The phony staged attack "Pastor" Bill seems to have committed against himself!

This is the most odd and disturbing fact in the whole documentary, but it tells a lot about "Pastor" Bill, and the way he operates, that puts him in league with lunatic fringe cult leaders like David Koresh, Jim Jones and Sun Myung Moon.
Imagine this; "Pastor" Bill is supposedly out filming for himself, some footage to be used later. This is being done in some rough part of the neighbourhood, but "that's OK", according to "Pastor" Bill, because it's "my neighbourhood". Then the events take a truly inexplicable turn: there is an attempted robbery, whether or not things go missing or are stolen is not entirely clear, but conveniently for "Pastor" Bill, there is no video or audio available to back up his claims of an "attack" in any way at all. The assailants [no real description is given] have a gun, according to "Pastor" Bill, and there is some scuffle and "Pastor" Bill is shot, early reports even say "in the head".

Now, let's look at how this story doesn't add up, and how it is actually indicative of a typical trait of all cult leaders; that is imagining and staging threats and attacks against themselves to tighten and increase the devotion of their followers, by making them feel constantly scared of the outside world.
A robbery in a rough part of town? Nothing unusual there, quite common in fact. But think logically, why would a robber suddenly decide to shoot a victim for no reason, but then leave the victim alive to testify against him? It makes no sense. Clearly "Pastor" Bill did not lose consciousness, because he was the first to call several key members of his congregation on his cell phone to "reveal" what had just happened. So he remained in charge of the whole situation right from start to finish, he was running the show, because if he had passed out [which is a common response to the massive shocked caused for real victims of shootings, especially shootings in the head or face] he would have suffered massive blood loss, and would have remained unconscious until others came to his assistance.

But no. Apparently, after just being shot "in the head", "Pastor" Bill is fine enough to call up a few people, and get taken to hospital, which also means he's able to talk, no problem. Now, where did he get shot, where was he injured? Miraculously, it was "in the cheek", not the "head" as metro ministries had been telling everyone! Yet there must have been no damage to his masseter muscle, as he was able to talk no problem, no damage to the jaw bone for the same reason, and
not even any shock, because he was still conscious enough to make a few phone calls for himself, an amazing feat considering he should have been on the ground and losing blood fast and should have been entirely dependant upon the assistance of others to save his life. But no, not "Pastor" Bill, the first thing after supposedly being shot in the face is to have a chat with a few of his congregation members, even though you'd think anyone in that position would be weak and in shock and just waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
And what about the robbers? Why did they decide to shoot someone, only to leave the victim alive at great risk to them [because he could point them out in a line up or give police a description of them that would massively increase their chance of getting caught]. And why do it in the first place? If they wanted to rob him, why not just take the stuff that's valuable and get away? Why would anyone want to increase their crime from robbery [which is much less severe compared] to assault with a deadly weapon, possibly attempted murder? Or even first degree murder itself? Clearly, they could not have assumed that "Pastor" Bill was dead, because his injuries were so minor that he was still able to talk on the phone right after receiving them!
Indeed, the injuries were so minor, that "Pastor" Bill was out of hospital in a very short time compared to most real gunshot victims, and guess what? When the bandage came off his face --there wasn't even a mark, or a scar, let alone a big stitched up wound you'd expect for a genuine shooting victim. Not even a trace of this supposed shooting.
So on that fateful occasion when he supposedly was "shot", his injuries could not possibly have been mistaken for fatal ones. But, for some reason, a criminal who hates a man so much that he's just shot him for no good reason, [and by doing so exposed himself to a far more serious prosecution if caught], suddenly decides to leave him alone with minor injuries, leave him to possibly even accuse and identify him in this "major crime" he has just committed?!

That is crazy. Total nonsense.

And just say the motive was not simple robbery, if they really did have some personal beef with "Pastor" Bill that made them want to commit attempted murder for no good reason, well then if they did hate "Pastor" Bill so much, my question is, why suddenly make yourself liable to go to jail for a major crime, but leave "Pastor" BIll fine to make phone calls and remain conscious, let alone alive. They still had the gun according to "Pastor" Bill, why did they run away after just shooting a man who might later finger them as the assailants in court?

And who the hell ever gets shot in the face, no muscles or bones damaged, doesn't pass out, doesn't lose blood as a result of passing out, therefore doesn't need the assistance of others, indeed doesn't even need help making phone calls, and then guess what DOESN'T EVEN LEAVE A MARK ON HIM WHEN THE BANDAGES COME OFF.

Sheer lies, I say. Bill Wilson will be exposed for the lies he has told, you mark my words.

