LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY aureantes)

Now, considering that I ran across this on the FOXNews website, it'll be interesting to see how far this case actually gets in changing things for the better -- I ran a search and added the URL for this place's contact and info page.  Anyone with a better familiarity with the group's tags than I, please feel free to add/edit those as needed:


Christian Boot Camp Officials Accused of Dragging Teen Behind Van

Friday, August 10, 2007
Associated Press


BANQUETE, Texas — Arrest warrants have been issued for two officials at a Christian boot camp accused of dragging a 15-year-old girl behind a van after she fell behind the group during a morning run, authorities said.

Charles Eugene Flowers and Stephanie Bassitt of San Antonio-based Love Demonstrated Ministries, a 32-day boot camp, are facing aggravated assault charges for the alleged June 12 incident.

The two were accused of tying the girl to the van with a rope then dragging her, according to an arrest affidavit filed Wednesday by the Nueces County Sheriff's Department. Arrest affidavits for Flowers and Bassitt list a $100,000 bond.

A call to Love Demonstrated Ministries was not immediately returned Friday. No listing was found for Bassitt. An answering machine at a listing for Flowers cut off during an attempt to leave a message Friday.

Flowers, the camp's director, allegedly ordered Bassitt to run alongside the girl after she fell behind, the affidavit said. When the girl stopped running, Bassitt allegedly yelled at her and pinned her to the ground while Flowers tied the rope to her, according to the affidavit.

The girl's mother gave investigators photos of her daughter's injuries that were taken at a hospital where the girl was treated and a sworn statement from a witness who claimed to see the girl being dragged on her stomach at least three times.

Many of you by now have heard about the "Great Boldout"--the followup to the Great Strikeout of 2007 (the Strikeout having been initiated by Warriors for Innocence, whom we're reported on before)--and how fandom communities are being rather specifically targeted.

One particular official post from an LJ employee on the lj_biz community seems to indicate, among other things, that communities promoting anorexia (and by "promoting", we mean "giving explicit instructions on where to get pills and how to binge/purge") are okay under the argument "Bad advice isn't illegal".

For what it's worth, I saw the bit on their new TOS prohibiting "child abuse of any sort"...what I found in a search was that it's apparently not just anorexia they are supporting.

( Evidence suggests that communities supporting some of the most egregious forms of 'Bible-based' baby-beating and starvation are perfectly acceptable on Livejournal )

I have reported this to Livejournal (in both the thread over on lj_biz and in two formal abuse complaints (#797388 concerning trainupachild and #797391 concerning babywise. We'll see if anything is done; I seriously doubt it.

EDIT 12 AUGUST 2007:

As of today, Livejournal Abuse has still done nothing in regards to the two abuse complaints in question.

There is also some very disturbing information to suggest that we may be dealing with a pattern of favouritism towards dominionists in the US Government as well. Specifically (via the following post from Jihad Against "Innocence"), the New York Times has reported that the Department of Justice is in essence outsourcing its internet obscenity and indecency complaints to a dominionist group:

In the last few years, 67,000 citizens’ complaints have been deemed legitimate under the program and passed on to the Justice Department and federal prosecutors.

The number of prosecutions resulting from those referrals is zero.

That may help explain why no one — not Justice Department officials, not Mr. Wolf, not even the religious antipornography crusader who runs the program — seems eager to call the project a shining success.

The department Web site invites citizens to report material that they believe is obscene so it can be investigated and, perhaps, prosecuted. Clicking on the site to make a report takes the user to ObscenityCrimes.org, which is run by Morality in Media, the grant recipient.

Morality in Media is a conservative religious group that has worked since 1962 to “rid the world of pornography"...

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY gothic_oreo)

Who else has been struck by the irony of of dominionist anti-pedophile groups when there is so much child abuse up to and including pedophilia in Dominionist circles?

Case after case has surfaced and in group after group I have heard tell of children being beaten, sexually abused, and emotionaly abused in these groups. When this happens, the survivor's accounts are often the tale of the circling of wagons, protecting the perpetrator, and blaming the victim.

It seems to me WFI should follow their own books advice and make sure their own house is in order in regards to pedophilia and incest before they go throwing stones at people who are not even associated with such abominations.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY pretentioustfu)

Sorry for the double post, but this seems to have a ring of truth to it from what I've seen posted around this community about dominionist child abuse and spousal abuse.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070417/ap_on_re_us/minister_slain;_ylt=AqMZfKKm5AqkLgaZfIirY4hH2ocA

( A sadly familiar story. . . )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY pretentioustfu)

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3034040&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

Pedophiles? In the Southern Baptist Convention? It's more likely than you'd think. . . (sorry for rehashing the "centipedes" meme, you may slap me for that)

( Article behind the cut )

. . .

Some of you may remember my report of a court case involving coercive "deliverance ministry" group Remnant Fellowship involving yet another sad case of "death by chastening rod"--religiously motivated child abuse that ends in the death or maiming of children (both physically and emotionally) and which is all too common and all too much of a dirty secret in the dominionist community.

