkeley radicals. It was inspired by communist and South American revolutionary theory and the organization grew out of the Black Cultural Association, a black inmate group that was active in Vacaville Prison. This group began as an organization that brought white Berkely students to lecture inmates on political science, black sociology, and African heritage. Within no time, the group became more politically militant and DeFreeze even formed a splinter group known as  Unisight. He attracted student radicals and even managed to escape from prison in 1973. He then went ahead to form the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), which focused on ending racism, monogamy, the prison system, and capitalist institutions. The group adopted a seven-headed cobra as its symbol and vowed 鈥渄eath to the fascist insect that preys on the life of the people.鈥� Soon, the group began military tactical training in the Berkely Hills.

4. The Blackburn Cult

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Also known as the 鈥渄eath to the fascist insect that preys on the life of the people,鈥� this cult based its theology on a single line from Revelation, 鈥淎nd I will grant my two witnesses power to prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.鈥� May Otis Blackburn aged 60 and her daughter Ruth Wieland Rickenbaugh Rizzio, claimed to be those witnesses. Apparently, they were in contact with the angels Gabriel and Michael, who told the women to shut themselves off from the world for three years. They were supposed to do this so as to write a book called 鈥�The Great Sixth Seal鈥� explaining the world鈥檚 mysteries. This book promised to reveal lost measurements that apparently would lead to all of the world鈥檚 gold and oil deposits that were stolen from Noah by his son, Ham. This pair secured a whooping $40,000 loan from the son of an oil magnate in exchange for these 鈥榣ost measurements.鈥� The women used this money to build dozens of cabins and a temple that was sealed off in anticipation of the return of Jesus. In the end, Blackburn was convicted of 8 counts of grand theft but was later released on $10,000 bail. This group departed for Lake Tahoe and was never heard again.

5. Mankind United

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This cultic group was founded by Arthur Bell during the Great Depression. It is believed the world was controlled and manipulated by a conspiracy of hidden rulers and money changers. Hence, Bell focused on stealing from older philosophies like Theosophy. He claimed that a hidden order of sponsors worked against the conspiracy of the worldwide slave state. After sponsors revealed their presence, it was said they would create a utopia based on universal employment with a short workweek, an economy of financial credit, and an artificial language. He claimed that only when 200 million people had accepted the Mankind United plan, would the sponsors now emerge from hiding. Total game of manipulation. In 1939, Mankind United reached its apogee with a few thousand members 1939 and Bell claimed that he could be in multiple places at once and even had access to ray guns that could knock out people鈥檚 eyeballs from miles away. During World War 2, this movement was reincorporated as the Church of the Golden Rule as a tax dodge and the original group fell apart when Bell left in 1951 after legal battles with disappointed former members and eventual bankruptcy.

6. Aggressive Christianity

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This cult was founded in 1981 as Free Love Ministries by Jim and Lila Green. They had earlier joined a group known as the Bear Tribe that sought to emulate the Native American lifestyle. While looking for land for the group, they were picked up by a driver who talked to them about Christianity and they apparently 鈥渇elt the drawing presence of Jesus.鈥� They thereafter did a lot of missionary work in Central America and while working at a Miami Salvation Army shelter, they were frustrated by the corruption of other churches and hence decided to form their own in Sacramento. By 1984, they had attracted 50 members and lived in four communal houses under the auspices of the church. Their theological teachings were highly militant and their monthly publication known as 鈥楤attle Cry: Aggressive Christianity鈥� was constantly showing images of warfare against demonic forces. They had barracks, military uniforms, and ranks for members depicting the notion that God and Satan battle by filling up empty vessels with their respective wills. That was their foundational teaching. They also believed that overcomers would leave the church, and attain sinless perfection and divine powers through commitment to Jesus. This eventually would smite satan and death.

