Clipmarks | wiccantexan's 'religion' clips

Polygamists offer prairie clothing for sale

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:36:11 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Just in time for back-to-school shopping: authentic polygamist prairie dresses.

Apparently, all the publicity surrounding the ongoing investigation into alleged underage marriage among members of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) on a Texas ranch has created some serious demand for prairie dresses.

So much so that the FLDS has launched an online store where members of the general public can purchase the dresses, long underwear, and other ranch-wear "as seen on TV."

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the Web site FLDSdress.com, was initially created to give Texas authorities a place to purchase the clothing, so children in state custody could maintain their traditional clothing.

The Web site said the clothes are made to meet the "FLDS standards for modesty and neatness." And all of the clothes are hand-made "with joy and care" by the FLDS women.

In the meantime, FLDS women are sewing and selling their way to financial independence.

Tags: flds, polygamy, clothing, religion, online

Court: Exorcism is protected by law

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 20:43:31 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday threw out a jury award over injuries a 17-year-old girl suffered in an exorcism conducted by members of her old church, ruling that the case unconstitutionally entangled the court in religious matters.

In a 6-3 decision, the justices found that a lower court erred when it said the Pleasant Glade Assembly of God's First Amendment rights regarding freedom of religion did not prevent the church from being held liable for mental distress triggered by a "hyper-spiritualistic environment."

Laura Schubert testified in 2002 that she was cut and bruised and later experienced hallucinations after the church members' actions in 1996, when she was 17. Schubert said she was pinned to the floor for hours and received carpet burns during the exorcism, the Austin American-Statesman reported. She also said the incident led her to mutilate herself and attempt suicide. She eventually sought psychiatric help.

Tags: church, legal, religion, exorcism

Would Garlic Protect Us From the Courts?

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:40:47 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: More insanity from Texas which seems to have more than its share. This superstitious stupidity really needs to end. This religious immunity from critical scrutiny has existed for too long. It's time to begin shinning a light on these barbaric practices practiced by this death cult.

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

Texas court approves traumatic exorcisms

Well now…if you've had a hankerin' to torture, abuse, and do who knows what else to people at your whim, here's what you do: move on down to Texas and set up a religion. The Texas Supreme Court just ruled on a case in which a young woman was subjected to extreme distress and restraint during a church-run exorcism

The court ruling basically says that because this church carries out this practice all the time, and because adherents of the religion accept it, it's OK to pin people to the floor and scream at them for a few hours.

"The laying of hands" and the presence of demons are part of the church's belief system and accepted as such by its adherents," the ruling said in part.

Hello, world. In the United States, it is not considered unusual to accuse teenagers of being possessed by demons, and we subject them to frightening magic rituals to cast out such satanic forces with some regularity.

Tags: religion, exorcism, superstition, fundamentalism, christian

Religious charter schools: Follow the money, lose the faith

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:42:42 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.firstamendmentcenter.org

On June 16, seven Roman Catholic schools in Washington, D.C., were transformed into seven public charter schools by a unanimous vote of the D.C. Public Charter School Board. It’s a conversion of sorts — only in reverse.

Other religious communities around the nation are already on the charter bandwagon, opening Arabic charters without Islam and Hebrew charters without Judaism. Not to be left behind, a Protestant minister in Harlem is pressing to start what he claims will be a religion-free charter in his church building.

Strange as it may sound, this is a hot new trend in education: creating faith-based schools without the faith.

With voucher proposals stalled in many state legislatures — or running up against state constitutional barriers — some Catholic dioceses and other religious groups are eyeing charter schools as a funding alternative.

Tags: school, religion, faith

Americans: My Religion Isn't The Only Way

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:15:09 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.cbsnews.com

(CBS/ AP) America remains a nation of believers, but a new survey finds most Americans don't feel their religion is the only way to eternal life - even if their faith tradition teaches otherwise.

The findings, revealed Monday in a survey of 35,000 adults, can either be taken as a positive sign of growing religious tolerance, or disturbing evidence that Americans dismiss or don't know fundamental teachings of their own faiths.

In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion.

"There's a growing pluralistic impulse toward tolerance and that is having theological consequences," he said.