And as of the 16th, Josef Smith's ghost may have finally found justice, as the courts ruled his parents guilty of murder.

( To quote 'Big O', 'In the name of God, ye be guilty' )

This actually sets a very powerful precedent--to my knowledge, this is the first time a parent has actually been convicted of murder for religiously motivated child abuse (typically, if these cases make it to trial at all, the parents are simply convicted of child abuse or involuntary manslaughter).

At least one group of walkaways and survivors of Remnant Fellowship are stating this should be a lesson that religiously motivated child abuse is not acceptable, per the Tennessean newspaper:
( Walkaways speak out )

Hopefully little Josef Smith will not be the first to see justice--hopefully one day *everyone* who has been the victim of religiously-motivated child abuse will someday see justice. (In that light, I strongly encourage each and every reader of this community to please support the work of the Safe Passage Foundation, which to my knowledge is the ONLY group that is specifically working to prevent religiously-motivated child abuse and support the rights of child walkaways from coercive religious groups--including coercive dominionist churches.)

(This will be posted to DailyKos and Talk2Action later this weekend, but getting this out now)

A trial is presently underway in a case of a Tennessee 8-year-old who appears to be the latest sad case of what I have referred to as "death by chastening rod"--cases where kids are literally beaten to death by dominionist groups which have a strong belief in "deliverance ministry". Sites like Stop The Rod have been bringing a lot of awareness to this, but sadly these cases continue and--all too often--the abuse is not discovered until the kid ends up dead or maimed.

Details behind the cut. Warning to walkaways, victims of child abuse, and especially victims of "deliverance ministry" linked abuse--the below is likely to be triggering.

( Articles follow )

Doing a bit of backgrounder research, I found that Remnant Fellowship is apparently a neopentecostal dominionist group founded by Gwen Shamblin--who is most (in)famous for promoting fad "Bible-based" diet programs (specifically the "deliverance ministry"-based "Weigh Down Workshop"). Not only is the group one of the most blatantly dominionist and overtly "Joel's Army" groups I have ever seen, but explicitly states that no other Christian denominations are actually Christian; "Weigh Down Workshop" is essentially a fad diet combined with a heavy emphasis on "name it and claim it" and "deliverance ministry".

In fact, the church has an entire webpage dedicated to damage control and spin. The reason for *this* is because damned near every single group that does any sort of research at all on coercive religious groups has noted the org is in essence a Bible-based cult, among them: Rick Ross Institute, Religion News Blog (which notes specifically the spiritually abusive components as well as its criticism of its apologetics; reportedly walkaways from Remnant Fellowship are deemed the "demon seed" (showing it practices "serpent seed" theology) and ex-members are shunned, reportedly the church has attempted SLAPP-style lawsuits against critics (in *exactly* the same fashion as Scientology and Amway have tried to shut down vocal critics by suing them into the poorhouse) and may have engaged in frank vote fraud in local elections), SpiritWatch (the target of the SLAPP by Remnant Fellowship), FACTnet (of note, a person reporting on a Remnant/Weigh Down seminar notes one of the specific seminars is called "Strongholds"--this is a dominion theology term (specifically in claiming that pretty much doing ANYTHING not vetted by the name-it-and-claim-it leader "opens doorways and strongholds for Satan in your life")), and others. In fact, even sites for people wishing to investigate weightloss programs warn that Weigh Down is operated as a recruitmnt front for Remnant Fellowship.

There is also an active walkaway community for Weigh Down/Remnant Fellowship walkaways and survivors, and there is a real risk that this could be one of the few churches actually taken down due to religiously motivated child abuse--court evidence to be presented includes an interview between cult founder Gwen Shamblin and the mother of the murdered child on the effectiveness of "chastening techniques" and which indicates Shamblin herself specifically told the parents of the poor child how to literally beat the hell out of him.

From the following article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
( A new case of religiously motivated child abuse--warning, potentially triggering to walkaways )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY lasarina)

Note: This was originally posted in my journal in July 2005. I was reading through old posts, and decided that this one was appropriate to share with this community. Bear with me a moment, the relevance will soon become clear.

   Why does someone become a terrorist? I have seen discussions of economic disparity, cultural clashes and a host of other, less credible reasons. ( Read more... )

   How are we to fight terrorism from other places, when we use the same method to brainwash our own children? Goddess help, what happens when our terrorists take on their terrorists?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY jehovahsfitness)

A new documentary claims that Catholic images have subliminal messages that have led to the abuse of children by priests. More here.

Berlin parishioners are trying to save Nazi church as a reminder of how the Christian establishment was so closely linked with the Nazi Party. I think it would serve as a great reminder to not only future generations, but the present ones of the dangers of mixing nationalism with religion, and how it is hurtful to religion.

Finally, Scientology is using it's starpower to convince the Arizona legislature to restrict psychiatric meds.
Which begs the question... Scientology is not a Christian group by any stretch of the imagination, but they are well-known to have a history of coercion and tactics similar to Dominionism. I wonder if we should not also cover the CoS's activities as well. Thoughts?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY mirandaflynn)

Wouldn't want to spare the rod, now, would we?

link

Fun stuff all around. I like the advice to use plumbing supplies to beat the child. I don't have kids and am iffy on spanking, but if I ever *was* going to do it, there wouldn't be more than the back of the hand to the backside, and then only in major situations.

