http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:15:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23840/scientology-fraud-quackery http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23840/scientology-fraud-quackery#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:57:36 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23840 French judges said they did not order the church offices closed because they did not want to drive Scientologists underground, where they could not be monitored.

At least five other cases involving complaints against the church are under investigation by courts around France, according to press reports. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23840/scientology-fraud-quackery/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23833/french-court-convicts-church-of-scientology-of-fraud http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23833/french-court-convicts-church-of-scientology-of-fraud#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:45:16 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23833 A French court on Tuesday convicted the Church of Scientology and six of its members of organized fraud, but stopped short of banning the church.

As part of the penalties, the church was ordered to publish the results of the verdict in several national and international magazines to warn people, the judge said, about what Scientology offers and what was discovered at trial. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23833/french-court-convicts-church-of-scientology-of-fraud/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23759/christine-daniel-arrested http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23759/christine-daniel-arrested#comments Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:10:17 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23759 A doctor who is also an ordained minister was charged by federal prosecutors after claiming that her 'C-Extract' was an alternative to traditional cancer treatments.

Using her influence as an ordained Pentecostal minister, Christine Daniel tapped into the vessel of faith to entice people from across the nation to try her regimen. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23759/christine-daniel-arrested/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23660/victory-outreach-pastor-faces-three-years-in-tax-case http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23660/victory-outreach-pastor-faces-three-years-in-tax-case#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:01:33 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23660 A Portland, Oregon clergyman faces possible prison time for helping the owner of a mail-order divorce business evade $220,345 in taxes, a scheme that put an illegal tithe in the pastor's pockets.

Maximo Garza, the 46-year-old pastor of Victory Outreach Church of Portland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to aiding the preparation of a false tax return, a felony that carries a penalty of up to three years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 11.

Between 2001 and 2003, business owner William C. Thompson -- who ran a mail-order divorce service called Hallwood, Inc. -- gave checks totaling $735,441 to Garza for public relations and other services that were supposedly performed by the nonprofit Victory Outreach Church. In fact, the church performed no such work.

IRS investigators later found that neither the church nor its board of directors knew of the scheme. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23660/victory-outreach-pastor-faces-three-years-in-tax-case/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23638/new-french-law-blocks-scientology-dissolution http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23638/new-french-law-blocks-scientology-dissolution#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:05:47 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23638 A new French law means the Church of Scientology cannot be dissolved in France even if it is convicted of fraud, it has emerged during a trial of the organisation.

A prosecutor has recommended that a Paris court dissolve the church's French branch, which has been charged with fraud after complaints by former members who say they gave huge sums to the church for spiritual classes and "purification packs."]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23638/new-french-law-blocks-scientology-dissolution/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23461/scientology-prosecution-belgium http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23461/scientology-prosecution-belgium#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 09:39:00 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23461 A court in Belgium that was to decide whether to prosecute the Church of Scientology as a criminal organization has postponed its decision indefinitely.

Lawyers for the cult filed requests for additional research to be performed.

These requests must first be evaluated on their merit before a decision to prosecute can be made.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23461/scientology-prosecution-belgium/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23309/self-proclaimed-pastor-gets-8-years-for-fraud http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23309/self-proclaimed-pastor-gets-8-years-for-fraud#comments Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:28:49 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23309 Benjamin J. Seigler claimed to have earned $40 million as a solo investor. He told clients he had "more gold chains than Mr. T," bought mansions and owned 10 cars.

But the truth was that Seigler lived in a small apartment, had no income and himself had been swindled by the same scheme he had perpetrated on others - 5,600 others. In a span of just six months, Seigler collected more than $1.4 million. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23309/self-proclaimed-pastor-gets-8-years-for-fraud/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21758/pastor-convicted-in-ponzi-scheme http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21758/pastor-convicted-in-ponzi-scheme#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:41:27 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21758 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21758/pastor-convicted-in-ponzi-scheme/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21697/pastor-faces-up-to-310-years-in-prison-vatican-poser-arrested-ponzi-pastor-prosecuted http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21697/pastor-faces-up-to-310-years-in-prison-vatican-poser-arrested-ponzi-pastor-prosecuted#comments Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:31:28 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21697 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21697/pastor-faces-up-to-310-years-in-prison-vatican-poser-arrested-ponzi-pastor-prosecuted/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21645/televangelist-gives-back-womans-cash http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21645/televangelist-gives-back-womans-cash#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:08:24 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21645 'Televangelist' Peter Popoff's ministry has reimbursed a Nanaimo woman after she went public with concerns about the fundraising techniques used by the California-based church. Tip: Don't send him money in the first place. Popoff was exposed years ago for his fraudulent 'ministry'.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21645/televangelist-gives-back-womans-cash/feed 0