I’m channeling my inner-Jim West with that title. Years ago, I noted that IHOP had caused at least one death with their “fasting” schedule. They are nothing more than a cult, as I said them, and I strongly restate now. There more disturbing news coming out of Kansas City now…
The statement said witnesses told detectives they were a part of a “religious community” where they had sex with each other. Witnesses told detectives Deaton’s husband, Tyler Deaton, was the leader.
In the statement, Moore told detectives Bethany Deaton was being sexually assaulted by him, and several men at a home in Grandview. That is how Moore said he knew Deaton and her husband.
… snip…
A spokesperson for IHOP said Moore was a student in the Bible school at IHOP University. The statement said Moore told an IHOP pastor at the Grandview Police Department that he video recorded the sexual assaults on his iPad, located at his apartment on College Ave.
And….
Bethany was raised in Texas and moved to the Kansas City area to intern at IHOP. Deaton’s husband started their own religous group and he was regarded as their spiritual leader. Roomates at the house also told detectives they were involved in a sexual group and the sex was part of the religious experience. Neighbors say there was a lot of traffic at the house and knew the group was involved in the IHOP church so they thought it was just a bible study group.
The group did worship together at the International House of Prayer, but church members say this is not indicitive of the whole church.
Joel L. Watts holds a Masters of Arts from United Theological Seminary with a focus in literary and rhetorical criticism of the New Testament. His interests include exploring the role of mimesis in human civilization, specifically in the study of religion and media, as well as science fiction and the way in which it has allowed mythology to be explored in light of scientific discoveries of the past century. He is the author of Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark: Introduction and Commentary (Wipf and Stock, 2013) and a co-editor and contributor to From Fear to Faith: Stories of Hitting Spiritual Walls (Energion, 2013).
Website: → Unsettled Christianity
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You just did an msmbc or abc news editing job. Your ability to link the IHOP to her death, as if Mike Bickle is responsible, is sick and hard hearted. In your pride you have taken a tragic situation and justified your false accusations from years ago. This the sickest, I told you so I’ve seen.
The “accusations” were correct a few years ago and they are now – cults breeds cults.
It’s really obvious that this cult was not an offshoot of IHOP. They started it before they even moved to KC. But I like how you used bits or articles to make it look like it was IHOP. When the crazy man opened fire in a movie theater no one blamed the school he went to. These people attended some of the IHOP stuff, but their demented cult started somewhere else.
Oh? Proof?
While I agree IHOP is a cult, I think you’re stretching with these guys.
Oh? Let’s see… the cult operated within IHOP, as led by IHOP.
But what about Misty Edwards?
Does she belong to IHOP? Then she is in a cult.
IHOP is actually deeply grieved and shocked about this whole situation. The leadership seems to be responding with such sensitivity and the victims of this event. I think the fact that they were helping the police to fully uncover the truth behind Bethany’s death, that it was murder not suicide, should give you the hint that they are fighting for truth. It seems to me that you have been taking bits and pieces of different articles to gossip and falsely accuse of ihop being a cult.
They are fighting, no doubt as they did with the death of the child, to play nice so that no one else goes looking.
IHOP is a cult – a disgusting, child-killing, cult.
You cant judge their motives. While IHOP has some cult like characteristics, I take back my previous statement when I said they are a cult. I have never been to a service, but I have met people who were a part of IHOP and they were more together than some people in traditional denominations. Do they have a statement of beliefs?
What does a statement of beliefs have to do with whether or not they are a cult? I would suggest you dig deeper into their systems. This is where the cult status is to be found
Joel,
This wolf-in-sheeps-clothing / vile pig worked his way into IHOP looking for sheep to devour. It was a tragedy for the whole community. If have issues with IHOP theologically, fine, but to simply use this tragedy as an opportunity to bash IHOP is just dishonest. Your typically (yes, I occasionally read your blog) self-inflated, self-important, condescending attitude is very off-putting. If we are going to make comparisons, then it is worth highlighting that both you and Tyler Deaton share a very self-bloated image of yourselves.
Yes, it is always the other person’s fault… the parents, the husband, etc… never the cultish mindset. Gotcha.
Look up IHOP and Mike Bickle in google you’ll find all kinds of cult like stories and stuff. Don’t be surprised if Tyler Deaton explains the source of this sexual deviancy is due to Bickle’s strange Bridegroom of Jesus misinterpretation of the Song of Solomon! Look that up too… It’s bizzare! Sexualize Jesus… Christians have Jesus living in them… Have sex with other Christians (male OR female)… = having sex with Jesus!!!! Even IHOPU has a subtle sexual connotation!