Judge strips Eastern Townships father of custody, citing refusal to comply with public health measures

CTV News
The Canadian Press Staff
January 25, 2021

MONTREAL -- Failing to comply with public health instructions during the COVID-19 pandemic could be considered “reprehensible and even harmful to the development of a child” in cases of shared custody, according to a recent Quebec Superior Court decision.

In the ruling, Judge Claude Villeneuve cited failure to comply with public health measures as part of their decision to withdraw shared custody from an Eastern Townships father.

The case, which was heart in the St-Francois judicial district, concerned the request of an 11-year-old child to end shared custody. The child had been asking for their mother to have sole custody due to “bad experiences” they said were caused by their father's lifestyle.

In the decision, which was rendered on Dec. 18 but only published online on Monday, Villeneuve took into account the child's maturity, which they said was beyond their young age, and determined it was not in their best interest to maintain the custody formula against their will.

Among the elements mentioned as causing problems was a vegan diet that the child did not want to adhere to.

“Although an adult is completely free to choose their mode of feeding and it may be opportune to teach the virtues of it to their child, there are limits to imposing it when it doesn't correspond to their needs,” the judge wrote.

The father also allegedly hit the child at least twice, once with a belt and once with a book.

Villeneuve explicitly held the father's behaviour during the pandemic against him, especially since the man is self-employed, works in the housekeeping field and his main client is an early childhood centre.

According to the judge, “even if freedom of expression is a recognized right, this doesn't go so far as to allow an adult to denigrate and discredit, in the presence of his minor child, the citizens who respect the rules decreed by public health authorities in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic.”

He added that such a message instills in a child “that it's not important to respect the law or health and safety of others,” behaviour which pushes the judge to “question the parental capacities of the parent in matters of education and well-being of the child.”

The man reportedly described disparaged people who wear masks in public places to the child.

Sebastien Gagnon, who acted as counsel for the child in the case, said he believes the judgment could serve as case law in family court. With the pandemic ongoing and vaccination beginning, he said he expects to see other cases where compliance with instructions will be debated as a factor in a parent's ability to lead by example.

According to court documents, a lawyer who represented the father chose to withdraw from the case, citing, among other reasons, his “categorical refusal to wear a mask” during their meetings.

Though full custody was awarded to the mother, the father did retain a right to visits every other weekend in order to maintain a relationship with the child.

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/judge-strips-eastern-townships-father-of-custody-citing-refusal-to-comply-with-public-health-measures-1.5282011

Polygamous sect's South Dakota compound in foreclosure

Minneapolis Star Tribune
Associated Press
JANUARY 28, 2021



PRINGLE, S.D. — A compound in South Dakota's Black Hills held by a secretive polygamous sect is for sale after the group defaulted on a $1.6 million loan, according to a local sheriff.

Court documents show the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' property near Pringle in Custer County is in foreclosure, KELO-TV reported.

The 140-acre (57-hectare) property includes nine parcels of land. It will be sold as one during an auction Feb. 25 at the Custer County Courthouse, said Sheriff Marty Mechaley. The compound sits along a gravel road and is shielded from view by tall pine trees, a privacy fence and a guard tower.

The FLDS is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism whose members believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven. Polygamy is a legacy of the early teachings of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the faith abandoned the practice in 1890 and prohibits it today.

Seth Jeffs, who authorities have said led the FLDS compound in South Dakota, is the brother of Warren Jeffs, who is considered by the group to be a prophet who speaks for God. Warren Jeffs is serving a life sentence in Texas for sexually assaulting underage girls he considered to be his brides.

In recent years, the group has lost hundreds of members and control of the sister cities of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, amid a major leadership void started by Warren Jeffs' imprisonment.

Seth Jeffs took a plea deal in a multimillion-dollar food-stamp fraud case in 2016. His brother Lyle Jeffs was sentenced in 2017 to prison for his role in carrying out the scheme.

https://www.startribune.com/polygamous-sects-south-dakota-compound-in-foreclosure/600016100/

New Autobiography Gives Insight into Maharishi Murder

Shuvender Sem
February 19, 2013


LANCASTER, Pa., Feb. 19, 2013 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — It is a story that could only be written by one person. A compelling autobiography that not only pushes the boundaries of sanity, it takes readers on a frightening voyage to meet it face-to-face. “Murder and Misunderstanding; One Man’s Escape from Insanity” (ISBN-13: 978-1479256969) is the story of Shuvender Sem, who on March 1, 2004 became known as “The Maharishi Murderer.”

The murder took place in Fairfield, Iowa, on the campus of a university that prided itself on non-violence. The Maharishi University of Management used a variety of techniques towards its non-violent goals including twice-daily use of Transcendental Meditation. It was to no small degree that this setting put the murder in the national spotlight.

In one moment Sem was a college student. In the next he was “The Maharishi Murderer.” Shuvender killed freshman Levi Butler without provocation on the campus by stabbing him four times in the chest with a paring knife. The murder took place following an incident earlier in the day when Sem stabbed a student with a pen. That previous incident led to the student getting seven stitches to his face.

Deemed competent to stand trial, the judge ruled he was “not guilty by reason of insanity” at the request of both the defense and the prosecution. Against popular belief, NGRI is an extremely rare plea, used in less than one percent of criminal cases. A not guilty result is even more uncommon, occurring just one-quarter of one percent of the time.

Now, after years of psychotropic medications and intense therapy, Shuvender is telling his story of schizophrenia in his autobiography, “Murder and Misunderstanding; One Man’s Escape from Insanity.” It is not only an extremely rare look into the mind of a killer from his own perspective, but it is also a deeply personal story that explores the darkest, most grim places of the mind.

“Our mental health system is broken. We need to fix this before more crimes are committed,” says Sem.

In his book, Shuvender tells of his relationship with his father, and the events that led to that day on campus. He describes his struggle with, and eventual escape from this misunderstood illness. It is a story of recognition and realization. A story of redemption desired, and hope delivered. It is a book written to serve as a beacon for those with schizophrenia and their families, by a man who was held in its strongest grips, and managed to escape.

Shuvender Sem, or Shubi as he is known, now speaks publicly about his experience with schizophrenia in the hopes of helping others. He is available for presentations and Q&A sessions for law enforcement, mental health groups, attorney associations, academic institutions and others who may feel they can benefit from his story.

The self-told story of Shuvender Sem, “Murder and Misunderstanding; One Man’s Escape from Insanity” is available at http://www.ShuvenderSem.com/ . The book is available in paperback; as well as Kindle, iPad and Nook digital editions.

