Category Archives: cults

Eddie Long crowned King of the Jews

Sort of. If you have time, watch the whole 15-minute fiasco and tell me that the people who follow “Bishop” Eddie Long (of the New Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta) are not certifiable. I can see why Long would want … Continue reading

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Podcast #139 – War on Christmas Continued

Rick Perry plays the homophobia card in his latest TV ad. Holiday displays in Leesburg, Virginia stir free speech controversy. The co-discoverer of a new earth-like world wants to call it the Christmas Planet. Prosperity gospel preacher Eddie Long’s wife … Continue reading

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Podcast #129 – Janet Reitman (Inside Scientology)

We interview Janet Reitman, author of the new book Inside Scientology, an extensive and objective history of the movement launched by sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard. Inside Scientology is available in hardcover, unabridged audio, or for Kindle. For more about … Continue reading

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Hubbard’s great grandson speaks

The last book I finished reading was Janet Reitman’s fantastic book Inside Scientology, an objective but unflinching look at the legacy of L. Ron Hubbard. By coincidence, someone pointed me to this video on YouTube. It’s true that Hubbard, either … Continue reading

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Harold Camping is flabbergasted

He’s also nonplussed, poleaxed, befuddled, confused, stunned, staggered, flummoxed and gobsmacked.  Harold Camping, the 89-year-old nut-job/con-artist (pick one or both) is at a loss to explain why the Rapture didn’t occur on May 21st as “guaranteed.”  Camping always knew that … Continue reading

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Podcast #123 – Study on US Catholic Child Abuse

Assuming the world hasn’t come to an end or that you haven’t been Raptured away… The US Catholic Church reveals The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010, a study into the causes … Continue reading

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Podcast #119 – Paul Haggis vs. the “Church” of Scientology

We discuss “The Apostate,” the excellent expose written by Lawrence Wright for The New Yorker.  After more than 30 years in the organization, Haggis finally left the Church a) because of their policies toward homosexuals (his daughter among them) and … Continue reading

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Podcast #106 – Listener Feedback

Boy, do we get feedback!  We’re wrong about the Tea Party, the Great “Enlightenment,” bleeping out curse words, and the authorship/timing of both the Qur’an and the New Testament.  On the other hand, some listeners think we are “awesome” and … Continue reading

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Podcast #105 – Jeff Sharlet (C Street)

We interview Jeff Sharlet, author of C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy, a follow-up to The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.  The Family, you may recall, is a secretive and radical Christian group … Continue reading

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Church of Body Modification

Just when I thought I’d heard it all…a girl in North Carolina has been suspended from school for refusing to remove a small nose ring. Her reason: freedom of religion.  Turns out 14-year-old Ariana Iacono and her mother are members … Continue reading

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