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Judge delays reunion for sect families
2008-05-31 03:19:00
A Texas judge on Friday refused to sign an order returning more than 300 children seized from a polygamist community, saying she wanted the mothers involved to sign the order first.
More About: Judge , Families , Reunion , Delays

RNB Roundup: Scientology, undercover, exposed, stressed out ? and more
2008-05-31 02:15:00
This RNB Roundup is devoted to Scientology , with items about an undercover operation, a hypocritical Scientology PSA, and a Scientology 'reverend' who smells something. Also: Jason Beghe, Tom Cruise and Kirk Cameron.
More About: Undercover

Pope says Vatican will excommunicate women priests
2008-05-30 20:06:00
Advocates of women ordination cite the letters of Saint Paul, some of the earliest texts of Christianity, to show that women played important roles in the early church.
More About: Women , Vatican , Catholic Church , Pope

Texas takes DNA from sect leader Warren Jeffs
2008-05-30 19:45:00
A search warrant for the DNA samples alleges that Jeffs had so-called ?spiritual? marriages with four girls, ages 12 to 15.
More About: Warren , Texas , Leader , Warren Jeffs

Texas Loses Court Ruling Over Taking of Children
2008-05-30 09:52:00
In its petition to overturn the appeals court ruling, the Department of Family and Protective Services said girls in the compound had reported being consigned to marriages by a church elder, ?Uncle Merrill,? and ?no age was too young to marry, and they wanted to have as many babies as they could.? Boys, the agency said, ?were groomed to be perpetrators.? But the Supreme Court ruled that the agency had means short of wholesale removal to protect children in danger.
More About: Children , Texas , Ruling , Taking

Muslim group to help keep peace in Miami?s Overtown
2008-05-30 04:49:00
As Miami steps up police presence in Overtown, it is starting a community outreach program run by a group affiliated with the Nation of Islam.
More About: Peace , Muslim , Hate Groups , Group

British UFO shocker! Government officials were telling the truth
2008-05-30 04:31:00
"The government has been telling us the truth," declared David Clarke, a senior lecturer in journalism at Sheffield Hallam University, who has a side interest in UFOs. "There are a lot of weird things in the sky, and some of them we can't explain, but there's not a shred of evidence for a single alien visitation."
More About: Truth , Government , British , The Truth

Texas High Court: Sect Children Can Return to Families
2008-05-30 03:39:00
The ruling does not end the dispute between the sect and the government. The state can continue its investigation into allegations of abuse and can still attempt to remove the children from their homes permanently.
More About: Children , Texas , High , Return , Families

Sect Mothers Say Separation Endangers Children
2008-05-29 18:50:00
Many child-welfare experts across the nation, who have as a group watched the high-profile Texas case closely, say the raid on the polygamist ranch diverged sharply from the recommended practices both in Texas and elsewhere in the country.
More About: Children , Separation , Mothers

Polygamist Sect Custody Hearings on Hold as Parents Await Court Decision
2008-05-29 18:38:00
Texas officials say they have additional evidence of abuse among the hundreds of children who were taken into state custody last month from a polygamist sect's West Texas ranch. Some of that evidence, including testimony from an alleged child bride shown in photographs kissing sect leader Warren Jeffs, was to be presented Tuesday at a custody hearing for the child of one of the sect mothers.
More About: Decision , Parents , Custody , Court , Hold

Texas officials fear polygamist sect might flee
2008-05-28 16:05:00
An appeals court ruled last week that the state failed to show that the youngsters were in any immediate danger, the only grounds under Texas law for taking children from their parents without court action.
More About: Fear

Muslim women: Dress code violates faith
2008-05-28 15:46:00
Mission Foods, a New Brighton tortilla maker, is accused of religious intolerance for requiring six Muslim workers to wear uniforms that include pants they say are too revealing.
More About: Women , Faith , Dress , Code

Big Brother?s David to write ?cult? book
2008-05-28 15:38:00
Big Brother evictee David Tchappat wants to release a book about his experiences growing up in the Exclusive Brethren sect.
More About: Big Brother , Cult , Write , Book

Great sin condemned by Muslim leader
2008-05-28 15:34:00
A Muslim leader in Exeter has "utterly condemned" acts of terror after last week's bomb blast in the city.
More About: Great , Condemned , Leader

Late deal by CPS keeps sect girls off witness stand over their alleged abus
2008-05-28 15:30:00
Lawyers for the state had indicated they would testify about being "spiritually" married as minors to older men at the Yearning for Zion Ranch outside Eldorado. They sought the testimony in a case involving an infant born two weeks ago to Dan and Louisa Jessop, a couple in a monogamous marriage who lived on the ranch until authorities raided it on April 3.
More About: Girls , Witness , Deal , Late , Stand