News issued by: Shuvender Sem




Original Image: https://www.send2press.com/wire/images/13-0219-murmisun_72dpi.jpg

# # #

Original Story ID: 2013-02-0219-002 (8534) :: New-Autobiography-Gives-Insight-into-Maharishi-Murder_2013-02-0219-002

Original Keywords: Shuvender Sem, Maharishi Murderer, book, Murder and Misunderstanding One Man’s Escape from Insanity, Kindle, iPad and Nook digital editions, ISBN 9781479256969, public speaker, Surinder LLC, schizophrenia, crimes, memoir, books Shuvender Sem Lancaster Pennsylvania LANCASTER, Pa.

Alternate Headline: ‘Murder and Misunderstanding’ is an autobiography that pushes the boundaries of sanity, and takes readers on frightening voyage

Maharishi U. of Management Settles Lawsuit Over Student Murdered in Dining Hall

Sara Lipka

FEBRUARY 11, 2009

Chronicles of Higher Education 

The family of a student who was brutally murdered in Maharishi University of Management’s dining hall in 2004 reached a confidential settlement with the university on Monday.

The murder occurred before threat assessment and behavioral intervention had become staples on college campuses. But the family of the victim, Levi A. Butler, argued in two lawsuits—one is still pending—that university officials should have known that another student, Shuvender Sem, was dangerous. The suits also said that officials at Maharishi, a small institution in rural Iowa that is grounded in the principles of Transcendental Meditation, could have prevented Mr. Sem from killing Mr. Butler. Experts described the case as a textbook example of an institution’s doing almost everything wrong.

Mr. Sem, a diagnosed schizophrenic, enrolled at the university in January 2004 without disclosing his mental illness. According to the lawsuits filed by Mr. Butler’s family, Mr. Sem’s behavior became increasingly bizarre and aggressive. He threatened to kill a classmate, the lawsuits said, by bashing his head into a sink and stomping on him. In a class on March 1, 2004, Mr. Sem attacked a fellow student with a pen, stabbing him in the face and throat and leaving cuts that required stitches.

University officials did not inform law-enforcement officers of the attack, but decided to send Mr. Sem home to Pennsylvania. They arranged a flight for the following morning, according to court documents filed on behalf of both the university and Mr. Butler’s family. Meanwhile, Joel Wysong, the dean of men at the time, took Mr. Sem to Mr. Wysong’s campus apartment.

While Mr. Wysong was in another room—the lawsuits say he was meditating—Mr. Sem took a knife from the kitchen and left the apartment. Mr. Wysong, without notifying law-enforcement officers, went looking for Mr. Sem and found him in the dining hall. The dean did not immediately approach the student, according to court documents. Mr. Sem soon began screaming obscenities and, with the kitchen knife, stabbed Mr. Butler repeatedly in the chest.

Mr. Sem was charged with first-degree murder, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

The university reviewed its safety policies and practices and released a lengthy report in July 2004. The report included several recommendations, such as creating student-wellness and crisis-response teams.

What Not To Do

In 2006, Mr. Butler’s family sued the university in federal court in both Iowa and California, where his parents reside. John Killian, the student Mr. Sem had attacked with a pen, also sued Maharishi; that case was previously settled. The court in California held off on Mr. Butler’s case pending the result of the one his family was pursuing in Iowa.

In Iowa, the family alleged gross negligence by the university. The lawsuit argued that administrators had violated their own security policies and “acted with reckless disregard for the safety of others” by, among other things, failing to alert students, campus-security officials, and law-enforcement officers of the attack on Mr. Killian. The family also said that administrators had failed to supervise Mr. Sem adequately after the pen attack and to “properly screen” him before admitting him to the university.

Among the lawsuit’s other claims is that the university engaged in fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation by asserting in promotional materials that it was “violence free” and “a safe haven of peace, friendship, and zero crime.”

The terms of the settlement are confidential. In a written statement, William Goldstein, the university’s general counsel, said only that the case had been resolved “to the satisfaction of all parties.”

The California court will now pick up the Butler family’s lawsuit, which the university has sought to dismiss on jurisdictional grounds. The case differs slightly from the one in Iowa, where state law allowed Mr. Butler’s estate, not his parents, to sue.

In California, the family will argue again that Maharishi was negligent in its handling of Mr. Sem. “The university was on notice that he was very unstable,” said Stephen R. Eckley, a lawyer in Des Moines who represents the Butler family.

Legal experts called the case instructive. If the family’s assertions are true, said Martin Michaelson, a lawyer in Washington who specializes in higher education, they “illustrate vividly a great many things that a university or college should not do.”

In particular, administrators without specific training in law enforcement or counseling should not supervise students who have been identified as potentially disturbed, said W. Scott Lewis, associate general counsel at Saint Mary’s College and partner in the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management. “This is a reminder,” he said, “that that’s an incredibly poor practice.”

But Maharishi could not have legally done at least one thing the family’s lawsuits suggested. Although the university could have responded differently to Mr. Sem’s behavior, officials there could not have insisted that he disclose his mental-health history before admitting him, said Karen A. Bower, a senior staff lawyer for the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.

“You can ask individuals, but you cannot require that they provide that information,” Ms. Bower said, citing the Americans With Disabilities Act. “That screening,” she said, “is often used as a means to discriminate.”

https://www.chronicle.com/article/maharishi-u-of-management-settles-lawsuit-over-student-murdered-in-dining-hall-1522/

How a New Religion Could Rise From the Ashes of QAnon - OH GREAT

Candida Moss

The Daily Beast

January 21, 2021

If the past has taught us anything it is that failed prophecies and frustrated predictions don’t always mark the beginning of the end for radical social movements.

In addition to being a historic event, one might be forgiven for thinking that the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris would sound the death knell of QAnon conspiracy theories. Now that Biden is actually president and QAnon predictions about Trump’s continuing hold on power have failed to come to fruition it would seem logical that they would pack up shop and admit that they were wrong. But if history has taught us anything it is that failed prophecies and frustrated predictions don’t always mark the beginning of the end for radical social movements. With apologies to Madonna, it’s prophets who are the mothers of reinvention.

In the early 19th century, New York farmer and Baptist preacher William Miller preached that the return of Jesus Christ was imminent. His prophecy was based largely on his study of the biblical book of Daniel. His interpretation led him to conclude, initially at least, that Christ would return sometime between March 1843 and 1844. When March 1844 passed without the appearance of Christ and his angels in the sky, Miller picked another date —April 18, 1844—which also slid by without cosmic incident or divine intervention. A follower of Miller’s, Samuel Snow, proposed a third date in October, but the Day of Judgment had still not arrived. The Millerites were understandably disillusioned. One member, Henry Emmons, wrote that he had to be helped to his bedroom, where he lay “sick with disappointment.”

