Cult members disappointed that Judgement Day failed to arrive

After Judgment Day failed to arrive as expected this weekend, members of a northeastern New Mexico cult are left to ponder one question: What now?

Members of the Lord Our Righteousness Church near Des Moines believed they would escape their earthly bondage and ascend to heaven Friday night. Their once-active Web site came down, and a church representative sent the Journal an e-mail saying he didn’t anticipate having anymore contact with the media.

But as a small crowd of people and a TV news crew looked on from the gate to the wind-swept compound, midnight came. And then midnight went.

“They were looking for deliverance from God,” said Sarah Montoya, an attorney for the church’s leader, Wayne Bent. Montoya spoke with Bent’s son Jeff on Saturday. “They’re disappointed, but they understand that life goes on.” ....  - rnews

It is interesting how belief a cult by its members is actually strenghtened when doomsday predictions fail. This happens because people hate to believe they were suckered, so they make up elaborate justifications. Some may become convienced that their great faith prevented the event, for example.