A Colorado hospital will now ask its female patients where they want fetal remains to be buried, after a miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion. Avista Adventist Hospital has taken on this new policy after learning that Crist Mortuary in Boulder was sending fetal remains, which they had received from the hospital for cremation, to a Catholic cemetery.

The mortuary apologized to the hospital this week, which was unaware of the practice.

News that the mortuary was sending the ashes to Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Boulder for almost a decade to be part of a Catholic memorial dedicated to aborted children, caused outrage among pro-abortion groups.

The mortuary also returned the ashes of several hundred fetuses to the Boulder Abortion Clinic, which asked for them back after hearing the news.

Courtesy of ETWN. Gratefully reprinted to academic, research, and educational purposes.

Last April, Shawn Byrne submitted an application for a personalized plate inscribed with "JOHN316." In May, he received a letter from the DMV informing him that the inscription was "deemed to be a combination that refers to deity and has been denied based on that reason." On appeal, an administrative law judge upheld the DMV's position because the statute governing the license plate program prohibits combinations that refer to "deity," among other things.

Byrne has now sued the state over the matter. He is represented by attorney Anthony Duprey of Middlebury, who is affiliated with the Alliance Defense Fund. Duprey contends the state's position is clearly unconstitutional.

"The state of Vermont has created a forum whereby they allow people to make expression within this license plate forum," the attorney says. "But they said if you happen to have a religious perspective, a Christian perspective, then you need not apply. They're discriminating as to what sort of speech people can put on the license plate -- and I think that's very troubling."

According to Duprey, DMV officials have approved other plates that use names and numbers referring to religion. But those officials, he says, have "selectively censored" his client's expression. "When officials suppress speech because they don't like the message of the plate or the viewpoint it expresses, that's illegal discrimination," he says.

The attorney points out another aspect that he sees as discriminatory. "What's important in my client's life is his relationship with Jesus Christ," he explains. "[But] the state said 'Well, we don't want to hear that -- , we don't want you to express that.' But if you've got somebody [for whom] bowling is their big thing in life and that's what they live for, then you're free to put it on the vehicle."

Duprey says he intends to make sure the DMV "will no longer be able to discriminate against anyone based upon their religious views."

NOTE: Allie Martin is a reporter for American Family Radio News, available online. Gratefully reprinted for academic, research, and educational purposes.

"We have addressed the internal miscommunications that led to the previous misstatement of company policy and apologize for any confusion it may have caused," Lisa Dallos, spokeswoman for Wenner Media, Rolling Stone's parent company, said Monday. She declined to elaborate.

The magazine was drummed by critics last week for turning down a low-key ad for a new translation of Scripture, Today's New International Version (TNIV).

The nation's largest Bible publisher, Zondervan, had inquired about rates for the ad in March and booked the space in July for the ad to run in February.

The ad, which will run unchanged in mid-February, doesn't mention God. But it describes the Bible as "real truth" and ca

rries the new translation's slogan: "Timeless truth: Today's language." Zondervan is launching a $1 million marketing campaign for the TNIV in publications for young adults who rarely, if ever, read the Bible. TNIV is designed to be accessible to modern readers. The Bible.

"We're frankly thrilled that Rolling Stone has decided to accept our ad," said Paul Caminiti, Zondervan's president of Bible publishing.

"We believe that the Bible is relevant for Rolling Stone readers," Caminiti said. "We've always believed they were a cornerstone in our campaign to squarely market to spiritually intrigued 18- to 34-year-old young people, many of whom live outside the embrace of the church."

Other media outlets that will carry TNIV advertising include Modern Bride, the satirical weekly The Onion and MTV.com.

The trouble with Rolling Stone came when the magazine's executives saw the actual advertisement two weeks ago.

It was ruled unacceptable because of a "spiritual message in the text," said Kent Brownridge, general manager for Wenner Media. He told USA TODAY that the magazine "was not in the business of advertising for religious messages."