You would think that three false prophecies, collectively known as the Great Disappointment, would be the end of the Millerites. To be sure, some members did leave to join the Shakers, but others began to reinterpret the prophecies about the end of days. One group began to argue that they were only partly wrong. The prophecies weren’t about the Second Coming and end of the world but, rather, about the cleansing of a heavenly sanctuary. It wasn’t an earthly event, it was a heavenly one, and this explained why, to us mere humans, it might appear that nothing had happened. It was out of this group that the Seventh Day Adventist Church arose. Today the Seventh Day Adventist Church has between 20-25 million members. They are, according to Christianity Today, “the fifth largest Christian communion worldwide.”

Ironically, the prophecies in Daniel that formed the basis for the Millerite (and many other!) prophecies about the end of the world were themselves the product of dashed expectations. Though it is set in the sixth century B.C., Daniel was written during the reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes IV (175-164 B.C.). At the time Judeans were wrestling with the Antiochus’s attempts to eradicate Jewish customs and traditions like Sabbath observance, circumcision, and dietary laws. As a response to this crisis the book contains a series of prophecies about what would happen at the end of time. The dates are very specific and, after the first date for the restoration of the Temple given in Dan. 8:12 passed without incident, a later author was forced to add a second prophecy (Daniel 12:11-12) to account for the mistake.

Clinging to a belief despite evidence to the contrary isn’t just a religious phenomenon. On 8 June, 68 A.D. the Roman emperor Nero died a few miles outside of the city of Rome. Fearing the wrath of the Senate and concerned that a gruesome end awaited him, Nero had his secretary help him commit suicide. Even though Nero was dead, legends about his return persisted for centuries. At least three imposters emerged during the reigns of his successors. Each pretender gained followers, was captured, and killed but the Nero Redivus legend continued to gain traction with his supporters.

While it might seem that the moral of this story is ‘be vague about your prophecies,’ the book of Daniel is in our Bibles and the Seventh Day Adventist Church is a major denomination in Christianity. The initial prophecies weren’t strictly accurate, but the movements they generated pivoted and flourished.

Social psychologists call this phenomenon cognitive dissonance. In their classic treatment, When Prophecy Fails, Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken, and Stanley Schachter studied the case of the Seekers, a small UFO religion that believed that they would leave the Earth in a flyer saucer before daybreak on Dec. 21, 1954. After the non-arrival of extraterrestrials, the group’s leader, Dorothy Martin, changed her name and continued to prophesy. Festinger and his colleagues concluded that when groups are deeply convinced that they are correct and individuals have social support from other members of their group, beliefs can be maintained even in the face of overwhelming counter evidence. According to Festinger, fringe members of a movement experiencing a moment of cognitive dissonance are more likely to admit they were wrong, but devotees double-down, reinterpret, and regroup.

Though Festinger’s work has been criticized by others, the theory can explain how some people cling to their belief structures even when they have been proven wrong. In the case of QAnon this has already happened. Hilary Clinton was supposed to have been arrested three years ago. Joe Biden was never supposed to have become president. As Chine Labbe, European managing editor at NewsGuard told the Financial Times, “there’s been lots of predictions from the beginning, none of which have come to fruition… but this didn’t prevent the [QAnon] Movement from growing.”

QAnon has already claimed a seat in Congress and branched out into the wellness industry, so there’s no reason to think that the 2020 U.S. election will be the death of the movement. It certainly doesn’t help that former President Donald Trump said in his parting remarks that he “will be back in some form.” All of which suggests that even if Trump is convicted, QAnon Trump loyalists—like supporters of Nero—may be holding out hope for years to come.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-a-new-religion-could-rise-from-the-ashes-of-qanon

A former mayor got a free issue of the Epoch Times. Imagine his shock to see his name inside

Free copies of paper that spins alt-right conspiracy theories have turned up in mailboxes

Adam Walsh

CBC News · 

Jan 20, 2021

 

Curiosity about a free newspaper in his mailbox turned into surprise when former St. John's mayor Dennis O'Keefe found his name printed inside — in a story that said he, along with the mayor of Calgary and other officials, was a target of interest for the Chinese Communist Party. 

"I couldn't believe it," said O'Keefe outside his St. John's home while holding a recent copy of the Epoch Times, which was distributed this month for free to households in the region.

"I mean, I've had a lot of surprises in my life, believe me. But this one really takes the cake."

The article said O'Keefe's name was found in a 2019 document that came from the Foreign Affairs Office in Daqing, a city in northeastern China. The paper said it obtained the document that included names "spanning a wide range of sectors and countries in which the Chinese regime seeks to cultivate talent." 

O'Keefe retired as mayor before the 2017 municipal election. 

"It's just inexplicable," said O'Keefe who called the article "terribly misleading," and said nobody from the Epoch Times contacted him for comment. 

What is the Epoch Times?

The Epoch Times started 20 years ago in what the paper called a "response to communist repression and censorship in China." The paper is headquartered in New York and says it operates in 22 languages in 36 countries. 

Simon van Zuylen-Wood, a New York based journalist who recently did a deep dive on the paper's embrace of Donald Trump for The Atlantic magazine, said the paper has found favour with the conspiratorial strains of the American right wing. 

His Atlantic article was called "MAGA-land's Favorite Newspaper," with the subhead, "How the Epoch Times became a pro-Trump propaganda machine in an age of plague and insurrection."

In a phone interview with CBC News, Zuylen-Wood called the Epoch Times a fast-growing newspaper that changed tack in the Trump era.

He said what makes it unique is that it's backed and run by members of the Falun Gong sect — a spiritual movement that was persecuted and banned by the Chinese government in the late 1990s. The paper's connection to the Falun Gong has been widely reported in mainstream publications, including CBC News. 

When Trump ran for president, the paper saw that for "the first time in decades a major party's presidential nominee was running an overtly protectionist campaign, with China in his crosshairs." 

He wrote the "Falun Gong came to see Trump as a kind of killer angel, summoned from heaven to smite the Chinese government."

The article goes on to say "The Epoch Times ramped up its spending on Facebook ads and hitched its wagon to the 45th president."

That hitch has also proven lucrative. Van Zuylen-Wood said the paper's revenues have quadrupled in the last four years.

The paper also has a large online presence. A recent NBC News report said the Epoch Times now has one of the biggest social media followings of any news outlet.

Van Zuylen-Wood says the paper has become one the "leading purveyors of content suggesting that the American election was stolen."

He noted it also prints recipes, lifestyle stories and wellness tips. 

"So it's a strange mix of pedestrian and often kind of irrelevant news and then sort of hard right, often sort of conspiratorially laced content," he said. 

'Utter nonsense' concerns resident

That mix is what worries Lesley Burgess about the paper she found in her St. John's mailbox recently. She is among those who have voiced their concerns on social media about the paper and its content. 

"It has all these kinds of health and lifestyle stories woven in with all of this misinformation, basically," said Burgess. 

She said she had heard about the paper before but it wasn't until she looked through that she realized there was "utter nonsense" everywhere. 

CBC's request for comment from the Epoch Times has gone unanswered. 

