Search this site powered by FreeFind         ApologeticsBible BrowsersBible HelpsBible StudyChurch HistoryDenominationsHeresy SearchMagazinesReligious BooksResourcesScienceSect's Homes PagesOther Links News for: Week of April 26, 2002 Scientology Church fights Google BBC News The Church of Scientology has taken its long-running battle against the distribution of its material on internet sites - especially sites critical of the church - to Google, one of the most popular search sites on the internet. Related article: Google Runs Into Copyright Dispute New York Times LETTERS FROM OUR VISITORS | WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? ALABAMA Evangelism or eyesore? Alabama man turns his yard, house into Christian shrine The Associated Press PRATTVILLE, Ala. -- American flags, cozy homes and freshly blooming flowers dot the rural landscape along County Road 86. But it's the crosses -- hundreds of them -- that draw a steady stream of the curious and Christians to this otherwise tranquil neighborhood. CALIFORNIA Cult leader Manson loses parole bid BBC News Mass murderer Charles Manson's latest bid for freedom ended in failure when a parole board rejected his tenth application for release. COLORADO Raptors Sacrificed For Religion Environmental News Network DENVER - On March 28, 2002 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released to the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) the 2001 eagle collecting report of the Hopi Tribe. FLORIDA Miss Cleo Attorney Decries 'Witch Hunt' DMNews.com Youree Dell Harris, better known as Miss Cleo, is the victim of a "new age witch hunt," her attorney said yesterday in announcing that he had filed a motion to dismiss charges against her in Florida. Attorney claims alleged psychic Miss Cleo is ‘for real’ South Florida Sun-Sentinel Miss Cleo’s lawyer went on the offensive Wednesday after two months of near-silence, asserting his client has a gift of clairvoyance and suggesting she’s the subject of a latter-day witch hunt. Lawyer guards secret of Miss Cleo's accent Detroit Free Press MIAMI -- Seven scenarios could explain Miss Cleo's ties to Jamaica, but ultimately they don't matter, her lawyer said. More important, he said, is that Miss Cleo didn't deceive consumers when she used a Jamaican accent to promote a psychic hot line. KANSAS Topeka rattled by homophobic church; White supremacists accused of flooding the city with bigotry Reuters TOPEKA - For the past 11 years, the Rev. Fred Phelps and his family have flooded the city of Topeka with his views on homosexuality. For more information on Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church you can go to the Westboro Baptist Church Offical Home Page or read articles from the Topeka Capital-Journal Online, or you can read an analysis of Phelps and his church from the Anti-Defamation League by clicking here. NOTE: Posting a link to any site does not mean Sect News Daily endorses the site. Links are provided for research purposes only. Author disputes Galileo's reputation as a heretic The Lawrence Journal-World Renegade. Heretic. Enemy of the church. These are descriptions that have for centuries haunted the legacy of Italian scientist Galileo Galilei, who spent a great deal of his life in the late- 16th and early-17th centuries gathering evidence for the unpopular sun-centered universe theory. MARYLAND Man accused in death plot to undergo mental tests Reputed leader of cult of space aliens is 'not criminally responsible' The SunSpot.net The reputed leader of a space-alien cult is to undergo a mental evaluation as the result of an insanity plea filed in Carroll County Circuit Court, where he and three alleged followers were scheduled for trial next month on murder-conspiracy charges. For more information on Scott Caruthers and Beta Dominion Xenophilia you can visit his official web site or you can read articles at Rick Ross's site. OHIO Prison employee sues to save hair The Cincinnati Enquirer LEBANON - A psychology assistant at the Warren Correctional Institution (WCI) has sued the warden and the state corrections director, saying a grooming policy that bans long hair for male prison employees violates his religious beliefs. PENNSYLVANIA Scholar cites significance of Pentecostal growth The Associated Press Did journalists, pundits and historians miss one of the 20th century's biggest social trends in writing all those backward looks at New Year's 2000? Philip Jenkins, professor of history and religious studies at Pennsylvania State University, thinks so. TEXAS Undeterred by Critics, Faith Healer Benny Hinn Has Built a Following The Associated Press GRAPEVINE, Texas -- If Benny Hinn puts on a remarkable television show, the view from his side of the camera is even more incredible. Looking into viewers' homes recently, the evangelist spied a bald, overweight man with a heart problem. Wearing a yellow shirt. Finding spirituality on the farm Dallas Morning News ELM MOTT, Texas – Every year an estimated 30,000 people exit the bumper-to-bumper traffic on Interstate 35 and ramble along country roads to reach a cluster of rustic buildings that hearkens back a hundred years. There, amidst the rolling farmland, they seek out homemade products and homegrown skills from a quiet religious group that extols the virtues of a simple, communal life. UTAH Judge hears arguments in Utah polygamy case The Associated Press NEPHI, Utah - A polygamist charged with child rape told a judge Friday that his 13-year-old wife became pregnant while they were vacationing in Mexico, rather than in their home state of Utah. Utah Polygamist in Court on Teen Wife Rape Charge Reuters Tillman defense hits 'encoded messages' Deseret News Attorneys for condemned killer Elroy Tillman say prosecutors used "encoded messages" during Tillman's sentencing in 1983 that were meant to