IT'S RAINING BABIES (HALLELUJAH) AND THE CULT OF NO PANTS

Dropping Babies From Rooftops = Health and Prosperity, Apparently
In New Delhi, activists lashed out at local officials who allowed hundreds of infants to be dropped from the roof of a mosque in the belief that the fall — which ends when the babies are caught in a bedsheet — would ensure good health and prosperity for their families. This bizarre and dangerous ritual has been practiced for nearly 700 years at a local Muslim shrine, with both Hindus and Muslims engaging in this nutty behavior. At a ritual on Thursday, infants were dangled from the roof of the shrine before being dropped about 50 feet onto a bedsheet held by parents and other believers. Fortunately there were no reports of injuries.

Former Police Chaplain Arrested For Sexual Assault
In St. Cloud, Minn., an 82-year-old former police chaplain was arrested for sexually assaulting a minor. Police say Pastor Arthur Ree, sexually assaulted a female minor over an 18-month period from 2000 to 2001. Responding to the arrest, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, of which Ree was a member, released the following statement:

“The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Southwestern Minnesota Synod is shocked and deeply saddened by the arrest of art ree on charges of criminal sexual behavior involveing a female victim. Ree is a retired pastor of the ELCA. Charges of this nature are very serious and even more disturbing when they involve the life of the church. The Southwestern Minnesota Synod does not tolerate sexual exploitation or abuse in any way. Our synod and congregation are and should remain always safe places for all people. We offer prayers for the victim of the abuse and her family and friends. We also offer our prayers for Mr. Ree and his family. Situations like these bring deep pain and sadness to many people. Our comfort rests with God who is with us At all times we pray that God’s care, concern, healing and wisdom may be experienced by all who have been affected.”

This statement is much longer than it needs to be. "Offering" prayers and making throwaway statements about God's love ring very empty when an innocent child has been violated by a disgusting old pervert. Where was God's "care, concern, healing and wisdom" when Ree was having his filthy ways with his victim? I just can't believe the audacity of the religious mind sometimes.

Pastor Accused of Sexual Abuse
In Louisville, a pastor has been placed on leave after a man alleged that the priest sexually abused him in 1985. In quite an unprecedented move, The Record, a Catholic newspaper, listed Schook's previous parish assignments and asked that any alleged victims of abuse from those parishes contact the archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Louisville was at the center of a massive sexual abuse scandal in 2002 and 2003. Nearly $30 million was paid out in settlements by the archdiocese after more than 250 people made abuse allegations. More then three dozen priests and other church workers were accused of abusing children as far back as the late 1940s.

Priest Busted in Sex Sting
In St. Louis, a Catholic priest was arrested in an FBI sex sting targeting men who wanted to rent young girl for sex. According to the police, James Patrick Grady (r.), 57, showed up at the home of what he thought to be a 16-year-old girl, who he offered to pay for sex. On Wednesday, Grady had responded to an online ad offering young females and started exchanging emails with an undercover officer. Eventually, Grady asked the "girl" for a massage but was refused so he then inexplicably propositioned her for kissing and oral sex. (Perhaps he thought that would be less degrading for the girl.) After he was arrested, Grady said he came to the house because he was "curious". Where the hell is Chris Hansen when you need him?

And finally...Pantless Sex Cult Leader Jailed For Blasphemy
A kinky sex cult leader in Jakarta who performed sermons in his underwear was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for blasphemy against Islam. Agus Noro (l.) aka Agus Imam Solihin, meaning "leader of the faithful," would demand his Muslim followers to perform group sex in front of him and banned them from praying and fasting -- I'm gonna guess it was the latter two injunctions that got Noro into the real trouble. While prosecutors demanded a four year sentence for the pantless preacher, the judge cut him some slack because Noro withdrew an earlier statement where he claimed to be God. So at least he's not crazy.

Big Daddy Cane: Sex cult leader Agus Noro

Today's God Crimes: The Family that Honor Kills Together & A New Low Price for Blasphemy

Muslim Family Suspected of Carrying Out Honor Killings of Four Female Relatives
In Canada, authorities are investigating whether or not the drownings of a woman and three teenaged girls were honor killings. In the meantime, the father (far left) of the three girls (ages 19, 17 and 13), his wife and their 18-year-old son (left) have all been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. On June 30, the four women were found dead in a car submerged in a canal. (Editor's note: Although the family's religion is not identified in the above article, it is cited here.)

Muslim-Buddhist Violence Continues to Rise in Thailand
In Thailand, terrorist attacks in its southern villages are reaching an all-time high as the conflict between Muslim insurgents and Buddhists continues to escalate. Muslim militants are attacking Buddhist monks and temples while vigilante Buddhist groups are accused of seeking retaliation by targeting mosques and Muslim schools. Analysts say that schools in the area have become breeding grounds for young fighters in this conflict, which has claimed more than 3,500 lives since the insurgency began five years ago.

Evangelist Guilty of Taking Minors Across State Lines for Sex
In Arkansas, a jury convicted 74-year-old evangelist Tony Alamo (left) of 10 federal counts of taking minors across state lines for sex. According to the indictment, the founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries (whose real name is Bernie Hoffman) transported five girls younger than 18 across state lines for sex between March 1994 and October 2005. In an interview last year, Alamo stated that "They're just trying to make our church look evil... Saying that I rape little children...I love children." Anyway, here's hoping Alamo will receive the same kind of "love" in prison.

