"Path to 9-11" Director's Cult Ties (Youth With a Mission)

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

I am not an expert on religious cults, but my interest in them began in the 70's when my family was thrown into chaos by one member's recruitment into a bizarre and ostensibly Christian cult.

That's why my interest was piqued when I searched "Path to 9-11" director David Cunningham's name and discovered that he is the son of Loren Cunningham, founder of the worldwide, evangelical missonary group Youth With a Mission (YWAM).
http://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/newsdesk_info.ph...

Started in 1960, YWAM is an "international, inter-denominational, non-profit Christian missionary organization whose motto is 'To know God and to make Him known.'" They claim to have more than 16,000 full-time workers in nearly 1,100 operation locations in 149 countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_With_A_Mission

The Wikipedia entry limits YWAM criticism to theological sticking points brought up by Calvinists and fundamentalists regarding the doctrine of original sin and the extent of free will (yawn), but I was not surprised to find a link to Rick Ross Institute at the end of the article. Rickross.com is an invaluable resource for information about hundreds, if not thousands, of cults and other controversial groups. Some are relatively benign; some are very destructive.

The Rick Ross YWAM page is pretty lightweight, with far fewer entries than for groups like the Unification Church, Scientology or the FLDS. And even critics and unhappy former members of YWAM acknowledge its good works.
http://www.rickross.com/groups/youth.html

But as Ross notes, the ends do not justify the means. And any group that initiates/brainwashes members through a prolonged and painful "confessional," takes members' money (through training fees and "love offerings") and then controls all aspects of their lives is a cult. The best that can be said is that YWAM doesn't hold members captive or discourage their leaving the group - but if you're stationed in a tiny country halfway around the world where you're being paid $7.00 a week - which is what YWAM pays - you'd better have friends or family willing to pay your way home.

But wait, there's more.

Also disturbing is Loren Cunningham's association with other controversial religious groups and movements, among them Promise Keepers, Campus Crusaders and Benny Hinn. The first two endorse YWAM on its site, and Cunningham has appeared on Hinn broadcasts.

Rick Ross claims that, according to Gary North, Cunningham has been studing Christian Reconstructionism since 1988. (North is R.J. Rushdoony's son-in-law - a writer, publisher and regular contributor to Lew Rockwell's poisonous website).

Finally, there is Rod Parsley, named by American Prospect magazine as a key figure in the 2004 Ohio election results. According to a November 2005 article,

"...Parsley has deliberately reached out to young people. His purpose was plain when he announced the planned formation of a new nonprofit organization, Reformation Ohio, in August. Reformation Ohio’s goals include, among other things, registering 400,000 new voters through its member churches and preaching to 1 million Ohioans over the next four years in an effort to convert 100,000. Many of these sought-after converts will be teenagers, through a $10 million campaign by Youth With a Mission, a nonprofit group that aggressively evangelizes through extreme sports, Christian rock concerts, dance, and performance art."

(Read the whole article about Parsley - very informative)
http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=V...

Sooo...

What's all this got to do with David Cunningham?

Well, his familial association raises a few questions, like - why was he chosen to direct it? His only other big credit is a film entitled "To End All Wars," another "true-life" story about a WWII POW's Christian strength and forgiveness of his Japanese tormentors. You'll find it praised on a number of sites like this:

http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2002/t...

But even more, it raises these question: Who funded this movie? What is their agenda? Who is really responsible for this rightwing bilge?

[ms liberty]

1. K&R - Great find - thanks! n/t

[annabanana]

2. Interesting stuff. . . k&r and bookmarked. . . . .n/t

[woodsprite]

3. Even more reason to write to Scholastic and try to get the

crap pulled from being passed to schools.