"I think that organized religion could find this also a little bit threatening in the sense when dogma and doctrine become less and less important, it doesn't matter belonging to one church or another," Williams said on the CBS Evening News.

Tags: religion, faith, american, belief, life, death, theology

Muslim Woman: Scarf Kept Her From Seat Near Obama

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:19:18 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

A young Muslim woman said she and another woman were refused seats directly behind Barack Obama — and in front of TV cameras — at a Detroit rally because they wear head scarfs.

Hebba Aref said Wednesday that she and Shimaa Abdelfadeel were among 20,000 supporters who gathered to see the Democratic presidential hopeful on Monday at the Joe Louis Arena when the groups they were with were separately invited by Obama campaign volunteers to sit behind the podium. But Aref said the volunteers told members of both parties in separate discussions that women wearing hijabs, the traditional Muslim head scarves, weren't included in the invitation and couldn't sit behind the podium.

Aref, a 25-year-old lawyer, said a member of her group was told by a volunteer that she could not invite Aref because of "a sensitive political climate."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton issued a statement saying such actions are "not the policy of the campaign."

Tags: religion, muslim, islam, rights, obama

Church and State Collide On the Highway

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:17:25 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan
clipper's remarks: "More to the point: If your faith is so strong that it would inspire you to voluntarily stand in line at the DMV — and let’s face it, that’s strong — then why do you need it stamped in cold, hard metal on your vehicle’s ass?"

Clip Source: www.independent.com

This just in: Rational thought is backed up for miles along South Carolina’s roadways, where a serious traffic collision between Church and State has left our Constitution in critical condition.

The state recently approved a series of government-issued license plates bearing the words “I BELIEVE” and the image of a Christian cross in front of a stained-glass window. In addition to boasting their state-sanctioned love for square dancing, wild turkeys, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., South Carolina residents can now share their devotion to Jesus Christ with anyone lucky enough to be eating their dust.

The plate was proposed by Republican state Sen. Larry Grooms “to allow people of faith to have an expression of their belief.” Apparently ichthys fish and “God is my copilot” bumper stickers just weren’t converting heathens like they used to.

Critics, including the ACLU, say the state-issued plates are a government endorsement of religion.

Tags: church, state, cars, government, religion

Lawyer's Home Vandalized For Views On Religious Liberty

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:14:28 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.koat.com

An Albuquerque lawyer and his family are recovering from what he calls the latest retaliation against his crusade for separation of church and state in the military.

Lawyer Mikey Weinstein said his family has a total of 130 years of military service; Weinstein is a veteran himself. But the former counsel to President Ronald Reagan has locked horns with the military over religious freedom, and this is just the latest in a long series of retaliation -- but he said it's the worst.

Weinstein has filed suit claiming the military is violating the religious liberties of its members. That doesn't set well with some. But Weinstein said this will just cement the resolve of his organization.

Weinstein said he's had tires slashed, windows shot out, feces and dead animals thrown on his lawn, all connected to the battle his foundation is waging in court.

having a swastika and crucifix painted on the front of his house Sunday was something different.

Tags: religion, freedom, church, state, military

Obama on religion and public policy

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:15:16 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: obama, politics, religion, belief, government

Pagan Symbols On Fence Must Go, City Insists

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:49:43 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan
clipper's remarks: If it looks like graffiti, depicted like graffiti - it's graffiti. What an idiot.

Clip Source: www.desmoinesregister.com

A Des Moines couple say city officials have attacked their pagan religion and their civil rights after a complaint from a neighbor led to a notice to remove symbols that had been painted on the fence. Officials said the symbols are graffiti and must be removed.

"Those are religious symbols; they're not mean or obnoxious in any way," said Ryle MacPebbles who lives in the 2000 block of Southeast Sixth Street. "I just don't like them telling me my religion isn't anything.

"When they start making it personal with my religion, I'm sorry, we'll take it to court," said MacPebbles, a member of the American Pagan Church.

The MacPebbleses said a city inspector approved the fence earlier this year.

"When he said the fence is OK, he said the fence is constructed correctly," said Ben Bishop, neighborhood inspections administrator. "Our position is this was graffiti and it was inappropriate."

