| You could say I have a God-given love for the Jews | | | | devoted to it. I engaged in their ceremonies, singing |
| and the nation of Israel (Isaiah 62:6-7). That sacred | | | | and dancing, chanting their mantras and going into a |
| bond has been strengthened over the years by the | | | | group trance. But even though I knew their religion |
| fact that I've been blessed to have lived all over | | | | didn't accept drugs, I still used them, though they |
| Israel, getting to know its land and people quite | | | | were unaware of it. I was around 17 when I began |
| well.Apart from 5 months as a kibbutz volunteer at | | | | to shoot up drugs."After awhile David began to |
| Ramat Yohanan near Haifa, I've also served as a | | | | seriously question his involvement with the Krishnas. |
| kibbutz volunteer at Sdot Yam on the Mediterranean, | | | | He feared he had been wrong, had been misled in |
| next to Caesarea, the site of my first ulpan | | | | going to the guru. His amount and use of drugs |
| (intensive Hebrew course), and where Israel's | | | | began to dramatically increase, going to the bars |
| heroine, Hannah Senesh, was from; Regavim, near | | | | every night of the week, getting high and drunk, |
| Zichron Yaakov, where I continued my Hebrew | | | | began to take its toll on his body. By then it seems |
| lessons amid its rolling green hills; Reshafim, near Bet | | | | he had lost any spiritual strength he had."God Help |
| She'an, with Mt. Gilboa practically in our backyard, and | | | | Me""I really began to think about God," he says. |
| Jordan's mountains in lovely view out front; Adamit, | | | | "Suddenly I began to think about him seriously and |
| on Lebanon's border, high up on a mountain, from | | | | wondered if I had been deceived or enlightened in |
| where on clear days you can see all the way to | | | | Krishna. I begged God to lead me into all the truth. I |
| Haifa's Mt. Carmel; Shoval, a rose in the Negev | | | | had prayed about it many times and then one of the |
| desert, just north of Be'er Sheva; Dan, way up in the | | | | greatest miracles in my life happened" - he explains |
| northernmost part of Israel, in between Syria and | | | | while getting down on his knees to show how he |
| Lebanon, next to the majestic snow-covered Mt. | | | | had been praying. "All I remember is that I was |
| Hermon, where I was living when "Operation Desert | | | | purposely praying to the God of the Bible and really |
| Storm" blew in; and Ha'On, with its campground and | | | | hoped that somehow He would answer my prayer. |
| ostrich farm on the eastern shores of the Sea of | | | | Then it was like a hot brand was put upon my |
| Galilee, across from Tiberias; and last but not least, | | | | forehead. Two words were forcibly impressed upon |
| my beloved Jerusalem, next to my favorite spot on | | | | my mind: "FORSAKE HINDUISM!" Then I actually |
| earth: the Temple Mount.It was during my sojourn at | | | | wondered whether it was my subconscious that |
| Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan, while looking for the home | | | | gave me those words. I turned to my Bible that was |
| of the widow Simcha Gombo, a Worldwide Church of | | | | beside me and, unintentionally, opened it up to Psalms |
| God member and mother of Michal (who was deaf) - | | | | 115:4-8 - David's holding his Bible and reading it out |
| both of whom I had briefly met during the 1980 | | | | loud: "Their idols are silver and gold; the work of |
| Church of God celebration of the biblical Festival of | | | | men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; |
| Tabernacles in Jerusalem - that I met Ilan Itzhayek | | | | eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, |
| on the street and asked directions, as related in | | | | but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell |
| Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God).Ilan | | | | not; They have hands, but they handle not; feet |
| Itzhayek wrote the following full page article in | | | | have they, but they walk not; neither speak they |
| Hebrew that appeared in Hed HaKiryot, a newspaper | | | | through their throat. They that make them are like |
| in Northern Israel, just West of the Sea of Galilee, | | | | them; so is every one that trusts in them." "After |
| November 19, 1982. Please note that David Hoover is | | | | that I didn't need any further proof to know that it |
| the name I was born with before I legally changed it | | | | had truly been from God. That same day I burned all |
| to David Ben-Ariel, and forgive the imperfect | | | | my Hindu books, beads, posters..."."Dirty needles"The |
| translation of the Hebrew into English in this attempt | | | | drugs caused David's condition to continually |
| to preserve a part of the Church of God history in | | | | deteriorate. Everyone told him that he was |
| the Promised Land (and honor Ilan Itzhayek for | | | | destroying himself. He knew himself that he was |
| helping to make it).The Drug Addict Who Discovered | | | | going to die, but he wasn't able to help himself."All |