[KamaAina]

23. Scholastic is already crumbling...

they're backing away from it as fast as your average repuke congresscritter is from Bush**, though they haven't actually pulled the study guide:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[sandnsea]

4. Good work

The money flows back and forth between these right wing and religious groups, just like the Abramoff - Ralph Reed gambling scandal. The PTC that harrasses the FCC is Brent Bozell who was originally funded by Scaife et al. Scratch the surface of most any of this stuff and you find the same right wing nuts at the bottom of it. They really do want a certain type of white privileged Christian government with the money and power concentrated at the top.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

7. The Reconstructionist tie is most alarming to me

As well as the connection with Rod Parsley because of the implicit link to Blackwell. This is what I found in two hours online. I imagine there's more if I have time to look.

[glitch]

9. They've got deep pockets. I bet when all this is unraveled they will be

the cancerous node.

[me b zola]

54. Deep pockets lined with our tax dollars

This is the underlying reason behind "faith based initiatives". To funnel $$ from the treasury to these political groups that hide behind their nutty crusades. These groups in turn deliver the votes--one way or another for the gop.

I have said it before, we really do need to create a matrix of all of the faith based money and where it goes to.

[Joanne98]

19. I sent you a PM!

[Up2Late]

5. More info about that Cult at this link...

Not as dangerous as some other cults, but still a concern: <http://www.rickross.com/groups/youth.html >

Youth with a Mission

Rick Ross
October 1990
Founded by a California Assemblies of God minister, Loren Cunningham, in 1961. The organization reportedly has claimed (1982) more than 1,500 long-term and 10,000 short-term missionaries. Youth with a Mission (YWAM), with numerous bases internationally, Discipleship Training Schools throughout the United States and outside America, is one of the largest evangelistic missionary organizations in the world. Certainly, millions of dollars flow through its accounts yearly. YWAM does have substantial influence within the Evangelical Christian community....

(more at link) <http://www.rickross.com/reference/youth/youth6.html >

Mission Statement

<http://www.rickross.com/aboutus.html >
The Rick A. Ross Institute (RRI) of New Jersey is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization devoted to public education and research. RRI's mission is to study destructive cults, controversial groups and movements and to provide a broad range of information and services easily accessible to the public for assistance and educational purposes.

RRI maintains a large archive on the Internet and is available to assist researchers, the media, professionals and those concerned with accurate information about various cults, groups and movements and related issues of interest.

An Advisory Board of well-recognized experts assists the Institute; one of the most prestigious yet assembled in the field.

(more at link) <http://www.rickross.com/aboutus.html >

[bobthedrummer]

6. Maybe Jay F. Hein and the Office of Faith-Based and Community

Initiatives could be helpful.
http://www.mediatransparency.org/story.php?storyID=143

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=488110

[glitch]

8. Fine investigation, K & R nt

[opihimoimoi]

10. K&R'd AWESOME....Reality and Sanity was let loose....more evidence

[bobthedrummer]

11. Wally Hilliard owned the flight school where Atta and others "trained"

Huffman Aviation, he's "loaned" people like Jerry Falwell cash-but then again Hilliard has other connections to the shadow government of BFEE where funding is never a problem and where it comes from is not brought up.
Hilliard
http://www.madcowprod.com/issue41.html

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/12/6/211958/009

Huffman Aviation
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/entity.jsp?id=152184...

[EVDebs]

14. Read Alfred McCoy's Politics of Heroin

The subtitle says it all. I hear that Afgan heroin crop is increasing now. Hmmm.

[keepCAblue]

12. Wow. Good find. Certainly raises questions...

...especially that of "Who funded this movie?" It was not being paid for by advertisers, and I doubt very much that it's funding would come out of ABC's pockets. So WHO DID fund this piece of propaganda trash? As Deep Throat said, follow the money trail...

P.S., whenever I hear the term, "Christian Reconstructionism," I think of Howard F. Ahmanson Jr., who bankrolled Diebold and ES&S and is the major funding source for The Discovery Institute (intelligent design propaganda). And isn't it interesting that one of Disney/ABC's board members, John Bryson, is also a director on the board of the H.F. Ahmanson & Co. AND on the board of the Council on Foreign Relations?

