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Branch Davidians
Developments since the tragedy
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Topics covered in this essay
The Branch Davidian movement continues, but is divided into two factions:
 | one is an anti-Koresh group which claims to be the original Branch Davidian group before
David Koresh took over. They erected a museum
on the site which was both anti-Koresh and anti-government. However, this
appears to have been abandoned and taken over by the following group. |
| The other group of about 24 members reveres the memory of Koresh and are still
attempting to comprehend the events in Waco in the light of Bible prophecy. They
anticipated that David Koresh would return to earth on 1996-DEC-13, and that they would
have been
reunited with the members who have died. If that had happened, it would have been a unique
event in the history of the world. It didn't occur on schedule. The current Branch Davidian theology believes that
the 2300 day interval prophesized in Daniel 8:14 began at
the time of the mass deaths at Waco, on 1993-APR-19 They felt that about 1999-AUG-6, the sixth seal will
be fulfilled. The Cleansing of the Sanctuary will occur, and 5 months of torment will
begin. Again, their prophecies did not materialize. As of 2004-JUN, they are
still meeting in the expectation that David Koresh will return and lead
them to the promised land. The Chicago Tribune reports that: "There
aren't many Branch Davidians left, their numbers having dwindled over
the years due to death and dispersal and disillusion. Only half a dozen
show up for the Saturday prayers; an additional 20 or so less fervent
believers are thought to live in the area." They quote member Clive
Doyle as saying: "Our hopes are that God will intervene prior
to the rest of us dying. But we do have to face facts: Eventually
everyone gets old and dies. We worry that we will go the way of the
Shakers and other groups that didn't get new members or have children."
He remains absolutely convinced that Koresh will be resurrected. He
said: "If it was all a deception, and yet we were convinced it was
right, then how can we ever know the difference between good and evil,
and right and wrong? If I was misled by God, then how would I ever
believe anything ever again?" 5 |
| About 250 surviving Branch Davidian members and relatives of the dead are suing the
Federal government. They believe that the fire was started when federal agents punched
holes in the walls of the compound and fired tear gas inside. They allege that the gas
canisters caught fire and started the conflagration that burned down the entire compound. |
| On 1997-SEP-7, US District Judge Walter Smith re-imposed long prison sentences on five
Branch Davidian members. Four men received 10 years for voluntary manslaughter and 30
years for using a firearm in a violent crime. The fifth was received 10 years for
possessing a hand grenade and 10 years for using a firearm. |
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| 1999-AUG-25: The U.S. Justice Department had long held that,
during the assault at Waco, the FBI did not use any pyrotechnic devices that
were capable of setting a fire. Danny Coulson, a former FBI official told
the Dallas Morning News on AUG-23 that two potentially incendiary M-651 tear gas
grenades had actually been used against the Branch Davidian compound. They were thrown at a concrete
construction pit that contained a tunnel entrance which led into the
compound. They bounced off of the bunker roof and landed harmlessly in a
nearby puddle. This occurred about 300 feet from the wooden compound
buildings. (Another source said 90 to 120 feet; the A.P. reported 120 meters
or 394 feet 1) The grenades appear to have been unrelated to the blaze.
They exploded at 6:07 AM, some 6 hours before the fire broke out. "An
investigation by a panel of independent arson experts concluded that the
April 19 fire began simultaneously just after noon in three separate places
inside the compound. FBI bugs intercepted Branch Davidians discussing
spreading fuel and planning a blaze for hours before the compound burned.
Arson investigators also found evidence that accelerants, ranging from
gasoline to charcoal lighter fluid and camp stove fuel had been poured in
the compound." 2,3 |
| 1999-SEP-1: The FBI is pushing for an independent investigation
into why it took 6 years for them to acknowledge use of incendiary tear-gas
canisters at Waco. A second proposal has been made to create a joint
House-Senate commission to investigate the affair. Meanwhile the House
government-reform committee is proceeding with its own investigation.
1 |
| 2000-SEP-9: Attorney General Janet Reno appointed former Senator
John Danforth, (R-MO) as special counsel to head up an independent
investigation into the Waco tragedy. He is an Episcopal priest, and
had been the attorney general in Missouri for eight years. |
| 2000-JUL-14: The relatives of some of the victims in Waco
held that the federal government was responsibility for the loss of
life in 1993. They had initiated a 675 million dollar wrongful death lawsuit. The
Texas jury decided that the government was not responsible for the tragedy.
The judge will make the final ruling in this case. |
| 2000-JUL-21: Former Senator John Danforth, (R-MO)
chairperson of a ten month independent investigation, announced that
the blame for the Waco catastrophe rests solely with David Koresh.
4 |
| 2000-JUL-28: According to Maranatha Daywatch, Attorney
General Janet Reno revealed that she had discussed with President
Clinton plans to storm the Waco compound on the day before the raid
was implemented. |
| 2000-AUG-15: The judge in the Branch Davidian wrongful death
lawsuit will order a court-appointed expert to provide testimony on
whether FBI agents shot into the Waco compound the day that it caught
on fire. |
| 2000-SEP-20: According to DayWatch news service:
"U.S. District Judge Walter Smith cleared the federal
government...of wrongdoing in the deaths of 80 Branch Davidians during
the 1993 standoff with federal agents at the cult's Waco, Texas
compound. Smith laid the entire blame for the deaths at the feet of
cult leader David Koresh. Special Counsel John Danforth and an
advisory jury reached the same conclusions earlier this year." |
A number of books have been written about the Waco tragedy. We recommend the
three books written by academics.
|  K.G.C. Newport, "The Branch Davidians at Waco: The history and
beliefs of an apocalyptic sect," Oxford University Press, (2006-MAY). He
argues that the tragedy at Waco was, according to an Amazon.com review:
"the culmination of a long theological and historical tradition that
goes back many decades. The Branch Davidians under David Koresh were an
eschatologically confident community that had long expected that the
American government, whom they identified as the Lamb-like Beast of the
book of Revelation, would one day arrive to seek to destroy God's
remnant people. The end result, the fire, must be seen in this context."
Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store |
| J.D. Tabor & E.V. Gallagher, "Why Waco: Cults and the battle
for religious freedom in America," University
of California Press, (1997). This book is written by two theologians who had
contact with Koresh during the standoff. They express concern about the public's irrational fear of
new religious movements.
Read reviews or order this book |
| S.A. Wright, Ed., "Armageddon in Waco: Critical Perspective on the
Branch Davidian Conflict," University of Chicago Press,"
(1996) This contains 15 essays by sociologists, historians, lawyers and
theologians covering all aspects of the tragedy. Read reviews or order this book |
There are also many book written from a non-academic perspective:
| Carol Moore, "Davidian Massacre: Disturbing questions about Waco
which must be answered," Legacy Communications, (1996) This takes
the position that the government intentionally massacred the Branch Davidian
with machine guns from helicopters. Ms. Moore is an investigative reporter. Read reviews or order this book |
| D.J. Reavis, "The Ashes of Waco: an investigation,"
Syracuse University Press, (1998). An account of the tragedy by a
journalist. Read reviews or order this book |
| D.B. Kopel, P.H. Blackman, "No more Wacos: What's wrong with
federal law enforcement and how to fix it," Prometheus Books,
(1997). Chosen as a main selection by the Conservative Book Club. Read reviews or order this book |
| David Thibodeau, Leon Whiteson, "A placed called Waco: A
survivor's story," Public Affairs, (1999-SEP) A book by one of the
9 Branch Davidians who survived the fire. He blames the government for the
loss of life. Order this book |
Internet web site with information on Waco and the Branch
Davidians:
| S.A. Wright, "Armageddon in Waco", University of Chicago Press,
Chicago IL (1995) |
| V.T. Houteff, "The Great Controversy Over 'The Shepherds Rod",
Universal Publishing Assoc., Waco TX (1954) |
| J.D. Melton, Ed, "The Encyclopedia of American Religions, Vol. II",
Triumph Books, New York (1991), P. 676 |
| T. Miller, Ed, "America's Alternative Religions", SUNY Press,
Albany (1995), P. 149-158 |
| D. Koresh, text of taped sermon recorded on 1993-MAR-02. Analysis by
Stephen Tice included. See:
gopher://wiretap.spies.com/00/Library/Religion/Fringe/koresh.txt |
| D.J. Reavis "The Ashes of Waco. Featured at
http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/ The site also has a FAQ at:
http://rampages.onramp.net/~djreavis/Ashes_faq.html |
| J. Tabor, E.V. Gallagher, "Why Waco", University of California
Press (1995). Featured at:
http://home.maine.rr.com/waco/ww.html |
| The PBS program Frontline has a FAQ list on Waco. See:
http://www.boston.com/wgbh/pages/frontline/waco/topten.html |
| An expose "GOP keeps focus on ATF'S mistakes in Waco" is
available at:
http://www.nando.net/newsroom/nt/nation7.html |
| Another expose, by K.S. Van Horn "Abuses of the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, and Firearms is at:
http://www.access.digex.net/~croaker/koramer.html |
| The Waco Massacre is at:
http://www.magnet.ch/serendipity/waco.html |
| The "Internet Crime Archives" contains descriptions of various
"killer cults [which] tend to be led by charismatic megalomaniacs who
pit themselves and their churches against the rest of the world". They
include the Branch Davidian group. See:
http://www.mayhem.net/Crime/cults.html |
| A list of 45 references to the Branch Davidian group and to its leader
can be accessed at:
http://www.unc.edu/~elliott/koresh.txt |
| Congressional testimony by Dr. Bruce Perry concerning treatment of
children at Waco is at:
http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/civitas/publications/congress.html |
| "Real History Archives" has links to two conspiracy-minded WWW
sites about the Waco incident. One includes a map to the compound. See:
http://www.webcom.com/~lpease/waco.html |
| "...the official website of many Branch Davidian survivors who
were with David Koresh during the 51 day siege at Mt. Carmel" has
three domain names":
|
| The Waco Holocaust Electronic Museum describes the Waco
disaster as an intentional government extermination. They appear to accept
the existence of flame-throwing tanks. See:
http://206.55.8.10/SkyWriter/WacoMuseum/ |
- Michelle Mittelstadt, "FBI wants impartial probe of Waco tear-gas
admission," A.P., 1999-AUG-31.
- Lee Hancock, "Waco: FBI to acknowledge use of pyrotechnic devices
- New account on Branch Davidian fire expected," Dallas Morning
News, 1999-AUG-25. See http://www.cesnur.org/testi/waco.htm
- "Reno orders probe as FBI reverses on Waco gas," New York
Times news service, 1999-AUG-27. See http://www.cesnur.org/testi/waco1.htm
- "Waco: Who's telling the truth? John Danforth's investiation,"
Policy.com, 1999-SEP-20, at: http://www.policy.com/
- Howard Witt. "Waco Sect Survives," Chicago Tribune, 2004-JUN-14,
at:
http://dickstaub.com/
Copyright © 1995, to 2006 by Ontario
Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally published: 1995-SEP-28
Last update: 2006-APR-13
Author: B.A. Robinson
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