http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:58:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26436/destiny-church-town-could-get-millions-from-new-zealand-government http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26436/destiny-church-town-could-get-millions-from-new-zealand-government#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:49:02 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26436 Destiny Church's plans for its own 'town' in South Auckland, New Zealand, could be in line for millions of dollars of Government funding.

Meanwhile the church refutes speculation it will use public money to fund a school it plans to open in South Auckland later this year. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26436/destiny-church-town-could-get-millions-from-new-zealand-government/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26423/destiny-church-town-plan-draws-cult-accusations http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26423/destiny-church-town-plan-draws-cult-accusations#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:32:18 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26423 Brian Tamaki's Destiny Church's plans to build a ten-acre 'town' in South Auckland, New Zealand, has many describing the movement as a cult.

Tamaki has long been controversial for among other things his high life style, his demands for loyalty, and his promotion of un-biblical theology.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26423/destiny-church-town-plan-draws-cult-accusations/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26018/destiny-church-receives-new-zealand-government-funding http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26018/destiny-church-receives-new-zealand-government-funding#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:23:58 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26018 New Zealand's Destiny Church -- considered a cult of Christianity -- has received $860,000 in Government funding for its social services projects.

The church has attracted criticism in the past over its controversial stance on homosexuality and claims from former churchgoers that it is a money-making venture.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26018/destiny-church-receives-new-zealand-government-funding/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25729/destiny-churches-must-be-treated-as-a-cult-of-christianity-heresy-taught-by-brian-tamaki http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25729/destiny-churches-must-be-treated-as-a-cult-of-christianity-heresy-taught-by-brian-tamaki#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:48:09 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=25729 Destiny Church's self-styled bishop Brian Tamaki has appalled the Christian community by denying the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, an essential fundamental tenet of Christian faith.

A comprehensive dossier compiled by Mark Vrankovich, founding director of the Auckland-based international organisation Cultwatch, reveals that Mr Tamaki dropped this inexplicable heresy on his congregation in sermons beginning in May last year.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/25729/destiny-churches-must-be-treated-as-a-cult-of-christianity-heresy-taught-by-brian-tamaki/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24139/destiny-church-bishop-brian-tamaki-defends-high-life http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24139/destiny-church-bishop-brian-tamaki-defends-high-life#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:48:59 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24139 Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki says his $1 million-plus home and $75,000 car are "not much" of a reward for decades of clean and righteous living and taking his message to the masses.

But a former high-ranking Destiny member told the New Zealand Herald he and others left because people were hearing less about Jesus Christ and hearing more about the church's leader.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24139/destiny-church-bishop-brian-tamaki-defends-high-life/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24137/destiny-church-pastor-brian-tamaki-claims-god-wants-him-rich http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24137/destiny-church-pastor-brian-tamaki-claims-god-wants-him-rich#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:28:00 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24137 Destiny Church's self-proclaimed Bishop, Brian Tamaki, said he feels uncomfortable with members of his parish giving him gifts but the rules were written by the church's elders.

He said he had been ready to take a vow of poverty but that was not what God wanted.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24137/destiny-church-pastor-brian-tamaki-claims-god-wants-him-rich/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24136/destiny-church-pastors-replaced-after-walk-out http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24136/destiny-church-pastors-replaced-after-walk-out#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:58:45 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24136 New pastors have been appointed to run Brisbane's Destiny Church after their predecessor and more than half the congregation walked out of last Sunday's service.

Brian Tamaki dismissed reports of a split within Destiny as "grossly exaggerated" and accused the media of being "funny and weird".]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24136/destiny-church-pastors-replaced-after-walk-out/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24133/destiny-churches-split http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24133/destiny-churches-split#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:36:49 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24133 Destiny Church ministers and leaders are heading to its Brisbane branch after more than half the congregation - including its pastor - walked out.

"You might think I'm stupid for going into the church in the first place. But I [only] found out it was a cult after I went in," one former member says.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24133/destiny-churches-split/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23890/how-to-spot-a-cult http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23890/how-to-spot-a-cult#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:17:35 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23890 Cult-like groups are on the rise in New Zealand. Now the two-part Inside New Zealand: How To Spot A Cult documentary uncovers what really goes on inside these often controversial groups.

The two-part documentary consists of ex-believers' stories, and investigates the similarities they say exist between groups including the Exclusive Brethren, Scientology, Centrepoint, Gloriavale, Avatar and the International Church of Christ.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23890/how-to-spot-a-cult/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23843/brian-tamaki-destiny-church-cul http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23843/brian-tamaki-destiny-church-cul#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:15:21 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23843 The leader of Destiny Church, Brian Tamaki, who not long ago anointed himself bishop of the church he founded, has now proclaimed himself the church's "spiritual father" and designated the male members of the church as "spiritual sons".

Last December the cult-like church announced plans to create a 'holy city' for its followers.

At the time Tamaki reportedly urged church members to sell up their homes around the country and move to his promised land.

Observers see in Destiny Church a cult in the making.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23843/brian-tamaki-destiny-church-cul/feed 0