ReligionNewsBlog.com, Apr. 27-28, 2004

Wed, Apr. 28, 2004
[Symbionese Liberation Army] Former SLA member sentenced to four years
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7008-.html
Former Symbionese Liberation Army member James Kilgore, who dodged authorities
on bomb and murder charges for decades, was sentenced Monday to 41/2 years in
prison on federal explosives and passport fraud convictions.  Kilgore, who was
extradited from South Africa in 2002 after living there as a professor, was a
member of the 1970s radical group that kidnapped newspaper heiress Patricia
Hearst. Authorities say he was the last unaccounted-for member of the
revolutionary group to face justice.

[Polygamy] Arizona governor sent bill that targets child bigamy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7007-.html
The Arizona Legislature approved a proposal intended to combat the forced
marriages of teenage girls in polygamist enclaves.  The bill creating the crime
of child bigamy now goes to Gov. Janet Napolitano. It was approved Tuesday in a
25-0 vote by the Senate.

[Kim Il-sung] Many died saving Kims' portraits from Korea blast
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7006-.html
Many North Koreans died a "heroic death" after last week's train explosion by
running into burning buildings to rescue portraits of leader Kim Jong-il and his
father, according to the North's official media.  Portraits of Kim and his late
father, national founder Kim Il-sung, are mandatory fixtures in every home,
office and factory in the hardline communist state of 23 million. All adults are
required to wear lapel pins bearing images of one or both Kims. [...] The prison
diaries of North Korean defectors refer to people imprisoned for accidentally
defacing portraits of the Kims.

[New Order of the Latter Rain] Cult banned from K-State sues Minnesota
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7005-.html
A cult that was banned at K-State over 20 years ago has shown its face again on
a different campus.  The group is commonly known as Maranatha, and it has
re-emerged at the University of Minnesota. It is suing Minnesota because the
university is not allowing it to become a student group. Bill Macinstad, former
member of Maranatha at Minnesota from 1998-2000, said the group still is a cult.
Some things the pastor, Bruce Harpel, was telling them to do led him to believe
this. [...] "They are going against what the Bible says," he said. "They are not
Christian. They are practicing theosophy, which is the merging of science,
religion and philosophy." [...] The most known before Macinstad's investigation
was that Maranatha is affiliated with the New Order of the Latter Rain and was
started by Robert Weiner in 1972.

[UCKG] Church makes its second bid for ex-cinema
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7004-.html
Campaigners are vowing to fight a church's second application to take over a
former cinema. The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) plans to turn
the ABC Cinema building, in Bromley Road, Catford, into a worship and conference
centre. This is the second planning application for the dilapidated site by the
group, which rose to prominence after a pastor reportedly told the aunt of
abused Victoria Climbie the child had spiritual problems.

[Netherlands] Netherlands to crack down on cannabis tourism
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7003-.html
The Dutch government is working on an action plan to combat 'cannabis tourism'
from abroad and cannabis plantations in the Netherlands. [...] Justice Minister
Piet Hein Donner has instructed his department to concentrate on tackling drug
tourism from abroad and eliminating large-scale cannabis cultivation in the
Netherlands. [...] Health Minister Hans Hoogervorst has ordered research into
the possible risks of the high levels of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.
Dutch-grown cannabis is said to have particularly high levels of THC. The
results of this research and the findings of a second study into the possible
link between cannabis use and psychiatric illness will be incorporated into
future government policy on cannabis, Hoogervorst said.

[Marcus Wesson] Fresno mass murder suspect pleads innocent again
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7002-.html
A June 21 trial date was set Tuesday for a man accused of killing nine of his
children, but an attorney said it's not clear a trial can begin at that time.
Marcus Wesson, 57, also pleaded innocent Tuesday to nine counts of murder and 13
counts of sexual assault, all of which had to be refiled after authorities
consolidated 33 previous counts of sexual assault. Investigators think the
victims, who ranged from a 25-year-old woman to a 1-year-old, were all Wesson's
children. Police said Wesson engaged in incest and polygamy, fathering children
with his daughters and nieces. Testimony from officers who interviewed Wesson's
daughters and nieces after the killings said he exerted extreme control over his
family, preaching to them daily and telling them salvation would come only
through him.

[Mormon Church] Mormons building temple in San Antonio, Texas
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7001-.html
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will open its most sacred
building in San Antonio later this year. [...] Church President Gordon B.
Hinckley — whom Mormons consider a prophet like Moses and others mentioned in
the Old Testament — has quickened the pace for building temples. "The factors he
considers are proximity and LDS Church population in a given area. The idea is
to bring the temple to the people so it's convenient for them to visit," said
church communication director Gary Gomm. The San Antonio metropolitan area has
16,584 Mormons, less than 1 percent of the population. The total number grew by
33.7 percent from 1990 to 2000, according to the American Religion Data Archive.

[Islam] Islamic call to prayer over loudspeaker closer to approval
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6999-.html
Only an mayoral veto could stand between a mosque and its bid to issue a
five-times-daily call to prayer over a loudspeaker.  The City Council voted
unanimously Tuesday night to amend the Detroit enclave's noise ordinance to
allow the Bangladeshi al-Islah mosque to carry the call to prayer between 6 a.m.
and 10 p.m.  The amendment will take effect 20 days after it is officially
published unless vetoed by Mayor Thomas Jankowski, who has indicated he will not
do so, WJBK-TV reported.  The loudspeaker-borne prayers have caused ethnic and
religious friction in Hamtramck, a blue-collar city of 23,000 that once was
overwhelmingly Polish.

[Schools and Religion] Schools to teach UK's six main religions
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6998-.html
Children should begin to learn about another religion alongside Christianity
from the age of five, according to new government guidelines on teaching
religious education published yesterday. By the time they have finished
compulsory education, they should have learnt about the six principal religions
represented in the UK - Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and
Sikhism. A report drawn up by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
- the government's curriculum and examinations watchdog, says: "It is important
that schools make every effort to ensure that during their school life pupils
encounter the principal religions." The report also calls on young people to
study other minority religious traditions, singling out the Baha'i faith,
Jainism and Zoroastrianism, in particular.

[Church and State] Supreme Court Rejects Appeal on VMI Supper Prayers
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6997-.html
A divided U.S. Supreme Court let stand on Monday a ruling that reading a prayer
before supper to Virginia Military Institute cadets violated the
constitutionally required separation of church and state.

[Islam] Australia preparing to outlaw Palestinian group Islamic Jihad
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6996-.html
Australia is preparing to outlaw the Palestinian radical group Islamic Jihad
under tough new counter-terrorism laws, officials said on Wednesday. [...] Under
counter-terrorism laws that came into effect recently, anyone belonging to,
training or recruiting members for a banned terrorist group can be imprisoned
for up to 25 years.

[Islam] Computer Student on Trial for Aid to Muslim Web Sites
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6995-.html
Not long after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a group of Muslim
students led by a Saudi Arabian doctoral candidate held a candlelight vigil in
the small college town of Moscow, Idaho, and condemned the attacks as an affront
to Islam. Today, that graduate student, Sami Omar al-Hussayen, is on trial in a
heavily guarded courtroom here, accused of plotting to aid and to maintain
Islamic Web sites that promote jihad. As a Web master to several Islamic
organizations, Mr. Hussayen helped to maintain Internet sites with links to
groups that praised suicide bombings in Chechnya and in Israel. But he himself
does not hold those views, his lawyers said. His role was like that of a
technical editor, they said, arguing that he could not be held criminally liable
for what others wrote. Civil libertarians say the case poses a landmark test of
what people can do or whom they can associate with in the age of terror alerts.
It is one of the few times anyone has been prosecuted under language in the
antiterrorism law known as the USA Patriot Act, which makes it a crime to
provide "expert guidance or assistance" to groups deemed terrorist. "Somebody
who fixes a fax machine that is owned by a group that may advocate terrorism
could be liable," said David Cole, a Georgetown University law professor who
argued against the expert guidance part of the antiterrorism law this year, in a
case where it was struck down by a federal judge.

[Religion Trends] Profs study race, religion
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6994-.html
White Americans think racial discrimination is increasing although black
Americans think it’s decreasing, a recent nationwide telephone survey of more
than 2,000 Americans found. The findings are the first phase of a three-year
study called the American Mosaic Project, which examines race and religion in
the United States. Three University professors and others designed the survey,
which the University of Wisconsin Survey Center conducted last summer. It
includes 120 questions about the respondents’ views on race, religion
intolerance and prejudice. [...] Hartmann said the group also found competition
drives anti-Semitism — not religious intolerance.

[Christianity] Christian churches growing in Russia
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6993-.html
In St. Petersburg, home to 4.5million people, there are only about 8,000 who
regularly attend evangelical or Protestant churches. A larger number identify
themselves as Russian Orthodox, but most are atheists or agnostics, he said.
Among young people, however, interest in Christianity is growing, said Baranov,
31. Most of the people in his church are his age or younger, and many are
children, he said. St. Petersburg has some 80 Protestant or evangelical
churches, but most have fewer than 50 members. Of 35 Baptist congregations in
the St.Petersburg area, only eight have church buildings. The rest meet in
offices, homes or commercial buildings, such as the beauty shop.

[Amish] Ejected by U.S., Amish man back in Canada
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6992-.html
An Amish man who had been living in Pennsylvania is back in Canada while he
continues challenging a law requiring his photo be taken for legal residence in
the United States. Daniel Zehr, 29, of Kitchener, Ont., returned Saturday after
a judge last week refused to allow him to stay in the country during his
challenge.

[Satanic and/or ritual abuse] Sex and satanic rituals claim as priest is accused
of murdering nun
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6991-.html
Depending on whom you believe, Gerald Robinson is either a quiet, somewhat
remote, balding cleric who has faithfully served the Catholic Church for the
past 40 years, or a sexual pervert and participant in bizarre Satanic rituals
who killed a 71-year-old nun and covered up the crime. Either way, the
66-year-old priest is the talk of the Rust Belt town of Toledo, Ohio, where he
has been arraigned on murder charges and imprisoned in the county jail after his
arrest last weekend. His case is not only replete with details straight out of a
Gothic melodrama, including one particularly lurid report of a ritual involving
a teenage girl, a snake and a human eyeball. It is also once more throwing an
unwelcome spotlight on the moral integrity of the Catholic hierarchy, which in
this case supported Fr Robinson and allowed him to continue his pastoral duties
even after he was formally placed under investigation for murder last year.

[Satanic and/or ritual abuse] Victims' group faults reaction by local diocese
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6990-.html
A priest accused of killing a nun 24 years ago continued to serve until his
arrest, and a local victims' group wants to know why the Toledo Catholic Diocese
didn't place him on leave last year after a woman accused him of perpetrating
sadomasochistic sex or when investigators reopened the murder investigation.
Standing outside Toledo Municipal Court, the leaders of the Toledo chapter of
the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) raised the question
yesterday after the Rev. Gerald Robinson was arraigned on murder charges. He is
charged with the April 5, 1980 slaying of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl in the
sacristy of a Mercy Hospital chapel.

[Deeper Life Christian Church] Shady fundraisers vanish from city
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6989-.html
A group from Dallas, that`s been collecting donations for several weeks at a
Wichita Falls intersection, is suddenly gone today, after we aired a report on
their background yesterday. The solicitors say they are not members of the
Deeper Life Christian Church out of Florida, but the church is helping them find
shelter and get their lives straight. [...] A Florida newspaer describes the
church as like a cult and says members are closely controled by the founding
family.

[Deeper Life Christian Church] Shady fundraising
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6988-.html
They said they`re with Deeper Life Christian Church and they were raising money
for the homeless.  [...] But what many of those donating yesterday didn`t know
is that the church has been in trouble for fraud. According to newspaper
reports, in 1999, four of the church`s pastors as well as the church itself,
were convicted of receiving stolen goods and laundering almost $20,000 a month
in food stamps. And at least 3 of these fundraising trips have proved fatal,
including one last year when a 14 year old was crushed under a van carrying
church members.


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Tue, Apr. 27, 2004
[Church and State] Trial to decide case of religious song
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6987-.html
A federal judge said Monday that he will hear arguments that Isle of Wight
County school officials hampered a student's First Amendment rights when they
kept her from singing a religious song at her high school graduation ceremony.
[...] Ashby, 18 at the time, volunteered last spring to sing at her Windsor High
School commencement ceremony, as a few students usually do every year. But
school officials balked at the lyrics of her chosen song, "The Prayer," which
mentions God and faith and has religious undertones. School officials did not
let Ashby or any other student sing.

[Buddhism] Dalai Lama can visit Russia only as religious figure
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6986-.html
The Dalai Lama can visit Russia, but only as a religious figure not a
politician, Igor Rogachyov, the ambassador of Russia to the People's Republic of
China, said at a press conference in Moscow. According to him, Russian Buddhists
made another request to allow the Dalai Lama to come to Russia. "The Dalai Lama
has been knocking at our door for the umpteenth year asking to be let to come at
the request of our believers," Mr. Rogachyov noted. He recalled that every year
in late spring, Russian Buddhists from Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva make requests
to let the Dalai Lama come to Russia. Until now, such requests were declined.

[Science and Religion] New ways of thinking move from New Age to science
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6985-.html
Like many enterprising thinkers and scientists before her, Mayer is attempting
to bridge the gap between intuitive, creative thinking and hard, rational
science. Building such a bridge means changing the way the medical and
scientific establishment thinks, she acknowledges, and that happens slowly. But,
she insists, it does happen. And it is happening. Ideas that were formerly part
of the New Age fringe - such as the connection between body and mind, between
emotions and physical well-being - have been validated by advances in
neuroscience and welcomed into mainstream medicine. The government is funding
research into alternative and complementary medicine, and major universities are
funneling funds and resources into research on - believe it or not - anomalous
phenomena. The most recent Gallup Poll reports that more than half of Americans
believe in anomalous phenomena such as ESP, unexplained coincidence or prayer
healing. A common response to discussion of anomalous phenomena, however, is for
certain New Age, kook or woo-woo alarms to go off, even in spiritually friendly
Northern California. But Mayer is not from the New Age world of crystals,
incense and past-life regressions.

[Satanic and/or ritual abuse] Area authorities no strangers to cult, ritual
probes
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6984-.html
The recent investigation into the 1980 murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl wasn't
the first time authorities have come across the possibility of satanic rituals
in northwest Ohio. Five years after the Mercy Hospital nun was strangled and
stabbed, tips, surveillance, and an infrared aerial sweep of Spencer Township
prompted Lucas County Sheriff James Telb and investigators to spend two days
excavating a woody area in western Lucas County. They were looking for the
bodies of 50 to 60 babies and children who reportedly had been sacrificed over
several years during cult rituals. [...] Investigators found nothing of
substance, and the dig was abandoned. But nearly two decades later, the
allegations then loosely echo those of a woman who told local authorities last
year that, as a child, she was an unwilling participant in rituals in which
other children and animals were sacrificed or mutilated. [...] The woman's
claims have not been confirmed by local investigators, but they were enough to
lead authorities to reopen the murder investigation.

[Da Vinci Code] Defenders of Christianity Rush to Debunk 'The Da Vinci Code'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6983-.html
Fearing that the best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code" may be sowing doubt
about basic Christian beliefs, a host of Christian churches, clergy members and
Bible scholars are rushing to rebut it. [...] Word that the director Ron Howard
is making a movie based on the book has intensified the critics' urgency. More
than 10 books are being released, most in April and May, with titles that
promise to break, crack, unlock or decode "The Da Vinci Code." Churches are
offering pamphlets and study guides for readers who may have been prompted by
the novel to question their faith. Large audiences are showing up for Da Vinci
Code lectures and sermons. "Because this book is such a direct attack against
the foundation of the Christian faith, it's important that we speak out," said
the Rev. Erwin W. Lutzer, author of "The Da Vinci Deception" and senior pastor
of Moody Church in Chicago, an influential evangelical pulpit.

[Antisemitism] Survey: European anti-Jewish sentiment decreases
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6982-.html
Negative attitudes toward Israel are on the rise in most Western European
countries even as anti-Jewish sentiment decreases across the continent,
according to a new survey by the Anti-Defamation League. The survey, Attitudes
Toward Jews, Israel, and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in Ten European
Countries, was released Monday in Berlin ahead of an international conference on
anti-Semitism sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE). It found that since 2002, anti-Semitism has decreased in Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland while
anti-Israel sentiment has increased almost across the board.

[Islam] Muslim 'rock star' on terrorism
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6981-.html
A leading American Islamic cleric is visiting Wales to examine the fight against
terrorism. Sheik Hamza Yusuf addressed 100 invited guests in a speech at Cardiff
Castle on Monday called "Extinguishing the fire: Our war on terrorism". His
45-minute talk looked at the problems facing Islam, terrorism and community
unity. [...] Sheik Yusuf, aged 45, is one of the world's top Muslim academics
and was one of the first Islamic figures that President George Bush turned to
for advice following the 11 September attacks. Born Mark Hanson, the son of two
US academics, he converted to Islam when he was 17 following a car crash. He has
been dubbed "the rock star of the new Muslim generation" and is on a three-week
tour of the UK and the event in Cardiff is the second in a series of talks
across the country.

[Polygamy] Utah filing targets ban on polygamy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6980-.html
When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last summer against a Texas law that forbade
private homosexual activities, Justice Antonin Scalia ominously predicted the
decision would spell the end to laws against a list of other taboos, including
polygamy. The ruling, Scalia said, "effectively decrees the end of all morals
legislation" and would likely require laws against "fornication, bigamy,
adultery, adult incest, bestiality and obscenity" to be subsequently declared
unconstitutional. Using that train of thought, a Utah civil rights attorney has
now asked U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart to pick up where Scalia left off and
strike down the state's century-old ban on polygamy.

[The Passion of The Christ] 'The Passion' puts some believers on the outside
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6979-.html
With Mel Gibson's blockbuster earning more than $355 million Sunday at the box
office and energizing evangelicals and conservative Catholics across the United
States, some devout Christians have found themselves facing a dilemma. They
prefer not to view the film, because of its violent and gory nature or its
traditionalist orientation, but feel pressure from pastors and other Christians
to go. Some even say they are made to feel anti-Christian for not joining in the
"buzz" surrounding the film at their Sunday services. Since the debut of "The
Passion" on Feb. 27, churches of many denominations have virtually made viewing
it an act of religious faith. Some have rented cinemas and bused members to
showings. Special study groups have been organized to discuss the film and Jesus
Christ's life and crucifixion, while "Passion" Web sites and chat rooms
flourish. But for some Christians the violence in the film, which depicts in
gruesome detail Christ being beaten with nail-studded whips until his skin is
caked in blood, is too much to tolerate. Many fear the visceral images could
leave them more traumatized than spiritually transformed.

[Islam] French imam row goes to top court
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6978-.html
The French interior ministry has said it will appeal against a court decision to
cancel the deportation of a controversial Muslim preacher.  A regional court in
the city of Lyon on Monday upheld Friday's ruling that Abdelkader Bouziane, who
was deported on Wednesday, could return to France. The government had promised
to supply evidence to justify the deportation. Mr Bouziane, 52, was criticised
over an interview in which he condoned beating and stoning unfaithful wives. The
remarks drew criticism from local politicians and moderate Muslims, who
described the preachings as "medieval". Correspondents say the decision is a
setback for the new Interior Minister, Dominique de Villepin, who had argued
that the deportation was legal on the grounds that the imam used his mosque to
advocate violence.

[Islam] Firebrand Muslim cleric bids to stay in UK
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6977-.html
Abu Hamza, 44, whose appeal will cost taxpayers a reported £250,000, will go
before a panel of judges at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in
central London next January. Hamza is appealing against Home Secretary David
Blunkett's attempt to strip him of UK citizenship and send him back to the
Yemen. The hook-handed preacher from north London has caused outrage with a
string of firebrand statements about Iraq and September 11.

[Islam] Rally by Muslims knocks terrorism
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6976-.html
Hundreds of residents from across the Valley gathered Sunday night at Phoenix's
Patriots Square Park to join what is believed to be the nation's first Muslim
rally against terrorism. "The killing of innocent people out of revenge, out of
hate or out of retribution is against the absolute laws of Islam," said Zuhdi
Jasser, a physician who organized the rally. "Suicide is against the absolute
laws of Islam. "People can justify their actions all day long, but we as Muslims
are here to say clearly their actions are against everything we believe." Jasser
said he was motivated to organize the rally by ongoing claims that moderate
Muslims in the United States have not voiced a "groundswell of condemnation"
against the terrorist activity that destroyed the World Trade Center on Sept.
11, 2001.

[Islam] Soccer player sent off for wearing Islamic head scarf in Australia
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6975-.html
  female soccer player was told she could not play for her local team unless she
removed her Islamic head scarf, officials said Monday. Afifa Saad, who has tried
out for the Victorian state team, played for the South Melbourne Women's Soccer
Club wearing her white head scarf, or hijab, and long track pants, in accordance
with her religion. On Sunday, at a game between South Melbourne and local club
Keilor Park, the referee told her she had to remove her scarf or she could not
play. The girl, whose age was not released, refused and after a delay the game
was called off. The Victorian Soccer Federation said it will investigate the
incident. Referee development manager Chris Bambridge said the referee could
face  disciplinary action. Bambridge said the referee, who had about 12 years of
experience, had possibly breached anti-discrimination laws.

[Mormon Church] Mormons open temple doors to share beliefs
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6974-.html
One of the hottest tickets in New York right now is just off Broadway: a tour of
a new Mormon temple. It's a rare glimpse of the architecture of a unique,
often-misunderstood religion, a sense of the sacred expressed in light and
mirrors and enveloping silence. [...] It surprises even New Yorkers that 42,000
Mormons live in the metro area. [...] Expect those numbers to soar. Temples and
converts, like chickens and eggs, each prompt the other. In 2000, there were
only 50 temples worldwide. [...] Christians who say the Bible is God's final
revelation object to the Mormon belief that founding prophet Joseph Smith
received a third testament from Christ, the Book of Mormon, transcribed in 1830
for the Latter-day Saints.

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And some items posted after the last headlines-letter was mailed:

Mon, Apr. 26, 2004
[Islam] Militants in Europe Openly Call for Jihad and the Rule of Islam
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6973-.html
The call to jihad is rising in the streets of Europe, and is being answered,
counterterrorism officials say.  In this former industrial town north of London,
a small group of young Britons whose parents emigrated from Pakistan after World
War II have turned against their families' new home. They say they would like to
see Prime Minister Tony Blair dead or deposed and an Islamic flag hanging
outside No. 10 Downing Street. They swear allegiance to Osama bin Laden and his
goal of toppling Western democracies to establish an Islamic superstate under
Shariah law, like Afghanistan under the Taliban. They call the Sept. 11
hijackers the "Magnificent 19" and regard the Madrid train bombings as a clever
way to drive a wedge into Europe. On Thursday evening, at a tennis center
community hall in Slough, west of London, their leader, Sheik Omar Bakri
Mohammad, spoke of his adherence to Osama bin Laden. If Europe fails to heed Mr.
bin Laden's offer of a truce — provided that all foreign troops are withdrawn
from Iraq in three months — Muslims will no longer be restrained from attacking
the Western countries that play host to them, the sheik said.  "All Muslims of
the West will be obliged," he said, to "become his sword" in a new battle.
Europeans take heed, he added, saying, "It is foolish to fight people who want
death — that is what they are looking for."

[Nuwaubians] Macon officers step down over York case
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6972-.html
Eight Macon law enforcement and emergency officials resigned Monday after they
said Mayor Jack Ellis failed to listen to new evidence in the federal case about
cult leader Malachi York. But city officials said there is nothing they could do
about the federal case against York, who was sentenced to 135 years in federal
prison last week on charges of child molestation and racketeering.

[Hate Groups] White supremacist guilty of plotting to kill judge
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/6971-.html
White supremacist leader Matthew Hale, whose gospel of "racial holy war" was
linked to a follower's deadly shooting rampage five years ago, was found guilty
Monday of trying to have a federal judge killed.  Hale, 32, was found guilty of
four of the five charges against him. He was found innocent of one of two counts
of soliciting the murder of a federal judge. The judge was not attacked. [...]
U.S. District Judge James T. Moody did not immediately set a sentencing date.
Solicitation of murder carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Hale
could also get a maximum of 10 years on each of three counts of obstruction of
justice.

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, Apr. 29, 2004

[Feng Shui] Locating a lucrative qi
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7035-.html
Feng shui master So Man-Fung using a '24 Mountain' compass, a gauge for
determining a building's energy, or qi, outside a client's apartment in a Hong
Kong estate. So is a former hairdresser who, after more than 20 years as a
professional feng shui consultant, is now regarded as one of Hong Kong's
masters. He's just one of many. Hong Kong has been suffering through high
unemployment, which hit a record 8.7% last year due to the SARS outbreak. The
joblessness has stirred a crisis of confidence in the once-booming economy that
has many people looking for new careers. Long-time feng shui masters fret that
the rush into fortune-telling as a business will degrade the ancient art.

[Hate Groups] The Conviction of Matthew Hale
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7034-.html
The conviction of notorious hate monger Matthew Hale for trying to get a judge
murdered in Chicago may have ended whatever remains of his white supremacist
group, the World Church of the Creator. [...] Hate group monitors say Hale
inflated the group's membership numbers, claiming tens of thousands when there
were never more than a few hundred.

[Hate Groups] FBI steps up monitoring of hate groups Web sites after Hale
verdict
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7033-.html
The FBI has increased its monitoring of hate groups' Web sites after the
conviction of a white supremacist on charges he sought to have a judge murdered,
agency officials said. Federal officials won't tolerate anyone crossing the line
from protected free speech to advocating violence in the wake of Matthew Hale's
conviction, said Richard K. Ruminski, the FBI's assistant special agent in
charge of counterterrorism investigations in Chicago. Ruminski said Tuesday that
a couple of unnamed Web sites have been of particular concern, with views
"almost threatening in nature."
"It concerns us to the point where we're going to see what legal actions can be
taken in order to maybe legally take that Web site down," he said.

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Jehovah's Witnesses challenge police
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7032-.html
Topsfield may have a bylaw requiring door-to-door solicitors to register with
police, but it does not apply to religious groups distributing faith-based
materials, said Topsfield Chief of Police Dan O'Shea. Earlier this month, the
issue came under scrutiny when the town's Board of Selectmen received a letter
of complaint from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York. The
Society, which represents the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses, stated in their
letter that Topsfield police officers had advised their ministers to register
with the police department before engaging in public ministry.

[Christianity] Mormonism ministry moves into LDS country
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7031-.html
"We were always open to relocating," said McKeever, a California resident since
1957. "California is so expensive. We began to think, is this a good use of
God's funds?" Their search, quite naturally, took them to Draper, Utah, a
suburban community 20 miles south of Salt Lake City. "The only one (location)
that made any sense was Utah," he said. It's a fertile habitat for McKeever, a
born-again believer who has dedicated years to the study of Mormonism and the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to McKeever, seven of
every 10 Utah residents are Mormon.

[Mormon Church] City Embraces LDS Church's Arguments Against Strip Club
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7030-.html
City officials, using arguments advanced by the Mormon church, are seeking to
revoke the license of the Crazy Goat Saloon, a downtown strip club. [...] "I
expected it. I know who's running the show," Crazy Goat co-owner Daniel Darger
said Wednesday. "The church (says) 'Jump,' and they say `How high?"' he said.

[Deepak Chopra] Deep, deeper, deepest
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7029-.html
What makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise? Deepak Chopra thinks he knows, and
he's sold 20 million books to prove it. David Jenkins meets the good doctor at
his Chopra Centre for Well Being in California.

[Transcendental Meditation] Students organizing cultural exchange
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7028-.html
High school students from the Scattergood Friends School in West Branch, a
Baha'i youth organization and five American Indian groups are slated to take
part in a cultural peace exchange this weekend at Maharishi School in Fairfield.
The exchange is being organized by members of the Students Creating Peace
Network, a group founded by Maharishi School students after the 1999 Columbine
school shootings in Colorado. Originally called End School Violence Now, the
group expanded its focus and changed its name after Sept. 11, 2001.

[USA] Suspects' rights 'ignored by US'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7027-.html
The Bush administration has ignored the fundamental rights of two American
terrorism suspects by jailing them and denying them access to lawyers and
courts, the Supreme Court was told yesterday. The court was hearing two human
rights cases with far-reaching implications for individual liberties. People
queued all night to get into the hearing. The key issues are what rights
Americans have when they are designated "enemy combatants" and how far President
George W Bush's authority can and should extend over judicial matters on issues
of national security.

[Catholic Church] Catholic Priest Who Aids Church Sexual Abuse Victims Loses Job
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7026-.html
Twenty years ago, the Rev. Thomas Doyle warned the nation's Roman Catholic
bishops about the church's looming sexual abuse nightmare. Since then, he has
become a hero to the victims, speaking out on their behalf and helping them in
legal cases in recent years. In doing so, Father Doyle also became a thorn in
the side of the church hierarchy. In the latest chapter of his turbulent career,
Father Doyle was quietly removed from his job as an Air Force chaplain in a
clash with his archbishop over pastoral issues.

[Obituary] Evolutionary Biologist Maynard Smith Dies
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7025-.html
John Maynard Smith, a leading evolutionary biologist widely credited with taking
the radical step of applying game theory to the subject, has died at the age of
84.

[Islam] German Headscarf Bans May Be Unconstitutional, Lawyers Say
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7023-.html
German state laws banning Muslim teachers from wearing headscarves in publicly
run schools may be unconstitutional as they contravene the principle of
religious equality, lawyers said. Lower Saxony today became the second German
state to pass a headscarf ban.

[Islam] Second German State Bans Headscarf
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7022-.html
Lower Saxony became the second German state to ban Muslim public school teachers
from wearing headscarves after regional deputies voted in a new law to that
effect yesterday.

[Islam] Canadians Muslims will get sharia courts to settle disputes
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7021-.html
Canada is embarking on an unusual judicial experiment that will allow members of
its Muslim community to submit to the teachings of the Koran to resolve a
variety of civil legal disputes, ranging from divorces to business conflicts.
The new model, which will be closely examined by other countries grappling with
the place of growing Muslim communities in their populations, is to be
administered by a body of imams and Islamic scholars, the Islamic Institute of
Justice, which was created at the end of last year. It will be pioneered in the
province of Ontario under a law introduced in 1991, the Ontario Arbitration Act,
which allows minority groups to provide arbitration to members in a limited
number of civil matters. Enforcement of rulings and awards would be left to
Canada's regular courts. [...] But they will not be allowed to deal with
criminal matters. Ontario's government is insisting that cases will only go
before Muslim arbitrators with the voluntary assent of all parties involved.
Brendan Crawley, a spokesman for the Ontario attorney general, said: "If the
award is not compatible with Canadian law, then the court will not enforce it.
You can't agree to violate Canadian law." There is also the concern among some
Muslim women that they will feel religious and social pressure to enter the
Sharia system when sometimes they would rather avoid it.

[USA] 'Frontline' takes a balanced look at Bush's religious faith
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7036-.html
The Bush seen here may startle those who've doubted either the authenticity of
his faith-based convictions or his political smarts. What can be difficult
sometimes, as "The Jesus Factor" makes clear, is distinguishing between the two.
And how much that should matter. [...] "The Jesus Factor" shows how Bush used
his religious bona fides to help his father win the White House in 1988 and to
forge his own political path. While underscoring the depth of his conviction, it
also shows how many of the nation's estimated 70 million evangelical Christians
appreciate his public support of government funding for issues like faith-based
initiatives and the so-called partial-birth abortion ban.

[Islam] Muslim terrorism will be around for years, says Dutch spy chief
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7020-.html
The Netherlands will have to get used to living with the threat of terrorism for
years to come as Muslim extremists are very difficult to combat, the head of the
Dutch AIVD secret service has warned. While acknowledging some short-term
successes against Muslim terror groups, AIVD boss Sybrand van Hulst said on
Thursday the groups are becoming more autonomous and regional, making them
harder to detect and dismantle. He warned terror groups were increasingly
focusing on soft targets - both people and objects that are easy to get access
to.

[Islam] Dutch politician: ban 'Islamic' incitement
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7019-.html
The parliamentary party leader of the Christian Democrat CDA party, Maxime
Verhagen, has called for a new law to outlaw activities that threaten democracy.
Under such a law, Islamic religious leaders, or imams, and directors of mosques
in the Netherlands could be held criminally accountable if, for example, the
call for gay people to be murdered, Verhagen told newspaper Trouw. [...] There
was a storm of protest last week about the book - translated as the Way of the
Muslim - which is available at El Tawheed mosque in Amsterdam.  The book
advocates violence against women and killing gay people. Gay people should be
thrown head first off high buildings, it says. If not killed on hitting the
ground, they should then be stoned to death, the book suggests. Earlier in April
another book available at El Tawheed mosque, 'Fatwas of Muslim Women', caused
uproar when it emerged it backed the idea of female circumcision and beating
women who lie to their husbands. The controversial mosque has been accused of
preaching intolerance and the oppression of women. One of the mosque's clerics
infamously described non-Muslims as "firewood for hell".

[Satanic and/or ritual abuse] Ohio Diocese Eye Satanic Slay Allegations
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7018-.html
The Toledo Diocese is taking another look at a woman's previously dismissed
claims of satanic sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests now that one of the
clergymen has been charged with the "ritualistic" slaying of a nun 24 years ago.
The Rev. Gerald Robinson was arrested last week on charges of strangling and
stabbing Sister Margaret Ann Pahl, 71, about 30 times during Easter weekend
1980. Her body, covered by an altar cloth and surrounded by burning candles, was
found in a hospital chapel. Pahl's body was posed to look as if she had been
sexually assaulted, but investigators said they found no evidence of sexual
activity. Bishop Leonard Blair announced Tuesday that a seven-member diocesan
review board will re-examine allegations made by a woman who told the panel in
June that when she was a child she was physically and sexually abused by several
priests, including Robinson.

[Yazidi] In Iraq, ancient sect quietly lives on faith
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7017-.html
This is the sacred temple of the Yezidis, often - though wrongly - known as
"devil worshipers." As followers of one of the world's oldest and most unusual
religions, Yezidis practice a faith that reveres Malak Ta'us, an angel in the
form of a peacock, and forbids eating lettuce, wearing the color blue or
marrying in April. But if their beliefs are far from mainstream, the Yezidis
themselves reflect the great ethnic and religious diversity of Iraq, a rich
melange of Christians, Kurds, Muslims, Chaldeans, Turkmen and Assyrians. And
like others who suffered so much under Saddam Hussein, the Yezidis who survived
his rule are determined to ensure their rights in a new and hopefully democratic
Iraq.

[Hate Groups] Neo-fascist ringleader admits attacking leftists, cult
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7016-.html
Ichiro Murakami, the leader of a neo-fascist samurai sword appreciation society,
has pleaded guilty to a series of charges, including violent attacks on
pro-Pyongyang Koreans and the AUM Shinrikyo death cult. [...] The court also
heard that Murakami had deliberately gone out to attack high profile targets to
gain publicity for his ultra right-wing beliefs, then boasted about his bravado
to members of his club.

[Feng Shui] Feng Shui masters revel as Asian property picks up
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7015-.html
Asia's feng shui masters are thanking their lucky numbers as the ancient Chinese
practice gains in popularity and the region's property markets are on the
upturn.  Feng shui has become so popular among Asia's ethnic-Chinese business
elite from Bangkok to Beijing that Western investors are hiring practitioners,
partly to please staff and local partners. For example, self-styled Singapore
"queen of feng shui" Lyn Yap, who counts Oracle Systems, Citibank and ICI Paint
among her clients, said IBM paid $6,000 for her services. She ensured the
positioning and characteristics of IBM's seven-story office conformed to the
principles of feng shui - which means wind and water - to maximize energy flows
and improve the fortunes of the firm and its staff.

[Feng Shui] Correct Placement: Around Your Neck
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7014-.html
Feng shui: It's an ancient Chinese tradition, it's a New Age lifestyle -- and
now it's a trademark. Irwin Sternberg, the neckwear maven who gave the world
Jerry Garcia ties, told a business conference at the University of Baltimore
yesterday that he has trademarked the words "feng shui," which mean "wind and
water" but describe the art of placing objects in accord with principles of
energy and balance.

[Christianity] Church on break from coffee biz
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7013-.html
Pastor Clint Roberts makes it clear that his church isn't going out of business
- just the coffee house. [...] The relocation of the coffee church on Main
Street is news because of the role it has played the past few months as a pawn
in the dispute between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the
Crazy Goat Saloon/strip club. The LDS Church wants the city to revoke the Crazy
Goat Saloon's sexually oriented business license on the grounds that it violates
a number of city ordinances, among them the rule that no establishment can allow
employees to take almost all their clothes off within 1,000 feet of a church
(I'm paraphrasing here).  The LDS Church would have used its own downtown places
of worship to satisfy the 1,000-foot rule, but Temple Square is 1,202 feet from
the Crazy Goat's property (by my pacing). The Main Street Coffee House/Summit
Church is 840 feet (again, my pacing) - a measurement the LDS Church included in
its complaint to the city, thus producing the irony of a church that bans coffee
aligning with a church that not only doesn't ban it, but brews it and sells it -
all in the name of stopping strippers.

[Russia] Russia's Chief Rabbi Says Sects Should Be Banned
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7012-.html
Russia's chief rabbi Berl Lazar has proposed passing a federal law banning the
activities of religious sects. "Reports available to us suggest that more than
one million Russian citizens are members of various sects. This is a serious
threat. We shouldn't sit back and wait until something bad happens. We don't
need such sects," Lazar told Interfax. He said Russia needs a normal law clearly
defining the meaning of the terms "sect" and "century old tradition."

[Nuwaubians] Recanted testimony prompts delay
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7011-.html
A key government witness in a cult leader's sexual abuse and racketeering case
has recanted her testimony, but a judge told her Friday she will have to wait to
tell her story. Malachi York, head of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, was
sentenced to 135 years in federal prison largely because of the testimony of
cult members who said York, 58, regularly molested children and manipulated the
sect's finances. U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal postponed a Friday
restitution hearing because, he said, he wanted to research whether Habiba
Washington can take the stand during the hearing to recant her testimony. The
U.S. Attorney's Office, which prosecuted the case, doesn't believe Washington's
testimony is pertinent to the hearing.

.....................................................
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ReligionNewsBlog.com, May 2-3, 2004

Religion News Blog = religion news in context:

• Most articles include links to previous news items that allow you to see the
current item in context.
• Also provided are links to relevant research resources.
• At the bottom of each article, click the "More stories on..." link to see more
stories on the same subject

Mon, May. 03, 2004
[Hate Groups : Scientology] Fears at intention of lecture on drugs
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7090-.html
Fears have been sparked about the intentions of an anti-drugs talk in Markbeech
after it turned out to be led by people with links to a controversial group.
Geraldine Ormond, the organiser of the hour-long lecture last week, admitted she
would not have got involved if she had known the main speaker was linked to the
Church of Scientology. [...] The Markbeech talk was led by American Bobby
Wiggins, who speaks for Narconon, a drug rehabilitation programme which employs
the beliefs of scientology.

[Barbara Schwarz] Woman pursues Oregon public records - lots of them
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7089-.html
A Utah woman has asked Oregon workers for any records they may have about Dwight
Eisenhower and Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The state says it
has no such records. But that response is unlikely to stop Barbara Schwarz, the
unofficial queen of the Freedom of Information Act. The Salt Lake City woman has
submitted more than 2,000 public records requests to the federal government. The
justice department has apparently had it with her, advising workers to ignore
her demands until she has paid for past searches. Schwarz has filed so many
lawsuits, many of them voluminous, that a federal court has limited her public
records-related complaints to new issues not to exceed 10 single-spaced pages.
[...] Court records show Schwarz claims to be Hubbard's daughter and
Eisenhower's granddaughter.

[Polygamy] FLDS no longer says Texas property will be a hunting retreat
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7088-.html
Texas authorities have been disabused of the notion that the 1,300-acre spread
bought in Schleicher County by polygamists will be used as a corporate hunting
retreat. "This is not going to be used as a hunting ranch," Washington County
Sheriff Kirk Smith told the Deseret Morning News Sunday after a short visit to
the west Texas town of Eldorado, where the compound is located. [...] Residents
of Eldorado learned in March that the FLDS Church had purchased the property and
was constructing several large, three-story rectangular buildings on the site.

[Hate Groups] Sentencing will not solve mystery of weapons horde
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7087-.html
Long before Timothy McVeigh bombed a federal building and Osama bin Laden
leveled the World Trade Center, the government had its eye on William Krar, a
cigar-chomping East Texan they feared might engage in domestic terrorism.
Described as a white supremacist and a student of militia-led revolt, Krar is
scheduled to be sentenced in a federal court Tuesday after pleading guilty to
possessing enough sodium cyanide to fatally gas everyone in a 30,000-square-foot
building, such as a civic center or a high school basketball arena. Federal
officials say they still who [sic] first caught their attention in 1985 --
intended to do with the deadly material.

[Iglesia ni Cristo] Little sect is big player in Philippine politics
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7086-.html
Iglesia ni Cristo, a small but well-connected sect that votes as one, is set to
reprise a familiar role as kingmaker in the closely contested May 10
presidential election. The Iglesia, literally Church of Christ, has in the
waning days of the campaign reportedly distributed sample ballots to its voting
members, estimated to number at least a million, instructing them to choose
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. [...] The sect was founded in 1914 by its
current leader's father Felix Manalo, a disaffected former member of the Seventh
Day Adventists. [...] Discipline and conservatism define the sect. Attendance is
compulsory at twice-weekly masses inside its distinctive and brightly lit
spire-topped churches, where the women sit apart from the men. [...] Iglesia
spokesmen have said the sect provides "guidance" to its voters, in line with the
sect's belief that its chief minister is authorized by God to interpret the
teachings of the Bible in contemporary times.

[Islam] Zamfara Gov. Orders Demolition of All Churches
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7085-.html
Governor Ahmed Sani of Zamfara State, has ordered the demolition of all churches
in the state, as he launched the second phase of his Sharia project yesterday.
Speaking at the launch in Gusau, the state capital, Governor Sani disclosed that
time was ripe for full implementation of the programme as enshrined in the Holy
Quran.

[Kabbalah] Is an Obsession With a Sinister Cult About to Destroy Madonna's
Marriage?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7084-.html
Madonna, the Queen of Pop, her hair scraped back in a ponytail and her face
devoid of makeup, is having her weekly lesson in the ancient Hebrew teachings of
Kabbalah. The singer has become so immersed in this branch of Judaism, described
as 'a divine system of wisdom', that she has embraced the new name given to her
by her teachers and credits Kabbalah with changing her life. But now, as she
prepares for her Reinvention world tour, which kicks off later this month,
Madonna is facing awkward questions over her role as 'celebrity recruiting
sergeant' in the movement some claim is becoming a dangerous cult.

[Kabbalah] Mystical Kabbalah, Trendy Kabbalah
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7083-.html
Celebrities in Los Angeles, New York and London have been studying it at their
branches of the Kabbalah Centre, which is also at the center of swirling
allegations about teaching a materialistic brand of "Jewish lite" to stars.
Leaders of the center reject this criticism, and defend their followers, who
have adopted red string bracelets, and specially bottled kabbalah water as
badges of their spiritual journey.

[Polygamy] Polygamy still proves popular
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7082-.html
Defying expectations that Western influences and urbanization would gradually do
away with plural marriages, polygamy is going strong among Muslims in parts of
black West Africa. In Senegal, nearly 47 per cent of marriages are multiple like
Sene's.

[Islam] France wrestles with radical Islam
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7081-.html
France has long maintained one of the strictest antiterrorism programs in
Europe, in part because it was hit early by Islamist terror and because it has
the largest Muslim population on the Continent. Many other countries in Europe
have been far more tolerant in allowing radical discourse to flourish in their
mosques.  But making such a hard-line stance stick is difficult, even here in a
country that has been more willing than most of its European neighbors to limit
free speech in the interest of a calm and cohesive society.  Bouziane, 52, won
an appeal that would allow him to return from his native Algeria to France,
despite the Interior Ministry's presentation to the court of evidence that
Bouziane has links to groups that support terrorism.

[Islam] Wife-beating row imam seeks visa back to France
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7080-.html
A radical Islamist cleric, deported to his native Algeria by the French
authorities last week for justifying wife-beating, applied Thursday for a visa
to return to France, his lawyer said. The return of Abdelkader Bouziane, a
52-year-old Algerian who preached at a mosque in the eastern city of Lyon, was
made possible after an administrative tribunal ruled the deportation illegal.