Bizarre Practices

Do you think that a child scramblig desperately for money in a wind tunnel chamber of circulating banknotes , do you think that is a healthy experience for a child, supposedly in "church". Just because these poor kids are in the inner city, doesn't mean they've got no class, like they should be treated like a cheap game show contestant. Just imagine your church, with a clear perspex chamber, and your "Pastor" is telling you that it's good religion, it's a good think to teach your kid to enter this chamber and chase around cash as it is blown about inside by massive fans. What does this teach the child? I'll tell you. It teaches them to WORSHIP MONEY, not God. I also believe that there are many other good urban churches, or other places of faith and worship, that cater to disadvantaged children without resorting to off colour money grabbing tactics and parlour games. They seem to have no shortage of local kids who are prepared to come in without the lure of cheap and nasty amusements, that distract from a true religious message.
"Pastor" Bill says the children would never come if he didn't offer the stunts, the dune buggies, the rock bands, all the expensive lights and stages and acts that are put on. I have my doubts.

Also, every penny, every penny of that budget should be spent wisely. For every dollar wasted on "Pastor" Bill Racing up on stage in a dune buggy, you could have fed a family of kids for a month. And what if the novelties and amusements are donated, shouldn't they all be used to raise money to actually help these kids, regardless of whether you draw them in to a big top circus freak show or not. Jesus, from what I know as an atheist, Jesus did not need a big entertainment arena to preach his gospel, he didn't need anything, not money, not lights and sirens and bands on stage, and certainly not a dune buggy. I think "Pastor" Bill has become so carried away with himself that he refuses to believe you can reach out to kids any other way. So while good money is wasted on stunts, that could be better spent on needy kids, you must also ask "OK, so it draws a crowd, but what does it teach them?" It teaches kids
*Normal life is boring
*Only follow the crowd
*Only go where there are bright colours and loud noises, and big toys and fun and games, because anything "serious" is boring
*Go where you can get free stuff and free entertainment, follow the offer of money and materialism and instant gratification
*Nothing that is not wealthy enough to offer such things could possibly be worthwhile

THE LIVE CRICKETS INCIDENT
Nobody forced the kids to eat live crickets. But think about it. What did it mean? Why would a man who says he loves god and believes his teachings, and says he loves the kids, why would he be telling the kids to eat live crickets. You have to remember a few points. "Pastor" Bill is quite strict. I have seen him, when kids didn't do as he wanted, he had them immediately ejected. SO then the message sinks in that around "Pastor" Bill, you must do as you are told. And also remember, I don't blame the kids. IF they go there for entertainment and not religion, that's not their fault, I don't blame them, it's the fault of the ones who draw them in by such cheap devices. But think about it. These poor kids, many have no money, some have hard, tough and sad lives, imagine how boring and depressing life can be if you have nothing to do and nowhere to go. So then "pastor" Bill comes along and it seems he offers everything in the world that is fun and exciting. But there are strings attached. Around him, you can't laugh out of line. That leads to expulsion. If you talk among yourselves. Expulsion. Pretty soon you get the message that if you want the "fun", entertainment, some free food, a present once in a while, well you have to take the loyalty and obedience to go with it. Not to God; to "Pastor" Bill instead. Do as he says. Tow the line. So then one day he says "Eat this live cricket". So you do it. Maybe the kids were scared to say no. Maybe they didn't want to lose the fun time with friends. Maybe they knew you have to keep "Pastor" Bill happy by helping to entertain the other kids. Who nows, maybe some were waiting for a real meal through Metro Ministries, maybe some were waiting so long they had sore stomachs, and they knew that if they wanted to keep getting the free stuff they needed, then they had to do this trick he demanded.

My point is, I don't think it's appropriate to see these kids being told to eat live crickets, to hear the inner guard run by Wilson exhorting the children to "chew it up, swallow it". That's not appropriate. And "Pastor" Bill says, these kids need a more extreme form of entertainment. Yeah? Well, ask any one of those kids if they ever did that on their own. Ask them if they would ever do such a thing just "for fun". I think then you'd see they only did it because "Pastor" Bill told them it would be fun.

And I know it sounds silly, but what about the crickets? I know we will kill flies and cockroaches, and what the kids did was hardly the same as teasing a kitten, but nevertheless what does it teach little kids? That good, harmless creatures should be killed for fun and amusement? Just for the sake of it? I'm not making a big deal about crickets, but my point is, getting kids to chew up and kill any live animal "for fun" does not teach them a good example when it comes to other
little creatures that do no harm to us. If I saw a man telling a little kid to kill a butterfly, well, I would find that quite disturbing.

THE DANGEROUS BIT I think it sets a worrying example because these kids get hooked in by all the fanfare and hooplah of a three ring circus, but then it's not long before "Pastor" Bill demands obedience from them, up to a point. At first no more than what perhaps a teacher or sports coaqch would ask, but then it goes further. I know that if a sports coach started telling his little league team to eat live crickets, or if a maths teacher did the same to their little kids, the complaints from parents would come in thick and fast. But in the carnival like atmosphere of "Pastor" Bill's Metro Ministries, it seems anything goes.
The real worry is that they become a "test", of the children's loyalty. This is a favourite of cult leaders everywhere. They start out as a leader, then quickly establish themselves as an authority figure. But then the temptation is too great. First they get there congregation to do good, and not do bad. That is there authority. But being good is normal for people, so a cult leader never knows if they are really obeying him, or just obeying society. So then the cult leader decides to deviate from society, as a test, to see if his congregation will follow. It's a test of faith. He cannot resist the temptation to set up a test of behaviour, that is not good, but is outside the bounds of normal behaviour, and he sets up this test to see who will follow, who will be absolutely obedient. It's happened so many times I don't need to give the examples in other cults. But it is a sure sign of danger, that this leader is going overboard, he's setting the bar too high, and might just see if his whole flock will follow him right off a cliff! Beware!

