Free Republic

The approval comes following the latest antics from the Satanic TempleBELLE PLAINE, Minn. (ChurchMilitant.com) - Minnesota will soon be hosting the country's first public, permanent satanic monument. The Satanic Temple (TST), headed by Detroit native Doug Mesner (also known by his public pseudonym Lucien Greaves), announced May 5 that Belle Plaine had approved a monument for Veterans' Memorial Park that will consist of a two-foot-high, black steel cube, with inverted pentagrams etched into its sides and a dark soldier's helmet overturned on top. It's being called the "Baphometic Bowl of Wisdom," named after the half-man, half-goat demon worshiped by satanists....

A pair of Tennessee rehab facilities run by members of the Church of Scientology have been shut down after police discovered that patients there were being held against their will. The facilities in Cannon County came under investigation after police received a 911 call from a man who claimed to be trapped in one of the facilities. When they came to investigate, they found the man locked in a cabin with no way to escape. The facilities were little more than a handful of cabins and a double wide trailer concealed in the middle of the wilderness. Police described the...

FULL TITLE: 'There's a little bit of sadness': Female reverend reveals how she had an abortion 12 years ago during a crumbling marriage A female reverend has revealed how she had an abortion nearly 12 years ago and how the mother-of-one suffered some sadness in not having two children. Reverend Susan Chorley was in a crumbling marriage, had a two-year-old son and was stressed out as relatively new pastor when she decided to get an abortion. Since June, the 44-year-old has begun to publicly reveal her secret as she speaks at seminars for a project she has launched with other...

It's become increasingly apparent that Donald Trump's administration wants to make religion inescapable, even for secularists. Education secretary Betsy DeVos has donated millions of dollars to private religious schools and once described her education reform as a mission to "advance God's kingdom." Vice President Mike Pence, a born-again evangelical Christian who cast the tie-breaking vote in DeVos' Senate confirmation, also has a history of using politics to advance his religious agenda; last month he became the first vice president to speak at the annual anti-abortion March for Life, and has long waged war against Planned Parenthood in his home state...

Those who don't like Donald Trump and the current Republican administration are mobilizing in all sorts of ways. They're speaking up in town halls and calling their representatives. They're organizing protests and demonstrations. And, for the magically-inclined, they're casting spells. Starting at midnight on Friday, witches around the country are calling for a mass spell to be cast on Donald Trump every night of a waning crescent moon until he's driven from office. The spell was publicized by Michael M. Hughes, who told ELLE.com that it was tweaked from multiple spells he saw going around private witchcraft groups. He published...

WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) - According to reports circulating on social media, a group of witches are planning a mass witchcraft spell to curse President Trump and get him "removed from office." The curse will also extend "to all those who abet him." The spell is set to take place February 24 at midnight, and is supposed to continue at "midnight on every waning crescent moon until he is removed from office." A Facebook page has been created for participants to offer input — although Christians are also leaving comments promoting "the power of Jesus" to counteract their efforts. The proclaimed binding...

A Satanic Temple, a liberal anti-Christian group that self-proclaims to represent “compassion and empathy,” is offering hugs and kisses in exchange for donations that fund two pro-abortion lawsuits filed against the State of Missouri, the International Business Times reports. “You might want to present a person you approach with a Satanic Valentine’s card as means to courteously explain the event,” the Satanist group told the International Business Times about its efforts to recruit participants. Pledges are granted based on the number of hugs and kisses received by participants on Valentine’s Day, the Libertarian Republic reported. In the example cited in...

A Hindu priest was among various religious leaders who offered prayers at the National Prayer Service of US President Donald Trump on January 21. This is probably the first time a Hindu priest has been called for services at the national prayer service of the presidential inauguration. Narayanachar L. Digalakota from the popular Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Maryland offered prayers at the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral. Digalakota was joined by by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Priest Bishop Harry Jackson, and Carlyle Begay to offer prayers for those who govern. The tradition of an inaugural...

The social makeup of Iran’s population is very complex, because there is actually no such thing as an Iranian people. There are, instead, Iranian citizens divided into many ethnic groups: Persians make up about 60% of the population, while the rest are Azars, Kurds, Blouchis, Arabs, Turkmen and tens of smaller ethnic groups. The main religion in Iran is Shia Islam, adhered to by 90% of the country’s people, while Sunnis – mainly Kurds and Blouchis – make up about 10%. The country recognizes Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism and reserves a parliamentary seat for each religion. Zoroastrianism is based on...

Austen Ivereigh, a journalist for the Catholic news website Crux, has written a post celebrating Pope Francis's 80th birthday in which he claims that the Holy Father is "not against" the Enneagram, though he does have reservations about its misuse: "Pope Francis, incidentally, knows the Enneagram well and is not against it. But he is wary of the way it can be misused and lead to excessive introspection if not deployed within a solid spiritual framework."In his post Ivereigh also wrote approvingly of the Enneagram, tracing its origin back to the Desert Fathers, the founders of early Christian monasticism: "On...