[Paganism] 'The wheel of the year'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7079-.html
Selena Fox is one of the leaders of Circle Sanctuary, 200 acres in southwestern
Wisconsin, which is both a nature preserve and a nature spirituality center.
This weekend the center, near Mount Horeb, Wis., will celebrate Beltane, one of
eight festivals marking "the wheel of the year" by a variety of nature-based
religions. Circle Sanctuary, in its 20th year, is multicultural and
multi-religious -- those within the community may be Pagans ("with a capital P,"
Fox said) to Wicca practitioners, many of whom also profess Buddhism, Taoism,
Judaism or other faiths, she said. Because the word "Pagan" comes so loaded with
stereotyped baggage, Fox prefers the term "nature spirituality." Nature
spirituality constantly struggles in the public perception with "the 'W' word,"
she said, meaning "witch."

[Witchcraft] 'Magic' used to extract body parts
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7078-.html
Police in Mozambique's northern Nampula province have detained 14 people after
body parts and organs were found in a house, apparently for use in witchcraft,
the state Noticias newspaper reported on Friday. "These people claim the organs
were extracted from their dead relatives, not through murder but through magical
techniques," Acting Provincial Attorney Daniel Magula was quoted by Noticias as
saying, adding that an investigation was under way.

[Witchcraft] Girl 'murdered for lottery spell'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7077-.html
A Pakistani witch has been arrested after an eight-year-old girl was murdered
for a spell to predict the winning number in a government bond lottery, police
said on Friday.

[Iglesia ni Cristo] Not all INC members are in favor of Arroyo: bishop
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7076-.html
The leaders of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) are having difficulty convincing their
members to vote for President Arroyo on May 10, according to Dagupan-Lingayen
Archbishop Oscar Cruz. Cruz said some of his friends at the INC told him that
INC head Eraρo Manalo and some of the sect's high-ranking officials are seeking
ways to convince and get the full cooperation of the INC flock in supporting the
candidacy of Arroyo.

[Iglesia ni Cristo] Iglesia ni Cristo going for Macapagal
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7075-.html
Palace sources on Saturday said the Iglesia ni Cristo, a Christian sect which is
known to vote as a bloc and is believed to command from 2 to 4 million votes,
has given its nod to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo despite the widespread
perception it would support the opposition, and would likely make known its
decision on Monday.

[Hate Groups] The next face of hate?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7074-.html
Dave Neesan leans forward in the booth of an Elmhurst cocktail lounge, pulling
copies of white separatist fliers out of a faux-leather portfolio.  He is a
46-year-old engineer who wears a suit and tie. He went to college. He just
bought a home in Schaumburg. And his organization, the National Alliance, is one
of the fastest growing white nationalist groups in the country, a kind of Ku
Klux Klan for the next generation.

[False Memory Syndrome] Conviction Tossed After 19 Years
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7073-.html
John Stoll had spent nearly 20 years behind bars imagining what it would feel
like to hear a judge say he had been wrongly convicted. Now that it was
happening, his heart was racing so fast he feared he might not survive the
experience. [...] Hours earlier, Kern County Judge John Kelly had overturned his
conviction on 17 counts of child molestation in connection with the infamous
Bakersfield "witch hunt" cases. Kelly ruled that techniques investigators used
to question the alleged victims two decades ago amounted to manipulation and
"resulted in unreliable testimony."

[Ravi Shankar] Guru spreads s simple message
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7072-.html
"What's the main essence of life? Love!" Indian yogi Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, also
known as Guruji, recently told a packed hotel ballroom in Jakarta as he twirled
his microphone and almost skipped across the stage. [...] The non-profit
foundation he established in 1982 runs educational and development projects in
141 countries and teaches his Art of Living course, a combination of
self-development workshops, yoga postures, chanting and breathing techniques to
relieve stress. [...] He completed studies in traditional Vedic sciences and
obtained a modern science degree by the age of 17. While attending conferences
and teaching meditation classes, he came into contact with the renowned guru
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and guru of The
Beatles.

[Alternative Healing] The Strange Case of Homeopathy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7071-.html
Ambiguous as the evidence is, in recent years homeopathy has enjoyed renewed
popularity in the U.S., coinciding with Americans’ ambivalence about mainstream
medicine.

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Sun, May. 02, 2004
[Exorcism] Chasing Out the Devil in Uruguay
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7070-.html
First things first. Yes, the Rev. Julio Cesar Elizaga said he saw the movie "The
Exorcist" and liked it. But he said that a real exorcism has almost nothing in
common with the cinematic version. If anyone would know the difference, it is
Elizaga, a Roman Catholic priest who over the past 47 years has performed, by
his own count, more than 100 exorcisms in this tiny, heavily Catholic country
tucked into South America's southern Atlantic coast.

[Transcendental Meditation] Trouble in transcendental paradise as murder rocks
the Maharishi University
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7069-.html
The killing of one student by another has threatened the future of not only what
Maharishi disciples call 'a safe, harmonious campus', but also undermines the
credibility of the one-time guru of the Beatles and spiritual leader to
Hollywood celebrities including film-maker David Lynch and actress Heather
Graham.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Scientology: Forging a new religion
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7068-.html
In 1963, the Food and Drug Administration raided Scientology offices and seized
e-meters. The agency later barred Hubbard from making medical claims for the
device. Facing financial ruin, Hubbard decided to transform his self-help
organization into a religion, where his teachings and practices like the e-meter
would enjoy the protection of the First Amendment. [...] Hubbard and his
followers later made many claims about his life—that he was a nuclear physicist
or stunt pilot, for example—that would not withstand scrutiny. His most
important story was that after being grievously wounded in World War II, he
healed himself using only the power of his mind. Naval records show that Hubbard
never saw combat and was hospitalized only for ulcers. In 1984, a California
Superior Court judge, comparing Hubbard’s official biography with external
evidence, called him “virtually a pathological liar.”

[Falun Gong] Falun Gong followers protest Chinese suppression
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7067-.html
Hundreds of Falun Gong followers protested on Sunday against Beijing's crackdown
on the meditation group in mainland China, where it has been banned since 1999
as an "evil cult".

[Aum Shinrikyo] AUM's Asahara May Get Public Defenders
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7066-.html
Court-appointed lawyers may defend AUM Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara in his
appeal against the death penalty as the one private lawyer currently defending
him may not be enough to handle his case, trial sources said Saturday. According
to the sources, some judges at the Tokyo High Court are voicing concern that
unless several lawyers are appointed by the court to defend Asahara, the appeal
trial could extend over too long a period. It is extremely rare for
state-appointed lawyers to defend an accused who already has a private lawyer,
but some judges are saying the measure should be taken considering that this is
an ''exceptionally large case.''

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, May 4, 2004

[Islam] France reassures Muslims
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7108-.html
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, the French prime minister, reassured the leader of the
country's Muslims yesterday of his government's respect for Islam following the
recent crackdown on imams. Dalil Boubakeur, the head of the French Council of
the Muslim Faith, said Mr Raffarin had told him the expulsion of five suspected
radical imams in the past four months "did not reflect any hostility" towards
France's 5 million Muslims, the largest community in Europe. In return Mr
Boubakeur promised to improve training for Islamic clerics and to draw up a list
of authorised imams.

[Antisemitism] Arabs Protest Vienna's Plans for Square
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7107-.html
Plans to name a Vienna square after Zionist Theodor Herzl drew protest Tuesday
from the Arab League, which urged city fathers to reconsider for the sake of
continued "good relations" with the Arab world. Representatives of Vienna's
Islamic community also opposed the plan to honor the founder of Zionism, the
movement to establish the state of Israel. But municipal officials said Islamic
opposition came late and was unlikely to derail the plan, which is part of
celebrations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his death on July 3.

[Santa Muerte] Gangsters pray to Our Lady of Death
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7106-.html
The first day of each month, hardened criminals of the capital's no-go Tepito
neighbourhood clutch death figures to their chests and flock to a kerbside
shrine of Santa Muerte, Our Lady of Death, to pray. [...] One of the leading
experts on the phenomenon is the Mexican writer Homero Aridjis, a former
president of the international writers' group PEN, whose novel about the booming
cult became an instant bestseller on publication earlier this year. "Santa
Muerte is the goddess of the desperate," Aridjis said. "Belief in her is
bursting out of this den of thieves and into society at large as people become
less trusting of bureaucratic and corrupt governments and an authoritarian
Church. "You can ask favours of Santa Muerte that you couldn't ask of the
Virgin. "People say to her, 'Protect me - tonight I'm going out to kidnap and to
steal,' because she doesn't ask any questions. "But if she helps you, that help
always comes at a price."

[Polygamy] FLDS influx concerns small town in Texas
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7105-.html
As men from a polygamist group dined in town or stopped for gas, said Schleicher
County Sheriff David Doran, some residents feared another Waco, where David
Koresh and 85 of his Branch Davidian followers died in 1993. But the worry was
not necessary, said Doran's counterpart here in Washington County, Sheriff Kirk
Smith. "There is no indication that it will happen," said Sheriff Smith, who met
with 22 local officials during a visit to Eldorado last week. "This group has
never shown any propensity for violence." The group is the Fundamentalist Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the largest polygamist group in America
based in Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah.

[Polygamy] Arizona Governor Signs Bill Targeting Polygamy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7104-.html
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has signed into law a bill intended to combat
the forced marriages of teenage girls in polygamist enclaves by creating the
crime of child bigamy. The bill is modeled after a Utah law. It makes it a
felony for a married adult to marry a child. Other provisions are aimed at
holding parents responsible for forced marriages of their children.

[Islam] Muslim Fury Over `Witch-Hunt' As France Continues Expulsions
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7103-.html
Controversy over the French government's crackdown on radical Islam deepened
yesterday when Paris attempted to kick out another alleged extremist religious
and political leader, the sixth in four months.  The expulsion of Midhat Guler,
a Turkish market trader who had lived in France for 28 years, was halted after
he appealed for political asylum. The French government says he is the leader in
France of an extremist Turkish sect called Kaplan, which is already banned in
Turkey and Germany.

[Islam] France Plans to Deport Turkish Man, Accusing Him of Militantism
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7102-.html
The French police have detained a Turkish man who runs a mosque in Paris, and
they are planning to deport him for advocating violence, France's Interior
Ministry said over the weekend. The move is the latest in the country's campaign
to rid itself of outspoken advocates of Islamic militancy.
The man, Midhat Guler, 45, was taken into custody late Saturday at his home in
the Paris suburb of Courtry after the ministry issued an expulsion order. The
ministry said in a statement that Mr. Guler heads the French branch of a Turkish
Islamic movement that supports terrorism.

[Brainwashing] The mystery of mind control
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7101-.html
So is mind control myth or reality? "'Mind control' is a made-up term", says
Professor E Mark Stern of Iona Collage in New York, author of The Other Side of
the Couch. "But yes, it is possible to totally influence a person's inner
world." According to Stern, there can be good mind control and bad mind control.
"In its best sense, mind control is akin to self-control, often used as a
product of meditation. This can be helpful for pain management. "But then there
are things like cults - there, mind control happens when a cult wins over
another person's consciousness through hypnotic-like inducements including 'love
bombs', a form of praise, overseeing an inductee's every action, and eventually
using shame and the threat of being expelled by the cult as a means of
controlling them." [...] Massimo Introvigne, founder of the Center for Studies
on New Religions, believes that mind control theorists leave out one important
thing - free will, our ability to think for ourselves even under extreme
circumstances.
According to Introvigne, mind control, or "mental manipulation" or "mental
destabilisation", are merely more scientific-sounding terms for the
brainwashing. "That label has been discredited by mental health scholars", he
says, so now we say "mind control" to explain away behaviour we "don't quite
understand".

CAUTION: This article quotes cult apologist Massimo Introvigne.  Like colleague
J. Gordon Melton, Introvigne dismisses the brainwashing concept, likely because
it plays havoc with the cottage industry of those who defend religious cults.

[Mormon Church] Court boots ACLU's plaza suit
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7100-.html
Salt Lake City leaders made a "rational" decision when they sold the Main Street
Plaza's public-access easement to the LDS Church for $4.5 million and 4.5 acres
on the west side, U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball ruled Monday. In dismissing
the latest plaza lawsuit, the federal judge said the American Civil Liberties
Union failed to prove the city violated the First Amendment's prohibitions
against restricting speech or endorsing religion when it sold the easement. The
ruling allows the church to keep its ban of behavior and speech it deems
offensive on the property.

[Robin Marie Murphy] Family, former friends react to news
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7099-.html
The reaction to Robin Marie Murphy's pending release from prison after 24 years,
although wide-ranging, has been mostly negative.  The State Parole Board
recently granted Murphy parole. Along with codefendant Carl Drew, she was
convicted of the ritualistic slaying of Karen Marsden in 1980, but was also
believed to have taken part in two similar killings -- of young prostitutes
Doreen Levesque and Barbara Ann Raposa -- in and around Fall River in 1979 and
1980.

[Robin Marie Murphy] Cult killer gets parole
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7098-.html
Convicted murderer Robin Marie Murphy, the woman at the center of a Satanic cult
controversy that has spanned nearly three decades, will be released from prison
later this month after serving 24 years behind bars for the grisly murder of
city prostitute Karen Marsden. [...] Murphy, along with her codefendant Carl
Drew, was convicted of the ritualistic slaying of Marsden in 1980, but was also
believed to have taken part in two similar cult killings in and around Fall
River in 1979 and 1980.

[Raelians] A Big Cloning Job for the Raelians
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7097-.html
The Raelians, who believe aliens created the human race through genetic
engineering, made headlines last year by announcing their own scientific
miracle, the cloning of a girl named Baby Eve. No DNA evidence or other proof
was forthcoming, however, and scientists turned their collective back on Raelian
researchers, despite their claims of having cloned 12 more babies. Now the
group's founder and spiritual leader, His Holiness Rael (former French
journalist and race car driver Claude Vorilhon) is taking a different tack.
Rael, 57, last week said he will clone a woolly mammoth from 18,000-year-old
remains found recently in Siberia by French explorer Bernard Buigues.

[Antisemitism] Anti-Semitic violence in France up in early 2004
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7096-.html
Anti-Semitic violence in France rose in the first three months of the year, the
Interior Ministry said Saturday, a day after 127 graves were found desecrated at
a Jewish cemetery. The ministry said that 67 acts of violence against Jews were
recorded in the first trimester of 2004, up from 42 in the last three months of
2003. The increase could be attributed to greater police vigilance and campaigns
by the Jewish community encouraging people to report such crimes, the ministry
said.

[Religious Intolerance] US Anti-Muslim Incidents Up 70 Pct in 2003 -Report
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7095-Report.html
Incidents of violence, discrimination and harassment against Muslims in the
United States soared 70 percent in 2003 over the previous year, an Islamic civil
rights group reported on Monday. The war in Iraq and the lingering atmosphere of
fear from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks contributed to the sharp rise in
anti-Muslim activity, according to a report by the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.

NOTE: CAIR is a controversial lobbying group whose leaders have been known to
excuse and support the use of violence.

[Palo Mayombe] Woman Convicted In Bone Thefts From Cemeteries
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7094-.html
  61-year-old woman accused of being a high priestess in the Palo Mayombe
religious cult was convicted Monday of stealing human remains from cemeteries.
Miriam Mirabal, of Newark, was found guilty of theft, conspiracy to commit theft
and burglary. [...] Maglione said Mirabal stole the human remains for the
purpose of practicing Palo Mayombe, rites in which human remains are placed into
cauldrons so that practitioners can call down the spirits of the dead to cast
misfortune on others.

.....................................................
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Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
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ReligionNewsBlog, May 5, 2004

[Books] Unpacking Skinner's Box
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7127-.html
It's sad to see an interesting writer go off the rails, but last month that is
what seemed to have happened to Lauren Slater. After publishing some
genre-twisting memoirs, Slater, a psychologist, wanted to celebrate landmark
psychological studies as ''stories -- absorbed, reconfigured, rewritten.'' The
result, in her new book, ''Opening Skinner's Box: Great Psychological
Experiments of the Twentieth Century,'' is a wayward and powerful blend of
science, autobiography and imagination. Writing, for example, about Stanley
Milgram's famous investigation at Yale, which revealed students' willingness,
under orders, to administer what they believed were painful electric shocks to
other people, Slater uses the second person to convey the point of view of one
of the obedient torturers, a literary choice that nails her point: we all think
we wouldn't turn up the voltage, but Milgram's results showed that 65 percent of
us will.  Slater's maverick approach elicits unexpected emotions and
invigorating transits of thought. It has also called forth the wrath of a
battalion of psychiatrists and psychologists, and one irate daughter.

[Unification Church] News World Layoffs To Idle 86 Workers
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7126-.html
Several dozen employees at Insight, a biweekly news magazine, and the World & I,
a monthly educational journal, sister publications of the Washington Times, are
out of work today as both publications wind down operations. On April 16, the
magazines' owner, News World Communications Inc., a subsidiary of the Rev. Sun
Myung Moon's Unification Church, announced it would no longer print Insight and
the World & I, as well as Noticias del Mundo, a Spanish-language newspaper in
New York City, as of April 30, said News World spokeswoman Diana Banister. A
total of 86 people are out of a job, out of 1,200 employees worldwide. A small
staff is to stay on to maintain the Insight and World & I Web sites, editors
said.  "These are the first significant layoffs in the history of News World
Communications," Banister wrote in an e-mail. Closing the three publications
will save News World "millions of dollars," said Banister, and allow News World
to "reposition" its other media assets.

[Islam] Madrid imam hails preacher curbs
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7125-.html
Moneir Mahmoud, the religious leader of Madrid's main mosque, says he supports a
proposal to restrict what Muslim clerics can preach. Interior Minister Jose
Antonio Alonso wants the law to control what can be said to congregations in
Spain's mosques and churches. Spain's recently elected Socialist government is
looking for new ways to combat militant Islamic extremism. An extremist group is
the main suspect in the Madrid bombings of 11 March. Mr Alonso has proposed
establishing a register to control religious activities, both Muslim and Roman
Catholic. Mr Alonso says the register would identify who was responsible for
leading worship and the type of worship to take place.

[Islam] Spain to monitor mosques
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7124-.html
The Spanish government is considering monitoring mosques and imams to curb
Islamic extremism blamed for the March 11 terror bombings in Madrid, the foreign
minister said Monday. [...] He said such a law would not violate constitutional
guarantees of free speech. "We are talking about a phenomenon that can create a
breeding ground for terrorism that kills people," Alonso said. "Anybody can say
anything they want. But the state has the right to know what is being said when
that activity is public and can create this kind of scenario."

[Javan McBurrows] Pastor: I was asleep during boy's fatal beating
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7123-.html
A Philadelphia pastor accused of beating a 4-year-old boy to death used a Rip
Van Winkle defense at his murder trial yesterday: he swore he had slept through
the whole thing. In the nonjury trial's final day, Rev. Javan McBurrows, 52,
former pastor of Third Christian Church in Overbrook, told Montgomery County
Judge William J. Furber Jr. that he had been napping in the bedroom, 10 feet
away from the bathroom where Michael Davis, a parishoner's child placed in his
care, was fatally beaten. Last week, Jane McBurrows described seeing her husband
repeatedly beat Michael with a metal-edged carpenter's level on the night of
Jan. 9, 1999. She said her husband also had clapped his hands together hard
three times on either side of the little boy's head. He died hours later at
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

[Cloning] Italian Doctor Says Three Cloned Babies Born
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7122-.html
Maverick Italian fertility doctor Severino Antinori said on Wednesday at least
three babies had been born from cloned embryos in reproduction experiments he
had collaborated on. Antinori, who has made cloning claims in the past, is
viewed with scepticism by many scientists and has never produced any evidence
for peer review in the area.

[Polygamy] 'Very unique' ties with FLDS spell trouble for bank
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7121-.html
The Bank of Ephraim has poured its trust and money into a polygamist enclave on
the Utah-Arizona border since the 1950s, approving high-risk business and
consumer loans often backed by questionable collateral. The bank's faith in this
Arizona Strip community added to the toll on its bottom line last year -- it
lost more than three quarters of a million dollars -- and bank officials
acknowledge they are working to rectify problems.
The bank is not the only financial institution that has made loans or extended
credit to residents of Hildale, Utah, or Colorado City, Ariz., which are
dominated by members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints. And not all its bad loans have been made there.

[Christianity] Small groups embrace Christian gatherings
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7120-.html
The worship service has begun at Axxess, one of hundreds of small emerging
churches sprinkled across the United States and other Western nations. Rather
than sanctuaries, many of these church communities meet in bars, coffee shops
and other places frequented by young adults. Many members are in their 20s and
30s. Most are disillusioned with traditional churches. "These congregations are
a little bit different. They recognize that transformation comes from
relationships," said Brad Cecil, pastor of Axxess. "We meet at a coffeehouse.
It's much more casual. We have breakfast together; we sing." These Christians
are trying to recapture some of the intimacy of the early church, and members
stress the importance of community and faith, said Bill Leonard, dean of the
Divinity School and professor of church history at Wake Forest University in
Winston- Salem, N.C.

[USA] Prisoner abuse: What about the other secret U.S. prisons?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7119-.html
We must all, like President George W. Bush, share a "deep disgust" at the
pictures of U.S. military personnel subjecting Iraqi detainees to humiliating
treatment. The problem, however, is that this does not appear to be an isolated
incident. Across the world, the United States is holding detainees in offshore
and foreign prisons where allegations of mistreatment cannot be monitored. It
has also been accused of sending terror suspects to countries where information
has been beaten out of them.  The classic case, of course, has been Guantαnamo,
Cuba, which the Bush administration deliberately chose as a detention facility
for more than 700 detainees from 44 countries in an attempt to put them beyond
the reach of the U.S. courts - and of any courts, for that matter.

NOTE: The current torture controversy did not occur in a vacuum.  It is the
fruit of America's double standards regarding human rights.  The USA's "do as I
say, not as I do" approach is looked upon with disgust by people around the
world - as well as by many Americans who are fed up with Washington's hypocrisy.
As U.S. politicians take every opportunity to claim that God supports and
blesses their efforts, the publishers of Religion News Blog believe that
Christians ought to be among the first to speak out against America's
well-documented abusive behavior.

[USA] Abuse Investigation Includes 25 Deaths
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7118-.html
Twenty-five Iraqi and Afghan war prisoners have died in U.S. custody in the last
17 months, including two Iraqi detainees who may have been murdered by
Americans, senior defense officials said Tuesday as the Bush administration
moved to contain international outrage over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. 
Pentagon officials released few details of the 25 deaths, which they said were
among 35 cases of possible instances of prisoner abuse by U.S. soldiers.

[Judaism] Belgium Jewish museum moves into ex-Nazi quarters
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7117-.html
Belgium's new Jewish museum opened Wednesday in a restored building that served
as a Nazi police station during World War II, as part of efforts to boost the
museum's profile and keep alive the Jewish community's culture and history. The
Jewish Museum of Belgium, which operated for 14 years in makeshift quarters
above the Beth Israel Synagogue in a rundown section of Brussels, moved to the
swanky Sablon quarter, near major art museums, the royal library and the city's
Great Synagogue.

[Nigeria] Nigerian Muslims say 300 killed in "genocide"
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7116-.html
Nigeria's top Muslim leader says 300 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in
Sunday's attacks by Christian militia in the town of Yelwa in the central
Plateau state.

Justice Abdulkadir Orire, secretary general of the Jama'atu Nasril Islam,
described the killings in the remote farming town as "genocide" and said they
took the death toll from three months of ethnic violence there to at least
700-800 people. "The information we have is that 300 people died and they are
mostly Muslims. We call it a genocide because they are killing women and
children," Orire told Reuters in a telephone interview from his Kaduna
headquarters. The conflict between the Christian Tarok tribe and Muslim Fulani
is rooted in competing claims over the fertile farmlands at the heart of
Africa's most populous nation, and it is fuelled by religious and ethnic
differences between the groups. [...] Analysts say the feud between the Tarok
farmers and nomadic Fulani cattle herders has been fuelled by irresponsible
allocation of land by the government and growing lawlessness across Nigeria.
Yelwa has already witnessed one of the most horrific massacres of the conflict,
when 48 Christians were killed by Fulani militia in a church that was later
burned in February.  [...] Ethnic, religious and political violence in Nigeria
has killed more than 11,000 people since the election of Obasanjo in 1999 ended
15 years of military rule.

[Homosexuality / Lesbianism] Church vote condemns homosexuality
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7115-.html
Delegates at a United Methodist Church conference voted Tuesday to condemn
homosexuality and to reject a statement saying Christians disagree on the issue.
Gay rights supporters wearing rainbow-hued stoles, or clerical scarves, stood
throughout the emotional debate at a Pittsburgh convention center. One
symbolically smashed an empty chalice at the end of a communion service after
delegates voted 579-376 to declare, "The United Methodist Church does not
condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible
with Christian teaching." Later, however, the church's highest court handed gay
rights supporters a partial victory by ruling that it doesn't have authority to
overturn the acquittal of an openly lesbian minister, the Rev. Karen Dammann, by
a jury of 13 Methodist clergy in Seattle in March.

[Polygamy] FLDS church teachings lead members into financial mire
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7114-.html
As the millennium approached, many followers of the Fundamentalist Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints felt encouraged to max out their credit cards
and exhaust their personal loans. The end was near, FLDS leaders said, and the
bills would never come due. "We were going to be lifted up and the wicked would
be destroyed," said Pam Black, whose now deceased husband Martin did as told. "I
remember him spending on his own teeth." Only the world didn't end and the bills
are coming due. Consider this case: One Hildale family piled up $47,612 in
credit card debt for "living expenses" before filing for bankruptcy late last
year

[Robin Marie Murphy] Cult murderer could return to Fall River
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7113-.html
She was 17 when she was put behind bars. Today she is 41, and next week when
convicted cult murderer Robin Murphy returns to the community to live at a
halfway house, she returns to a different world, a new world. [...] Her
reacclimation to life outside prison, experts say, will be an Herculian task
that many cannot overcome. "There are going to be huge obstacles for her to
succeed in today's world," said the co-executive director of Worcester's Dismas
House, David McMahon. "The adjustment to life on the outside after being
institutionalized for more than 20 years is huge, but there are ways to
succeed." Murphy was imprisoned at the age of 17 for the grisly murder of city
prostitute Karen Marsden. She was granted parole by the state Parole Board and
is slated to be transferred to a halfway house on May 15.

[Transcendental Meditation] Sem pleads not guilty
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7112-.html
Shuvender Sem pleaded not guilty today in the March 1 stabbing death of
Maharishi University of Management student Levi Butler. Sem, 24, appeared in
front of Judge E. Richard Meadows this morning with his court-appointed
attorney, Les Lamping of Washington, after being ruled competent to stand trial.

[Hate Groups] Hoarder of Arms Gets 11 Years
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7111-.html
An East Texas man whose stockpile of weapons triggered an exhaustive
investigation into a suspected domestic terrorism plot was sentenced Tuesday to
11 years in federal prison. "For the record, I am neither a terrorist or a
separatist," William J. Krar, 63, told U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis in
Tyler, Texas, protesting how the government had characterized him. [...] Krar,
an arms dealer with connections to white supremacists, was arrested after he
tried to send fake documents, including United Nations and Defense Department
identification cards, through the mail. The package was delivered to the wrong
address. The documents had been addressed to a member of a New Jersey militia.
The group, according to its website, thinks the federal government has grown too
powerful. The militia is prepared "as a last resort to come to our nation's
defense against all enemies, foreign or domestic."

[Kashi Ashram] Enlightenment: Ma's ashram
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7110-.html
As others who left the Kashi Ashram before him, Richard Rosenkranz now expresses
amazement, sometimes horror, at things he did and allegiances he held while a
member of Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati’s new-age religion congregation in Roseland.
And, as those who went before him, he now believes he was in a cult, whose
leader manipulated and controlled her followers down to the smallest detail of
their lives. He and others say she used mind-control tactics some experts might
describe as brainwashing and most would admit are powerful forms of persuasion,
if not coercion. [...] According to several experts on the sociology and
psychology of cults, the life Rosenkranz and other ex-Kashi members describe at
the ashram closely resembles a cult. But whether Ma Jaya strove to, or even
could, brainwash them is another matter entirely. [...] As for brainwashing,
academics have been debating the question since the 1950s, when there was "a
misunderstanding of Chinese indoctrination" of American prisoners during the
Korean War, Melton said. Many studies since have refuted the idea of
brainwashing, but the term persists in the American lexicon, leading Melton to
conclude that while the public may believe brainwashing exists, the scientific
community does not. However, many cult researchers do not deny that coercive
persuasion can and often does occur. "Brainwashing is a mystery," Balch said,
"but groups can use very powerful means of persuasion (that get) people to do
things they would never have done before." And Ohio psychologist Paul R. Martin
goes even further. He says brainwashing can and does occur with "uncanny
resemblance" among battered women, political prisoners and religious cults.

CAUTION: This article quotes J. Gordon Melton, a cult apologist whose work has
rightly been referred to as "a travesty of research."  He is known for his
ability to ignore or simply dismiss negative information about the cults he
studies.

[Shadowmancer] Harry Potter's new rival
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7109-.html
For parents who love seeing their children read but, as Christians, worry about
Harry Potter's positive depictions of witchcraft, today's arrival of G.P.
Taylor's Shadowmancer would seem a godsend.  The book, already a hit overseas
(it spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on British book charts), offers parents an
alternative to author J.K. Rowling's juggernaut Potter series while promising
young readers a similar tale of adventure, but with biblical references vs.
flying brooms.  And in the writings of British author Taylor, a vicar in the
parish of Whitby, good always outweighs evil.


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Greetings!

Apologetics Index has updated its entry on CAIR:

"The Council on American-Islamic Relations won't condemn Muslim fanatics, but it
has declared war on outspoken Americans who will."
[http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7156-.html]

CAIR has also declared war on a web site that calls the controversial lobbying
group "a terrorist organization."
[http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7154-.html]

CAIR claims to speak on behalf of America's Muslim community. "But reporters are
learning it's not easy to find leaders who can authentically speak for Muslim
Americans, who represent a wide variety of ethnicities and languages, sects and
political views ranging from completely secular to Islamic fundamentalist. CAIR
and AMC in particular would not be chosen as representatives by many Muslims. In
fact, there are those in American Muslim communities as well as law enforcement
who consider CAIR and the AMC [American Muslim Council] to be part of the
problem, because both have been seen as tacitly -- if not explicitly --
supportive of extremist groups guilty of terrorism."
[http://www.apologeticsindex.org/news1/an010929-14.html]

Find out what makes CAIR so controversial:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/c172.html

Then see our research resources on Islam
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/i07.html

and on Islamic Extremism
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/i18.html

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, May 7, 2004

[John Rubio and Angela Camacho] Camacho competent to stand trial, defense says
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7165-.html
More than a year after being charged with the decapitation deaths of her three
children, Angela Camacho is competent to stand trial, defense attorneys said
Thursday. "Angela is getting better," said Ernesto Gamez, one of Camacho's
attorneys. "Our psychiatrist Dr. David Moron has had her on medication for a
year now, and she is now, in his opinion, competent to stand trial." [...]
Camacho and common-law-husband John Allen Rubio, 23, are accused of killing and
beheading their three children Julissa Angela Quezada, 3, John Esthefan Rubio,
1, and 2-month-old Mary Jane Rubio in March 2003 in their filth-ridden downtown
apartment.  Rubio was convicted in November and sentenced to death for the
killings. His lawyers have appealed the sentence.

[USA] George W. Bush: a muddy morality
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7164-.html
[Book Review: The President of Good and Evil: The Morality of George W. Bush, By
Peter Singer: http://tinyurl.com/25udr]
In logic, there are no surprises. It will not come as news that the ethical
beliefs of the current President of the United States are confused,
contradictory, fuzzy and often bizarre. But sometimes the value of logic is all
in the showing. Peter Singer, an Australian-born professor of philosophy at
Princeton University, has done what few would attempt without misgiving, not
least for the presumed threat to their peace of mind. He has taken seriously
George Bush's claim to be a consistent and clear moral thinker.  Well-known for
his defence of animal rights and harsh stand on some forms of human disability
-- not many academic philosophers become the target of death threats, or get
profiled in The New Yorker -- Singer is first and foremost a careful
philosopher. Which is to say that his weapons are evidence and argument; he
speaks in the soft, insistent terms of the rational inquisitor. This valuable
book offers quiet, inexorable advance on a Bush who can neither run nor hide.

[Catholic Church] Priest at center of sex scandal is defrocked
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7163-.html
Paul Shanley, a central figure in the child-molestation scandal that engulfed
the Boston Archdiocese, has been defrocked, along with another priest imprisoned
for raping a 12-year-old boy, the church said yesterday. In a letter dated May 3
and obtained by The Associated Press, Archbishop Sean O'Malley informed Shanley
that Pope John Paul II decided Feb. 19 to remove him from the priesthood.

[USA] Church leaders object to casting God on U.S. side
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7162-.html
The abuse of Iraqi prisoners by some U.S. soldiers points to the danger of
President Bush describing the occupation of Iraq and the war on terror as
battles between forces of good and the "evildoers" of the world, religious
leaders say. Even before compromising photos of nude and hooded prisoners
surfaced in the news media, some mainline Protestant and American Muslim leaders
had criticized the president for a series of speeches that appeared to say that
God was on the side of America.

[John Rubio and Angela Camacho] After Children Beheaded, Mom Competent To Stand
Trial
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7161-.html
Angela Camacho is, 24, accused of helping her common-law husband suffocate, stab
and behead her three young children. [...] The common-law husband has been
sentenced to death in last year's killings.

[Music] Alice Cooper gets honorary degree
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7160-.html
The rock star, whose hits include School's Out, is being awarded an honorary
doctorate by a Christian liberal arts university. The 56-year-old will receive
the honour at a Grand Canyon University ceremony on Saturday. [...] "Alice
Cooper is a guy who made it big in a very tough business and has made his faith
a priority," said Michael Clifford, vice chairman for the university.

[Catholic Church] Priest who formed splinter church excommunicated
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7159-.html
A Roman Catholic priest who spoke out against the church hierarchy was
excommunicated for holding his own Mass at an unsanctioned, splinter church, the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Thursday. The Rev. William Hausen
"has incurred an automatic excommunication from the Catholic Church," according
to a statement issued by the Rev. Ronald Lengwin, diocesan spokesman. [...]
Hausen, 66, presided at a Mass of his Christ Hope Ecumenical Catholic Church,
which met Sunday in a hotel ballroom. He has criticized what he says is the
Roman Catholic church's hypocrisy, telling parishioners in an Easter 2002 homily
that they should be angry about the clergy sex scandal and that married men and
women should be able to become priests.

[Palo Mayombe] Palo Mayombe Priest Gets Jail For Possessing Stolen Human Remains
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7158-.html
  priest in the Palo Mayombe religious cult who was convicted of possessing human
remains stolen from cemeteries was sentenced this week to five years in state
prison. Oscar Cruz, 50, was charged in August 2002 after Newark police raided a
city botanica he owned and operated and found him in the basement with caldrons
that contained bones from five people.

[USA] Graphic Photos May Be More Evidence of Abuse
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7157-.html
The graphic images, passed around among military police who served at the Abu
Ghraib prison in Baghdad, are a new batch of photographs similar to those
broadcast a week ago on CBS's "60 Minutes II" and published by the New Yorker
magazine. They appear to provide further visual evidence of the chaos and
unprofessionalism at the prison detailed in a report by Army Maj. Gen. Antonio
M. Taguba. His report, which relied in part on the photographs, found "numerous
incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses" that were inflicted
on detainees.

NOTE: This matter can be seen as the fruit of America's long-standing policy of
double standards when it comes to human rights issues.  While the USA chides
other countries, it fails to acknowledge - let alone address - America's own
record of human rights abuses.  Not suprisingly, the US has tried to block a
global anti-torture pact, just like it fights against being held accountable by
the International Criminal Court (ICC).  Apologetics Index and Religion News
Blog have addressed these issues for years, in the belief that Christians and
non-Christians alike should be concerned about human rights. See also:
http://tinyurl.com/27f6f

[Islam] CAIR's War On Conservative Radio
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7156-.html
The Council on American-Islamic Relations won't condemn Muslim fanatics, but it
has declared war on outspoken Americans who will. CAIR, which calls itself
"America's largest Islamic civil liberties group," has lately focused its wrath
on conservative radio talk show hosts. A new report by the group released this
week attempts to tie talk radio to a dubious "sharp jump" in (self-reported)
"Islamophobic hate crimes" in the United States. CAIR fights dirty --
fabricating quotes, taking comments out of context, indulging in the cult of
victimology and exploiting a gullibly sympathetic press. By manufacturing an
anti-Muslim hate epidemic that doesn't exist, CAIR obfuscates its own suspicious
role in fomenting anti-American extremism.

[Interfaith] With LDS excluded, faiths snub prayer day
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7155-.html
For the past three years, Seventh-day Adventist Chaplain Linda Walton has helped
organize services for the National Day of Prayer. But this year, Walton and
other religious leaders in Utah are opting out of today's commemoration.  The
problem, she says, is that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints are not allowed to conduct the services at an event put together by the
National Day of Prayer Task Force -- a nonprofit group which organizes events
across the country. "That sort of exclusion is the thing I hate the very worst,"
Walton said. "Bigotry. That's what I call it."

Note:  Seventh-day Adventism's doctrines span the range from orthodox through
aberrant, heterodox, sub-orthodox and heretical - evidence of a severe lack of
discernment in what many people consider to be, theologically, a cult of
Christianity.  It comes as no surprise that a Seventh-day Adventists bemoans the
exclusion of a religious movement that, while claiming to be Christian, denies
key doctrines of the Christian faith (thereby excluding itself from
Christianity).

[Kabbalah] Sex Offender Becomes 'Kabbalah Coach'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7153-.html
A convicted sex offender in Los Angeles has used an assumed name to market
himself as a rabbi and Kabbalah instructor.  Michael Ozair, who pleaded no
contest to oral copulation of a 14-year-old girl in 2002, had until earlier this
week been advertising himself as Rabbi Michael Ezra, the "Kabbalah Coach."

[Ritual Killing] 'Mutilation is one crime, organ trafficking another'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7152-.html
Mozambican police may seek foreign help in their investigation into a recent
wave of killings and mutilations allegedly linked to the trafficking in human
organs, President Joaquim Chissano said on Tuesday during a visit to Portugal.
Body parts, including sexual organs, are commonly used in may parts of
Mozambique in traditional rituals believed to bring good fortune and wealth.
Last month police in Nampula police detained 14 people after body parts and
organs were found in a house, apparently for use in witchcraft.

[USA] Red Cross says it sought better conditions at Iraqi prisons
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7151-.html
The international Red Cross said today it had repeatedly asked U.S. authorities
to take action over alleged prisoner abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison before
recent revelations about the way detainees were treated. "We were aware of what
was going on, and based on our findings we have repeatedly requested the U.S.
authorities to take corrective action," said Nada Doumani, spokeswoman for the
International Committee of the Red Cross, speaking from Amman, Jordan.

[USA] Texas Court Rejects Retarded Man's Appeal
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7150-.html
A state appeals court Wednesday rejected a death row inmate's claim of mental
retardation and refused to spare his life, despite an IQ of less than 70 and a
jailhouse nickname of "Half-Deck" because of his slow thinking.

QUOTE: "Executing adults with the minds of children is nothing short of
barbaric." - Jamie Fellner, Associate Counsel, Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/03/mrex0320.htm

[USA] Abuse Common in U.S. Prisons, Activists Say
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7149-.html
Horrific abuses, some similar to those revealed in Iraq, regularly occur in U.S.
prisons with little national attention or public outrage, human rights activists
said on Thursday. "We certainly see many of the same kinds of things here in the
United States, including sexual assaults and the abuse of prisoners, against
both men and women," said Kara Gotsch, public policy coordinator for the
national prison project of the American Civil Liberties Union. "This office has
been involved in cases in which prisoners have been raped by guards and
humiliated but we don't talk about it much in America and we certainly don't
hear the president expressing outrage," she said.  President Bush has said he
was disgusted by the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. Yet, there were many cases of
abuse in Texas when he served as governor from 1995 to 2000.

[Mormon Church] Man Plotted to Bomb a Mormon Church
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7148-.html
A Servier County man plotted to kill the county attorney and the head of the
county narcotics strike force and to bomb a Mormon church, authorities allege. 
[...] Busch was angry with the two county officials because of an arrest and
conviction in 2001 for a marijuana-growing operation, Sevier County Sheriff Phil
Barney said. The marijuana operation was big for the area, generating an
estimated $13,000 per harvest, he said. Busch's wife, Tammie Busch, told the
Deseret Morning News that her husband's resentment toward The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints started when he was a child. He was raised a
Jehovah's Witness and said he often was picked on or excluded from activities
because his religion was different, she said.

[Islam] Oregon Attorney Arrested Over Possible Tie to Spain Bombings
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7147-.html
A Portland lawyer was detained Thursday by the FBI after federal officials
linked his fingerprints to bomb-related evidence associated with the Madrid
railway attacks that killed 191 people in March, a federal law enforcement
official said. The arrest of Brandon Mayfield, 37, raises the possibility of a
U.S. connection to the March 11 bombings, which Spanish authorities have blamed
on Islamic extremists. The former Army officer, a Muslim convert, was held on a
material-witness warrant after the FBI searched his home in the Portland suburb
of Aloha. Mayfield's arrest was first reported Thursday on Newsweek magazine's
website.

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Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, May 8, 2004

Religion News Blog = religion news in context:

• Most articles include links to previous news items that allow you to see the
current item in context.
• Also provided are links to relevant research resources.
• At the bottom of each article, click the "More stories on..." link to see more
stories on the same subject.

[Amway] In pursuit of the almighty dollar
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7185-.html
The more people they recruit, the richer they can get. And richer, and richer
and richer. Sound too good to be true? We thought it did. In fact, it sounded a
lot like another company that made news several years back. Amway, a hugely
successful  business that came under government scrutiny, was fined and ordered
to stop making unrealistic promises about income to its distributors.  To find
out what Quixtar was up to, we took our hidden cameras to a recruitment meeting
in New Jersey -- one of hundreds held around the country each week, and where
hundreds of thousands of Quixtar faithful get their start. The first thing we
hear is how easy it is to make it in Quixtar. [...] Short says the company
acknowledged it had been aware of the problem for decades. How could that be?
Remember when we said Quixtar sounded a little like Amway--a company which drew
the ire of the federal government several years back for making false promises
to recruits? Well it turns out Quixtar isn't just like Amway -- it was Amway.
Quixtar is just its new incarnation with many of the same players.

[Amway] Quixtar disputes TV report
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7184-.html
Quixtar rejected Dateline NBC's assertion that it runs a "scam" where few get
rich and many lose money buying high-priced business support materials such as
motivational cassettes and videos. [...] The former dealers claim Quixtar
allowed a handful of its distributor network to develop a separate business
selling "tools" and "functions" -- motivational material such as tapes, books
and seminars designed to boost individual businesses. This business support
materials trade became so big that high-level distributors, described in the
lawsuit as "kingpins," developed BSM businesses that brought in millions of
dollars more than their Quixtar business. [...] By backing and helping to
propagate such a system, the plaintiffs allege Amway/Alticor/Quixtar violated
anti-trust rules, and conspired to misrepresent the Amway business opportunity,
according to the lawsuit.

[Amway] Dateline NBC investigation of Quixtar's "get rich quick" scheme
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7183-.html
Amway and Quixtar are about to make national news with a Dateline NBC
investigative report that promises to expose how well known Amway success
stories really make their money.  24 Hour News 8 learned of the investigation
Wednesday and worked with Dateline NBC to obtain pieces of their report today.
NBC's report calls Ada based Quixtar, the mother of all get rich quick schemes.
[...] Part of that Dateline investigation is a lawsuit in Missouri, that
includes claims of anti-trust violations and conspiracy charges. It also claims
all those millions made by successful distributors didn't come from selling the
company's products, but rather, according to the lawsuit, from selling dreams.

[USA] Rumsfeld: It gets worse
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7182-.html
A contrite Donald Rumsfeld apologized yesterday to Iraqi prisoners abused by
their American captors, and warned that the outrage will worsen if other images
of the actions of U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison become public. "There are a
lot more photographs and videos that exist," the U.S. Defence Secretary told the
Senate armed services committee. "If these are released to the public, obviously
it's going to make matters worse. That's just a fact. "I mean, I looked at them
last night and they're hard to believe," he continued glumly, without going into
detail.  U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters yesterday that
"the American people need to understand that we're talking about rape and murder
here. We're not just talking about giving people a humiliating experience." He
did not elaborate.

