House Of Yahweh: A Darker Sect Than FLDS

Deadly Polygamist Cult Has Been Under Investigation For Years, Leaders Charged With Bigamy, Sex Abuse, Fraud

(AP)  Behind guarded, ornate gates at the end of a rural road, a self-proclaimed prophet warns his followers about the end of time and rails against a dangerous and unclean world outside their West Texas compound.

The women are covered in long skirts and long-sleeve shirts. Many of the children have different mothers and share the same father.

But this isn't the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' ranch, which authorities raided last month in Eldorado after receiving reports that underage girls were being forced to marry much older men.

This is the House of Yahweh: a different, even darker sect that the state has been investigating for years. Authorities in February charged the group's 73-year-old leader with performing polygamous weddings and forcing about 40 children - some as young as 11 - to work jobs at his 44-acre compound.

"If a bunch of adults want to get together and follow some con man and throw their lives away, that's their right in this country," said Callahan County District Attorney Shane Deel. "But to me, when you do that to children and they don't have a chance, that's where the biggest concern is."

If convicted on the most serious charges, Yisrayl Hawkins faces up to 20 years in prison.

Another sect leader, Yedidiyah Hawkins, goes to court this summer on charges of sexually abusing a teenager, bigamy and welfare fraud.

Questions have also been raised about at least two deaths within the sect.

A 7-year-old died in 2003 after her mother and another member performed home surgery on her infected leg. Both women were convicted of injury to a child.

And in 2006, a woman bled to death after giving birth because she was prevented from going to the hospital, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by her husband.

Although members deny they practice polygamy, former members say Yisrayl Hawkins has at least two dozen wives - and state records show he fathered two babies last year with women ages 19 and 22.

Yisrayl Hawkins, who has pleaded not guilty in his criminal case, told The Associated Press that he and his church are misunderstood and persecuted because of their religious beliefs.

"We have nothing to hide," said the bearded, white-haired Hawkins, who declined to address specific allegations against him and his sect.

The House of Yahweh compound, about 120 miles northeast of the FLDS ranch, has wind generators, a cafeteria, a food-processing plant and dozens of tractor-trailer rigs holding canned goods. It also has a few stores carrying homemade toiletries and clothing.

Unlike the FLDS members who stay on the 1,700-acre ranch, most House of Yahweh followers live in mobile homes surrounding the sect's compound, which is occupied only by a few caretakers. Other members own homes nearby or live in trailer parks owned by Hawkins in Abilene.

"Anyone can come here and can leave at any time," Hawkins said.

After the April 3 raid on the FLDS ranch, Child Protective Services took more than 460 children into custody.

Child-welfare officials said they cannot comment on possible investigations of House of Yahweh members unless youngsters have been removed. Only one such case has occurred: Four children living in Yedidiyah Hawkins' home are now in foster care.

Yisrayl Hawkins was born Buffalo Bill Hawkins but legally changed his name. He founded the House of Yahweh in 1980 - three years after the former Abilene police officer was fired for having beer in his patrol car. The group moved to rural Clyde several years later so they would have room to celebrate weeklong Old Testament feasts.

Hawkins began preaching polygamy in the early 1990s, saying women had to accept it or leave and forfeit heaven, several former members said.

"It's definitely a cult that follows mind-control techniques," said Miryam Martin, a House of Yahweh member from 1986 to 2000. "So many people's lives have been destroyed by what's been going on over there."

But Tanah Hawkins, a member for 20 years, said its Scripture-based beliefs offer something missing in mainstream churches. She blames disgruntled former members for the criminal investigations.

"When people leave the House of Yahweh, they go out and feed the rumors and add more lies," she said. "But I actually pray for them."

The sect claims to have hundreds of members scattered worldwide. One group in Kenya gained international attention in 2006 by building nuclear fallout shelters, believing Hawkins' apocalyptic prophecy.

Former members describe Hawkins as a zealot whose teachings are a blend of Old Testament directives on diet and cleanliness, New Testament beliefs in Jesus, and Hawkins' own prophecies rooted in the Book of Revelation.

Hundreds of his followers have legally changed their last names to Hawkins - including Yedidiyah and Tanah. Many have taken biblical first names that - like their leader's - include the letter "y."

Some former members also say Hawkins' followers tithe nearly a third of their incomes to the church. Many purchase the church's organically grown food, herbal drinks and dairy products, believing similar items available elsewhere are "unclean."

Public records show Yisrayl Hawkins owns at least $2.1 million in land, housing and mobile homes.

Nowhere is his influence more apparent than in the sect's 1,200-seat warehouse-like sanctuary, where a dozen poster-size pictures of Hawkins adorn the front wall.

Worshippers must first remove their shoes, and feet and hands are then sprayed with disinfectant before they come in. Men and women are seated on separate sides of an 8-foot wall dividing the sanctuary. Women wear long clothing and veils for modesty, and everyone wears gloves for cleanliness.

Some authorities fear Hawkins will lead his group to a tragic end like David Koresh, who the government said urged his Branch Davidian followers to set their compound on fire and kill themselves in 1993, when federal authorities tried to end a 51-day siege. Survivors blame the deaths on federal agents.

Concerned about a similar confrontation, police did not arrest Hawkins until nearly three months after obtaining the warrant - when they spotted him driving through town.

