http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:15:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23914/australian-senator-tells-parliament-widespread-criminal-conduct-within-the-church-of-scientology http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23914/australian-senator-tells-parliament-widespread-criminal-conduct-within-the-church-of-scientology#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:36:34 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23914 The Australian Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has used a speech in Parliament to raise allegations of widespread criminal conduct within the Church of Scientology.

Senator Xenophon says he's received letters from former followers of the religion detailing claims of crimes and abuses. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23914/australian-senator-tells-parliament-widespread-criminal-conduct-within-the-church-of-scientology/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23875/church-of-scientology-told-to-drop-churchill-images http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23875/church-of-scientology-told-to-drop-churchill-images#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:37:41 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23875 The family of Winston Churchill has asked the Church of Scientology to stop using images of the former prime minister in its recruitment literature, The Times reports.

The controversial religious organisation has been circulating promotional material to recruit staff in the UK which includes photographs of Churchill along with quotes from some of his most famous speeches.

It has also used Churchill’s image to promote speaking engagements by its members and campaigns to raise money to create new Scientology facilities in Britain.

The church defended its use of Churchill in its materials and accused detractors of “trying to stir up mischief”.

The cult apparently sees aligning itself with respected causes (e.g. human rights), celebrities or respected personalties (e.g Einstein as an effective recruitment tactic.

Another favorite ploy is the use of the impressive sounding -- but basically useless -- Oxford Capacity Analysis test.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23875/church-of-scientology-told-to-drop-churchill-images/feed 0 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/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/23698/jehovahs-witnesses-fake-us-bonds http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23698/jehovahs-witnesses-fake-us-bonds#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:29:34 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23698 U.S. Treasury bonds with a face value of $116 billion seized in Italy in August are fake and were destined for U.S. investors, according to the prosecutor running the probe.

A woman from the Philippines, who was to receive the bonds taken in August, and the sender, her brother, who later traveled to Italy, were arrested by local police, the prosecutor said.

Had the notes been genuine, the pair would have been the U.S. government’s sixth-biggest creditor, behind Russia, which is owed $118 billion.

The Philippine nationals claimed to be Jehovah’s Witnesses and wanted to sell the bonds to finance their religious missions, the prosecutor said. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23698/jehovahs-witnesses-fake-us-bonds/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/22238/benny-hinn-prosperity-gospel-scam http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22238/benny-hinn-prosperity-gospel-scam#comments Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:57:00 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22238 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...]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22238/benny-hinn-prosperity-gospel-scam/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21743/grigory-grabovoi-cult-leader http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21743/grigory-grabovoi-cult-leader#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:56:10 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21743 Cult leader Grigory Grabovoi, who among others things promised grieving mothers to resurrect their children for a fee, is jailed in Russia.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21743/grigory-grabovoi-cult-leader/feed 0