Tags: pagan, religion, belief, legal, civil rights, city, neighborhood

Vatican to stage “Mary,” the musical

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:13:09 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.woai.com

The Vatican is set to stage its first ever musical next week about the life of the Virgin Mary.

Alma Manera, a former Miss Italy contestant, will play the lead role in Mary of Nazareth, A Story that Goes On, the first ever musical to be performed in the Holy See's Paul VI Auditorium, which has previously only hosted classical concerts.

The production, which traces the life story of Jesus' virgin mother, has been officially blessed by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state.

Tags: vatican, catholic, church, musical, theater, religion, belief

Nepal's "living Goddess" in limbo

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:20:35 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: in.reuters.com

Nepal's religious authorities picked the country's next "living goddess" or Kumari in a centuries-old tradition on Friday, priests and officials said, but the question now is who will appoint her as a deity.

Traditionally, the head priest of the now-deposed King Gyanendra appointed the "living goddess" but with the abolition of Nepal's monarchy on May 29, that position no longer exists.

"We have requested the government for directives as to who should appoint Kumari now," said Semanta Raj Chapagain, chief of the state-run Trust Corporation overseeing cultural affairs.

Religious authorities in the ancient temple town of Bhaktapur, on Friday selected a six-year-old child, Shreeya, to replace her predecessor Sajani Shakya, who retired earlier this year, after being worshipped by devout Hindus and Buddhists for nine years as the Kumari of Bhaktapur, which is near Kathmandu.

Tags: india, nepal, goddess, pagan, deity, religion, belief, government

Polygamy Children to Be Returned to Families

Thu, 29 May 2008 23:51:25 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

The Texas Supreme Court Thursday ordered hundreds of children from a polygamist sect who have been held in state custody for the past month to be returned to their parents, agreeing with a lower court decision that the state had not proved that the children were in immediate danger of abuse.

Though the ruling technically applies to 38 mothers and their 126 children, it will likely also affect the hundreds of other children who are being held by the state -- and threatened to unravel the largest child custody case in U.S. history.

"On the record before us, removal of the children was not warranted," the court wrote in its decision today.

It was not clear when the children would be temporarily returned to their families. The court said Judge Barbara Walther, who ordered the children held in temporary state custody, could take other steps to ensure the safety of the children.

A Child Protective Services spokeswoman had no immediate comment.

Tags: religion, belief, polygamy, children, child, abuse, custody

Ministry battles paganism in Ecuador

Thu, 29 May 2008 03:58:08 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.mnnonline.org

E3 Partners is sending three times as many short-term mission teams to Ecuador as it sent last year, in the face of rising paganism and socialism in Latin America.

Many suspect that the “doctors” and “teachers” Cuba is sending to Ecuador and other nations are advocates of Santeria, an Afro-Cuban form of paganism. Bolivian president Evo Morales, who is also socialist, wants to spread his country’s tribal animism. Under these circumstances, syncretism and socialistic animism could easily spread through the continent, especially in the Andes Mountains.

Syncretism already abounds in Ecuador. Although 90% of Ecuadorians call themselves Roman Catholic, most of them combine Catholic beliefs with indigenous beliefs. Sometimes their veneration of Catholic saints resembles the traditional local worship of pagan deities.

Tags: religion, belief, pagan, santeria, catholic

Vandals Damage Stonehenge With Hammer

Fri, 23 May 2008 04:49:31 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

LONDON — Two men attacked the ancient monument of Stonehenge with a hammer and chipped off a piece of stone the size of a large coin, a conservation group said Thursday.

Two men hacked the piece from the Heel Stone — the central megalith at the ancient site — last week, English Heritage spokeswoman Debbie Holden said. They were spotted by security guards but escaped by jumping over a fence and driving off.

Wiltshire police are investigating the incident at the UNESCO World Heritage Site located 90 miles (145 kilometers) west of London.

"The damage is very, very slight because security guards spotted them straight away, but the whole thing is still upsetting," said Holden. "This kind of thing has not happened for decades."
The mysterious Stonehenge site is one of Britain's best known and least understood landmarks.

Tags: history, pagan, religion, belief, stonehenge, england