Plea could send founders of Marijuana church to prison
The founders of an Arizona church that deifies marijuana have pleaded guilty to two criminal charges and are now each facing up to 20 years in prison.
But Dan and Mary Quaintance , founders of the Church of Cognizance, remain confident that they will not end up behind bars.
Dan Quaintance believes freedom of religion will prevail, and predicts the case could go as far as the U.S. Supreme Court.
» Full Story
Hate Groups, Islam:
Documentary reveals hidden side of British mosque where extremist women urge Muslims to kill non-believers
An investigative report by Britain’s Channel 4 documents the extremely dangerous nature of Islamism as promoted by — among others — Saudi Arabia. Bent on infiltrating peaceful countries in order to eventually turn them into Islamic states, this interpretation of islam is filled with bigotry, hatred, terrorism and other expressions of extremism. [video]
» Full Story
Alternative Healing:
Ayurvedic medicines often contaminated by toxic metals, study says
A fifth of the nearly 200 concoctions tested contained levels of the toxic metals that, if taken at the maximum recommended doses, would surpass California’s safety guidelines.Also: a review of Trick or Treatment, in which Simon Singh and Dr. Edzard Ernst report the results of hundreds of studies on the purported benefits of various alternative-medicine treatments.
» Full Story
FLDS, Polygamy:
Texas drops half of cases in polygamist sect raid
Child by child, Texas authorities are acknowledging that many of the children seized during a raid on a polygamist sect’s ranch can safely live with their parents or guardians.Since the April 3 raid on the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado, 235 children’s custody cases have been dropped, meaning fewer than half of the 440 children seized remain bound by a court order to stay in Texas, attend parenting classes or be available for unannounced visits by Child Protective Services.
» Full Story
UK: Hate preacher Abu Qatada’s bail conditions under review after his meeting with car bomb extremist
Abu Qatada’s bail conditions were under review last night after security experts said allowing the hate preacher to associate with a convicted terrorist made a ‘mockery’ of the rules.
Home Office officials are investigating the Daily Mail’s exclusive picture showing Qatada - dubbed ‘Osama Bin Laden’s ambassador in Europe’ - strolling through London with fellow fanatic Yasser Al-Sirri.
» Full Story
Goth:
UK: Goths march for tolerance in memory of hate crime victim Sophie Lancaster
Goths in England have marched in memory of Sophie Lancaster, a young woman who was murdered simply for the way she looked.She was brutally attacked along with her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, while walking through a park near Manchester almost a year ago. The couple wore gothic fashion and were members of the goth subculture.
» Full Story
Ellinais, Paganism:
Pagans pray to goddess Athena in rare gathering at the Parthenon
Defying police presence and a thunderous downpour, dozens of Greek pagans huddled near the Parthenon in Athens on Sunday, holding a protest prayer for a museum being built at the foot of the sacred site.
The ceremony, attended by scores of curious onlookers, was performed amid the ruins of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon. The ancient Greek religion was outlawed by the Roman empire in the fourth century.
» Full Story
Faith Healing, Madeline Neumann:
Father of ‘faith healing’ victim renews call to dismiss homicide charge
If a couple accused of killing their 11-year-old daughter by praying instead of seeking medical care goes to trial, the courts will wrongly become entangled in constitutionally protected religious matters, an attorney argued Tuesday.» Full Story
Muslim radiographer loses job after refusing to bare her arms
A Muslim hospital worker in the UK refuses to abide by nationwide hygiene rules has left her job, claiming she was discriminated against and forced to choose between her religious beliefs and her livelihood.Our view: The hospital worker discriminates against non-Muslims by insisting that they choose between her religious views and the safety of others.
» Full Story
Santa Muerte:
Mexican police suspect that heads burned in ritual
The heads of 11 decapitated bodies discovered in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula last week may have been burned in a ritual, investigators said.
Police said they found an altar to the skeletal figure of the “Santa Muerte,” an unofficial patron saint of death, in the home of two men arrested in connection with the slayings, while several scorched spots were discovered in a nearby clearing.
» Full Story
Scientology:
Katie Holmes to face anti-Scientology protestors
Mrs Cruise’s attempt to step out from her husband’s shadow will now reportedly be dogged by a protest group called Anonymous, who say they will target her play ‘All My Sons’ when it opens on October 16.According to a spokesman for the masked group, the organisation don’t want to shut down her performance entirely but rather make a bid to ’save’ Holmes from the religious group, famously followed by husband Tom.