Australian Police Continue Search for Missing Cult Family
In Australia, police searching for a missing family linked to an internet cult have discovered a property being rented in the UK under one of their names. One of the missing family members, Englishman Simon Kadwell, 46, operated a doomsday internet forum called The Gateway, which had about 40 members around the world. Kadwell believed that the planet was on “red alert” and it was time for “awakening servers of the divine plan” to come forward. Kadwell, his girlfriend, their daughter and a friend were last seen on July 13, 2007.

So Five Rabbis Walk Into an FBI Investigation...
In New Jersey, five rabbis were arrested for their roles in a multi-million dollar money laundering scheme. According to the FBI, the rascally rabbis used their congregations' charitable organizations to launder about $3 million. One of the rabbis is an 87-year-old man who is considered the leading cleric of the Syrian Jewish community. Followers, of course, are predictably shocked and "do not believe it". However, they do believe all that stuff in the Old Testament and the Torah.

And Finally...A New Low Price for Blasphemy In Ireland
The President of Ireland signed into law a defamation bill which imposes a fine of up to 25,000 euros (about $35,522.90) for blasphemy. On the bright side, the new punishment is a hell of a lot more palatable (and affordable) than eternal damnation. Additionally, the fine replaces a law that set prison sentences for such unholy offenses. Unfortunately, abolishing the crime altogether would require a referendum which the government says would be too costly and "distracting" to organize. These things take time, folks.

Today's God Crimes: Church sex abuse, a caning and a corpse on the toilet

In Chicago, the archdiocese has agreed to pay $3.9 million to settle six sexual abuse cases. Making matters even worse, on Tuesday the church released a bishop's deposition that detailed the its failure to report the crimes and attempts to keep them secret. The upside to all this? At least parishioners will know their donations are going.

In Southern California, a former priest who was accused of molesting a teenager more than 30 years ago has been charged with abusing another boy in the mid-1990s. Prosecutors say Denis Lyons, 75, abused the boy from 1992 to 1995, starting when the child was 7.

In Malaysia, a Sharia court has sentenced a Singaporean Muslim woman to be caned after she was caught drinking beer in a nightclub. For her "crime", Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a 32-year-old model, will receive six lashes and be fined $1,400. This is absolutely disgusting and inevitably brings to mind disturbing images of Spanish Inquisition priests torturing naked women while having raging hard-ons underneath their robes.

And finally, in Wisconsin, a cult leader accused of helping a follower hide a corpse on her toilet will be sentenced today. Prosecutors say Alan Bushey (left), 59, and Tammy Lewis kept the decaying body of 90-year-old woman (also a follower of Bushey's) on Lewis' toilet, in order to continue collecting her Social Security.

Today's God Crimes

In Maryland, a Roman Catholic priest was convicted of sexually abusing an altar boy in Maryland more than seven years ago. The 57-year-old Reverend Aaron Cote is expected to be sentenced to 10 years of probation and must register as a sex offender.

In Baltimore, two members of a religious cult want to represent themselves at their upcoming trail for the starvation death of a one-year-old child. The members are accused of denying food and water to the toddler after he refused to say "Amen" after meals.

The French government has condemned the flogging of several women in Sudan for wearing trousers, which violates Sharia law.

Cult leader escapes island prison in helicopter

You really can't make this stuff up. This sounds like a scene out of a bad 80s action movie. Where's Michael Dudikoff when you need him?

On Monday, French cult leader Juliano Verbard, 27, escaped by helicopter from an Indian Ocean island prison where he was serving a 15-year sentence for rape and child molestation; the preferred crimes of cult leaders. Verbard leads a cult called the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. (Eye roll.)

Three of Verbard's deluded followers allegedly hijacked a helicopter after posing as tourists. The trio then forced the two-man crew to land on the prison grounds. The Verbard devotees then sprung their master and two prison follwers. The helicopter then took off and landed a few hundred yards away, where Verbard and his clan drove off in an awaiting van.

Ain't it amazing how cult members can devote their lives to nonsense but still have the intelligence to plan such a calculated escape? Crazy doesn't always mean stupid.

Cult member starved "demon" son to death

A woman in Maryland involved with a religious cult pleaded guilty to starving her one-year-old son to death, but insists she will be exonerated when he is resurrected by God.

Ria Ramkissoon, 22, starved Javon Thompson to death after the leader of the One Mind Ministries (an apt name/description for any religious organization), "Queen Antoinette" decided Javon was a demon because he refused to say "amen" after meals. After he died, the Queen told her flock that "God was going to raise Javon from the dead". Nothing happened.

After leaving the child's corpse in a room for a week or so, the decomposing body was stuffed into a suitcase and discovered in a storage shed in April 2008, approximately two years after Javon's death.

Nevertheless, Ramkissoon still insists her son will rise from the dead. Just in case this happens, there is a "resurrection clause" as part of her plea deal, which would (I believe in theory) allow charges to be dropped. Unfortunately for Ramkissoon (a former Hindu), the court ruled that reincarnations don't count.

Ramkissoon was born into a Hindu family, became a "devout" Christianity and then somehow discovered the One Mind nutjobs. Inter-religious converts have always puzzled me. I can understand a non-religious person being convinced/coerced into believing that "something is missing" from his/her life and then "finding God". I can also understand a religious person who slowly realizes his --and any-- supernatural beliefs are all a load of donkey manure. In this particular case, how did Ramkissoon decide her Hindu ideologies (i.e. reincarnation, chanting magical words, cows-as-sacred) were soooo obviously phony bologna but them Bible stories of talking animals, raining bread and 900 year old men), there's NO WAY that could be made up!