Zondervan officials were shocked. They said offers to change the advertisement were rebuffed. Christian and conservative media commentators savaged the magazine, which once carried classified advertising for mail-order divinity degrees.

Meanwhile, the controversy has driven such demand for TNIV, Caminiti said, that Zondervan will be moving it into stores ahead of schedule.

All 10 variations of TNIV, including a version with commentary for women called True Identity and a men's version called Strive, will be in stores Feb. 1 ($15 to $60, depending on binding and features).

Then a new batch of critics might be heard from: theologians who disagree over the actual translation.

When Zondervan released the TNIV New Testament in 2002, some scholars and clergy complained that it went beyond updating language, to revising God's word as well.

Zondervan says it welcomes the debate and will be mailing the full Bible to 118 critics next month.

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com online. Gratefully reprinted to academic, research, and educational purposes.

Florida's Indian River Community College (IRCC) is engaging in a campaign of repression against a Christian student group for attempting to show Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ on campus. In November 2004, the college banned the Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) from showing the film because it was R-rated, despite the fact that the college has hosted a live performance entitled "F**king for Jesus" that describes simulated sex with the risen Christ. CSF students report that after their group wrote President Edwin R. Massey in protest, administrators pulled group leaders out of class and, astoundingly, demanded an apology from them for their actions. Now, CSF is unable even to officially meet because its advisor resigned after IRCC imposed a burdensome new policy requiring that faculty advisors attend all student group meetings.

IRCC's assault on CSF must end immediately," declared David French, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), which wrote to IRCC on behalf of CSF. "Not only has the college adopted a breathtaking double standard for expression, but it has also abused administrative power in the worst way. As a public institution bound by the First Amendment, IRCC has no right to ban either the movie or the play, and it is shameful to demand an apology from students for trying to preserve their constitutional rights. IRCC's arbitrary and authoritarian actions demonstrate that the college has no respect for its students or for the U.S. Constitution."

FIRE Director of Legal and Public Advocacy Greg Lukianoff remarked, "If IRCC has consistently prevented adult students from showing R-rated movies on campus, it has imposed on them an unconstitutional, paternalistic, and patronizing rule. IRCC's recent actions make it more likely that IRCC has singled out 'The Passion of the Christ' for censorship in an astonishing instance of unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and abuse of administrative power. Either way, the college has shown extraordinary arrogance and foolishness."

IRCC has also taken its policy of intrusive monitoring of student organization activities to absurd heights. In early December, one CSF student reported that an administrator and security guard interrupted a private discussion between her and a fellow student and demanded to know what they were doing. IRCC's enforcement of the unlawful new rule prohibiting club meetings without the presence of a faculty advisor makes it impossible for CSF, a group that would normally meet at least three times a week, to function as a recognized student organization, as it is unable to find a new advisor who can attend every group meeting.

"It is absurd that IRCC believes that a government representative must monitor the meetings and control the expressive activity of every student group. This requirement is as insulting as it is Orwellian," stated FIRE's French.

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at our U.S. colleges and universities.

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The Rev. Jack Arnold, 69, was nearing the end of his sermon Sunday at Covenant Presbyterian Church in this Orlando suburb when he grabbed the podium before falling to the floor, said the Rev. Michael S. Beates, associate pastor at Covenant Presbyterian.

Before collapsing, Arnold quoted the 18th century Bible scholar, John Wesley, who said, "Until my work on this earth is done, I am immortal. But when my work for Christ is done ... I go to be with Jesus," Beates said in a telephone interview.

Several members of the congregation with medical backgrounds tried to revive the minister and paramedics were called, but Arnold appeared to die instantly, Beates said.

Arnold had been the senior minister at the church until the late 1990s when he began traveling to Africa and the Middle East to teach pastors. The cause of death was believed to be cardiac arrest. He had bypass surgery five years earlier.

Beates also recounted Arnold's death in an e-mail he sent to members of the Central Florida Presbytery.

