Erickson was an enthusiastic born-again Christian, who split his local community in 2 with his new, passionate-style masses... many of the previous regulars left, and the born-again crowd moved in. He came with all the talk, a typical religious-right moral-crusader loon. Two of those who didn't like his approach, but still attended the church, were one day found shot. After a search warrant from police where he had been re-located to after the murders, child porn was found on his computer, and he hung himself a day later in the hallway of his new church, St. Mary's of the Seven Dolors, in Hurley, Wisconsin. [News: http://www.citypages.com/databank/26/1296/article13748.asp ]

"This week, at last, St. Croix County Attorney Eric Johnson is presenting evidence connecting Father Ryan to the murders. Johnson will offer an explanation for what Erickson and O'Connell were talking about in the minutes before the murder. And he will confirm what has long been whispered by Erickson's harshest critics: that the crusading sexual moralist had been engaging in the same crimes against children that have devastated the Catholic church in recent years."

"A right-wing newspaper, Renew America, edited by anti-abortion activist Matt C. Abbott, frequently defends Erickson"

The religious right are the developed world's most insiduous disease; they are long-term, devious, strategic, organized... fundamentalists in a very similar way to Sharia-promoting Islamist fundamentalists of the world.

Europe is caught between Islam's Dark Ages to our East, and America's growing Christian fundamentalism to our West.

Tags: christianity, crime, ecusa, europe, fundamentalism, islam, paedophilia, religion, religious right, sharia, usa
Current Location: Afghanistan
Listening To: "Ritual Noise" by Covenant

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=3&u=/nm/20030603/od_nm/malaysia_dc
Malaysia, with just over 50% Muslim population, where the official religion is Islam, is now fining people for holding hands in public. 'About 30 unmarried couples have been fined $7.90 for holding hands in a drive to keep the city "morally clean," ', the 30 fined people were non-Muslims who do not consider holding hands to be morally wrong.

http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/coe_fundamentalism.html
Growing Fundamentalism within the Church of England is causing a potential split and financial bankruptcy of the liberal traditional Church of England, as the Anglican Church continues to struggle with gay tolerance.

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=25145
India passes anti-conversion laws. "These difficulties are exacerbated by the increased activity of a few Hindu fundamentalist groups which are creating suspicion of the church and other religions", the Pope said said, "Unfortunately, in some regions the state authorities have yielded to the pressures of these extremists and have passed unjust conversion laws, prohibiting free exercise of the natural right to religious freedom, or withdrawing state support for those in the scheduled castes who have chosen to christianity"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,969021,00.html
Northern region of Pakistan adopts Sharia law. This is the most extreme, barbarian form of religious fundamentalist rule that there can be, responsible for public stonings, apostasy laws and many other elements that we haven't known, in the UK, since the Dark Ages and Inquisition, but which are common in heavily Muslim countries. (The Muslim world is going through it's own Dark Ages, it has been said).

In other vaguely-remembered news (I can't be bothered to find more links...) a Canadian Anglican bishop/priest done a "gay blessing" ceremony, which is good, but according to Reform/Church Society (groups within C of E), 2/3 of bishops have stated they no longer recognize the Bishop as a Christian. In other good news, a Catholic/Protestant mutual service has occured, which is good although the Pope did say he didn't approve.

London, another city, and several European countries have ran government sanctioned gay relationship registration schemes for some time, to much opposition by Christian and Islam groups in the UK and Europe.

Link:
http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/homosexuality.html

Tags: church of england, homosexuality, india, intolerance, malaysia, news, pakista, religion, sharia, the pope

Nigeria is on the verge of public stonings after adopting Islamic Sharia law [2]
Nigeria has recently adopted Muslim Sharia law. One woman, Amina Lawlal is sentanced to death by stoning for having a child outside of marriage, and there are two other such horrific public executions waiting to happen, although as yet none have been carried out. Election campaigning is believed to be the reason why these cases have suffered delays. Another woman under simlar charges was let off after a massive worldwide outcry. Presently, more than 2 million people have signed the petition, I signed it 2 weeks ago it is simple. Sign it here: http://www.amnistiaporsafiya.org/ (for instructions, visit the National Secular Society's homepage at the URL below)

What we learn from this: NEVER ALLOW RELIGIOUS BELIEFS TO FORM PART OF GOVERNMENT OR LAW MAKING PROCESS. So, for example, Sunday trading laws, anti-homosexuality, etc, should be opposed as should any law that exists only because of religious beliefs. Such things are a slippery slope. Do not accept EVEN YOUR OWN religous beliefs as part of common law. Third world countries and the USA have problems about this, so do Muslim countries and Greece, due to it's Christianity.

[2] 2003 Mar 28 NSS newsline http://www.secularism.org.uk/newspress/news28mar3t.htm

Tags: democracy, islam, nigeria, politics, religion, religious intolerance, sharia
Current Mood: awake
Listening To: "Shaven" by Funker Vogt