[USA] Exporting America's Shame
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7181-.html
President Bush has asserted that the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib
"does not reflect the nature of the American people." "That's not the way we do
things in America," he added. In terms of aspirations, Bush is certainly
correct: Americans generally do not regard themselves as arrogant, abusive,
violent, mean, petty and ignoble. As a matter of empirical, verifiable fact,
however, the best social scientific evidence suggests that the president is
simply wrong on both counts. [...] Over the last four decades, political leaders
here at home have committed themselves to incarcerating inmates at rates that
ultimately rivaled the former Soviet Union and repressive Middle Eastern
regimes. Prisons have grown overcrowded and understaffed.  At the same time,
there has been no commensurate commitment to protecting prisoner rights or
upholding even minimal standards. Both state and federal legislatures, with the
complicity of federal courts, have continually trimmed avenues of legal redress
for inmates subject to abuse. For its part, the public was fed the myth that
prisoners were coddled, and accepted on faith that inmates were treated fairly.
The public faith was interrupted only when graphic images materialized as
evidence or by guards "rolling over." [...] So, what has been shown in Abu
Ghraib that has not already been seen in the U.S.?

NOTE: Amnesty International's Rights For All report on U.S. human rights abuses
includes a section on prison issues: http://www.amnestyusa.org/rightsforall/

[Stanford Prison Experiment] Stanford experiment foretold Iraq scandal
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7180-.html
To one Bay Area expert, the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison should have been
predictable. "The key is this: Once a prison has a veil of secrecy around it,
which most do, it's just open for corruption," said Philip Zimbardo, professor
emeritus of psychology at Stanford University. "If you know nobody can get in,
nobody can know what you're doing."  Zimbardo said the report on Abu Ghraib
prepared by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba describes a prison that was the perfect
petri dish in which the culture of guard violence could flourish.  It was a
culture that Zimbardo said should have been well understood, based on decades of
psychological research and his own famous -- some would say infamous -- Stanford
Prison Experiment of 1971.

[Stanford Prison Experiment] 1971 experiment showed fine line between 'normal'
and 'monster'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7179-.html
In 1971, researchers at Stanford University created a simulated prison in the
basement of the campus psychology building. They randomly assigned 24 students
to be either prison guards or prisoners for two weeks. Within days, the "guards"
had become swaggering and sadistic, to the point of placing bags over the
prisoners' heads, forcing them to strip naked and encouraging them to perform
sexual acts. The landmark Stanford experiment and studies like it give insight
into how ordinary people can, under the right circumstances, do horrible things
- including the mistreatment of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
[...] Philip Zimbardo, a leader of the Stanford prison study, said that, while
the rest of the world was shocked by the images from Iraq, "I was not surprised
that it happened.  "I have exact, parallel pictures of prisoners with bags over
their heads," from the 1971 study, he said.

[Twelve Tribes] Religious sect set to expand business
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7178-.html
A controversial religious sect hopes to expand its presence in town and is
negotiating to buy another downtown building and open a cafe. Twelve Tribes, a
group described by critics as a cult, has a tentative agreement to buy the
building that's been home to Stevens the Florist for 28 years.

[Hate Groups] Extremist and hate websites rise by 300 per cent
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7177-.html
Websites expressing extremist, racist or religious-hate views have shown a huge
increase since the start of this year, according to new figures.
Sites promoting hate against American, Muslim, Jewish, homosexual and
African-American people have increased by 26 per cent since this January -
almost as much as the 30 per cent rise during the whole of 2003, according to
web- and mail-filtering firm SurfControl. Websites offering anything from
scholarships to dating services for white supremacists, sites promoting the
murder of homosexuals, revisionist versions of 9/11 history and other extremist
content have grown by about 300 per cent since SurfControl began monitoring the
sites in 2000.  However, while the increase in such sites may seem astronomical,
at least part of the rise can be attributed to an overall rise in internet
subscribers - in the fourth quarter of 2003, 12.1 million UK households could
access the internet from home, compared to 2.2 million in the same quarter of
1998.

[Jews for Jesus] Judge dismisses suit claiming defamation by Jews for Jesus
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7176-.html
A judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit from a woman who sued a religious
movement for claiming she converted to the organization's beliefs.
In her lawsuit, Edith Rapp claimed her stepson wrongly proclaimed in a Jews for
Jesus newsletter that she tearfully converted to the movement at her husband's
bedside.  But attorneys for Jews for Jesus claimed that calling Rapp "a Jewish
believer" was not defamatory because it is not "highly offensive to a reasonable
person." Circuit Judge Catherine Brunson dismissed the lawsuit Tuesday, but she
did not rule out the possibility that the suit could proceed.

[USA] Donald Rumsfeld Should Go
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7175-.html
It is time now for Mr. Rumsfeld to go, and not only because he bears personal
responsibility for the scandal of Abu Ghraib. That would certainly have been
enough. The United States has been humiliated to a point where government
officials could not release this year's international human rights report this
week for fear of being scoffed at by the rest of the world.

NOTE: In March, 2003, George Monbiot highlighted the US Defence Secretary's
double standards when Rumsfeld suddenly remembered the Geneva Convention -
albeit only when captured American soldiers were paraded in front of the Iraqi
television cameras.  Mobiot writes that Rumsfeld "immediately complained that
'it is against the Geneva convention to show photographs of prisoners of war in
a manner that is humiliating for them'. He is, of course, quite right. Article
13 of the third convention, concerning the treatment of prisoners, insists that
they 'must at all times be protected... against insults and public curiosity'.
This may number among the less heinous of the possible infringements of the laws
of war, but the conventions, ratified by Iraq in 1956, are non-negotiable. If
you break them, you should expect to be prosecuted for war crimes.  Rumsfeld had
better watch his back. For this enthusiastic convert to the cause of legal
warfare is, as head of the defence department, responsible for a series of
crimes sufficient, were he ever to be tried, to put him away for the rest of his
natural life.  His prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, in Cuba, where 641 men (nine
of whom are British citizens) are held, breaches no fewer than 15 articles of
the third convention."

[USA] Iraq Scandal Opens U.S. to Charges of Double Standards
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7174-.html
The extent of the U.S. administration's embarrassment following the publication
of photos showing torture and abuse of Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib is evident
in the fact that Washington has postponed the release of the State Department's
annual report on human rights abuses worldwide. The official reasons for the
eleventh hour postponement have not been disclosed. [...] The report usually
takes aim at virtually every country, most in the developing world, for human
rights excesses while excluding U.S. abuses from its pages. The question now
being asked is: can Washington afford to take a holier-than-thou attitude when
it beats up the rest of the world every year in the annual report? [...]
”Internationally, there is little U.S. credibility on human rights issues,” says
Phyllis Bennis of the Institute of Policy Studies in Washington.  She attributes
the lack of U.S. credibility to two primary factors: ”the blatantly political
motives of human rights criticisms (largely ignoring abuses in U.S. ”client
states” like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and especially protecting Israel from the
consequences of its human rights violations), and because of U.S. denials in the
past of its own human rights abuses”.

[USA] A president beyond the law sets a bad example
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7173-.html
We are told that there was a failure of military leadership. Officers in the
field were lax. Pentagon officials didn't care. So the worst in human nature was
allowed to flourish.  But something much more profound underlies this terrible
episode. It is a culture of low regard for the law, of respecting the law only
when it is convenient.  Again and again, over these last years, President George
W. Bush has made clear his view that law must bend to what he regards as
necessity. National security as he defines it trumps American commitments to
international law. The Constitution must yield to novel infringements on
American freedom.  One clear example is the treatment of the prisoners at
Guantαnamo Bay, Cuba. [...] The violation of the Geneva convention and that
refusal to let the courts consider the issue have cost the United States dearly
in the world legal community - the judges and lawyers in societies that,
historically, have looked to the United States as the exemplar of a country
committed to law. Lord Steyn, a judge on Britain's highest court, condemned the
Bush administration's position on Guantαnamo in an address last autumn -
pointing out that American courts would refuse even to hear claims of torture
from prisoners. At the time, the idea of torture at Guantαnamo seemed
far-fetched to me. After the disclosures of the last 10 days, can we be sure? 
Instead of a country committed to law, the United States is now seen as a
country that proclaims high legal ideals and then says that they should apply to
all others but not to itself. That view has been worsened by the Bush
administration's determination that Americans not be subject to the new
International Criminal Court, which is supposed to punish genocide and war
crimes.

[Islam] French deny Muslim visa over scarf rule
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7172-.html
As a devout Muslim and international businesswoman, Nashida Subhi has worn her
head scarf into corporate offices around the world. But now she has learned she
will no longer be welcome in France unless she takes her scarf off for a
photograph. The French Consulate in Houston recently denied Subhi's request for
a visa to visit the country on business, she said. Subhi was told that French
regulations require her to bare her head for an identifying photograph --
something she is not willing to do. A representative of the French Consulate
could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. But the consulate told the
Associated Press French law forbids anyone from wearing anything that obscures
the view of the head in a visa photo.

[Hate Groups] Lessons in hatred
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7171-.html
Worried teachers say that the BNP is recruiting children as young as nine to its
cause. Ian Herbert reports on the rise of the right in schools

[Islam] Australian Islamic hardliner pays $2.6m for mosque
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7170-.html
Supporters of one of the nation's most hardline Islamic clerics have paid $2.65
million - about $850,000 higher than the nearest rival bid - for a mosque in
Sydney's southwest. It is understood the mosque was bought for Sheikh Abdul
Salam Mohammed Zoud and his growing congregation, who flock to a small prayer
hall above a busy arcade in Sydney's southwestern suburbs. ASIO and other
counter-terrorism agencies closely monitor the prayer hall and members of its
congregation - one of whom has been charged with planning a terrorist attack
with French terror suspect Willie Brigitte. Brigitte has allegedly told French
interrogators that Sheikh Zoud has terrorist links worldwide and was a recruiter
for jihad in Australia.

[Islam] Muslim extremist group expands recruitment effort in Denmark
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7169-.html
Muslim extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir is waging a large-scale recruitment
campaign. In recent days, the group has passed out leaflets in residential
areas, a metro station, and an area football club Muslim fundamentalist group
Hizb ut-Tahrir has pulled out all the stops in a recruitment campaign to lure
young immigrants to a meeting on Sunday at Copenhagen's Nψrrebrohallen.

[Cargo Cults] Cargo cult's feud with Prophet Fred's sect splits Pacific island
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7167-.html
It has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster - a smouldering volcano, a
jungle battle, a bizarre cult and a self-styled messiah called Prophet Fred. But
the feud which has broken out between two villages in the South Pacific nation
of Vanuatu is all too real for the dozens of men in hospital with axe and spear
wounds. It has split one of the world's last surviving cargo cults, one of the
strangest legacies of the European colonisation of the South Seas.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
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Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, May 12, 2004

Religion News Blog = religion news in context:

• Most articles include links to previous news items that allow you to see the
current item in context.
• Also provided are links to relevant research resources.
• At the bottom of each article, click the "More stories on..." link to see more
stories on the same subject.

» [Judaism] 'Mr. Spock' Shoots Photos Exploring God
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7239-.html
The women appear aglow; black and white images bathed in light. Some are nude,
others are loosely covered with translucent robes or Jewish prayer shawls. They
are Leonard Nimoy's embodiment of Shekhina - the feminine presence of God. [...]
In 2002, he published "Shekhina," a book of about 40 photographs that explore
his interest in the feminine aspects of Jewish divinity. Many of the images are
on display this month at the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton. [...]
"Shekhina" was banned from a Jewish book fair in Detroit last year, and Nimoy's
appearance at a fund-raising dinner for the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
was canceled shortly after the book was published. But his photos have been well
received at many Reform synagogues and at art galleries and museums around the
country.

» [The Passion of The Christ] Passion of the Christ raises questions among
Buddhist audiences
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7238-.html
The Passion of the Christ has left viewers stunned and questioning the religious
meaning of Christ’s violent death since the blockbuster film directed by Mel
Gibson was released April 29th in the overwhelmingly Buddhist country. More than
90 percent of Thailand’s population are Buddhist. Very few have read the Bible.
The long episodes of violence and beatings in the Passion caused not a few in
the audience to scratch their heads. [...] Film critic Kong Rithdee offered an
insight into the audiences’ reaction. “Buddhists, as most citizens in this
country are, carry a different baggage walking into the theater. People adhering
to the religion founded on peace and meditation may wonder, judging from this
film, why a more popular faith like Christianity had such a bloody, painful
origin,” he wrote in “Bangkok Post” an English-language daily newspaper. Some
Christian Churches and the Bible Society in Thailand worked to offer an
explanation to the film as moviegoers entered the cinema. A Thai-language
booklet introducing the meaning of the story behind the film was offered,
containing email addresses and websites of Christian organizations. Apichit, a
student, gave the film a “thumbs up” when he left, admitting that the brutality
scared him, but he had understood what the Passion meant from the booklet he
received.

» [USA] Rumsfeld: U.S. interrogation techniques don't violate Geneva Conventions
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7237-.html
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld defended military interrogation techniques in
Iraq on Wednesday, rejecting complaints that they violate international rules
and may endanger Americans taken prisoner. [...] But Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.
said some of the approved techniques "go far beyond the Geneva Convention," a
reference to international rules governing the treatment of prisoners of war.

NOTE: Mr. Rumsfeld's double-minded attitude to international laws and
conventions has been discussed before in an opinion piece titled, "One Rule For
Them...": http://www.religionnewsblog.com/2829-.html

[Religious Freedom] ACLU restores biblical verse to high school yearbook
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7235-.html
The American Civil Liberties Union, perhaps better known for helping keep
religion out of the classroom, came to the defense of a high school graduate
whose yearbook entry was censored because it contained a biblical verse.

[Catholic Church] Lawsuit alleges widespread abuse by nuns at church-run school
for deaf
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7234-.html
Nine former students of the Boston School for the Deaf filed a lawsuit Tuesday
alleging they were raped and beaten by nuns at the now-defunct school. The
plaintiffs accused at least 13 nuns in the lawsuit, along with a priest and a
male athletic instructor at the school and a former top official in the Boston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese, according to their attorney, Mitchell Garabedian.
The alleged victims, three women and six men, were between the ages of 7 and 16
when, they claim, they were sexually and physically abused between 1944 and
1977.

[Symbionese Liberation Army] Symbionese Liberation Army members, then and now
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7233-.html
[Roundup that accompanied the following story]

[Symbionese Liberation Army] Sentence ends Symbionese Liberation Army's long,
violent saga
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7232-.html
The long, violent saga of the Symbionese Liberation Army finally came to an end.
SLA member James Kilgore was sentenced to six years in state prison Monday for
the killing of a suburban Sacramento housewife during an April 1975 bank robbery
that netted the would-be revolutionaries $15,000.

[Hate Groups] Trial begins for man accused of being 'Unknown Terrorist'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7231-.html
The SLA was a band of 1970s California revolutionaries who achieved notoriety
amid the anti-Vietnam war movement for murdering Oakland school superintendent
Marcus Foster, kidnapping newspaper heiress Patty Hearst, setting off bombs and
robbing a string of California banks.

[Internet] First web-pastor appointed
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7230-.html
Alyson Leslie, a lay pastor, will run i-Church, a community of worshippers from
all over the world who will congregate at the website for prayers in chatrooms,
webcast services and e-mail socialising.  It is the first time a web community
will be a fully recognised Anglican church. Although parishioners from many
countries are taking part, the church will nominally be part of the Diocese of
Oxford, which is funding the £15,000-a-year venture - a fraction of the cost of
maintaining many physical churches.

[Islam] France arrests radical Iraqi imam
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7229-.html
An Iraqi Muslim cleric who preached at a mosque outside Paris has been detained
for violating a house arrest order, French judicial sources say. [...] Mr Ali
was placed under house arrest in March pending deportation, but police say he
never respected the ruling.

[Lord's Resistance Army] British Charity Urges Uganda to Protect Civilians
Living in the North
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7228-.html
A British charity is urging the Ugandan government to protect people living in
northern Uganda from attacks by a rebel group operating there. The agency also
calls for the government to use dialogue, rather than military force, to end the
conflict.  A spokeswoman in Uganda for the group Christian Aid, Judith Melby,
says the Ugandan government has provided inadequate protection from attacks by
rebels belonging to the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

[Catholic Church] Church leaders accused of impeding reform
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7227-.html
The head of the review board set up to monitor Roman Catholic bishops' response
to the clergy sex abuse crisis has accused the church leaders of returning to
"business as usual" to impede reform efforts.  Some bishops are trying to block
the National Review Board from conducting an audit this year to determine
whether all 195 U.S. dioceses are following reforms aimed at ridding the
priesthood of abusers, Illinois Appellate Court Judge Anne Burke wrote in a
letter published Tuesday.

[Mariology] Virgin on Mexican wall is no miracle, church rules
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7226-.html
Mexico's Catholic Church Monday ruled out any divine origin for an image on a
hospital wall that thousands of pilgrims are flocking to venerate in the belief
that it shows the country's patron saint. The shadowy figure, which the faithful
say depicts the Virgin of Guadalupe, appears every night when a light is
switched on in the patio of a clinic in the Pacific resort of Ensenada.

[Chen Jianmin] Doctor faces new challenge after fast
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7225-.html
Just two days after walking out of a clear box in which he spent 49 days
fasting, Chen Jianmin reacted only with dismissive anger at hearing Sima Nan's
name. By all accounts, Chen has just broken a fasting world record of 44 days
set by an American magician last year. [...] But Sima, who is known across the
China for his fight against superstition, stepped up efforts to debunk Chen and
his record.

[Polygamy] Teen who escaped polygamists settles into normal life
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7223-.html
After nearly three months on the run, Fawn Broadbent is more than ready to get
back to typical teen life: school, hanging out, thinking about boys.  On Monday,
Fawn, 17, became the legal ward of Carl John and Joni Holm of Sandy, who
petitioned for her custody after she left the polygamous enclave of Colorado
City, Ariz.

[USA] Group: Bush's Foreign Policy 'Dangerous'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7222-.html
A national religious group representing 36 Protestant and Orthodox denominations
said Tuesday that U.S. foreign policy is "dangerous" and urged President Bush to
turn over authority in Iraq to the United Nations. The National Council of
Churches, which has been highly critical of the war, acknowledged that
Christians disagree on the issue, but said that giving control to the U.N. was
the only way to create "lasting peace."

[Islam] Killers: Beheading Avenges Prison Abuse
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7221-.html
A video posted Tuesday on an al-Qaida-linked Web site showed the beheading of an
American civilian in Iraq and said the execution was carried out to avenge
abuses of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison. [...] The video bore the title
"Abu Musab al-Zarqawi shown slaughtering an American." It was unclear whether
al-Zarqawi - an associate of Osama bin Laden believed behind the wave of suicide
bombings in Iraq - was shown in the video or simply ordered the execution.
Al-Zarqawi also is sought in the assassination of a U.S. diplomat in Jordan in
2002.

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Duval court orders couple to allow baby's blood
transfusions
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7220-.html
A Duval County circuit judge ordered the parents of a premature baby to allow
doctors to give him blood transfusions, though the couple's religious beliefs
prohibit such treatments. [...] Deliah Floyd and Doward Carter are Jehovah's
Witnesses. One tenet of their faith prevents them from receiving certain
treatments, including blood transfusions.  But when a parent's decision to
refuse treatment could endanger a child, the hospital notifies the State
Attorney's Office, said Cindy Hamilton, a spokeswoman for Baptist Health.
Doctors then provide the court-authorized treatment, even if it goes against the
parent's wishes, she said.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Calera mayor may rescind Dianetics Month
proclamation
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7219-.html
There won't be a downtown parade or special ceremony, but May is officially
Dianetics Month in Calera.  When Mayor George Roy signed a proclamation to that
effect last month, he didn't know he was endorsing a controversial religious
movement. "We did it in good faith," he said. [...] The proclamation on
"Dianetics" praised its author and urged "all citizens to follow Mr. Hubbard's
example and strive to improve the lives of each other by working together and
assisting each other to attain a brighter future." The text arrived prepared
with blank lines for the city's name. [...] The mayor said he will rescind the
proclamation at next week's council meeting.

NOTE: L. Ron Hubbard was a pathalogical liar whose fantasies resulted in the
'church' of Scientology.  Its 'scriptures' - penned by Hubbard - actively
promote the hate and harassment activities as well as other unethical behavior
that the cult is known for.

[Internet] 3D church opened to woo Internet faithful
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7218-.html
Christians in Britain have opened a zany 3D Internet church, billed as a first
chance for believers to log on and worship interactively.  Bishop of London
Richard Chartres gave the inaugural sermon - via a speech-bubble from his
cartoon persona - at the first service on the "Church of Fools".

[UFOs] Mexican air force confirms UFOs were filmed over country in March
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7217-.html
Mexican air force pilots filmed 11 unidentified flying objects in the skies over
southern Campeche state, a Defence Department spokesman confirmed Tuesday. A
videotape made widely available to the news media Tuesday shows the bright
objects, some sharp points of light and others like large headlights, moving
rapidly in what appears to be a late-evening sky.

[Terry Nichols] Nichols defense presents John Doe No. 2 evidence
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7216-.html
Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and a shorter, stocky man with bushy dark
hair walked into a Kansas hair salon together one day before the 1995 bombing,
two hair stylists testified at bombing conspirator Terry Nichols' murder trial
Monday. [...] The women, who worked at a salon in Junction City, Kan., are among
a growing list of defense witnesses who have recalled encounters with Mr.
McVeigh and John Doe No. 2 in the days and weeks before the April 19, 1995,
bombing that killed 168 people.  Their testimony is part of a defense strategy
to suggest that the plot to bomb the Oklahoma City federal building was wider
than alleged by prosecutors and that Mr. McVeigh received substantial help from
other co-conspirators.

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Religious mother turned down life-saving treatment
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7215-.html
A mother died after refusing medical treatment involving blood products because
of her religious beliefs, an inquest heard. Jehovah's Witness Angela Jean
Shipperley, 36, died on August 20 last year, 12 days after giving birth by
caesarean section to a premature baby boy at Northwick Park Hospital. Dangerous
complications of pre-eclampsia, which had caused the early birth, set in after
the delivery, which caused Mrs Shipperley to suffer fatally low levels of
haemoglobin in her blood.

[Mormon Church] Mormon missionaries face days of austerity, rejection
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7214-.html
Hooters and Starbucks would fold like the Soviet Union if every 19- to
26-year-old man became a Mormon missionary.  These clean-cut young men don't
drink, smoke, dance, listen to hip-hop, sip coffee or tea, or even hang at the
beach. All are considered distractions from the singular mission of finding new
members. Male missionaries -- called Elders -- work six days a week, 6:30 a.m.
to 9:30 p.m., struggling to bring converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. [...] But the toughest job of all is working all day facing
rejection from people they try to introduce to the church. [...] Even for those
who request Mormon literature after answering ads on TV -- the biggest stumbling
block remains accepting The Book of Mormon, the foundation of the church.

[Toronto Blessing] New Religions: Toronto Blessing
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7213-.html
[Audio] NPR's series on new religious movements continues today with the fastest
growing Christian church. The Toronto Blessing is a Pentecostal church, in which
the worshippers display a personal, physical connection with God through
manifestations such as speaking in tongues and barking like dogs.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Please Support Apologetics Index / Religion News Blog

Religion New Blog is a free service provided by Apologetics Index.
But we do have website-related bills to pay. If Apologetics Index
and RNB are of service to you, please consider making a donation:
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•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, May 15-17, 2004

Mon, May. 17, 2004
[Hate Groups] White supremacist 'Creators' pamphlet Hudson
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7302-.html
The group, New England Creativity, is part of the Creativity Movement, formerly
known as the World Church of the Creator, touted as a religious group based in
Missouri. [...] Although the flyer left in Keegan’s driveway said the group
“uses peaceful means to spread its message,” group leader Matthew Hale was
recently found guilty in an Illinois courtroom of plotting to have a federal
judge murdered.

[Homosexuality / Lesbianism] U.S. state recognises gay marriages
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7301-.html
Hundreds of gays and lesbians are celebrating as they wait to apply for
something many of them never thought possible -- the right to legally marry in
the United States. Same-sex couples were set to exchange vows on Monday when
Massachusetts becomes the first U.S. state to allow gay marriage, an
election-year milestone likely to fuel legal and political battles nationwide.

[Christianity] Services Fit for an Arena
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7299-.html
Many U.S. congregations have grown so large that the term "megachurch" no longer
seems adequate. So some observers have created a new category: the gigachurch. 
Where megachurch refers to congregations with an average of 2,000 or more
worshipers every weekend, gigachurch refers to those with 10,000 or more, said
Texas-based church consultant Bill Easum, adding that the rising number of large
congregations reflects a major shift in worship patterns.

[Kabbalah] Why do stars put their faith in Kabbalah?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7298-.html
It is the trendiest faith around, endorsed by superstars like Madonna, Demi
Moore and Britney Spears. As I take my first lesson in Kabbalah, I begin to
understand why. "By the fourth class you will learn to see into the future," my
teacher announces confidently. From the offset it is easy to see why so many
celebrities are attracted to Kabbalah, as I'm promised money, sexual energy,
passion and beauty - all for £180. [...] As if more reasons were needed,
Kabbalists say the "positive flow of energy" can stop the ageing process. More
bizarrely, they believe negative energy can be absorbed by swinging a chicken
above the head.

[Homosexuality / Lesbianism] Lesbian pastor, acquitted in Methodist trial, won't
return to post
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7295-.html
The Rev. Karen Dammann, a lesbian pastor who was the focus of a church trial,
has chosen not to return to her Ellensburg church, a United Methodist official
said Friday. Dammann chose to remain on family leave rather than return to First
United Methodist Church in the central Washington city, said the Rev. Ron Hines,
superintendent of the Pacific Northwest Conference's Seven Rivers District.
[...] In March, a jury of 13 pastors meeting in Bothell acquitted Dammann of
violating Methodist law even though she acknowledged she had a female partner.
The trial decision figured prominently at the Methodist national policy meeting
last week in Pittsburgh, where discord over gay-related issues showed a deep
rift in the nation's third-largest denomination.

[Falun Gong] Falun Dafa members sue Sydney paper for defamation
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7294-.html
A Sydney Chinese newspaper is being sued for defamation by the Falun Dafa
meditation group over the paper's publication of criticism by the Chinese
Government consulate in Sydney.

[Cult Apologists] Cult experts snubbed by archbishop
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7293-.html
An ecumenical group that provides information and advice for families of people
involved with religious and other cults has been dismayed by a decision by the
Archbishop of Canterbury not to follow his predecessors by becoming its patron.
[...] Some senior members of the group suggested Dr Williams had been "nobbled"
by Anglican evangelicals who disapprove of Inform's consensual rather than
confrontational approach to new religions.

NOTE: While INFORM claims objectivity, founder Eileen Barker is a board member
of cult defenders organization CESNUR.  The late Jeffrey K. Hadden, a cult
apologist, wrote his controversial memo regarding the possible 'neutralization'
of anti-cult organizations on behalf of Eileen Barker and David Bromley.  Tilman
Hausherr's Cultapologists FAQ states, among other things, that Eileen Barker
"[c]laimed under oath in the Moscow trial against Prof. Alexander Dvorkin that a
person can belong simultaneously to scientology, the Moon organization, Krishna,
Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons, CoG, the Local church (Witness Lee), Mother of
God center, and the Vissarionites. (Dvorkin had made a booklet partly based on
Steve Hassan's "questions for the educated consumer", and was sued by an
inter-cult group. He won the lawsuit and it was upheld on appeal)"

For recommended cult experts and counseling services, see:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/recommended

[Christianity] ALT-WORSHIP: Christian Cool and the New Generation Gap
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7292-.html
For evidence of generational upheaval these days, you might skip over the usual
suspects - sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll - and consider instead the church. Two
decades after baby boomers invented the suburban megachurch, which removed
intimidating crosses or stained-glass images of Jesus in favor of neutral
environments, their children are now wearing "Jesus Is My Homeboy" T-shirts. As
mainline churches scramble to retain young people, these worshipers have gained
attention by creating alternative churches in coffee bars and warehouses and
publishing new magazines and Bibles that come on as anything but church. [...]
The changes are often more stylistic than doctrinal. Many alt-evangelicals
espouse conservative theology, but reject the censure of some churches. Mr.
Strang sees this as a blueprint for an evangelical left.

[USA] Rumsfeld responsible for torture: report
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7291-.html
U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorized the expansion of a secret
program that encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi
prisoners to obtain intelligence about the growing insurgency in Iraq, the New
Yorker magazine reported Saturday.

[USA] New Abuse Accusations Emerge as Senators Vow Full Inquiry
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7290-.html
Leading lawmakers from both parties vowed today to pursue the Iraq prisoner
abuse scandal as high as it goes, even as controversy erupted over accusations
that top Pentagon officials approved tougher interrogation tactics for Iraq in
an urgent effort to gain intelligence to stop surging violence last summer.

[USA] New president, same grotesque abuse of power
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7289-.html
The pornography of Iraqi prisoner abuse reflects the pornography of US Middle
East policy. And if you think hacking off some poor bugger's head, on
television, is the pits in human behaviour you've forgotten those Vietnam War
images of a screaming, naked girl child ravaged by napalm. Thirty-three years
ago, on April 22, 1971, former naval lieutenant John Kerry, who served in
Vietnam for six months in 1968-69, testified before a congressional committee in
Washington. Here, edited, is part of his opening speech: [...] "We are asking
Americans to think about that. We are here to say the problem of this war is not
just the war, but of everything: of racism, of the weapons used, of the
hypocrisy of taking umbrage at the Geneva Conventions when we are more guilty
than anyone of violations - in free-fire zones, in search-and-destroy missions,
in bombings, in the torture of prisoners. All accepted policy. That is what we
are trying to say. It is part and parcel of everything ..."

[Transcendental Meditation] Group studies M.U.M. safety policy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7288-.html
A Maharishi University of Management committee charged with evaluating the
college's campus safety policies will likely release a public report in the next
few months, M.U.M. executive vice president Craig Pearson said Thursday. The
nine-member committee, formed after the March 1 murder of freshman Levi Butler
in the university dining hall, has been meeting approximately twice a week since
early April. It includes university administrators, an M.U.M. student, a local
mental health professional and a Fairfield police officer.

[Transcendental Meditation] Ministry considers 'TM' in Trinidad and Tobego
schools
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7287-.html
The use of transcendental meditation in schools is being considered by the
Ministry of Education as a tool to deal with the problem of troubled and
under-performing students. Steve Williams, supervisor, Guidance Officer Unit,
Ministry of Education, speaking yesterday at the "Improve the Brain Campaign"
held by the Trinidad and Tobago Peace Government at the Hilton Trinidad, said
that a presentation on the subject would be made on Monday to teachers and
principals in a move "to open up their eyes" to the benefits of meditation.

[Transcendental Meditation] Love is in the air
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7286-.html
The Maharishi issued a proclamation recently stating that “large groups of
peace-creating Yogic Flyers” were going to “promote coherence in world
consciousness and change the trends of life from destruction to peace.” Yogic
wha, did you say? According to Alltm.org, one of the many websites promoting the
godly guy’s teachings, yogic flying is but a “natural extension” to
transcendental meditation. The uplifting experience, evidently, manifests itself
in three stages: Saith the site, “Stage One is generally associated with what
would best be described as ‘hopping like a frog.’ Stage Two is flying through
the air for a short time. Stage Three is complete mastery of the sky.” And if
you think they’re just blowing wind, check out Alltm.org/YFlying.html to see a
picture of three joyous souls on the up and up.

[Alternative Healing] Medicine for the soul
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7285-.html
Complementary medicine sometimes seems to exist in that twilight world of
hunches. You either get it or you don’t. Like conservation and feminism, it has
baggage that can be as much to do with the supporters as the cause itself.
Alternative therapies? Cranky, unscientific, downright weird. Or is that just
Prince Charles? Charles is one of its most famous advocates, and around 20% of
the British population agree with him; we spend £1.6 billion a year on
complementary therapies. But the proof? Scientific data does exist. De Vries
himself has been involved in extensive research with the Dutch health service,
which showed alternative therapies to be twice as effective as conventional ones
in treating rheumatoid arthritis. But there are difficulties. We can see how
acupuncture, homoeopathy and herbalism might be tested. But how do you gauge the
effects of thinking positively? Of becoming more spiritual? According to de
Vries, both affect health.

[Joyce Meyer] Preaching prosperity
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7284-.html
As part of a long line of "prosperity gospel" preachers -- a line that also
included Jim and Tammy Bakker -- Meyer points her fans to a God who can fix
their problems. He even wants them to be wealthy. [...] In her 20 years in
ministry, the 60-year-old Meyer has created a major TV presence, a series of
conferences that include as many as 20 in the United States and others overseas
each year, 46 books, more than 225 audio tapes and 75 videos. The ministry,
based near St. Louis, says it takes in about $8 million a month in revenues and
funds numerous charities, including its own St. Louis Dream Center for needy
people in the inner city. Questions have surfaced recently about Meyer's
finances, though.

[Islam] Preaching from the converted
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7283-.html
She Wanted to Save the Planet, Now She Says 11 September Was a Good Thing. He
Liked to Party, Now He Prays for Democracy's Destruction. What is It That Draws
Middle-Class Westerners to Allah? Peter Stanford Meets Five British Converts to
Militant Islam and Hears Why, By `Word and Sword', They Hope to Make This
Country a Muslim State.

[Antisemitism] Thousands march to protest rise in anti-Semitic acts in France
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7282-.html
At least 9,000 people marched in eastern Paris on Sunday to denounce a recent
increase in anti-Semitic acts in France. An array of lawmakers and celebrities
took part in the march, triggered mainly by recent cases of vandals
spray-painting swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti on Jewish sites in
eastern France.

[Hate Groups] Police shut down white supremacist site
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7281-.html
Police are considering charges after shutting down a white supremacist website
and seizing a large amount of Nazi and hate material. Officers raided an Old
Strathcona home on May 7, shutting down the website for Western Canada for Us
and confiscating computer hard drives, Nazi flags and jewelry, and books
promoting white supremacy.Police say one of the books seized is illegal in
Canada.

[Hate Groups] White supremacist group cuts short demonstration
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7280-.html
Two dozen white supremacists cut short a rally Saturday when protesters moved
within about 25 feet of them. A line of police officers in riot gear stood
between the groups as insults were exchanged. The supremacists gathered in a
city park near the former Monroe Elementary School, where the daughter of the
lead plaintiff in the Brown v. Board of Education case was a student. The Topeka
case, along with four others, resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision
declaring segregated schools unconstitutional.

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Sat, May. 15, 2004
[USA] U.S. arranges to detain and interrogate terror suspects in secret
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7278-.html
All told, more than 9,000 people are held by U.S. authorities overseas,
according to Pentagon figures and estimates by intelligence experts, the vast
majority under military control. The detainees have no conventional legal
rights: no access to a lawyer; no chance for an impartial hearing; and no
apparent guarantee of humane treatment accorded prisoners of war under the
Geneva Conventions or civilians in U.S. jails. Although some of those held by
the military in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantαnamo have had visits by the
International Committee of the Red Cross, some of the CIA's detainees have, in
effect, disappeared, according to interviews with former and current
national-security officials and to the Army's report of abuses at Abu Ghraib.

[USA] U.S. bans coercion of Iraqi prisoners
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7277-.html
Under a barrage of international and domestic criticism, the top U.S. commander
in Iraq has banned virtually all coercive interrogation practices, such as
forcing prisoners to crouch for long periods or depriving them of sleep, the
Pentagon announced on Friday. [...] Rumsfeld has said that the U.S. military in
Iraq was abiding by the Geneva Conventions and that the mistreatment was the
work of a terrible few. But the International Red Cross had warned U.S.
officials for months that Iraqi prisoners were being abused in U.S.-run prisons.
Even Rumsfeld's deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, acknowledged at a Senate hearing
Thursday that hooding prisoners or forcing them to crouch naked for 45 minutes
-- tactics available to interrogators with Sanchez's approval under the old
policy -- were inhumane. The Pentagon's chief spokesman, Lawrence Di Rita,
acknowledged that it was "likely that the heightened scrutiny of the last couple
weeks" had prompted Sanchez to revise the interrogation rules. He said Rumsfeld
had not ordered Sanchez to change the policy. The changes appear to affect only
operations in Iraq and would not change interrogation methods at the U.S. base
at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where harsher approaches have been authorized.

NOTE: Despite some cosmetic changes, America's growing record of human rights
abuses throughout the world explains why the USA fights the International
Criminal Court (by, among other things, lying about the Court).

[The Body] Sect topic of TV magazine
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7276-.html
The bizarre case of the Attleboro religious sect in which a sect baby was
starved to death because his parents believed they were fol lowing orders from
God will be featured Sunday night on the ``Dateline NBC'' news magazine show.

[USA] Freedom fries
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7275-.html
You can't get an accurate picture of what "exporting democracy" means by
listening to Bush or Cheney, who seem to loathe democracy and freedom for anyone
but their crooked mates and their minatory corporate backers. Better to seek out
documentaries like The Corporation, a history and indictment of the titular
business entity, or Hidden in Plain Sight, a searing exposι of the US Army's
"School of The Americas" at Fort Benning, where a number of Latin America's more
celebrated dictators and secret policemen received lengthy instruction in the
application of electricity to testicles and footwear to faces.

[USA] TORTURE U.: Congress should shut former School of the Americas
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7274-.html
Despite a recent name change, the military training school at Ft. Benning, Ga.,
formerly known as the Army School of the Americas, remains a festering sore in
relations between the United States and Latin America. Congress ought to close
this training center for Latin American soldiers,
now named the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. A bill
sponsored by U.S. Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., would do that.
The school was made infamous in 1996 with the release of a torture training
manual used in the 1980s. It has schooled hundreds of soldiers who have
committed documented human rights abuses in Latin America, including some of
those involved in the murder of six Jesuit priests in 1989 in El Salvador. The
links to such abuses continue, most notably in Colombia.

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Witness protection
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7273-.html
Nothing puts people on edge quite like a stranger at their doorstep. So why do
the Jehovah's Witnesses insist on the door-to-door ministry? Because the law
says they can - and yes, God told them to. It takes just a few minutes of polite
conversation with a Jehovah's Witness to arrive at a rather baffling question:
Why are people always calling the cops on these nice folks?

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Legally speaking
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7272-.html
On March 19, when Topsfield police officer Gary Hayward told a group of
Jehovah's Witnesses they'd be better off obtaining a soliciting permit from the
police before descending upon local neighborhoods with religious literature, it
became clear that Hayward hadn't spent much time in Stratton, Ohio.  If he had,
Hayward surely would have recalled the groundbreaking 2001 Supreme Court ruling
that gave Jehovah's Witnesses the right to spread the word of God wherever they
please-without permission from any higher authority.

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Jehovah's Witnesses - who are they?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7271-.html
[PR info from the Jehovah's Witnesses media department]

[Worldwide Church of God] Worldwide Church of God sell remainder of campus
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7270-.html
The Worldwide Church of God announced Friday it has sold a large portion of the
remaining Ambassador campus to a consortium of local religious institutions,
ending a controversial plan to build houses on the site. The highly anticipated
deal will preserve the world-renowned Ambassador Auditorium as a house

[Greater Grace World Outreach] Church dispute spills onto Internet
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7269-.html
Seventeen years after a federal court ruled that his church used undue influence
to obtain more than $6 million from a donor, a Baltimore-based evangelist faces
a new controversy in a different venue - the Internet. In recent months, former
and current members of Baltimore's Greater Grace World Outreach have used an
Internet bulletin board to air criticism and charges against the church's
leadership and its aging founder, Pastor Carl H. Stevens Jr.

Older items:

Fri, May. 14, 2004
[Transcendental Meditation] State OKs changes to Cabarrus charter school
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7300-.html

[Charles Manson] CBS unveils a shameless, sadistic new Manson family portrait
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7268-.html

[UK] U.K. Paper Apologizes for Fake Photos
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7267-.html

[Hate Groups] Sentencing in Matt Hale case scheduled for Aug. 23
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7266-.html

[USA] Red Cross Renews Criticism of Conditions at Guantanamo
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7265-.html

[Judaism] A hair-raising fear of idols
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7264-.html

[Judaism] In Israel, a Ban on Indian Wigs; In Brooklyn, a Rush to Comply
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7263-.html

[Judaism] Fear of idolatry sparks wig ban in Israel
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7262-.html

[Glenn and Justin Helzer] Playboy model says killer held her spellbound
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7261-.html

[Aum Shinrikyo] Japanese court upholds death sentence for Aum doomsday cult
member
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7260-.html

[Aum Shinrikyo] High Court Upholds Death Sentence on AUM's Hayakawa
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7259-.html

[Aum Shinrikyo] Top AUM member's appeal against death sentence dismissed
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7258-.html

[Church and State] With limits, religion enters public schools
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7257-.html

[Religious Freedom] US Commission Says Religious Freedom Declining
Internationally
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7256-.html

[Witchcraft] NPR's New Religions Survey, Part IV: Teens and Wicca
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7255-.html



Thu, May. 13, 2004
[James Dobson] Warily, a Religious Leader Lifts His Voice in Politics
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7254-.html

[Soka Gakkai] NPR's New Religions Survey, Part III: Soka Gakkai
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7253-.html

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Scientology Not Accepting Offer
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7251-.html

[Helge Fossmo] Pastor charged with murder
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7250-.html

[Judaism] Reform Jews drawing men back to the fold
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7249-.html

[Campus Cults] Campus Cults: A reflection of a corrupt society
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7248-.html

[Marcus Wesson] Lawyers say daughter killed herself, 8 siblings
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7247-.html

[Heartland Christian Academy] Judge bars future raids of Christian reform school
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7246-.html

[Transcendental Meditation] Students Meditate To Battle ADHD
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7245-.html

[Christianity] Tracking the global path of Christianity
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7244-.html

[Islam] Hezbollah Condemns ‘Un-Islamic’ Berg’s Beheading
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7243-.html

[USA] U.S.: Systemic Abuse of Afghan Prisoners
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7242-.html

[Islam] Journal explores suicide bomber profile
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7241-.html

[USA] New abuse photos are 'even worse'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7240-.html


Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com May 18-19, 2004

Religion News Blog = religion news in context:

. Most articles include links to previous news items that allow you to see the
current item in context.
. Also provided are links to relevant research resources.
. At the bottom of each article, click the "More stories on..." link to see more
stories on the same subject.

Wed, May. 19, 2004
[Hate Groups] Opposition to 'fascist' rock gig growing
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7327-.html
Anti-fascist activists in Ulster are urging venues in the north Antrim area not
to host a "neo Nazi" rock concert. White Nationalist Party supporters are
planning to hold a "Blood & Honour" gig in the area to boost support for their
ongoing campaign of organisation in Northern Ireland, according to opponents.
[...] A spokesperson for the Fascists Out! campaign said on the website: "For
some time we have been monitoring the activities of the White Nazi Party in the
Coleraine, Ballymoney, Bushmills and Ballymena areas. These people are spreading
racist filth and encouraging cowardly attacks, including petrol bomb attacks,
against members of minority communities."

[Hate Groups] Aryan Nations member arrested after shot fired at police
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7326-.html
An Aryan Nations member who ran for public office last year has been arrested in
southwestern Washington after a shot was fired at a police officer during a
standoff.  Zachary Loren Beck is also awaiting trial on hate-crime charges in
Kootenai County, Idaho.

[House of Prayer] Arthur Allen, center of church abuse case, denied parole
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7325-.html
The Rev. Arthur Allen, serving a two-year sentence for publicly whipping boys in
his church, was denied parole Tuesday. Allen was convicted in 2002 for the
whippings, where boys in his independent church were held aloft by two adults
and then beaten with a belt strap by Allen.

[Internet] Cyber-church forced to close e-pulpit
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7324-.html
The world's first cyber church has had to close its pulpit to ordinary
worshippers after people logged in and used swear words on the site.  The Church
of Fools said it had tightened security, including withdrawing the ``preach
button`` and putting in more wardens to stop people using abusive language.
[...] `Wardens` struggled to oversee 60,000 visits to the church during the
first two days of opening. It has attracted an average of between 5000 and
10,000 visits a day since then. A ``smite`` button is used to eliminate
troublemakers but the UK-based wardens have encountered particular difficulties
at night when they are asleep and people have logged on from the US and
Australia. Stephen Goddard, spokesman for the church, said the abuse was
``disappointing`` but was a sign the establishment was reaching thousands of
people who had no normal contact with the church.

[Islam] Wife-beating row imam allowed back into France
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7323-.html
A radical Islamic cleric, Abdelkader Bouziane, on Monday said he had been given
a visa allowing him to return to France, which expelled him on April 21 after he
publicly justified wife-beating. [...] A French administrative tribunal that
reviewed Bouziane's case after his forced departure ruled that the government
had acted illegally by not formally charging the imam with any crime and failing
to give him an opportunity to defend himself.

