Having been raised a Seventh-day Adventist, the 5th generation of strident believers in 'the last days' prophecies, I understand all too well where the Branch Davidians are coming from... and trust me, they never went away. The core teachings of the Adventist faith include a strong wariness of the government, which according to their prophetess, Ellen G. White, will one day unite spiritualism, Catholicism and apostate Protestantism and create Sunday laws that attempt to prohibit Adventists from worshiping on their beloved Sabbath. And while this Davidian offshoot of Adventism may have had its unique interpretations and practices, they were not far from the core.

But the problem I see is that the Branch Davidians are not all that different from many others in this country who stockpile weapons, turn inward and believe that the government will one day move against them… Ever hear of the prepper community? And what’s worse is that this behavior has only been amplified of late.