http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:33:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23854/newspaper-continues-series-of-exposes-of-scientology-cult http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23854/newspaper-continues-series-of-exposes-of-scientology-cult#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:11:05 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23854 The St. Petersburg Times is continuing to expose the Church of Scientology to daylight -- by reporting on the destructive cult's unethical tactics.

Billed as The Truth Rundown, its series of special reports highlights the alleged abusive behavior of current Scientology leader David Miscavige, as well as other criticism leveled at Scientology by a number of high-level defectors. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23854/newspaper-continues-series-of-exposes-of-scientology-cult/feed 0 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/23829/paul-haggis-leaves-scientology-church http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23829/paul-haggis-leaves-scientology-church#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:15:34 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23829 Paul Haggis, the Hollywood film director, has resigned from the Church of Scientology after 35 years as a member in protest against its apparent opposition to gay marriage.

In his letter Haggis also highlights a lie told by Scientology spokesperson Tommy Davis, who in an interview with CNN denied Scientology's policy of disconnection -- in which the destructive cult forces some of its members to sever relationships with friends and family members. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23829/paul-haggis-leaves-scientology-church/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23820/scientology-snubs-coroner-over-suicide-soldier-audit-file http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23820/scientology-snubs-coroner-over-suicide-soldier-audit-file#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:46:25 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23820 The Church of Scientology refused to provide records demanded by a coroner investigating the death of an Australian soldier who committed suicide two days after finishing one of the church's intensive courses.

The Australian reports that the American headquarters of the church instructed its Australian branch to send the soldier's "audit file" to the US - outside the coroner's jurisdiction - before warrants were issued.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23820/scientology-snubs-coroner-over-suicide-soldier-audit-file/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23818/former-scientologists-level-accusations http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23818/former-scientologists-level-accusations#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:33:16 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23818 Since its inception in the 1950s, the Church of Scientology has rarely been far from controversy.

And now some senior insiders who have left the church are leveling disturbing accusations against the current leader, David Miscavige. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23818/former-scientologists-level-accusations/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23813/john-travolta-extortion-mistrial http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23813/john-travolta-extortion-mistrial#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:44:18 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23813 A mistrial has been declared in the trial of two people accused of attempting to extort millions from actor John Travolta after the death of his 16-year-old son, Jett.

Judge Anita Allen thought someone in the jury had had inappropriate communications outside of the jury room, where jurors had been deliberating for eight hours.

The judge received information that an announcement had been made at a local political rally that one of the defendants had been found not guilty.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23813/john-travolta-extortion-mistrial/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23730/scientology-russia-2 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23730/scientology-russia-2#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:46:27 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23730 The European Court for Human Rights has fined Russia for refusing to register Scientology churches in the cities of Surgut and Nizhnekamsk as religious groups.

The Strasbourg court’s statement says the country has broken Articles 9 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and must pay €10,000 for punitive damages and another €10,000 in legal costs, RIA-Novosti news agency reports. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23730/scientology-russia-2/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23689/john-travolta-son-had-autism http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23689/john-travolta-son-had-autism#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:58:55 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23689 While giving testimony in an extortion trial, John Travolta acknowledged publicly for the first time that his late son had suffered from autism.

The admission puts Travolta at odds with the Church of Scientology in which he is a leading figure. The cult, which among other things practices quackery, does not acknowledge autism as a real affliction.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23689/john-travolta-son-had-autism/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23677/jury-selected-in-bahamas-for-john-travolta-extortion-trial http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23677/jury-selected-in-bahamas-for-john-travolta-extortion-trial#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:20:34 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23677 John Travolta is believed to have flown to the Bahamas to take the stand against two people accused of trying to extort $US25 million from the movie star following his son Jett’s death in January.

Travolta is on a list of 14 witnesses against the defendants — a former Bahamas senator and an ambulance driver — who allegedly threatened to release a document related to the treatment of his chronically ill son Jett.

His testimony would mark a break from the low profile that Travolta and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, have kept since their 16-year-old son died from a seizure at a family vacation home on the Grand Bahama island on January 2. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23677/jury-selected-in-bahamas-for-john-travolta-extortion-trial/feed 0