Following earlier attacks on Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, conservative outlets are now targeting his church, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian. An investigation by The Daily Wire labeled the church “woke” due to its social justice initiatives and outreach, including partnerships with organizations like Planned Parenthood. The article misrepresented the church’s long-standing “Field of Hope” project, which addresses the AIDS epidemic and supports marginalized communities, by attempting to link it to abortion funding through a misleading characterization of the Lilith Fund. This latest report follows claims that the church distributed “sexually explicit” books to children, which originated from its collection of frequently challenged and banned titles.
Read More
One of Sri Lanka’s most senior Buddhist monks, Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, aged 71, has been arrested and remanded to prison on charges of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl. The allegations stem from repeated rape and sexual assault that allegedly occurred in 2022. The survivor’s mother has also been arrested, accused of abetting the abuse, while the monk, a custodian of eight sacred sites, faces a travel ban and is awaiting his first court appearance. This case marks the highest-ranking monk in Sri Lanka to face such serious allegations involving child abuse.
Read More
A former vet, teacher, and summer camp leader, Jon Ruben, has been sentenced to over 23 years in prison for sexually assaulting boys after lacing sweets with tranquillizers. Ruben, 76, exploited his position of trust, even drugging his wife to prevent her from witnessing the abuse. Victims’ parents delivered emotional testimonies, with some expressing their anger and distress directly to Ruben during the sentencing at Leicester Crown Court. His wife of 24 years, Susan, has initiated divorce proceedings and described him as a “sadistic, monstrous paedophile.”
Read More
As someone who has had personal experience with the Mormon Church, I am deeply troubled by their new restrictions on transgender members. It is disheartening to see a church that claims to preach kindness and compassion imposing such discriminatory rules on a marginalized community. The fact that these restrictions bar transgender individuals from roles like teaching and baptism is not only hurtful but also goes against the very principles of inclusivity and acceptance that a religious institution should embody.
The history of the Mormon Church is riddled with controversies and problematic beliefs, from Joseph Smith’s questionable background to their exclusion of African Americans until 1978.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker