In this installment of our ongoing series, "How To Escape from the GDT Cult", we will focus on the topic of deconstructing your beliefs. We will start with a couple of key definitions.
CHATTEL / BONDSMAN : noun an enslaved person held as the legal property of another:
example: "He had struck down my personality, had subjected me to his will, made property of my body and soul, reduced me to a chattel "…—Frederick Douglassan enslaved person held as the legal property of another.
APOSTATE: noun a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.
example: As soon as Lacey left her childhood home, she became an apostate.
CHATTEL or APOSTATE?
If you were born and raised in the Golden Dawn Tabernacle / Tabernaculo Emanuel, you are taught to believe there are only two paths for you to tread. You can either be enslaved to "The Word" (which is, in reality, Isaac and his rules), or become an apostate. Through our previous articles in this series and those yet to come, we aim to show that there's a third option: the road to freedom. Our past articles have covered physical resources to help you escape the confines of the GDT. In this piece, we will explore the process of attaining mental and spiritual liberation.
Historically, chattel referred to one person having complete ownership over another, with the children of chattel slaves remaining the property of their master. The masters employed numerous restrictions to keep the chattel within their control, primarily by implementing social controls from an early age. Unlike other slaves, physical force was unnecessary for chattel, who were not allowed to leave their owner's premises without permission. They were kept in a state of oblivion and granted just enough freedom to keep them content with their basic needs being met.
It might seem strange to compare our situation at GDT to chattel slavery. After all, we are free to come and go as we please, aren't we? To understand our situation better, consider that Isaac exercises what is known as authoritarian leadership. He wields total decision-making power and absolute control over his followers.
We are often asked how Isaac transitioned from being expelled from the U.S. Army to owning properties worth millions and exerting absolute control over families. What is his secret weapon? Recall the B.I.T.E. model?
Behavior control in this context refers to Isaac's manipulation of behavior through rewards and punishments, instilling obedience and dependence. Those expelled from the group are led to believe that "God" is displeased, and members are forbidden from interacting with them. They are cut off from their entire social universe—those they relied on for love, companionship, guidance, and livelihood. Most of those excommunicated from GDT lack connections or resources outside the cult.
Isaac's secret weapon incorporates all four aspects of the B.I.T.E. model. He dangles the carrot of salvation through him, while wielding fear as a stick. Who is his "monster in the closet?" It's the fear of shunning and apostasy. If you're in doubt about being a chattel or bondsman to Isaac Noriega, consider this: tell Isaac that you are planning to move out of state for a new career or to take your family on a summer road trip where you will visit several other churches. See how he reacts and if you still believe you're not under his control.
Let's Address the Monster in The Closet (Shunning/Apostasy)
The official term for this long-standing control mechanism is "Social Rejection". This tactic, classified as torture in some instances, causes psychological harm and is often employed as a form of punishment. High-control groups or cults often use this technique. For instance, Jehovah's Witnesses refer to it as "shunning" or living in apostasy, and the Amish and Mennonite communities permanently ostracize those who leave their faith or community.
Control mechanisms such as ostracization are frequently employed in religious groups identified as high-control or cult-like. An example of this can be seen in the practices of the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW), who use a method called "shunning" or consider the individual as living in apostasy. Those labeled as apostates are completely cut off from any contact with other church members, including their own families.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), more commonly known as the Mormons, employs a somewhat different approach. Their practice, known as disfellowshipping, is less severe in nature. The disfellowshipped members are still encouraged to participate in meetings but face restrictions like not being allowed to pray, teach, take sacraments, or attend the temple. Disfellowshipped men are also prohibited from carrying out priesthood duties.
Long-established American religious communities like the Amish and the Mennonites also adopt these control mechanisms. These groups live in close-knit tribal societies, and leaving the community one was born into for any reason results in permanent shunning. The norms are so rigid that one cannot usually relocate from their birth community even if they continue to practice the faith. The majority of the members spend their entire lives within close proximity to their respective communities. Employment opportunities for men are confined to the local area, while women, in most instances, are not allowed to seek jobs outside the home. A few exceptions allow them to sell homemade items online or locally produced fresh foods. In employing these mechanisms, the practices of the Amish and Mennonites bear significant resemblance to those followed by Isaac.
"Out From Under The Blood"
Isaac's chosen method of social ostracism is termed "Being taken out from under the blood". This technique isn't too dissimilar from those used by the previously mentioned religious groups, with minor variances in specific practices.
