So this happened on Wednesday.

Worshippers clutching AR-15 rifles and some wearing bullet crowns, participated in a commitment ceremony today at World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, in Newfoundland, Pa. The event led a nearby school to cancel classes for the day. Photos @jacquelinelarma pic.twitter.com/GXzrZeK41z

— AP Images (@AP_Images) February 28, 2018

Courtesy of Raw Story: 

Women dressed in white and men in dark suits gripped the guns, which they had been urged to bring unloaded to the church in the rural Pocono Mountains, about 100 miles (160 km) north of Philadelphia. Many celebrants wore crowns – some made of bullets – while church officials dressed in flowing bright pink and white garments to go with their armaments. 

A spokesman for the church, now headed by the Reverend Hyung Jin Moon after the death of his father and church founder, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, said the marriage blessing ceremony had been planned long before a man with an AR-15 massacred 17 students and school staff in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14. 

Students from an elementary school near the church were relocated for the day to distance them from the gun-toting couples at the ceremony, according to the Wallenpaupack School District website. 

Moon said in a statement that the staff of the Florida school should have been armed, an option President Donald Trump has said should be explored nationwide and which teacher unions have criticized.

Every once in awhile you see a story for which you almost cannot form the words to express your utter dismay.

This is one such story.

Cults are terrifying on their own.

But a cult that also exalts assault weapons, well that is just an entirely new level of terrifying.  

Texas woman wins custody of her children after fleeing husband and oppressive religious cult.

Courtesy of ABC News: 

With wet eyes and a broad smile, Amy Hawkins walked out of a Texas courtroom Wednesday and embraced her 15-year-old son waiting for her in the hallway. 

“You are free,” she said. “We’re free. You’re going to have an education. You’re going to have a life.” 

After hours of testimony, a judge granted Hawkins temporary custody of her four children, allowing them to return to South Carolina where they have been living since she left her husband and a Texas religious group on Aug. 1. 

Hawkins testified that as members of the House of Yahweh in nearby Clyde, her son was forced to work long hours in the group’s slaughterhouse while she lived in isolation with her three daughters who were denied a formal education and medical care. 

She said on the stand that all of their family’s decisions were made by her husband after consulting with the group’s elders. 

“He couldn’t make a decision on his own or have a conversation with his own wife,” she testified.

Hawkins, who had moved to the enclave in West Texas with her husband in 2001, finally had enough one day and downloaded the Facebook app, which was against the church rules, and contacted her mother-in-law who was surprised to learn that she had four grandchildren.

Apparently the cult leaders have had several run ins with the law including a church elder, Yedidiyah Hawkins, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of aggravated sexual assault for using a vaginal speculum on an 11-year-old girl and the leader of the church, Yisrayl Bill Hawkins, who was sentenced to probation and six months community service after he pleaded no contest to four counts of child labor violations after he allegedly forced children under 14 years old to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the group’s fields, cafeteria, canning operation and butter making process.

As part of that plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop bigamy charges against the man.

How nice of them.

I encourage you to read the rest to the article linked up above. It it quite eye opening, and more than a little troubling.

Remember this is happening in the 21st Century, in the United States of America folks.

It makes one wonder just how many of these cults are still out there, and how long it will be before one of them reaches the boiling point and becomes the next People's Temple.

Minnesota minister creates insular community where he is free to rape and sexually abuse young women for years.

Courtesy of the Star Tribune:  

Lindsay Tornambe was just 13 years old when she was chosen to be “sacrificed to God,” she remembers. 

That announcement in July 2000 came from a minister who led an insular faith community that included her family in central Minnesota. As Tornambe sat in the congregation with her parents, she remembers the minister calling out a list of 10 girls for a position of honor. He would later call them “maidens.” 

Soon, her parents dutifully dropped her off at his isolated camp, where what she now calls a nightmare of sexual abuse went on for about nine years. 

Pine County authorities announced Tuesday that the minister, 52-year-old Victor A. Barnard, is now facing 59 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving his chosen maidens. 

