Comments on: Prisoner of the Twelve Tribes-Spanish ex-member’s story

By: Eric Christopherson

Eric Christopherson — Sat, 26 Jan 2019 21:42:06 +0000

Some children get hit alot more than others. I believe in spanking children for serious misbehavior, but not like the Twelve Tribes does for things like imaginary friends, playing pretend, making funny faces, and hanging around each other and talking with each other without an adult’s permission. There were many things i liked about the Tribes when i was a member, but basically one man has interpreted the Bible and how life should be for everyone in the commune houses, since he is the Apostle over all. I don’t like the bloody home circumcisions done on male babies and other males. The Tribes are trying to be Jewish, but they are not, yet they condemn all other Christians churches and organizations as part of the demonic Scarlet Whore mentioned in the Bible book of Revelation. Yet the Tribes use Christian Bibles and even sing some Christian songs. I also think their Cham teaching on black people is terrible, saying that black people should still be slaves to white people, unless they join the Tribes to be equal. The Tribes claim to be the only ones on earth that can be truly forgiven by God since the times of the early church and the only ones who truly have God’s Holy Spirit. They call their communities the container for the Holy Spirit. What nonsense and arrogance, lifting themselves so high above others. God can save anyone who is sorry for their sins and gives their life to Jesus. You don’t have to live in a Tribes commune home to be saved by God, but the Tribes teach you can’t be saved any other place on earth. So many lies they teach, yet i like many of the people there also. There were some fun times, but your life is very highly controlled. I gave them much money and never got any of it back when i left. But that is my fault. I started to see some very bad things about their “life of love” before i joined, but ignored my conscience because i wanted to belong there so bad. I was a fool. Most of the people i knew in the Tribes over the years have left, and most of the children end up leaving also when they grow up. There’s happiness there mixed with much unhappiness. That was my experience. Am sure Tribes communities vary from place to place depending on the leadership, and if the local leaders really love God and other people or not. Some are awful leaders, others are good leaders.

By: Eric Christopherson

Eric Christopherson — Sun, 13 Jan 2019 04:59:30 +0000

It’s interesting how some people say other people’s experiences in the Twelve Tribes are lies. How could they know? Some people experience somethings in some communities at certain times that others do not experience, or do not experience right away, until living there longer. Guests will never know what members know. And someone that has grown up in the Tribes would know more than all of us. Those many young people that left, are they all liars also? To me the Twelve Tribes is a mix of many things. I liked most of the people i lived with in the commune homes. One thing stuck with me was what my household shepherd told us one day at a gathering: “We make people unable stand on their own two feet and survive in the world.” I was surprised he admitted this, but am grateful for his honesty. After awhile, i was dependent on the group for everything. Even how you think or if you think about some things. Having personal opinions is taught against. We were regularly told to “put your head on a shelf and stop thinking”"where did you learn how to think anyway? in the world”"you need to take off your head, and put on the mind of the body (the Tribes).”"Dead men don’t have opinions.”"You just need to die, and give up your life (to the Tribes&God).”We are the only true work of Yah(God) on earth since the apostles.”"You can’t be forgiven any other place.”"The Community is the container for the Holy Spirit.” “If you’re in the world, you have another spirit, a demon.” “We are the only people who will bring about the end of this evil world system.”"Jesus is a demon of Christianity.”"All of Christianity is demonic.”"This is the only place you can really be saved.” These are some of the lies that are communicated by the Twelve Tribes to members. But if you disagree, you’re the one who has the problems, the Tribes are never wrong, and especially their apostle Elbert Eugene Spriggs who is a false apostle. It’s very bad what he teaches people through his “Teachings” that “Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. were evil men who deserved to die.” And “if you oppose the anointing” (apostle Spriggs/”Yoneq”), Yah(God) may kill you, he will oppose you, if you oppose ‘the Body of Yahshua’ (the Twelve Tribes).”
They still support the Southern Confederacy and black slavery for all black people who do not join the Tribes.
I still miss the communities in some ways, i always will, and the sincere people i knew. But you can be a nice and sincere person in a commune home, and still be sincerely wrong and brainwashed and duped and dependent and under false teachings, so these are some of the reasons i do not go back. Does that make any sense why i would feel this way? It’s not to be mean or angry, i got over that a long time ago, but i feel some people are taken advantage of like i was. I’ve also known members that later stole money from the community and then left and never came back. I don’t believe in communal living anymore. It just gives some people the opportunity to take advantage of others. But if you’re super insecure and need someone to tell you how to think and what to do 24/7, this might be the lifestyle for you. I fully support freedom of religion, but not freedom to take advantage of others, or to lie to protect a religion, or to break laws, which they have on a regular basis. In my opinion, if a person wants to come further out of the world system, the mennonites are a much more truthful and loving option than the Twelve Tribes, and even the name, they are not the “Twelve Tribes of Israel”, their “apostle” declared that. Another lie, perhaps well-meaning. But completely untrue. They try to be Jewish in some ways, but are not, they break the Sabbath every week in numerous ways and other laws that faithful Jewish people keep.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 22:55:19 +0000

Thanks for sharing your experience, Rudi Vermeylen,
given that the experience is from some 20 years ago, do you encounter any direction or change that happened over time?
I also encounter testimonials from European branches of the group to be more lightweight as those from abroad, but I am just an outstander.
Would You, as a person with rather positive experience in comparison to other testimonial briefly state why you left?
Is it the cozyness, the closeness and grinding proximity of living in a group that intense, dedicated and small?

By: Rudi Vermeylen

Rudi Vermeylen — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 08:21:33 +0000

I’ve lived in the twelve tribes comunitys in france, spain and uk, for about 18 months. the things this man says are not what i experienced there. the “beating” of the children is no more then an eucational slap, combined with the question if they understood what they did wrong, follewed bij forgivness and a hug.
you do not have to agree on averything the leaders say. i know a man, living in the comunity of france, he does not belong to the group, nor has their faith. he is allowed to live there becose his wife and sond are there. he disagrees on pretty much anything there but he does so in respect. when i lived there (almost 20 years ago) he was already there for 5 years!!
When i joined, i was not asked to give up all my possecions. most people do so voluntairy, but it is never obligated. when you leave they give you back you’re own stuff (and sometimes even more)
everybody is allowed to leave at any time, it’s a religious comunity so shure you are brainwashed, same as in islam or christianity. they don’t even deny doing that. but you are at all times free to leave.

During the years after i’ve left i’ve read many bad things about the tribes, most are lies from angry ex-members, some are half thruths. it sadens me becose i’ve been in many placesand i’ve met many people, but the people of the tribes are the most kind, honest and friendly people i’ve ever met. they reject violence, they reject drugs, they reject alcohol, they reject all bad things in the world and this may look strange to many, but this does not make them bad people.