» Full Story
“The Family” and its hijacking of Evangelicalism
The Washington Fellowship, a Washington, D.C. and suburbs based Christian organization has received much publicity in the past two years. Jeff Sharlet’s new book, THE FAMILY says it reveals “the secret fundamentalism at the heart of American Power.” If only zeal for Jesus were what “The Fellowship” was about, I might not bother writing this article, except perhaps to advocate on its behalf.» Full Story
Benny Hinn, Prosperity Teaching:
Benny Hinn runs lucrative operation
Benny Hinn preaches a version of the prosperity gospel, which holds that God wants his followers to have financial wealth. To become prosperous, one must give money to God, who returns it multiplied.If this scam worked as advertised, Benny Hinn and others like him would be giving you money…
» Full Story
Islam:
Muslims’ holy month of fasting starts
Ramadan begins the day after the sighting of the crescent moon that marks the beginning of a new lunar month. Some Muslim countries use astronomical calculations and observatories, while others and particular sects in some countries rely on the naked eye alone, leading to different starting times.
» Full Story
Islam, Religious Insanity:
Pakistani lawmaker defends burying women alive
Three teenage girls have been buried alive by their tribe in a remote part of Pakistan to punish them for attempting to choose their own husbands, in an “honour” killing case.
After news of the deaths emerged, male politicians from their province, Baluchistan, defended the killings in parliament, claiming the practice was part of “our tribal custom”.
» Full Story
Theocratic Sect Prays for Real Armageddon
Despite their overt militancy, there’s no evidence Joel’s Army followers have committed any acts of violence. But critics warn that actual bloodletting may only be a matter of time for a movement that casts itself as God’s avenging army.
» Full Story
Islam:
Revealed: Britain’s secret propaganda war against al-Qaida
A Whitehall counter-terrorism unit is targeting the BBC and other media organisations as part of a new global propaganda push designed to “taint the al-Qaida brand”, according to a secret Home Office paper seen by the Guardian.» Full Story
FLDS, Polygamy:
Polygamous church sues to reverse court judgment
Attorneys for a polygamous church sued a court-appointed accountant on Friday, seeking to reverse an $8.8 million judgment against its $110 million property trust.
The trust is the charitable arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A court gave Wisan guardianship of the trust in 2005 after state attorneys said church leaders had mismanaged its assets.
» Full Story
Hosanna Church:
Ex-Hosanna pastor: Confession forced
Louis Lamonica, 49, of Hammond, is on trial in the 21st Judicial District Court on four counts of aggravated rape of his sons when they were age 11 or younger. Seven church members were indicted in 2005 on charges of molesting children. Lamonica is the second among them to go on trial.
Lamonica’s attorney, Michael Thiel, maintained in questioning his client Friday that Lamonica falsely confessed to child rape because he was being controlled by a woman who claimed to be a prophet of God.
» Full Story
Michael Guglielmucci’s wife vows to stand by him
The wife of fraud pastor Michael Guglielmucci has vowed to try to save their marriage, despite the humiliating revelations of his cancer hoax and pornography addiction.She has turned to a counsellor to help cope with her husband’s massive deception, which has shocked not only his family’s church, Edge Church International, but the world-wide Christian movement.
» Full Story
Dru Yoga, Life Foundation, Mansukh Patel:
Organisers deny Dru Yoga conference linked to cult
Dru Yoga, formerly known as the Life Foundation and headed by self-styled guru Mansukh Patel, has been the subject of claims it is engaged in cult activities.
Former members of the Life Foundation have accused the organisation of exploiting them financially, sexually and psychologically in the past.
» Full Story
Psychic Surgery, Psychics, Quackery:
‘Psychic Healer’ Controversy
A row has broken out between a ‘psychic surgeon’ who believes he once cured a man of cancer and a campaigner who says he is a con man.
Gary Mannion says he has been psychic since he was 13 but is furious a website called badpsychics.com ridicules his beliefs.
» Full Story
Hosanna Church:
Prosecutors play taped confessions in former pastor’s trial
Former pastor Louis Lamonica voluntarily walked into the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and told deputies he molested several children over several years and he told of “dedications to Satan” inside the Ponchatoula church. The pastor’s attorney says a church member manipulated Lamonica into false confession.
» Full Story
FLDS, Polygamy:
253 FLDS children now dropped from YFZ custody battle
In what is now becoming a daily occurrence as the nation’s biggest child-custody case moves forward, Texas child welfare authorities have filed to “nonsuit” more children taken in the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church’s YFZ Ranch.
Also: Because of a federal appeals court ruling, child welfare workers in three states will be required to obtain court orders in most cases before removing allegedly abused children from their homes, officials said.
» Full Story
Ellinais, Paganism:
After 1,500 years, pagans plan Acropolis prayer
A small group of pagans pledged Thursday to hold a protest prayer among the ruined Acropolis temples, more than 1,500 years after Christians stamped out worship of the ancient Greek gods.
Peppa’s Athens-based group, Ellinais, is campaigning to revive ancient religion and has defied Culture Ministry bans to hold prayers at several ancient temples.
» Full Story
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