"We were stunned," Beates said. "It was traumatic, but how wonderful it was he died in his own church among the people he loved the most." SOURCE: Yahoo! news

Doctors at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib used their medical knowledge to help devise coercive interrogation methods for detainees including sleep deprivation, stress positions and other abuse, it has been reliably reported.

An article in the New England Journal of Medicine provides the most authoritative account so far that doctors were active participants in the abuse of prisoners in America's "war on terror".

"Clearly, the medical personnel who helped to develop and execute aggressive counter-resistance plans thereby breached the laws of war," says the article, which is based on interviews with more than two dozen military personnel and recently released official documents. It adds: "The conclusion that doctors participated in torture is premature, but there is probable cause for suspecting it."

The issue that the administration had encouraged the use of coercive interrogation techniques was raised in the Senate confirmation hearings of Alberto Gonzales, the presidential nominee for attorney general. Mr Gonzales was attacked for a memo which said only the most severe types of torture were not permissible under US law.

The article accuses doctors of violating professional ethics by passing detainee health records to military intelligence, and by watching interrogation sessions.
It also describes collaboration with interrogators in which doctors and medics helped set the parameters for abuse, determining 72-hour "sleep management" schedules for detainees, approving bread and water regimens for those subjected to "dietary manipulation", and sanctioning long periods of isolation.

At Guantanamo and at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, doctors had the final say on the interrogation plan for each detainee. "The medic would screen him and ensure he was fit for interrogation ... After that the medic would watch over the interrogation from behind the glass," the article quotes a military police commander as saying.

Last August an article in the British medical journal the Lancet accused medics at Abu Ghraib of failing to report the beating of detainees and of forging death certificates. But the practices described yesterday suggest for the first time that medical practitioners played an active role in abuse.

"This is physicians and psychiatrists being involved in the design and implementation of interrogation plans," said Jonathan Marks, a British barrister and fellow at the Georgetown University law centre, who co-authored the report.

The article includes comments from the deputy assistant secretary of defence for health, David Tornberg, which suggest the Pentagon believes professional ethics do not apply in a time of war. That view has raised concern in the medical community. "You have to protect physicians from being ... used to serve military purposes," said Leonard Rubinstein, director of Physicians for Human Rights.


SOURCE: Special report from The Guardian:www.guardian.co.uk/guantanamo/0,13743,1000982,00.html

The girl, known as Leyla M, is in prison while the Supreme Court decides on her "acts contrary to chastity", among the most serious charges under Iranian law. Under the penal code, girls as young as nine and boys as young as 15 can be executed.

In an interview on a Persian-language website, the 19-year-old says she was forced into prostitution by her mother at the age of eight. Amnesty International refers to reports that say she was repeatedly raped, bore her first child aged nine and was passed from pimp to pimp before having another three children.

She told the website: "The first time I was taken to a man's house by my mum I was eight. It was a horrible night and I cried a lot but then my mum came the next day and took me home. She bought me chocolate and cheese curls."

Iranian press reports say Leyla was charged with controlling a brothel, having sex with blood relatives and bearing an illegitimate child. Amnesty says the court refused to admit social workers' evidence of her young mental age and convicted her on the basis of confessions.

Her prosecution echoes the fate of an even younger girl, Atefeh Rajabi, executed in August. In her case a judge known as Hajj Rezai reportedly put the noose around her neck himself after convicting her on the basis of her confessions for the fourth time in two years. She begged for her life while being led to the gallows, shouting "repentance".

Shadi Sadr, a human rights lawyer representing Atefeh's family, has filed a suit of wrongful execution against the judiciary and is preparing a murder case against Mr Rezai after uncovering new evidence. She has found documents seen by The Independent that prove Atefeh was mentally ill and her confessions should not have been used.

"There is an article in the penal code that if somebody is sentenced to lashing on three separate occasions for the same offence, the fourth conviction incurs the death penalty," Ms Sadr toldThe Independent. "The same judge tried her for each of these past cases but we haven't been allowed to see the files."

