The dark side of Theism & Superstition

829 posts / 0 new
Last post
ThePragmatic's picture
South Africa - "On the night

South Africa - "On the night of April 3, the gun-toting pastor took turns raping them after assaulting them with a baton and a wire in the bedroom while his wife watched TV in the lounge."

"During the ordeal the pastor threatened to shoot them and murder their families should they attempt to flee. Two of the girls are 17 and 18 years old and are members of the pastor's church in Wedela township in Carletonville.
The third victim is a 25-year-old friend of the two teenagers."

"The girls' parents had hoped that he would help the girls with their personal problems. He also promised to give them jobs and spiritual guidance."

http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2016/04/25/our-eight-hours-of-hell-wit...

ThePragmatic's picture
Pakistan - "Hayat Khan, an

Pakistan - "Hayat Khan, an alleged killer of his sister stands in a lockup at a police station in Karachi on April 28, 2016. The Pakistani man who used a kitchen knife to murder his sister told AFP, that he flew into a rage after catching her using a mobile phone"

http://www.topix.com/world/pakistan/2016/04/pakistan-police-arrest-man-f...

Hmm, a conflicting description:
"he caught his sister talking to a boy at the doorstep of their house"
"“I had repeatedly asked her not to go at the door but she did not listen,” said the man, who appeared to be in his early 20s, while talking to media personnel inside the courtroom. “This infuriated me and I grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed her four to five times.”"

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1093483/teenage-girl-shot-dead-by-brother-ov...

ThePragmatic's picture
Bangladesh - "Two Hindu

Bangladesh - "Two Hindu teachers in Bangladesh have been jailed for six months for making blasphemous comments about Islam under a colonial-era law that makes insulting any religion a crime in the Muslin-majority country."

http://www.udayavani.com/english/news/international/144848/2-hindu-teach...

ThePragmatic's picture
Fundamentalist Pastor Mack

Fundamentalist Pastor Mack Charles Andrews, Jr. of Thomasville, Alabama, Raped a 9-year-old girl on her father’s grave.

"The 2013 arrest warrants also list the abuse of three other victims, two of them 13 and one 16 at the time the incidents occurred. There are believed to be others who were abused by Andrews over the several years he was pastor and principal. One girl was assaulted on a church trip to Texas, and she was also raped at Andrews’ home. One of the most disturbing aspects of these two incidents is that both were witnessed by the pastor’s own daughter."

"United Pentacostal congregation, which has since changed its name to New Life United Pentacostal Church, girls and women are strictly forbidden to wear make-up or jewelry or pants, and the church demands that all females wear full-length skirts."

http://americannewsx.com/crooks-crime/fundamentalist-pastor-rapes-9-year...

And how did the congregation react? They blamed the girl, of course...

"“The people of his old church congregation have all turned against me. In their blindness of the truth, they blame it on me because I came forth finally and told the truth…. It’s funny to me how people who so radically claim their salvation have shown no love of Christ to me or any other victims in this case. The really wild thing is some of those congregants are actually victims themselves.”"

ThePragmatic's picture
"A former volunteer youth

"A former volunteer youth group leader at Immanuel Baptist Church in Colonial Heights has been sentenced to serve 25 years for sexually abusing seven boys between 12 and 17 years old he met through the church’s youth organization."

http://www.richmond.com/news/local/central-virginia/article_bc6b27b2-e4a...

ThePragmatic's picture
"Muslim cleric from UK now

"Muslim cleric from UK now head of Islamic State in Somalia"

"Sheiky Abdulqadir Mumin, who preached at mosques in London, fled to Somalia after being investigated by M15 for radicalising young men with his fiery sermons.
The henna-bearded militant, who burned his British passport on arrival in Somalia, has now re-emerged in a video shot in northern Somalia in which he leads a faction pledging allegiance to Isil's Iraqi leader, Abubakr al-Baghdadi."

https://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/04/muslim-cleric-from-uk-now-head-of-isl...