"If you don't know any better, you might think this is a run-of-the-mill paper. And I think that's really dangerous," Burgess said.

Kurt Phillips, a board member with the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, has been following the subscription drive of the Epoch Times.

He said the paper's content is of concern because it keeps disseminating disinformation about conspiracy theories on the far right such as "Spygate" and QAnon. 

Phillips said he's seeing stories from the paper shared in some mainstream conservative circles, which has the potential to radicalize people with misinformation. 

"It is contributing to an ever-growing divide between reality and a fictionalized version of the world that is especially dehumanizing and dangerous," he said. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/epoch-times-mailbox-concern-1.5880482

 

Take a look at the abandoned ashram that The Beatles left behind in India

Pubali Dasgupta

Far Out

January 20, 2021 

Travelling is a common inspiration behind many artistic creations. Not only the change of scenery but also the exposure to different cultures and traditions rejuvenates the mind. The Beatles’ trip to India was one such creative stimulator that was marked by a hyper-productive phase in their decade long career. 

The quartet emerging during the crucial 1960s or what is known as the ‘counterculture movement’ rose to the pinnacle of success too quickly and too fast. Always a casual bunch, as Paul McCartney would later state in numerous interviews, The Beatles found themselves leading the cultural sector of the movement before they could process anything. It would be a lie to claim that they didn’t enjoy their wild popularity, of course they did, but fame has its demands, and the foremost among them is to compromise on privacy. Ambushed by paparazzi and constantly interviewed by the media, the group was gasping for some fresh air and peace of mind. 

The idea of an India trip came to them in a concretised form when in August 1967, they attended the spiritual guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s seminar on Transcendental Meditation in Bangor, Wales. George Harrison’s long-standing enchantment with India and its culture added a motive in favour of the trip. “We have all the money you could ever dream of. We have all the fame you could ever wish for. But it isn’t love. It isn’t health. It isn’t peace inside, is it?” Harrison said to Saltzman. A conditioned society indoctrinated with the stereotypical binaries associated with the West and the East typically didn’t approve of this idea. The group, however, desperate to find a leader/guru, as per Donavan, shut out all the noise and prepared for their journey. 

Travelling in two groups, the team was joined by John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr’s wives, McCartney’s girlfriend, Donovan Leitch, Mia Furrow, Mike Love, ex-road manager Mal Evans along with few other friends and family members. A huge team of reporters followed the band as well, intent on prying on their retreat, but was kept outside the ashram fences. According to Donovan’s account, the first meeting with the yogi was steeped in awkward silence until Lennon pulled one of his antics and patted the yogi on his head saying “there’s a good little guru,” which tickled everyone present to their core. 

Their days were dedicated to the practice of stage four of the seven steps of consciousness, which was “pure” transcendental meditation. Mystic as it might sound, the basis of this practice was more scientific than religious with the aim of building up concentration and alertness. Dressed in traditional clothes procured from the nearby Indo-Tibetan markets of Mussoorie and Dehradun they adapted themselves to the spiritual Indian way of life – a life that focuses on the non-attachment to the material world which is nothing but a Maya (illusion). The meditation practice sparked a healthy competition between the band members who would try to outdo each other. Their evenings were sometimes spent listening to the gurgling river nearby or the sitar cassettes which they collected and occasionally singing in Harrison’s room, who would sit with a harmonium."

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-beatles-ashram-left-behind-india-travel/

Kenja Communications refuses to join National Redress Scheme for victims of child sexual abuse

One of the country’s most controversial spiritual groups has sparked outrage by refusing to join the National Redress Scheme for victims of child sexual abuse.

Alexis Carey
NEWS.com.au
JANUARY 10, 2021

Australian survivors of child sexual abuse have been dealt a major blow after three organisations – including one labelled cult-like – refused to participate in a compensation program.

The National Redress Scheme for victims of child sexual abuse was established in 2018 in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse.

It helps people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse access counselling, a direct personal response from the institution in question, and a payment of up to $150,000.

However, three organisations failed to meet the December 31, 2020 deadline to join the scheme, Fairbridge Restored Limited, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Kenja Communication, which means survivors will be locked out of compensation.

Of the three, Kenja – a communications training group consistently described as a “cult” by ex-members and critics – is the only one to deny sexual abuse occurred within its ranks.

“Kenja has decided not to join the National Redress Scheme because we are firmly of the belief that no child sexual abuse has ever taken place at Kenja,” co-founder Jan Hamilton told news.com.au in a statement.

“Whilst we agree with the objectives of compensating child sex abuse victims, it is not appropriate in our view where genuine claims do not exist.

“One of the co-founders, Ken Dyers, fought false allegations of child sexual abuse over many years and was exonerated by the courts.”

Ms Hamilton has also repeatedly denied that Kenja is a cult.

While the decision has sparked public anger, it’s just the latest in a series of high-profile scandals to hit the secretive organisation over the years.

WHAT IS KENJA COMMUNICATIONS?

Described as a “training facility for people who want to develop their ability to be more effective or ‘cause’ over their lives”, Kenja was founded in Australia in 1982 by Ken Dyers and his partner Jan Hamilton.

There are centres in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, and the group’s website emphatically denies it is a religious group or cult, instead insisting “Kenja training views self-determinism as an imperative for personal growth”.

Among Kenja’s most controversial practices are “energy conversion meditation” and “Kenja klowning”, with the former described online as “the spirit in action” which involves “viewing the physical world with spiritual detachment and experiencing energy in its various forms”.

But a number of former members have claimed the sessions with Ken Dyers were one-on-one, with participants – including women and children – fully naked.

“Sometimes we’d be processed naked in one-on-one sessions – Ken said it helped energy flow freely through the body. Once, when I woke from the fog of a naked processing session, Ken was lying on top of me with his trousers and underpants around his ankles. But my Kenjan mind-training kicked in and I immediately dismissed the idea he’d acted inappropriately, reasoning I could trust Ken and, if he’d touched me, I’d remember it,” former member Annette Stephens wrote in a 2012 article published by news.com.au.

According to Kenja, in a Klowning class, “exercises provide an opportunity for each person, through the non-threatening avenue of laughter and humour, to locate and let go of behaviours which are self-destructive and often unconscious”.

KEN DYERS

The co-founder faced a string of child sexual abuse charges over the years, although he was only convicted of one charge, which was then overturned after appeal.

In 1992 Liberal MP Stephen Mutch described Dyers in Parliament as “a seedy conman selling mumbo-jumbo garbage” and in 1993, Dyers was charged with 11 counts of sexual assault against four girls before being acquitted.

In 2005 Dyers was charged with another 22 counts, but the case was deferred after the NSW District Court ordered a mental health assessment.

Dyers took his own life in 2007 at the age of 85 after being informed by police that new allegations had been made against him.