A different man was involved in each of Atefeh's convictions. All refused to confess but the judge said it was obvious they had sex with her and sentenced them each to 95 lashes.

After her trial, Atefeh said she had been a victim of sexual assault during spells of mental ill health. After her first conviction in 2001 when 14, she spent time in a state facility for the "socially harmed". Ms Sadr has obtained documents written by officials there backing up her story.

An undated report written by the facility's psychiatrist says she had a history of "chronic sexuality" and was given to "pseudo hallucinations" and seductive behaviour. He diagnosed her with borderline bipolar disorder.

People in Atefeh's neighbourhood wrote two petitions - one before her conviction and one afterwards - affirming that she suffered from mental illness and begging for leniency. Ms Sadr has been unable to locate the defence lawyer in the case.

After the verdict, Atefeh wrote to the High Court, saying: "There are medical documents that prove I have weak nerves and soul. In some minutes of the day and night I lose my sanity. During these attacks any kind of positive or negative actions may be done by me. In a society where an insane person can be serially raped or abused it is no wonder that a person like me is the victim of such an ugly act." Ms Sadr says Atefeh's mental state should have invalidated the case.

The day before the execution Atefeh told her aunt she had written three words to the High Court: "Repentance, repentance, repentance." In Iranian law, somebody who repents their crime is granted the right to appeal against their sentence.

A social worker's report says Atefeh's father and brother were heroin addicts and after her mother's death "she sought affection on the streets".

Ms Sadr says it is impossible to verify lurid claims in dissident websites about an improper relationship between girl and judge. "We will never know what happened between Atefeh and the judge because she is dead, he won't tell and she was tried in a closed court."
NOTE: Sent to us by a reader. Written by Angus McDowall in Tehran

AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND - While visiting your local church or cathedral may enliven the soul, a new study indicates that it may be detrimental to your health. Scientists from Europe's Maastricht University have discovered that burning candles and incense in church can result in the release of dangerous levels of carcinogenic particles. (European Respiratory Journal.)

The study's author, Theo de Kok, is quoted as saying that just one day of candle and incense burning resulted in roughly 20 times as much potentially-dangerous pollutant as that tested adjacent to a busy highway. The scientist says that the levels discovered by his research team "were so unbelievably high we thought we should report it to the public."

The researchers simulated a high mass and discovered that the air at a basilica in Maastricht contained 20 times as more pollutants than the European Union limit of PM10 particles. PM10 particles are so tiny that they can easily be inhaled, thus the health risk.

Additionally, the scientists discovered abnormally high levels of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and also that "free radicals" were released from burning candles and incense. Free radical atoms are known by scientists to promote the develoment of cancerous tumors.

The head of the scientific team stated that there's probably not much to worry about for the church-attendee, but that people working long hours in churches, such as priests, choir members, etc., may face "significant exposure.,

De Kok said that it might be worthwhile for churches to use fewer candles, candles giving off less "exhaust," or even convert to less-sacred-feeling electric candles. An alternative would be to work on vastly improving ventilation, he said.

In issuing the surprising report, De Kok also said that it's now time for serious scientific research into whether priests, monks and other church workers may have an incidence of lung disease that's higher than the general population.

In its coverage of this story, Reuters quoted Richard Russell of the British Thoracic Society (BTS) as saying, "Particle pollution, whether it be in an outdoor or indoor environment, can be a danger to lung health and cause respiratory diseases such as emphysema and bronchitis."

L. Barrett Powell is the founder of Healing Universe, which runs and advice site called the Inpsired Living Advice Network. Powell says that instead of calling a traditional church or synagogue, this type of counsel is becoming increasingly commonplace.

"It is not a spiritual trend or fad that will fade away," she says "In fact it will increase greatly over the next decade," she predicts.

An ordained minister, life/business coach and spiritual intuitive, Powell spend several hours a day working with men and women around the globe who seek advice about situations at work or in their family so they can make decisions.