Bail was initially set at $10 million, partly because of a perceived threat in a sermon.

"I'm not asking much out of you - I'm just asking that you be willing to die rather than leave this house," Hawkins told his congregation in November.

A judge later relented, and Hawkins was released on $100,000 bond after testifying that his security guards are unarmed and suicide is counter to the church's teachings.

[CraigBerkeley]

See Bigamists Among Us, Marin County Californian James K. Olson @ http://reno.broowaha.com/article.php?id=3481.

[tracya1]

Sounds to me like thoughtfull11 is trying to justify his quacky screwed up religion. Be an American, if you wanna live in Yerusalem, get out of the USA, what's holdin you back, I am sure the ordinary Americans will not miss ya!! You are a minority, deal with it. Your main "dude" went to freakin jail idiot, his follower is in prison, for a very long time!! But if you want to give your money to him to open more business's, who'es the idiot. Give your 30%, normal churches that I have attended give only 10%, bet I will go to heaven before you and your child molestor comrades!!

[tracya1]

Sounds to me like thoughtfull11 is trying to justify his quacky screwed up religion. Be an American, if you wanna live in Yerusalem, get out of the USA, what's holdin you back, I am sure the ordinary Americans will not miss ya!! You are a minority, deal with it. Your main "dude" went to freakin jail idiot, his follower is in prison, for a very long time!! But if you want to give your money to him to open more business's, who'es the idiot. Give your 30%, normal churches that I have attended give only 10%, bet I will go to heaven before you and your child molestor comrades!!

[paxilpusher]

You Abilene cult folks need to remove your heads from your rears. Maybe once you get your heads out of there you will see what is really going on. This Yisrayl Hawkins joker is milking "The House" members for all their money. Once the cult is broken up, watch for the bearded guy driving into Abilene in the red Ferrari.

[thoughtful11]

It''s not the "talking snakes" or "virgin births" of Catholic doctrine that is driving the hatred for The House of Yahweh. The House of Yahweh doesn''t teach those things. The House of Yahweh preaches against premarital ***, homosexuality, and abortion. Those who practice and promote those things are, indeed, strange and sick both physically and mentally-- they are the Catholic Church.

[fibonacci_]

Believe me... we are not the strange ones for not believing in talking snakes, virgin births, people walking on water.

[algoresarse]

This all proves my long-standing observation that God is a Man-made delusion.

Posted by cyberDJs4 at 09:02 PM : May 14, 2008
+ report abuse

*********

the only thing that made clear from your statement is you are an idiot and worse than a cult..



mostly people who do not beleive in a being higher than themselves are those who made a ''genie'' wish and never got it..

[thoughtful11]

The comment below this one shows the mindset of the media and the government officials who are against the words of the bible.

[cyberdjs4]

What is it with Texas and these Psycho-religious cults?

These people are criminals and terrorists who use faith to hide their sick behavior.
They all deserve a slow, painful death.

This all proves my long-standing observation that God is a Man-made delusion.

[fibonacci_]

The House of Yaweh.

[fibonacci_]

The House of Yaweh?

[fibonacci_]

Is that right?

[fibonacci_]

Regardless of what cult/religion someone believes in it is all VERY WACKY STUFF. The shameless detail of it all! Amazing that people buy that stuff. Guess they really need it.

[fibonacci_]

The House of Yaweh.

[thoughtful11]

By Nev Moore
Massachusetts News

Child "protection" is one of the biggest businesses in the country. We spend $12 billion a year on it.

The money goes to tens of thousands of a) state employees, b) collateral professionals, such as lawyers, court personnel, court investigators, evaluators and guardians, judges, and c) DSS contracted vendors such as counselors, therapists, more "evaluators", junk psychologists, residential facilities, foster parents, adoptive parents, MSPCC, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, YMCA, etc. This newspaper is not big enough to list all of the people in this state who have a job, draw a paycheck, or make their profits off the kids in DSS custody.

[thoughtful11]

It amazes me how we send young Americans overseas to die for the Pope''s crusade, ostensibly to fight for something called "Democracy". But here, people laugh "LOL" when citizen''s rights are openly violated by government officials.

[thoughtful11]

PHOENIX -- A Child Protective Services supervisor is accused of sexually molesting a 4-year-old girl and two teenage boys, Phoenix police said.

David Wigton, 58, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and booked into the Maricopa County jail.

prinzowhales--11:17 11:22---You are one sicko commie!!! If things are so bad here--LEAVE!! Azzwipe

[Netterz]

Sick world we live in, when the Catholics can get away with blatent child molestation and abuse for centuries, and everyone turns there heads, but can raid a less followed religion, and remove 460 children, and place them in ANOTHER well known snake pit of abuse called foster care, for ''whats best for the children''. Why hasnt our Gov''t shut down the Catholic Church? Why do world leaders even LOOK at the Pope, well enough ask his so called wisdom? As far as I am concerned, it is the most disgusting, vile, law breaking cult there is, cast down on the masses as the only way to reach eternal life to use fear to control. Every one of them, including the ones who hid the pedo''s should be hooked up to the needle for all the lives they destroyed, molesting hundreds of thousands of children.

[sassalin]

IAMWARY,

I agree but with so many showing up everyday where will we put them? They really need their own country..LOL.