ThePragmatic's picture
"'You're a sinner': how a
ThePragmatic's picture
"A churchgoer shot a fellow

"A churchgoer shot a fellow parishioner in a Pennsylvania church after a fight broke out over a seat in the sanctuary on Sunday"

"Witnesses said Braxton started causing a fuss over the seat, but soon calmed down after talking to a church usher and a pastor.
But the situation soon turned violent when Mark Storms, 46, approached Braxton, carrying a gun in his hand and telling the 27-year-old to get out of the sanctuary."

"Just before punching Storms, Braxton asked, "What are you going to do, shoot me?" according to the court records. The gunman then opened fire, blasting Braxton once in the chest and again in the right arm."

http://m.nydailynews.com/news/crime/churchgoer-killed-fight-seat-sunday-...

Hmm, reminds me of the earlier post about "Mississippi governor signs law authorizing guns in churches".
http://www.atheistrepublic.com/comment/34675
What could possibly go wrong?

ThePragmatic's picture
"There are, by most estimates

"There are, by most estimates, 5,000 kids experiencing homelessness in Utah at any given time. Roughly 42 percent of them identify as LGBT, and most come from Mormon households."

"When the repressive, antigay policies of the Mormon church were leaked to the media, rates of LGBT teen homelessness and suicide skyrocketed."

"“The church is the state here,” she says. “In Provo, there’s even an image of the Mormon temple on the metal badges that police officers wear. What else do I need to say?”"

http://www.advocate.com/current-issue/2016/4/29/ghost-children-mormon-co...
http://rationalfaiths.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/LGBTQCrisis_web.pdf

ThePragmatic's picture
"Malawi's estimated 10,000

"Malawi's estimated 10,000 albinos face "extinction" if they continue to be murdered for their body parts for use in witchcraft, a UN expert has warned."

"Ms Ero said Malawi police have recorded 65 attacks, abductions and murders of albinos since the end of 2014."

"People with albinism, who lack pigment in their skin and appear pale, are regularly killed in several African countries including Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36168742

ThePragmatic's picture
"Ex-Naperville priest gets

"Ex-Naperville priest gets prison for child sex crimes in Michigan"

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/crime/ct-nvs-naperv...

ThePragmatic's picture
West Virginia - "Child after

West Virginia - "Child after child, decade after decade. A Providence Journal investigation uncovers sexual abuse accusations that have trailed the Episcopal priest fired from St. George's School in 1974."

"White, it has been established, is one of half a dozen former employees entangled in the sex-abuse scandal at the elite Episcopal prep school that dates to the 1970s and '80s. White has not been charged with a crime."

http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160430/st-georges-sex-abuse-scan...

ThePragmatic's picture
The Australian 'Royal

The Australian 'Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse' is overwhelmed with work and have to pull the breaks for registrations for private sessions...

"The rate at which people come to the Commission seeking a private session shows no present sign of diminishing. It has averaged 37 per week over the past 12 months."

"The first private session was held on Tuesday 7 May 2013 in Parramatta, NSW, and this month, the Royal Commission completed its 5,000th private session in Queensland. There are more than 1,500 people currently waiting for a private session."

http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/...

ThePragmatic's picture
Cape Town, South Africa -

Cape Town, South Africa - "Man who beheaded victim requests exorcism"

"Swartz admitted to strangling the Ravensmead teen on 17 October, 2013. He then stabbed him numerous times, and finally decapitated him."

"Swartz said he became a Satanist when he was 14"

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/man-who-beheaded-victim-requests-...

Hooray for the judge:
"When defence lawyer Sheriff Mohamed asked him to testify about other exorcisms he had performed, Judge Steyn interjected. She said: “If you want to lead evidence on magic or witchcraft I’m not going to allow that.""

"Begbie told the Western Cape High Court on Thursday that Swartz had been possessed by demons and that was why he felt it necessary to perform an exorcism at Pollsmoor prison."