"Every day I speak with professionals who are university professors, radio executives, well-known winery owners, investment portfolio fund managers, entrepreneurs, presidents and vice presidents, music industry execs, homemakers, and parents from around the world." says Powell.

Those global clients come from places such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Canada and the USA.

According to her, clients typically keep their conversations under wraps, not telling their office staff or colleagues -- or traditionmal church leaders. But, she says, they consult her on a regular basis, many times weekly or bi-weekly, to help them gain clarity in a decision-making process or to develop resources to make progress on a project.

"Sometimes, though, they call about a personal issue involving a mate, spouse or child. Parenting is a big issue with many of the clients who come through the Inspired Living Advice Network."

Powell says they are repeat clients because of the accuracy they receive from her and the other "intuitives" and astrologers at Healing Universe.

She stresses that confidentiality is very important to clients but not just because others might think them crazy for consulting an astrologer. Rather it is spiritual privacy and professional competition that fuel the confidentiality.

"Sometimes I laugh about it with a client, but they tend to be deadly serious about not wanting to give away the secret of their professional edge. Their performance is improved and they are getting bonuses and making great decisions and they want to keep their inside track."

And she adds, "It is also stressed at Healing Universe that the client's belief in God, in the spiritual, in what cannot be seen with the naked eye, is a precious and private thing. A person with faith, who understands vision, can be a powerful force in the business and academic world."

Healing Universe's Inspired Living Advice Network launched September 3 and features experienced intuitives who go by the names of - Oakeru, Shelley, Eve, Nan, Samantha, Jan, Susan, Rachael, and of course Powell herself. They charge $2.99/minute and offer astrology consultations, psychic and Tarot readings and Runes readings. By contrast, most of the traditional clergy, the folks Powell claims are being shunned, don't charge anything at all for their spiritual assistance.

She adds that there are plans to create a separate website to offer only coaching.

A plurality of Americans (46%) believes that Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence among its believers, while 37% say Islam does not encourage violence more than other religions. This measure also is substantially unchanged from last year, when 44% felt Islam was more likely to encourage violence. But the 2003 figure represented a substantial increase over the 25% who expressed this view in March 2002.

The nationwide survey of 2,009 adults, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, also finds a small decrease over the past year in perceptions of anti-Americanism among Muslims around the world. A slim 44% plurality believes that "just a few" or "some" Muslims are anti-American. That compares with 42% who say that "about half" (19%), "most," or "almost all" (23%) Muslims around the world are anti-American. In July 2003, 49% said about half or more Muslims worldwide were anti-American. In March 2002, 36% expressed that view.

Gaps Persist in Views of Islam

There continue to be significant demographic and political differences in public opinion toward Islam. On balance, younger Americans, those under age 30, hold a more favorable view of Islam; older age groups are divided, with a relatively large minority of those age 65 and older expressing no opinion (39%).

Among religious groups, seculars by two-to-one express a favorable opinion of Islam (50%-25%). A plurality of white Catholics also has a positive impression of Islam (43% fav/34% unfav). But white evangelical Protestants, on balance, have a negative opinion of Islam (46% unfav/29% fav). And more than half of white evangelicals who attend church at least once a week have an unfavorable impression of Islam.

There also are sharp ideological differences in impressions of Islam. A solid majority of liberal Democrats (56%) say they have a favorable opinion of Islam. Conservative and moderate Democrats are less favorable (44%), but positive opinions outnumber negative ones. Republicans are less positive toward Islam, and 45% of conservative Republicans say they have an unfavorable opinion of the religion.

About the Survey

Results for the July 2004 Foreign Policy and Party Images survey are based on telephone interviews conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International among a nationwide sample of 2,009 adults, 18 years of age or older, during the period July 8-18, 2004. For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. For results based on 1,568 Registered Voters, the sampling error is plus or minus 3.0 percentage points. For results based on either Form 1 (N=1003) or Form 2 (N=1006) general public, the sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.

