Today's God Crimes: Rabbi Organseller and Obeying the Voices in Your Head

Schmuck Rabbi Accused of Illegally Selling Human Body Parts
In New Jersey, following the wake of last week's FBI take-down of a multi-million dollar money laundering operation that included the arrests of five rabbis comes the shocking news that one of the rabbis, Levy Izhak Rosenbaum (left), brokered the illegal (and lucrative) sales of human organs. Prosecutors say that Rosenbaum was trying to sell a kidney to an undercover federal agent for $160,000 and has been involved in the international black market for kidneys for 10 years.

Randy Reverend Gets Suspension After Sexual Allegations
In Boston, the Archdiocese has suspended Rev. Pedro Jose Damázio from performing any public ministry after receiving allegations against him of adult sexual misconduct. (Great, more time for the priest to be alone and doing God-knows-what!) Meanwhile, Damázio's congregation is in predictable "disbelief" and praying for him. So supportive is this bunch that one follower is prepared to excuse Damázio's --and perhaps other randy reverends' -- transgressions by saying, "They are fathers, but they are men, too...I am OK if they are going to be married." Of course! What victim doesn't wanna marry their victimizer? This is yet another reason why I'm a Yankees fan.

Perv Priest Denied Appeal for Child Sex Convictions
In Australia, a Catholic priest jailed for more than seven years for raping and sexually abusing four boys has been refused a chance for an appeal. Terrence Melville Pidoto was ordained in 1971 and began his child rape-spree a year later. To give you a sense of the depravity and brazenness of Pidoto's libido, one of his victims was a 12-year-old boy who he raped after officiating at the boy's sister's wedding.

That's Hot: Female Lawyers Must Now Wear Headscarves in Gaza
In the Gaza Strip, the top judge has ordered female lawyers to wear Muslim headscarves when they appear in court. The move is being perceived as the latest sign that Gaza's Islamic militant rulers are increasingly imposing their strict interpretation of Islamic law. I just hope there's air conditioning in the courtrooms over there.

Four Arrested in Village Honor Killing
In India, police arrested four people in connection with the honor killing of a 21-year-old man who married a fellow clan-member despite the disapproval of her family. While venturing into his wife's village --under police escort-- to take her back with him, Ved Pal Mor was allegedly attacked by an angry mob and lynched. The four men who were arrested are believed to have "egged on" the mob.

Another Reason to Accept Jesus: 10% off at Denny's!
In Texas, if you dine at a particular Denny's and bring a copy of your church bulletin, the restaurant will donate 10% of your bill to your local church and, as an added bonus, they'll also take 10% off your bill (see right). Although I'd rather eat tumbleweed marinated in vulture excrement than dine at Denny's, this promotion is clearly discriminatory. Fortunately, the good people at the James Randi Educational Foundation are investigating.

Pastor: Obey the Voices in Your Head -- No Matter What
And finally...I came across this very disturbing column in Kentucky's Richmond Register where a local pastor, John Settles, encourages his readers to obey God when He "speaks" to them (instead of, say, seeing a shrink) and admonishes those who balk at carrying out the orders of their imaginary friend. Here is an excerpt:

"Some folks believe they would respond to God if God spoke to them in a vision. I’m not sure if they would. There are so many instances where God has made his will clear in his word, but we hesitate to follow his commands. Maybe we are waiting for a vision.

I suspect we do not follow God’s commandments for other reasons. Where God’s will is clear to us, there is no acceptable reason for us not to follow his will. We may refuse to follow out of fear. We may refuse to follow simply out of willful disobedience. Whether God reveals his will through a vision or through other means, he wants us to be guided by his will. Amen."

Now I don't expect any semblance of wisdom or profound insight from pastors but this is absolutely irresponsible and potentially harmful demagoguery. I would love to hear what Mr. Settles thinks of Jesus lovin' citizens like Jim Jones and Scott Roeder, who claim they did what they did because they were following the commands of the Almighty. Oh, that's right, that would be an unfair comparison because those motherfuckers were crazy!

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.

Child raping ex-priest sent back to prison

From today's Chicago Sun-Times:

Defrocked priest back in prison
Sex offender Campobello picked up for probation violation

By MATT HANLEY Beacon News

Mark Campobello, who was defrocked as a Catholic priest after being convicted of molesting teenage girls, is back in prison for violating his parole.

Authorities said today that Campobello, who was a priest in Aurora and Geneva, had been living in McHenry County but had to move out of his house and no longer had a permanent address. Not having a permanent residence is a parole violation.

Campobello was imprisoned for three years and eight months after he pleaded guilty in 2004 to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl over five months in 1999, while he lived at the rectory of St. Peter Church in Geneva.

He also pleaded guilty to molesting a 15-year-old girl while she was a student at Aurora Central Catholic High School between November 1999 and March 2000. He was assistant principal of the school.

Brazilian Archbishop: Abortion is worse than rape

Yesterday in Brazil, a doctor received a standing ovation at a national convention on women's health for performing an abortion on a 9-year-old rape victim. The girl was four months pregnant with twins after being allegedly raped by her stepfather, who, authorities say, began abusing the child since she was 6.

But there was one guy in town who wasn't singing the doctor's praises and that man was Archbishop Don Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, who excommunicated the doctor, the child's mother and the medical staff involved with the procedure. Now before you accuse Sobrinho of being an irrational religous zealot, he did exhibit some restraint. Exempt from the excommunication: the rape victim (but only because children are exempt from excommunication) and...the accused rapist stepfather!

Sobrinho justified his decisions with this nugget of sage wisdom: "A graver act than (rape) is abortion, to eliminate an innocent life." Then he explained his own stupidity by asserting, "God's law is above human laws."