Church Cancels Semiautomatic Assault Rifle Giveaway
A church in the USA (duh!) won’t be giving a teenager an assault rifle. This year. They do plan to give away the AR-15 next year.
Fortunately the pastor says he won’t give the rifle to “somebody that doesn’t respect it who are then going to go out and kill.”
» Full Story
Scientology:
Los Angeles Church of Scientology Commits PR Blunders
July has been a bad PR month for the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles. Picks on senior citizen, makes child cry and bullies local businesses. In one instance, a Scientology security guard attempted to deny a disabled senior citizen from walking to her home; this was documented on a popular YouTube video which has spawned a new internet catch phrase to describe Scientology: “Bad People.”
» Full Story
Three British Muslims admit bid to bomb Heathrow and other places; Dalai Lama defends Islam as a peaceful religion
And the Dalai Lama says it’s both wrong and unfair to call Islam a violent religion.
» Full Story
Creciendo en Gracia, Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda:
Man who says he is Jesus brings his controversial message back to Houston
Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda claims to be Jesus. And the Anti-Christ. And the ruler of a soon-to-be-established worldwide government.
Nevertheless, lots of people believe his claims and join his religious cult. [video]
» Full Story
Music:
The Beatles were a Christian band
John Lennon famously claimed the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, even predicting that Christianity would “vanish and shrink”.
But 28 years after his death, in an interview being broadcast for the first time, he claims that on the contrary, he hoped to encourage people to focus on the Christian faith.
» Full Story
Buddhism:
Buddhism sees its role in Japanese culture start to decline
When it comes to funerals the Japanese have traditionally been inflexibly Buddhist - so much so that Buddhism in Japan is often called “funeral Buddhism,” a reference to the religion’s former near-monopoly on the elaborate, and lucrative, ceremonies surrounding deaths and memorial services.
But that expression also describes a religion that, by appearing to cater more to the needs of the dead than to those of the living, is losing its standing in Japanese society.
» Full Story
Fraud:
Pastor convicted in Ponzi scheme
» Full Story
Mormonism/Mormon Church:
Mormon missionary calendar-maker excommunicated
The creator of a calendar that featured shirtless Mormon missionaries was excommunicated Sunday after a disciplinary meeting with local church leaders in Las Vegas.
“Men on a Mission,” which has sold nearly 10,000 copies at $14.99 each, included pictures of 12 returned missionaries wearing black slacks, but not their trademark white shirts, in modest poses. The men also were photographed in traditional missionary garb and share their religious beliefs in biographical sketches. [video]
» Full Story
Antonie Dixon, Jehovah's Witnesses:
Antonie Dixon: God told me to behead women
A re-trial is underway in New Zealand of a man accused of hacking two women with a samurai sword and shooting dead a man in a petrol station.
Antonie Dixon told a court today that he had “no part of this world” due to his religious upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness.
» Full Story
FLDS, Polygamy:
Colorado FLDS site searched
» Full Story
Raelians:
Raelian lesbians attack Pope and Catholic Church
A group of glamour lesbians who believe the world was created by an alien civilisation 25,000 years ago have criticised the Catholic Church for being out of touch.Raelian spokeswoman Eden Bates said it was an insult that the Pope would be welcomed into Australia when “our gorgeous, fantastic spiritual leader Rael wasn’t even given the respect of a visa”.
» Full Story
Cafeteria Religion, Oprah Winfrey:
Oprah’s unorthodox gospel comes under scrutiny
Oprah’s unorthodox gospel comes under scrutiny
Oprah Winfrey has become a catalyst for a new journalistic project and increasing news coverage by conservative Christians questioning and criticizing her spiritual beliefs.» Full Story
Where is the evidence supporting Todd Bentley’s miracle claims?
Todd Bentley talks with angels, received diamond dust from God, kicks people in the face, and claims to heal the sick and raise the dead.
Tens of thousands of undiscerning Christians flock to him like groupies to a rock star — always in search of the latest ‘blessing.’
ABC Nightline took a look. Now Bentley is taking a break.
» Full Story
FLDS, Polygamy:
Texas officials gather more DNA evidence for criminal case against FLDS leader
Texas authorities working to build a criminal case against polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs took a third genetic sample from an FLDS mother and her child on Saturday.A spokesman for the Attorney General said the AG’s office is “working with local and state investigators into possible criminal activity at the polygamist compound.”
» Full Story
Could the Supreme Court make polygamy legal?
And Barnard says the legalization of polygamy may not be that far away.
» Full Story
Colonia Dignidad:
Colonia Dignidad founder sentenced for child torture
The founder of a religious cult whose followers thought he was “God on earth” has been sentenced for torturing children.He preached an unnamed religion that said harsh discipline would draw them closer to the supreme being.
» Full Story
Homosexuality/Lesbianism/Bisexuality/Transg.:
UK: Christian registrar who refused to conduct gay weddings wins case
» Full Story
Islam:
France rejects Muslim woman over radical practice of Islam
France has denied citizenship to a Moroccan woman who wears a burqa on the grounds that her “radical” practice of Islam is incompatible with basic French values such as equality of the sexes.
The case yesterday reopened the debate about Islam in France, and how the secular republic reconciles itself with the freedom of religion guaranteed by the French constitution.
» Full Story
Rastafarianism:
Rastafarian wins appeal against conviction in marijuana case in Italy
Italy’s highest criminal court has ruled that the fact Rastafarians consider marijuana use a religious sacrament should be taken into account if they are tried on trafficking charges, lawyers in a recent case and news reports said Friday.
The Court of Cassation threw out the drug trafficking conviction of a 44-year-old Italian Rastafarian, ruling that the amount he possessed was in line with the heavy use that comes with his religious beliefs.
» Full Story
Australia: “Christian Fellowship” not so Christian
» Full Story
Jehovah's Witnesses:
Judge orders baby to be given blood transfusion
The leaders of the Watchtower Society — the legal organization behind the Jehovah’s Witnesses — claim to speak for God.In reality, they keep changing their minds on what he allegedly told them — regarding blood, for instance.
In the process, they show themselves to be quacks whose nonsense has resulted in numerous needless deaths.
» Full Story
DRUGG | Grigory Grabovoi:
Russian cult leader gets 11 years for fraud
Cult leader Grigory Grabovoi, who among others things promised grieving mothers to resurrect their children for a fee, is jailed in Russia.» Full Story
Hate Groups:
Czech Neo-Nazis hijack pro-tolerance campaign
» Full Story
Offbeat News:
Tanzania sect members want free airline tickets to preach the gospel abroad
“We have no passports or air tickets but just our bibles. God sent us here to go and spread his word and we are waiting to go as he wishes. We will fly to different destinations,” one of them told a Tanzania newspaper. According to the group their bibles would also serve as visas to every country they planned preach.
» Full Story
FLDS, Polygamy:
FLDS spokesman granted restraining order
» Full Story
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