"The prison, however, denied the reverend permission to carry this out."

But, you cannot stop the power or prayers... Remote exorcism, activate!

"Begbie told the court that he had sent out the word to church groups to do a special prayer for Swartz... ...On Good Friday they all stretched out their arms towards the prison and prayed."

"He testified that he believed Swartz had a guardian demon who instructed him, “so he wasn’t in his right mind”.
The reverend further told the court that the accused was now remorseful and would like to apologise to the family"

It worked, obviously!

Hooray for the judge again:
"Judge Steyn responded: “This is not a case about satanism, it’s about a young man who took the life of another young man.”"

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/man-who-beheaded-teen-now-free-of...

ThePragmatic's picture
Melbourne archdiocese -

Melbourne archdiocese - "Church loses track of abusive priests"

- The church is uncertain how many abusive priests are under its supervision
- No written policy for managing sex offenders exists despite the church identifying dozens of predator priests since the start of the Melbourne response victim compensation scheme in 1996
- Priests who have left the church's jurisdiction without permission or ignore directives from superiors about their conduct are still being financially supported and protected
- Parishioners are unaware priests have been banned from public ministry for sexual misconduct because the information is being withheld or removed"

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/pushing-the-boundaries-church-loses-tr...

Attachments

Attach Image/Video?: 

Yes
ThePragmatic's picture
"Priest on the lam found in

"Priest on the lam found in Morocco"

"After nearly a quarter of a century on the lam, a priest who helped ignite the clerical sex abuse crisis in New Mexico in the 1990s has turned up in Morocco, working at an English-language school for children"

http://www.abqjournal.com/769392/priest-on-the-lam-found-in-morocco.html

ThePragmatic's picture
Monroe, New York’s Orange

Monroe, New York’s Orange County
"Undercover video of Hasidic principal handling boy prompts sex abuse probe"

http://www.timesofisrael.com/undercover-video-of-hasidic-principal-handl...

"New video shows 2nd boy being caressed by Hasidic NY principal"

http://www.timesofisrael.com/new-video-shows-2nd-boy-being-caressed-by-h...

ThePragmatic's picture
Paraguay - "Church apologizes

Paraguay - "Church apologizes for abusive priests"

"The Paraguayan Episcopal Conference (CEP) met in special meeting and yesterday released a statement asking forgiveness for the acts of sexual abuse committed against minors."

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2F...

ThePragmatic's picture
"the Catholic church is

Ballarat, Australia - "the Catholic church is planning a memorial mass for disgraced former Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns."

"Bishop Mulkearns died of cancer early last month. He had previously confessed to covering up the sexual abuse of children by priests under his watch."

http://www.3aw.com.au/news/tom-elliott-says-planned-memorial-mass-for-di...

ThePragmatic's picture
"Nashville megachurch faces

"Nashville megachurch faces $10M lawsuit in 2007 rape"

"Brian Lance Mitchell has been in prison since 2012, convicted of multiple sex crimes against children.
Mitchell worked for Cornerstone Nashville church.
Attorneys for the victim said the church’s negligence led to the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old boy back in 2007."

http://www.wbrc.com/story/31905960/nashville-megachurch-faces-10m-lawsui...

ThePragmatic's picture
"A day after Senate Deputy

"A day after Senate Deputy Majority Leader John DeFrancisco told child sex abuse victims that he didn't have time to meet with them (pictured), he complained that the Daily News wrote about the pizza party he threw instead."
"...to the Syracuse women’s basketball team"

Aww... the poor guy.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/state-senator-angry-news-pizza-...

ThePragmatic's picture
"Cambridge-educated deputy

"Cambridge-educated deputy head of £15,000-a-year Catholic private school who blew £600 a week on paedophile drug parties is jailed for horrific stash of porn images featuring children as young as two"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3575806/Cambridge-educated-deput...

