http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:54:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24129/1-one-mind-ministries-cult http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24129/1-one-mind-ministries-cult#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:49:18 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24129 Closing arguments are expected today in the Baltimore trial of three members of an alleged cult -- the now defunct 1 Mind Ministries -- who are accused of starving a toddler to death because he didn't pray properly.

The defendants, who are representing themselves, rested their cases within minutes Monday without calling any witnesses.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24129/1-one-mind-ministries-cult/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24121/mother-says-she-agreed-to-starve-son-to-rid-him-of-demonic-spirit http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24121/mother-says-she-agreed-to-starve-son-to-rid-him-of-demonic-spirit#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:51:55 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24121 The mother of a dead child testified Wednesday that she agreed to starve her toddler son, who refused to say "amen," to rid him of a demonic spirit that was potentially placed there when her own mother offered the boy up to the devil.

She still believes God will resurrect her son.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24121/mother-says-she-agreed-to-starve-son-to-rid-him-of-demonic-spirit/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24118/prosecutors-boy-starved-to-death-at-cults-hands http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24118/prosecutors-boy-starved-to-death-at-cults-hands#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:41:02 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24118 The leader of a religious cult was "outraged" when a 1-year-old boy did not say "Amen" before a meal and ordered her followers to deprive him of food and water until he died, a Baltimore prosecutor told jurors Monday.

Three members of the now-defunct cult known as 1 Mind Ministries are on trial for murder in the death of Javon Thompson]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24118/prosecutors-boy-starved-to-death-at-cults-hands/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24109/1-mind-ministries-8 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24109/1-mind-ministries-8#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:03:00 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24109 Queen Antoinette - aka Toni Sloan or Toni Ellsberry - sat at a defense table Tuesday and grimaced every time she heard a statement she didn't like, particularly those containing the words "cult" or "commune."

Her actions irked Assistant Public Defender Maureen Rowland, representing one of Antoinette's co-defendants in a bizarre homicide case that involves the alleged starvation death of a toddler.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24109/1-mind-ministries-8/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24104/one-mind-ministries-trial-jury-selection http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24104/one-mind-ministries-trial-jury-selection#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:23:22 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24104 Two women who were part of the now defunct One Mind Ministries cult won't have the benefit of lawyers when they go on trial on charges they starved a 1-year-old boy to death.

The boy's mother has agreed to testify against the group members.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24104/one-mind-ministries-trial-jury-selection/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23850/one-mind-ministries-3 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23850/one-mind-ministries-3#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:48:38 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23850 A former member of a religious cult backed out of a plea deal Friday and will face trial on charges that he and others starved a toddler to death because the boy refused to say "Amen" after meals.

Marcus A. Cobbs, 22, had agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of accessory after the fact. But his attorney abruptly withdrew the plea after a dispute with prosecutors over the conditions of his release.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23850/one-mind-ministries-3/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23845/one-mind-ministries-2 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23845/one-mind-ministries-2#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:21:06 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23845 A member of the now defunct religious cult One Mind Ministries is planning to plead guilty to a reduced charge related to the starvation death of 1-year-old Javon Thompson.

The attorney for Marcus Cobbs says he will plead guilty Friday to accessory after the fact, according to the Associated Press.

The boy's mother and several other members of the cult were charged in connection with the boy's death, who was allegedly starved because he would not say 'Amen' after meals.

A trial for the other members has been postponed until January 27.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23845/one-mind-ministries-2/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23513/one-mind-ministries-trial http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23513/one-mind-ministries-trial#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:51:52 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23513 Two cult of four cult members scheduled to stand trial in the starvation death of a child have yet to hire lawyers.

The 1-year-old boy was starved because he refused to say 'Amen' after meals.

The boy's mother is to testify against the other cult members.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23513/one-mind-ministries-trial/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23383/1-mind-ministries-7 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23383/1-mind-ministries-7#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:04:12 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23383 A former religious cult member who helped starve her son to death believes he will be resurrected, but legal experts say her extreme faith doesn't make her criminally insane.

The boy died more than two years ago when cult members stopped feeding him because he refused to say "Amen" after a meal, according to a statement of facts.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23383/1-mind-ministries-7/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23377/1-mind-ministries-6 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23377/1-mind-ministries-6#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:31:39 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23377 Members of One Mind Ministries drew little notice in the working-class Baltimore neighborhood where they lived in a nondescript brick rowhouse.

But inside, prosecutors say, horrors were unfolding: Answering to a leader called Queen Antoinette, they denied a 16-month-old boy food and water because he did not say "Amen" at mealtimes. After he died, they prayed over his body for days, expecting a resurrection, then packed it into a suitcase with mothballs. They left it in a shed in Philadelphia, where it remained for a year before detectives found it last spring.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23377/1-mind-ministries-6/feed 0