"Sean's 9-year-old brother was beaten so badly he limped, a prosecutor said. Bruises marred Sean's backside, too, doctors found."

"Sean died after being wrapped so tightly in blankets he suffocated. That, too, was a form of punishment, Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said."

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY catvincent)

A relevant article, found by a friend on the LJ abusesurvivor community.
It discusses Biblical references to power-over and abusive parental relationships.
(NB - highly critical of Christianity in general. Also possible abuse triggers. Be sure you want to click on this first.)
"In retrospect it is rather obvious, but while I was there the cataract of denial was too great: the natural product of an abusive religion is an abusive household."

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY kiji_kat)

Report: Gay Prevention Programs Harm Teens

( Full text behind the cut in case the link dies )

(x-posted to kiji_kat)

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY ccroft)

And so, like the news-story about Creationism in the UK, I'll share an article from our New Zealand news service in the same spirit; it's crucial to understand Christian fundamentalism is a creeping global phenomenon. Much like bird-flu, perhaps...

Quote:'Pastor Milne said Ms Bradford's drive was a sign that "spiritual warfare is hotting up in New Zealand".

He said people who rejected God were "under the control of Satan" because they interfered with the biblical responsibility of the parent to discipline their child.'

That's right. There's a bill coming up which will curtail the ability to abuse their child in the name of 'discipline'. And this is part of Satan's plan how now?

Full news story is here.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY wyldraven)

Dr. Teresa Whitehurst on The Intolerance of Christian Conservatives

( Excerpt )

Dr. Whitehurst is a well known Christian author and clinical psychologist. Her book Jesus on Parenting refutes the popular "conservative" parenting values based on "spare the rod, spoil the child" and instead approaches parenting from the loving viewpoint of Christ's own words. We need more like her.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY jaded_journeys)

Their Own Version of a Big Bang

From the article:

Evangelist Ken Ham smiled at the 2,300 elementary students packed into pews, their faces rapt. With dinosaur puppets and silly cartoons, he was training them to reject much of geology, paleontology and evolutionary biology as a sinister tangle of lies.

"Boys and girls," Ham said. If a teacher so much as mentions evolution, or the Big Bang, or an era when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, "you put your hand up and you say, 'Excuse me, were you there?' Can you remember that?"

The children roared their assent.

"Sometimes people will answer, 'No, but you weren't there either,' " Ham told them. "Then you say, 'No, I wasn't, but I know someone who was, and I have his book about the history of the world.' " He waved his Bible in the air.

"Who's the only one who's always been there?" Ham asked.

"God!" the boys and girls shouted.

"Who's the only one who knows everything?"

"God!"

"So who should you always trust, God or the scientists?"

The children answered with a thundering: "God!"

A former high-school biology teacher, Ham travels the nation training children as young as 5 to challenge science orthodoxy. He doesn't engage in the political and legal fights that have erupted over the teaching of evolution. His strategy is more subtle: He aims to give people who trust the biblical account of creation the confidence to defend their views — aggressively. [Emphasis Mine]

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY mirandaflynn)

"Train up a child in the way he should go", I guess. I really wish this was a satire site.

::shudder::

link

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY shaunathan)

Thousands of child "witches" turned on to the streets to starve

From the article:

Then there are the new fundamentalist Christian sects, of whichthere are thousands in Kinshasa. They make money out of identifying'witches' and increasingly parents bring troublesome children to thepastors. 'It's a business,' says Mafu. 'For a fee of $5 or $10 theyinvestigate the children and confirm they are possessed. For a furtherfee they take the child and exorcise them, often keeping them withoutfood for days, beating and torturing them to chase out the devil.'

Childrenwho do well in school can also be accused of witchcraft. The commoncharge is they have been seen flying or eating human flesh. Theirconfessions of killing and eating relatives are broadcast live on TVchannels owned by evangelical churches. What once seemed aberrationsfrom extremist sects now seem to be becoming commonplace.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY wyldraven)

Andrea Yates moved to mental hospital

How is this relevant? If you don't know about "quiver-full", you should.
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/quiverfullconvicted

( Read more... )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY multiclassgeek)

The Times (UK): "Police fear for children abused by religious sects"

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1921773,00.html

Basically, it's an article about the growing number of child abuse cases coming to light where the children have been the victims of "exorcisms". The main reason I'm flaggin this here is because it sounds a lot like the sort of thing that goes on in Dominionist "deliverance" circles... Though in the US, from what I've seen/heard/read, most of the damage tends to be mental and emotional, rather than physical, as it is in this case (please correct me if I'm wrong)

Most of the cases seem to be African evangelical churches, which are often not affiliated with any other "church-groups" (such as the Church Of England, or the Roman Catholic church). The "small independent" church concept... It has a "Westboro Baptist" feel to it.

Thought you guys might like to know...