http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:39:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23844/yisrayl-hawkins-house-of-yahweh http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23844/yisrayl-hawkins-house-of-yahweh#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:36:18 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23844 Bigamy charges against West Texas sect leader Yisrayl Hawkins were dismissed Thursday after the head of the House of Yahweh pleaded no contest to four cases involving child-labor violations, the Callahan County attorney announced.

The dismissal of the charges shocked Margo Hawkins, Yisrayl Hawkins’ 36-year-old daughter, who left the House of Yahweh when she was 22. "It’s a cult. They brainwash people," she said.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23844/yisrayl-hawkins-house-of-yahweh/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23783/yisrayl-hawkins-trial-moved http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23783/yisrayl-hawkins-trial-moved#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:15:32 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23783 The bigamy trial of House of Yahweh leader Yisrayl Hawkins has been moved to Parker County, after 42nd District Judge John Weeks approved a change of venue today.

The cult recently mailed out a 33-page publication depicting Jesus and some of the apostles in the same orange jumpsuits worn by its leader.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23783/yisrayl-hawkins-trial-moved/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23150/house-of-yahweh-5 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23150/house-of-yahweh-5#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:03:23 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23150 House of Yahweh leader Yisrayl Hawkins has penned a four-page newsletter sent to thousands of residents in Taylor, Callahan and Jones counties, claiming the news media has wrongly portrayed the group.

House of Yahweh adviser John Young said the newsletter isn’t an effort to influence potential jurors when Hawkins goes to court — probably later this year — to face bigamy and other charges.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23150/house-of-yahweh-5/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23108/house-of-yahweh-4 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23108/house-of-yahweh-4#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:40:56 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23108 A fire this afternoon burned four structures at the House of Yahweh compound.

The sect's leader, self-proclaimed prophet Yisrayl Hawkins -- whose doomsday predictions have come and gone -- is scheduled to go on trial next year.

Hawkins is accused of having more than 20 wives and performing polygamous weddings.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23108/house-of-yahweh-4/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23053/yedidiyah-hawkins-2 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23053/yedidiyah-hawkins-2#comments Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:11:09 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23053 A judge sentenced a religious sect's elder to 30 years in prison for molesting an 11-year-old girl during a phony cervical cancer exam.

Hawkins has no medical training but used a gynecological medical instrument to examine the girl at a home in 2005, according to trial testimony. A former House of Yahweh member testified that Hawkins actually was worried the girl was not a virgin.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23053/yedidiyah-hawkins-2/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22870/yedidiyah-hawkins http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22870/yedidiyah-hawkins#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:06:01 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22870 Yedidiyah Hawkins, 40, a House of Yahweh elder, was convicted Monday of aggravated sexual assault of a child. A judge will set the sentence, expected within 45 days. Hawkins earlier decided that he wanted a judge to assess the punishment if jurors found him guilty.

The sect's leader, self-proclaimed prophet Yisrayl Hawkins, faces trial later this year on bigamy and child labor charges. He is accused of having more than 20 wives, performing polygamous weddings and forcing about 40 children to work jobs at his 44-acre compound in rural Clyde near Abilene.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22870/yedidiyah-hawkins/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22846/house-of-yahweh-3 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22846/house-of-yahweh-3#comments Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:48:26 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22846 Testimony from a 15-year-old girl revealed new details Friday about the allegations of sexual assault of a child by a House of Yahweh elder.

The girl, 11 at the time of the alleged assault, testified that her stepfather Yedidiyah Hawkins, 40, used a vaginal speculum -- a medical instrument used by gynecologists -- to perform an examination on her. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22846/house-of-yahweh-3/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21638/doomsday-prediction-fails%e2%80%a6again http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21638/doomsday-prediction-fails%e2%80%a6again#comments Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:07:47 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21638 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21638/doomsday-prediction-fails%e2%80%a6again/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21600/hundreds-of-kenyans-made-doomsday-plans-two-years-ago http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21600/hundreds-of-kenyans-made-doomsday-plans-two-years-ago#comments Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:57:55 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21600 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21600/hundreds-of-kenyans-made-doomsday-plans-two-years-ago/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21598/texas-doomsday-prophet-faces-bigamy-charges http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21598/texas-doomsday-prophet-faces-bigamy-charges#comments Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:31:47 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21598 If nuclear war doesn't begin next Thursday, June 12, as he has predicted, self-proclaimed Texas prophet Yisrayl "Buffalo Bill" Hawkins will be left to face a widening investigation of his activities, including several felony counts of bigamy.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21598/texas-doomsday-prophet-faces-bigamy-charges/feed 0