Ms Hamilton then attempted to sue the state of NSW for damages, alleging a letter sent to her husband by police amounted to “misfeasance in public office”.

However, her claim failed in June 2020, with the NSW Supreme Court declaring it was not satisfied that the sending of the letter was “conducted with an intention to cause harm.”

CORNELIA RAU

In 2005, Kenja was in the spotlight again after mentally ill former member Cornelia Rau was detained by the Australian government for 10 months due to a bizarre misunderstanding.

Authorities assumed the German-born Australian resident was an illegal immigrant and did not realise her mental health struggles, which led to her detention.

Ms Rau was eventually released in 2005, and in the same year her sister Christine told The Age she blamed Kenja for her sibling’s decline.

“It was while she was with them that she started getting sick,” she told the publication, adding Kenja “seemed very secretive” and “wouldn’t talk” to her about her sister.

RICHARD LEAPE

Sydney schoolteacher Richard Leape is another mentally ill Kenja member who vanished and sadly, has not been seen since 1993.

Mr Leape was being treated for schizophrenia during his involvement in the organisation, and his family also shared concerns about its methods.

In a 2005 Daily Telegraph article, Mr Leape’s sister Annette said her brother’s case was reminiscent of Ms Rau’s.

“I’m appalled to read this organisation is still in existence and have grave concerns that there may be many other persons who have had contact and so-called therapies with this organisation, and developed very serious mental illnesses,” she said at the time.

MICHAEL BEAVER

Yet another tragedy linked to Kenja involves Michael Beaver, who was a member for two years and who was also diagnosed with schizophrenia.

He later took his own life, alleging in a suicide note that Kenja was “partly to blame”.

KENJA RESPONDS

In a statement sent to news.com.au, Jan Hamilton insisted Cornelia Rau, Richard Leape and Michael Beaver had “participated with great joy and happiness in the Kenja activities”.

“Due to personal circumstances they left Kenja,” she said in a statement.

“However there was no animosity at the time of their departure. In no way was Kenja responsible for the personal difficulties which they encountered, years after they left Kenja.

“It is reprehensible that people are blaming Kenja for these individuals’ personal difficulties to further their hostile agendas against Kenja.”

Ms Hamilton also denied that Kenja was a cult.

“Over many years Kenja has been subjected to attack by some people who have referred to it as a ‘cult’ and ‘dangerous’. These attacks began with a hostile Liberal Member of parliament, Mr Stephen Mutch, in 1992 who described Kenja as a ‘dangerous cult’,” she said.

“Mr Mutch now operates a business called Cult Consulting Australia. Since that time a handful of disgruntled people, along with so-called anti-cult organisations, have attempted to discredit and disparage Kenja, Ken Dyers and myself.

“Many thousands of people however have participated in Kenja and speak highly of its benefits and contributions to the improvement of their lives. These people come from many walks of life and we would be happy for you to meet with some of them to talk to them about their experiences in Kenja over decades.”

Ms Hamilton claimed that Kenja had spent decades helping people.

“A particular focus of Kenja’s activities over 40 years has been the positive development and fulfilment of the lives of young people,” she wrote.

“Kenja fosters an environment of caring and humanity, which many people who spent their childhoods participating in Kenja can testify to.

“Regrettably, over the years we have had a small number of disgruntled people who have sought to vent their hostility towards our organisation, which has given rise to false sex abuse allegations. Those allegations which were contested in rigorous legal proceedings were thrown out by the Courts.

‘ALL ABOUT CONTROL’

Tore Klevjer, a registered counsellor specialising in religious abuse, extremism and control who assists former cult members, told news.com.au cults were typically defined by the power they exercise over members rather than a particular belief system.

“Cults are all about control,” he explained, adding there was not a particular personality type that was more susceptible.

He said people were more vulnerable to cults at particularly needy points in their lives, such as when they faced a “crossroads”, and said when a person was initially drawn to a cult, they were usually “love bombed” at first.

“They are treated like they are very special, which is very welcome if you’ve spent your life not feeling very special,” he said.

“It’s a big drawcard, and from here control slowly starts to take place.

“People are asked to renounce certain things, to disengage from their family and friends, they often give excessive amounts of money to the group and their time is (managed) so they have less time to spend with other people.”

Mr Klevjer said cults tend to alienate people from their loved ones, and said those who left cults often experienced symptoms such as post traumatic stress, anxiety, depression and phobias and had difficulty readjusting to normal life.

He urged those affected by cults to seek professional support and recommended Cult Information and Family Support Inc (CIFS) as a valuable resource.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/kenja-communications-refuses-to-join-national-redress-scheme-for-victims-of-child-sexual-abuse/news-story/fc737c9dbec73d03f9496ecb2ddfe15c

South Korea sect leader cleared of hindering virus effort

Yahoo News Australia
January 13, 2021

Lee Man-hee, leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, was cleared of hindering the government's anti-virus efforts, but convicted of embezzlement.

The elderly leader of a secretive religious sect at the centre of South Korea's early coronavirus outbreak was not guilty of hindering the government's virus prevention efforts, a district court ruled Wednesday.

But Lee Man-hee was convicted of embezzling billions of won from his organisation and given a suspended prison sentence.

The Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which is often condemned as a cult, was at the centre of huge controversy early last year when it accounted for more than half of South Korea's coronavirus cases.

At the time, the country was enduring one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China, but later largely brought it under control with widespread testing and tracing.

Shuncheonji's leader Lee, 89, was taken into custody in August and accused of giving health authorities inaccurate records of church gatherings and false lists of its members.

Prosecutors last month requested a five-year jail term.

But the Suwon District Court cleared him of violating the infectious disease control law.

Lee apologised in March for the spread of the disease, twice getting to his knees to bow before reporters, his head to the floor.

"Although it was not intentional, many people have been infected," he said at the time.

"I seek the forgiveness of the people."

The church has also apologised, while more than 3,500 of its members who survived the virus donated blood plasma to help treatment research.

Lee was, however, convicted of embezzling more than 5.7 billion Korean won ($5.2 million) from Shincheonji and submitting false applications to hold religious events at public sports facilities.

He was given a three-year suspended jail term.

Researchers say the sect proclaims Lee has donned the mantle of Jesus Christ and will take 144,000 people with him to heaven on the day of judgement.

It was heavily vilified back in February, and more than 1.4 million people signed a petition on the South Korean presidential office website demanding its dissolution. It is known to have some 200,000 followers.

Shincheonji has claimed its members face social stigma and discrimination if their beliefs become publicly known, dissuading some from responding to official inquiries.

In recent weeks South Korea has several times recorded more than 1,000 new cases a day -- low by global standards, but its highest figures to date -- and has raised its social restrictions.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/south-korea-sect-leader-cleared-064218607.html

South Korean Church Leader Acquitted of Blocking Antivirus Efforts

Choe Sang-Hun

New York Times
January 13, 2021

SEOUL, South Korea — The leader of a secretive religious sect that was at the center of a coronavirus outbreak in South Korea last year received a three-year prison term on Wednesday on charges including embezzling church money.