[Sikhism] French law means Sikhs cannot wear turbans
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7322-.html
Sikh school boys must exchange their turbans for hair nets when a new law
banning religious apparel in public schools takes effect in September, France's
education minister said Monday, shocking representatives of the Sikh community.

[Archeology] Professor Yearned to Find Noah's Ark
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7321-.html
Somewhere in the great beyond, if Aaron J. Smith isn't smiling, he must at least
feel satisfaction that so many have followed him up that mountain. "We have
paved the way for other expeditions," Smith wrote in 1949 after his return to
Greensboro - "home sweet home," as he called it - from remote northeast Turkey.
Sure enough, another expedition will go in search this summer of the ultimate
archaeological prize, Noah's Ark. [...] The search team will use satellite
photos and other high-tech gear to search for remains of a vessel that the
biblical scholars calculate measured 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet
tall.

[Worldwide Church of God] Ambassador Auditorium Is Sold
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7320-.html
The Ambassador Auditorium and other key structures on the former Ambassador
College campus in Pasadena have been purchased by a church and school, which
plan to turn the vacant facilities into a private high school and concert venue.
Harvest Rock Church and Maranatha High School, both based in Pasadena, bought
the 13-acre site with five buildings from Worldwide Church of God last week for
an undisclosed amount.

[USA] Beware the self-fulfilling prophesies of millenarians
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7318-.html
An important aspect of fundamentalist resurgence in America is its belief in
divine deliverance at the hands of an avenging messiah. A set of beliefs, known
as "Bible prophecies," based on a relatively recent interpretation of the New
Testament's Book of Revelations, predicts a chain of events leading to a bloody
end of the world and the second coming of Jesus Christ. To gauge the reach of
this creed one need only note that the works of two of its advocates, Tim Lahaye
and Jerry Jenkins, enjoy a staggering circulation of more than 20 million copies
in the US. Why should the rest of us care about religious views of a few million
Christians in America? Because Bible prophecy may very well become
self-fulfilling prophecy. Religious predictions of the end of the world are not
exclusive to Christianity; nor are they always self-fulfilling - or else we
wouldn't be here to question them. Only under certain conditions are such
beliefs likely to affect the actual course of history. The danger is that those
conditions obtain in the case of American millenarians. Millions of politically
organized and single-minded believers have come to expect that the world will
end in a devastating global war within their lifetime. They do not merely
attempt to read political developments around the world as signs of the
fulfillment of their end-of-time scenario. They also try to stir these events in
the direction of their chiliastic scenario of an impending Armageddon using
their considerable political influence in US. Hence there is cause to fear that
eager and resourceful "end-of-timers" may, indeed, "will" worldwide strife into
existence.

[USA] Reuters, NBC Staff Abused by U.S. Troops in Iraq
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7317-.html
U.S. forces beat three Iraqis working for Reuters and subjected them to sexual
and religious taunts and humiliation during their detention last January in a
military camp near Falluja, the three said Tuesday. The three first told Reuters
of the ordeal after their release but only decided to make it public when the
U.S. military said there was no evidence they had been abused, and following the
exposure of similar mistreatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

[Kabbalah] Fan Predicts Flood of New Followers of the Trendy Belief System
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7316-.html
Irish student Matthew Keehan has told of his complete conversion to a trendy way
of life - thanks to hearing superstar Madonna talk about it. And the 20-year-old
artist says thousands more people throughout Ireland will turn to the
newly-fashionable ancient Jewish principles this year when his heroine and
Britney Spears both play in Ireland. Both of the stars are committed to the
Kabbalah...

[Islam] Court Sentences Student to 10 Years in Jail for Insulting Mohammad's
companions
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7315-.html
A court sentenced a student to 10 years imprisonment Tuesday for issuing an
audio tape that insulted the companions of the Prophet Mohammad, his lawyer
said. Yasser al-Habib, 21, caused an uproar in Kuwait last year when he recorded
and distributed a tape that was widely regarded as defaming the Prophet's
disciples, including the caliphs Abu Baker al-Sedeeq and Omar bin al-Khattab.
Al-Habib is a Muslim Shiite and most Kuwaitis belong to the Sunni sect of Islam,
which revers the Prophet's companions. On Tuesday, a criminal court convicted
al-Habib in absentia of ``insulting the companions of the Prophet,'' his lawyer,
Khaled al-Shatti, told The Associated Press. The sentence could not be
immediately confirmed with court officials.

[Aum Shinrikyo] AUM's Asahara Refuses to See Lawyer
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7314-.html
AUM Shinrikyo cult founder Shoko Asahara has refused to see his lawyer who will
defend him in his appeal against his death sentence handed down by the Tokyo
District Court in February, the lawyer told Kyodo News on Wednesday. Takeshi
Matsui, who belongs to the Tokyo No. 2 Bar Association, said he cannot form a
defense strategy in the appeal at the Tokyo High Court because of Asahara's
refusal to cooperate.  The appeal trial was expected to begin as early as next
year but it may be delayed, he said.

[Word of Faith Fellowship] Muse not guilty in assault case
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7313-.html
Former Word of Faith Fellowship member Shana Muse was found not guilty of two
misdemeanor assault charges on Monday. Ricky Cooper and Lena Cooper, Muse's
brother-in-law and niece, filed separate charges against Muse regarding an
argument in March of 2002, mainly as a response to a false imprisonment charge
leveled by Muse against the Coopers and two other individuals concerning the
same night. The Coopers, along with Lena Cooper and Carol Smith, who were living
in the same home with Muse and several others at the time, were cleared of the
false imprisonment charges in April.

[Falun Gong] Chinese Falun Gong Members Seek Refugee Status in Japan
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7312-.html
Several Chinese members of Falun Gong, a sect outlawed in China, on Tuesday [18
May] called on Japanese immigration authorities not to detain them amid fears
they will be deported to China where they face possible persecution. The call by
the Falun Gong members and their supporters was made in the wake of moves by the
Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau starting this month to detain Falun Gong
followers or instruct them to present themselves to bureau officials - moves
seen as a possible precursor to their detention or deportation.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Lure of the celebrity sect
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7311-.html
During an exclusive tour of Scientology's Celebrity Centre, Jamie Doward quizzed
personnel about the church's teachings. [...] And then there is Hubbard's vacant
office. Every Scientology Celebrity Centre across the world has a sealed room
devoted to Hubbard, kept vacant as a mark of respect. In London, a sturdy walnut
desk, on which stands Hubbard's name-plate, takes centre stage.  But what you
won't see on the office walls, or any other Scientology building for that
matter, is Hubbard's FBI file. You won't see the letters Hubbard wrote to the US
secret services offering his help in the battle against communism. You won't
read the letters he wrote denouncing associates as communists, and you won't see
the file in which one agent referred to him as a 'mental case'.

.....................................................
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Tue, May. 18, 2004
[Polygamy] Texas sheriff pays visit to Colorado City
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7310-.html
A day's visit to Colorado City discounted "a lot of rumors" about polygamy, a
Texas county sheriff said Monday evening. "There wasn't anything we didn't see
-- very hospitable, very open," said Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran. "It
was very eye-opening. I was humbled by what I've seen. I got to see a community
that works." Along with his Chief Deputy George Arispe, Doran is on a
fact-finding trip about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints, the largest polygamist group in America. Based in Colorado City, Ariz.,
and Hildale, the church is building what members say is a retreat for the
faithful near Eldorado in Schleicher County.

[Media] Nigeria clamps down on bogus religious broadcasters
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7309-.html
For years, televangelists have been projecting wild claims into Nigerian homes,
uncensored and unhindered. But now a new law means all preachers making claims
about miraculous healing are required to provide verifiable evidence that a
miracle has taken place. Last week the embattled televangelists were handed a
brief respite as a Lagos High Court directed authorities not to begin enforcing
the new rules pending a legal challenge by two Christians. But if they lose the
case, preachers face a tough test - they will be required to produce a doctor's
report on the patient's condition before healing took place, as well as video
evidence at the point of healing, and another doctor's report confirming that
the earlier diagnosed condition was no longer present.

[USA] It May Be Harder To Say 'No' To Prisoner Abuse
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7308-.html
From Auschwitz to My Lai to Abu Ghraib, the courageous few who stand up to moral
transgression can be more perplexing than the brutalizers. For many
psychologists, moral courage is as hard to define as physical bravery. Social
science has scrutinized the face of evil but has tended to skip virtue. Yet the
righteous abound in history: Christians who rescued Jews from the Nazis, pilot
Hugh Thompson who swept down to stop fellow Americans from massacring My Lai
villagers in Vietnam. And at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, at least a
handful of American soldiers resisted or exposed the abuse of prisoners
chronicled in photographs, according to military and news accounts. [...] Some
experts in human behavior have found common threads among those who stand up to
collective wrongdoing. Like the brutalizers, objectors take their cues from
others. They are guided by values instilled through close and trusting social
relationships in their youth. They have strong bonds with personal confidants or
outsiders beyond the confines of the group that spawned the abusers. They are
often encouraged by the chance presence of an ally within that group. It helps
if their superiors make sure there are channels to report wrongs and people are
trained to use them.

[Transcendental Meditation] Meditation controversy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7307-.html
It seems harmless enough: With eyes closed, you sit upright in a quiet room and
mentally repeat a word for 10 to 20 minutes - a technique known as
Transcendental Meditation. When young children practice it twice a day,
according to research provided by the national Committee for Stress-Free
Schools, it decreases their blood pressure, improves their grades and lowers
their stress levels. Transcendental Meditation, or TM, is just one of many forms
of meditation, a process in which a person narrowly focuses his attention to
clear the mind. But some worry that the committee's claims about TM's benefits
are overblown. Most of the research on TM is skewed toward positive results,
critics say, and the TM movement has religious overtones. Still, at least four
schools in the United States have implemented TM into their curriculum, and the
committee has been aggressively promoting its program in major cities, including
New York City.

[USA] U.S. Issues Report on Human Rights
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7306-.html
The State Department, issuing its annual human rights report, acknowledged
Monday that the U.S. military's prison scandal has raised legitimate questions
about whether the United States can sit in judgment on other countries' moral
records. In light of world outrage over abuses of Iraqi prisoners, it is
reasonable to ask whether "Abu Ghraib robs us of our ability to talk about human
rights abroad," said Lorne Craner, assistant secretary of State overseeing human
rights. But he insisted that foreigners still wanted the United States to push
for rights in their countries. [...] Craner's words were a sign of how difficult
it has become for the United States to hold itself up as an advocate for human
rights amid worldwide anger over the prison abuse scandal. The kind of
mistreatment alleged at the prison, including sexual abuse and humiliation,
constitutes the types of violations that the United States condemns in the
reports, human rights advocates said.

[Islam] Dutch refuse entry to Islamic militant
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7305-.html
The Netherlands will refuse entry to Pakistani Muslim militant Qazi Hussain
Ahmed, who was controversially booked to speak at meeting organised by the
Dutch-Belgian Arab European League (AEL) later this month. A Justice Ministry
spokesman confirmed on Sunday that Hussain Ahmed will be denied entry to the
Netherlands based on national security and public order reasons, news agency ANP
reported.

[Deepak Chopra] New Age icon helps kids explore big questions
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7304-.html
On his book tours, best-selling author and spiritual icon Deepak Chopra usually
draws throngs of fans. But his most recent book tour through New York City drew
just a few dozen readers to each store. He's not worried, though. Chopra is
passionate about bringing his philosophy and spiritual ideas to a new audience.
"Fire in the Heart: A Spiritual Guide for Teens" (Simon & Schuster Books for
Young Readers, $14.95), released earlier this month, targets children 12 and
older.

[Unitarian Universalism] Texas official says Unitarian church not a tax-exempt
religion
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7303-.html
Unitarian Universalists have for decades presided over births, marriages and
memorials. The church operates in every state, with more than 5,000 members in
Texas alone. But according to the office of Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton
Strayhorn, a Texas Unitarian church isn't really a religious organization - at
least for tax purposes. Its reasoning: The organization "does not have one
system of belief." Never before - not in this state nor any other - has a
government agency denied Unitarians tax-exempt status because of the group's
religious philosophy, church officials say. Strayhorn's ruling clearly infringes
upon religious liberties, said Dan Althoff, board president for the Denison,
Texas, congregation that was rejected for tax exemption by the comptroller's
office.

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, May 20, 2004

Thu, May. 20, 2004
[Gwen Shamblin] Faith-based weight loss headquarters raided for possible role in
boy's death
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7355-.html
Law enforcement officers descended on Franklin's Weigh Down Workshop on
Wednesday, reportedly as part of a continuing investigation into the role the
teachings of an affiliated church played in the death of a Georgia boy. Joseph
Smith, 44, and Sonya Smith, 36, were charged in December with felony murder,
cruelty to a child and contributing to the deprivation of a minor in the death
of their 8-year-old son, Josef Mykel Smith, who died Oct. 9, 2003.

[Gwen Shamblin] Ministry's offices searched for clues in boy's death
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7352-.html
A Georgia detective says he believes he has tied the death of an 8-year-old boy
to a Williamson County-based ministry, but the organization has issued a
statement saying it has done nothing wrong and believes the death was
accidental. Cobb County Police detective David Schweizer and a group of Franklin
police detectives searched the office and warehouses of Weigh Down Ministries in
Cool Springs yesterday, collecting files and computer disks.

[Da Vinci Code] 'Da Vinci' author: I left out even more
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7351-.html
Though "The Da Vinci Code" was contentious enough to produce 10 books attempting
to discredit it, its author said he left out what likely would have been the
most controversial part. Dan Brown said that when he wrote the best seller that
dissects the origins of Jesus Christ and disputes long-held beliefs about
Catholicism, he considered including material alleging that Jesus Christ
survived the crucifixion.

[Islam] Muslim girl can wear head scarf to school
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7350-.html
A sixth-grade Muslim girl in Oklahoma can wear a head scarf to school under a
settlement between the school district and the Justice Department, officials
announced Wednesday. The six-year agreement, filed in U.S. District Court in
Oklahoma, also requires the Muskogee Public School District to change its dress
code to allow exceptions for religious reasons.

[Lord's Resistance Army] Ugandan troops rescue Anglican bishop from rebels
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7349-.html
Ugandan troops rescued an Anglican bishop hours after he was kidnapped from his
home in the early hours of Wednesday by Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, an
army spokesman said. Officials said Benjamin Ojwang's abduction appeared to be
the first of a bishop by the cult-like LRA, which is notorious for targeting
civilians, slicing off its victims lips and ears, and snatching tens of
thousands of children to be fighters, porters and sex slaves.

[USA] 'They made us break law'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7348-.html
A US army infantryman who grew morally opposed to the war after six months of
fierce combat in Iraq was brought before a court martial for desertion
yesterday, in a case that has become a talisman for America's peace movement. To
his supporters, Sergeant Camilo Mejia is the antithesis of those soldiers facing
trial in Baghdad for the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail. He was the
soldier with a conscience, no longer willing to follow orders he believed to be
illegal or immoral. He pleaded not guilty to desertion yesterday. His defence
team introduced experts on war crimes and the elder statesman of the anti-war
movement, Ramsey Clark, to try to construct a case that Sgt Mejia's decision to
leave his unit arose from a desire to avoid committing atrocities.

[USA] The other prisoners
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7347-.html
Most of the coverage of abuse at Abu Ghraib has focused on male detainees. But
what of the five women held in the jail, and the scores elsewhere in Iraq? Luke
Harding reports. [...] Astonishingly, the secret inquiry launched by the US
military in January, headed by Major General Antonio Taguba, has confirmed that
the letter smuggled out of Abu Ghraib by a woman known only as "Noor" was
entirely and devastatingly accurate. While most of the focus since the scandal
broke three weeks ago has been on the abuse of men, and on their sexual
humilation in front of US women soldiers, there is now incontrovertible proof
that women detainees - who form a small but unknown proportion of the 40,000
people in US custody since last year's invasion - have also been abused. [...]
Taguba discovered that guards have also videotaped and photographed naked female
detainees. The Bush administration has refused to release other photographs of
Iraqi women forced at gunpoint to bare their breasts (although it has shown them
to Congress) - ostensibly to prevent attacks on US soldiers in Iraq, but in
reality, one suspects, to prevent further domestic embarrassment. Earlier this
month it emerged that an Iraqi woman in her 70s had been harnessed and ridden
like a donkey at Abu Ghraib and another coalition detention centre after being
arrested last July. Labour MP Ann Clwyd, who investigated the case and found it
to be true, said, "She was held for about six w eeks without charge. During that
time she was insulted and told she was a donkey." In Iraq, the existence of
photographs of women detainees being abused has provoked revulsion and outrage,
but little surprise. Some of the women involved may since have disappeared,
according to human rights activists.

[Helge Fossmo] Murder case unveils town secret
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7346-.html
The shadowy underside of small-town Sweden will be exposed to public gaze this
week in an extraordinary murder trial involving a nanny and an adulterous
minister. The trial, in Uppsala, about 100km north of Stockholm, could break
legal ground in Europe because the prosecutor will try to prove, for the first
time, that a man brainwashed a young woman and effectively made her pull the
trigger on a murder victim. In the dock is a Pentecostal minister, Helge Fossmo,
32, who is charged with murdering his first wife, inciting the murder of his
second wife and masterminding the attempted murder of his neighbour.

[Gwen Shamblin] Faith based group under investigation
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7344-.html
A Franklin church group that embraces a controversial weight loss philosophy is
under investigation. The Weigh Down Workshop, Remnant Fellowship Church and its
founder Gwen Shamblin are being questioned about possible ties to the murder of
a small child in Georgia.

[Gwen Shamblin] Police Raid Weigh Down Workshop
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7343-.html
Detectives with search warrants in hand entered the Weigh Down Workshop, which
is run by Gwen Shamblin, the head of Remnant Fellowship. Two members of the
church, Joseph and Sonya Smith, were arrested in Atlanta for allegedly beating
their 8-year-old son to death. Detectives testified that the couple admitted to
using glue sticks to beat their son. It's an idea that a NewsChannel Five
Investigation discovered, originated inside Remnant Fellowship, a church that
preaches strict discipline of children.

[Asatru] Execution date set for cult high priest who killed fellow inmate
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7341-.html
A July 1 execution date has been set for a self-professed Nordic high priest who
killed a fellow inmate at the Augusta Correctional Center.
Michael W. Lenz, 40, was sentenced to die for plunging a homemade knife into
Brent Parker 68 times four years ago. [...] Lenz, then serving a seven-year
sentence for a string of burglaries in Prince William County, said he was the
high priest of a Nordic cult called Asatru. Parker was trying to bully him out
of the cult, Lenz testified.

[Transcendental Meditation] Future of Heavenly Mountain disputed
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7338-.html
The man who, along with his twin brother, owns most of the land at Heavenly
Mountain Resort, has disavowed the spiritual movement that helped establish the
retreat. David Kaplan, who owns the largest privately-owned land tract in
Watauga County, publicly repudiated the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement
and its founder, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, in a letter released Tuesday to Heavenly
Mountain residents and the public. In the letter, Kaplan said he and his
brother, Earl, investigated Maharishi and the TM movement closely, and
subsequently could "no longer support or be associated with Maharishi, his
ideas, his knowledge or any of his organizations in any way whatsoever."

[Hate Groups : Scientology] OBIE Winner Pageant Gets L.A. Run and CD
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7337-.html
Following its sold-out Off-Off-Broadway run and subsequent Off-Broadway transfer
this winter, the newly Obie Award-honored musical A Very Merry Unauthorized
Children's Scientology Pageant has announced a run in Los Angeles as well as a
cast recording.


Plus items posted after yesterday's newsletter was mailed:

Wed, May. 19, 2004
[Mark J. Malvitz] Former Lodi pastor assaulted in Sacramento County
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7335-.html
Mark Malvitz, a pastor throughout the 1990s in Lodi, Morada and Stockton who is
being sued in Sacramento County on allegations of spiritual abuse, fraud and
using church members' account numbers, was assaulted after a service last week,
the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said.

[Islam] Court approves radical Islamic leader's expulsion
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7334-.html
Cologne's administrative court Wednesday approved a city application to expel
radical Islamic figure Metin Kaplan to Turkey.

[Marcus Wesson] City won't buy Wesson land
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7333-.html
The house on Hammond Avenue was the scene of one of Fresno's most gruesome
murder cases. On March 12, police entered the home and found a stack of nine
bodies, most of them children. Marcus Wesson is accused of killing all nine. He
has pleaded not guilty. Council Member Jerry Duncan proposed in the weeks after
the slayings to purchase the property and demolish the building to prevent the
scene from becoming a macabre tourist destination.

[USA] Texas Puts Mentally Ill Killer to Death
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7332-.html
A convicted killer diagnosed as mentally ill was put to death despite a highly
unusual recommendation from the state parole board that he be spared. Kelsey
Patterson, a 50-year-old paranoid schizophrenic, jabbered about being innocent
and demanded his rights just before receiving a lethal injection Tuesday
evening. His last words were a plea: "Give me my life back." [...] Patterson's
execution renewed the legal quandary of whether it is proper to execute an
inmate who is mentally ill after the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to
execute the mentally retarded. The high court has also said an inmate may not be
executed if he doesn't know why he's on death row and the punishment he faces.

Note: Blinded by its own hypocrisy, America recently issued its annual report of
what it considers to be human rights violations around the world:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7306-.html


[USA] Iraq War Weakens Bond Between Bush, Evangelicals
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7331-.html
Concern among evangelical Christians over the course of the war in Iraq is
opening a crack in their strong bond with President Bush and the Republican
Party, political analysts who track this powerful voting group said. But they
caution there are doubts over whether John Kerry can lure evangelicals into the
Democratic camp in November's presidential election. "I know there are a lot of
evangelicals who are disillusioned with the war and worried about a lot of
things, the Woodward book, the Clarke book ... (and) how we got into this
thing," said Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena,
Calif., referring to recent books on the al Qaeda threat and the Iraqi war and
occupation. Compounding that is the growing scandal about prisoner abuses by
U.S. troops in Iraq. Evangelical Christians are still expected to vote
overwhelmingly for Bush, but the erosion of support could reduce their turnout
on election day, a potentially ominous development for the incumbent president.

[USA] U.S. Cardinal Accuses Bush of Moral Failure in Iraq
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7330-.html
A senior American cardinal in the Vatican has accused the U.S. administration of
"moral failure" and deception in Iraq and warned the war had severely
compromised future relations with the Arab world. In an interview due to be
published in the June edition of "Inside the Vatican" magazine, Cardinal James
Francis Stafford also said the abuse of Iraqi prisoners was the work of
"barbarians." An advance copy was made available to Reuters.

[Religion Trends] We believe but not in church
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7328-.html
A new Home Office report has found that four out of five people in England and
Wales say they feel an affiliation with an organised religion. The largest
number - 74% - say they are Christians. However with church attendance on the
decline and only 7% of Christians in the UK attending church, the figure seems
remarkably high. Why do so many people who have no formal contact with a
religious organisation still claim to believe in some form of higher power?
Hanne Stinson, director of the British Humanist Association, says she thinks
many of them are "cultural Christians". They see themselves as being Christian
in the same way as they are British, almost in a tribal way. "People label
themselves with what they were brought up with," said Hanne.

.....................................................
Please Support Apologetics Index / Religion News Blog

Religion New Blog is a free service provided by Apologetics Index.
But we do have website-related bills to pay. If Apologetics Index
and RNB are of service to you, please consider making a donation:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/donate

.....................................................


Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, May 21, 2004

[Transcendental Meditation] Heavenly Mountain's developer cuts ties with group
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7375-.html
A developer of the more than 7,000 acre Heavenly Mountain resort in southeastern
Watauga County says he is severing ties with the Transcendental Meditation
movement and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Maharishi Spiritual Center of America
has separate campuses for men and women at Heavenly Mountain. Hundreds of
Transcendental Meditation practitioners meditate there in opulent surroundings.
David Kaplan used to be one of them, but he said in a letter dated last Friday
and released this week that he was kicked out of the movement in 1999 after
getting married. That prompted him and his twin brother Earl Kaplan, the
president of the Spiritual Center of America, to investigate the maharishi and
the TM organization. "Due to our findings, I can no longer support or be
associated with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, his ideas, his knowledge, or any of this
organizations, in any way whatsoever," he wrote.

[Hate Groups] Professor Wants KKK Named Terror Organization
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7374-.html
University of Louisville professor Ede Warner has a unique plan to keep the Ku
Klux Klan off his campus: He wants the school to ban the group, then argue in
court that it's a terrorist organization. "Nobody has ever done that," Warner
said. Klan members started posting fliers on campus early in the spring semester
to protest diversity programs sponsored by the school. That stirred debate among
faculty and administrators that has taken place on campuses around the country:
how far the university can go to keep some groups off campus and how to best
deal with unpopular ideas in the academic setting. What makes the Louisville
situation so unusual is the presence of the KKK, said Mark Potok of the Southern
Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., which tracks the Klan and other hate
groups. "I cannot think of another situation when the Klan has appeared on
campus," Potok said. "The Klan is quite small, even within the contemporary
radical right." Having the Klan banned as a terrorist organization based on its
past would be legally difficult, especially given the Klan's inaction in recent
years, and probably unnecessary, said Potok, whose organization has beat the
Klan in court over other issues.

[USA] New Details of Prison Abuse Emerge
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7380-.html
Previously secret sworn statements by detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq
describe in raw detail abuse that goes well beyond what has been made public,
adding allegations of prisoners being ridden like animals, sexually fondled by
female soldiers and forced to retrieve their food from toilets.

NOTE:
Why Apologetics Index and Religion News Blog Address U.S. Human Rights Issues:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/usa-00.html#why

[USA] Justice Memos Explained How to Skip Prisoner Rights
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7379-.html
A series of Justice Department memorandums written in late 2001 and the first
few months of 2002 were crucial in building a legal framework for United States
officials to avoid complying with international laws and treaties on handling
prisoners, lawyers and former officials say.  The confidential memorandums,
several of which were written or co-written by John C. Yoo, a University of
California law professor who was serving in the department, provided arguments
to keep United States officials from being charged with war crimes for the way
prisoners were detained and interrogated. They were endorsed by top lawyers in
the White House, the Pentagon and the vice president's office but drew dissents
from the State Department.

NOTE:
See "One Rule for them...."
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/2829-.html


[Islam] France Deports Islamic Mosque Leader
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7378-.html
France deported an Islamic mosque leader Thursday who was accused of leading a
group that advocates terrorism, the Interior Ministry said.  The expulsion of
Midhat Guler is part of a growing French crackdown against radical Muslim
clerics.

[Terry Nichols] Defense rests in Terry Nichols' murder trial
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7377-.html
Defense attorneys rested their case Thursday at the trial of Oklahoma City
bombing conspirator Terry Nichols, who faces state murder charges that could
carry the death penalty. [...] Nichols, 49, is serving a life prison sentence
after a federal jury in 1997 convicted him of conspiracy and involuntary
manslaughter in the deaths of eight federal law enforcement agents in the April
19, 1995, bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building. In Oklahoma, Nichols is
charged with 161 counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of the other 160
victims and one victim's fetus.

[Cargo Cults] Culture clash in the South Seas
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7376-.html
The mysterious John Frum movement has existed peacefully on an island in the
South Pacific for decades; but a violent feud has now broken out between its
followers and a new Christian movement. [...] The confrontation was between the
members of a long-established cargo cult called the John Frum movement, and a
breakaway faction which wants to move with the times and embrace Christianity.

[Falun Gong] Chinese Falun Gong Practitioners Detained in Japan
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7373-.html
Chinese Falun Gong practitioners living in Japan are considering leaving the
country after two sect members were taken into custody and face deportation to
the mainland. "If the Japanese government won't protect us, then we have to
think about going to a third country," said Shao Xinli, a Falun Gong
practitioner who has lived in Japan since the mid-1990s.

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Seoul court allows Jehovah's Witnesses to skip military
duty
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7371-.html
A local court yesterday acquitted three conscientious objectors who refused to
serve their compulsory military service, further tipping a debate over whether
conscientious objection is justified or not. [...] The three objectors are all
followers of Jehovah's Witnesses, a religion that scrupulously opposes military
service. Amnesty International says most of the conscientious objectors in South
Korea are Jehovah's Witnesses. As of December 2003, over 1,000 conscientious
objectors were in prison for their refusal to serve in the military. The
unprecedented court decision broke the past rulings that the freedom of
conscience could be restricted when it contradicts the national security.

[Gwen Shamblin] Shocking New Information In Investigation Of Brentwood Church
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7370-.html
Two members of the church in Atlanta, Joseph and Sonya Smith, were charged with
beating their son to death. Gwen Shamblin, founder of the church, defended the
Smiths and Remnant's emphasis on strict discipline. But, in an exclusive
interview, Laura Boone said the discipline went too far. She worked as a
babysitter for Remnant two years ago and remembers the Smith's young son Josef.
Boone said the boy was crying one night when his father prepared to leave. She
asked what she should do if the child didn't stop crying. According to her, the
father said to hit Josef hard. Boone refused and quit.

[Christianity] Life's questions driving spiritual director demand
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7369-.html
Cell phones, pagers, e-mail, television and other distractions sometimes make it
hard to pray or hear God's answer. Worship leaders are often too busy with
administrative duties to help people deepen their personal connections to the
holy. So, some people are turning to spiritual directors to help them strengthen
their relationships with God.

[Religion Trends] Pop culture gets religion
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7368-.html
From tank tops to toe rings, secular fashion with a Christian message is pushing
into the mainstream and grabbing the attention of finicky teens and others with
a sixth sense for fads. [...] Some of the merchandise works on two levels: fun
fashion for the faithful, irreverent commentary for others. Either way,
Christian apparel is enjoying a moment of hip legitimacy. [...] Meanwhile,
Thomas Nelson Inc., of Nashville, Tenn., has put a teen-marketing spin on the
Bible. The company publishes a teen-targeted "BibleZine" edition of the New
Testament. It looks a lot like teen magazine CosmoGirl! and, besides the
biblical text, offers reviews of popular Christian bands and pop quizzes such as
"Are you dating a Godly guy?"  While a new edition of a Bible may sell 40,000
copies a year, Thomas Nelson said its first BibleZine sold more than 300,000
copies since July -- which, at $16.99 a pop, is the largest sell-through in the
company's 200-year history.

[Polygamy] Judge Won't Evict Man from Church Property
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7367-.html
A Mohave County (Arizona) judge has refused to evict a Colorado City man from a
home on land owned by the polygamist church that dominates the town. Superior
Court Judge James Chavez denied a request by the United Effort Plan trust to
evict Ross Chatwin from property owned by the trust. The trust is controlled by
leaders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Chatwin publicly criticized the church in January.

[Soka Gakkai] Universsity considers selling property in Santa Monica Mountains
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7366-.html
Zev Yaroslavsky met with officials from Soka University of America and the Santa
Monica Mountains Conservancy earlier this week after learning the university
would consider a sale. Yaroslavsky called the land the "most important
unprotected property in the Santa Monica Mountains." [...] Soka bought the land
in 1986 from the Church Universal and Triumphant's Summit University and opened
a nonprofit independent school.

[Gwen Shamblin] Franklin officials finish search at Weigh Down Workshop
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7365-.html
Franklin police investigators finished a two-day search of the Weigh Down
Workshop headquarters in Cool Springs yesterday, but released few details of
their investigation of the faith-based weight loss ministry. The investigation
began this week after detectives from Cobb County, Ga., asked Franklin police
for help in their investigation into the death of an 8-year-old Georgia boy last
October, said Franklin Deputy Chief Al Segal.

[Gwen Shamblin] Weigh Down Workshop will be back in business following raid
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7364-.html
Franklin Police removed file boxes and flattened boxes after executing several
search warrants in the 29-hour takeover of the Weigh Down Workshop headquarters.
"We did leave two police officers in the facility [Wednesday] night so that the
building remained in our control," Deputy Chief Al Segal said. "We are finished
now, and [Weigh Down] will be back to business shortly."

[Jerusalem Syndrome] No sects, please
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7363-.html
The decline of Jerusalem Syndrome raises the question whether the phenomenon
ever posed a threat. As the new millennium approached, fears arose that
Christian doomsday groups and sufferers of the much-vaunted "Jerusalem Syndrome"
could spark religiously inspired violence in the city. [...] People afflicted by
the so-called Jerusalem Syndrome suddenly imagine themselves to be biblical
figures or feel compelled to start preaching on the streets of the city. [...]
"The media exaggerated the syndrome. The issue was blown out of all proportions.
A minimal number of tourists have been affected - it passes within a few days.
It's nothing," says Amnon Ramon, a researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for
Israel Studies. "The perception was that thousands come down with this syndrome
every year, [but] the [International Christian Embassy] has encountered only
three cases in 20 years, I have heard of about a dozen cases in two decades -
it's that rare," says Parsons.

[Gwen Shamblin] Faith-based weight loss center searched in Georgia boy's death
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7362-.html
Authorities raided the headquarters of a Christian weight loss program and
church looking for evidence connected to the suspected child abuse death of an
8-year-old Georgia boy. Officials with Weigh Down Ministries and its affiliated
Remnant Fellowship Church said they have done nothing wrong and believe the
October death of Josef Mykel Smith was an accident.

[UCKG] Building of Cathedral for Brazilian Sect Suspended
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7361-.html
The Maputo municipal authorities have ordered the suspension of work to build a
cathedral for the wealthy Brazilian evangelical sect, the Universal Church of
the Kingdom of God (IURD), on one of the city's main thoroughfares, Julius
Nyerere Avenue, in the plush suburb of Sommerschield. [...] The City Council
ordered its embargo on the grounds that granting the license was contrary to the
city's master plan, since the area concerned has been designated a residential
one. [...] A legal battle may be looming - for the IURD spent about a million US
dollars on obtaining the rights to the land on which the cathedral was to be
built. The IURD has been spectacularly successful, establishing churches all
over Maputo, and in most other Mozambican cities.


And a few items posted after yesterday's newsletter was mailed:

Thu, May. 20, 2004
[Gwen Shamblin] Child's death prompts investigation of Franklin religious
movement
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7360-.html
Investigators want to know if the teachings of the Remnant Fellowship in some
way led to the murder of an 8-year-old boy. Investigators removed boxes of
evidence from the Weigh-Down Workshop in Cool Springs on Wednesday. What they
found could be a link to a child murder investigation in Georgia.

[Bible] Bible Typos
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7359-.html
Thank the Lord - and the proofreaders at Peachtree Editorial and Proofreading -
that the Bible refers to "our ancestors" instead of "sour ancestors," and calls
for an end to "factions" - not "fractions." The proofreading service caught
those typos and others before the latest edition of the Holy Book went to press.
At Peachtree, attention to detail is more than a job description. It's a
calling. [...] Peachtree Editorial and Proofreading Service is believed to be
the only one of its kind in the nation - and one of only a few in the world - to
specialize in proofreading Bibles. [...] The best-selling book of all time has
reached even greater heights in recent years, with Bible sales accounting for
almost $140 million last year, an 8 percent increase over 2002, according to the
Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, which tracks sales at Christian
stores.

[Hate Groups] Hale Changes Attorneys
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7358-.html
White supremacist Matthew Hale has dropped his attorneys and hired a new one,
his cousin. [...] Murphy won't say why Hale made the decision. Hale faces up to
50 years in prison at his sentencing, which is scheduled for August 23rd.

[Internet] The Christian Porn Website - A Special Report
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7357-.html
Millions of people spend hours each day on Internet porn websites. Some racy,
some dangerous, and some are downright illegal. But if you search for these
sites, you'll find one that holds a real surprise. It's a XXX Christian website.

[Offbeat News] Woman Who Claimed God Sent Her Gets Jail Time
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7356-.html
A Mount Vernon woman who kept showing up at a car dealership - claiming that God
had ordered them to give her a free vehicle - is going to jail. A Prince William
County judge sentenced 41-year-old Marilyn Cole to one year in jail for
trespassing on the lot in March.

.....................................................
Please Support Apologetics Index / Religion News Blog

Religion New Blog is a free service provided by Apologetics Index.
But we do have website-related bills to pay. If Apologetics Index
and RNB are of service to you, please consider making a donation:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/donate

.....................................................

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, June 18, 2004

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Antidrug program with Scientology links to be probed
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7544-.html
California's schools superintendent has ordered an investigation into a school
antidrug program with ties to the Church of Scientology. The popular program,
called Narconon Drug Prevention and Education, has been used by schools
nationwide for the past two decades. Hollywood-based Narconon has provided
instruction in at least 20 school districts in California, including San
Francisco and Los Angeles. Many teachers and students have praised the program.
But leading drug addiction experts say some of Narconon's medical theories are
irresponsible and have no basis in fact. [...] O'Connell said Wednesday that the
state's investigation could lead to an order barring Narconon from providing
instruction in California schools. ``We have an obligation to inform school
districts of potentially inaccurate and misleading information being
distributed,'' O'Connell said.

[Hate Groups] Target: Hate groups using the Internet
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7543-.html
International experts met Wednesday in Paris to tackle the tricky task of
fighting anti-Semitic, racist and xenophobic propaganda on the Internet -- seen
as a chief factor in a rise in hate crime. [...] France, which is leading the
effort, has faced a surge in anti-Semitic violence. Some fault the growth of
Internet use among hate groups. But differing views about the limits of free
speech and the ease of public access to the nebulous, anonymous Web largely
stymied officials hoping to find common ground in Wednesday's talks.

[Al Quaeda] Al-Qaeda group says it has killed American hostage
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7542-.html
An al-Qaeda group said Friday it killed American hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr,
posting three photos on the Internet showing his body and severed head. [...] He
was the latest victim of an escalating campaign targeting Westerners that Saudi
and U.S. officials say aims to drive foreign workers from the kingdom and
undermine the ruling royal family, hated by al-Qaeda.

[Mungiki] Police - 'Mungiki' Ties Chilling
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7540-.html
Elements within the Police Force are allegedly supporting the Mungiki sect
members in their nefarious acts. That chilling revelation from the Nairobi
Provincial Commissioner Francis Sigei, in his capacity as the provincial
security committee chairman. Consequently, "rogue officers" have been given the
"last warning" to decide where their loyalties lie. [...] Instead of the PC
asking the police to repent their sins, he should institute investigations and
prosecute those guilty of abetting Mungiki activities. Retaining such policemen
is postponing a disaster.

[Hare Krishna] Former Hare Krishna spiritual leader released from prison
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7539-.html
The former leader of a Hare Krishna splinter group accused of using the murder
of two dissidents to protect a multimillion-dollar business enterprise has been
released from federal prison nearly four years early. Swami Bhaktipada, who also
is known as Kirtanananda Swami and was born Keith Ham in Peekskill, N.Y., was
released Wednesday from the federal correctional facility in Butner, N.C., a
spokesman at the facility confirmed. Details of his release were unavailable
late Wednesday. Bhaktipada, 66, was arrested in 1987, charged with racketeering
and accused of ordering the murders of two devotees who had threatened his
control of the New Vrindaban Krishna community in Marshall County.

[Catholic Church] Catholics urged to fight off New Age religions
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7538-.html
Catholics from more than 25 countries have been in Rome this week to hammer out
a strategy for combating the threat posed to Christianity by "New Age" religions
and fads. "Astrologers believe that the Age of Pisces - known to them as the
Christian age - is drawing to a close," explained an exhaustive report on the
New Age produced by the Catholic Church last year. And as priests around the
world watch their congregations die out and dwindle away through boredom or
plain disbelief, the church believes the moment has come to fight back.

[USA] U.S. has secret jails, report says
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7534-.html
The United States is holding terrorism suspects in more than two dozen detention
centres worldwide and about half of these operate in total secrecy, said a human
rights report released yesterday. Human Rights First, formerly known as the
Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, said in the report that secrecy around these
places made "inappropriate detention and abuse not only likely but inevitable."

[USA] Rights Group Blasts America's 'Secret Detention Centres'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7533-.html
The United States has at least a dozen secretive detention centres around the
world, holding suspects in the "war on terror", a human rights group reported
tonight. Known sites like Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and Bagram air base in
Afghanistan are complemented by a network of jails in Jordan and Pakistan and by
prison ships at sea, according to Human Rights First. [...] The group,
previously known as the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, said the detention
centres were "beyond the reach of adequate supervision, accountability, or law".
[...] "The United States' practices in its global network of detention
facilities also has a deeply negative effect on the US ability to combat the
threat of terrorism which depends critically on a visible demonstration that US
deeds match its words in supporting democracy and human rights," the report
said.

[Raelians] Woman 'pregnant with South Africa's first cloned baby'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7528-.html
A company founded by a religious sect has claimed that a Pretoria woman is three
months pregnant with South Africa's first cloned baby. According to reports in
Beeld, the announcement was made on Monday at the University of the
Witwatersrand by Dr Brigitte Boisselier, president of an American cloning
company, Clonaid. Boisselier declined to identify the pregnant woman, saying
only that the baby will be black and has been cloned from its mother.

[Mungiki] Police Arrest 8 Over Girl's Murder
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7527-.html
Police in Nairobi have arrested eight people in connection with the killing of a
primary school girl in Mlango Kubwa estate. The suspects, who are being held in
different police stations within Kasarani division, are assisting the officers
with information that could lead to the arrest of Evelyn Mumbua's killers.
Mumbua was slashed to death on Monday night.

[USA] War crime shield may end for U.S.
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7520-.html
Defying the United States, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the U.N. Security
Council on Thursday to stop shielding American peacekeepers from international
prosecution for war crimes. Annan cited the U.S. prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq
in opposing a U.S. resolution calling for the blanket exemption for a third
straight year. The United States introduced the resolution last month but has
delayed calling for a vote. Despite intensive lobbying, Washington does not have
the minimum nine "yes" votes on the 15-member council to approve a new
exemption, council diplomats said. [...] This year, human-rights groups argue
that another U.S. exemption is unjustified in the wake of the Iraqi prisoner
abuse scandal. And council nations that support the court say nobody should be
exempt. Annan supported both arguments.

[USA] Annan slams US bid to limit criminal court
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7519-.html
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan sharply criticized the United States on Thursday
for for seeking another exemption from the International Criminal Court,
particularly in light of the Iraqi prisoner scandal. "The blanket exemption is
wrong. It is of dubious judicial value and I don't think it should be encouraged
by the council," Annan told reporters. The Bush administration, for the third
year, is seeking to renew a Security Council resolution that would exempt from
the court's prosecution military and civilian personnel "related to a
UN-authorized operation" such as that in Iraq.

[Polygamy] Kingston children get new birth certificates with father's name
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7517-.html
John Daniel Kingston's 10 children with Heidi Foster have been given new birth
certificates bearing the family name of their polygamist father. Juvenile Court
Judge Andrew Valdez had ordered the birth certificates be reissued to ensure
inheritance rights and ending a purported effort to hide Kingston's ties to the
children. Changing the names will allow child welfare and police to begin
connecting some of Kingston's 14 different wives and his estimated 120 children.
Until now, only the 12 children of his first wife, Rachael Ann, carried the
Kingston name.

[Falun Gong] Ottawa urged to sway China on Falun Gong policy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7516-.html
Followers of the Falun Gong spiritual movement say Canada could be doing more to
stop China's persecution of those who follow the group. Three Vancouver
residents held a news conference Thursday to say Chinese police have arrested
their relatives. Two years ago Michelle Zhang's sister vanished when she was
picked up by Chinese police after handing out flyers about the Falun Gong. "The
Canadian government has adopted a behind-closed-doors policy when talking about
human rights in China," she said. "It's not that effective." Zhang said the
Canadian government is more worried about trade with Chinese than talking about
human rights violations.

[Kabbalah] A Jewish Madonna? Is That a Mystery?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7515-.html
"What the Kabbalah Centre is, is equal parts of nonmystical and traditional
Jewish wisdom and one part snake oil and hokum," said Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein,
chairman of Jewish law and ethics at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and an
Orthodox rabbi who has taught classes in cabala. "The infatuation with it is
L.A. at its worst - the tendency to want it now, to want it without effort and
to want it by right rather than doing the hard work."  Rabbi Adlerstein said
that he respected the search for meaning of those who join the Kabbalah Centre
but that many exhibited "the laziness of people wanting fast-food answers to
gourmet questions." He said that Mr. Berg was not a genuine cabalist because he
tells his acolytes that if they don't understand the Zohar - the central
cabalistic text written in Aramaic - they can absorb its meaning simply by
scanning the text with their fingertips.