John E. Bryson
Director (Boeing) since 1995

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Edison International, age 54. Mr. Bryson has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Edison International and its principal subsidiary, Southern California Edison Company (electric utility), since 1990. He is a director of The Times Mirror Company, H.F. Ahmanson & Company, and the Council on Foreign Relations, and a trustee of Stanford University.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

13. Very interesting

I had not been aware of Ahmanson. For such a secretive, reclusive guy he certainly has his thumb in a lot of bad pies. And that Bryson link between Ahmanson and Disney is interesting too. I am not conspiracy-minded and I need more evidence why Disney would take part in this outrage, but that may be a place to start looking.

[Raksha]

29. More proof that "the aspens turn together, because their roots

connect them."

[Joanne98]

32. Ahmanson, Diebold, Disney and the CFR. I think we found GOLD!

Somebody's GOT to investigate that one.

[keepCAblue]

15. YWAM and TFI (evangelical film company) behind PT911

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...


So that's what we've decided to do. Starting in July, along with our 'normal' discipleship efforts in YWAM, we will officially join The Film Institute - a new auxiliary branch of Youth With A Mission focused on tranforming film and television from the inside out. TFI's first project is a doozy: simply being referred to as: The Untitled History Project, it is already being called the television event of the decade and not one second has been put to film yet. Talk about great expectations!

more...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

16. Wow. That clinches it.

Whether the film was funded by YWAM or by their connections in the Christian Right, the director was selected because of his ties to YWAM.

I think we have found the agenda. Thanks!

[Karenina]

25. The Christian Reconstructionists

have a well-defined plan which they have spent DECADES installing. Corporate ties up the ying-yang and SHITLOADS O'DOUGH. Scholastic needs to go. They've always leaned right, but now have jumped into the sharky propaganda arm. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

[chat_noir]

17. We need all of the DU research done on this film to be compiled

and recorded in the Research Forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[The Magistrate]

18. Excellent Detective Work, Honey!

It is quite clear this is a hatchet-job by fundamentalist ideologues from start to finish.

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

38. Thank you, Love!

You know how I feel about fundies.

[Fiendish Thingy]

20. SWMBO et al - You guys are amazing!

Your ability to connect the dots in such a (relatively) short time is impressive!

The internet (as long as it remains free and neutral) is a beautiful thing...

[AX10]

21. Where are the wealthy liberals to counter this crap/

These damn "Christian" Reconstructionists are everywhere.

[thoughttheater]

22. Visual of The Bush Administrations ABC's

See a tongue-in-cheek visual of "A Guide to the ABC’s For Dummies"...here:

www.thoughttheater.com

[Ignis]

24. K&R -- keep digging! (nt)

[classof56]

26. Oh, damn.

These tangled webs just keep getting more tangled. As a long-time YWAM advocate, I now realize I have to do another one of those paradigm shifts. Just one more reason I remain...

The Tired Old Cynic

[notadmblnd]

27. get this out to the media

pronto!

[notadmblnd]

28. I'm thinking money was funneled through bushco

via his faith based charities initive. And it's all tax deductable.

[A HERETIC I AM]

30. This is why DU is almost always running on my 'puter.

OUT - STANDING Research.

VERY nicely done. Uncovering these sorts of connections is often difficult and/or very time consuming.
Your efforts are appreciated.







Yeah...thats enough smileys

[Wretched Refuse]

55. The long and winding Path to 9/11

Well, could not we go further back in our time machine and ask:
What the hell did George Bush I do to stop Osama? I mean why not do that? He had the whole middle east in his grubby little hands back in 1991, so why not take Osama out right then either?

Now HERE is a concept for y'all,

It has struck me that this "non-issue" (really if you think about all the treason this admin is doing, this is a non-issue) is REALLY the DLC re-asserting itself as the controller of ALL things Democrat.
I mean it is all a Clinton (+administration) face saving thing that now supposedly ALL good Dems come to the aid of their "fearless leader." Well, it really is sapping our "momentum" on other more important issues, and the corporate controlled DLC KNOWS THAT.