CPS retains custody of infant from polygamist sect
2008-05-27 21:51:00
Louisa and Dan Jessop decided not to keep fighting for their infant's release because a Texas Supreme Court decision affecting all 450 or so sect children in CPS care is expected shortly, said Rod Parker, a Salt Lake City lawyer representing the group.
More About: Custody , Infant

Protesters celebrate city?s ?cult? stance
2008-05-27 13:49:00
Protesters who branded Scientology a "cult" were celebrating today after Edinburgh council bosses said they had "no objection" to the use of the word.
More About: Protesters , Cult , Celebrate , City

Young Dutch Muslims get their own ?polder mosque?
2008-05-27 11:31:00
The mosque in the Amsterdam suburb of Slotervaart wants to offer young people an alternative. Dutch will be the language used in the mosque, also for sermons, says Mr Cheppih. Plus, the form of Islam will be free of cultural influences from other countries.
More About: Muslims , Mosque , Young

Italy: Veils not mandatory for Muslim women, says Islamic leader
2008-05-27 10:29:00
"In many Muslim countries, the veil is not obligatory," he said adding that "it is important that it does not become a uniform, that is a form of reverse discrimination, where only those who wear the veil are considered Muslim."
More About: Islamic , Women , Italy , Leader

Kenneth Copeland sees bias in televangelist inquiry
2008-05-27 08:10:00
North Texas preacher Kenneth Copeland is leading a counterattack against the U.S. senator who is investigating alleged lavish spending by six high-profile televangelists.
More About: Bias , Televangelists , Sees , Kenneth Copeland

Police facing action over teenage protester?s arrest
2008-05-24 15:44:00
A human rights group has pledged to take action against a police force which tried to prosecute a teenager for branding Scientology a "cult".
More About: Action , Arrest , Police , Teenage , Protester

12 sect youths will be reunited with parents for now
2008-05-24 07:25:00
The state appealed a decision Thursday by the 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin that ruled a state district judge in San Angelo had exceeded her authority in allowing the state to take more than 460 children from parents who lived on the Yearning for Zion Ranch outside Eldorado.
More About: Parents , Reunited

Texas officials plan to ask court block ruling in sect case
2008-05-23 19:37:00
Members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints hailed Thursday's ruling as vindication. They've said there was no abuse at the ranch in west Texas and they were being persecuted for their religious beliefs.
More About: Case , Plan , Block , Court

Schoolboy avoids prosecution for branding Scientology a cult
2008-05-23 13:55:00
A teenager who was facing legal action for calling the Church of Scientology a "cult" has today been told he will not be taken to court.
More About: Branding , Cult

Case dropped against boy, 15, who held up sign branding Scientology a cult
2008-05-23 13:29:00
The Crown Prosecution Service took just a day to decide it was not in the public interest to take the teenager to court after he was handed a summons by the City of London police. [And yes, Scientology is a cult.]
More About: Branding , Cult , Case , Sign

Appeals court orders many of polygamist sect?s children returned to parents
2008-05-23 12:09:00
The mere existence of a belief system that may condone polygamy and "spiritual marriages" involving underage girls is not by itself enough evidence to justify the removal of some 460 children from the sect's ranch, said a three-judge panel of the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals.
More About: Children , Parents , Orders

Muslim pharmacist refuses to sell morning-after pill
2008-05-23 09:57:00
Sainsbury?s said all their pharmacists are governed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, whose ethics code says that if the morning-after pill is against a pharmacist?s personal, religious or moral beliefs they are within their rights not to supply it.
More About: Muslim , Morning , Sell

McCain rejects endorsements of two controversial clerics
2008-05-23 09:24:00
Republican John McCain on Thursday rejected endorsements from two influential but controversial televangelists, saying there is no place for their incendiary criticisms of other faiths.
More About: Controversial , Televangelists

Court order shocking to woman who fled sect
2008-05-23 09:10:00
"I just can't believe they are just sending them back," Carolyn Jessop said, her tears now noticeable. "That everyone can pretend that the abuse didn't happen."
More About: Woman , Order , Court

FLDS mom, 18, says state wanted her baby
2008-05-23 08:04:00
Pamela Jessop said authorities knew how old she was when they raided her home on the Yearning for Zion Ranch, which is owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
More About: Baby , State , Wanted