[Kabbalah] It's Esther: Wanna make something of it?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7512-.html
Call her Esther: That's the Hebrew name Madonna has chosen for herself as a
follower of Kabbalah. ''I was named after my mother. My mother died when she was
very young, of cancer, and ... I wanted to attach myself to another name,'' the
singer says in an interview on ABC's ''20/20,'' airing at 9 tonight on
WLS-Channel 7. ''This is in no way a negation of who my mother is ... I wanted
to attach myself to the energy of a different name.'' During the interview,
Madonna wears the red string around her wrist that's a symbol of Jewish
mysticism, but says she's sensitive when critics suggest her interest in
Kabbalah is just a trend.

[Sathya Sai Baba] Secret Swami
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7511-.html
It has been estimated that Sri Satya Sai Baba, India's biggest spiritual leader,
has up to 30 million devotees around the world. But increasing numbers of former
followers are alleging he has sexually abused them or their families. This World
investigates.

[Sathya Sai Baba] Sai Baba: God-man or con man?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7510-.html
Basava Premanand is India's leading guru-buster. He believes that the country's
biggest spiritual leader, Sri Satya Sai Baba, is a charlatan and must be
exposed. Basava Premanand has been burgled... again. It is the third time in
just one month. But he is in no doubt of the thieves' motives. He suspects they
were looking for evidence that he has collected for over 30 years against
India's leading spiritual guru, Sri Satya Sai Baba. Mr Premanand believes this
evidence proves the self-proclaimed "God-man", Sai Baba, is not just a fraud,
but a dangerous sexual abuser. "Sai Baba is nothing but a mafia man, conning the
people and making himself rich", he says of his bete noire. As India's leading
guru-buster, Basava Premanand is the scourge of all miracle-makers. He is the
founder of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations and the editor of a
monthly periodical called The Indian Sceptic.

[Unification Church] Tension of the Times
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7509-.html
It's a sign of the times when even the people who bankroll Washington's leading
conservative newspaper are said to be uneasy with Bush administration foreign
policy. But in that heretical spirit, a revolt is reportedly brewing at the
Unification Church, which owns the Washington Times and is pushing for changes
at the paper. Insiders say the church's new line is that with the end of the
Cold War, it's important to support international organizations such as the
United Nations and to campaign for world peace and interfaith understanding.
That stance would be awkward for the Times's hard-line editor in chief, Wesley
Pruden, and its stable of neoconservative columnists. The only public sign of
ferment was an announcement in April by News World Communications, a Unification
Church subsidiary that owns the Times, that it would no longer print three
related publications. [...] The real battles have been taking place out of
public view, and rumors about a high-level power struggle have been swirling
around the Times offices. Sources say that the dominant church official
overseeing the publications is now the Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak, a close adviser to
the church's founder, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Probe of antidrug program ordered
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7508-.html
California's top educator said Wednesday that he has ordered the state
Department of Education to investigate an antidrug program used by schools
around the state whose teachings have been linked with the Church of
Scientology. State schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell said the investigation
could lead to an order barring schools from using the program, called Narconon
Drug Prevention and Education. The popular program, based in Hollywood, has
provided antidrug instruction in schools around the country for more than two
decades. Narconon has made presentations in at least 20 school districts in
California, including San Francisco and Los Angeles. Leading addiction experts,
however, have labeled some of the medical theories advanced by Narconon as
"irresponsible" and "pseudoscience."

[Glenn and Justin Helzer] Helzer guilty of five murders
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7505-.html
An emotional jury convicted Justin Alan Helzer of five murders Wednesday,
rejecting defense arguments that he knew about only three of them. [...] Helzer
was accused in an elaborate scheme to prepare the Earth for the Second Coming of
Christ. [...] Wednesday's verdicts mean jurors believed either that Justin knew
beforehand that Villarin was going to die or that the murders were a foreseeable
result of the trio's scheme, which they called "Children of Thunder." Beginning
with next week's opening statements in the sanity phase, Helzer's attorneys will
have to prove a mental illness or disorder rendered him incapable of knowing
right from wrong. Cook has said Justin and Godman thought Taylor Helzer, the
architect of the murder plot, was a "prophet of God."

[Word of Faith Fellowship] Muse teens file for emancipation
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7501-.html
Two of the four children at the center of a custody battle involving a former
Word of Faith Fellowship member have filed for emancipation. In October 2003, a
judge found the WOFF environment abusive to children and order the four children
of former WOFF member Shana Muse placed in the custody of the Rutherford County
Department of Social Services. Muse had left the children with WOFF ministers,
Kent and Brooke Covington, while Muse left the controversial church. Muse
eventually sought counseling at a treatment center in Ohio specializing in
ex-cult members. She returned to Rutherford County in December of 2002 to
attempt to get her children back. A custody dispute arose, leading to a DSS-led
proceeding and October's ruling by Judge Randy Pool.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Scientology settlement
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7500-.html
The settlement of the Lisa McPherson wrongful-death lawsuit against the Church
of Scientology leaves many questions about the case open to speculation. [...]
Secrecy has been one of the hallmarks of the Church of Scientology and its
dealings in Clearwater, where it maintains its spiritual headquarters. A trial,
or even a settlement with terms disclosed, would have pulled aside a curtain
that the church keeps firmly shut.  [...] The McPherson case and the avalanche
of negative publicity it brought down on Scientology may be over, but the
questions her death raised remain. How did she die? Was she kept in the Fort
Harrison against her will? Why wasn't she in a hospital? What doctrines and
procedures of the Church of Scientology came into play during those 17 days?

NOTE: The Lisa McPherson case provides a highly educational look at the polices
and practices of the Scientology cult:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/s04h.html#lisa

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Moscow court bars Jehovah's Witnesses from religious
activity
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7499-.html
Reflecting increased pressure on religious minorities in a country dominated by
the Russian Orthodox Church, a Moscow court Wednesday upheld a ban on activities
by Jehovah's Witnesses in the capital. The ruling by the Moscow City Court
upholds a lower court decision earlier this year that prohibited Jehovah's
Witnesses from engaging in religious activity. The ruling arose from a Russian
law that allows courts to ban religious groups that are considered to be
inciting hatred or intolerant behavior.

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Sect defeated in challenge to Moscow's ban
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7498-.html
An appellate court in Moscow on Wednesday upheld a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses
activities in the city, a ruling the group's leaders said reflected mounting
pressure on some faiths in Russia. The decision culminated six years of legal
proceedings that began when prosecutors sought to halt the group's activities on
the ground that they posed a threat to Russian society. Under Russia's complex
laws governing religious minorities, the Jehovah's Witnesses are registered on
the national level and in nearly 400 other cities in Russia, though not in
Moscow itself. The ban affects only the group's activities here, but its leaders
expressed fear that the ruling could presage similar efforts in other cities,
where adherents have faced harassment.

.....................................................
Religion News Blog = religion news in context:

. Most articles include links to previous news items that allow you to see the
current item in context.
. Also provided are links to relevant research resources.
. At the bottom of each article, click the "More stories on..." link to see more
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But we do have website-related bills to pay. If Apologetics Index
and RNB are of service to you, please consider making a donation:
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Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, June 19-20, 2004

Sun, Jun. 20, 2004
[Buddhism] Foreign Minister gets tough on commercial exploitation of Buddha
image
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7575-.html
Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has addressed letters to his counterparts
in Buddhist and European countries seeking assistance to take preventive measure
against the commercial exploitation of the Buddha image. [...] Several instances
of such exploitation of the Buddha image including on swimwear for women
advertised on the Internet, candles manufactured in the form of the Buddha and
compact discs with the Buddha's image cited in the petition filed in the Supreme
Court.

[Eckankar] New Age religion emphasizes personal spiritual development
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7572-.html
The first time Karen Bezoski left her body she was sitting in a parapsychology
class at Weber State University in 1971. It was like the frequent stories of
near-death experiences, weightless floating and walking into the light, she
recalls. Except she wasn't dying. That experience, coached by meditation experts
from Berkeley, Calif., led Bezoski toward a belief in reincarnation and "soul
travel," which eventually led her to Eckankar, a New Age religion emphasizing
the importance of personal spiritual development.

[Mungiki] Kenyan Security Minister Vows "Total War" Against Mungiki Sect Members
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7571-.html
National Security Minister Dr Chris Murungaru has said the government is
preparing to destroy the remaining Mungiki sect [a quasi-religious group that
claims to follow Kikuyu traditional religion] and members who did not obey the
government amnesty that expired last year.

[Uganda] Police investigates export of body parts
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7570-.html
Police is investigating the possible existence of a well-organised racket,
exporting human organs to the US and European countries. The underhand
international trade in human organs has been growing over the past few years, as
new lifestyles in the rich west cause new diseases. The organs are transplanted
into bodies of rich patients who can expensively pay for them. [...] Sunday
Monitor has learnt that a kidney could fetch up to Shs 25 million, while a heart
goes for a lot more cash. When cult leader Joseph Kibwetere burnt thousands of
people in Kanungu district, in 2000, several mass graves were discovered through
out the country. It is believed these might have been victims of the
international racket – dealing in human organs.

[Hare Krishna] Hare Krishna Followers Pull Chariots Through London
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7569-.html
Thousands of Hare Krishna followers joined a colourful procession through the
capital today. For the first time in the event’s 36 year history they pulled
three wooden chariots through London’s streets to mark the Ratha-yatra Carnival
of Chariots. [...] The 40ft high chariots are said to carry three deities
including Lord Krishna, known as Jagannath.

[Eternal Life Church] Cult leader linked to killings dies
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7566-.html
Cho Hee-seong, 72, a religious leader who was once sentenced to death for
ordering killings within his Yeong Saeng ("Eternal Life") Church, died Saturday
of a heart attack he suffered while imprisoned at Seoul Detention Center.  Mr.
Cho received a death sentence in February for ordering members of the church to
kill six other members between 1990 and 1992. Last month, however, a higher
court overturned the verdict, saying he hadn't ordered the killings, merely
helped those who'd committed them to escape investigation. The court reduced his
sentence to a two-year prison term. At the time of his death, Mr. Cho was
awaiting the result of an appeal he'd filed with the Supreme Court asking it to
vacate the two-year sentence.

[Marcus Wesson] Wesson's speedy trial a rarity
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7565-.html
Murder mysteries typically aren't resolved in a hurry; trials for some of the
Valley's notorious killers -- Cary Stayner, Dana Ewell, Josefina Saldana --
didn't begin until more than two years after their arrests. But the man accused
of Fresno's worst mass killing could stand trial sooner than six months after
police found nine of his children dead, stacked in a back bedroom of his home.
On March 12, Marcus Wesson was handcuffed in front of his modest central Fresno
home. He later was charged with murdering the victims, who ranged in age from 1
to 25. On Aug. 31, jury selection is scheduled to begin in Fresno County
Superior Court. The trial would have started Monday but Wesson's lawyers
recently won a two-month delay despite his protests. Wesson pleaded with a judge
to ignore his lawyers' request. Part of his strategy, he said, was to have a
timely trial. [...] Family members told police Wesson admired David Koresh, the
man who had multiple wives and commanded a sect of more than 100 people called
the Branch Davidians. On April 19, 1993 their standoff with federal agents ended
in a fiery explosion and mass suicide in which 80 Branch Davidians were killed
in a Waco, Texas compound.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Common sense prevails
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7564-.html
After 13 years, Narconon, funded and staffed by the Church of Scientology, is
being accused of using misleading and inaccurate information -- "irresponsible .
. . pseudoscience'' is what a host of medical experts are calling it. Among the
debunked teachings are Narconon claims that drugs are stored in body fat,
creating cravings and flashbacks that can be remedied with perspiration and
vitamins. But worse than flawed science are indications that lessons are imbued
with religion -- "all the Scientology . . . basics," according to church data
obtained by The Chronicle.

NOTE: Scientology is based entirely on fantasy and lies.  It should be noted
that the cult's scriptures actively encourage and condone lying, hate- and
harassment activities as well as other unethical behavior.

[Unification Church] Lawmaker's take on Moon fete is crowning oddity
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7563-.html
The most disturbing thing is not that U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D.-Ill.) attended
an elaborate coronation ceremony in Washington for the controversial Rev. Sun
Myung Moon and his wife. And it's not that Davis took an active role in the
ceremony, carrying to the dais on a velvet pillow one of the jeweled crowns that
were placed upon the heads of the robed Moons. More than half a dozen other
congressmen and senators also were in attendance, according to several reports,
including one in the Washington Times, a newspaper Moon owns. The event took
place March 23 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building under the banner of the
Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace, a Moon-led
organization. [...] No, the most disturbing thing is that, to this day, Davis
expresses no regret about assisting in the pageantry designed to burnish and
inflate the reputation of a man who, divine or not, wants to abolish
Western-style democracy, compares gay people to dung-eating dogs, and in
exhorting Jews to convert and follow him, told them: "You have to repent. Jesus
was the King of Israel. Through the principle of indemnity, Hitler killed 6
million Jews."

[Feroze Golwalla] Prayer led to pain for cult victims
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7562-.html
When she joined a fledgling missionary group at evangelical Wheaton College,
Carrie Andreson expected to grow closer to God. She and other students would
gather mornings in graduate student Feroze Golwalla's apartment to pray and plan
for an overseas mission trip. But as the weeks passed, the students began
fasting and soon were depriving themselves of sleep. Some cut off ties to family
and friends and left Wheaton to follow Golwalla and his strict directives. In
her desire to become a missionary, Andreson had become part of a cult. At
Golwalla's orders, Andreson said, she even beat other members and ultimately
caused self-inflicted wounds, puncturing her face and buttocks with a hanger
until she bled and scarred. [...] "If Feroze had walked on campus with a bottle
of wine and cigarettes in his pocket, he'd be kicked out of Wheaton," said
Christine Wolfe, mother of twin boys who joined. "But there's nothing protecting
students from a predator like Feroze." [...] Golwalla kept them busy with
mundane tasks, such as ordering them to compile thousands of e-mail addresses
from Christian groups. The busywork limited them to three or four hours of
sleep. Cult experts say the technique is classic mind control, depriving
followers of sleep and nutrition to the point that they don't question anything.
"They were lured in via their Christian upbringing and their desire to serve
God," said Bob Pardon, a Massachusetts-based cult expert hired by the families
to get their children out. "They figured they could do it in ways they'd never
seen before." [...] For the parents, the quest to get their children out was
emotionally painful. At many points, they lost all contact with their children.
The Wolfes' parents worked with Pardon. Andreson's parents consulted with him
and with Steve Hassan, a Boston-based cult researcher.

[Kabbalah] Guy's fear: 'I though they were after my wife's $$'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7561-.html
The latest reinvented version of Madonna hit Manhattan last week, struggling to
sell tickets and peddling $120 T-shirts at her Garden concerts. She's also
reportedly Wanna_make_something_of_it.html">adopted the name Esther in adherence
to kabbalah, the mystical Jewish "technology" that she and husband Guy Ritchie
follow religiously — and that Ritchie flatly denies is a cult out to rip off
celebrities, Simon Mills reports.

[Sathya Sai Baba] Guru who gives us no answers
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7560-.html
The Secret Swami might have veered towards the amusing - in an "Oh my God, how
gullible can you be?" kind of way - had it not been for the repeated allegations
of sex abuse. Sai Baba, the swami in question, had started off looking like some
old bloke with an ego as big as his bank account. [...] The documentary took a
much less wide-eyed approach than Sai Baba’s flock, denouncing him from the
start as a sham whose ashram resembled a market place, not a shrine. Oh yes, he
appeared to have done some good - constructing a hospital in the district,
providing free medicare for the poor, and supplying clean water - however, the
£40 million it cost was funded by wealthy acolytes, faithfully following Sai
Baba’s earnest exhortation: "Wherever you see a sick person - there is your
field of service". And yet, Sai Baba’s secret motto turned out to be different,
more like: "Wherever you see a gullible young believer, (boys only apply) bingo!
- sexual opportunity".

[Gwen Shamblin] Church founded by diet guru scrutinized after boy dies
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7558-.html
The Remnant Fellowship, a church that grew out of a Christian weight-loss
program, preaches obedience and tough discipline for unruly children.
Those beliefs have put the religious movement under scrutiny in a case involving
two members accused of beating their 8-year-old son to death last year in
suburban Atlanta's Cobb County. Last month, investigators raided the Franklin
headquarters of the church and weight-loss program, seeking evidence of a
connection to Josef Smith's death. Authorities say the boy was chronically
abused and died from a blow to the head. His parents, Joseph and Sonya Smith of
Mableton, Ga., are charged with felony murder, child cruelty and deprivation of
a minor. [...] Church leaders say on a Web site that the media ''have already
tried and found this couple guilty. These same individuals are now attempting to
associate the teachings of Remnant Fellowship with this unfortunate incident.''
But it's former Remnant members who are saying church leaders sanctioned severe
beatings and locking children in a bare room with a Bible until they learned
obedience to God and their parents. Audiotapes made by those former members
recorded Shamblin praising such ''showdowns'' with children, including the
Smiths' son Josef.

[Italy] Italian Police Look to a Cult in '98 Killings of Teenagers
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7557-.html
The six-year search for Chiara Marino and Fabio Tollis, two missing teenagers
who were members of a heavy metal band called the Beasts of Satan, ended in a
pit in the woods northwest of Milan. The authorities say other members of the
loose-knit band buried the bodies after killing the teenagers in a drug-fueled
Satanic sacrifice. [...] The discovery of the bodies has captured the Italian
imagination, especially in the north, not so far away from where a series of
crimes that came to be known as the Monster of Florence killings haunted people
in the Tuscan woods for two decades, beginning in 1968. This is a country in
which Roman Catholic priests are still asked to carry out exorcisms. A
sociologist, Maria Macioti, a professor at La Sapienza University in Rome, has
said increasing numbers of young people seem drawn to devil worship. A
magistrate has warned of the lure of antichrist cults.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Religion News Blog = religion news in context:

• Most articles include links to previous news items that allow you to see the
current item in context.
• Also provided are links to relevant research resources.
• At the bottom of each article, click the "More stories on..." link to see more
stories on the same subject.

Reader-Supported:

Religion New Blog is a free service provided by Apologetics Index.
But we do have website-related bills to pay. If Apologetics Index
and RNB are of service to you, please consider making a donation:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/donate
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Sat, Jun. 19, 2004
[Ananda] Ananda gets green light for expansion
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7553-.html
Following the approval of zoning officials, the Ananda Church of
Self-Realization and Retreat Center will proceed with plans to construct a new
staff house on Tomaquag Road. [...] The board's decision effectively ends a
standoff between retreat founders and several neighbors opposed to the church's
expansion.

[Paganism] Pagans find spirituality they missed in church
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7552-.html
When people become disenchanted with their parents' religions, they sometimes
turn to the religions of their ancestors. Annoyed by what they perceive as
wrong-headed self-righteousness and people not living up to the tenets of their
beliefs, gossiping and back-stabbing, some find comfort in older, earth-based
religious teachings. "Church wouldn't be so bad if not for all the people who go
there," said a Morgan Township, Ohio, man who identified himself by his "Indian
name," Sky Hawk. "I still consider myself a Christian in a way because I believe
in the message that Jesus had, but the way it is practiced -- or not practiced
-- in the church left a bad taste in my mouth."

[Islam] Muslims here express outrage
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7578-.html
Hours after an al-Qaida group announced the killing of American hostage Paul
Johnson on Friday, Muslims expressed outrage locally at the second beheading
linked to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

[Mormon Church] Mormon president calls new temple in New York 'Zion in Babylon'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7551-.html
Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, dedicated a new Mormon temple in New York, calling its construction a
"miracle." [...] The temple is for sacred rituals including marriages and
baptisms and is the 119th Mormon temple worldwide.

[Mungiki] Stop Terror Now, Urges Rights Group
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7550-.html
Kenya Human Rights Commission has asked the Government to act swiftly and stop
killings by the Mungiki followers in Nairobi. The commission's deputy executive
director, Mr Steve Ouma, said the killings showed that the Government had failed
to protect Kenyans. [...] Police Commissioner Brigadier Mohammed Ali is
categorical that Mungiki is illegal. "The existence of the organisation remains
illegal and the status quo has not changed," he told journalists recently in
Nairobi. [...] On Monday, sect members slashed a 13-year-old school girl to
death at Mlango Kubwa estate, Nairobi. The girl was peeping outside the door of
their house as the gang terrorised residents.

[Mormon Church] Medal of Freedom for President Hinckley
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7549-.html
LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley will be awarded the Presidential Medal
of Freedom — the nation's highest civil honor — by President Bush during
ceremonies Wednesday at the White House.

[Hare Krishna] Swami can't return to New Vrindaban
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7548-.html
A former swami released from prison cannot return to the New Vrindaban community
he once ran because he is banned for life from all Hare Krishna temples. Swami
Bhaktipada was freed four years early from a prison in Butner, N.C., earlier
this week. Bhaktipada, who also is known as Kirtanananda Swami and was born
Keith Ham in Peekskill, N.Y., was arrested in 1987, charged with racketeering
and accused of ordering the murders of two devotees who had threatened his
control of the community.

[Mungiki] Murdered: Sect Members Who Said No
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7547-.html
These are the faces of death - six people ruthlessly murdered by a Mungiki
revenge squad desperate to silence them for spilling the sect's secrets. Within
the last six months, 14 known defectors have either been killed or have
mysteriously disappeared in what is turning out to be a major underworld war.
They have been killed since an ultimatum to defectors to rejoin the sect expired
in January. The brutal beheading of a street preacher two weeks ago is only the
latest in a chain of apparent executions to have befallen defectors from
Mungiki.


Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

.  Religion News Blog is a reader-supported service that alerts Christian
apologetics- and counter-cult professionals - as well as other academic and
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- About RNB: http://www.religionnewsblog.com/site-5249-about.html

ReligionNewsBlog.com, June 21, 2004

[USA] When Ofra Bikel's camera rolls, injustice crumbles
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7607-.html
By my conservative count, at least 11 innocent men and women have been freed
from prison because of Ofra Bikel. [...] Bikel makes documentaries for
"Frontline," a 21-year-old series that is one of a dwindling number of jewels in
public television's national schedule. Although she has produced films on
international affairs, family dynamics, pseudo psychoscience and clashes between
and within cultures, Bikel's specialty is justice. [...] Like most of Bikel's
films, "The Plea" is infuriating. Peeling apart the layers of three cases in
Texas and New York, Bikel finds innocent people rotting in jail or scavenging
for food and shelter on the street, all thanks to plea bargains coerced from
them by sneaky prosecutors, inept and overworked public defenders and arrogant
judges.

SEE ALSO:
Plea bargaining comes under a judicious eye
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7606-.html

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Dianetics technology may find way into Botswana
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7603-.html
Dianetics, a technology of the mind, could find its way into Botswana if the
efforts of Warren Bruckamann and his team succeed.

[Deeper Life Christian Church] Deeper Life Church: Ministry or money machine?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7602-.html
Few nonmembers ever see inside Deeper Life Church, not even the church's primary
financial source - drivers at busy intersections who drop spare change into
white buckets held by Deeper Life members. [...] Although it prefers to be
called a fund-raising entity, according to an investigative series conducted by
the Tampa Tribune in 2003, Deeper Life files with the Internal Revenue Service
as a church.

[Mungiki] Police Raid Mungiki Brewery
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7601-.html
The swoop, in which 122 suspected Mungiki members were arrested in Dandora,
Kayole and other parts of Buruburu division, comes barely 72 hours after a
provincial security meeting was held in Nyayo House where war was declared on
the sect.

[Church and State] Evangelicals draft political guidelines
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7600-.html
The National Association of Evangelicals is circulating a draft of a
groundbreaking framework for political action that strongly endorses social and
economic justice and warns against close alignment with any political party.
Steeped in biblical morality and evangelical scholarship, the framework for
public engagement could change how the estimated 30 million evangelicals in the
United States are viewed by liberals and conservatives alike.

[Church and State] Politics and the Church
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7599-.html
Under Internal Revenue Service laws, churches and other religious organizations
can lose their tax exempt status if they endorse political candidates.
Enforcement of that provision, however, is complicated by the fact that churches
are free to speak out on political issues -- such as whether the government
should outlaw abortion or gay marriage. And clergy are able to speak out for
candidates if they do it as private individuals, not as representatives of their
church. "What's different this year is the Bush/Cheney campaign are initiating
efforts to get churches to break the law by becoming centers of Bush campaign
activity,'' said Lynn, noting that the campaign has not repudiated the "friendly
congregations" effort in Pennsylvania.

[Witchcraft] Witchcraft's Innocent Victims
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7598-.html
A deep-rooted belief in witchcraft by many Zimbabweans continues to cause untold
suffering to the innocent, with grievous assault and even murder unleashed
against those irrationally thought to be witches.

[USA] Most Guantanamo Detainees Pose No Threat -NYTimes
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7597-.html
Bush administration and U.S. military officials have repeatedly exaggerated the
intelligence value of detainees at Guantanamo Bay as well as the danger they
pose, The New York Times reported on Monday. Contrary to the repeated assertions
of senior administration officials, none of the detainees at the U.S. naval base
in Cuba ranked as leaders or senior operatives of al Qaeda, the newspaper
reported, citing interviews with high-level military, intelligence and
law-enforcement officials in the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

[Hate Groups] Fire destroys Bay County site of meetings held by a hate group
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7596-.html
A Bay County furniture store that once was the site of meetings held by an
anti-Semitic hate group was destroyed by a fire early Monday, officials said.
The hate group, organized by Christian Identity teacher James P. Wickstrom, met
at the Marquiss Quality Furniture store for about three years. Wickstrom moved
to Tennessee in June 2003, but returned to the area a few months ago.

[Raelians] Cult plans first Scots baby clone
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7595-.html
A controversial religious sect is tonight expected to tell an Edinburgh audience
that it attempting to produce the first Scottish cloned baby. Dr Brigitte
Boisellier, a French scientist at the heart of Clonaid, a company which claims
it has produced cloned humans, was tonight due to join Raelian sect leader Rael
to address a conference at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. Clonaid, which claims to be
behind 13 cloned babies worldwide, was expected to outline how they aim to
produce a cloned baby in Dundee to help a couple who lost their daughter in an
accident.

[Paganism] Thousands gather at Stonehenge
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7594-.html
About 21,000 revellers gathered at Stonehenge in Wiltshire overnight to mark the
summer solstice. The 5,000-year-old World Heritage site was open to the public,
following earlier years in which it was closed amid fears of damage to the
stones.

[Islam] Irish outlaw Muslim second wives
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7593-.html
Muslims who marry Irish women have to make a formal declaration that they will
not take more than one wife on being granted citizenship.  The Irish government
confirmed yesterday that it has ordered all men from Islamic countries seeking
residency to sign a sworn affidavit rejecting polygamy.

[Hate Groups] French neo-Nazis turn on Muslim graves attacks
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7592-.html
Anxiety is growing in France about a series of neo-Nazi attacks on Jewish, and
now Muslim, sites especially in the Strasbourg and Colmar areas of Alsace. There
have been five serious incidents in or near the Alsatian cities in the past
seven weeks, culminating in the desecration of a Muslim cemetery in Meinau last
week. Local politicians and police have mostly dismissed the attacks as the work
of children or adolescents but community leaders insist that they are part of an
entrenched pattern of racist abuse.

[Islam] It's an uneasy time for Britain and its rising Muslim population
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7591-.html
Just down the way from the Whitechapel underground stop in the heart of
Britain's largest Muslim neighborhood, the young men of the Al-Muhajiroun
movement had set up a campaign stand. The message, referring to the June 10
elections for local government and the European Parliament, was blunt: "Stay
Muslim. Don't vote." "Democracy is an act of apostasy. Integration is a failure
for Muslims," one of the pamphleteers said, declining to give his name. The
group's leader, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammad, has called the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks "a magnificent operation in every way." Most paid little
attention as women in burqas and men in skullcaps streamed through, shopping in
the main market in what has become known as Banglatown. Islamic extremism is
nothing new here, and these views don't represent the thinking of most of
Britain's 1.6 million Muslims any more than the neo-Fascist British National
Party, which wants to "resettle" nonwhites, speaks for most Christians. But
opinion polls indicate that sympathy for both strains of thought is on the rise.
A feeling of mutual alienation has come to pervade the debate over how Britain
can best accommodate its growing Muslim minority, Europe's third-largest. And
it's not only about politics: Law-enforcement officials worry that the young,
disaffected Muslim population is fertile recruiting ground for terrorism. A
similar dilemma confronts France, Germany and much of the rest of Western
Europe...

[Anglican Church] Child abuse arrests hit Aussie church
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7590-.html
The Anglican Church in Australia has been engulfed in a child sex abuse scandal
with nine people, including two former ministers, arrested or ordered to appear
in court on sexual abuse offences, police said on Monday. Police made arrests
across Australia between Thursday and Sunday after investigating 200 claims of
sex abuses against children by former members of the Anglican Church in the
state of South Australia.

[Buffy, the Vampire Slayer] The gospel of Buffy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7589-.html
It started out as a joke. Two academic women were laughing over the absurdity of
writing a book about the spirituality of the teen TV show "Buffy the Vampire
Slayer" in May 2002. But by fall of that year, Jana Riess, religion book review
editor at Publishers Weekly, was writing a book proposal. [...] And "What Would
Buffy Do? The Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide" (Jossey-Bass, $14.95) is the
result.

[Mungiki] War on Mungiki sect 'still on'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7588-.html
The war on the outlawed Mungiki sect is still on, Internal Security minister
Chris Murungaru, has said. He assured the public that the Government had not
relented in its crackdown against the sect and other organised criminal groups.
While addressing the Press at Karundas Secondary School in his Kieni
constituency, Dr Murungaru said the Government would "wipe out" the sect, as the
amnesty extended to its members early last year had long expired.

[Koreshans] Koreshan appeal heats up for summer
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7587-.html
Spend some time this summer at the Koreshan State Historic Site campground and
you'll find yourself sharing the nature trail with grazing gopher tortoises.
Take along a canoe, small boat or kayak and thread your way down the meandering
Estero River to Estero Bay and Mound Key. Spend a weekend and take a narrated
tour of the historic site where members of the Koreshan religious sect built
their community in the wilderness in the late 1890s.

See also: Just who were the Koreshans?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/4479-.html

[India] Buried Indian mystic suffocates
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7585-.html
An Indian mystic who undertook to be buried for the weekend as a penance to
bring world peace has suffocated in his pit, police say. Ananda Swami, in his
early 20s, had his followers bury him in a deep pit near Madras, saying he would
come back at the appointed hour to bless them all.
He apparently went underground in the hamlet of Vadipatti last Friday evening.
The pit was covered with five wooden planks and then fires, which play a key
role in all Hindu rituals, were lit close by. Ananda Swami's followers were so
convinced their swami, or godman, would come out with redoubled spiritual
vigour, that they arranged to feed over 1,000 poor people to mark his emergence
from the samadhi, or underground trance.

[Hare Krishna] Hare Krishna Community Survives Struggle, Scandal
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7584-.html
After 36 years of struggling to build a community and survive scandal within its
ranks, the New Vrindaban Community is living a peaceful existence among the
hills of Marshall County. [...] New Vrindaban General Manager Kuladri dasa said
things have changed at the community in the recent years since it was under the
leadership of Swami Bhaktipada, who went to prison on federal mail and
racketeering charges. Bhaktipada, also known as Keith Gordon Ham, 66, was
sentenced to 10 years in jail in 1996. He was granted early release last week.
He is believed to have relocated to New York City.

[Ralph A. Wilkerson] Evangelist Won't Help Receiver in Ponzi Case
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7583-.html
Several high-profile evangelists entangled in an alleged investment scam
targeting born-again Christians are helping authorities unravel the operation.
One prominent pastor, however, has declined to assist: the Rev. Ralph A.
Wilkerson, founder of Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim, according to the
court-appointed receiver whose job it is to salvage the remains of what federal
prosecutors allege was a Ponzi scheme. Wilkerson's failure to cooperate is
hampering the effort to recover the millions of dollars some investors lost with
Ontario-based IPIC International Inc., receiver Dennis L. Roossien Jr. said last
week. "He could help a lot if he wanted to," Roossien said.  IPIC was headed by
Gregory Earl Setser, with whom Wilkerson last year wrote an unpublished book
titled "Making Million$ for Ministry: The Biblical Philosophy of Prosperity of
Greg Setser."

[Kabbalah] How Madonna's Sect Snared My Daughter
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7582-.html
This week, Madonna revealed that she has changed her name to 'Esther' as part of
her involvement in the Kabbalah sect. Here, in an open letter to the star,
another Esther - Esther Rantzen - describes how her own daughter was drawn into
Kabbalah, and makes a heartfelt plea for caution.

.....................................................
Religion News Blog = religion news in context:

. Most articles include links to previous news items that allow you to see the
current item in context.
. Also provided are links to relevant research resources.
. At the bottom of each article, click the "More stories on..." link to see more
stories on the same subject.

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Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, June 22 - 23, 2004

Wed, Jun. 23, 2004
[Sufism] Pir Vilayat Inayat-Khan, 87, Sect Leader, Dies
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7634-.html
Pir Vilayat Inayat-Khan, who headed an international order of Sufis, members of
a mystical offshoot of Islam, and wrote books about it, died on Thursday at his
home in Suresnes, a suburb of Paris. He was 87. His death was announced by
Donald Graham, an official of the Sufi Order International.

[USA] US war crimes immunity bid fails
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7633-.html
The US has given up trying to get its soldiers immunity from prosecution at the
new International Criminal Court.  It has withdrawn its attempt to have its
exemption renewed by the United Nations Security Council, because it failed to
gain enough support.  The US won special status for the last two years, arguing
its troops could be subject to malicious prosecution. But UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan said it should not be renewed, partly because of the prisoner abuse
scandal.

Note: The stature includes sufficient safeguards to prevent malicious
prosecution.

[USA] U.S. Withdraws UN Measure on Immunity for Soldiers
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7632-.html
The United States on Wednesday withdrew its U.N. Security Council resolution
seeking an exemption for U.S. soldiers from international prosecution because it
lacked votes for adoption.

[Campus Cults, Nigeria] Death Toll Now 6 in Ibadan Varsity Cults Clash
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7631-.html
Death toll in the bloody clash that occurred at the University of Ibadan at the
weekend between rival cult groups has increased to six as tension continued to
mount on the university campus. It was learnt that three more bodies of students
reportedly killed by the cultists were recovered within campus precincts between
Sunday and Monday night. The three new corpses of students were reportedly
discovered at the Agric area of the campus, Abadina and Benue road of the
institution.

[Peyote] Justices uphold religious peyote use
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7630-.html
The Utah Supreme Court on Tuesday ensured that Utah members of the Native
American Church, regardless of their race, cannot be prosecuted for using peyote
as part of their religion.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] L.A. schools look hard at Narconon
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7629-.html
School district officials in Los Angeles have ordered a review of an anti-drug
program whose teachings are linked with the Church of Scientology and are
warning teachers that its instruction "is not based on science."  Los Angeles is
the second district in the state to scrutinize Narconon Drug Prevention and
Education, which reaches thousands of students in at least 20 California
districts and has provided lectures in schools across the country for two
decades. Earlier this month, San Francisco schools Superintendent Arlene
Ackerman gave Narconon until this Thursday to revise its curriculum or be barred
from the district after The Chronicle reported that religious concepts embraced
by the Church of Scientology have found their way into its classroom lectures.
Also, state schools chief Jack O'Connell ordered the state Department of
Education last week to investigate Narconon.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Backers defend anti-drug program
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7628-.html
Supporters of an anti-drug program with ties to the Church of Scientology
addressed the San Francisco Board of Education on Tuesday night in attempt to
show the value of keeping the program intact in the city's public schools.

[Satanism] Satanic Cult Link to Cemetery Staff `Suicides'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7627-.html
Italian authorities plan to exhume at least two more corpses as part of a
widening investigation into satanic rites, heavy metal music and human sacrifice
that has kept the nation agog for the past three weeks. At least three murders
of a ritual type are already pinned on the semi- professional heavy metal
musicians from the Beasts of Satan band and their plumber friend, all now in
custody, who police believe to be the leaders of a satanic sect known by the
same name. The men, all in their 20s, are accused of stabbing and shooting their
victims, then burying them still alive in a lonely wood. But after checking
records of other deaths in recent months in the district of Legnano, on the
outskirts of Milan, particularly those that occurred when the moon was full or
new, police have alighted on two suicide cases that were particularly baffling:
two young men, at least one of them close to the alleged Satanists, both of whom
worked in the Legnano cemetery and both of whom killed themselves in the past
six months.

[Kabbalah] May the light be with you
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7626-.html
A form of Jewish mysticism has so captivated Madonna that she has changed her
name - to Esther - in its honour. Other devotees include Gwyneth Paltrow and
David Beckham. But is Kabbalah just another sect preying on the gullible?
Charlotte Edwardes signs up for an initiation course

[Raelians] Singapore warns against cloning
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7625-.html
The Singapore government has warned its citizens against human cloning after a
foreign group linked to the controversial Raelian sect claimed two couples from
the city-state had signed up with it to engineer babies. Clonaid, which claims
to have produced 13 cloned babies worldwide, told the Streats daily newspaper
two Singaporean couples had signed deals agreeing to pay $200 000 (about
R1,2-million) to conceive children through cloning. The claim prompted the
health ministry to issue a warning against human cloning, branding it unethical
and highlighting government plans to introduce a law this year banning the
practice.

[Islam] Grisly death for dedicated Christian worker
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7623-.html
On Monday, hostage Kim Sun-Il stood gesticulating as he shouted desperately at
the camera, "I don't want to die". On Tuesday, the Arabic interpreter and devout
Christian, who dreamed of missionary work in the Arab world, knelt silently and
impassively before his Muslim militant captors beheaded him.

[David Berkowitz] Killer now listens to son of God
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7622-.html
This being the modern age, even a convicted serial killer can have his own Web
page. Take David Berkowitz - better known as "Son of Sam." A prison-cell convert
to Christianity, Berkowitz has a Web presence sponsored by the House Upon the
Rock Christian Church in San Diego. And from Berkowitz's Web page, "Forgiven for
Life," it's just a one-click jump to a Focus on the Family Web page offering
cassettes or CDs of "David Berkowitz: Son of Hope," a March interview featured
on the Colorado Springs-based Christian ministry's radio program with the man
who terrorized New York 27 years ago at the point of a .44-caliber handgun.
Providing a forum for Berkowitz's musings on his spiritual journey may suggest
an unlikely alliance for the evangelistic ministry of Dr. James Dobson, who
boasts a regular radio audience of about 21 million people. But Scott Welch, an
associate producer for Focus on the Family's radio broadcasts - carried on 2,000
stations in North America and also distributed internationally - believes in
both Berkowitz and his message of redemption. It's a viewpoint that is not
shared by victims' families or their advocates.

[Venezuela] The goddess and the president
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7621-.html
When opponents of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez succeeded on 3 June in
triggering a recall vote on his rule, many saw it as a sign of trouble for the
controversial leader. But for some, the real warning for Mr Chavez - and the
nation - came three days later when the statue of goddess Maria Lionza collapsed
in Caracas. "To my way of seeing, it's a warning to her followers that there
will be blood, that what's to come is ugly," says Albert Zerpa, a medium who
helps Maria Lionza's believers communicate with otherworldly spirits.

[Unification Church] The Rev. Moon Honored at Hill Reception
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7617-.html
More than a dozen lawmakers attended a congressional reception this year
honoring the Rev. Sun Myung Moon in which Moon declared himself the Messiah and
said his teachings have helped Hitler and Stalin be "reborn as new persons."
[...] Details of the ceremony -- first reported by Salon.com writer John
Gorenfeld -- have prompted several lawmakers to say they were misled or duped by
organizers. Their complaints prompted a Moon-affiliated Web site to remove a
video of the "Crown of Peace" ceremony two days ago, but other Web sites have
preserved details and photos.

[USA] Abuse of power makes U.S. weak
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7620-.html
[by Jesse Jackson]
There were no weapons of mass destruction. Saddam wasn't collaborating with
al-Qaida and had nothing to do with Sept. 11. The Iraqis didn't treat us as
liberators. Our soldiers were put into an occupation without the forces or the
training or even the basic equipment needed to meet the task. Everything
Secretary of State Colin Powell told the Security Council turned out to be
wrong. The loss of moral authority, the loss of legitimacy, across the world is
staggering. In only a few short months since Sept. 11, this administration
squandered the global goodwill we had in the wake of the horror.

> More news below...

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Tue, Jun. 22, 2004
[Chabad Lubavitch] Thousands gather at rebbe's grave for 10th anniversary of his
death
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7615-.html
Thousands of Orthodox Jews gathered at the grave of Lubavitcher rebbe Menachem
Mendel Schneerson - whose leadership transformed the sect into a major force in
Judaism - in observance of the 10th anniversary of his death.

[Hate Groups] Arson not ruled out in storefront church blaze
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7614-.html
A Monday morning fire that burned a controversial furniture store in Hampton
Township may have been intentionally set. An accelerant-sniffing dog hit on
numerous spots around the front door of Marquiss Quality Furniture, 644 W.
Center Road, on Monday afternoon, investigators said. Christian Identity teacher
James P. Wickstrom, whose message is strongly pro-white and anti-Jewish, had
been holding regular Bible study meetings at the store for the last three years.

NOTE: Despite its name, the teachings and practices of the so-called 'Christian
Identity' movement are incompatible with those of historical, biblical
Christianity.

[Hate Groups] Berlin to ban neo-Nazi demonstrations
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7613-.html
German Interior Minister Otto Schily is drafting legislation to outlaw neo-Nazi
demonstrations, a move welcomed by opposition conservatives but criticised by
civil liberties advocates. A spokeswoman for the minister said Tuesday the
reduction of the rightists' constitutional freedom of assembly was designed to
protect the general public and had been suggested by most of the 16 state
interior ministers.

[UFOs] Man finds tough sell for his "UFO discovery"
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7612-.html
Bob White is convinced his story deserves a grand stage, that his most prized
possession should be displayed before a national audience. It should draw
tourists from all over the country, he figures, and be a major attraction for
people who want to see an artifact that White swears was retrieved from a UFO in
1985. Instead, White's find is in tiny Reeds Spring in southwestern Missouri,
secured in a locked display case at Museum of the Unexplained, a converted
video-rental store that, during a recent morning, went more than three hours
without a customer. White can't figure it out.

[Religion Trends] Outsourcing gets religion in India
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7611-.html
Is nothing sacred? The hard-nosed commercialism that has spawned a boom in
international business outsourcing is catching on in the religious world. In the
West, there is a growing shortage of holy men of all religions, and the costs of
spiritual services are on the rise.  An opportunity, then, for India, where
high-quality, low-cost "religious outsourcing" is becoming big business.
Catholics have led the way, but Sikhs and Hindus are catching on fast.

[Mormon Church] Church to break silence on downtown
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7610-.html
The LDS Church apparently listened. Urged by Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson
and City Council Chairwoman Jill Remington Love to speak up about their plans
for downtown, church officials are publicly meeting with council members today
to discuss at least one of their redevelopment projects. And LDS Presiding
Bishop H. David Burton, who is in charge of the church's $500 million downtown
strategy, is meeting privately with Anderson and Salt Lake Chamber President
Lane Beattie earlier in the day.

[Kabbalah] Cult of celebrities
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7609-.html
For all the good vibes and ego-shrinking Madonna says she has received thanks to
Kabbalah, she has courted plenty of criticism, too -- namely, for preaching a
practice whose ties to traditional, ancient kabbalah are tenuous at best and
treacherous at worst, rabbis and scholars say. Watchdog types say the Kabbalah
Center is more about merchandising -- "empowered" stones, soul-cleansing water,
those $26 strings -- than enlightenment.  Some are more blunt. The center is
"not just a cult, but a dangerous cult," says Rabbi Immanuel Schochet, a
Toronto-based scholar of Jewish philosophy and mysticism. "They are distorting
kabbalah ... taking some of our sacred books and reducing it to mumbo jumbo, all
kinds of hocus-pocus."

[Unification Church] Senators duped by Moonie event
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7608-.html
U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton thought he was simply doing a good turn on March 23 when
he stopped by a Capitol Hill event honoring a Minnesota woman with an
"Ambassadors for Peace" award. Dayton, D-Minn., ducked in for a few minutes, got
his photo taken during an awards ceremony, then left. Yet that brief drop-in has
caused a growing headache for Dayton and his staff, who were angry to later
discover that the event was linked to the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the controversial
Korean religious leader who calls himself a messiah, and who is known for
conducting mass weddings.

