John Todd

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'''John Todd''' {{lived|1949|2007}} aka '''John Wayne Todd''', '''John Todd Collins''', '''Lance Collins''', '''Christopher Kollyns''', and '''Christopher Sarayn Kollyns,''' was a [[fundamentalist]] [[Christian]] apologist, [[conspiracy theory|conspiracy theorist]], convicted [[rape|rapist]], and [[child sexual abuse|child molester]]. He was a 1970s sensation on the [[Christian]] church circuit, claiming to have been born into a family of [[witch]]es who groomed him for eventual placement on a high council of [[Druid]]s known as the [[Illuminati]]. His tall tales were used as source material by [[Jack Chick]] for several of his tracts and comic books on the [[occult]]. During the time he said he was a [[Satanism|Satanist]] (circa 1968) he was actually a storefront preacher and follower of the "[[Jesus-only baptism|Jesus only]]" theology of [[William Branham]].<ref group=note>So should we conclude that Jesus-only baptism is a form of satanism?</ref> Ironically, during some of the time after he claimed to have converted to Christianity (circa 1976) he was running a Wiccan bookstore.{{citation needed}}

In truth, Todd was no warlock from a family of witches or anything remotely similar. He was instead a mere typist for the military, whose Army file contained delightful observations such as "emotional instability with pseudologica phantastica [compulsive lying]", inability to tell reality from fantasy, and homicidal threats to his fellow soldiers.<ref name=metz /> It is possible, based on that, that he wasn't ''consciously'' lying and he actually believed everything he said — further supported by him spending the last three years of his life in a mental institution.<ref name=kollyns />

==Claims==
{{cquote|[[Rothschild family|Phillip Rothschild]] ordered one of his mistresses to write an 1100-page book that would describe to all witches how they would take control of the World through the [[Illuminati]]: It's called [[Ayn Rand|Atlas Shrugged]].|||John Todd<ref>Todd, from a talk in 1978, quoted by James Japan in [https://www.jamesjpn.net/conspiracy/john-todd-the-illuminati-and-witchcraft/ John Todd, the Illuminati and Witchcraft]. jamesjpn.net, 28 April 2014.</ref>}}

Todd claimed that a [[conspiracy theory|conspiracy]] of witches and druids was in control of world events, and that they were about to enact a plan to stamp out "[[fundamentalism|Bible-believing]] Christianity" and make witchcraft the official religion of the United States. Why witches and druids would band together, and why druids would be part of a conspiracy to make witchcraft (wicca?) our official religion, rather than druidic paganism, is unexplained.  

He further claimed that he knew of all this because he himself had briefly been placed on the high council of the Illuminati, but then converted to [[born again]] Christianity and was now going to blow their cover and warn the Christian world of their plans. He appears to have gone through two periods on the evangelical circuit making these claims. During the early 1970s, he was making the rounds among Pentecostal and Charismatic churches, the same grounds frequented by [[Mike Warnke]]. He reappeared during the late 1970s on the [[independent Baptist]] church circuit making the same claims, and in addition denouncing the Charismatic movement as a creation of the Illuminati. In between, he seems to have returned to witchcraft for a couple of years.

He was, for a short while in 1978-79, a hot topic in Christendom. The apparent reason seems to be because his "testimony" dovetailed nicely with [[conspiracy theories]] then being circulated by the [[religious right]] about then-President [[Jimmy Carter]]. Todd said Jimmy Carter was the Illuminati's main man, whom they intended to place in power as the [[Antichrist]]. Jimmy Carter was in fact a born-again Christian, but since when did the religious right let facts get in the way of their political agenda? 

He also claims to have started [[Christian Rock]] as part of the Illuminati's plan to take over the churches with rock & roll's Satanic beat, with a $8 million (or $4 million — his testimony changed from time to time) dollar check from Illuminati/Witch HQ to Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel, which is just [[bullshit|stupid]].

One of Todd's claims was that [[Raymond Buckland]] (1934–2017), Gardnerian witch, founder of [[Wicca|Seax-Wica]], and prolific author, was not only a professor of anthropology at Cambridge University, but was hand-picked by [[Rothschild family|Philippe Rothschild]] to head the [[Illuminati]]. In reality, Buckland wasn't an anthropologist, had never taught at Cambridge, and at the time of Todd's claim, was working as a flight attendant for British Airways.<ref>[https://satanicpanicnews.blogspot.com/2011/04/john-todd-former-witch-and-illuminati.html John Todd, "Former Witch" and "Illuminati Insider"]. Satanic Panic News, blogspot.com, 8 April 2011.</ref>