In GDT, an individual's identity is heavily intertwined with group membership, which could even be the case if they do not genuinely feel a sense of belonging. Therefore, shunning can deeply disrupt an individual's sense of self-empowerment and their understanding of their life's purpose as they have known it.
How do we diminish the impact of shunning? First, we must shed light on how it starts in GDT.
Isaac's preferred method of social rejection, while bearing similarities to other practices mentioned above, uses shunning as its primary tool, aiming to cut ties between you, your family, and your support system. From birth in GDT, your identity is entwined with being part of an elite group; thus, shunning can disrupt the empowerment and sense of meaning you've known all your life.
Historically, if you were baptized by Isaac, you were bound to his church forever, considered his property. For instance, a man baptized by Isaac at the age of 7 decided to attend another Tucson message church in 1993, when he was 19. Isaac instructed the parents, still GDT attendees, to cease all association with their son. When the young man asked Isaac, "So I made a lifetime contract with you at age 7?" Isaac confirmed, "Yes." Isaac's practice of binding children to lifetime contracts mirrors Scientology’s “Irrevocable & Forever Binding Membership Contract”. In GDT, it appears you may commit your soul to the Lord, but Isaac claims ownership of your physical existence?
Currently, Isaac is also excommunicating even unbaptized youths. Parents should challenge this: their children are not destined to be Isaac's inheritance. Let's be clear, our intent is not to insult GDT parents, but we believe it's time to reveal Isaac's view of us as his property. We reject the conditions GDT children are born into, and the parents' tolerance of such disturbing behavior.
Our aim is to reveal what the Bible says about individuals being saved by God versus a single individual or a Church.
The Beginnings of "Taken Out From Under The Blood" at Tabernaculo Emanuel
Around 1985, Isaac Noriega conducted special services spanning a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, during which he was the sole preacher. The culmination of these events was the "big night" on Sunday when, for the first time, he publicly invoked the ritual of taking former church members "out from under the blood". Although it's possible that he may have performed this act privately before, we would appreciate any additional information about such instances. However, this marked the first time Isaac publicly performed this ritual from the pulpit, openly naming individuals and entire families. This marked the beginning of Isaac's "out from under the blood" excommunication practice.
Some of the excommunicated individuals and families had left the church several years prior. Many of those who had left were flourishing according to message standards under Peary Green's ministry at Tucson Tabernacle. Among the departed were individuals who had become translators, musicians, and even occasional preachers at the Tucson Tabernacle. Peary Green personally vouched for numerous families, including several members of this author's family. Despite these attestations, Isaac never publicly absolved any of these families. More troublingly, even after Peary Green confirmed that these families were active members of his church, Isaac prohibited his congregants from associating with anyone who had left to attend Tucson Tabernacle, whether they were relatives or not.
One former member, who was a close friend of Isaac Noriega, reported that their friendship abruptly ended because he chose to keep in touch with one of the families who had moved to the other church. Isaac did not provide an explanation for terminating their friendship, but it seemed evidently linked to his disapproval of the former member's continued association with those families who had switched churches. Currently, the ramifications of such actions would be more severe as Isaac's restrictions on the congregation have progressively tightened.
Isaac Noriega - The Last Days Messenger?
Why has Isaac severed all connections with Message Churches in the Tucson area? Are they immersed in sin? In the current state of GDT, there's a prohibition on fellowship with any individuals or families who have moved under the influence of another message ministry. Recall the terms "CHATTEL / BONDSMAN".
Isaac's behavior and actions are reminiscent of a monarch governing his kingdom rather than a shepherd seeking to save souls. Shouldn't a good shepherd rejoice when a lost sheep is found? Isaac often pronounces from the pulpit, "Destroy the flesh to save the soul". So, when he receives confirmation from another message pastor that the soul in question is not sinning but instead being nourished by the Word of God, why should we still treat them as apostates? Isaac's unreasonable attitude towards anyone who leaves his fold indicates that his primary concern is maintaining control. A loss of control inevitably leads to a financial loss, a domino effect that Isaac dreads. Do you honestly believe that Isaac is perturbed and loses sleep over a single lost soul?
Conclusion
We ask our readers to consider, if Isaac cared about our souls like he says, then why are families or individuals who find another place of worship and fellowship treated as apostates?
Our message to Isaac Noriega is this - listen to what the Apostle Paul said about claiming ownership of people and taking credit for God's work!
