Posted on September 30, 2010 by Richard Bartholomew
John Sweeney has produced a second BBC Panorama documentary on the Church of Scientology, following his 2007 investigation into the subject which I blogged on here. After the earlier piece, Sweeney won plaudits for standing up to the Church’s aggressive and repellent attempts to harass and discredit him as he spoke to ex-members and other critics, but […]
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Posted on September 29, 2010 by Richard Bartholomew
Nadine Dorries MP, in May: MP Nadine Dorries has taken her blog down and closed her Twitter account claiming she has been advised to do so by the police. Ms Dorries… says she has been having “problems” with political blogger Tim Ireland. Ms Dorries said: “I have been in consultation regarding his behaviour with the […]
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Posted on September 26, 2010 by Richard Bartholomew
Although the official publication date for Jeff Sharlet’s new book is tomorrow, it’s actually been available a week or so now, and a copy has already made its way to me across the Atlantic. The book is a sequel to The Family, which I wrote a review of here. The generic tagline understates the importance and uniqueness […]
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Posted on September 24, 2010 by Richard Bartholomew
From Bishop Eddie Long’s New Birth magazine, 2005: When it comes to Africa, Bishop Long has a fervent mission: to challenge and mobilize African- American resources in the Motherland—beginning with Kenya in particular. Great strides took place during his latest trip to this East African country in July 2005. Read these reports and see why […]
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Posted on September 23, 2010 by Richard Bartholomew
2008: Media-based televangelists benefiting from tax code exemptions are warned — Sen. Chuck Grassley is a terrier-like congressional inquisitor with time and a big stick on his side. “I am not threatening them, at this point,” the Iowa Republican said. Grassley, since late 2007, has sought financial information from six televangelist ministries that watchdog sources […]
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Posted on September 20, 2010 by Richard Bartholomew
Charisma reports: More than 80 prominent Christian leaders are endorsing a 40-day fast leading up to the midterm elections that kicks off Sunday with a simulcast event from Washington, D.C. Organized by California pastor Jim Garlow and Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson, Pray & Act has gained support from a cross-section of Christians, including Bible […]
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Posted on September 16, 2010 by Richard Bartholomew
Embarrassed by reports of the continuing problem of children being stigmatised as witches in Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria, Governor Godswill Akpabio has decided to act: by going after the charities that have been caring for abandoned children and highlighting the problem. The Pioneer reports: Weekend Pioneer recalls Chief Akpabio in his reaction to a news report […]
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Posted on September 15, 2010 by Richard Bartholomew
One of the strangest developments in the saga of Glen Jenvey occured last summer, when the former “terror tracker” announced his sudden conversion to fundamentalist Islam and was received into the religion by members of an Al-Muhajiroun front group. This came a few weeks after the Daily Mail had referenced him as someone who had been “accused […]
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Posted on September 12, 2010 by Richard Bartholomew
Various sites are carrying photos from yesterday’s anti-mosque rally in New York; organiser Pamela Geller had promised to “confiscate” signs, which was always an impractical proposition, and as expected a number of messages were on display. Geller’s Atlas Shrugs site presents the rally as she should like it to be portrayed, with US flags and caps […]
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Posted on September 11, 2010 by Richard Bartholomew
Global Voices reports: Ali Abdulemam, a leading Bahraini blogger and Global Voices Advocacy author, was arrested earlier today by the Bahraini authorities for allegedly spreading “false news” on BahrainOnline.org portal, one of the most popular pro-democracy outlets in Bahrain, amidst the worst sectarian crackdown by the government in years, and accusations of a supposed “terror network” involving several political and human […]
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