http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:58:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26058/wayne-bent-convictions-overturned http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26058/wayne-bent-convictions-overturned#comments Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:05:35 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=26058 The New Mexico Court of Appeals on Tuesday tossed out the convictions of a religious group's leader who had been found guilty of sexual misconduct with teenage followers.

The court ruled a grand jury's term had expired months before it returned an indictment against Wayne Bent and that a district judge didn't have the power to extend its term. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26058/wayne-bent-convictions-overturned/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24091/inside-wayne-bent-cult-compound http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24091/inside-wayne-bent-cult-compound#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:08:56 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=24091 Nearly two years after the arrest of self proclaimed messiah Wayne Bent, a New Mexico TV news station became the first media allowed inside his cult's compound.

If you spend a day walking around the remote property of the Lord Our Righteousness Church you wouldn't believe you were amongst what State Police call an apocalyptic cult. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/24091/inside-wayne-bent-cult-compound/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23836/wayne-bent-bond-denied http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23836/wayne-bent-bond-denied#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:58:00 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23836 New Mexico's highest court has denied sect leader Wayne Bent's petition to be released on bond from prison while he appeals his convictions for sexual misconduct with teenage female followers, AP reports.

The Supreme Court denied the petition without explanation, as had the Court of Appeals.

AP also says Bent is being force-fed. A judge cleared the way for that after the cult leader tried to starve himself by means of an extended fast in protest of his imprisonment.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23836/wayne-bent-bond-denied/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23815/wayne-bent-bond-petition http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23815/wayne-bent-bond-petition#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:18:41 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23815 New Mexico attorney General Gary King’s office is opposing cult leader Wayne Bent’s petition to the state Supreme Court for bond while awaiting appeal.

Bent’s previous filings on district and state levels were both denied. Assistant Attorney General Margaret McLean asks the Supreme Court to uphold the previous courts’ rulings.

She cites no “clear and convincing” evidence that Bent, Strong City leader, won't flee or pose danger to another person or community. She also says a reversal or order for a new trial is unlikely and argues there are no grounds to revisit granting an appeal bond.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23815/wayne-bent-bond-petition/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23693/force-feeding-wayne-bent http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23693/force-feeding-wayne-bent#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:34:03 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23693 Imprisoned cult leader Wayne Bent, who is on a hunger strike, won't be getting home-cooked meals from his followers and instead may be force fed through a tube, a District Court judge decided Wednesday.

A doctor testified that if the fast continues, Bent's vital organs will shut down and he would die in a matter of days. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23693/force-feeding-wayne-bent/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23686/court-looks-at-cult-leader-wayne-bent-fast http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23686/court-looks-at-cult-leader-wayne-bent-fast#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:35:30 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23686 Cult leader Wayne Bent is scheduled to be in court on Wednesday as a judge decides whether the state should force feed him.

Bent wrote letters to his cult in Union County letting them know that he will begin fasting on Sept. 1.

His fourth week of fasting is fast approaching, he will not have any food or water. Now the state is rushing a decision to intervene and force feed him with IVs and tubes.

Medical experts said that within seven days of no water, his organs will begin to break down.

Jeff Bent, Wayne Bent's son, said the state needs to accept his father's wishes and religious practices and not force him to eat.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23686/court-looks-at-cult-leader-wayne-bent-fast/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23587/wayne-bent-starving-himself http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23587/wayne-bent-starving-himself#comments Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:10:22 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23587 Convicted church leader Wayne Bent has said he no longer wants to eat, and the self-proclaimed messiah could die in prison if he carries out his plan.

In an online statement posted on his church's Web site, Bent outlined his plan to starve himself. [video]]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23587/wayne-bent-starving-himself/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23231/starving-for-wayne-bent http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23231/starving-for-wayne-bent#comments Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:24:52 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23231 Eyewitness News 4 investigative reporter Jeremy Jojola spoke with the woman, known as Esther, just hours before deputies took her away from her cult compound near Clayton, New Mexico. It is where she has lived in isolation since she was six years old, along with others who believe Wayne Bent to be the messiah.

“I swear by God that he is in jail over a lie, and I won’t support that,” said Esther. “I’m willing to die on what I stand on, which is purely God’s instructions to me. I wouldn’t be doing this if God hadn’t told me to, but I’m willing to die doing what God told me to do, and in essence, yes, it would be for Wayne Bent.”]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23231/starving-for-wayne-bent/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23224/strong-city-3 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23224/strong-city-3#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:32:37 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23224 A member of a northeastern New Mexico religious sect has been removed from the sect’s compound near Clayton by sheriff’s deputies so they can convince her to eat.

The woman has been starving herself since the day cult leader Wayne Bent entered prison on a 10-years sentence.

According to an entry on the Strong City Web site of The Lord Our Righteousness Church, a woman named Esther was taken by Union County deputies late Wednesday night, a day after they had checked on her condition at the sect’s compound.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23224/strong-city-3/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23212/strong-city-2 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23212/strong-city-2#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:46:40 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23212 On Monday, deputies visited the Strong City Cult compound in Northeastern New Mexico to check-up on a young woman who's been starving herself since Wayne Bent was sent to prison, according to Bent’s son.

The cult leader was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison for touching a naked underage follower.

Before he entered prison Ben vowed to starve himself to death if and when jailed.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23212/strong-city-2/feed 0