Satanists are turning their eyes to Ohio this week and blasting a bill that would ban abortions after an unborn child’s heart begins to beat. The Satanic Temple has been active in opposing pro-life efforts in numerous states, including Texas, Michigan and Missouri. They argue that the new Ohio bill violates their religious beliefs and should not become law, Inverse reports. “To us, the heartbeat is irrelevant to the claim of personhood,” Satanic Temple spokesperson Lucien Greaves said in a statement. “We do not advocate for a belief in the soul, therefore we feel that complex cerebral functions necessary for...

A massive Satanic pentagram has been placed in a Florida park, causing outrage - with some people calling it 'ridiculous' and 'offensive'. The display was installed in Boca Raton's Sanborn Square and is located next to a nativity scene. Preston Smith got a permit from the the city for the display, WPTV reported. Scroll down for video

Action 1: If you live near Portland, Oregon, please join the 2nd protest in front of Sacramento Elementary school at: 11:30am on Wednesday, November 16. Address: 11400 NE Sacramento St, Portland, OR 97220 Action 2: If you do not live near Portland, please pray and if possible call or email the school to register your disapproval. (please be polite but firm in all communication) School Website contact page: Sacramento Elementary School Interim Principal, Kathleen Copeland: Kathleen_copland@parkrose.k12.or.us School Secretary, Charlena Sirokman: charlena_sirokman@parkrose.k12.or.us Phone: (503) 408-2800 Action 3: Help us fly America Needs Fatima volunteers to help organize a new protest in...

There has been a recent surge in conversions to Zoroastrianism among Kurds at home and abroad. Andaz Hawezi, chief of the Zoroastrian Temple in Sweden says thousands have joined the faith. In 2011 he was elected to lead the temple. Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest religions to which most Kurds trace their ancestral faith. Hawezi says not all the new converts or followers are Kurds. There are Arabs, Turks, Persian, Swedish, Polish, British and other nationalities. “We hope to come back to Kurdistan. That’s why we named the Temple Kurdish Zoroastrian.” Hawezi says. The Temple in Sweden is...

When Brahmachari Vrajvihari Sharan led his first worship service in his new job as a Hindu chaplain Sunday, he knew his audience. As the service began, he asked worshipers to clear their minds. “Close all the tabs that are open, just as you would do to a Firefox window,” he said. The comparison — of a spiritual mindset to an Internet browser — worked at once. More than 40 college students, many of whom had been up until 3 a.m. the Saturday night before this 9 a.m. service, chuckled appreciatively and fell into a reverent silence. This is Sharan’s new...

OKLAHOMA CITY (ChurchMilitant.com) - After a black mass in Oklahoma City on August 15, a woman used a crucifix to murder her daughter. Juanita Gomez of Oklahoma City told authorities she believed her daughter was "possessed" by Satan. Police showed up to the Gomez house Saturday, August 27, on a welfare check to find the daughter, Geneva Gomez, lying in the form of a cross with a large crucifix resting on her chest. ChurchMilitant.com obtained the affidavit released by the courts earlier this week. The affidavit reads: "Juanita stated she punched her daughter (Geneva Gomez) repeatedly and forced a crucifix...

BOWLING GREEN, MO (ChurchMilitant.com) - In early August, a self-proclaimed Wiccan Catholic smeared a local Bowling Green Catholic church with her own feces. On Monday, August 22, she was found dead in her apartment from an apparent suicide. The local coroner, Jim Turner, has withheld the details of 54-year-old Linda Howard's death, only saying it looked like a suicide and that he would release details at a later date. Howard, who vandalized St. Clement Catholic Church, told police she committed the act because she was angry with God. The parish priest, Fr. Bill Peckmen, posted a message on his Facebook...

SOLDOTNA, AK (KTUU) Debate is growing about what the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly should do after a Satanic prayer was read as an invocation at a public meeting. Nikki Carvajal reports from Soldotna (click above for video)

Christians united in response to a 'black mass' that included the desecration of a statue of the Virgin Mary Over a thousand Christians from all denominations gathered for a peace walk and prayer rally in response to a ‘black mass’ in Oklahoma City yesterday evening. According the the local news service NewsOK, hundreds of Catholics met together for a mass service on the lawn outside the civic centre before the satanic service took place at the theatre inside the centre. The ‘black mass’ service, in which a statue of the Virgin Mary was desecrated, was lead by satanist Adam Daniels...

An ecumenical downtown prayer gathering has been organized to counter a satanic group's planned event at the Civic Center Music Hall. The Unity Prayer Walk and Prayer Service is set for 6 p.m. Aug 15, with the walk to begin at the Jesus Wept statue on the grounds of St. Joseph Old Cathedral, continuing on to First United Methodist Church of Oklahoma City, where the service will be held. Several faith leaders, including Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, said the walk and prayer service are a unified response to the Dakhma of Angra Mainyu's black mass at the Civic...