==Controversy==

Todd eventually started making wild claims that many large fundamentalist Christian ministries were funded by and secretly promoting the agenda of the Illuminati, at which point he was investigated by ''[[Christianity Today]]'' and ''Cornerstone'' magazines and found to be an outright fraud (surprise!).<ref>[https://archive.ph/6IL0W The Legend(s) of John Todd]. Christianity Today, 2 February 1979. Archived from the original at holysmoke.org.</ref><ref name=metz>Gary Metz, [http://web.archive.org/web/20060419024813/http://www.cornerstonemag.com/pages/show_page.asp?437 The John Todd Story]. Cornerstone Magazine 48. Archived from the original at cornerstonemag.com.</ref> ''The Todd Phenomenon,'' a book from an evangelical Christian publisher, examined and debunked Todd's claims.<ref>Darryl Hicks and David Lewis, The Todd phenomenon: Ex-grand Druid vs. the Illuminati - Fact or Phantasy? New Leaf Publishers, 1979. ISBN 0892210613.</ref>

==Chick Publications==

[[File:Darkdung19old.gif|right|375px|thumb|Don't throw them away. '''Burn them!''']]
[[Jack Chick]]'s comic book ''Spellbound?'' features Todd appearing under his claimed "witch name", Lance Collins. ''Spellbound?'' claims the entire [[rock music]] industry is controlled by [[witchcraft|witches]], who cast spells on the master tapes to cause evil spirits to follow all the recordings thus produced, resulting in kids becoming [[demonic possession|demon possessed]] from listening to rock & roll.<ref>Spellbound?, Jack Chick Publications, 1978. ISBN 0937958697.</ref><ref>[https://boolean-union.com/dissections/boolunion/comics/BU.CHICK.C10.PART1.html Spellbound?] Boolean Union Studios, 2011.</ref> The comic concludes with a good Christian record and [[book burning]], during which a young born-again convert shouts "WOW! I feel F R E E!" upon seeing her [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] albums going up in smoke. Chick's comic book ''The Broken Cross'', featuring two evangelists busting up a Satanist cult that had taken over a [[California]] town, also cites Todd as its primary source.<ref>The Broken Cross (The Crusaders), Jack Chick Publications, 1974.</ref><ref>[https://boolean-union.com/dissections/boolunion/comics/BU.CHICK.C02.PART1.html The Broken Cross], Boolean Union Studios, 2012.</ref> An early version of Chick's anti-[[Dungeons and Dragons]] tract "Dark Dungeons" encourages readers to burn their occult books "including [[C.S. Lewis]] and Tolkien". After people called [[bullshit]] on both of those Christian authors being so labeled, Chick said Todd had been his source for this but removed it from later versions.

The [[Children of God]] [[cult]] (now The Family International) seem to have also promoted Todd and his claims via COG member and Todd supporter [[Joseph "Doc" Marquis]], who claimed to have been a former "Illuminati" member himself.<ref>[http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/John_Todd John Todd], xfamily.org.</ref> The book ''Every Knee Shall Bow'' by Jess Walter, probably the definitive work on the [[Ruby Ridge|Randy and Vicki Weaver saga]], says that Todd was a guest at the Weavers' home in the early 1980s when they still lived in [[Iowa]], where Todd gave a ranting speech on the global conspiracy.<ref>Walter, Jess. ''Every Knee Shall Bow: The Truth & Tragedy of Ruby Ridge & The Randy Weaver Family'', HarperCollins, 1995.</ref>

==Dramatic fall from grace and death==

In 1987, Todd was arrested for the rape of a University of South Carolina student and further charged with molesting two child students of the karate school where he worked. He wrote a message in prison claiming his innocence, and that [[Strom Thurmond]] ordered his arrest.<ref>[http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20Government/john_todd-defense.htm John Todd: Fact Or Fiction?] by David J. Stewart, June 2007, ''Jesus is Savior''</ref> He was sentenced to 30 years, but was released in 2004 to the Behavioral Disorder Treatment Unit run by the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, where he died on November 10, 2007.<ref name=kollyns>[http://web.archive.org/web/20160625002424/http://sc.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20060922_0001056.DSC.htm/qx Kollyns v. Hughes]. 22 September 2006. findacase.com.</ref> He was buried in Florence National Cemetery in Florence SC under the name "Christopher Sarayn Kollyns."<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72722174/christopher-sarayn-kollyns Find A Grave listing of Christopher Sarayn Kollyns]</ref>

His legacy lives on in smaller circles today. Some followers of his go so far as to claim he was killed in 1979 by the Illuminati.<ref>[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HUH2LN0-QAk John Todd was killed in 1979 don't trust Wikipedia]</ref>

==See also==
* [[Morris Cerullo]]
* [[Satanic panic]]

==External links==
* [https://satanicpanicnews.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/john-todd-former-witch-and-illuminati-insider/ Speak of the Devil: Entry on John Todd]
* [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmhKTejvqnoPQW9-PaOsBmXJhgtks89Lh Tapes of Todd if you’re REALLY curious]
* [https://campbellmgold.co.uk/archive_esoteric/john_todd.pdf A transcript of some of his lectures]

==Notes==
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==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Todd, John}}
[[Category:Baptists]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Convicted felons]]
[[Category:Fundamentalists]]
[[Category:Paedophilia]]
[[Category:Satanism]]
[[Category:Sexists]]
[[Category:Shysters]]
[[Category:Survivalism]]

Categories: Baptists, Christians, Convicted felons, Fundamentalists, Paedophilia, Satanism, Sexists, Shysters, Survivalism