tell LDS members of the jury it was their religious duty to issue a death sentence. Fledgling Utah-Based Church Melds Wine-Making, Sexuality, Meditation The Associated Press Salt Lake City - Claude Nowell was a 30-year-old graphics salesman and practicing Mormon who says he was just trying to relax after work when the hairless, blue, otherworldly beings first came to him. For further research you can visit Summun Web Page Note this is not an endorsement of Summum. The site is posted here strictly for research purposes. WYOMING Witness emerges in death of filmmaker The Chicago Sun-Times The investigation into the unsolved murder of a lauded Chicago filmmaker sucked into a bizarre cult has gained fresh momentum after the death of an allegedly key player in the crime spurred a witness to come forward. For more info see article from The Allen Ross Mystery: A Body in the Basement from the Chicago Reader Hot Type, published August 25, 2000 or read article from the Oklahoman (May 31, 2000) at Rick Ross's site. CHINA Forum Opposing Falun Gong Cult Held at Sacred Buddhist Site The People's Daily Religious figures and representatives of groups opposing Falun Gong have held a forum to discuss the cult. The cult severely profaned the spirit of Buddhism and upset all Buddhist disciples, said Shenghui, deputy director of the Buddhist Association of China. Note: The People's Daily is a pro-communist China newspaper ENGLAND European Law Could Ban Distribution Of Old Testament CNSNews.com London -- A proposed European Union law against racism could ban some children's stories and even the Old Testament, a British legislator said Wednesday. INDIA Death toll rises to 17 in Hindu-Muslim clashes in western India The Canadian Press AHMEDABAD, India -- A fresh wave of clashes between Hindus and Muslims in western India has left 17 dead in mob attacks and police firing, taking the death toll to 850 in the country's worst religious rioting in a decade, officials said Monday. Indian community celebrates Mahavir Reuters New Delhi, India -- People belonging to the Jain community of northern India celebrate their biggest festival, Mahavir Jayanti, marking the birth anniversary of their sect's founder. INDONESIA Falungong file lawsuit against China Embassy The Jakarta Post The Indonesia Falungong Association (HFGI) filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the Chinese Embassy for allegedly asking the police to cancel a Falungong parade here last month. IRAN Iran's Zoroastrians mark ancient feast with fervor The Associated Press PIR-E-HERISHT, Iran -- Dressed in white to symbolize purity, the priest carried a torch down the steps of the temple and set fire to a pile of wood to end the celebration of one of the world's oldest religious rites. KENYA Rights Activists Decry Mungiki Circumcision Threat UN Integrated Regional Information Networks Women's human rights activists in Kenya have urged the government to take action against recent threats by a controversial sect to forcibly circumcise women in central Kenya. NIGERIA Islamic prosecutors seek death penalty for Nigeria's Christian converts The Associated Press MADA, Nigeria - Muslim prosecutors sought the death penalty for two men accused of converting from Islam to Christianity, a crime for which an Islamic court judge gave the accused men three days to reconvert. UPDATE ARTICLE: Sharia: Two Christian Converts Escape Death Daily Champion LAGOS - Two Muslims who converted to Christianity in Mada, Zamfara State have escaped death sentence, as a presiding judge of Sharia court has thwarted efforts by members of the sharia implementation and monitoring group in the area at seeing the converts sentenced to death by stoning. PHILLIPINES Lahi cultists in scramble for ‘spoils’ The Manila Times While military and police intelligence men probe a “dead” cult leader’s involvement in bomb plots, his followers are fighting over a huge estate that includes sprawling farms, mansions, flashy cars - and weapons. SAUDI ARABIA Saudis say ills of society help breed more extremists The Detroit News JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- The shocks from Sept. 11 still were reverberating here in the native country of most of the terrorist hijackers when, exactly six months later, Saudi society was shaken again. TANZANIA Aid scheme tackles African witch myth BBC News Aid workers in Tanzania are trying to dispel the myth that old women are witches as part of efforts to improve their health. THAILAND Thai Monk Faces Embezzling Charge The Associated Press BANGKOK, Thailand- A senior Buddhist monk on trial for embezzling $860,000 from his temple will likely face an additional corruption charge, police said Friday, in another embarrassment for Thailand's scandal-plagued clergy. ZIMBABWE Witch Hunters Create Confusion Over HIV/Aids Zimbabwe Standard HARARE -- Self-proclaimed witch hunters operating under the name of Tsikamutanda, are creating havoc within families in Mawabeni village, 45km south of Bulawayo, as they seek to reduce the growing number of deaths among the young people which they attribute to witchcraft. DISCLAIMER: Sect News Daily is not responsible for the content of any external links or news items written for any newspaper or news agency, nor are we responsible for the length of time external links are available online. Although Sect News Daily is intended for an evangelical audience interested in current events, we do not promote any specific denomination or church. This is to prevent us from unintentionally promoting a group or a group's teachings that may be in conflict with the spiritual beliefs of the staff of Sect News Daily. Sect News Daily does not regard all religious or spiritual groups listed in news items as cults. Some articles are posted to keep the evangelical Christian informed as to events in Christendom.