The street corner creation myth

The creation myth is probably one of the weakest points in my argument that the Metro Ministries is becoming a cult under the domination of "pastor" Bill Wilson. However, there are some characterisitics in his telling of the story that ring those cultish alarm bells.

First lets look at a selection of how I would choose to define a myth [I ripped them off the internet]:

a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

sacred stories that often explain the origins and worldview of a culture.www.louisianavoices.org/edu_glossary.html

Often used incorrectly to refer to a claim considered to be untrue. More correctly myth refers to a narrative account or story which contains the collective wisdom of a society and articulates beliefs concerning key aspects of individual identity or collective life. ...bitbucket.icaap.org/dict.pl

Now my point is, it doesn't matter whether "Pastor" Bill's creation myth is true or false, that only matters to him and the people who care about him.

But what is important is the way he tells it. His creation myth is told endlessly, over and over, to many different audiences, and what gets to me is his ability to retell it perfectly, almost verbatim, every single time. He is a master at emotional manipulation, and his normally hoarse and scratchy voice suddenly becomes his greatest asset in telling the story, as he has perfected it to just give out at the right moment, half teary and half inspirational, to pull at those old heartstrings and hook you in.
But he got caught out in a British made film about him. He made the mistake of letting them film him twice, as he went through the whole routine for two different audiences. They were almost identical, right down to the slight faltering in his voice, to really tug at your emotions.
What I find amazing is that he can turn this bottled Hallmark moment on and off at will, on cue, almost on tap he's so good.
In fact, if you compare any two tapes of his speech, he seems to have it so well rehearsed and well memorized that you wouled swear he was the tape recorder! That man deserves a Tony, he's so good [not an Oscar, because for a movie you you run through your routine just once, but like a true stage actor, he goes out over and over again, with exactly the same quality performance every time].
Break a leg, "Pastor" Bill! [That just means, "Good luck"]


Now here from my scratchy memory, I want to show you this not to make fun of the "Pastor", or his speech, or anything he may have gone through. I will explain why at the end. Here is roughly the way he repeats every rendition of his speech:
My mother, took me out one day to a street corner, and she said "I can't do this anymore, wait here." And she left me out on a street corner. I waited the whole first day, didn't know what to do, then the second, and finally waited three days...and she never came back. And I remember [starts to pause] I wanted to pray to God, I didn't know how to pray, but I said
GOD [makes voice really scratchy, then pauses] I want to give my life to you. And on that third day, someone I knew, he knew my mother, he came and offered me a place to stay, and taught me how to pray. And from that moment [really choking up] I knew...[long pause]...
that if God could reach out to me like that, then it was my job to teach this to others [long sincere stare, looking straight down the barrel of the camera]

Now, I wasn't laughing. All on up to this point, I was just listening to the TV, and well just listening. But when he told this story, I thought "Wow, now there is an inspirational guy", and I thought it was a really sad but also uplifting story.

BUT THEN Ten minutes later I see him, this time he's not talking to camera, but to a big auditorium, and I can see he's really working the room. He was out there in som god forsaken midwest town, and he tells the exact same speech!!! At first I was astonished, then I was mad. I felt manipulated. Like I suddenly saw him doing to those poor people what he had just done to me as a viewer -total emotional manipulation. All the pauses, all the teary choking up, his voice "faltering" -he was really laying it on thick. Now there were obviously some different words, but his style, the way he hooked them in, the way he whipped them up was all like a crooked two bit snake oil salesman. A real showman.

THE DANGEROUS BIT
Sure, he was out there in the midwest for "a good cause". But you can't deny, when he wants money, he can weasel it out of people, using his tricks and techniques as a showman. It doesn't matter if it's for himself or others, for good or evil, I say you must be worried, you must be wary, of a man who can turn on his emotions, on and off like a tap like that. That's no good. A man who can dupe you and fool you and reel you in like a sucker for a "good cause" today, will be just as slick and cunning and wily the next day, but will it be for a good cause next time? Who knows?

Time to expose this crooked cult leader!

All cults exhibit certain traits as warning signs, and I believe under the domination of "Pastor" Bill Wilson, the Metro Ministries are beginning to exhibit several of them.

1.A creation myth

2.Dominance by one man [usually a man] who demands unique, extraordinary or excessive loyalty and obediance to himself as a person

3.Strange practices carried out by members, or forced upon members, as an act of loyalty to the dominant man in the cult

4.Phony staged attacks against itself, or an unusually high number of threats received by members which create the pervasive sense of some sinister, unseen, enemy

Stay tuned for future updates on Bill Wilson and his sinister plans for the Metro Ministries as more information is received.