Free Talk Live - Submitted news - Freedom FROM Religion

Man Fined for Resembling the Pope

snowdog2012 — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:26:12 +0000

A Slovak street performer dressed in white papal vestments has been detained and fined by the police in Rome for bearing too close a resemblance to the late John Paul II, police say.

Naming Your Baby "Lucifer" Banned in New Zealand

snowdog2012 — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:58:36 +0000

'Christ' or 'Messiah' also banned.

In New Zealand, parents have to run by the government any name they want to bestow on their baby.

Hairdresser Sentenced to 40 Lashes for Drinking Alcohol

snowdog2012 — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:08:54 +0000

Alcohol consumption is banned in Qatar, except in hotels and for non Muslims who obtain special licenses.

Kentucky Jailing Atheists

JessieLee — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 16:10:23 +0000

In Kentucky, a homeland security law requires the state’s citizens to acknowledge the security provided by the Almighty God--or risk 12 months in prison.

Taliban Shoots 14-Year Old Girl For Blogging

ecigarettes — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 16:34:45 +0000

Malala was riding home in a school van Tuesday in the tense and Taliban-heavy Swat Valley when gunmen jumped into the vehicle and demanded to know which girl she was. Her horrified classmates pointed to her, and the men fired. Two other girls were wounded, but not seriously. Malala gained fame for blogging about how girls should have rights in Pakistan, including the right to learn. She spoke out in a region of the country where support for Islamic fundamentalism runs high.

Russian church urges Pussy Riot members to repent

snowdog2012 — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 22:55:59 +0000

MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian Orthodox Church is asking for clemency for three jailed members of the rock band Pussy Riot if they repent for their "punk prayer" for deliverance from President Vladimir Putin at Moscow's main cathedral.

Faith-Healing Parents Get Probation For Negligent Death Of Son

ecigarettes — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 18:57:53 +0000

An Oregon couple whose teenaged son died from a burst appendix because they don't believe in modern medicine accepted a plea deal to avoid jail. Last December, Austin Sprout became sick with flu-like symptoms. Instead of taking the 16 year old to a doctor, his mother and stepfather chose to pray for his recovery. Sprout's condition deteriorated over more than a week, however, and an autopsy revealed that an infection from the burst appendix killed him, the Crewsell Chronicle reported.

'Harry Potter' is now most Banned Book in America

snowdog2012 — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 16:11:47 +0000

Harry Potter is now the most banned book in America, according to the American Library Association. It is undeniable that themes of death and resurrection abound in the stories, as well as detailed depictions of potions and other hocus pocus. But while there are Christians who decry the celebration of witchcraft, there are other Christians who consider Harry’s journey an edifying allegory for Jesus Christ. That is another problem with banning books: it obscures the diversity of viewpoints within its potential readership.

Black wedding banned by Baptist church

snowdog2012 — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 18:33:51 +0000

CRYSTAL SPRINGS, MS (WLBT) - It was to be their big day, but a Jackson couple says the church where they were planning to wed turned them away because of their race. They had set the date and printed and mailed out all the invitations, but the day before wedding bells were to ring for Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson, they say they got some bad news from the pastor. "The church congregation had decided no black could be married at that church, and that if he went on to marry her, then they would vote him out the church," said Charles Wilson.

Saudi Arabia Sends 2 'Covered' Female Athletes to Olympics

snowdog2012 — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:17:56 +0000

Saudi Arabia will send two female athletes to the London Olympics, ending the ultraconservative Muslim country's record of sending only all-male teams to the games.

While in previous Games, men have been able to wear shorts and singlets, the women will almost certainly have to compete with their heads, legs and arms covered - and most likely in leggings.

Taliban Execute Woman Accused Of Adultery

ecigarettes — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 02:23:03 +0000

KABUL, July 7 (Reuters) - A man Afghan officials say is a member of the Taliban shot dead a woman accused of adultery in front of a crowd near Kabul, a video obtained by Reuters showed, a sign that the austere Islamist group dictates law even near the Afghan capital. In the three-minute video, a turban-clad man approaches a woman kneeling in the dirt and shoots her five times at close range with an automatic rifle, to cheers of jubilation from the 150 or so men watching in a village in Parwan province.