But Lee Man-hee, 89, the founder of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, was acquitted on a charge of conspiring to impede the health authorities’ efforts to fight the virus.

Mr. Lee’s prison term was suspended for four years, which means that he will remain free unless he commits a crime within that time.

The rapid spread of the virus among the church’s worshipers in Daegu, a city in the southeast, in February and early March last year had briefly made South Korea home to the world’s largest coronavirus outbreak outside China. A total of 5,213 of the country’s more than 68,000 cases have been found among church members and their contacts, according to government data.

Prosecutors arrested Mr. Lee in August on charges that he and other church officials had obstructed the government’s efforts to fight the epidemic by not fully disclosing the number of worshipers and their gathering places. Mr. Lee was also accused of embezzling 5.6 billion won, or $5.1 million, from church funds to build a luxurious “peace palace” north of Seoul, the capital, and of holding unauthorized religious events at public facilities. Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison term.

Mr. Lee’s church — which he says has 245,000 followers in South Korea and abroad — has faced intense criticism at home, and he apologized to South Koreans in March over the number of cases tied to it. But the church has dismissed claims that its actions contributed to the spread of the virus, as well as accusations from parents that Mr. Lee is a “religious con artist” whose church has lured and brainwashed their children with its unorthodox teachings.

At the peak of the outbreak spreading from the church, South Korea reported as many as 900 new cases a day. But that outbreak has been eclipsed by a new wave of infections that began spreading mainly through the populous Seoul metropolitan area in November. The country, which has a population of about 50 million people, reported a record 1,240 new cases on Christmas Day.

Mr. Lee, who was released on bail in November, denied all charges against him during the trial. In an earlier statement, his church said Mr. Lee never intended to hamper the government’s efforts to control the epidemic, and had urged church members to cooperate with the health authorities.

On Wednesday, a judge in the district court of Suwon, south of Seoul, ruled that a failure to provide a full list of worshipers and church facilities did not amount to impeding the government’s disease-control efforts.

Mr. Lee’s church welcomed the acquittal, but said he would appeal his conviction on embezzlement and other charges.

He Blames ‘Evil’ for South Korea’s Coronavirus Surge. Officials Blame Him.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/world/asia/korea-church-covid-trial-prison.html

Interview with Cult Expert Janja Lalich

The Cult Vault

January 1, 2010

"In this week's episode, I was extremely fortunate to sit down and chat with veteran of the industry and Cult Expert Janja Lalich. Janja has decades of experience working alongside cult victims and survivors and gives some insight during this interview into some of her career accomplishments. She also offers advice for those potentially experiencing cult-like coercion."

Listen to: #52 - Interview with Cult Expert Janja Lalich

Resources:

• https://www.ted.com/talks/janja_lalich_why_do_peope_join_cults?language=en - TED-ED
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NWIfiV1_XQ - Explained: Cults
• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13269706/ - Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult
• https://www.imdb.com/find?q=cults+and+extreme+beliefs&ref_=nv_sr_sm
• Escaping Utopia: Growing Up in a Cult, Getting Out, and Starting Over
• Take Back Your Life: Recovering From Cults & Abusive Relationships
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Janja-Lalich/s?rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3AJanja+Lalich

CultNEWS101 Articles: 1/14/2021 (Podcasts, Falun Gong, Epoch Times, NXIVM, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Legal)

Podcasts, Falun Gong, Epoch Times, NXIVM, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Legal

The Cult Vault: #52 - Interview with Cult Expert Janja Lalich

"In this week's episode, I was extremely fortunate to sit down and chat with veteran of the industry and Cult Expert Janja Lalich. Janja has decades of experience working alongside cult victims and survivors and gives some insight during this interview into some of her career accomplishments. She also offers advice for those potentially experiencing cult-like coercion.."

SF Gate: Epoch Times, one of Trump's favorite 'news' sources, is linked to Shen Yun

"If the ubiquity of Shen Yun advertising has dulled somewhat during the global pandemic, perhaps you've noticed something else taking its place.

You might have endlessly seen their ads on YouTube. Or maybe you even saw President Donald Trump himself promoting it. Although not yet as ever-present as a Shen Yun billboard, the Epoch Times is steadily expanding its footprint — along the way becoming one of Trump's preferred "news" outlets.

The website looks like your standard news source, but a note at the top of the screen is your first indicator this is not a CNN wannabe.

"At a time when legacy media outlets are IGNORING credible allegations of ELECTION FRAUD across America, we are giving you, your family and your friends, unlimited access to almost all of our reporting for free so that you can be truly informed, until a president is legally elected," it reads, before a solicitation to enter your email address to "continue reading."

The Epoch Times is now one of the most prolific peddlers of pro-Trump propaganda on the internet, but it began life as the media arm linked to Falun Gong, the same Chinese spiritual movement that puts on Shen Yun dance performances."

Major stories of 2020: NXIVM leader Keith Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in prison but case of Danielle Roberts shines light on the dwindling number who remain loyal to the leader.

"The story of the 60-year-old reputed cult leader and his fiercely loyal disciples is winding down. Despite delays brought by the pandemic, 2020 was the year in which many of the women victimized by NXIVM got the chance to see Raniere punished after facing him down in court. Some saw their stories turned into more than a dozen hours of documentary television.

At the same time, others have remained faithful. Among them is osteopath Danielle Roberts, a lesser-known player in NXIVM who was directly involved in one of Raniere's most notorious acts.

On March 5, the state Department of Health's Board of Professional Medical Conduct brought disciplinary charges against Roberts, accusing the 39-year-old of practicing medicine with gross incompetence and gross negligence, morally unfit conduct, practicing fraudulently or beyond the scope, performing services not authorized by the patient, and failing to maintain records.

The board alleged that on March 9, 2017, Roberts betrayed her medical license when she used a cauterizing pen to brand 13 so-called "slaves" in Dominus Obsequious Sororium (DOS), a group within NXIVM conceived by Raniere. The branding left permanent scars on the women's pelvic areas, in the shape of a symbol that was later revealed to be Raniere's initials. The purported self-help guru arranged it so that women in DOS would be held down naked as they were branded; he directed that they ask to be branded — in order to make it appear they weren't coerced, Raniere told Allison Mack."

TF: Jehovah's Witnesses File Copyright Lawsuit in Response to Blundering Christmas Album

" ... Last month, Welsh singer Aled Jones, who shot to fame as a youngster in the 1980s, teamed up with BMG to release a new album titled 'Blessings'. The album aims to be religiously inclusive by bundling songs associated with Christians, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, and Quakers. But trying to appeal to everyone can have its pitfalls, especially where religion is concerned.