| God and the Kibbutzby Ilan ItzhayekHis name is | | | | that horrible time" - David says with a shaky voice - |
| David Allen Hoover - he's 22 years old and was born | | | | "I really wanted to be free. I didn't want to be |
| in Toledo, Ohio, USA.David, and other members of | | | | addicted to drugs. But I also felt that there wasn't |
| the Church he belongs to arrived in Israel last month | | | | anything in this world worth living for. I didn't have |
| as visitors in Jerusalem, but David stayed behind as a | | | | any power but I still tried to get off drugs. I ended |
| volunteer at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan. He doesn't mind | | | | up throwing away my needles, hoping to stop, but |
| any of the work they give him to do - whether it's in | | | | later I'd turn around and go back and take them out |
| the fields, in the factory or in the chicken incubators - | | | | and use them." Even though his needles had been in |
| he has ideals.David belongs to a very special Church | | | | the garbage, dirty and broken, he said he still used |
| called the Worldwide Church of God - they call | | | | them up to a dozen times, even though you're only |
| themselves the true Christians and consider the | | | | supposed to use them once! "I was taking the |
| conventional Christians pagan. They believe in the | | | | needles in my frustration and would bash them |
| Torah of Moses and observe Sabbath, as well as all | | | | against the wall so that I couldn't use them, but later |
| the annual holy days mentioned in the Torah. They | | | | I'd attempt to until it hurt me and I was bleeding. |
| believe Jesus Christ is the Messenger of God. The | | | | That's when I realized that I was addicted." David |
| Church has 100,000 brethren all over the world. A | | | | says, thinking out loud: "All I knew was that only |
| common belief they have is that they have been | | | | GOD could help me, not man!"David experienced |
| chosen by God to join the community of believers. | | | | "almost sure death" another time, besides the rock |
| Their leader is Herbert Armstrong, 91, whom they | | | | concert, when he was 18, and was in his bedroom |
| admire and consider that he's come in the spirit of | | | | mainlining some drugs. His mother was home at the |
| Elijah.David talks quite excitedly about his Church. He's | | | | time but was unaware of what was happening to her |
| very patient and ready to explain his convictions to | | | | son. "Suddenly everything seemed strange to me" - |
| you again if you haven't understood them. His | | | | David says trying to remember - "the music started |
| answers are filled with verses from the Bible and the | | | | sounding really weird...Later I woke up in the hospital |
| New Testament - verses that he knows by heart. | | | | and a doctor informed me that I had damaged my |
| He calls himself "chosen" because in his Church there | | | | liver and that it was a miracle that I still had a brain |
| isn't those "religious and not religious" - there's only | | | | and could think clearly."Goodbye and Good |
| the chosen. If you don't agree the Church doesn't | | | | Riddance"Those were my times of wandering in the |
| want you - which means that God hasn't called | | | | wilderness. God delivered me and took me out of |
| you.Scar in the HeartDavid hasn't always been in the | | | | Egypt into His light" - David says reflecting on his |
| Church. He was raised on a farm in Ohio that belongs | | | | past. "The inner struggle between good and evil |
| to his father's family. His parents were divorced when | | | | wearied me after awhile. I had been asking God what |
| he was 11 years old. A year later his alcoholic father | | | | I was supposed to do. I asked for power because I |
| died at the early age of 36. "All I remember about | | | | didn't have any strength and none of the churches I |
| my father," David says with a sort of bitter smile, "is | | | | encountered had the power necessary to deliver me |
| that he was drunk and always messing up the house | | | | from drugs. At the time I opened up my Bible |
| and arguing with my mom. He was always arguing | | | | unintentionally to Isaiah 45. The first verse that |
| with her. I was really young then so I really didn't | | | | caught my eye was verse 2: "I will go before thee |
| even get to know him. I almost can't remember how | | | | and make the crooked places straight: I will break in |
| he looks."It was a drastic change - his parents | | | | pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars |
| divorced, the move from the farm to the city, a | | | | of iron...". That verse succeeded to do for David |
| new school and then his father's death that deeply | | | | what he, of himself, had been unable to do for |
| affected him.Soon, with all of his being, David began | | | | years."No more drugs!" David said and that is how he |
| to search for a way to help him with his hurt. That's | | | | finally managed to be free from drugs. "Now I felt |
| when someone mentioned to him how you feel "high" | | | | ready to begin to listen to God. Sometimes you have |