Connecticut priest charged with possession of child porn

ecigarettes — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 05:46:50 +0000

A Catholic priest in Waterford, Connecticut, has been charged with possession of child pornography, according to a statement Tuesday from Waterford police. Dennis Carey, 66, who resigned recently as the pastor at St. Paul Parish Rectory in Waterford, was originally held on $100,000 bond after appearing Tuesday in New London Superior Court, the statement said. The court appearance was a bond hearing and no plea was entered, according to CNN affiliate WFSB.

Alleged victim of clergy abuse acquitted of attacking priest

ecigarettes — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 05:43:53 +0000

A California jury Thursday acquitted a man charged with assaulting a retired Catholic priest, in a case that prosecutors had described as a vigilante attack. William Lynch, 44, was accused of confronting the Rev. Jerold Lindner, 68, during a visit at Sacred Heart Retirement home for Jesuit priests in Los Gatos, California, where Lindner had been living since retirement in 2001. Prosecutors claimed that Lynch walked into the retirement center on May 10, 2010, under the pretense of delivering news about a relative, and attacked his former pastor.

Ideological Battles in Government Schools Fail the Kids

rastahomie — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 23:13:06 +0000

A blog post about how ideological battles in government schools fail the kids. It's written by a liberty-minded Christian.

Supreme Court Takes a Pass on Mt. Soledad Cross Case

ecigarettes — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 01:37:52 +0000

The Supreme Court’s decision lets stand a January ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which held that the cross display violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As the Ninth Circuit explained, “The use of such a distinctively Christian symbol to honor all veterans sends a strong message of endorsement and exclusion. It suggests that the government is so connected to a particular religion that it treats that religion’s symbolism as its own, as universal.

AAI launches 'God Does Not Exist' campaign to support jailed atheist

ecigarettes — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 06:23:30 +0000

Atheist Alliance International (AAI) has launched the 'God Does Not Exist' campaign to draw attention to the case of Alexander Aan, the Indonesian atheist attacked and arrested in January 2012 after posting 'God does not exist' and articles and cartoons about Islam on Facebook. Aan was convicted by an Indonesian court on 14 June 2012, sentenced to two years and six months jail and fined Rp100 million (c.US$10,600).

Church and School Cuts Anger Catholics in Philadelphia

ecigarettes — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 06:18:53 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — “It’s been a rough week” is how the Rev. Charles Zlock, pastor of the St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, started his 10 a.m. homily on Sunday. It seemed like an obvious reference to the searing trial that ended Friday with the conviction of a senior Philadelphia archdiocese official, Msgr. William J. Lynn, on a charge of endangering children by placing a known pedophile in an unwary parish. But the 120 worshipers attending St.

US Catholic official guilty of abuse cover-up

ecigarettes — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 21:24:05 +0000

A Philadelphia monsignor tasked with investigating abuse claims has become the highest-ranking US church official to be convicted of covering up child sex allegations. Monsignor William Lynn, who was secretary of the archdiocese from 1994 to 2001, was found guilty on Friday of one count of endangering the welfare of a child. The jury acquitted Lynn, who oversaw hundreds of priests in the Philadelphia Archdiocese, on counts of conspiracy and another charge of child endangerment. Sentencing for Lynn, who faces up to seven years in prison, was set for August 13 by Judge M Teresa Sarmina.

Death of snake handling preacher shines light on lethal tradition

ecigarettes — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 22:20:11 +0000

Mack Wolford, one of the most famous Pentecostal serpent handlers in Appalachia, was bitten by his yellow timber rattlesnake at an evangelistic event in a state park about 80 miles west of Bluefield, in West Virginia’s isolated southern tip. Mack Wolford, who was 44, died from his injury. He was laid to rest Saturday at a low-key service at his West Virginia church a week after succumbing to a snake bite that made headlines across the nation.