The problem lies in a song on the album called "Listen, Obey and Be Blessed", a work owned by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, the supervising body and publisher for the Jehovah's Witness religious group. The appearance of this song on a commercial album immediately raised alarm bells among the religion's followers who, through their teachings and knowledge of their faith, knew this track shouldn't have been used in this manner."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultEducationEvents.com

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

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Please forward articles that you think we should add to CultNEWS101.com.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

We are SNAP, the largest, oldest and most active support group for women and men wounded by religious and institutional authorities (priests, ministers, bishops, deacons, nuns, coaches, teachers, and others).

SNAP is an independent, peer network of survivors of institutional sexual abuse and their supporters who work to:

Support Survivors

We support survivors through conversations, email and general support with our hotline. We host support groups for survivors nationwide. We have over a hundred volunteer local SNAP leaders who provide day to day and one on one support for those in need. We help provide references and links to resources to enable survivors to thrive.

Protect Children

We advocate for stronger laws to protect children and the vulnerable. We advocate for reform of statute of limitation laws that limit criminal prosecution and civil responsibility for abusers.

Protect the vulnerable:

We expose predators and those who shield them. 

Heal the wounded:

We share our stories and empower others to confront the truth. Together, we find healthy ways to recover.

Expose the truth:

We educate ourselves and our communities about the effects of abuse. We speak in a unified voice to bring about change by exposing the malignant actions of abusive religious ministers, suspected abusers, priests we suspect of being suspected abusers, and the church officials who shield them or are tangentially related to them in any way.

In order to achieve this mission, SNAP will:

• Build a continually expanding world-wide network of chapters united under the SNAP banner and website.
• Recruit and train a flourishing team of staff, volunteers, leaders and activists who will form an insurmountable force for recovery and change
• Expose predators across the globe and ensure that they are never placed in positions where they can abuse again
• Work for justice, both criminal and civil, in the cases of abuse and cover-up
• Reform archaic, predator-friendly laws that endanger children
• Hold church institutions answerable for enabling abuse and shielding predators 

History of SNAP

SNAP all began with one person. Barbara Blaine founded SNAP in 1988 after years of pain, depression and shame. She was abused as an 8th grade child by a Toledo, Ohio priest who taught in the catholic school she attended. Years later, her pleas for help from Toledo’s bishop fell on deaf ears. Barbara realized that survivors of clergy abuse could help each other and, by mid 1988, she had built a network of about two dozen victims. By early 1989 several survivors had struck up friendships, held     regular telephone conversations and exchanged letters. In 1991, the very first SNAP Meeting was held at the Holiday Inn, Chicago.

At a subsequent meeting in San Francisco in 1992, Barbara met David Clohessy, a survivor who was abused by a priest in Jefferson City Missouri. David had repressed the memory of his abuse for years before becoming a quintessential member of SNAP and a lifelong colleague and friend to Barbara. SNAP was already a growing and well-established organization when Barbara and David began to notice specific patterns in the way church officials had responded when abuse was disclosed to them. Rarely, if ever, did a church official admit to knowing of other survivors. They made empty promises such as a written apology or no longer permitting a predator to work in ministry. So, in November 1992, SNAP members travelled to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington D.C. At first, bishops refused to see them. Finally, only three agreed to meet with SNAP members and to listen to their stories. The bishops said they would take what they learned “under  consideration.” The following spring, in New Orleans, not a single bishop came to one of SNAP’s designated listening sessions. The media, however, did. In November 1993, SNAP leaders from several cities travelled to Chicago to hold the organizations first ever national press conference. When, in 2002, the Boston Globe ran 850 stories about pedophile priests, the sheer numbers of victims coming forward to SNAP asking for support was overwhelming. SNAP took on a small staff to help manage the constant influx of requests and, in 2003, SNAP opened its national office in Chicago.

Today SNAP is the largest, oldest and most active self-help group for clergy sex abuse victims, whether assaulted by ministers, priests, nuns or rabbis. SNAP is a confidential, safe place for wounded men and women to be heard, supported and healed. SNAP works tirelessly to achieve two goals: to heal the wounded and to protect the vulnerable. The organization has more than 25,000 members and support groups meet in over 60 cities across the U.S. and the world.

After abuse, addiction, and recovery, Mike McDonnell works to help others

Isabella Simonetti
The Inquirer
January 3, 2021

"Mike McDonnell understands how victims can lose their way.

He was abused by two Catholic priests, one of whom was later convicted, a dark secret that traumatized him so much he became addicted to drugs and alcohol, two of his three marriages failed, and he stole about $100,000 from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia — a crime for which he served nearly a year in jail.

But through recovery, and maintaining his Catholic faith, McDonnell, 52, has rebuilt himself as a victims advocate as he tries to help others. He’s now a local leader for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).

“He’ll take phone calls at all hours of the day and night,” said Shaun Dougherty, a board member of SNAP and a fellow advocate. “He’ll talk victims through any problem that they have. He’ll find resources for them if they need it. He’ll help guide them in any way that he can.”

Many of the victims McDonnell supports have suffered unemployment, divorce, the loss of a home, or addiction."

Continue Reading: https://www.inquirer.com/news/mike-mcdonnell-catholic-redemption-20210103.html

Epoch Times, one of Trump's favorite 'news' sources, is linked to Shen Yun

Katie Dowd
SF Gate
January 4, 2021

"If the ubiquity of Shen Yun advertising has dulled somewhat during the global pandemic, perhaps you’ve noticed something else taking its place.

You might have endlessly seen their ads on YouTube. Or maybe you even saw President Donald Trump himself promoting it. Although not yet as ever-present as a Shen Yun billboard, the Epoch Times is steadily expanding its footprint — along the way becoming one of Trump’s preferred "news" outlets.

The website looks like your standard news source, but a note at the top of the screen is your first indicator this is not a CNN wannabe.

"At a time when legacy media outlets are IGNORING credible allegations of ELECTION FRAUD across America, we are giving you, your family and your friends, unlimited access to almost all of our reporting for free so that you can be truly informed, until a president is legally elected," it reads, before a solicitation to enter your email address to “continue reading.”

The Epoch Times is now one of the most prolific peddlers of pro-Trump propaganda on the internet, but it began life as the media arm linked to Falun Gong, the same Chinese spiritual movement that puts on Shen Yun dance performances."

Continue Reading: https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/what-is-Epoch-Times-Falun-Gong-15839640.php   

Healing From Hate: Battle for the Soul of America

HEALING FROM HATE examines the root causes of hate group activity through the bold work of those battling intolerance on the front lines, including Life After Hate, an organization founded by former Skinheads and neo-Nazis, now engaged in transforming attitudes of intolerance. Documenting a stunning era of hatred in America, HEALING FROM HATE follows these reformers in their work to de-radicalize White Nationalists, and heal communities torn apart by racism.