ThePragmatic's picture
Ireland - "A religious order

Ireland - "A religious order [Salvatorian] covered up the sexual crimes of an Irish priest who abused more than 100 children, some as young as 6"

"The failures of the Salvatorian order to act on the crimes of a priest named “Father A” were outlined in a report released Wednesday (May 4) by Ireland’s National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church"

http://religionnews.com/2016/05/05/catholic-order-covered-up-for-irish-p...

The report
http://www.safeguarding.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Salvatorian-Societ...
http://religionnews.com/2016/05/05/catholic-order-covered-up-for-irish-p...

ThePragmatic's picture
"Archbishop John Nienstedt of

"Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul-Minneapolis, who resigned in June 2015 amid controversy over his handling of sexual abuse allegations, now has been accused of failing to act when a member of his own extended family was molested by a fellow priest."

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/05/05/former-twin-cities-prelate-accu...

ThePragmatic's picture
Bangladesh - Home Minister

Bangladesh - Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal

"“Bloggers should restrain from hurting religious sentiments,” the minister said. It is a criminal offence when bloggers hurt religious sentiments of the public, he added."

http://www.thedailystar.net/country/govt-dislikes-killings-anti-religiou...

ThePragmatic's picture
Donga Gali, Pakistan -

Donga Gali, Pakistan - "Pakistan girl, 16, "burnt alive" for helping couple to elope"

"Police said the honour killing was ordered as punishment for what the council deemed irreparable damage to the village's reputation. The couple appeared to have escaped.
The girl's mother and brother were also arrested, Wazir said, as they were present during the meeting and allegedly agreed to the sentence."

http://in.reuters.com/article/pakistan-honourkillings-idINKCN0XW129

More than 500 men and women were killed in honour killings in Pakistan last year, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

ThePragmatic's picture
Another predator priest

Another predator priest protected by the church.

"the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul was aware of the abuse allegations as early as 1973", "By 1995, at least six men claimed Kapoun sexually assaulted them between 1966 and ‘81 when they were boys. Kapoun admitted to three and reportedly there was a “substantial'’ settlement in at least one of the cases in 1990."

"the allegations in hundreds of pages of court documents is abhorrent."

"He reportedly spends his summers at a $500,000 lakefront home in Cold Spring, Minn., where some of the alleged assaults took place, and some of his winters in Palmetto, where he is reportedly unsupervised and free to enjoy Florida just like any other retiree."

"the archdiocese allowed Kapoun to retire early in 1996, but in addition to the monthly pension of $1,510.50 he receives, he gets an additional $957.50 per month as “medical retirement.'’"

WTF???

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20160508/NEWS/160509675/-1/news?Tit...

ThePragmatic's picture
Bangladesh - Buddhist monk

Bangladesh - Buddhist monk hacked to death on Saturday.

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2016/05/16/buddhist-monk-hacked-to-d...

ThePragmatic's picture
The Catholic Church is

The Catholic Church is spending money on lobbying against law changes that would be beneficial for its victims of sexual abuse.

How very moral of them...

So apart from the humongous sum of a vast number of settlements in sexual abuse cases, we can add the cost of lobbying against changing laws.

"Since 2007, the New York bishops’ lobbying arms have poured more than $1.1m into ‘issues associated with timelines for commencing certain civil actions related to sex offenses’. "

"The lobbying funds have gone toward opposing bills in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland that would extend statutes of limitations for child sex abuse cases or grant temporary civil windows for victims whose opportunities for civil action have already passed."

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/12/catholic-church-fights-cl...

ThePragmatic's picture
"Ohio school caught using a

"Ohio school caught using a video made by an Islamic sex cult to teach creationism to kids"

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/ohio-school-caught-using-a-video-made-by...

Pages

Donating = Loving

Heart Icon

Bringing you atheist articles and building active godless communities takes hundreds of hours and resources each month. If you find any joy or stimulation at Atheist Republic, please consider becoming a Supporting Member with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup of tea and a good dinner.

Or make a one-time donation in any amount.