7. Hua Zang Si

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The International Art Museum in San Francisco was said to have its links to the Hua Zang Si, a Buddist sect that was operating out of the former St. John鈥檚 Evangelical Lutheran Church. After its deconsecration in 1992, the building was supposed to be turned into condos when it was purchased and remodeled by the United International World Buddhism Association. This church is led by Dorie Chang Buddha III who was born in China and was originally known as Wan Ko Yee or Yi Yungao. His followers believe that he is the third reincarnation of the original Buddha. He is however distrusted by many because his teachings differ from those of other enlightened beings and some have even speculated that he is among the rising numbers of 鈥楲iving Buddhas (Tulkus) who are granted certification for their enlightenment by bribing religious officials. Moreover, he is a wanted man in China and according to a spokesperson from the embassy of China in Washington, From 1984 onward, Yi and his accomplices committed fraud using deception, causing losses of CNY 60.8 million ($7.32 million).鈥�

8. Marcus Wesson Cult

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Marcus Wesson saw himself as the leader of a new religion that was combining Christianity and vampire lore. He wrote a religious text called In the Light of the Light for the Dark,  that stated that he and his family were vampires and that  鈥渋ncest . . . produces the seed of perfection of one鈥檚 self.鈥� The guy was sick, to be honest, and even though he was raised a Seventh-Day Adventist, he claimed later on that God was speaking through him and that the end times were almost here. He moved in with an older woman who was 15 years older than him, had a child with her, and then later married her 15-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. He went on to have 17 children with Elizabeth and her sister and this family became an insular cult that was based mostly on homeschooling, corporal punishment, and sexual abuse. This man separated brothers and sisters, forcing the girls to wear head scarves and long skirts, and began abusing them sexually from age eight. His claim was that, 鈥淛esus was a womanizer and God鈥檚 people are becoming extinct. We need to preserve God鈥檚 children. We need to have more children for the Lord.鈥� Talk about having a justification for any kind of deprivation. He was also obsessed with vampire stories and would force his children to sleep in coffins he had collected. The cult broke up eventually when two of his nieces returned with relatives to retrieve their children. Wesson was calm during the confrontation and some of his children even defended verbally defended him. By the time the authorities arrived, Wesson was covered in blood and nine of his children had been slain. It was part of a preexisting suicide pact in case the authorities threatened to break up the family.

9. Fellowship Of Friends

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In 1970, Robert Burton began to attract a group of followers and he identified himself as a 鈥渕an number 5,鈥� a being with a higher level of emotions and knowledge compared to others. His group was incorporated in 1971 as a religious organization and they purchased property in Yuba County in California so that they could establish a  winery. He has strict rules of behaviour, including bans on swimming, joking, and smoking. In fact, in a 1981 interview, he was asked if he was Jesus and he replied, 鈥淭hou savest it.鈥� The exact reply Jesus gave when asked if he was the king of the Jews by Pontious Pilate. He taught the community that they would serve as an ark protecting his flock from a cataclysm that would consume all outsiders. He also claimed to be an angel in human form who communicates with 44 other angels, including Benjamin Franklin and Jesus. It is hard to say whether Burton was just delusional or seriously mentally ill. All in all, he had a following and in 1994, he was accused of sexually abusing young male members of his group. In 2012, some locations of this cult were raided by the DEA on suspicion of selling marijuana and using the profits to help the church. This of course they strongly denied.

10. Berkeley鈥檚 Psychic Cult

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Lastly, there is this cult founded in 1973 by Lewis Bostwick. Their creed included this: 鈥淲e of the church believe in limitless space, timeless endurance, never-ending acceptance, everlasting patience, and continuous comprehension.鈥� Many have criticized this movement and said it had weird doctrines. One reporter stated that he went to the Berkeley Psychic Institute for an aura healing but instead ended up having a 鈥渕ale healing session,鈥� where he was asked if he wanted to have his balls drained. Very nonchalantly mind you. He says he felt stomach pains and was even chased away while being told that something had gone wrong. Former members have also stated that Bostwick stole his ideas for his cult from the Dianetics of Scientology after having a fallout with its founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

 Cultic movements are a dangerous mind game that one should be wary of at all times.