Tag Archives: religion

Nevada Pastor Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Inmate

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports: A pastor at a women’s prison in Las Vegas has been charged with sexually abusing an inmate, according to police and court records. Donald Burse, 55, was booked at the Clark County Detention Center on May 24. Court records show the Nevada attorney general’s office has filed two felony counts against Burse of sexual abuse …

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Police: Pastor Murdered Man Over Affair With His Wife

Baton Rouge’s CBS News affiliate reports: A Missouri husband has been charged with first-degree murder for fatally shooting the man he says his wife was having an affair with, according to police. Matthew Dedmon, 47, is charged with first-degree murder for the death of Joe Newburn, 57. Dedmon told investigators he is a pastor at Heritage Baptist Church in Rogersville. …

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FBI: Church Official Embezzled $360K From Food Pantry

The Marysville Appeal-Democrat reports: The wife of a former Marysville police chief was arrested in Oklahoma after a federal grand jury indicted her on multiple counts, including fraud. On May 19, a federal grand jury in Sacramento returned an indictment against Chanell Easton, 36, of Oklahoma City with charges that included 22 counts of wire fraud and two counts of …

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Massachusetts Lawmakers Pardon Last Salem “Witch”

The Associated Press reports: It took more than three centuries, but the last Salem “witch” who wasn’t has been officially pardoned. Massachusetts lawmakers on Thursday formally exonerated Elizabeth Johnson Jr., clearing her name 329 years after she was convicted of witchcraft in 1693 and sentenced to death at the height of the Salem Witch Trials. Johnson was never executed, but …

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North Carolina Baptist Pastor Charged With Rape

The Greensboro News & Record reports: Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office investigators charged a Baptist pastor who is a former Rockingham County School Board chairman with second degree rape on Thursday, officials said in a Friday news release. James Jeffery Eanes, 66, of 512 Carolyn Court North, was arrested and charged by RCSO Detective G. Staley as part of an ongoing …

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Former Louisiana Priest Charged With Rape [VIDEO]

New Orleans’ Fox affiliate reports: A former Jesuit priest and non-profit director has been arrested a second time for sex crimes allegations, jail records show. Stephen Sauer is accused of taking lewd photos and videos of unconscious men and sexually abusing at least one victim. Sauer was removed from his position with the Arc of Greater New Orleans, an agency …

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Pastor Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Teen Girl, Said God Gave Him A “Vision” That They Were “Betrothed”

Elmira, New York’s NBC News affiliate reports: Robert Fenton, 52, is being charged with sexually abusing and assaulting a 14-year-old girl from 1996 to 1998 in Bradford County, when he was 26 years old. According to the announcement from the AG’s office, Fenton allegedly claimed that “God wanted the victim to be his spouse” because of a vision he had. …

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Satanic Temple Sues After School Bans “Satan Club”

Harrisburg’s CBS News affiliate reports: Just days after being voted down from having an After School Satan Club, The Satanic Temple is filing for a civil law suit against the elementary school, according to Mathew Kezhaya who serves as the general counsel for The Satanic Temple. Kezhaya says the main issues to be litigated is whether the school board was …

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NJ Diocese To Pay $87M Clergy Sex Abuse Settlement

The Associated Press reports: A New Jersey Catholic diocese has agreed to pay $87.5 million to settle claims involving clergy sex abuse with some 300 alleged victims in one of the largest cash settlements involving the Catholic church in the United States. The agreement between the Diocese of Camden, which encompasses six counties in southern New Jersey on the outskirts …

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TX Youth Pastor Charged With Sexual Assault Of Child

The Dallas Morning News reports: A 32-year-old youth pastor was arrested on charges related to the sexual assault of a child, Mesquite police said Monday. Conner “Jesse” Penny, a Mesquite resident, was arrested April 5 after police received a report the day before regarding the sexual assault of a child. He faces one count each of continuous sexual abuse of …

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PGA Champion: I Won Because I Play To “Glorify God”

The Christian Post reports: Fifty-six days ago, Scottie Scheffler was a 25-year-old beginning his third full season on the PGA Tour, ranked 15th in the world but still seeking his first victory on the game’s top circuit. As of March 27, after winning three of five events, Scheffler shot up to No. 1 in the world. As of Sunday evening, …

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Survey Finds “Unprecedented” Drop In “Bible Users”

The Christian Post reports: There has been an “unprecedented drop” in the number of Bible users in the United States since last year, according to a report released by the American Bible Society. The American Bible Society defines Bible users as “those who use the Bible at least 3-4 times each year on their own, outside of a church setting.” …

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Megachurch Pastor Resigned After Accusation Of Rape

The Christian Post reports: Less than two weeks after Reed Bogard abruptly resigned as lead pastor of the now-defunct Hillsong Dallas church in January 2021, an internal investigation commissioned by Hillsong Global showed that the married father of three was accused of rape by a junior female staff member with whom he had a monthslong sexual affair while serving at …

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Homeschooling Family Dead In Group Suicide Leap

The Daily Mail reports: A family of four are dead and a teenage boy is fighting for life in hospital after appearing to jump from their apartment building in the Swiss resort of Montreux on Lake Geneva, police said. The French family were found at the bottom of a seven storey building in Montreux on Thursday and are believed to …

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Man Convicted In Synagogue Bomb Plot Appeals For His Religious Right To Possess White Supremacist Artifacts

Courthouse News Service reports: A Colorado man sentenced to 20 years in prison for plotting to blow up a synagogue appealed supervised release conditions at the 10th Circuit on Tuesday, including a prohibition on possessing items associated with white supremacy including Thor’s Hammer. Authorities arrested Richard Holzer in November 2019 after he discussed plans with undercover federal agents to blow …

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Megachurch Pastor Resigns In Adultery Scandal

The Christian Post reports: Bruxy Cavey, the primary teaching pastor of one of Canada’s largest megachurches, The Meeting House, has resigned after an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct commissioned by the church last December concluded that he abused his power. “The investigator determined that Bruxy had maintained a sexual relationship with the victim, an adult woman, in violation …

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Televangelist Offers Tithing Refund If Nothing Changes

The Roys Report reports: Facing persistently lower giving, Willow Creek Community Church last Sunday invited Pastor Robert Morris, who some allege is a prosperity preacher, to deliver a guest sermon on tithing. The sermon contained a singular promise: Tithe for a year, and if you’re not satisfied, you’ll get your money back. “Thousands and thousands” had seen their lives changed …

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POLL: 23% Say US Pastors Are “Definitely” Trustworthy

The Christian Post reports: Fewer than half of American adults, including non-Christians, see pastors as “very reliable” when it comes to handling spiritual matters, and the share of pastors who believe the general public sees them that way is even lower, according to newly published data from Barna Research. When that data is further broken down, however, only 23% of …

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Super Bowl MVP: God Told Me In 2019 That I’d Win

“In 2019, we walked off the field that last time after losing to the Patriots; I wasn’t able to be a part of that thing. But I don’t know what it was, there was just this vision God revealed to me that we were going to come back. “We were going to be part of a Super Bowl, we were …

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NYC Priest Axed Over “Inappropriate” Chats With Teens

The New York Daily News reports: A Queens priest has been stripped of his clerical collar after a Catholic Church review board substantiated claims of misconduct, officials said Monday. Not only was the Rev. John O’Connor forced to step down as pastor of St. Gregory the Great in Bellerose, he was completely removed from the ministry upon the recommendation of …

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