1 Corinthians 3:6-9:
3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.
6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.
9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
Do you have any information you'd like to share about Golden Dawn Tabernacle / Tabernaculo Emanuel? Feel free to comment below, or you can contact us directly at our Contact Us page or via our social media accounts below.
Archived Comments#
7 comment(s) imported from the original site:
Anonymous again — July 1, 2023#
Amazing article! Thank you GDTR. How do you know a CULT is a CULT? By the way they treat the ex-members.
Anonymous — July 1, 2023#
People. Open your eyes. Most of you members aren’t happy. Don’t you miss your kids, your parents, your cousins and all your other friends and family that have left? I know I miss a lot of people stuck in Isaacs grasp very dearly. There’s one man there in particular I wish I could talk to right now. God isn’t only in GDT he is living in the hearts of all those who believe in him. And there are churches all over the world what preach the love mercy and grace Jesus gave to us. Remember our salvation is a GIFT. it’s not something we have to work for or get brownie points from Isaac and his approval to be saved. No my friends, it’s a gift given by the unconditional love Jesus has for me and you. Stop letting Isaac scare you into thinking you’re saved by works that he approves of and realize you’re saved by undeserving GRACE.
Nueva generation — July 2, 2023#
La manipulacion y el control , con falta de amor y crueldad con la que Issac domina a la pobre gente, es una manera que adoptan los padres de familia para controlar a los hijos… Primcipalmente la amenaza “biblica” y lo que mas domina alli LA MENTIRA…los padres enseñan a los hijos a mentir!!! Porque ellos mismos se mienten… Estan completamente envueltos en mentiras, y saben que su pastor les miente… No tienen el valor de enfrentar la realidad que la palabra dice que SATANAS ES EL PADRE DE LA MENTIRA… le enseñan a sus hijos que el abuso , El control, la mentira, estan bien, al aceprar ellos , este control en sus vidas… Es mas facil para ellos acusar a los que les quieren ayudar, de mentirosos, ya que estan completamente dominados por Issac, la oprecion con la que ellos viven , la amargura, el odio, el TEMOR que lleban dentro, se les puede ver en sus rostros y conductas cuando te los encuentras, no entiendo como pienzan que son la luz del mundo, Si el odio por los que se van les tranforma sus rostros y no se dan cuenta… A Dios grasias, Dios se ESTA moviendo en El corazon de los suyos, y siguen saliendo…
Anonymous — July 2, 2023#
Why do you people stick to the false doctrines that are taught in these churches? William Branham was not the Elijah of Malachi chapter 4. He is not the seventh angel of the book of revelation. I read in conduct, doctrine, and order, where William Branham, speaking of a particular woman, said that when she died, she died saved. He said he knew this because, she was a good Catholic woman. When does salvation come by being a good Roman catholic? They are so many false teachings in your groups.
Anonymous — July 3, 2023#
Its true. Did you GDT members know that WMB wasn’t in Tucson the day the “cloud” appeared? He was in Texas.
Also that “halo” above his head is actually a real light from an auditorium. If you see the actual picture there’s people in the back ground laughing and talking together. When Branham said a “light struck the lens”. He wasn’t lying. It was an actual light from the auditorium. There’s pictures of the same stadium with “halos” above other peoples heads in the same location.
Open you eyes and stop being blind to the truth.
To God be the glory — July 3, 2023#
The three prophecies that failed were: the brown bear, the municipal bridge , and the tent vision, and the cloud incident never took place. Issac said that the brown bear did not take place because branham disobeyed and was with people he was not supposed to have been with. But if that’s the case why did God not change the situation like he did for jonah and the whale. It’s because it’s all made up like Joseph smith admitted that Branham was not there when the cloud took place that instead it was Branhams theophany. Cognitive dissonance. Or just progressive revelation. This website is not to attack the messege or the people of golden dawn but these are arguments that issac has brought up from the pulpit. Then he lies then expects you to believe it. It’s so sad. that’s why he wants no one on the internet he wants you to only believe and not ask questions. The Bible said if you have doubts search the scripture and prove it thru scripture.1 Thessalonians 5:21 Isaiah 1:18 that’s what we have to do now. And are doing now. No hate just research. we just want gdt members to know the truth. The truth shall set you free.
Saved By Grace — July 4, 2023#
I just love knowing the tithe payers of GD are reading this information and no matter what Isaac and prince Matthew tell sya the truth is written all over their foreheads