Former Member summarizes his experience in the Tony Alamo cult
The following was posted on the Factnet discussion board. Click here to read more former member’s accounts of living in the group.
I was a member from 1970-1986 and am sorry to say I was involved at all. I met Tony and Susan when I was 21 years old being just a kid and feel for there doctrine, and was completely indoctrinated into their beliefs. Later to find out that they were nothing but a couple of con artists. They ran there place with a strict hand beating the children or having them beaten for the slightest provocation. I am told they, after I left, had the adults spanked and beaten as well. The people that lived at the foundation were kept impoverished. The members were at the time, full time workers, either on outside of the foundation jobs like tree crews or they worked for the foundation at one of the many businesses. All there earnings was confiscated by the church and everyone was given $5.00 for the week. Anybody that didn’t blindly follow them were kicked out penniless and without their families. Tony did this to keep people in line. Tony solely ran the church and all its business totally by himself and nobody had any power to make decisions at all. If anything need to be done or money needed to be spent it was put on an “ask Tony list”, which of course also gave him the power to deny people clothes , food, toilet tissue water or anything else that are necessities of life. This man wouldn’t know God if God was standing in front of him….
Bill Levy