NOTE:  The Washington Post item mentioned earlier
(http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7617-.html) is more realistic, saying:
But a key organizer -- Archbishop George A. Stallings Jr., pastor of the Imani
Temple, an independent African American Catholic congregation in Northeast
Washington -- said Moon's prominent role should have surprised no one. [...]
"You'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind to not know that any event that is
sponsored by the Washington Times . . . could involve the influence, or the
potential presence, of the Reverend Moon," he said.

[Mormon Church] LDS Church to Complete Purchase of Triad Center
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7619-.html
Mormon church leaders say they will finalize the purchase of a downtown Salt
Lake City office campus on Wednesday. It plans to turn entire city block that is
home to the Triad Center into an educational complex. It will be the new home of
the LDS Business College and a new Salt Lake City extension campus for the
church-owned Brigham Young University.

[Doman Program] Anything to reach Ryan
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7624-.html
To scientists, it's quackery. But to a Clearwater family with an autistic child,
a controversial treatment plan is their best shot at a normal life. [..] Kitty
and her husband, Randy, attribute Ryan's progress to a controversial treatment
program they began three years ago. Developed by the Institutes for the
Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia, the regimen includes more than
40 hours a week of treatments administered at home by parents. Followers call it
the Doman program, after its creator, Glenn Doman. [...] Kitty had already quit
her job in finance at the Church of Scientology to devote herself to Ryan's
care.

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

Greetings,

Could anyone who is currently not able to access
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/ please email me:
ahein@...

We've had a DNS problem in recent days, and it appears some domain
name servers are misdirecting traffic.  (Let me know the general
area you live in, so I can narrow things down).

Also... if you link (at your website on in your browser favorites)
to an old URL for Apologetics Index (anything that
includes "gospelcom.net/apologeticsindex/"), please update those
links to: http://www.apologeticsindex.org/

If you have linked to a specific page, simply replace
the "gospelcom.net/apologeticsindex/" part with apologeticsindex.org

Reason: until June last year the site was hosted by Gospelcom.net.
They have graciously redirected traffic for a year (instead of the
usual two months).  However, the redirect service has now stopped.

(Note: if you can not reach apologeticsindex.org, try .com or .net
instead.  Countercult.com will get you there as well).

Thanks,

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and
related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, June 24-26, 2004

Sat, Jun. 26, 2004
[Kabbalah] Madonna adopts kabbalah and new wave of controversy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7664-.html
Madonna is a student of the Kabbalah Centre, a worldwide education organization
with a center in Houston. The center does not require students to be Jewish, and
the study can be incorporated into any faith, said Robin Davis, a spokeswoman
for the Los Angeles-based organization. "The aims of the center are to help
people navigate through the wisdom of kabbalah and to help them understand it
and embrace it and help them incorporate it into their lives so their lives can
be more meaningful," she said. Madonna has been a serious student for more than
eight years, Davis said. "This is not a trendy thing she has picked up as a whim
for the moment," she said. But Gelman and other local rabbis are concerned that
such study is rooted less in traditional Judaism than in New Age spirituality.

[Christian Science] Christian Science church bans spiritual teacher after she
married her lesbian partner
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7663-.html
A woman who married her lesbian partner in Massachusetts was banned from
teaching in the Church of Christ, Scientist, after she refused to "repent" for
her actions. A church letter sent to Kathleen Clementson said she had abused her
role as a teacher and could teach spiritual healing again only if she repented
and served a three-year probation. Clementson, 62, instead returned her teaching
credentials and left the church.

[USA] UN Rights Envoys Seek Access to Prisoners of U.S.
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7662-.html
United Nations human rights investigators Friday demanded access to prisoners
held by U.S. forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay to check that
international standards were being upheld. In a rare joint statement, they
unequivocally condemned terrorism in all forms, but reiterated "concerns about
certain measures taken in the name of the fight against terrorism." [...] Reed
Brody, counsel at the New York-based Human Rights Watch, told Reuters: "If the
Bush administration is serious about its rejection of torture, it needs to let
U.N. inspectors in."

NOTE:

    United States Loses Fight to Block U.N. Vote on Enforcement of Torture Treaty
    The Associated Press, July 24, 2002
    http://www.religionnewsblog.com/00000095-.html

    Freedom fries
    The Guardian (USA), May 14, 2004
    Shocked by the torture images? Then don't miss a new documentary about the
'school' run by the US Army. John Patterson reports.
    http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7275-Freedom_fries_.html

    TORTURE U.: Congress should shut former School of the Americas
    Detroit Free Press (USA), May 11, 2004 (Editorial)
    http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7274-.html

[USA] British bash US military trials; Fault rules as 'unacceptable'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7661-.html
Britain's top legal officer called proposed US military trials of Guantanamo Bay
detainees ''unacceptable" yesterday in a speech reviving a rare rift between the
closest allies in the global anti-terrorism war. Attorney General Lord
Goldsmith's comments, released ahead of delivery in a speech in Paris, were some
of the bluntest statements yet of London's disquiet concerning the US handling
of terrorism suspects at the US base in Cuba. ''While we must be flexible and be
prepared to countenance some limitation of fundamental rights if properly
justified and proportionate, there are certain principles on which there can be
no compromise," he said in the release. ''Fair trial is one of those -- which is
the reason we in the UK have been unable to accept that the US military
tribunals . . . offer sufficient guarantees of a fair trial in accordance with
international standards."

[Islam] Muslims Flock to See Messiah After Web Hoax
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7658-.html
"The story ended up being that there was a woman in the clinic who had given
birth to the Messiah and who had died. She was later dug up and was still alive
but her whole body was burned -- just her two breasts were unharmed," said
Buescher. "Allah ordered the woman to feed the child for 40 days and then die
again. This crazy story was seen by people on a Turkish Internet site," he said.

[Hate Groups] Romanian yogis hit by investigation
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7657-.html
Romanian yoga practitioners launched protests across the country yesterday,
accusing authorities of damaging their reputations and violating their rights by
launching criminal investigations against members of their group. Carrying
banners which read "Human rights severely violated in Romania," dozens of
members of the Movement of Spiritual Integration into the Absolute demonstrated
outside the local government office in the city of Timisoara in the west of the
country. "We protest against the deeply undemocratic attitude of authorities
toward Misa members and yoga practitioners," said Dan Spatariu, a doctor in
Timisoara.

[Hate Groups] Fire at store where white supremacists met ruled arson
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7656-.html
A fire that heavily damaged a Bay City-area furniture store used as a meeting
place for a white supremacist group was a case of arson, state police said
Friday. [...] A group organized by Christian Identity teacher James P. Wickstrom
met at the store for about three years. Wickstrom moved to Tennessee in June
2003, but returned to the area a few months ago.

[Hinduism] Tradition at the temple
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7655-.html
Hindu men and women sit in separate groups in the temple, the women dressed in
brightly shaded sarees and salwar kameezes, the traditional garments of India,
and the men dressed in duller Western clothes. Separation of the sexes inside
their temples is one of the main tenets of the Swaminarayan faith, which was
established in the late 18th century by Bhagwan Swaminarayan and adopted by
mostly Gujarati-speaking Indians.  Gujarati is a language spoken in the North
Indian state of Gujarat. The religion has about 1 million followers, whose
social work has created medical centers, schools and colleges, and environmental
efforts.

[Mormon Church] Hispanics a growing presence in Church of Latter-day Saints
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7654-.html
Once a predominantly U.S.-centered religious institution, the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints has become international. Of its 12 million members
worldwide, more than half, 6.4 million, live outside the United States, the
majority in Spanish-speaking countries. Calderon, who was baptized into the
faith as a teenager, is one of an estimated 144,000 Spanish-speaking U.S.
Mormons.

[Mormon Church] Mormon Church Leader Arrested in Sex Case
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7653-.html
A leader in the Mormon Church was arrested in an Internet sex sting after
allegedly arranging to meet a 14-year-old girl in Idaho. Clayton R. Hildreth,
stake president of the Butte chapter of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, was taken into custody Wednesday at a home in Boise.

[Chabad Lubavitch] Doctrinal dichotomy: Chabad bucks beliefs of mainstream
Judaism
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7652-_.html
If the non-Jewish public is even vaguely aware of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement,
it's probably because its annual telethon draws celebrities including Adam
Sandler, Michael Douglas, James Caan, Whoopi Goldberg and Anthony Hopkins. But
within the Jewish world, this small branch of Judaism is generating outsized
levels of interest -- and concern. On the one hand, Chabad -- with its rigorous
observance of Jewish law and rabbis in long beards and wide-brimmed black hats
-- has become an island of growth, innovation and success at a time of aging
synagogue memberships and stagnant population elsewhere among American Jews. On
the other hand, there's the matter of the Messiah.

[Mormon Church] Downtown Dissonance: Mormon Revitalization Plans Worry Some
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7651-.html
No one has taken as great an interest in that endeavor as The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is already the region's largest landowner and
counts the city as its international headquarters. But for some people, who
think Utah should shed its reputation as the Mormon capitol of the world, that's
exactly the problem.

[Unification Church] Weldon finds he was 'host' at Rev. Moon event
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7650-.html
Rep. Curt Weldon joined other members of Congress and spoke at a Capitol Hill
event March 23 that honored the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, whose claims of
clairvoyance, tax-fraud conviction, and forays into the newspaper business have
made him a political lightning rod and a figure of some ridicule.  Weldon (R.,
Pa.), in a statement yesterday, said he had appeared briefly at the start of the
event at the Dirksen Senate Office Building but had not known Moon would be
honored in a ceremony hours later, after Weldon had left.

[Unification Church] Utah politicians distance themselves from Moon event
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7649-.html
Two Utah politicians said they were surprised to find their names listed as
co-hosts of a Washington, D.C., event that wound up honoring the controversial
religious leader, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. "I was on no committee and had
nothing to do with the planning of the event," said state Sen. Howard
Stephenson, R-Draper.  "The congressman was not at the event," said Joe Hunter,
chief of staff for Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah. "He somehow ended up being listed
as one of the co-hosts without our knowledge or consent."

[Unification Church] Bishop denies link to Moon crowning
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7648-.html
Rep. Sanford Bishop of Georgia was listed as a co-sponsor of a Capitol Hill
gathering at which the Rev. Sun Myung Moon was literally crowned as mankind's
Messiah, but Bishop said he not only didn't sponsor the event but didn't attend.
The banquet honoring Moon and his wife was held March 23 in the Russell Senate
Office Building but just came to light this week, leaving several lawmakers,
including Bishop, scrambling to deny their involvement or explain that they had
been misled about the event's nature. [...] Bishop, a Baptist, in no way
supports Moon, she said. "He has said Jesus Christ is his savior. He does not in
any way accept Rev. Moon as his Messiah," Hoelzer said.


Fri, Jun. 25, 2004
[Kabbalah] Kabbalah and the snake
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7647-.html
[Rabbi Jeremy Rosen:] I am a serious devotee of Kabbalah. The real thing of
course. Not the hocus pocus, Madonna in tefillin, red cotton band on your wrist,
spend £7 on a bottle of water, 'give me your money and you’ll feel better or
cure your cancer for a thousand dollar' sort of Kabbalah. Serious Kabbalah is a
very complex mystical tradition that is an integral part of Judaism. But it is a
highly complex layer that only makes sense if it comes on the basis of a really
solid foundation in knowledge and practice of traditional Judaism. Otherwise it
is just like judging a person entirely by his clothes. To think that one can
understand it without a mastery of the original language is like being an expert
in Shakespeare through translation into Hindustani. My father often used the
expression of an ignoramus that ‘He knows about as much as a Cossack does of
Kabbalah.’

[Unification Church] Moonie leader 'crowned' in Senate
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7646-.html
The US Senate was used for a bizarre ritual in which the Rev Sun Myung Moon, the
head of the Unification church, was "crowned" and declared himself the messiah
in the presence of more than a dozen Republican and Democratic members of
Congress, it was reported yesterday.

[Unification Church] Utahns deny they 'hosted' Moon event
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7645-.html
Although their names were listed with event organizers and hosts, three Utahns
say they had nothing to do with planning a controversial Capitol Hill dinner
where the Rev. Sun Myung Moon proclaimed himself the Messiah and had a crown and
royal robes placed on him and his wife.  Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah; State Sen.
Howard Stephenson, R-Draper; and Franklin-Covey founder Stephen Covey were
listed by Moon's Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace as
members of the "host committee" for the March 23 dinner it sponsored in the
Dirksen Senate Office Building.

[Unification Church] Politicians filmed bowing to 'Moonie' cult leader
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7644-.html
Capitol Hill, home to America's lawmakers, is well known as a place where
strange things happen. Few have been as strange, however, as the recent
"crowning" of the Rev Sun Myung Moon, eccentric head of the "Moonies".
Republicans and Democrats alike are in damage-limitation mode after it was
revealed they were guests of the Korean-born businessman at a ceremony during
which he declared he was the Messiah. Video footage of the event, in which the
politicians can be seen bowing their heads to the 84-year-old, is on the
internet.

[Glenn and Justin Helzer] Details of bizarre plot to kill in God's name
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7643-.html
When Glenn Taylor Helzer told Dawn Godman he wanted her to kill in God's name,
she considered it a blessing. Guardian angels circled, Godman recalled in court
recently, as she sat with Helzer in a car outside the Mormon Temple in Oakland
and listened to his plan to hasten Christ's return to Earth. She said he made
her feel like a child in its parent's arms. Such was the portrait of Glenn
Taylor Helzer that emerged during his brother Justin Helzer's murder trial,
which ended June 16 with his conviction on 11 counts, including murder,
extortion and kidnapping, and will in all likelihood be presented as jurors,
beginning today, consider Justin Helzer's state of mind when he killed.

[USA] Critics Rip U.S. Before Guantanamo Ruling
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7660-.html
One prisoner is accused of training with al-Qaida, two others of being aides and
bodyguards to Osama bin Laden. Yet so far, none of the hundreds held at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is charged with carrying out a terrorist attack, and
criticism of the U.S. detentions is mounting.  The British government has
complained that U.S. plans for military tribunals violate international law, and
Prime Minister Tony Blair has personally asked President Bush to allow four
Britons held at Guantanamo to return home, according to court papers obtained
Friday by The Associated  Press.  Also Friday, 31 U.N. human rights experts
urged the United States and other governments to give the world body access to
prisons holding terror suspects including Guantanamo. Some critics accuse
Washington of exaggerating the captives' importance, as the Supreme Court
prepares a ruling expected next week on whether nearly 600 inmates can appeal in
civilian courts, as argued by their lawyers.

[USA] British Official Rips U.S. Guantanamo Plan
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7659-.html
U.S. plans to use a military tribunal to prosecute terror suspects at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, is unacceptable because it would not provide a fair trial by
international standards, Britain's attorney general said. "There are certain
principles on which there can be no compromise," Lord Goldsmith said in copy of
a speech he planned to make to the International Criminal Law Association on
Friday. "Fair trial is one of those, which is the reason we in the UK have been
unable to accept that the U.S. military tribunals proposed for those detained at
Guantanamo Bay offer sufficient guarantees of a fair trial in accordance with
international standards."

[Order of Saint Charbel] Cult's Jaidyn theory
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7642-.html
Banned cult leader William Kamm claims Jaidyn Leskie's killers are about to be
caught. In the latest twist in the bizarre Jaidyn saga, Mr Kamm has sent a
series of e-mails to Jaidyn's mother Bilynda Williams. "I have some news for you
regarding your son, Jaidyn," he told her in a recent e-mail.
"His murderers will be arrested soon -- as they will attempt to kidnap two young
children again, but this time they will be caught.  "Once this happens they will
confess." He told Ms Williams the Blessed Virgin Mary had told him about the
imminent arrest of Jaidyn's killers.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Schools Bar Anti-Drug Program
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7641-.html

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Thu, Jun. 24, 2004
[Unification Church] A Crowning at the Capital Creates a Stir
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7640-.html
One congressman, Representative Danny K. Davis, Democrat of Illinois, wore white
gloves and carried a pillow holding one of two ornate gold crowns that were
placed on the heads of Mr. Moon and his wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, at the
ceremony, which took place March 23 and capped a reception billed as a peace
awards banquet. Mr. Davis says he held the wife's crown and was "a bit
surprised'' by Mr. Moon's Messiah remarks, which were delivered in Korean but
accompanied by a written translation. In them, he said emperors, kings and
presidents had "declared to all heaven and earth that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is
none other than humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent.'' By
Wednesday, after news of the event had been reported in the online magazine
Salon and various newspapers, Capitol Hill was in full-blown backpedaling mode,
as lawmakers who attended but missed the coronation - or saw it and did not
think much of it - struggled to explain themselves.

[Islam] Muslim trucker sues over alcohol load
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7639-.html
A Muslim truck driver has filed a federal court suit in Tennessee against his
employer, saying he was fired for refusing an assignment to transport beer, a
Muslim advocacy group said Wednesday.

[Abortion] Dolly the sheep's immortal message
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7638-.html
When you dress all in white with a large star medallion and talk of a new
religion that includes elements contained in a Chris de Burgh song and a Monty
Python film, you get used to being laughed at.  But when this particular
self-declared prophet found his prediction that cloning would become a reality
had been fulfilled, "His Holiness Rael" found his speeches promising eternal
life were being taken seriously - by some at least. The Raelian Movement now
claims to have convinced some 60,000 people worldwide. And Edinburgh - as home
to the first mammal clone, Dolly the Sheep - has become something of a spiritual
capital.

[Raelians] Cloned baby? Science shows it's snake oil
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7637-.html
Would you put your well-being in the hands of people who believe aliens created
mankind? If you do, then you would no doubt like to be acquainted with the
dubious cult-linked firm Clonaid. It has, among other things, claimed cloning
successes and even plans to repeat its feat for Singaporean couples. But there
is nothing to suggest that the group is doing anything more than preying on the
desperate, and peddling scientific snake oil.

[Raelians] MOH sounds warning against human cloning
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7636-.html
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has warned Singaporeans against pursuing human
cloning, following a news report last week that said two local couples have
sought the aid of controversial company Clonaid to clone children after attempts
to have offspring by other means failed. A report in Streats on June 18 quoted
Clonaid vice-president Thomas Kaenzig saying that two Chinese couples here have
signed agreements with the company to clone children, to be born by late 2005.
This was reported to have cost each couple US$200,000.

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, July 1-3, 2004

Sat, Jul. 03, 2004
[Rosicrucians] A gathering for peace
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7753-.html
For Rosicrucians, the trip to the ``2004 World Peace Conference'' is something
of a pilgrimage. The park is where the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis got
its U.S. start -- and a jump-start worldwide. [...] While the order may dabble
in knowledge that is arcane, its practices are no longer so mysterious. They
have much in common with New Age explorers of the 1950s and '60s, who sought to
link the energies of the mind, body and spirit. Famed Beat poet Alan Ginsberg
recalled the Rosicrucians as the most interesting part of a two-month San Jose
stay in the '50s, when ``all sorts of rapturous people, mystics and astrologers
were roaming around.''

[Unification Church] Rev. Moon cultivates black allies
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7752-.html
When a group of clergy members held a news conference this week to defend the
Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the controversial founder of the Unification Church, some
of the most supportive words came from an unlikely source: black preachers.
[...]  As a part of his drive for world unity, the wealthy businessman has
developed ties with at least hundreds of black clergy members through the
sponsorship of trips, seminars and workshops on issues of common interest,
including sexual abstinence, social justice and world peace

[Hate Groups] Aryan Circle member testifies against her former comrades
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7751-.html
Susan Creel said she is still a member of the Aryan Circle, the organization
through which prosecutors say the drugs were distributed, but plans to drop her
membership. Creel will be ousted from the group anyway, she said, because of her
testimony identifying fellow members as having committed crimes, which is
against Aryan Circle code.

[Unification Church] Lawmaker Says He Didn't Know Moon Would Attend
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7748-.html
  Rep. Roscoe Bartlett says there was nothing peculiar about his assisting the
Rev. Sun Myung Moon during a coronation ceremony at which Moon declared himself
the Messiah. Videos of the March 23 event in Washington show Bartlett holding
Moon's robes, bowing to Moon and his wife, and participating in a four-way
handshake with the couple and Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill. [...] He said he was
unexpectedly asked to participate in the ceremony. "What was so strange?"
Bartlett asked. "I'm not rude, and if I was there and asked to do something that
was benign, handing a robe to an old person and honoring him for his
contribution to world peace and fundamental morality, now why wouldn't I do that
if I was asked to


Fri, Jul. 02, 2004
[Hate Groups : Scientology] Brockton Fair opens with derby, music, food - and
Scientology
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7747-.html
In addition to the animal petting areas, rides, fried dough and cold beer
stands, this year's edition of the Brockton Fair featured dozens of Church of
Scientology ministry volunteers clad in yellow T-shirts. [...] The Rev. Robert
W. Castagna, community outreach coordinator for the Church of Scientology in
Boston, said the ministry in Brockton is an attempt to help the city deal with
its street violence problems.  "We offer solutions to the various problems that
underlie the violence," he said.

NOTE: While the Church of Scientology tries to present itself as a decent
organization (referring to itself as "the most ethical group on the planet,"
those targetted by the cult should be aware of the cult's unethical teachings
and practices.  See the sidebar in the above article for research resources.

[Aum Shinrikyo] Asahara's Defense Lawyers Criticize High Court Order on Appeal
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7746-.html
Defense lawyers for AUM Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara said Friday they cannot
accept a Tokyo High Court order instructing them to submit a prospectus to
appeal a lower court ruling's by Jan. 11 next year.  The lawyers say the high
court should not set the deadline for the submission of the prospectus.

[Religious Freedom] Muslims win legal fight over prison regulations
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7745-.html
California prison officials have been barred by a Sacramento federal judge from
imposing discipline or denying sentence reductions based on Muslim inmates'
half-inch beards and attendance at religious services. [...] He found the two
actions necessary to protect the rights of Muslim inmates under a 2000 federal
statute "enacted to prevent correctional institutions from restricting religious
liberty."

[Catholic Church] Monumental church dedicated to controversial saint Padre Pio
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7744-.html
His bearded face can be seen everywhere in Italy - tucked into the frames of
mirrors behind bars; taped on to taxi drivers' dashboards; in beggars' bowls.
Since his canonisation in 2002, he has been St Pius. But for his devotees - it
is estimated there are 15 million worldwide - he will always be Padre Pio, an
ill-educated Capuchin monk with supernatural powers who bore the marks of
Christ's crucifixion. Yesterday, his global cult acquired a shrine of
appropriate size and splendour, when a huge basilica designed by the Genoese
architect Renzo Piano was consecrated on the mountainous promontory where Padre
Pio lived his simple, though intensely controversial, life

[Islam] Al-Qaeda threatens Europe attacks after July 15 expiry of truce offer
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7743-.html
A purported Al-Qaeda statement has threatened attacks in Europe if there is no
response to a truce offer by Osama bin Laden that expires on July 15. [...] The
statement, whose authenticity could not be immediately verified, also told
Muslims in the West to move to Muslim countries or avoid non-Muslim
neighbourhoods in their host countries. "To those Muslims living in the West...
If you can migrate to Muslim countries, do so. He who does not have the means to
leave should take precautions by living in Muslim neighbourhoods", the statement
said.

[Sikhism] UN takes up turban issue with French govt
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7742-.html
In a significant development, the United Nations has taken up the issue of
banning turban by the Government of France, imposed on schoolchildren by
enacting the school scarf ban law. The issue was reported to the United Nation
by the Sikh Nation Organisation (SNO), led by Dr Manjit Singh Randhawa.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Research group tapped to look at anti-drug teachings
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7741-.html
State schools chief Jack O'Connell has asked a research group known for its
rigorous reviews of health curriculum to spend three months evaluating the
Narconon anti-drug program, whose classroom instruction has been linked to the
Church of Scientology. [...] The findings of the center will carry no, but
unless the reviewers endorse Narconon, O'Connell said, he will issue a strongly
worded admonition to districts against using the program. O'Connell said his
call for a review resulted from recent articles in The Chronicle that raised
questions about the science being taught by Narconon. The articles also found
parallels between Narconon's instruction and language and concepts embraced by
the Church of Scientology

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Tom Cruise in Scientology controversy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7740-.html
Hollywood actor Tom Cruise's efforts to raise money to open a detox center for
9/11 victims have come under fire, after it was reported that the Long Island
clinic has links with scientology.

[Falun Gong] Firm sues Chinese Embassy and daily over Falun Gong report
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7739-.html
A US-based satellite television company, New Tang Dynasty, today filed a
defamation suit for RM100 million against an officer of the Chinese Embassy here
and a publisher of a local Chinese daily over a report linking it to the Falun
Gong movement. (Falun Gong, which originated in China, had been denounced by the
Chinese authorities as an evil cult.)

[Satanism] Satanic spells of murdered dad; Black magic 'link' to killing
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7738-.html
A murdered father of three was obsessed with Satanism and cast frightening black
magic spells, friends disclosed yesterday. Now police are probing Peter
Solheim's links with the occult to find clues to his killer. His body was found
drifting in the sea with unexplained multiple injuries. Druid Mr Solheim, 56,
alarmed fellow worshippers when he quit the pagan sect to dabble in the occult
on his own.

[Nuwaubians] Putnam's Sills sued by seven linked to Nuwaubian group
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7737-.html
Seven people affiliated with the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors religious sect
have sued Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills in federal court, claiming he did
not take "immediate and effective" action on reports that children were being
molested at the group's rural headquarters.

[Nuwaubians] Civil Lawsuit Targets Sheriff in Nuwaubian Sect Case
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7736-.html
But Sills said Thursday the complaints are baseless. "I wish it hadn't taken
four years to complete the investigation," Sills said. "That would have been
four years of hell my community, myself and my family wouldn't have had to go
through."

[General Assembly CotFB] Parents indicted in baby's death
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7735-.html
The parents of a baby girl who died of a treatable infection shortly after birth
will face criminal charges for not seeking medical attention because of their
religious beliefs. DeWayne and Maleta Schmidt of Franklin instead asked church
elders in Morgantown to pray for their daughter, Rhiana Rose Schmidt, in the
hours after her birth last summer. [...] The infant's death was the third such
death involving untreated children whose parents are members of the General
Assembly and Church of the Firstborn.

[Sri Chimnoy] They're Not Heavy; They're His People
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7734-.html
In 164th Street in Jamaica, Queens, there is a vegetarian restaurant called
Annam Brahma with a series of photographs on its rear wall showing a bald man in
his 70's doing one-arm dumbbell lifts, going incrementally, over 18 months, from
40 pounds up to what is claimed to be 7,063 pounds. It sounds like a bar bet,
but it is Sri Chinmoy: powerlifter for world peace. Mr. Chinmoy is a spiritual
guru and founder of a worldwide empire of meditation centers based in Jamaica.

[Sri Chimnoy] Running 3,100 Miles, and Following Their Leader Every Step of the
Way
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7733-.html
Followers of Sri Chinmoy honor him and seek spiritual transcendence in various
ways. A dozen followers are doing it this month by running around a city block
in Jamaica, Queens, for seven weeks straight, 18 hours a day, from 6 a.m. to
midnight.

[Mormon Church] Overzealous Mormons continue to baptize Jews
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7732-.html
Although the Church of Latter-day Saints signed an agreement with Jewish
organizations in 1995 not to vicariously baptize those whose descendants have
not given their consent - especially not Holocaust victims - the overzealous of
the faith continue to do so. [...] However, Mormon officials say they remain in
full compliance with the 1995 agreement. [...] But he said it was not the
church's responsibility to monitor the archives to ensure that no new Jewish
names appear.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Mental Health Display Sparks Warning
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7731-.html
A one-day anti-psychiatry display by the Church of Scientology set up in
Palmerston North yesterday has been dismissed as propaganda with no scientific
base by Massey University's top psychologist. Professor Ian Evans, head of the
School of Psychology, warned people to be careful about information in the
display. "It's actually quite destructive. It pretends to be representing a
humanistic civil rights perspective (on the history of psychiatry), but it's
thinly veiled propaganda for Scientology," he said.

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Thu, Jul. 01, 2004
[Nuwaubians] Nuwaubians sue sheriff, saying he was slow to act on child
molestation
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7730-.html
Preview of this item: http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7737-.html

[Islam] Abu Hamza remanded in custody
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7729-.html
Muslim cleric Abu Hamza, arrested on US terror charges, has been remanded in
custody after appearing in a London court via a video link from prison.  Mr
Hamza, 46, faces nine charges, including hostage taking and supporting al-Qaeda,
if the US successfully extradites him from Britain.

[Islam] French Muslims prepare for headscarves showdown
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7728-.html
France's Muslim activists are considering court cases, school boycotts and
advice hotlines as they prepare for a showdown when a controversial ban on
Islamic headscarves comes into effect in state schools this September. Ignoring
a European court ruling this week that backed a veil ban in Turkey, one large
Muslim group pledges advice, legal aid and private tutoring to any girls turned
away from school for wearing a headscarf despite the ban on overt signs of
faith.

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Parents' rights violated in child custody case: judge
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7727-.html
The rights of a Jehovah's Witness couple were violated when their newborn son
was seized so that he could receive a blood transfusion, a judge ruled
Wednesday.

[Falun Gong] Chinese sect up in arms after attack
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7726-.html
Chinese spiritual movement Falun Gong said yesterday it would file charges of
human rights violations under international law in SA against China's communist
leaders. [...]

[Nuwaubians] Nuwaubians keep land for now
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7725-.html
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that $1.7 million in land tied to the United
Nuwaubian Nation of Moors will remain in the hands of its members until the
court decides whether the sect's leader, convicted child molester Malachi York,
will get a new trial. U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal said there was no
evidence shown during the hearing Wednesday that anyone other than York owned
the two pieces of property, but he would delay a final ruling on whether federal
officials could seize the property until York's motion for a new trial was
decided. [...] The decision came after a group of York's supporters said the
pieces of property - including the 476-acre compound in Putnam County - belonged
to them and not York.

[USA] Hand power back to Americans, too
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7724-.html
Upon the handing of power to his handpicked Iraqi government, President Bush
said, "The Iraqi people have their country back." He said nothing about how long
it will take for us to get our country back. There are 850 US soldiers we will
never get back, who died in an unprovoked invasion and occupation that was based
on Bush's fraudulent claim that Iraq was prepared to attack us with weapons of
mass destruction. [...] With his silence on civilian slaughter, Bush behaved as
if two wrongs could make a right. [...] Bush tried at every turn to keep
Americans from contemplating the war's human cost.

[Islam] In Utah, Two Faiths and One Prayer
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7723-.html
Given its overwhelmingly Mormon population, Utah might seem an unlikely place
for Muslim immigrants from Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Indonesia, Sudan and
Pakistan. But the Muslim population of Utah has grown rapidly, to about 25,000,
most of whom arrived in the last decade in the wake of conflicts around the
world that in some cases involved ethnic cleansing. [...] Though far outnumbered
by Mormons, some Muslims here point out how well the two faiths coexist, and
have marveled at the way Mormons came forward to offer comfort not only after
the attacks of Sept. 11 - in which about 500 Muslims are believed to have died -
but also in the last few days.

[Unification Church] Religious leaders back Moon but Utah politicians back out
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7722-.html
Religious leaders aligned with Rev. Sun Myung Moon on Wednesday, defending
Moon's Capitol Hill coronation ceremony as a recognition of three decades
pursuing peace, not the bizarre ritual portrayed by a media "witch hunt."

[Unification Church] Interfaith Leaders Address "Crown" Controversy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7721-.html
Some 20 Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Native American religious leaders joined
in a statement of support for Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon's global work for
peace, speaking out in a June 30, 2004 Press Conference at the National Press
Club in Washington, DC.

NOTE:  This is a Press Release, published in RNB to document the antics of Sun
Myung Moon and his associates.

[Unification Church] 3 Utahns off Moon hook
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7720-.html
A top disciple of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon conceded Wednesday that the group did
not have clear permission to list three prominent Utahns as helping host a
dinner where Moon proclaimed himself the Messiah. The concession was an
about-face from claims made earlier in the day that Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah,
state Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, and businessman Stephen Covey fibbed in
denying they were not host committee members for the March 23 event, where Moon
was dressed in a gold crown and royal robes as a king of peace.

[Satanic and/or ritual abuse] Ritual sex 'victim' stands by claim
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7719-.html
A woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by a couple during "quasi-satanic
rituals" has denied her allegations were complete "hocus pocus". The woman told
a jury at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday that she had been interested in
witchcraft. But she denied drawing on her own experiences of witchcraft and
Satanism to add credence to her claims against David Stalford, 56, and his
55-year-old wife, Bette.

[USA] Narrow victory for the US Constitution
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7717-.html
Thank God for the Supreme Court, or at least for the six members who ruled
clearly that the president's claims of wartime powers do not trump the rule of
law. The court has now exposed the authoritarian nonsense of the
administration's claim that a detainee who has not been tried can be held
captive as an indefinite menace, simply because the Pentagon asserts it. The
entire basis of our system of law rests on the right of an accused person, no
matter how heinous the alleged crime, to rebut those accusations before an
impartial judge. Strip that away, and you have a dictatorship. It is shocking to
have to say so, but it is also fortunate that an earlier generation of Americans
had the foresight to commit the United States to international conventions on
the treatment of prisoners. When the United States signs and ratifies a treaty,
the provisions become a binding part of domestic law. When the United States
signed the Third Geneva Convention, the understood purpose was to protect future
American prisoners of war from brutal treatment by lawless foreign nations. How
ironic that the convention on the treatment of prisoners has become a principal
bulwark restraining the lawlessness of an American administration.

[Ruben Ecleo] Prosecutors petition court to cancel cult leader's bail
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7716-.html
The prosecution has appealed a lower-court decision to grant bail to the cult
leader Ruben Ecleo Jr., who is accused of strangling his wife on January 5,
2002, in their Cebu City home.

[Church of God International] Once in cult, student now sees importance of
knowing theology
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7715-.html
Is it important for a Christian to study biblical doctrine or should all
Christians merely love Jesus and leave theology to trained theologians? Ask
David Bell, who may be Exhibit A in the case for the doctrinal training of all
Christians.  Bell is a doctoral student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
in Louisville, Ky., but less than a decade ago he was a pastor in the Church of
God International, which branched off from the Worldwide Church of God in 1978.
[...] Bell said he was susceptible to unorthodox beliefs because the church in
which he was raised did not teach much doctrine.

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, July 5-6, 2004

Tue, Jul. 06, 2004
[Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith] Preacher going on trial in autistic
boy's death
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7779-.html
On a warm Friday night last August, an autistic 8-year-old went with his mother
to a strip-mall church where a school janitor moonlighting as a preacher said he
could cast out the demons twisting the boy's development. After an intense
two-hour prayer session that brought the preacher chest-to-chest with little
Terrance Cottrell Jr. while others held the boy's limbs, the preacher's shirt
was soaked with sweat and the boy had, at some point, stopped moving. Nobody
noticed when Terrance died, according to what those present told police. 
Tuesday morning, the preacher, Ray A. Hemphill, will go on trial for what
happened that night in his Faith Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith

[Interfaith] Religious groups seek common ground
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7778-.html
Leaders of Switzerland's Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities are meeting in
Bern for the first time since the outbreak of war in Iraq. The heads of the
country's largest religious groups are expected to discuss plans to establish a
permanent platform for interfaith dialogue.

[Islam] France warns Muslim activists not to push hard on veil
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7777-.html
French officials warned Muslim activists against testing the state's patience
yesterday after a second large Muslim group urged schoolgirls to defy a ban on
headscarves when schools reopen in September. The headscarves, which will be
banned from state schools after the summer break, surged back into the news when
the large Union of French Islamic Organisations (UOIF) pledged last week to give
legal aid to any girl expelled for wearing one.

[Islam] Muslim undies shop attacked
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7776-.html
Birmingham's first Muslim lingerie shop has been targeted in a hate attack - for
looking too much like a "porn parlour". Sister's Secrets in Balsall Heath was
petrol-bombed just days after opening last week.  The arrival of the store on
Taunton Street has angered Muslim traditionalists who are suspicious about its
blacked-out windows, alarmed door and suggestive name. [...] Last night owner
Umm Zakariah, 31, from Balsall Heath - a Muslim who wears the traditional veil
and full-length gown in public - vowed the attack would not drive her out of
business.

[Christian Exodus] Christian sets sights on S. Carolina
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7775-.html
In a soft voice far from the thunderous tones of many Southern preachers,
Burnell pledges to lead throngs of Christian conservatives -- 12,000 at a time
-- to South Carolina to either change the government or secede from the Union.
The plan, Burnell said, is to saturate the state with like-minded voters who
would work to replace the U.S. Constitution with the Ten Commandments as the
"foundation of law." And unless the U.S. government is overhauled and begins
prohibiting abortion and same-sex marriage, Burnell vowed to hold a "convention
of the people" by 2016 in hopes of causing South Carolina to secede.

[Aum Shinrikyo] 6 AUM Members Held Over Unlicensed Medicine Sales
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7774-.html
Senior AUM Shinrikyo cult member Naruhito Noda and five other members were
arrested Tuesday over the alleged involvement of AUM members in unlicensed sales
of medicines. [...] Police officials said they intend to pursue the cult's
organized involvement and to investigate the case also on suspicion of fraud,
believing profits from the sales went to the cult.

[Polygamy] Utah's 'polygamy czar' stepping down from post
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7773-.html
Nearly four years after becoming Utah's first "polygamy czar," Ron Barton is
turning his investigative skills to new ground: school trust lands. [...] Barton
played a role in two successful prosecutions -- Rodney Holm and Tom Green, both
on child rape and bigamy charges. He considers the willingness of some
polygamists to engage in public dialogue about the lifestyle a sign of progress.
An even bigger success is the recognition in the community that help is
available if they need it.

[Aum Shinrikyo] Top AUM exec busted over illegal 'medicinal' cream sales
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7770-.html
Police on Tuesday arrested a high-ranking member of the AUM Shinrikyo cult, and
raided about 50 cult-related facilities over the group's unauthorized sales of a
cream it claimed could treat atopic dermatitis. [...] About half of the group's
funds come out of the pockets of its adherents through offerings, but recently
this amount has been dropping. In May it held a spring seminar at 11 locations
nationwide, but only 370 people attended, compared with about 400 the previous
year. Only about 25 people went through the expensive initiation, far fewer than
the 300 for the same period the previous year.

[Jesus Christians] Cult leader admits kidney scam
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7769-.html
The leader of an internet cult today said some members have lied to health
authorities so that they could donate their kidneys to Australians in need of a
transplant. [...] Jesus Christians leader Dave McKay said he was aware that some
members had pretended they had a longer relationship than actually existed with
organ recipients in order to receive approval for a donation. However, he said
the cult did not encourage this. When asked what he thought of members who lied,
Mr McKay said: "I feel that's their business."

[Aum Shinrikyo] Police Arrest Senior AUM Member Over Unlicensed Medicine Sale
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7766-.html
The police arrested Noda, 37, on suspicion of violating the Pharmaceutical
Affairs Law, and plan to arrest several other AUM members they began questioning
on the same charge in addition to eight other people nabbed in June.  Police
officials said they intend to pursue the cult's organized involvement and to
investigate the case also as one of fraud.

[Jesus Christians] Cult investigated over kidney donations
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7765-.html
The Victorian government will investigate an internet cult which encourages its
members to donate their kidneys to hospitals as "living sacrifices" to God.
Members of the Jesus Christians cult will be investigated over reports they lied
to Victorian health authorities so they could donate their kidneys to strangers
needing transplants, a spokesman for Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said. In
Australia, kidney donations are banned from anyone apart from a recipient's
family members and friends and others with an emotional connection. The ban is
designed to prevent organs being sold on the black market.

[Religious Pluralism] Spiritual fusion
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7764-.html
To the casual observer, the 2,500-year-old religion of Gautama Buddha bears
scant resemblance to Christianity. But as Buddhism becomes increasingly popular
in the United States -- outpacing Episcopalianism with as many as four million
members -- a growing number of Christians are exploring Buddhist practices while
remaining within their own tradition. Christian-Buddhist meditation groups,
retreat centers, books and websites attest to the growth of the trend. [...] But
some Christians disapprove of mixing and matching Buddhist practices with
Christian doctrine. Russell Moore, the dean of the school of theology at
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., said the two faiths
are completely at odds. ''Those who claim to be Christian Buddhists don't take
Buddhism or Christianity very seriously,'' he said. ``Christianity believes in a
personal God and the resurrection of the dead, and Buddhism totally rejects
that.''

[Rainbow Family] Counterculture 'Rainbow Family' gathers in California forest to
promote world peace
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7763-.html
Lucky Sunshine Day says he arrived at this year's Rainbow Family Gathering "a
moon cycle ago," measuring time as he has for much of the 20 years of his life.
[...] On Sunday, the high point of the July 1-7 conclave, more than 16,000
self-described hippies from at least 40 states and eight nations were expected
to hold hands in a circle, silently praying for world peace from dawn until
noon. This year's Gathering is being held in an area of hills and meadows in the
Modoc National Forest, 26 miles over rough gravel roads from the tiny town of
Likely.

[Islam] Canadian province to introduce Shariah law
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7761-.html
Even as the Muslim Personal Law Board in India is making moves to introduce
reforms in the Shariah law, Ontario is set to take a step backwards in time by
becoming the first province in Canada as well as the first Western jurisdiction
to accept the 1,400-year-old religious law in its legal system. Under the 1991
Arbitration Act, shariah-based marriage, divorce and family tribunals run by the
Islamic Institute of Civil Justice are expected to begin later this year in the
province of Ontario. One of the reasons cited by Ontario in allowing shariah
tribunals is that Hasidic Jews have been using the Act for years in domestic
arbitrations based on Jewish law and therefore Muslims can not be denied access
to it.

[more news below]
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Religion New Blog is a free service provided by Apologetics Index, and
is made possible by the support of our readers.  If Apologetics Index
and RNB are of service to you, please consider making a donation:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/donate
.....................................................

Mon, Jul. 05, 2004
[Jesus Christians] Cult push for 'living sacrifices'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7760-.html
Members of a bizarre internet cult have breached strict Australian health laws
by donating their kidneys to hospitals as "living sacrifices" for God. The Jesus
Christians cult claims the members lied to health authorities in Victoria and
NSW so they could donate their kidneys to strangers in need of a transplant.
[...] The Jesus Christians cult, founded in Melbourne in 1982, hit world
headlines in 2000 when British police accused cult members of kidnapping and
brainwashing a 16-year-old boy. It uses the internet to preach bizarre
teachings, such as asking members to join the Virgin Army and masturbate rather
than marry. If they are married, it pressures them into not having children.

[Robert Schuller] From the Crystal Cathedral to Costco, he's a familiar face
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7759-.html
For nearly 35 years, Dr. Schuller has come into America's living rooms through
his Hour of Power, broadcast from the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif.
[...]  Next year will be his 50th as a minister, but he's not waiting until then
to celebrate.  The 77-year-old preacher was in a festive mood as he held up a
copy of his latest book, Hours of Power: My Daily Book of Motivation and
Inspiration [...]. "It took me 36 books to write this one," he said. "Don't
bother about those other books. The best advice in them is condensed right in
here."

[China] Woman dies over Bibles
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7758-.html
A 34-year-old woman has allegedly been beaten to death in jail on the day she
was arrested for handing out Bibles in southwest China's Guizhou province, state
media said on Sunday. Police in Guizhou's Tongzi county arrested Jiang Zongxiu,
a farmer, on June 18 on suspicion of "spreading rumours and inciting to disturb
social order", the Legal Daily said. [...] The Chinese government, while
allowing people to practice state-approved religions, such as Christianity, in
government-sanctioned churches, forbids proselytising. Bibles are banned from
book stores and are not easy to obtain.

[Hinduism] Nepalis bare all to call for rain
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7757-.html
Women in Nepal are reportedly ploughing fields in the nude to please the rain
god during a dry spell. [...] Mrs Tharu said tilling the land naked was a
tradition which had been observed for generations.

[Church and State] Baptists protest Bush camp's effort to use church rosters
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7756-.html
The Southern Baptist Convention, a conservative denomination closely aligned
with President Bush, said it was offended by the Bush-Cheney campaign's effort
to use church rosters for campaign purposes. ''I'm appalled that the Bush-Cheney
campaign would intrude on a local congregation in this way,'' said Richard Land,
president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty
Commission. ''The bottom line is, when a church does it, it's nonpartisan and
appropriate. When a campaign does it, it's partisan and inappropriate,'' he
said. ''I suspect that this will rub a lot of pastors' fur the wrong way.''

[Church and State] Bush campaign wants church lists
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7755-.html
President Bush, seeking to mobilize religious conservatives for his reelection
campaign, has asked church-going volunteers to turn over church membership
directories, campaign officials said on Thursday. In a move sharply criticized
both by religious leaders and civil libertarians, the Bush-Cheney campaign has
issued a guide listing about two-dozen "duties" and a series of deadlines for
organizing support among conservative church congregations.


Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

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July 9, 2004

They're often in the news, and frequently at your door: Jehovah's Witnesses.
Newspapers articles often refer to them as a "Christian denomination." However,
the doctrines and practices of this religious movement clearly set it apart from
historic, mainstream Christianity.

So what do followers of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society believe? Why do
Christians reject their claims? What's this Bible version Jehovah's Witnesses
use? Why does the 'Watchtower' keep such tight control over its followers?

Find out in this updated Apologetics Index entry (which also shows off our new
design...):
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/j02.html


A note about the new design:

Apologetics Index is changing - to a new design. It is something that is
happening slowly but surely. Slowly, because many of our 11,000+ pages were
built with no particular design in mind, making it difficult to update them all
at once.  (That is, we can't do a simple search-and-replace, and we don't have
the time or energy to edit thousands of pages by hand...).

So we're starting the process with an entry here and there. Thus for a long time
to come you'll still find many old-style Apolgetics Index entries, ranging from
really old pages  - like this one:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/cpoint1-4.html (ouch!) - to a more recent look,
like this: http://www.apologeticsindex.org/m26.html

Our latest look is designed to
- load faster
- be easier to read and use
- put less strain on the server


About the advertisements:

Q: Why do the new pages include ads?
A: Apologetics Index is provided as a free service. However, our normal budget
does not at all allow for the expenses incurred by our online and offline
ministry. Hence this is a reader-supported site. In addition, the advertisements
provide us with small commission payments. Every little bit helps.

That said, support is always welcome:
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Regards,

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

As recently reported, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed
to allow U.S. publisher Doubleday to publish the Book of Mormon, which the
church commonly has provided for free in paperback editions.

The Mormon church figures that the commercial, reader-friendly edition - due out
in Novemember this year - will make the Book of Mormon more available.
"Officials from the church and the publisher say they believe most copies will
go to people unfamiliar with the church, who will either buy it out of curiosity
or receive it as a gift from a member."

Book of Mormon to be published commercially for first time
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7806-.html

New Book of Mormon a quicker read
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7807-.html

In response, I have updated the Apologetics Index entry on the Book of Mormon:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/b60.html


Note:
Apologetics Index is changing - to a new design. It is something that is
happening slowly but surely. Slowly, because many of our 11,000+ pages were
built with no particular design in mind, making it difficult to update them all
at once.

So we're starting the process with an entry here and there. Thus for a long time
to come you'll still find many old-style Apolgetics Index entries, ranging from
really old pages (ouch!) to a more recent look, and now our latest design.

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, July 14-15, 2004

Thu, Jul. 15, 2004
[House of Prayer] Judge: Pastor convicted of child abuse shouldn't get new trial
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7877-.html
A Fulton County judge ruled Thursday that the pastor convicted of child cruelty
at his Atlanta church will not get a new trial. Superior Court Judge T. Jackson
Bedford made the ruling after hearing last week's arguments that the court erred
by letting House of Prayer pastor Arthur Allen Jr. defend himself. But Bedford
had said he repeatedly asked Allen to accept court-appointed counsel and had 11
lawyers on standby to advise him on legal questions and strategy help that Allen
would not take. Allen and four others were convicted in 2002 of beating boys at
his independent church.

[Falun Gong] Tattoo is facing torture protest
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7876-.html
Horrific acts of torture are to be re-enacted in the Capital in a protest
against the visit by members of the Chinese army at this year's Tattoo.
Followers of Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual practice, will stage an open-air
exhibition of torture methods they allege are used on their members by the
Chinese government.

[Polygamy] Group calls Utah soft on polygamy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7875-.html
A leading anti-polygamy group is publicly condemning a manual prepared by the
state Attorney General's office for not being hard enough on polygamy. The group
Tapestry Against Polygamy said Tuesday that the manual demonstrated apathy
toward polygamy and gave pro-polygamists a platform. The attorney general's
office intended the manual to guide service providers and social workers who
work with polygamy victims and might not understand the culture.

[Benny Hinn] All hail Benny!
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7874-.html
Praise the Lord! A controversial faith healer has proved to be the answer to
motor-ists' prayers - by getting Midland motor-way repairs postponed. The
repairs were planned for the M42 near the NEC tomorrow and Saturday night and
were set to cause huge disruption. That was before Highways Agency officials
became aware that US televangelist Benny Hinn was sweeping into the city. Up to
22,000 people from churches in Birmingham and across the country are expected to
flock to two rallies at the NEC. Now the agency has postponed the carriageway
repairs, which would have seen sections of the motor-way being closed, to ensure
easy access for people attending the rallies.

[Catholic Church] Church lists $100 million in accounts
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7873-s.html
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland acknowledged Wednesday that it has
nearly $100 million in investment accounts never before disclosed publicly. In a
U.S. Bankruptcy Court hearing, the archdiocese's chief financial officer,
Leonard Vuylsteke, said the organization keeps about $88 million in a long-term
investment account and $8 million to $9 million in a short-term account. [...]
The disclosure was an early step in an unfolding legal battle over whether the
archdiocese is the true owner of parish property, as priest sex-abuse claimants
say, or whether the archdiocese merely holds the property in charitable trust
for its 124 parishes. The archdiocese, which declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on
July 6 in the face of millions of dollars in lawsuit claims, told the court in
its initial filing that it owned no more than $50 million in assets.

[Nuwaubians] Judge orders forfeiture of Nuwaubian property
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7871-.html
U.S. District Judge Ashley Royal issued an order Thursday allowing the
government to seize $1.7 million in property tied to the United Nuwaubian Nation
of Moors, including the sect's 476-acre compound in Putnam County.

[Lord's Resistance Army] Ugandan troops grab top Lord's Resistance rebel
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7868-l.html
Ugandan troops backed by helicopter gunships have captured a key commander from
the shadowy Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group, the Ugandan army said on
Thursday. It said the commander, Kenneth Banya, had probably not been involved
in any atrocities attributed to the LRA and might be allowed to retire in his
home area under an amnesty. Banya was a brigadier in the cult-like LRA, which
has waged a 18-year-old conflict against government troops in the remote north
of the east African country. Some 1.6 million people have fled their homes to
escape the fighting.

[Fraud] Turning the tables on Nigeria's e-mail conmen
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7867-.html
Mike is a "scambaiter," dedicated to fighting back against those who send out
the notorious 419 e-mails, promising untold wealth to anyone gullible or naive
enough to disclose their bank details. [...] His group of volunteers at
419eater.com use their computer skills to fool the scammers, to disrupt their
crimes, and to have some fun at the scammer's expense. [...] Mike told me how he
baited the writer of the e-mail above, Prince Joe Eboh. "I'm sure he's not a
prince at all," Mike says. "He contacted me with a standard 419 [so-called after
a section of Nigeria's legal code] scam. "I tried to turn it round by saying I
worked for a church and we couldn't do any business with people who are not of
our faith."  Mike sent a response in the name of Father Hector Barnett of the
Church of the Painted Breast.

[Mormon Church] Mormon student, university, settle case over theatrical swearing
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7866-.html
The University of Utah has settled a lawsuit alleging anti-Mormon bias, agreeing
to allow students to withdraw from some academic activities because of their
religious beliefs. The lawsuit was brought four years ago by Christina
Axson-Flynn, 24, who left the theater department after claiming she feared
retaliation from professors for refusing to recite lines that contained the
F-word or took "the Lord's name in vain."

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Korea: Supreme Court Rejects Rights of Conscientious
Objectors
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7864-.html
The [South Korean] Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's ruling
against a Jehovah's Witness, bringing an end to months-long legal disputes over
the refusal of mandatory military service by ``conscientious objectors'' due to
their religious beliefs. The ruling against the 25-year-old, identified by the
surname Choi, will likely serve as the guidelines for lower courts in dealing
with around 300 other similar cases. As some judges recently made conflicting
rulings on the conscientious objection in past months, district courts earlier
said they would await the ruling by the Supreme Court to make a decision on the
thorny matter.

[Faith Healing] 'Healers' left her soiled & crippled
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7863-.html
A stroke victim who believed a faith healing could help her walk again tearfully
recounted yesterday a tale of torture and cruelty in a bizarre church ritual.
From her wheelchair, Charmaine Babb, 34, told a rapt Brooklyn jury how a pastor
and his wife sliced her feet and set them afire while her husband watched. The
young mother - whose left leg was amputated afterward - described being stranded
in unchanged diapers, crawling on the floor, as her cut and scratched left foot
became infected during nine days of captivity at the Great Deliverance Spiritual
Baptist Church in Crown Heights.

[Lord's Resistance Army] Former Lord's Resistance rebels join Ugandan army
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7862-.html
Hundreds of former Ugandan rebels from the shadowy Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)
were inducted into the East African country's army on Tuesday, an army spokesman
said. The 300 former rebel fighters had surrendered to government troops
fighting the cult-like group in an 18-year-old conflict that has forced some 1.6
million people to flee their homes in Uganda's remote northern districts.

[more news below]
.....................................................
Religion News Blog = religion news in context:

. Most articles include links to previous news items that allow you to see the
current item in context.
. Also provided are links to relevant research resources.
. At the bottom of each article, click the "More stories on..." link to see more
stories on the same subject.

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and RNB are of service to you, please consider making a donation:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/donate
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Wed, Jul. 14, 2004
[Ritual Killing] Man questioned over killing
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7861-.html
Detectives hunting those responsible for dumping the torso of a young boy in the
Thames are questioning a man in connection with the murder. The unknown black
African boy, named Adam by police, was found floating in the river near Tower
Bridge in September 2001.

[Hate Groups] Human rights groups ignore Aryan parade
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7860-.html
The annual Aryan Nations gathering and parade in northern Idaho this weekend
will be largely ignored by human rights groups.  Five years ago, hundreds of
people converged on downtown Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to heckle Aryan Nations
founder Richard Butler and a handful of neo-Nazi supporters as they marched
through the resort town. But no large demonstrations are planned during
Saturday's scheduled parade because human rights groups contend they've already
won the war against the hate group. "We think this is a non-event this time,"
said Tony Stewart, a leader of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human
Relations. "This is kind of like the dying swan in a sense."

[Zoroastrianism] Zoroastrian fire still flickers in Iran
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7859-.html
Zoroastrians say the sacred spring at Chak Chak, a shrine perched beneath a
towering cliff face in the searing desert of central Iran, has lost none of its
miraculous healing powers. [...] Iran's Shias are generally tolerant of the
ancient religion. [...] Zoroastrians have their own member of parliament and
hold high positions in bodies such as the Oil Ministry. They say their
communities are more vibrant in Canada and Australia.

[Islam] Police Investigating Mosque in Germany
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7858-.html
Police on Monday searched computer hard-drives and discs seized from a Moroccan
mosque in Frankfurt looking for evidence of violent films, including a
beheading, that a young girl said were shown to her and other children to try
and incite hatred toward non-Muslims, authorities said.

[Islam] EU Muslims demand headscarf right
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7857-.html
Muslim activists from across Europe have met in London to defend the right of
women to cover their heads.  Delegates from 14 countries have launched a
campaign that will include lobbying the European Parliament.

[Nuwaubians] York conviction puts cult, compound in limbo
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7856-.html
People in Putnam County are waiting to see what will happen to the United
Nuwaubian Nation of Moors religious sect now that its leader, Malachi York, is
in federal prison and the government wants to seize its headquarters.

[Kabbalah] Pop-kabbala in a time of shahids [witnesses or martyrs]
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7869-.html
True kabbala is far from being an exact science, but the connection between it
and the "kabbala" of Madonna and the dubious characters associated with it is
about the same as the connection between astrology and astronomy. Or a one
American rabbi put it, like the difference between "Barney" and a prehistoric
dinosaur.

[Chronicles of Narnia] The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe stars finally
revealed
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7855-.html
The four young stars in Andrew Adamson's The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
have finally revealed themselves to the world.

[Hate Groups] Residents say they will make it clear supremacists not welcome
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7854-.html
Members of a white supremacist group plan to gather near here this weekend, and
local residents say they plan to make sure those attending know the community
doesn't support their beliefs. [...] A group called the Church of the True
Israel said it plans to gather about nine miles outside St. Regis Friday through
Sunday for a meeting billed on the group's Web site as the "Gathering of
Christian Identity."

[Hate Groups] Extremist Groups Vie for Audience With Simultaneous Events in Two
States
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7853-.html
Three of the most active Christian Identity groups in the U.S. are planning
three separate events in Montana and Idaho on the weekend of July 16-18, 2004,
according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The events being held by the
Aryan Nations, the Church of True Israel (CTI), an offshoot of Aryan Nations,
and America's Promise Ministries are expected to collectively gather most of the
major Christian Identity figures from around the country.

[Mormon Church] Mormon conversions surge in Latin America
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7852-.html
The Guzmans are among a growing number of Latin Americans who have turned to
Mormonism in the last few years. According to the church, there are 12 million
members worldwide with 4.5 million members in Latin America alone. In
comparison, there were only 700,000 Mormons reported in Latin America in 1980.

[Amish] Pa. UPN affiliate wants to prescreen Amish reality show
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7851-.html
A UPN affiliate wants to preview a reality series about Amish teenagers
exploring urban life before deciding whether to air it. Matt Uhl, the vice
president and general manager of the CBS and UPN affiliates in Harrisburg, which
reach some of the country's biggest Amish communities, said Tuesday that he was
concerned the show could be exploitative.

[Maninder Pal Singh Kholi] Parents praise Indians in quest for girl's killer
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7850-.html
A couple who travelled to India in an effort to track down their daughter's
killer yesterday said the response to their appeals was "beyond their wildest
dreams". Hilary and Trevor Foster flew to India on Saturday in an attempt to
trace Maninder Pal Singh Kohli - the prime suspect in the rape and murder of
their 17-year-old daughter Hannah, whose body was found close to their home in
Southampton on 16 March last year. He is believed to have fled to the Punjab
region two days after her body was found.

[Maninder Pal Singh Kholi] Hannah's 'killer' hiding with Sikh sect in India
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7849-.html
As the parents of murdered teenager Hannah Foster begin a 12-day trip in India
to raise the profile of the hunt for the prime suspect Maninder Pal Singh Kohli,
it is reported here that Kohli is hiding with a Sikh religious sect in India.
The claim that Kohli was with a sect in the Punjab region was reportedly made by
the state's Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh.

[Maninder Pal Singh Kholi] Indian murder suspect 'posing as a holy man'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7848-.html
The parents of the murdered British teenager Hannah Foster want Indian
detectives to investigate claims that their daughter's killer is posing as a
holy man and hiding in a Sikh temple.

[Antisemitism] Frenchwoman Says She Lied About Anti-Semitic Attack
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7847-.html
A Frenchwoman whose report of an anti-Semitic attack on Friday had transfixed
the nation admitted today that she had made up the story, the police said. The
admission came after the police began to publicly express doubts about her
story. The woman's report on how she had been attacked caused a public outcry in
France, which has been seen a sharp increase of anti-Semitic incidents in recent
months.

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, July 19-21, 2004

Wed, Jul. 21, 2004
[Underground Church] Christian Leaders Said Arrested in China's Xinjiang
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7944-.html
Police arrested more than 100 church leaders in northwest China during a retreat
to train Christian workers in the region, a US-based religious group said
Wednesday [21st July]. [...] Police took all but 30 people back to their
hometowns, where they are being held, the association said. Some are being
pressured to give up Christianity, it said, and those who do not give up face
charges.

[Bill McCartney] Promise Keepers Founder Wants To Unite Evangelicals, Jews
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7943-.html
Former University of Colorado football coach and Promise Keepers founder Bill
McCartney has reportedly been organizing a new group aimed at improving
relations between evangelical Christians and Messianic Jews.

[Andrea Yates] Child-Drown Mom Refusing Food
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7942-.html
Andrea Yates, who is serving a life sentence for drowning her children in a
bathtub three years ago, has been hospitalized in Galveston because she is
refusing to eat, her attorney said Tuesday night.

[False Memory Syndrome] Feeling Is Believing?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7941-.html
Researchers at Harvard University called on aliens from outer space to help them
solve a problem that surfaces frequently in everything from therapeutic sessions
to criminal trials, or even just chatting with a friend. How do you know if
someone is telling the truth when he or she recalls memories of childhood abuse,
or being raped by satanic cults, or some other traumatic insult?  One clue that
many of us rely on is the emotional reaction of the person telling the story. If
the victim breaks out in sweat and becomes extremely emotional while recalling
those memories, it's more difficult to dismiss them as false. But all that
really means is the person truly believes his or her memories are true, not that
they really are, according to the researchers.

[Unification Church] Unification Church Official Arrested on Fraud Charges
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7940-.html
Investigators have arrested Park Bo-hui, a subordinate of Rev. Moon Sun-myung of
the Unification Church, on fraud charges, the prosecution said Wednesday.

[Unification Church] Warner Linked to the Rev. Moon
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7939-.html
Sen. John W. Warner's office acknowledged yesterday that the Virginia Republican
arranged for religious activists to use a Senate office building last March for
a ceremony in which the Rev. Sun Myung Moon declared himself the Messiah and
said his teachings have helped Hitler and Stalin be "reborn as new persons." 
The senator did not attend the coronation-like ceremony or realize it would
involve Moon, a controversial figure who spent 18 months in prison in the 1980s
for tax fraud, said Warner spokesman John Ullyot. "Our office felt misled" after
news accounts described a long ceremony in which Moon and his wife were crowned
as leaders of international peace, he said.

[Catholic Church] Vatican names special inspector to investigate child porn
scandal at Austrian seminary
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7938-.htmll
Moving to contain a scandal that has deeply embarrassed the Roman Catholic
Church, Pope John Paul II appointed a special inspector Tuesday to investigate a
seminary where authorities uncovered 40,000 pornographic photos, including child
porn.

[Religion Trends] More Americans seek God on their terms, and in their homes
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7937-.html
In some cases, the groups are nascent churches, perhaps fledgling global
movements. In others, they're more akin to a book club where informality is the
glue that holds a group together for discussions of divine grace.  But the
bottom line is that for many Americans, worship is no longer centered
exclusively under a steeple. In an era of long commutes, overloaded schedules,
and made-to-order spirituality, religious experience increasingly means
venturing into someone's home for refreshments and a taste of God on far more
personal terms.

[Polygamy] Can Islam Polygamy Curb Aids?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7936-.html
No scientist has thought yet that polygamy can be a tool against Aids. In fact,
an argument of this sort would go on and on. But in a world that so desperately
needs a solution to the Aids scourge, anything can be possible. In the eyes of a
Muslim woman who knows it better, it is possible to reduce the spread of HIV
infection when polygamy is practiced following the guidelines spelt out in the
Qur'an.

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Jehovah's Witnesses - pacifists and model prisoners
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7935-.html
His crime? A refusal on religious grounds to carry out military service, which
is mandatory for all able-bodied Korean men. Mr. Jeong is a member of Jehovah's
Witnesses, a Christian sect that forbids its adherents to serve in the military.

[Kabbalah] Madonna performs at private party in Yiddish
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7934-.html
Kabbalah devotee Madonna stunned guests at a private party for the sect's guru
Phillip Berg in New York by singing two songs in Yiddish.

[Lyndon LaRouche] The cult and the candidate
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7933-.html
Lyndon LaRouche is a convicted fraudster and virulent anti-Semite. Now he's
campaigning for the American presidency. Terry Kirby investigates his sinister
global network - and his conspiracy theories about Tony Blair

[Religion Trends] Survey finds Protestant majority disappearing in U.S.
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7932-.html
The United States will no longer be a majority Protestant nation in years to
come, due to a precipitous decline in affiliation with many Protestant churches,
a new survey has found. Between 1993 and 2002, the share of Americans who said
they were Protestant dropped from 63 percent to 52 percent, after years of
remaining generally stable, according to a study released Tuesday by the
National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. At the same time,
the number of people who said they had no religion rose from 9 percent to nearly
14 percent, and many are former Protestants, the survey's authors said.

[Amway] Court again rejects P&G's damage suit against Amway
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7931-.html
An appeals court in New Orleans on Monday rejected Procter & Gamble Co.'s second
attempt to sue Amway over rumors linking the company with the Church of Satan
and devil worship.

[Amway] Court Dismisses P&G Lawsuit Against Amway
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7930-.html
Procter & Gamble does not get a second "bite at the apple" in its lawsuit
against Amway Corp. over false rumors that P&G was linked to Satanism, the 5th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Monday in rejecting the case.



Tue, Jul. 20, 2004
[Unification Church] Cult leader detained on fraud charges
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7928-.html
Park Bo-hi, 74, allegedly the second-ranking official of the Unification Church,
has been arrested and detained by prosecutors in Seoul on charges of fraud. The
church was founded by Rev. Moon Sun Myung, a controversial religious figure who
has called himself the "son of God."

[Aum Shinrikyo] Prime Suspect Denies Shooting NPA Chief
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7927-.html
A former AUM Shinrikyo cult member denied Tuesday allegations that he shot then
National Police Agency chief Takaji Kunimatsu in March 1995, investigative
sources said.

[Hate Groups] Ten found guilty in Aryan meth case
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7926-.html
Four men face mandatory life in prison and six face a minimum of 10 years after
being found guilty in the case of methamphetamine distribution through the Aryan
Circle.

[Sikhism] In US, turban, beard still hair-raisers
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7925-.html
Sikhs in the US have been doing a lot of brandbuilding and hard-selling these
last couple of years but not in the business domain. The sticker "I'm a
non-Englishspeaking Sikh. Sikhs do not have anything to do with the Arabs. Sikhs
mean well for America. God bless America!" on Maryland trucker Jagtar Singh's
vehicle, is a desperate plea to be spared the fate of a Balbir Singh Sodhi or a
Rajinder Singh Khalsa.

[Mungiki] Government Challenged On Mungiki
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7923-.html
Emuhaya MP Kenneth Marende yesterday questioned the Government's commitment to
fighting the outlawed Mungiki sect. Marende also challenged Internal security
minister Chris Murungaru to resign for allegedly misleading Kenyans that the
sect had been crushed.

[Media] Miracle Broadcast: Court Disagrees With Nigeria's NBC
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7922-.html
A Federal High Court in Abuja at the weekend dismissed the preliminary objection
filed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), challenging the suit filed
by some members of Christ Embassy opposing NBC's stoppage of miracle

[Judaism] Scouting adapts to religion
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7921-.html
The Phillipses are Orthodox Jews, and according to the laws of their faith, many
activities are forbidden from sundown on Fridays until sundown on Saturdays.
When younger daughter, Elisheva, reached scouting age, her mother decided to do
something about it. Two years ago, she started an Orthodox Daisy Troop, the
youngest branch of Girl Scouts for kindergarteners through first-graders.
Brownies are first through third grades, and Juniors are fourth through sixth
grades. All girls are welcome to join, but right now all the members of Troop
597 are Orthodox Jews. They meet after school at Torah Academy in Boca Raton.

[Catholic Church] New charges in church sex scandal
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7920-.html
A 27-year-old Polish seminary student has been charged with possession and
distribution of child pornography, a prosecutor said Monday as an investigation
widened into Austria's worst church sex scandal in nearly a decade.

[Islam] In Kuwait, more young Arabs embrace return to conservative Islam
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7919-.html
It may be possible to understand how extremism brews in a squalid Palestinian
refugee camp, but what accounts for the scions of middle-class Kuwaiti families
who are choosing violence and martyrdom over a future in a nation with free
education, abundant oil wealth and a four-hour workday? "They are the five-star
terrorists," said Sami al-Faraj, an independent Kuwaiti defense analyst. "What
makes someone who lives in a country of luxury choose to do that?" That question
gets to the heart of a broader issue that builds as the Arab world confronts a
surging demographic wave of young people: With two-thirds of the population of
the Middle East under age 25, many young Arabs from Casablanca to Cairo to
Kuwait City see their future not in Western-style democracy and its values, but
in a return to a conservative version of Islam.

[Hate Groups] Neo-Nazis launch new attacks
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7918-.html
Ethnic communities were reeling yesterday from an unprecedented spate of racist
attacks linked to the neo-Nazi group that firebombed Perth restaurants in the
1980s. Businesses across three southern Perth suburbs were early yesterday
morning plastered with swastikas and racist slogans and posters produced by the
racist Australian Nationalists Movement.

[Buddhism] Judge upholds ouster of 2 monks
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7917-.html
A Kane County judge ordered two Buddhist monks Monday to leave a suburban
temple, disappointing the Laotian immigrants who protested outside the
courthouse but ending a legal battle that has divided the faction-ridden temple.
[...] Kataviravong and Keoviseth were brought to the U.S. two and five years ago
respectively by a Laotian Buddhist temple in Hampshire. The temple's board voted
in February to evict them, saying they had been disrespectful to temple
authorities. But the monks refused to go.

[more news below]
.....................................................
Religion News Blog = religion news in context:

. Most articles include links to previous news items that allow you to see the
current item in context.
. Also provided are links to relevant research resources.
. At the bottom of each article, click the "More stories on..." link to see more
stories on the same subject.

Reader-Supported:

Religion New Blog is a free service provided by Apologetics Index.
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Mon, Jul. 19, 2004
[Islam] Europe fears threat from its converts to Islam
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7916-.html
The Courtaillers are part of a growing group of people who found a home in Islam
and then veered into extremism, raising concerns among antiterrorism officials
on both sides of the Atlantic that the new recruits could provide foreign-born
Islamic militants with invisibility and cover, by escaping the scrutiny often
reserved for young men of Arab descent. [...] Islam is Europe's fastest-growing
religion, and while there are no reliable statistics, many experts say they
believe that the number of converts has grown since Sept. 11, 2001, in many ways
because of the campaign against terrorism.

[IPIC International] Pastor to Talk in Fraud Case
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7915-.html
Orange County pastor Ralph A. Wilkerson has agreed to answer questions about a
former associate accused of raising more than $160 million from evangelical
Christians in an elaborate international investment fraud, Wilkerson's attorney
said.  Wilkerson, 77, was criticized last month by a court-appointed receiver
who said the pastor had failed to help recover assets that would benefit people
left destitute by the alleged scam run by Gregory E. Setser, an Inland
Empire-based entrepreneur.

[Mata Amritanandamayi Devi] Thousands wait hours for a hug
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7914-.html
More than 2000 people lined up to see the 50-year-old known for her hugs.  They
came by the thousands, from the city and from all over the country, just looking
for a hug. But Mata Amritanandamayi - known to her devotees as Amma - is no
ordinary hugger. The 50-year-old woman from India, who wears a white sari and
diamond-studded nose ring, is nicknamed the Hugging Saint for the embraces that
have earned her a worldwide following.

[Transcendental Meditation] Sem found incompetent to stand trial
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7913-.html
Shuvender Sem, the former Maharishi University of Management student charged in
the March 1 stabbing death of fellow student Levi Butler, is mentally ill and
not competent to stand trial, attorneys on both sides of the case agreed.

[USA] Elton attacks 'censorship' in US
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7912-.html
Elton John has said stars are scared to speak out against war in Iraq because of
"bullying tactics" used by the US government to hinder free speech. "There's an
atmosphere of fear in America right now that is deadly. Everyone is too
career-conscious," he told New York magazine, Interview. Sir Elton said
performers could be "frightened by the current administration's bullying
tactics".

[Sri Chimnoy] Gury stocks U.N.: Ex-cultists
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7910-.html
As many as 60 U.N. clerical workers and mid-level managers are devotees of Sri
Chinmoy, 73, a spiritual leader espousing a philosophy of vegetarianism,
celibacy, meditation and extreme athletics, ex-members said.

[Hinduism] London footwear firm apologises for offending Hindu sentiments
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7911-.html
A leading footwear company of London, which displayed the sacred 'Om' symbol on
its sandals, has apologized to Hindus and withdrawn the sale of the product
after the community members protested against the "insensitive" depiction.

[Orthodox Church] Kremlin sued for return of churches
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7909-.html
More than 80 years after its churches were seized by "godless Bolsheviks" and
turned into anything from grain stores to shoe factories the Russian Orthodox
Church is launching an unprecedented legal battle to win back its property.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Four key Scientologists
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7929-.html
[Ben Shaw, Bennetta Slaughter, Mary Story, Elias Jafif]

[Satanism] Mystery of Milan's 'devil worshippers'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7908-.html
Police in Varese, west of Milan, last week added one more name to the list of
young people they believe were murdered by a group of heavy metal enthusiasts
who took the ultra-violent lyrics of their musical heroes too literally. Andrea
Ballarin, 22, from the small town of Busto Arsizio, whose death in 1999 was
recorded as suicide after he was found hanged in his old school, became the
fourth person police believe fell victim to the brutal antics of a group of
local losers, routinely described in the Italian media as devil worshippers.

[Antisemitism] Israel says Sharon was 'misunderstood' over call to French Jews
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7907-.html
The Israeli government said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had been misunderstood
in his call to French Jews to leave immediately and move to Israel, a spokesman
told French radio. "Sharon was misunderstood," spokesman Avi Pazner told Europe
1 radio station. "He concluded that French Jews, but also those of the entire
world, belong in Israel."  The prime minister Sunday made a public call to the
600,000 French Jews to "immediately" move to Israel in the face of growing
anti-Semitism, an appeal dismissed as unacceptable by the French foreign
ministry and strongly criticized by Jewish organizations.

[Antisemitism] French Jews 'must move to Israel'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7906-.html
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has urged all French Jews to move to Israel
immediately to escape anti-Semitism. He told a meeting of the American Jewish
Association in Jerusalem that Jews around the world should relocate to Israel as
early as possible. But for those living in France, he added, moving was a "must"
because of rising violence against Jews there.  France's foreign ministry said
it had asked Israel for an explanation of the "unacceptable comments".

[Hate Groups : Scientology] My search for the 'secret' Scientology vault
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7905-.html
Subsequent queries confirmed that the vault sits on a huge ranch owned by the
Church of Spiritual Technology. Because of security concerns voiced by church
spokeswoman Jane McNairn, I won't disclose exactly where the property is
located.  Valued at more than $8 million, the vault was built to store the
writings of Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, author of books such
as "Dianetics." Hubbard, also a science fiction writer, once reportedly said,
"If you want to get rich, invent a religion."

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Striving for mainstream, building new connections
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7904-.html
For the Church of Scientology, it was yet another step in its long march toward
acceptance in Clearwater. It also was another successful negotiation by the deft
Armstrong, a noted real estate lawyer who, along with former political
consultant Mary Repper, opened many doors for the church. Hired as consultants,
the pair worked independently and often behind the scenes, using their
connections and influence to help Scientologists forge relationships with
political and business leaders. Increasingly, members of the long embattled and
mistrusted Scientology community are finding a place at the table. Some of the
credit goes to a little-known Scientology public relations strategy called "safe
pointing."

[Kabbalah] A red string has stars buzzing
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7903-.html
Kabbalah has always been a mind-bender, staggeringly complex and arcane,
accessible to scholars who devoted a lifetime to Torah study - so esoteric it
should come with a warning.  And yet, pop stars and celebrities have embraced a
retooled version of the teachings of Jewish mystics, as a lifeline, an energy
booster, an ego-dimmer, a self-improvement tool and a key to unlocking the
secrets of the universe.

[Ravi Shankar] Ravi Shankar on peace mission to Pakistan
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7900-.html
According to a statement by the [Art of Living] Foundation here, Ravi Shankar,
the first spiritual master from India to visit Pakistan on such a mission, would
hold informal meetings with political and business leaders, religious heads and
social activists in Karachi and Islamabad.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Scientology's town
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7898-.html
As Scientologists launch unprecedented expansion, downtown Clearwater's identity
is at stake.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] The history: A timeline
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7897-.html
[A very brief Scientology timeline.]

[Hate Groups : Scientology] About Scientology
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7896-.html
[Sidebar to the story titled, "Scientology's Town."]

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, July 22-23, 2004

Fri, Jul. 23, 2004
[Islam] Imams face English entrance test
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7967-.html
Muslim imams and other "ministers of religion" wishing to enter Britain to work
must show a basic command of spoken English, under new Home Office regulations. 
Within two years of entry, they will have to reach a higher standard as
"competent" English writers or speakers, according to the restrictions, which
will come into force by the end of next month. The Home Office is also
considering introducing a requirement for imams and priests who have been in
Britain for a year to show "a knowledge of, and engagement with, British civic
life". They may also be required to have some form of "professional
qualification".

[Islam] US outlines Hamza case
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7966-.html
Abu Hamza's extradition hearing has been postponed until October 19. Hamza is
wanted by the US, whose government has accused him of playing a key role in
Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network.

[Diploma Mills] Detecting Diploma Mills
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7964-.html
In May, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee held hearings on diploma
mills, singling out several institutions that had committed particularly
egregious fraud or had marketed themselves to federal employees.  The hearing,
however, brought to light the problem of actually identifying diploma mills, or
schools that essentially sell degrees in exchange for little or no coursework.
[...] At those hearings, investigators gave several general tips on how to
recognize a diploma mill.

[False Memory Syndrome] Concerns over repressed memory therapy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7963-.html
The Victorian government will reportedly conduct an investigation into the
practice of repressed memory therapy. The government revealed plans it would
look into who was practising repressed memory therapy and the training they had
received, according to a report on the ABC TV program Stateline. The Health
Services Commissioner will oversee the inquiry which is expected to take about
six months.

[Islam] Hamza part of 'global conspiracy'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7962-.html
Controversial Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri was part of a "global conspiracy
to wage Jihad" against the West, US government lawyers claim.  Mr Hamza, 46, is
at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court for a hearing to decide whether he should be
extradited to face US terrorism charges.

[Seventh-day Adventism] Adventists get Turkmenistan registration
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7961-.html
Now, Fedotov's small group of Seventh-day Adventists has become the first
organization registered under relaxed religious restrictions in this majority
Muslim nation. But Fedotov is still treading carefully, unsure whether his 70
congregants finally will be able to practice their faith freely. [...] President
Saparmurat Niyazov made the changes to religion laws this year in response to
strong international pressure, including the threat of possible sanctions from
the United States, which has made religious freedom one of its main concerns in
Turkmenistan. Despite the positive steps, however, groups have said official
harassment continues, and they are testing their new freedoms with trepidation.

[Orlando and Glynis Bethel] Federal judge rejects preacher's suit against TV
station
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7960-.html
A judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit that Loxley preacher Orlando Bethel
and his wife filed against WPMI-TV15 and two of its on-air employees, ruling
that the Bethels' allegations didn't meet the threshold for a federal case.
[...] Orlando Bethel -- and to a lesser extent his wife Glynis -- have been in
and out of the news for two years, ever since Bethel told mourners at his wife's
uncle's funeral that the deceased was in hell and they were headed there too.
Members of the congregation proceeded to pummel him. The funeral fracas and
Bethel's subsequent evangelizing in public spots led to a series of minor
criminal charges against him and others in Baldwin County, Montgomery and
Pensacola. In March, the couple sued WPMI, the local NBC affiliate, along with
anchor Peter Albrecht and anchoreporter Mike Rush. They claimed the station
defamed them during various newscasts, a charge that station management denied.

[Word of Faith Fellowship] Lawsuit against WOFF on hold
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7959-.html
A former Word of Faith Fellowship member who had sued the church has temporarily
dropped her case. Lacy Wien filed her civil suit in early 2003, seeking $2.8
million in damages for what Wien says was years of physical and emotional ab-use
while she was a member of the church. Neither Wien nor her attorney Peter Lane
of Rutherfordton would comment on the reason behind withdrawing the suit at this
time except to say that it is a temporary withdrawal. [...] In March, Wien won
an misdemeanor assault conviction against WOFF co-founder Jane Whaley for an
incident that occurred at the church building in Spindale while Wien was still a
member in February 2002.

[Center for Inquiry] Inquiring minds at center want science and reason to rule
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7958-.html
Display cases at the Center for Inquiry hold snake oil and other murky
cure-alls, fortune-telling tools and a bug-eyed alien in repose, as it might
have looked after its spaceship crash on a Roswell, N.M., farm in 1947. [...]
For years the center and its determined hoax-busters have taken on crop circles
and ghost sightings _ any and all things paranormal. But equally important as
proving what isn't true, chairman Paul Kurtz says, is proving what is. That's
why, as the center undertakes a major four-year expansion, there is a special
focus on getting the public to get science. "The United States is the leading
scientific and technological power on the planet, with amazing breakthroughs,
yet the general public is basically illiterate about science," said Kurtz, 78,
founder of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the
Paranormal (CSICOP) and the Council for Secular Humanism, both housed at the
Center for Inquiry.

[Hare Krishna] Restaurant chain with Krishna consciousness
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7955-.html
Jashomatinandana Das is convinced it is the Lord's will that the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) should be setting up a chain of
eateries in India. No wonder, then, that the widespread religious group is going
about the job in right earnest: 22 Govinda's Prasadam restaurants will come up
in the next two years, says the president of Iskcon. And since everything is
prabhu ki iccha, the revenue model for the chain will be based on altruism, not
mercantilism - the pricing has been kept eater-friendly.

[Religious Intolerance] Canadian Court Eliminates Bible Distribution Ministry
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7953-.html
Will the Bible get its day in court? Not in Canada's citizenship courts,
apparently. The Canadian Bible Society's almost 50 year-old practice of offering
free Scriptures to new citizens at Canadian citizenship ceremonies was ended in
May by Senior Citizenship Judge, Michel Simard.  In a letter to the Bible
Society dated May 7th, Judge Simard and Citizenship Registrar, Patricia Birkett,
informed the Bible Society that notwithstanding a previous agreement with the
Citizenship Commission, Bibles and other holy books are no longer to be
displayed at citizenship court ceremonies and distributed to citizenship court
applicants. "Canada is a multicultural nation where freedom of religion is
guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms," they wrote, "...we find
that allowing holy books to be made available at citizenship ceremonies detracts
from this message and could be construed as a tacit endorsement of certain
religions." The letter did not indicate how banning holy books would help the
cause of freedom of religion.

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Thu, Jul. 22, 2004
[Cults] When Spirituality Goes Awry: Students in Cults
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7951-.html
Adolescents are objects of recruitment for religious cults. Identifying new
religious movements, cults, and dissenting religious groups, understanding their
practices, and discovering reasons for their attractiveness to some students are
helpful to the school counselor. Suggestions are offered as to how to identify
which cults are destructive, and how professional school counselors can assist
students involved with such group. [Feature-length article from the Professional
School Counseling journal]

[Mormon Church] Mormon church leader Neal A. Maxwell dies after battling
leukemia
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7950-.html
Neal A. Maxwell, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died after a lengthy battle with leukemia,
the church said. He was 78. Maxwell died at home surrounded by his family late
Wednesday, which was the 23rd anniversary of his call to the Quorum of Twelve
Apostles, one of the highest ranking bodies of the Mormon church.

[Christianity] Christian wrestling goes for grip on souls
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7949-.html
Turn the other cheek? How about break the other arm? In the world of Ultimate
Christian Wrestling, the meek aren't exactly blessed. Usually they're bashed,
bounced and power-bombed. Perhaps the most extreme among extreme evangelists,
these good news bruisers are primed to put Satan in a sleeper hold. A loose
network of pro and semipro wrestlers, UCW is the brainchild of Rob Fields, an
otherwise mild-mannered English teacher at Woodstock High School. Fields, who
lives in Canton, has been body-slamming for God since last summer and claims
more than 200 souls saved.

[Islam] Dutch PM: Islam must not influence Turkey's EU entry
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7948-.html
European countries should not allow themselves to be guided by fear of the
Islamic faith when discussing the entry of Turkey into the European Union, Dutch
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said on Wednesday. "Islam is not the
problem. Muslims, Christians and people of other beliefs can live together
perfectly well. The problem is not religion but misuse of religion to sow hatred
and intolerance and to oppress women," Balkenende said. European governments
will decide in December whether negotiations can be started with Turkey about
its entry to the EU. The Netherlands - which currently holds the six-month
rotating EU Presidency - will supervise those talks

[Christianity] Turmoil endangers Iraq's Christians
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7947-.html
Under Saddam Hussein's officially secular regime, Christians could worship
freely as long as they weren't overt about their beliefs, said Sleiman, who
arrived in Chicago over the weekend from St. Joseph's Cathedral in Baghdad. But
now that a host of Islamic extremists are jockeying for power in post-Hussein
Iraq, Christians from Mosul in the northern part of the country to Basra in the
south reportedly feel intimidated and are trying to flee the country.

[Islam] Michigan City OKs Amplified Islamic Prayers
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7946-.html
Residents of this once-predominantly Polish city on Tuesday upheld an amendment
to the city's noise ordinance, a victory for those in favor of allowing mosques
to issue the call to prayer over loudspeakers. The vote, which supporters of the
prayer calls acknowledged was merely symbolic, was 1,462 to 1,200, or 55 percent
to 45 percent. The City Council unanimously passed the amendment to the noise
ordinance in April after a mosque asked for permission to begin broadcasting the
Arabic chants, traditionally issued five times a day.


Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, July 24, 2004

[Word of Faith Fellowship] Federal judge trims WOFF lawsuit
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7982-.html
A motion made by the Rutherford County Department of Social Services to dismiss
a federal lawsuit filed by the Word of Faith Fellowship and multiple individual
church members was largely denied by a federal district court judge recently.
Judge Lacy Thornburg dismissed two of the nine complaints levied by WOFF and
limited three others to state, not federal, law. The ruling did not pass
judgment on any of the WOFF's allegations. Instead, in denying the dismissal,
Judge Thornburg ruled that if sufficient evident were presented to prove the
WOFF claims then they would violate federal and/or state law. [...] WOFF
attorney John Gresham saw the ruling as validation of their legal rationale and
has filed a motion relating to the three claims that were limited only to
assessment on state law.

Note: • Theologically, the WOFF is a cult of Christianity.  Sociologically, the
church has many cult characteristics as well.  • Along with with John Gresham,
the cult is defended by New York attorney Eric Lieberman, a Scientologist.

[Shadowmancer] 'Harry Potter' Inspires a Christian Alternative
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7981-.html
When "Shadowmancer" was first published in Britain last year, it was soon dubbed
the Christian alternative to "Harry Potter" and surged to the top of the
paperback best-seller list, outranking its secular rivals, the "Harry Potter"
books, for 15 weeks in a row. And in May when "Shadowmancer" was published in
the United States by G. P. Putnam's Sons, it beat "Harry Potter" for six weeks
straight on the children's chapter-book best-seller list of The New York Times.
There are 300,000 copies in print, and now booksellers are eagerly expecting a
similar success when the sequel, "Wormwood," is published here in September.

[Unity School of Christianity] Unity church to host convicted priest
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7978-.html
The Rev. Kathleen McKenna is willing to risk criticism and controversy to help
someone build a stronger relationship with God. That's why she didn't hesitate
to invite the Rev. Richard Arko -- a Roman Catholic priest convicted of growing
marijuana in his church rectory -- to preach to her congregation.

[Religious Freedom] Court: Long Locks Prohibited In Prison Despite Religion
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7977-.html
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that a Cherokee Indian inmate cannot grow
long hair in an Ohio prison.

[Hate Groups] ACLU questions police methods at Nazi rally
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7976-.html
ACLU Nebraska is questioning why law enforcement officials took mug-shot style
photographs of participants in a National Socialist Movement rally Saturday and
also asked supporters and opponents to identify themselves on videotape.

[Polygamy] Sex abuse allegations spur probe by RCMP
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7975-.html
A new RCMP team is being established to investigate allegations of child abuse
at the polygamist commune of Bountiful in the British Columbia Interior. "The
groundswell of public concern has reached a point where government and the
police, in my view, have an obligation to act," Attorney-General Geoff Plant
said in an interview yesterday. "It's a priority to investigate the many
allegations being made." Bountiful, a community of about 1,000 people near
Cranbrook in southeastern B.C., has long been the subject of allegations of
sexual abuse and of teenaged girls being made concubines or "celestial wives" of
men who are much older and already have several other wives.  Although polygamy
is illegal in Canada, the B.C. government has been reluctant to act. It has
obtained two legal opinions that said the group, a breakaway sect of the Mormon
Church known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,
could likely successfully argue the law violates a person's right to freedom of
religion.

[Church and State] Council in S.C. town loses appeal on Christian prayer
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7974-.htmll
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a judge's ruling that prohibits the
Great Falls, S.C., Town Council from opening its meetings with a prayer that
mentions Jesus Christ. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals unanimously ruled that such prayers amount to an unconstitutional
government advancement of one religion: Christianity. Darla Kaye Wynne, a Wiccan
high priestess, sued the town after its leaders refused to open meetings only
with nonsectarian prayers or to allow members of different faiths to lead the
prayers. Wynne said she was ostracized for refusing to stand and bow her head
during the Christian prayers.

