Browsing: Religion

A Brief History On April 3, 2008, an army of law enforcement descended upon a polygamist compound with snipers, machine guns, SWAT equipment, a helicopter, and even an armored personnel carrier! Digging Deeper Child welfare workers and enforcement officers were among the police, surrounding and sealing off the compound. Law enforcement had been alerted by a call purportedly from a teenage girl kept in the compound as a child bride, or as some would describe, a sex slave.  Getting a warrant to conduct the raid was based on the calls from this person who turned out not to be even…

A Brief History On March 30, 1981, only a bit past two months into his presidency, Ronald Reagan was shot by a mentally ill assassin! Digging Deeper Reagan, riding the crest of popularity from being newly inaugurated and the Iranian hostage crisis having been ended on inauguration day, was in Washington, D.C. and had just delivered a speech to an AFL-CIO audience.  Outside the Hilton Hotel, Hinckley was waiting with a cheap .22 caliber revolver loaded with 6 rounds. Before Reagan could enter his limousine Hinckley fired all 6 shots at him, hitting the president with a bullet that ricocheted…

A Brief History On March 26, 1997, 39 members of the “Heaven’s Gate” cult were found to have committed suicide with the intention of being picked up by an alien spacecraft and taken somewhere into outer space where they presumably would find eternal happiness.  Cults have been around about as long as there has been religion, starting as a splinter group that goes against conventional beliefs, sometimes growing into a mainstream religion and sometimes never achieving anything more than sideshow status.  Here are 10 cults that are well known for their extreme beliefs, suicidal tendencies, or celebrity involvement. Digging Deeper…

A Brief History On March 26, 1997, 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate awaited transport for their souls to a waiting UFO with $5.75 in each person’s pants pocket to pay for tolls! Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles heading up a religious cult founded by Applewhite after a “near death” experience in the 1970’s when he had a heart attack. Claiming to be descended directly from Jesus Christ, Applewhite also claimed that he and his nurse, Bonnie Nettles, were spoken of in the Book of Revelation part of the Bible that mentions “The Two.”…

A Brief History On March 19, 1987, under fire for sex and financial irregularities the star of one of television’s most popular evangelist Christian shows resigned! Digging Deeper Digging deeper, we find Jim Bakker, star of The PTL Club in hot water for allegedly raping a show secretary, Jessica Hahn, and paying her $279,000 in hush money. If that was not cracked enough, questions quickly were raised about other aspects of misuse of charitable donations and fraudulent fund raising.  Bakker and his wife, famously over-made up Tammy Faye Bakker had been living like royalty, spending millions of dollars on an…