So, I have stayed outside the blogosphere on this one, except for the few phone calls to ABC radio to gnash my teeth on the air, with the likes of Levin (the Zionist) and the new idiot (Jerry) last night taking over Laura Ingram's 8-10 slot in the NY ABC market.

Screw Disney and ABC, they were the next to fall to the nazis after Fox anyway, everyone knew that. I believe that ABC is also stirring the pot to get all good Dems back into the DLC fold, as Hilary was starting to get REALLY antsy at the calls to debate Tasini and with Lamont, and the Screw the DLC push happening as of late, I feel this is the motive for the over-hype of this non-issue.

This all just another Corporate-control of our sense of "what is important."

[yorkiemommie1]

31. great job!!!!

k & r

[Anakin Skywalker]

33. Aah.....Now We Know! THANKS

for exposing this!

[pinto]

34. Thanks SheWhoMustBeObeyed. Good stuff.

[melnjones]

35. I know several people who have been involved with YWAM...

They are far better educated and more open-minded than your typical Christian. It is not, in ANY way that I have seen with any of my friends associated with YWAM, a cult. These are baseless accusations and the article is highly misinformed. If we are going to criticize an organization, there are many others far more worthy of criticism than this one.


On edit...
I did some research on the Rick Ross site to see what is said on there. Let me clarify my statements based on what Ross's website says.

I do not believe YWAM to be the ideal ministry organization. I do have some issues with some of how they do things. Some of the stories on Ross's website are a bit frightening and quite disturbing, but that is not the norm for YWAM, and I am saying that having personal contacts to several YWAM bases both in the US and abroad. My best friend stayed on a YWAM base for a couple months while looking for other housing in the country in which she is ministering, although she is in no way affiliated with YWAM. She is a liberal, very educated, and would have been highly aware of anything "cultlike" that was going on. Some of the complaints against YWAM, especially the complaint that people have to raise their own support, are just stupid. A good number of Christian organizations function in that way. It is in no way abnormal and certainly doesn't make it a cult. Some of the personal stories on Ross's website do have cult-like qualities and quite frankly piss me off, but one has to remember how large an organization YWAM is. A couple people reporting cult conditions does not make the whole organization a cult.

[melnjones]

37. Talking to a friend of mine on the phone...

Ironic that she just called right now after I posted this YWAM thing, but my friend did two terms with YWAM. I asked her about the research I found and she confirmed that YES, there are several bases that are shady that have or claim affiliation with YWAM. One of them WAS very cult-like, so much so that YWAM stripped the YWAM name from this particular base. So, there ya go. Still not an overall cult, IMO.

[keepCAblue]

40. And what do you make of YWAM's creation of a propaganda film company?

YWAM's "auxiliary branch", The Film Institute (TFI), is "dedicated to a Godly transformation and revolution TO and THROUGH the Film and Television industry," beginning with the Republican propaganda film, "Path To 9/11"????

This is from one of their member's websites, posted back in 2005 ( http://www.markandkrista.com/4559.html ):

So that's what we've decided to do. Starting in July <2005>, along with our 'normal' discipleship efforts in YWAM, we will officially join The Film Institute - a new auxiliary branch of Youth With A Mission focused on tranforming film and television from the inside out. TFI's first project is a doozy: simply being referred to as: The Untitled History Project, it is already being called the television event of the decade and not one second has been put to film yet. Talk about great expectations!

Our goal is to help filmmakers, actors, technicians, etc. realize their God given potential and purpose in perhaps the most influential sphere of modern culture - film and television.

And this from the same website ( http://www.markandkrista.com/30257.html ):

Our next big project is to assist in the development of the new YWAM auxiliary - The Film Institute (TFI). The Film Institute is dedicated to a Godly transformation and revolution TO and THROUGH the Film and Television industry;

TO it, by serving, living humbly with integrity in what is often a world driven by selfish ambition, power an money - transforming lives from within,

and THROUGH it, by creating relevant and evocative content which promotes Godly principles of Truth married with Love.