Established by a group of former neo-Nazis and Skinheads, Life After Hate was initially envisioned as a support network for those attempting to transition back into the mainstream. But with hate on the rise, the group began to focus on community engagement and direct interventions as well. These compelling “formers”, all with deeply moving stories of their own, carry a uniquely personal understanding of the roots of hate – and an equally unique approach to working with active “movement” members that’s grounded in empathy and compassion.

Having been provided with exclusive access, HEALING FROM HATE follows these counselor/activists in their crusade against violence and intolerance – through community & family engagement, as well as direct “intervention” with radicalized youth – experiencing the conflict of their struggles firsthand.

In support of these powerful personal stories, groundbreaking sociologist Michael Kimmel (“Guyville”, “Angry White Men” & “Healing From Hate”), offers up a parallel narrative through-line – helping the viewer to understand the psychological process of white radicalization, the crucial role of deep-seated needs around masculinity, and insight gleaned from his extensive research with “EXIT” groups around the world – work that had its genesis in Europe, and forms the basis of his recent bestselling book “Healing From Hate”.

Hate is part of a profound change in the crumbling American Dream, and with the arrival of the era of Donald Trump - as well as the tragedies of Charlottesville, Parkland, Pittsburgh and El Paso - the stakes have only intensified. In these times when civil discourse has perished, HEALING FROM HATE seeks to shine a light on the roots of hatred, and courageous work of those who have made their way back from violent extremism – with an eye trained on what’s needed to return meaning, identity and tolerance to a generation of disenfranchised white men.

“We are operating as human beings from one of two places: fear of love. And we get to choose which one that is.” — Tony McAleer, Life After Hate

https://www.healingfromhatefilm.com/



"Documenting a stunning era of hatred in America, Healing From Hate follows Life After Hate – an organization founded by ex-hate group members - in their work to de-radicalize White Nationalists and heal communities torn apart by racism."

Helping someone to leave an authoritarian group or abandon destructive beliefs

​

Jon Atack
January 2, 2021

Helping someone to leave an authoritarian group or abandon destructive beliefs. Cult intervention specialist Joe Kelly also talks with Jon about the difficulties of his profession.

CultNEWS101 Articles: 1/15/2021

IRS, Exorcism, Flat Earth, Satanic Temple  

The Conversation: What's a church? That can depend on the eye of the beholder or paperwork filed with the IRS

" ... While reasons for this growing trend vary, these groups may share one main goal: keeping their donor lists private to protect their donors from public criticism or backlash.

As a professor who studies how tax laws affect churches and other tax-exempt organizations, I believe these groups overestimate the benefits their donors will receive if the groups are treated as churches. Even so, I'm concerned that groups taking this step are reducing the flow of valuable information about these organizations to the public.

To see why I'm worried, here's some background about what's probably the best-known section of the U.S. tax code, section 501(c)(3). It provides two benefits to organizations that meet its requirements for tax exemption. First, these approximately 1.5 million groups – including everything from familiar nonprofits like the Red Cross to National Public Radio to the lesser-known First Church of Cannabis and the Satanic Temple – generally don't have to pay taxes on their income.

Second, some of their donors can deduct their donations from their taxable income through the charitable deduction, creating an incentive to support those groups. While groups must be organized as nonprofits to qualify for the federal tax exemption, not every nonprofit is exempt.

Eligibility requires pursuing a specific purpose, such as religion, education or charity."

KY3: Benton County, Mo. prosecutor charges parents of child investigators say was killed to remove a "demon"

"The parents of a 4-year-old Stover, Mo. girl face charges after investigators say their daughter was dunked in an icy pond and beaten to death to remove a "demon."

Deputies arrested Mary S. Mast, 29, and James A. Mast, 28 on Christmas Eve. Mary Mast faces charges of endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death and domestic assault. James Mast faces charges of endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death, endangering the welfare of a child resulting in serious injury. A judge did not set bond for the couple. Deputies placed a second child in the home in protective custody.

Ethan Mast, 35, and Kourtney Aumen, 21, face a second-degree murder and other offenses. They both remain jailed. Despite having the same last names, Mary and James Mast are not related to Ethan Mast.

Deputies responded 1 a.m. on Sunday, December 20 to a rural home near the town of Cole Camp and found the 4-year-old wrapped in a blanket on a bedroom floor. Investigators said the girl was already dead and had "severe purple bruising" over her body, along with ruptured blisters. Sheriff Knox said the girl's parents also had been beaten along with a 2-year-old child. An infant son of the couple was apparently unharmed."

The Daily Beast: When a Flat Earther Refused to Concede and All Hell Broke Loose

" ... In 1909, a notorious flat Earth preacher led a ballot-box putsch to maintain his stranglehold over an Illinois town. With declarations of "war," two competing governments that claimed to be legitimate, and an armed siege between the two factions' police chiefs at the county jail, the forgotten saga of Zion, Illinois, is evidence that America's political situation could still be a whole lot stupider.

Wilburn Glenn Voliva was a flat Earther who lived on a strict diet of Brazil nuts and buttermilk. He also, for a time, enjoyed dictatorial control over an entire city.

Born in 1870, Voliva trained as a preacher and became a leading member of a faith-healing church headed by John Alexander Dowie. Dowie was a gifted grifter, amassing a large following and absurd wealth while performing sham "miracles" on the desperately ill (some of whom later sued him when their ailments remained). When authorities finally cracked down on Dowie for practicing medicine without a license, he founded the city of Zion, a new "utopia" governed by strict religious law.

Maybe the city was a utopia for Dowie, but not for many others. He spent lavishly on himself and drove the city into debt. Eventually, Voliva deposed him in a church coup, in part by accusing the elderly faith-healer (whose own health was failing) of trying to assemble himself a harem of young wives.

Now at the helm of Dowie's "Christian Catholic Apostolic Church," Voliva effectively ruled the city. Zion had a mayor and a government, but all of them answered to Voliva, who held the title of "general overseer." After wresting control from Dowie (who died soon thereafter, a broken and betrayed man), Voliva set about making Zion even less fun. Alcohol and dancing were banned, smokers were hauled into jail, and many newspapers were verboten.

When Voliva named his political party the "Theocratic Party," it was a simple statement of fact."

Newsweek: Satanic Temple Challenges 18 States' Abortion Laws With Religious Exemption Claim

"The Satanic Temple, a national religious rights organization with chapters in 21 states, has recently erected two billboards in Texas and Florida encouraging followers to challenge state restrictions on abortions conducted during the first trimester by claiming that the restrictions violate their religious beliefs as Satanists. Over 18 states have such restrictions."

  

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultEducationEvents.com

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

Facebook

Flipboard

Twitter

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Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations and related topics.

Selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view in order to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to CultNEWS101.com.