| when you do drugs. So he began to really look for | | | | to first live in darkness before you can appreciate |
| drugs. He tried to find out who used them and where | | | | the light. I knew I wanted to live God's ways of life |
| they hung out. Shortly after trying pills, pot and hash, | | | | so I said good-riddance to drugs and to my old |
| he began to buy them regularly."When I was 15 | | | | friends and bad influences - to all of that I said |
| years old I stopped taking them by the mouth and | | | | goodbye and good riddance!""Drugs are a Lie"Shortly |
| started snorting them" - quickly adding ' "it's far more | | | | afterwards, David discovered the Worldwide Church |
| potent that way and it affects you more | | | | of God through their Plain Truth magazine. The ideas |
| quickly...money to buy drugs with wasn't a problem | | | | in it seemed so logical to him and not like all the |
| for me. It wasn't hard to get. The man my mom had | | | | others he had known.Soon David was one of its |
| remarried wasn't rich, but he definitely wasn't poor. | | | | excited believers. After a whole year of observing |
| The allowances I got I used to buy drugs with | | | | Sabbath and all the holy days of Israel, he was |
| instead of clothes or other things. My sister and I | | | | baptized as a brother into the Church.One of the |
| kept it secret that we were getting high and so our | | | | Worldwide Church of God beliefs is that there will be |
| parents kept giving us good allowances."It seems like | | | | a politico-military mess that will take place by next |
| David will never forget a Jethro Tull rock concert | | | | year. In their opinion, Germany, and maybe even |
| that he attended. "I had snorted some drugs, | | | | Italy, will attempt to conquer the world. That |
| smoked a lot of pot and hash and was drinking beer | | | | attempt will ignite a world war that will take two |
| until I was really high." He remembers, "I felt really | | | | thirds of the world's population, but that afterwards |
| strange. All I remember is being sat down by some | | | | there will begin a true peace for planet Earth. The |
| friends and the chair began to fall backwards...3 days | | | | members of the Worldwide Church of God will be |
| later I woke up in the intensive care unit of the | | | | among those that survive and they believe that |
| hospital with a heart monitor attached to me. I was | | | | eventually their beliefs will be accepted by all the |
| in serious condition and it had been getting worse but | | | | Earth.The doctrines of the Church are all biblically |
| the doctors worked hard to save me." "Later there | | | | based. Besides the above-mentioned prophecy there |
| was a special agreement between me and my | | | | is another one that states the world leaders will sit in |
| parents," David grins. "I was promised that if I quit | | | | Jerusalem and that Israel will become a "Light to all |
| taking drugs they'd allow me to let my hair grow long. | | | | nations." The whole world will have one |
| I promised and I didn't keep it. My hair grew down to | | | | government.David is writing a book, from his biblical |
| my waist."Wanderings and its MoralA different stage | | | | research, about the two prophets who will prepare |
| began in David's life: wandering through different | | | | the way for the days to come. David is also |
| churches. He was in and out of many churches during | | | | contemplating about writing an autobiography. He |
| his search for the true morals and values. He | | | | already knows what he would call it - Wanderings! |
| considered the members of traditional Christianity as | | | | He's convinced that he has a lot of experience to |
| hypocrites. Those churches had failed to fulfill | | | | give to others, and he's very interested in warning |
| him.After failing to find what he was searching for, | | | | those who might consider abusing drugs. "Drugs are a |
| David came in contact with Hinduism - the Hare | | | | lie" - he says - "and it would be a lot better if people |
| Krishnas. He was attracted by its exotic appeal, the | | | | would learn form the experience of others. Today |
| incense and vegetarian members of that cult. During | | | | I'm alive, very alive - and I feel I have a lot to live |
| a special Krishna festival in Philadelphia, he met a | | | | for!"David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and |
| famous leader in their movement who wanted him to | | | | author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. |
| become his personal aide and travel all over. David | | | | With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his |
| decided not to join because he didn't want to be | | | | analytical articles help others improve their |
| separated from his family. "I believed in Hare Krishna," | | | | understanding of that troubled region. Check out the |
| David says assured, "I loved the religion because it | | | | Beyond Babylon blog. |
| was physically and spiritually attractive and I was | | | | |