The Untitled History Project Begins Production July 25th. Please pray for the Executive Team, the Director's Team, Department Heads, Actors, Crew and Interns. Also please ask that the project would reach its target budget and schedule objectives. - and don't forget to pray for us!


OP's note: The "Untitled History Project" referred to is, in fact, the ABC mini-series, "Path to 9/11."

[melnjones]

41. I don't like it.

When I told my friend a little bit ago of YWAM's connection to this film, she was somewhat disappointed. Regardless, political ideology that we disagree with doesn't necessarily make a group a cult. It also needs to be said that thousands of people from very different backgrounds are affiliated with YWAM, and this connection to a stupid film doesn't speak for everyone. In fact, a friend of mine that is on a YWAM base right now in South America (she is Brazilian) and most (if not all) of the others with whom she is studying would definitely not take on the typical American Evangelical viewpoint on political issues.

I am a part of a fairly conservative Christian movement. I wouldn't call myself an evangelical, although many of those in my movement WOULD consider themselves thus. My movement overall doesn't support legalized civil unions, but I do. Overall they wouldn't support broad access to Plan B, but I do. They frown on any consumption of alcohol, which I disagree with (even though I myself have made a personal decision not to drink...I'd be a GREAT alcoholic and I know it , etc. My movement is NOT a cult. My movement (and I keep saying "movement" because we don't use the term "denomination" to describe ourselves, although that is in many ways how we function), like any organization, has some systemic problems. There are many in my movement with whom I would adamantly disagree on most subjects. However, I'm not the only one who holds my liberal point of view. We have a good number of Feminists among us, a good number of Democrats, etc. We're the minority, but we have a presence. I am defending YWAM because I have seen their organization have a great impact on the lives of some people I care about dearly, just as my movement is a treasured part of my life and I would hate to see ridiculous accusations spread through the Internet about it. It's one thing to criticize where criticism is due, and there are many places even in YWAM where it's probably due. It's another thing to condemn a whole organization that one knows virtually nothing about.

[keepCAblue]

44. I find YWAM's secrecy surrounding this film diabolical.

YWAM has gone out of their way to hide the fact that it is their organization's film company that is behind Path To 9/11, which suggests a dangerous and pre-meditated agenda to use film and television as a propaganda tool for the religious reich's extremist agenda. I suspect that YWAM also largely footed the production costs ($30M) AND must have agreed to pay ABC big bucks for the five hours of primetime air time (equating to MILLIONS of dollars) in order for ABC to offer the airing of this propaganda piece commercial-free. Equally troubling is YWAM's pushing of their film and related "study materials" onto our public schools, aided and abetted by Scholastic Publishing. Were the general public aware that this film was the creation of an evangelical "movement"--one with a confessed agenda "dedicated to a Godly transformation and revolution TO and THROUGH the Film and Television industry" -- said public would see this film (and the organization behind it) for what it truly is: An indisputable violation of separation of church and state and a subversive attempt to brainwash the impressionable minds of this nation's youth. Add to the foregoing the fact that Path To 9/11 is also being made available, free of charge, for massive distribution through iTunes and via Internet streaming suggests yet an even larger, more insidious, scheme. Clearly, this mass bombardment of propaganda, packaged as "history" and targeted largely to this country's youth and young adults, is no less than diabolical and highly reminiscent of the "Hitler Youth" movement of 1920's pre-war Germany.

The Hitler Youth was a logical extension of Hitler's belief that the future of Nazi Germany was its children. The Hitler Youth was seen as being as important to a child as school was.

Here's yet another fundie attempt at brainwashing this country's youth for political purposes (much like "Hitler's Youth), where children as young as six are schooled in how to "take back America for Christ.":

Jesus Camp: An intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future.
http://cafilm.org/films/673.html

The fact that YWAM expressly targets youth (i.e., the "youth" in "Youth with a Mission"), and on such a massive international scale--while at the same time producing, in secrecy, propaganda films--makes this organization highly suspect.