[Catholic Church] Arizona man sues church using racketeer statute
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7973-.htmll
A Tucson man with dashed hopes of becoming a priest filed a civil racketeering
lawsuit against the Catholic Church in federal court last week. Philip Hower
alleges racketeering, negligence, discrimination, defamation and fraud, among
other charges, naming the Archdiocese in Santa Fe; the dioceses of Tucson,
Phoenix, Boston and Los Angeles; and several bishops, including Bishop Thomas J.
O'Brien. He is asking for $5 million in compensatory damages and hopes for $45
million in punitive damages, said Hower's attorney, Ivan Safyan Abrams.
According to the complaint, all of the individuals and institutions named are
part of a pattern of cover-up and conspiracy. In the suit, Hower alleges that he
was sexually assaulted by two Arizona priests and that he was denied ordination
as a priest because he blew the whistle.

[Jehovah's Witnesses] Delivering God's message door to door
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7972-.html
Jehovah's Witnesses, known for their door-to-door visits to deliver God's
message, are holding the third of four district conventions at the Richmond
Coliseum this weekend. About 8,000 Witnesses from Virginia, Maryland, North
Carolina, West Virginia and Washington are attending the convention, which began
yesterday and ends tomorrow. A total of more than 30,000 people will attend the
four conventions.

[Islam] Islamists to defy Livingstone and police with rally
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7971-.html
The Islamist extremist group al-Muhajiroun has vowed to press ahead with an
illegal rally in Trafalgar Square tomorrow, defying the police and the mayor of
London. [...] Mr Livingstone said he would take legal action if the rally went
ahead, but this is unlikely to deter the group. Two years ago, after a similar
illegal rally, he pursued a civil action against one of its leaders but the sole
result was a £200 fine. Yesterday one activist said they would happily pay
another £200 fine.

[Al Quaeda] False reports of Bin Laden's death snare internet users
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7970-.html
Osama bin Laden is trying, knowingly or otherwise, to take over the world
disguised as a computer virus. Thousands of messages have been posted on
internet chat-rooms with a subject line suggesting that journalists have
discovered that the leader of al-Qaida has been found hanged.  [...] Those who
click a link are directed to a website to view pictures. But viewers curious to
glimpse the corpse of the world's most wanted man will find that attempts to
load the pictures get nowhere. What they may not realise is that their computer
might have been infected with a piece of malicious software, a Trojan horse,
named because it uses a back-door method of infection and is programmed to steal
sensitive information such as bank details.

[Unification Church] Warner 'Deceived' on Rev. Moon Event
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7969-.html
Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) accepts "full responsibility" for arranging the use
of a Senate office building for a March ceremony in which the Rev. Sun Myung
Moon declared himself the Messiah, a spokesman for the senator says. But the
Senate Armed Services Committee chairman released letters this week that show
that organizers "deceived" Warner's office, spokesman John Ullyot said Thursday.
He said the office would not have helped arrange the event "had its true nature
been disclosed."

[Gentle Wind Project] Nonprofit accused of cult activity
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7968-.html
Former clients of a local nonprofit, The Gentle Wind Project, have alleged in
postings to a Web site that the organization was involved in group sex, mind
control, extortion, child neglect and misappropriation of funds.  In response,
Project officials have filed a suit in Maine’s U.S. District Court against those
clients, calling their claims "wild, scurrilous and utterly unfounded." The suit
indicates the allegations have damaged the Project’s reputation and its ability
to recruit clients.

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com July 25-27, 2004

Tue, Jul. 27, 2004
[Aum Shinrikyo] Kunimatsu case stumps prosecutors
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8023-.html
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office likely will not prosecute three men
currently under custody on suspicion of attempted murder in the 1995 shooting of
then National Police Agency Commissioner General Takaji Kunimatsu, according to
sources. Although police arrested the men to defend the credibility of the
police force, the case would again be deadlocked if prosecutors decide not to
press charges against the suspects Wednesday, their last day of custody, the
sources said.

[Polygamy] Sect greets abuse probe
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8022-.html
Stating he has nothing to hide, the spiritual leader of a polygamist sect says
he will not hamper an investigation into alleged acts of sexual exploitation,
forced marriage and child abuse by his group. In a rare interview, Winston
Blackmore told the Calgary Sun he welcomes a just-announced investigation by
B.C.'s attorney general into the sexual and marriage practices of the Mormon
fundamentalist church. Blackmore, while admitting he has up to 20 wives, says
his community -- part of a breakaway sect of the Mormon Church -- is doing
nothing wrong.

[Sabians] Sect members thrown off doomed boat
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8021-.html
Asylum-seekers boarding a doomed illegal boat voyage to Christmas Island
believed they were being jinxed by members of a religious sect and kicked them
off the vessel, a court was told today. The committal proceedings against one of
the accused people smugglers heard the asylum-seekers, who were Muslims, also
tore out pages of their holy book - The Koran - and threw them into the sea in
the hope the gesture would calm the waters. A member of the Sabians, regarded as
unlucky by the Muslims, told the hearing in Brisbane he was ordered off the boat
after suggesting when he boarded the vessel in Indonesia that it was unsafe and
would never make it to Australia.

[Islam] French Muslim group courts showdown over headscarf law
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8020-.html
With just weeks to go before the start of the school year, one of France's
largest Muslim bodies faces a showdown with the government after advising girls
they can wear head-coverings to class despite a new law banning conspicuous
religious insignia.

[Internet] 'Sieg Heil' website gives lesson on Holocaust
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8019-.html
All traffic to the former neo-Nazi website siegheil.de has been redirected to
shoa.de, a site providing information on the origins of anti-Semitism and a
detailed account of the Nazis' murder of about 6 million Jews.

[Kabbalah] Kabbalah Advocates Bring Message to Moscow
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8017-.html
Madonna's red-string bracelets and rumors of Britney Spears' Kabbalah-themed
tattoos have brought the word "Kabbalah" into the hipster lexicon.  But for
those who have devoted their lives to this form of Jewish mysticism, the
Kabbalah goes far deeper than something to brag about to your celebrity friends.

[Gregorio XVII] Spanish sect leader says he is the real Pope
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8016-.html
Papal pretender "Gregorio XVII" is leader of a self-styled church in Spain who
says God crowned him after Pope Paul VI's 1978 death, that Satan controls the
Vatican and that the devil will crucify him at the start of an apocalyptic end
of an era. [...] Followers call 58-year-old Gregorio the last Pope, and say he
will be crucified. An electronic information package handed out at the church
shows gory pictures of Gregorio with bleeding wounds in the hands, torso and
forehead similar to those of Christ on the cross.

[Islam] Australian publisher pulls controversial 'memoir'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8015-.html
A major Australian publisher has this morning withdrawn from sale Norma Khouri's
best-selling book Forbidden Love over a row about its authenticity. Random House
Australia marketed the book as: "A harrowing memoir by a Jordanian woman whose
life-long friend was the victim of an honour killing at the hands of her own
father." Over the weekend, the Sydney Morning Herald reported allegations that
the author had fabricated details of the story, which was published to wide
acclaim two years ago. [...] Members of Australia's Muslim community are now
seeking an explanation from the author and the publisher.  Keysar Trad from the
Lebanese Muslims Association says the book has damaged the image of the Muslim
community.

[Site News] Add Religion News Blog's headlines to MyYahoo!
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8014-.html
MyYahoo! users can now add Religion News Blog's headlines to their MyYahoo!
front page.  Installing the module is simple. Just click here:
http://tinyurl.com/22qhw

[Aum Shinrikyo] NPA Chief Shooting Suspects to Be Released
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8013-.html
Prosecutors have decided to release three people with links to the AUM Shinrikyo
cult, who were arrested earlier this month over the 1995 shooting of then
National Police Agency chief Takaji Kunimatsu, due to lack of credible evidence,
investigative sources said Monday.


Mon, Jul. 26, 2004
[Hoaxes] Anti-Semitic lie: Woman convicted
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8012-.html
A young French woman who admitted to lying about being the victim of an
anti-Semitic attack has been convicted for fabricating a story that stunned
France and given a four-month suspended sentence. The 22-year-old woman, Marie
Leblanc, was also on Monday ordered to receive counseling and put under
probation for two years at the trial in Pontoise, north of Paris.

[Universal Life Church] Aspiring ministers click to save souls
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8011-.html
Anyone with a computer can become a man or woman of the cloth. An online form at
Universal Life requires the most basic information. Within five minutes, a
"Rev." can be attached to your name for free. A paper certificate sets you back
$5. With the credential, you can preach the Word, marry, bury and baptize. But
the offers don't stop there. Internet ministries certify saints, divinity or
pastoral counselors. Loftier titles creep up in price, with some packages in the
$200 range.

[Islam] Immigrants Keep Islam -- Italian Style
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8010-.html
Italy's Muslim population recently passed the 700,000 mark, and as it has grown,
so have Muslim voices expressing a desire to fit in with the host society. Some
Muslims stick rigidly to the ways of the old country, yet at places like this
restaurant, others are creating a hybrid culture of tolerance and
experimentation.

[Witchcraft] Pakistan: Child murder linked to witchcraft
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8007-.html
Pakistani police have found the body of a child with his throat cut in a town
where two men were arrested earlier this year for allegedly murdering four
children to use their blood in witchcraft, police said today.

[Witchcraft] India's Government may make witchcraft illegal
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8006-.html
The Indian government is reportedly considering a proposal to declare all forms
of witchcraft illegal to prevent a practice that has killed more than 2500 women
in the last 16 years, official sources said. The idea is to put in place a new
law that would make witchcraft a social crime, the sources said. Crimes related
to witchcraft -- like human sacrifice and witch-hunting -- are currently tried
under certain laws but there is no bar on the practice of necromancy and voodoo.

[more news below]
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Sun, Jul. 25, 2004
[Sukyo Mahikari] Cancer patients turn to Japanese faith healing
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8004-.html
A controversial four-decade-old Japanese cult, whose first disciples were bar
girls, has now found a different kind of following in Nepal - cancer patients.
Sukyo Mahikari is a religious movement started in 1959 by Japanese mystic Okada
Yoshikazu, who envisioned bathing the world with a light that would heal
believers but destroy non-believers.

[Mormon Church] Fire Levels Utah Furniture Factory
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8003-.html
A huge fire broke out Friday at a shop that makes furniture for Mormon Temples
worldwide, leveling the business and threatening a nearby apartment complex.

[Anglican / Episcopal Church] New members like church's inclusiveness
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8002-.html
Unable to accept their bishop's homosexuality, some Episcopalians have left
their church. To others, Gene Robinson's consecration last year served as a
powerful magnet. [...] Robinson's election and consecration last year as the
Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire caused a stir inside and outside the Anglican
community. Religious leaders and church goers in several denominations denounced
the move and said it would cause the church to split. So far, about nine of the
country's 107 dioceses and more than 30 congregations have joined the Network of
Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, a traditionalist group opposed to
Robinson's consecration.

[Antisemitism] Belarus Jews complain of rising anti-Semitism
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8001-.html
A leading Jewish group in Belarus on Saturday accused the government of turning
a blind eye to a rising tide of anti-Semitism in the ex-Soviet republic.
Conditions for Jews in Belarus "differ little from the situation in the former
Soviet Union," Yakov Basin, head of the Belarusian office of the Union of
Councils for Soviet Jews, said in a statement.

[Aum Shinrikyo] Suspects May Not Be Charged in Shooting of National Police Chief
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8000-.html
Prosecutors may not indict four AUM Shinrikyo cult-linked suspects arrested over
the 1995 shooting of the then National Police Agency chief due to a lack of
credible evidence, investigation sources said Sunday. As doubts linger over the
credibility of testimonies by former police officer Toshiyuki Kosugi, among the
four arrested, prosecutors believe it would be difficult to sustain a trial
without being able to pinpoint who actually shot Takaji Kunimatsu, the sources
said.

[Ruben Ecleo] Compel guard to testify in Ecleo case, court asked
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7998-.html
The private prosecutor in the parricide case against cult leader Ruben Ecleo Jr.
has asked the court to issue a warrant of arrest for a security guard who
allegedly saw him drive a car out of a subdivision the night his wife was said
to have been killed.

[Lord's Resistance Army] Ugandan rebels kill at least 42 in southern Sudan
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7997-.html
Rebels fighting an 18-year insurgency in northern Uganda have killed at least 42
civilians in southern Sudan in the past week, a church leader and Sudanese
rebels said. The Lord's Resistance Army killed the civilians in villages near
Kapeota, 750 kilometres south of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, said Rev. Paul
Yugusuk, a local Anglican church leader, on Saturday.

[Kabbalah] Lohan in the spirit?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7996-.html
Kabbalah could find its membership rolls packed with curious teenage girls now
that a young starlet has taken an interest. Lindsay Lohan, 18, was recently
caught by paparazzi sporting the trendy religion's must-have accessory, a red
string bracelet meant to protect the wearer from the evil eye, reports MSN.com.

[Kabbalah] Long journey into the Zohar
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7995-.html
Every weekday morning, Daniel Matt turns on his computer, stares at the
tree-lined slopes outside the window of his Berkeley Hills home and waits for
the words to describe the indescribable. [...] Even his car's license plate
bears witness to his single-minded focus: ZOHAR. [...] The only extant English
translation of the Aramaic text to date has generally been considered more a
paraphrase that doesn't begin to capture Moses de Leon's poetic voice. Now,
there is Matt's translation, the first two volumes of which were recently
published.

[Islam] Militant Muslims find a haven in 'Londonistan'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7994-.html
"Osama bin Laden is a good man. Osama bin Laden wants the same as me -- he wants
to see the implementation of God's law," says Khalid Kelly as he sips coffee in
a sun-filled London cafe and expounds on his allegiance to the man who has
declared war on the West. Kelly, an Irishman, converted to Islam two years ago
while imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for distilling and selling alcohol. Since then,
he has become the public face of the tiny London-based organization called
Al-Muhajiroun. The radical organization is led by Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed,
who has long been linked to bin Laden's International Islamic Front for Jihad
Against Jews and Crusaders. The presence of militants like Bakri has earned the
British capital the sobriquet "Londonistan" among diplomats and terrorism
experts, who see London as a worldwide center of Islamic terrorism.

[Buddhism] Temple hopes to build 10-storey Buddha statue
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7993-.html
A massive $50-million transformation of Richmond's Lingyen Mountain Temple into
a pivotal North American religious centre-complete with a 10-storey statue of
Buddha-could begin as early as December.

[Parliament of the World's Religions] World religion gathering discusses Sikh's
slaying
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7992-.html
The September 2001 murder of a Sikh man in Mesa was the centerpiece of a
presentation this month by Valley religious leaders at an international
conference in Spain. Balbir Singh Sodhi was shot four days after the terrorist
attacks on the East Coast by a man who mistook him for a Muslim. Arizona leaders
spoke firsthand of the problem in their presentation at the Parliament of World
Religions, "Lessons from Phoenix: Creating Peace in a World of Religious
Violence." The presentation focused on the violence directed at the Valley Sikh
community. Six members of Arizona's Interfaith Coalition joined nearly 8,000
members from religious communities around the world to celebrate diversity and
explore spiritual responses to global issues at the conference in Barcelona.

[Israel] Officials fear Jewish extremists may crash plane on Temple Mount
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7991-.html
Israeli security officials have recently become increasingly concerned that
right-wing extremists might be plotting an attack on the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem to derail Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The Shin
Bet security service and the police are preparing for a number of possible
terror attack scenarios at the sacred Old City site, Israeli security sources
said last night.

[Islam] Terrified publishers won't print truth about Islam, says author
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7990-.html
A distinguished writer and academic has accused leading publishers of turning
down his latest book because it is too critical of Islam. David Selbourne, who
has written more than a dozen books, and his literary agent suspect that
publishers are shunning The Losing Battle With Islam because it could provoke
anger from Islamic extremists and other critics. Among the subjects covered in
the book is the "negative impact" of actions by Muslims in recent decades. It
suggests that Islam is not a religion of peace, balance and compassion, as many
of its adherents claim.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] City by the sea
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7989-.html
Church of Scientology documents twice have revealed to outsiders a plan to make
Clearwater, Pinellas' county seat, a Scientology stronghold. Documents seized by
the FBI in 1977 laid out a church plan to take over the city and discredit
enemies. And a church pamphlet stated a goal to make Clearwater the world's
first "Scientology city" by 2000. [...] Any community could benefit from a
growing population of energetic and productive people. The question that must be
asked in Clearwater's case is, to what end are the church and its members here?
Are they working toward a better city for everyone, or is domination of the
community their goal? Are they merely filling a vacuum downtown, or are they
building church founder L. Ron Hubbard's dream of a Scientology city by the sea?
And if their answer is that there is nothing nefarious going on, can their word
be trusted?

[Kabbalah] The Kabbalah craze
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7988-.html
"Four entered the orchard," the Talmud relates, in what traditionalists believe
is an oblique reference to the study of Jewish mysticism. It may come as a
surprise to some that those four were not named Madonna, Britney, Demi, and
Roseanne. And today's celebrity enthusiasts of Kabbalah, a suddenly popular form
of Jewish mysticism, might want to turn to the end of that Talmudic passage
about four esteemed rabbis: One died, one went insane, one became a heretic, and
only one "entered in peace and left in peace." The point of the anecdote is that
Jewish mysticism is a tough row to hoe, a line of study that ought to be
reserved for the most advanced Jewish scholars - and a dicey undertaking in the
hands of novices.

[Islam] Muslim group defends rally switch
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7985-.html
Muslim extremists who want Britain ruled by fundamentalist Islamic law said they
they were right to abandon plans for an unofficial rally in London. Anjem
Choudary, the UK head of Al-Muhajiroun, said their rally instead went ahead in
Essex and described proceedings there "as absolutely fine". [...] Mr Choudary
went on: "Islam will be dominant in Britain. Either wilfully or through the
foreign policy of an Islamic state, law and ordered will be changed in Britain
and it will be governed by Sharia." But he insisted that did not mean the group
wanted to force Britons to adopt Islam individually.

[Islam] Radical muslims call off London rally, fear attack
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/7984-.html
A radical Muslim group which openly celebrated the September 11, 2001 attacks on
the United States said on Sunday it had called off a planned rally in central
London because of fears of a possible al-Qaeda attack. [...] The Mayor of
London, Ken Livingstone, wrote to Al-Muhajiroun last week, refusing them
permission to hold their rally in London and threatening prosecution if they
defied authorities. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the Al-Muhajiroun
group said the decision to relocate was taken by Sheikh Muhammad ``after
consultation with various leaders within the Muslim community and ... lecturers
and students of Sharia.''

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com July 28, 2004

[Polygamy] Commune leader slammed by priest
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8055-.html
Winston Blackmore may be the spiritual leader of a group of polygamists, but he
is no part of a legitimate religion, says a high priest of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. "(Blackmore) has false and foolish notions about
polygamy," Wayne Bourne said, referring to the man in a Sun story yesterday who
has at least 20 wives and numerous children.

[Polygamy] Judge Grants Custody of Kingston's Daughter to Other Family
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8054-.html
Last month, the state determined that Kingston had abused his 13-year-old
daughter, and the girl's mother, Heidi Mattingly -- formerly known as Heidi
Foster -- had neglected her by NOT stopping the abuse. Today, a judge agreed
with the girl's petition to grant permanent custody to Mattingly's brother and
sister-in-law, Justin and Shauna Mattingly.

[Hate Groups] Jews ask N.Z. to bar controversial historian Irving
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8051-.html
Jewish organizations in New Zealand have demanded that New Zealand bar the entry
of controversial historian David Irving, but immigration officials may give a
green light to the planned September visit by the accused Holocaust denier, Army
Radio reported Wednesday. Irving is scheduled to speak at the National Press
Club in Wellington during the two-week visit. He has been denounced by a British
court as pro-Nazi, anti-Semitic and a Holocaust denier, angering Jews by
labeleing the Holocaust "a legend."

[Antisemitism] Arabs shock Europeans, refuse to condemn anti-Semitism
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8049-.html
Arab states at the United Nations are trying to foil a proposal to raise a vote
condemning anti-Semitism in the General Assembly this September.
At a closed meeting held recently in New York, UN ambassadors from Arab and EU
countries met and the Arabs made clear that they do not accept the initiative
for the UN General Assembly to condemn anti-Semitism. The blunt language used by
the Arabs describing their opposition, and their plans to use diplomatic means
to prevent the resolution from reaching a vote, shocked the Europeans, said a UN
source. According to UN sources, the Arab delegates were also critical of a UN
seminar on anti-Semitism held last month.

[Chile] Chile shocked by priest's murder
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8048-.html
Chile's President Ricardo Lagos has expressed concern about anti-religious sects
after a priest died in a knife attack in the nation's main cathedral. A
69-year-old priest who had just finished conducting a weekend religious service
had his throat cut and was stabbed. [...] A 25-year-old man is under detention
following the attack. [...] Police have recovered inverted crosses and goats
horns from the man's rented apartment in Santiago.

[Marcus Wesson] Wesson Trial Delayed
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8047-.html
The man accused of Fresno's worst mass murder was in court this morning. Marcus
Wesson's trial start date has been pushed back to September 14th. Marcus Wesson
has been clear throughout the case that he does not want to waive his right to a
speedy trial. Today, Marcus Wesson, his lawyers, and the prosecution agreed to
push back the trial start date a couple of weeks. It was originally scheduled
for August 31st, but is now scheduled for September 14th. Defense attorney Pete
Jones says Marcus Wesson's right to an effective counsel overrides his right to
a speedy trial.  Jones told the judge he has serious investigation needs to be
an effective lawyer. He also put the court on notice that he will try to push
the trial back again, later in the case.

[Aum Shinrikyo] Public trust in police damaged by failure
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8046-.html
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has released three suspects
arrested on charges of attempted murder in connection with the shooting of then
National Police Agency Commissioner General Takaji Kunimatsu in March 1995. The
investigation was believed to have been made after thorough preparations that
obtained convincing evidence. The result, however, went against expectations.
The police should reorganize their investigative team and again aim to uncover
the truth behind the shooting.

[Glenn and Justin Helzer] Jury to begin deliberating quintuple murderer's fate
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8045-.html
The jury that found Justin Helzer guilty of murdering five people, then decided
he was sane when he did it, now must decide whether he should die for his
crimes. [...] Helzer's brother and the group's ringleader, Glenn Helzer, already
pleaded guilty and faces the death penalty. His sentencing phase will begin this
fall.

[Amish] Sects and the city: `Amish' falls to temptations of reality-show
stereotypes
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8043-.html
UPN takes the concept of rudeness to new levels with the two-hour debut of
``Amish in the City,'' tonight at 8 on WSBK (Ch. 38). When six young urban
stereotypes - including the mincing gay guy, the macho frat boy and the sassy
black girl - are thrown together in a swanky crib in Los Angeles, they have no
idea that five more roommates are set to arrive - and Amish, no less! [...] Then
the city kids - including Nick, a busboy from the Hub - see them through the
front door. With the exception of Kevan, the sole city kid with an open mind,
they treat the newcomers with stunningly bitter disdain. That's just the
beginning of what is irritating about ``Amish in the City.''

[Harry Potter] Author 'chilled' to learn Harry's half-blood status has Nazi
parallels
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8042-.html
JK Rowling made the "chilling" discovery that villains in her books used the
same twisted logic as the Nazis when she visited a Holocaust museum, the author
has revealed. Ms Rowling was asked by a fan to explain why some people in the
stories - including the hero Harry Potter - are referred to as "half-blood"
wizards. She replied that the terms "half-blood" and "pure-blood" were used by
prejudiced characters such as the evil Lucius Malfoy and the Death Eaters,
servants of arch-villain Lord Voldemort. Ms Rowling said she had invented the
idea that some wizards were not considered to be "pure", and realised the
similarities with the Nazis' beliefs only afterwards when she visited a museum
dedicated to the Holocaust, in which six million Jewish people died.

[Aum Shinrikyo] 4 AUM Suspects in 1995 NPA Chief Shooting Released
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8041-.html
Four people linked to the AUM Shinrikyo cult arrested this month over the 1995
shooting of the National Police Agency chief were released Wednesday after
prosecutors failed to charge them based on what they thought was new evidence.

[Polygamy] FLDS Church again banishes members
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8040-.html
The head of the polygamous church on the Utah-Arizona border has banished more
members, ordering them to repent from afar of unspecified sins. Several
residents say Warren Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints, purged at least eight church members living in Hildale,
Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., in the past few weeks.

[Mata Amritanandamayi Devi] Amma to launch own TV channel
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8039-.html
Mata Amritanadamayi Devi, popularly known as Amma, is all set to start her own
television channel. The channel, to be called Amrita, is likely to be
commissioned on September 27 this year on the occasion of Amma's 51st birthday.
[...] "It's not going to be a religious channel," says S M C Pillai, CEO,
Amrita. "It'll be a 24-hour commercial channel with programmes based on Indian
traditions and values. Besides serials, yoga, travel shows, Amma's teachings,
the channel will also have around five hours of news programming." Most of the
programming would be done in-house.

[Aum Shinrikyo] High Court Upholds Death, Life Sentences for 3 Ex-AUM Members
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8038-.html
The Tokyo High Court upheld Wednesday lower court rulings sentencing two former
members of the AUM Shinrikyo cult to death and another to life in prison for
their involvement in the deadly 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway
system that killed 12 people and injured thousands.

[Aum Shinrikyo] Failed appeal keeps cult's subway gas killers on Death Row
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8037-.html
Two AUM Shinrikyo doomsday cult members who let loose lethal sarin gas on the
Tokyo subway system in 1995, killing 12 and sickening thousands, will remain on
Death Row after the Tokyo High Court rejected their appeals on Wednesday.

[Islam] U.S. charity charged with funding Hamas terror group
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8036-.html
A major American Muslim charity and seven of its senior officers were charged
Tuesday with illegally funneling millions of dollars to support Hamas, a
Palestinian terrorist organization blamed for dozens of deadly suicide bomber
attacks in Israel. A 42-count grand jury indictment unsealed in Dallas alleges
the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development used its tax-exempt status
to masquerade as a legitimate charity while most of its money was going to
individuals and organizations linked to Hamas.

[Hate Groups] Report: US providers shut neo-Nazi sites
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8035-.html
An agency set up by German regional governments said Monday that US-based
providers have shut down at its request a number of sites that offered neo-Nazi
material.

[Hate Groups] Ban on police joining BNP
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8034-.html
Police chiefs have issued a warning to all their officers that they will be
sacked for being members of the British National Party. The Association of Chief
Police Officers has outlawed joining the far right BNP for any officer or
civilian member of police staff in England and Wales.

[Religious Merchandising] A Youth Movement in Christian Goods
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8033-.html
Games, books, comics, and magazines aimed at youngsters and teens is becoming a
hot sector in this fast-growing market. [...] While the sales of Christian
products overall are brisk, aided by the box-office hit The Passion of The
Christ, it's the youth-targeted segment that holds the most opportunities.
Vendors of traditional products like T-shirts and books face intense competition
and slim margins, but the youth market has higher growth and fewer competitors.
"There's something going on that's seismic," says Volney Gay, chairperson of
religious studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)

ReligionNewsBlog.com, July 29-30, 2004

Fri, Jul. 30, 2004
[Homeschooling] Religious freedom law used to challenge home-schooling
requirements
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8092-.html
The Newborns and another couple -- Thomas and Babette Hankin -- have filed
lawsuits challenging the home-school reporting requirements under Pennsylvania's
Religious Freedom Protection Act.  The act allows people to challenge any laws
they believe impose "substantial burdens upon the free exercise of religion
without compelling justification."

[Witchcraft] Man sentenced to death for killing six people
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8091-.html
Barik, 25, had killed three men and three women with a sharp weapon in January
last year because he suspected that they were practising witchcraft, police
said.

[Hate Groups] FBI Guard Accused of Aiding Neo-Nazi Gang
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8090-.html
A former prison guard who allegedly held racist views was arrested Thursday
after being indicted on charges of aiding a violent inmate gang known as the
Nazi Low Riders.

[Satanism] Possession and the law
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8089-.html
In 1981 Colonel Kobus Jonker joined a charismatic church and became a born-again
Christian. At the time, he was a respected senior detective with the South
African police. [...] He stopped investigating murder and robberies and began to
devote himself to fighting Satanism full-time. In the course of his work, he
says, he helped people possessed by demons to find Jesus. [...] Jonker's bosses
remained steadfastly cynical; they rolled their eyes at his stories. But when he
raided a house in 1991 and found a Bible bound in chains, the walls smeared with
blood and a Chinese woman's head in a cupboard, his commanding officers were
finally persuaded to start the Occult Related Crime Unit (ORCU), with Colonel
Jonker at its helm. Last year, the unit claims, it made 70 successful
prosecutions under the 1957 Witchcraft Suppression Act. I first heard of South
Africa's occult unit while reading about the case of "Adam", the name given to a
young, black boy whose torso was found floating in the Thames in London in 2001.
Detectives from Scotland Yard had flown to South Africa to meet Jonker and his
occult-crime-fighting team in the hope of coming up with some leads on Adam's
death. It seemed incongruous that police work, usually based on the rational and
empirical, could be coloured by reborn Christians and their worryingly literal,
some would say ludicrous, take on the Bible. So, I went to South Africa to spend
time with the occult unit and, I hoped, gain some insight into the apparently
fervent activity of Satanic groups and the police officers who try to outwit
them.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] Class yields a surprise subject
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8088-.html
When Sydney Dillmann, a 12-year-old from Fond du Lac, enrolled in five-day
course called "Study Technology" at her local University of Wisconsin campus
this summer, she and her mother thought it would be a good way for young Sydney
to improve her study skills. Thanks to the course, she stumbled upon a surprise
subject - the Church of Scientology. The Study Technology curriculum relies on
the educational writings of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology
movement. [...] But according to some scholars who follow Scientology, the same
Hubbard writings used to devise Study Technology are considered scriptures in
the church. The point of sponsoring such courses is to promote Scientology
methods and beliefs while burnishing Hubbard's image, skeptics say. Much of this
Sydney and her mother, Mary, learned from scouring the Internet. And they
haven't been shy about challenging UW-Fond du Lac or the session's teacher,
Barbara Abler. "It's just such junk science," Mary Dillmann said. But that's one
side. Study Technology has its defenders, and they adamantly deny trying to
promote a religion in the classroom. UW-Fond du Lac officials, for the record,
say they're comfortable with the summer enrichment offering.

[Helge Fossmo] Press 'M' for murder
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8087-.html
A Swedish Lutheran pastor who faked cellphone text messages from God to get his
nanny-lover to murder his wife and try to kill the husband of a second mistress,
was sentenced to life in jail on Friday. The case has fascinated Sweden with its
intoxicating mix of sex, death and the workings of an obscure religious sect.

[Polygamy] Suit accuses polygamist of sex abuse, cover-up
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8086-.html
The head of the nation's largest polygamous community, headquartered along the
Arizona-Utah line, was accused Thursday in a lawsuit of repeatedly sodomizing
his nephew and for decades covering up wide-scale sexual abuse of children by
fellow members of his sect. The allegations were the most serious and graphic to
be brought against Warren Jeffs, 48, the embattled self-proclaimed prophet of a
breakaway religious sect known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints. [...] "I never would have expected a nephew of the prophet to
have that kind of courage," said Sam Brower, a private investigator in southern
Utah who has been following the FLDS for five years. "This is a landmark moment.
"You can't begin to imagine the uproar this is going to cause. There are going
to be people who say his nephew is a liar and speaking for the devil. And there
are going to be others who'll just be floored."

[Satanism] Satanists Accused of Ordering Serial Killings
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8085-.html
Police in northern Italy say they have smashed a vicious gang of satanists,
following the arrest this week of three men accused of ordering the murder of at
least five young people in the Milan area since 1998.

[Polygamy] Caution urged in cult case
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8084-.html
Tread carefully or you may be touching off an explosive powderkeg. That's the
advice a B.C. human rights advocate is offering as that province's attorney
general prepares to probe alleged sexual misconduct at an East Kootenay
religious commune. [...] "People who are observing these kinds of communities
from the outside indicate that there is a cult dynamic and it's unpredictable
what the response of these individuals will be," said John Russell, president of
the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA).  "In light of that,
and in light of the history of places like Waco, you have to be cautious about
what the implications of your actions will be," Russell said. He was referring
to the fiery death of 80 Branch Davidian sect members in April 1993, when their
compound exploded after a 51-day standoff with U.S. authorities.

[Archeology] Archeologists claim Essenes never wrote Dead Sea Scrolls
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8083-.html
Located on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, Qumran is famous throughout
the world as the place where the Essenes, who have been widely described in
studies, conferences and exhibitions as a type of Jewish "monk," are said to
have lived and written the Dead Sea Scrolls. However, based on findings soon to
be published, Israeli archaeologists now argue that Qumran "lacks any
uniqueness."  The latest research joins a growing school of thought attempting
to explode the "Qumran myth" by stating that not only did the residents of
Qumran live lives of comfort, they did not write the scrolls at all.

[Falun Gong] Lawsuit victor wants money
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8082-.html
The man at the centre of a successful libel suit against a Chinese diplomat who
described the Falun Gong spiritual movement as a "sinister cult" says he has yet
to see a penny in damages. An Ontario court had ordered Pan Xinchun, China's
deputy consul-general in Canada, to pay $11,000 to Joel Chipkar after describing
the Falun Gong practitioner as a member of a "sinister cult" in a letter to a
Toronto newspaper.  But Chipkar, 36, still hasn't received any money despite
another court order earlier this month that Pan's bank account be garnisheed to
cover the costs -- a sign, he said, that the Chinese government doesn't want to
co-operate.

[Ahmadiyya] Islamic sect debates public image
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8081-.html
Thousands of members of an Islamic sect, rejected by other Muslims, are
gathering for a major UK convention.  Ahmadi Muslims say they want to redefine
the public image of Islam in the western world. But the majority of Muslims
object to the community describing themselves as followers of Islam, saying they
are even banned from its holy sites. But up to 30,000 adherents of the faith
will debate their future at the event in Surrey, say community leaders. Ahmadi
Muslims, who originally hailed from the northern India area of Punjab, believe
that Mohammed was not the final prophet sent to guide mankind.

[Mariology] Believers reject church findings on 'weeping' statues
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8080-.html
The Catholic Church has officially declared the oil-seeping and "bleeding"
artefacts at the Inala Vietnamese Catholic Centre as fakes. Brisbane Archbishop
John Bathersby yesterday apologised to all those deceived. He released an
investigative report and issued instructions for the principal statue and other
objects to be removed from public veneration. Archbishop Bathersby said he had
asked for a full accounting of any money received "during the time of these
pilgrimages". [...] Many parishioners said they still believed the weeping and
bleeding were miracles.

[Lori Hacking] Report: Police Have Solid Evidence In Hacking Case
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8079-.html
Police are being credited with collecting evidence that could solve the
disappearance of Lori Hacking -- the pregnant Utah woman reported missing by her
husband. The head of Utah's crime lab says much of the evidence consists of
every-day items taken from the couple's apartment that shows no obvious
connection to foul play. But Major Stuart Smith says that evidence -- including
scissors, knives, tape and rope -- may be needed later to match evidence
uncovered from other places.

[Lord's Resistance Army] The mystic and his brutal army of child soldiers
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8078-.html
Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, has terrorised Uganda for 18
years with a vicious campaign of murder, rape and kidnap. But the army is
finally closing in on him, reports Meera Selva.  In the villages of northern
Uganda, Joseph Kony is the stuff of nightmares. A self-proclaimed mystic with a
garbled pseudo-Christian ideology, this is a man who spirits children away from
their parents at the dead of night and steals their innocence forever. Kony is
the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group that has fought the
Ugandan government for 18 years in a war that has killed more than 23,000 people
and forced 1.5 million people to flee their homes.

[Polygamy] Polygamist leaders accused of sexual assault in lawsuit
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8077-.html
A former member of a polygamous sect on the Utah-Arizona border on Thursday
accused three of his uncles, one of them considered the group's prophet, of
sexually assaulting him when he was a child and referring to the abuse as "God's
work."  Salt Lake County resident Brent Jeffs also claims in a lawsuit that the
trio of leaders in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints (FLDS) - president Warren Steed Jeffs and his brothers, Blaine Balmforth
Jeffs and Leslie Balmforth Jeffs - described the offense as a way to make him a
man.



Thu, Jul. 29, 2004
[Mind Control] Mind control: More than just a plot point?
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8076-.html
Psychosurgery. Brain implants. Mind control. The stuff of movies - as in The
Manchurian Candidate, which opens Friday - or a glimpse of the future? Maybe
both, says neurologist Jay Lombard of the Brain Behavior Center in Nyack, N.Y.,
who was science adviser for the film. [...] "If you look at where things are
heading in neuroscience," Lombard says, "it's not that far a stretch." [...]
From a psychologist's viewpoint, The Manchurian Candidate's implant scenario
sounds far off and reminiscent of some often-reported delusions, says Steven
Hassan of the Freedom of Mind Resource Center in Somerville, Mass. [...] "If you
polled psychologists about whether people can exert psychological influence over
others, most would likely say yes," Hassan says. Cults, for example, typically
impose gradually increasing limits on behavior, information, emotions and
thinking in members to control their lives.  "What we now know is it doesn't
take a lot of effort," Hassan says. "The movie is a chance to have a dialogue
about mind control. The truth is in our face. With terrorism, we see people can
be made into killers."

[Book Review] What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About Judaism
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8075-.html
In our multi-cultural society who among us has not had to explain Jewish law and
customs to non-Jews or to non-observant Jews?  Dr. Robert Schoen (his degree is
in optometry) and his wife reside in Northern California and have been active in
the efforts of promoting Judaeo-Christian understanding. His book explains the
significance of many of our laws and customs and how they - and we - are viewed
by our non-Jewish neighbors.

[Lord's Resistance Army] Uganda says more than 100 rebels killed in raid
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8074-.html
Ugandan troops killed more than 100 Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in an
attack in southern Sudan, but the leader of the shadowy cult-like group
apparently escaped with his life, the army said on Thursday.

[Israel] In wake of anti-Semitism row, PM welcomes French immigrants
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8073-.html
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon welcomed some 200 French Jews to Israel on
Wednesday, less than two weeks after angering the French with his call for the
country's 600,000 or so Jews to emigrate to escape what he called the "wildest
anti-Semitism."

[Norma Khouri] Her Life As A Fake
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8071-.html
As Khouri's star rose higher, a few people began to ask questions. [...] The
Herald launched its own investigation, with astonishing results. Khouri had been
born in Jordan, spent the first three years of her life there and had visited
the country since-but she seems to have been in America during the years she
claims to have spent growing up with Dalia in Jordan. [...] She reminds me of
Binyamin Wilkormiski. In 1995, Wilkormiski published Fragments, a memoir of
growing up in a Nazi concentration camp. [...] Three years later, he was
exposed: Wilkormiski wasn't Jewish at all, but a Swiss man called Bruno
Grosjean, who had grown up in an orphanage, not a concentration camp. The funny
thing about Wilkormiski is that he wasn't lying, if you understand a lie as a
deliberate attempt to falsify the truth. He genuinely seemed to believe that his
stories were true. [...] A recent experiment demonstrates that it's perilously
easy to "create" genuine memories of events that had never occurred. With enough
suggestion and preparation, many people were prepared to accept even something
that had never happened as part of their cache of "true" memories. Perhaps
that's what happens in the case of writers like Wilkormiski or, to a lesser
degree, Khouri.

[Hate Groups : Scientology] 'Unconventional' buyer eyes 'Loaf'
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8070-.html
An "unconventional" potential buyer of Sugar Loaf Resort may end up throwing a
monkey wrench into the plans of two Florida land developers who are considering
buying two adjacent golf courses with the hope that skiing will return.  Also
hoping to become part of Sugar Loaf's future is a woman who operates a drug and
alcohol rehabilitation facility in Battle Creek based on methods outlined by
science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard - the founder of the "Church of
Scientology." [...] She said she had no plans to turn Sugar Loaf Resort into a
drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.

[Lord's Resistance Army] World War Crimes Court Opens Uganda Probe
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8069-.html
The International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into allegations of
human rights abuses in northern Uganda after the country's government made
charges against a rebel group, it said Thursday.  Last December Uganda asked the
Hague-based ICC, the first permanent world court to try war crimes and crimes
against humanity, to investigate charges of abuses by the cult-like Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA).  Uganda accuses the rebel group of systematically
mutilating young Ugandans, forcing boys to become child soldiers and abducting
girls as sex slaves.

[Lori Hacking] Husband's 'perfect' past keeps crumbling
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8068-.html
Small amounts of blood are among the evidence taken last week from the apartment
of Lori Hacking, according to a source familiar with the investigation. [...]
Mark Hacking's comments, including those he made in his initial call, are now
being questioned by police, who no longer consider him cooperative. [...] The
son of a respected Orem doctor and fifth of seven children, Hacking was known in
the Winnipeg, Canada, district where he served a mission for The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in the mid-1990s as a person with extremely bright
prospects who also talked often of his girlfriend Lori, whom he had met while in
high school, according to some fellow missionaries. But at least one former
missionary said Hacking was also prone to breaking the rules - and claims that
resulted in a "worthiness hearing" and a premature trip back to Utah.

[Lori Hacking] Lessons from Smart case have police sources staying mum
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8067-.html
The Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case and surrounding media circus two years ago
produced a striking difference in how the Salt Lake City Police Department is
handling the news media in the Lori Hacking disappearance. "Absolutely we are
applying lessons we learned in the Smart case," police spokesman Dwayne Baird
said Wednesday. "We have one mouthpiece for this Police Department. They know
what to say and how to say it and they don't deviate from our position. You
don't have lots of people saying lots of things."

[Lori Hacking] Missing Jogger: Police Say Husband Lived Life of Lies
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8065-.html
Police labeled Lori Hacking's disappearance a criminal investigation two days
after she vanished, using that term to obtain a court order sealing details of a
search warrant in the case. [...] Police have named Mark Hacking a "person of
interest" in his wife's disappearance, but not a suspect. [...] Police said
Hacking lived a life of various lies for at least four of the five years he has
been married. [...]

[Polygamy] The Marriage Debate and Polygamy
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8059-.html
Several prosecutions and lawsuits against polygamists, now pending in Utah, are
notable for the constitutional defenses that have been - or could be -- raised. 
Polygamy is the practice (usually religious) of having multiple spouses (usually
wives). There are two possible lines of constitutional attack on anti-polygamy
statutes. One derives from the First Amendment's religion clauses. The other
derives from Due Process "right to privacy" concepts - and in particular, from
the Supreme Court's recent holding in Lawrence v. Texas that adults have a
privacy right that extends to private, consensual sex acts. In the end, neither
of these lines of attack will - or should - be successful. Still, it is worth
taking a close look at each to examine the extent to which the Constitution
allows states to shape - or forbids them from shaping - the definition of
marriage, and regulating who can marry whom.

[Mormon Church] Mormon Renewal Creates a Stir in an Illinois Town
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8058-.html
NAUVOO, Ill. - High upon a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River stands a
soaring Mormon temple, the biggest building for many miles around. Closed to
non-Mormons, it symbolizes the tension that has reshaped life in what was until
recently a typical Midwestern town. [...] But at the Nauvoo Christian Visitors
Center, Colleen Ralson, a former Mormon, spends her days telling everyone who
drops in that the Mormon faith is based on lies. "If they're following Joseph
Smith, they're not following the God of the Bible," Ms. Ralson said. Mormons,
whose church is officially called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, use Christian iconography and say that they follow the biblical God, but
with additional revelations not included in the Bible.

[Polygamy] Sect wives defend lives
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8057-.html
As many as 80 women of Bountiful -- a more than half-century old polygamist
community of about 1,000 just south of Creston, some 520 km southwest of Calgary
-- said they plan to hold a massive press conference next week to talk about
their lives. [...] The unprecedented move was prompted by B.C. Attorney General
Geoff Plant's announcement he intends to form a special law enforcement task
force comprised of Mounties, a special prosecutor and a social worker. The task
force will look into allegations of sexual exploitation, child abuse and forced
marriage in Bountiful -- but they'll find nothing wrong, say the wives.

[Lord's Resistance Army] Ugandan army says may have killed LRA rebel chief
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/8056-.html
Ugandan troops killed more than 30 Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in an
attack in southern Sudan that may also have killed the leader of the cult-like
group, the army said on Wednesday.

Anton
--
Anton and Janet Hein-Hudson
Apologetics Index
Research resources on religions, cults, sects, doctrines, and related issues:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com (News and news archives)
http://www.apologeticsindex.org (Other research resources)