Barnard ruled “like a rock star” over the camp and sexually exploited girls and young women at his whim while they lived apart from their families, according to court papers, which spell out the alleged abuses against two unnamed teens. 

Barnard had not been apprehended Tuesday evening but was believed to be in Washington state, where authorities have begun a manhunt for him. He is the subject of a nationwide warrant.

The 59 counts are based only on the two young women who cooperated with the authorities, there are undoubtedly many, many more young girls and women who were also molested by this guy.

You know besides my issues with religion in general, this is really one of the things about faith that concerns me the most.

Just ask yourself how readily you would accept that a 52 year old man was inviting young girls up to his isolated cabin for reasons that were NOT incredibly suspicious, if he were not using religion to camouflage his actions?

One would think that after the Jonestown massacre people would be incredibly wary of charismatic religious leaders who want to spend time with your wives or daughters, and start camps or communes in isolated areas, but some people are just not that sharp.

If you want to learn more click the link at the top, but I warn you it is a pretty upsetting read.

Everything I feel about religion summed up in one photograph.

Horrified young parent pressured into subjecting her precious child to an antiquated primitive ritual? Check.

Innocent child being traumatized by introduction into religious cult? Check.

Demonic looking religious leader gleefully frightening baby and thereby making them easier to indoctrinate into faith system which promises protection and ultimate salvation? Check.

Barbaric ritual to which I would NEVER subject a child I loved? Double Check!

The great Betty Bowers has something to say about the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI.

I love the part where she says she can't be the Pope because she's a Christian.

Nice.

You know seriously, THIS may be part of the reason why Romney is so hesitant to reveal his taxes.

You know lying to the IRS and the American people is one thing, but if Romney were caught lying to his church he would be truly and royally fucked.

What do you think?

Youth for Palin provides the "creepy ass video of the day."

Seriously how do you get the hairs on the back of your neck to lay back down.

As I was watching this I was trying to remember where I have seen a similar expression on a child's face before, and then suddenly it came to me...

As I have said before, no loving parent would EVER let their child near Sarah Palin.

Have these people never seen the influence that Sarah Palin has on her OWN children?



You can't pick your parents, but you CAN pick who you idolize.

 Courtesy of the Examiner:

"Youth for Palin", a grassroots movement of conscientious young people, is gaining strength as a conservative force and powerful voting block. At the center of this youth movement is their political idol, Sarah Palin, a constitutional conservative, with values and ideals that reflect their own.Though not directly affiliated with her campaign, "Youth for Palin" members, having given their full support, are a ready army of young and loyal followers awaiting marching orders when Sarah Palin announces her nomination for President.

In my opinion if you allow your child to join an organization called "Youth for Palin" you are a bad parent and need to report yourself to the Department of Children's Services immediately.

Let's examine how Palin has influenced the children that have had the misfortune of living in close proximity to the Grizzled Mama.

Numerous reports indicate that Track had quite a few run ins with the law, suffered multiple substance abuse issues, had to join the military to avoid jail time, and was in a deep depression after returning to Alaska. (On the upside I now hear that Track is doing much better attending flight school in Arizona.)

By all accounts Bristol was a heavy partier, who became an unmarried teen mother at seventeen (If not much earlier.), and who most likely has had yet another child out of wedlock while lecturing teens on how to avoid getting pregnant. Can you say "good role model?"

Willow also has a history of partying, broke into a friend's home allowing her Palmer friends to do 20 to 30 thousand dollars worth of damage,  went on a homophobic Facebook rant, and, rumor has it , might have had a pregnancy scare of her own.

Piper, simply never goes to school and has been wearing makeup since she was around nine years old.

And let's not forget Jeremy Morlock, for whom Sister Sarah once served as team manager for his hockey team. I certainly cannot blame all of his difficulties on Sister Sarah, but having her in his life didn't exactly straighten him out either.

Is THIS really the kind of influence that anybody should want around their impressionable young teenager?

I think not.