[melnjones]

46. Yes, I'm not thrilled about the secrecy surrounding this movie either,

and I hope to do a little investigating on it. I just also have a hard time trusting articles that make other statements that I know are false or misrepresenting of the organization. If I find anything out, I'll be sure to post it here.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

47. My family member who joined a cult was highly intelligent

Still is, in fact. But the cult got him at a vulnerable point in his life and it took him many years to escape their influence, years filled with conflict, pain and worry for all of us. It was a missionary cult that moved him from one dangerous location to another. When the Jonestown massacre took place we were devastated by fear as he was living in a similar region - and for all we knew, under similar circumstances.

So you can see why cults are a sensitive issue for me. However I took pains to portray YWAM as fairly benign. Compared with Amway, for example, Rick Ross has received few complaints about YWAM - and as stated in the OP, they are recognized for their good works. But he is not their only critic, and if you search "YWAM cult" you will find more criticism - as well as defense - of YWAM's methods, culture and even scriptural interpretation (Pelagian doctrine and Moral Government Theology, which left this former Catholic cross-eyed).

I recognize that cult definition has a moveable threshold depending on the definer, and that some personalities do poorly under authoritarian structure whether it exists in a religion or a corporate office. But while others thrive in a top-bottom organization that restricts their personal freedom, their ability to accept those limits doesn't change the nature of the organization.

In retrospect I regret leading this thread with the cult angle because the far more disturbing aspect is Loren Cunningham's association with Christian Reconstructionism and and others that indicates he is involved, unwittingly or no, with a movement to install a theocracy over our nation. And if it turns out that YWAM money helped finance a revisionist history of 9-11 to absolve a phoney Christian like George Bush, the implications will far outweigh any unhappiness experienced by a handful of YWAM recruits.

[McCamy Taylor]

36. Great reporting!

[illinoisprogressive]

39. Rod Parsley is in Kingdom Coming

by Michelle Goldberg. You may want to check out what it says. I read it awhile back but, I'll recheck it out and look into what it says again about him.

[KoKo]

42. Good Work!

I did some searching in a different direction and came up with the Saudi's as being behind it through the CityBank/AOL/Disney connections. Thinking it could be payback to the Bushies for the perks they got from all those bills the Repugs rammed through for de-regulation.

But, your research seems to have more direct connections than anything I could come up with the Saudi's as far as producer and director connections.

That's alot of money for Religious baking ...to run it without commercials it means there had to be alot of money given to ABC to produce it. Sure doesn't speak well of ABC to be involved with a religious group funding semi -propaganda, either.

Good work and applause to you and other DU'ers who followed the trails.

[Vinca]

43. Maybe it's swiftboating via the collection plate. nt

[LeftHander]

45. K&R

[VOX]

48. Absolutely **first-rate** work, SWMBO. Kicked and (strongly) recommended!

Thanks so much for dogging down this story. I know how time-consuming and brain-wracking quality research can be!

There's so much to this story that's not being reported in the MSM.

Keep fighting the good fight!

[bobthedrummer]

49. kick

[markam]

50. One more interesting tidbit

The production company is a corporation registered in California

UHP PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Number: C2727420 Date Filed: 3/24/2005 Status: active
Jurisdiction: California
Address
2400 WEST ALAMEDA AVE
BURBANK, CA 91521
Agent for Service of Process
MARSHA L REED
500 SOUTH BUENA VISTA ST
BURBANK, CA 91521-0105

The agent, Marsha Reed, is the corporate secretary for disney, or at least was up to 2002.

http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/proxy/proxy_20...

Edit

She has changed positions

Name: Marsha L. Reed



Title:Vice President-Governance Administration and
Assistant Secretary

http://bostonsec.stockgroup.com/filing.php?doc=1&attach...

[Coexist]

51. WHOA! There is the connection.

You should PM EarlG so he can update his front page piece.

[rman]

52. that's interesting

[DemReadingDU]

53. Great research, thank you!