Questions waiting for answers

I've spoken to many ex-members of SRF. All of them have the same thing to say: "I just can't figure out why those people left are not leaving."

I can't either.

But let's look at how the membership of this dysfunctional and valueless organization has changed over the years.

In its heyday, the SRF membership was some 35 staff ministers and ministers in training. There were nearly that many casual members taking six-week classes, psychic readings and enjoying the healing clinics.

These members were dedicated. They toiled night and day performing manual construction labor, writing, creating audio and video recordings, and always learning and learning. Oh, and paying too. Paying the fees for classes and materials, paying the tithe that was strongly suggested of them. Paying for the recorded materials they created. And throughout it all, none of them could imagine life without the spiritual comforts of the Spiritual Rights Foundation and its leaders.

But over time, people began to see that the Emperor (and Empresses) had no clothes. One woman left because of a dispute over her inheritance (a situation similar to my own). Others left because of the crushing financial demands or the oppressive demands for free labor and the endless requirement for classes, workshops and special sessions.


A brave group of men and women left the Spiritual Rights Foundation because of the demands made by the leadership to end their church-arranged marriages or relinquish custody of their children (and end their parent-child relationship as well). When they refused, the leader conducted a campaign to discredit those people and created a campaign of manufactured and false claims of child abuse against one such parent.

Dissatisfaction happens in all organizations, even those that are well operated. At SRF, the number of people leaving had nearly well equaled the number who stayed. Historically, that was fine. There were many people interested in the cult. The leaders were quick to identify and rope in the ones they wanted to stay.

But at some point the numbers started to dwindle. I think it began to happen about the time the fathers of children born into the cult started to stand up for the rights of their children.

This group of dissident dads fighting for the freedom of their children were originally some of the most devoted and faithful of the followers. They would have never dreamt that they would someday fight against the very church they were so devoted to. But fight they did, as they must.
At that time, the mind control perpetuated by Bill Duby began to wane. Bill was fighting a war on many fronts for his public image as well as for control over the people remaining at his cult. Even for Bill, it was an impossible task. This fight wore him down to the point where he couldn't keep up. Bill eventually died suddenly from a cardiac arrest.

Bill's death at first solidified his cult. But only for a short time. The hairline cracks in Bills armor began to expand. The house of cards he built teetered. Many of this followers began to question his particular brand of spirituality. And many more began to understand that without the overbearing and unrestrained tirades of Bill Duby the feet of SRF were built of clay. And it was time to make an exit.

From the time of Bill's death in 2001 to today, the membership of SRF has declined significantly. It looks to me to be well over half. In fact, one estimate is that only 16 staff ministers remain at the Spiritual Rights Foundation. Estimates by myself and others indicate that at least double the number of present ministers are needed to continue a thriving operation. And as there are as few as two non-ministers in the congregation, the size of the congregation has dwindled from a roar of enthusiastic young people to a mere whisper of those in middle-age.

Tasks that were simple and quick to accomplish when Bill was alive became excruciating (or even impossible) today. In the early days, only minor errors were made in the web site and publications. Today, there are numerous omissions, errors and other shortcomings with their public communications. Events of months past still appear on the web sites, future events are sloppily described and appear to have been posted in haste. Descriptions of classes and workshops are sketchy and even more ambiguous than usual.

The American Spirit Newspaper, once the pride of the Spiritual Rights Foundation is no longer published in print form. The web version still displays a Happy New Year message for 2008. SRF's "Paranormal Connection" television broadcasts (available on Public Access Cable TV) has only a few shows, broadcast over and over again. There's not enough people remaining to record any more shows than that.

The slow decline of the Spiritual Rights Foundation is already starting. I think the slope will just get steeper and steeper.

If I could talk to those who remain, I wouldn't corner them in a basement and demand they leave the cult. I'd just ask them a few short questions.


Questions like:

- How much of your life have you missed?

- Would you want to spend your remaining days on earth for the benefit of you and yours?

- Are you willing to spend your time on earth for someone else's benefit and wealth at the expense of your own benefit and wealth?

- If you could live your life any way you wanted, would you do it? Can you do it now?

- If you could have more in your life than you have now, would you want it?

- Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?

- Who's projecting their spiritual shortcomings on you?


And most of all:

- Don't you deserve more than the life you have now?



Of course, if I asked these questions, the SRF-ies would respond with a stern look and beating on the head with Bill Duby's "Cosmic Acid" as directed by the leadership.

But why don't you ask the SRF faithful? Or better yet, if you happen to be one of the remaining SRF faithful, ask yourself those questions. And leave a comment with your answers. We would be thrilled to see them.