Religion

The Associated Press reports: Tennessee pastor Willie McLaurin, who leads the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, resigned Thursday from his position as interim president and chief executive after it came to light that he presented false information about his educational qualifications on his resume. The Executive Committee’s hiring team was considering McLaurin as a candidate to permanently replace former chief …

The Wisconsin State Journal reports: The former pastor of a West Side church was charged Thursday with two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child for alleged incidents about four years ago in which a girl who was then about 10 said he touched her improperly during a day camp that was held at the church. Robert C. Stine, …

The Denver Post reports: The Denver Catholic Archdiocese along with two of its parishes is suing the state alleging their First Amendment rights are violated because their desire to exclude LGBTQ parents, staff and kids from Archdiocesan preschools keeps them from participating in Colorado’s new universal preschool program. The program is intended to provide every child 15 hours per week …

Fort Wayne’s CBS affiliate reports: A former teacher at Bishop Luers High School pleaded guilty Wednesday to child seduction following allegations that he had sex with multiple students. Jordan Miller entered a guilty plea on two counts of child seduction, a Level 5 felony. If a judge accepts Miller’s guilty plea, the 33-year-old would serve four years of probation. An …

From the far-right Charisma News: Michael Lorenzen, a Major League Baseball player who recently joined the Philadelphia Phillies, accomplished a remarkable feat by pitching a no-hitter, a rarity in the sport, during a recent game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Lorenzen’s exceptional performance on the field left fans and commentators in awe, but it was his remarks …

The New York Times reports: The hoax calls to police departments or suicide hotlines around the country say that a man is considering killing himself and others or that a bomb has been placed in a building. The address given on the phone belongs to a synagogue that is livestreaming its services. In some cases, the callers watch in real …

Michigan’s Hillsdale Daily News reports: A Jonesville man who fled to the Philippines to avoid prosecution on dozens of child sex abuse charges last summer has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison. The Hillsdale County Prosecutor’s Office turned over a number of criminal allegations to the U.S. District Court when it was discovered Tye Braxton Stiger, 37, fled …

The San Antonio Express-News reports: In letters read aloud on Sunday to the affected congregations, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller announced that two priests had been removed from ministry and reported to law enforcement over allegations that they had inappropriate sexual contact with minors. The congregations at both churches were notified Sunday via letters from Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller that were …

The Kenosha County Eye reports: Someone summoned the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department to the Somers Walmart early Thursday morning, August 10th. The person saw a male white, fully naked, standing next to a black truck and appeared to be masturbating. According to Kenosha County Sheriff spokesman Lt. Ryan Markowski, 57-year-old Thomas Bartmer was seen by responding deputies quickly getting into …

Reuters reports: Lebanon’s culture minister moved to ban the film “Barbie” from cinemas, saying it “promotes homosexuality” and contradicts religious values. Minister Mohammad Mortada is backed by powerful Shi’ite armed group Hezbollah, whose head Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has ramped up his rhetoric against the LGBT community, referring in a recent speech to Islamic texts that call for punishing offenders with …

The Washington Examiner reports: Former Vice President Mike Pence warned his opponents on Friday that he would debate the Republican Party’s presidential front-runners on the topic of abortion, which he believes should be banned nationally after 15 weeks. Pence, who has called himself “unapologetically pro-life,” said he would call out Trump and DeSantis on their stances toward abortion during the …

Colorado Springs’ ABC affiliate reports: A youth pastor at a Fowler church is headed to jail for just under two months after pleading guilty to lesser charges connected to the sexual assault of a child. An investigation into 46-year-old Gabe Geringer began in 2018 when a victim came forward. According to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, Geringer was originally charged …

Greenville, South Carolina’s CBS affiliate reports: A former priest in Laurens, South Carolina, will be headed to prison after taking a minor from South Carolina to Florida with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Jamie Adolfo Gonzalez-Farias, aka “Father Gonzalez,” 68, of Laurens, a former Catholic priest, pleaded guilty in federal court …

Salt Lake City’s CBS affiliate reports: Roselle (Rosie) Anderson Stevenson, formerly Rosie Hamblin, 70, of Provo, the ex-wife of David Hamblin who was arrested last September for aggravated sexual abuse of a child, lewdness with a child, rape of a child and several counts of sodomy on a child was booked into the Utah County Jail on one felony count …

The Associated Press reports: Malaysia’s government said Thursday that all Swatch products that contain lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer elements — including watches, wrappers and boxes — were banned, warning that anyone found with one could be jailed for up to three years. The ban has been published in the Federal Gazette — which makes it official — as …

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports: The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will pay $3.5 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that one of its priests sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy in Delaware County nearly two decades ago. Filed in 2020, the lawsuit alleges that Pastor John Close raped the boy at St. Katherine’s of Siena in Wayne in 2006. The plaintiff, whose name …

The Lexington Times reports: A Lexington high school teacher, Kevin Lentz, 49, has been charged with 17 sexual offenses involving minors and has been placed on leave by the Fayette County district. Lentz, an English teacher at Henry Clay High School, was arrested and charged with 10 counts of distribution of obscene matter to a minor, seven counts of use …

The Guardian reports: A board which helps the Roman Catholic archbishop of New Orleans, Gregory Aymond, evaluate abuse allegations against priests and deacons in six cases found clergymen to be credibly accused only for Aymond to ignore the findings and conceal them from the public, a Guardian investigation has found. Aymond’s management of the cases in question as the leader …

The Vermilion County First reports: Former First Baptist Church of Danville School Principal and Church Deacon Robert Lazzell has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to Criminal Sexual Assault against former student Michael Young. The sentence was handed down by Judge Derek J. Girton Tuesday morning, after a sentencing hearing in front of a standing room …

Fort Myers’ CBS affiliate reports: A Cape Coral church deacon has been arrested, accused of sexually assaulting a child when she was 8 years old. Cape Coral police arrested 53-year-old Brian Patsy Rogolino, Thursday. According to police, on Jan. 18, the victim told school staff that eight years ago, she was touched inappropriately by Deacon Brian Rogolino of the Church …