Americans aged 55 and over are more religious and have a more positive attitude toward their religion, but the largest consumers of religious media products in the country are between the ages of 35 and 54, according to "The U.S. Market for Religious Publishing and Products," a new report by market research publisher Packaged Facts. More than half of listeners of religious radio shows are middle age, while nearly half of the market for religious television programming and books are between 35 and 54 years old.

Overall, the market for religious publishing and products is valued at $6.8 billion, according to Packaged Facts. Books comprise the lion’s share of the market, at 51%, growing from $2.64 billion in sales in 1999 to $3.5 billion in 2003. The segment experienced a compound annual growth rate of 9.1% during the four year period due to increased interest in the general "Christian Living" category, which relates religion to day-to-day life.

Interestingly enough, the report adds that while 79% of Americans believe in God, those who attend weekly services are on the downslide, at just 26%. Despite this trend, religion remains a hot topic thanks in part to the success of mainstream movies like "The Passion of the Christ" and novels like "The Da Vinci Code."

"While religion has always been an integral part of American life, popular culture revives consumer interest in religious products," said Don Montuori, Acquisitions Editor for Packaged Facts. "In the 1970s, it was Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar. Today, it’s The Passion of Christ."

"The U.S. Market for Religious Publishing and Products" analyzes new products and marketing opportunities, with sales and growth forecasts through 2008. Consumer demographic trends and their impact on religious product sales are presented. Up-to-date competitive profiles of product marketers are also included along with current distribution trends.

About Packaged Facts
Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, and demographics. The cost isn $3,000. For more information visit www.PackagedFacts.com

Pastor Joshua Thompson, and his brother Caleb Thompson have been of aggravated assault and injury to a child for beating young Guerrero. At the trial, the 11-year old told the court that he was beaten for "goofing off" and that he was then taken to Joshua's home where the minister beat him with two tree branches while Caleb Thompson held him down, defenseless.

During the trial, a physician testified that Guerrero "had been struck hundreds of times." While he has now recovered, while he was in a hospital intensive care unit for five days, he was reportedly in serious danger of kidney failure.

The judge sentenced Joshua Thompson to 26 years in behind bars for injury to a child as well as 20 years for aggravated assault. His brother Caleb Thompson was sentenced to 14 years for injury to a child and 14 years for aggravated assault.

In the meantime, the family of the 11-year old victim sought civil damages and reportedly has settled for in excess of $1.5-million to settle claims against the fundamentalist Capitol City Baptist Church, the pastors, and church members, according to Associated Press reports.

Court documents show that Guerrero will receive over $1-million of the settlement by the year 2022, whereas the boy's mother, Norma Arellano, is said to be in line to receive $180,000 of the settlement amount.

The 11-year old's family sued for $25 million but settled for the lesser amounts, according to court documents, on April 8.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (PRWEB) April 22, 2004 -— Contradicting the central tenet of Christianity that Jesus is “The Son of God,” the Religion of Eckankar claims that its spiritual leader, Harold Klemp, actually holds that distinction. The written works of Eckankar claim that Harold Klemp who holds the self-proclaimed title of Mahanta the Living Eck Master is:
“[The Son of God. This same expression was used to describe Christ during his stay on earth.” (Twitchell, The Spiritual Notebook, 2nd Ed. 1990, p.18)

Born of a Virgin: “The Eck enters into the womb of a virgin, the queen of heaven…. [A man child is born…then the chosen one learns that he is the Living Eck Master.” (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad Book I, 2nd Ed. 1987, pp. 111-112)

“God made flesh on earth…the representative of Sugmad [God in our midst today” (Twitchell, The Spiritual Notebook, 2nd Ed. 1990, p.223)

These are just a few of the hundreds of startling claims that make up the doctrine and dogma of the religious cult called Eckankar. These claims are blindly accepted by Eckists because they cannot conceive that their spiritual leader would ever mislead or deceive them. Yet, the spuriousness of these claims is obvious to all but the deceived. These are not the words of “critics that come and go” as Eckankar would have its followers believe, but words taken from the “holy” books of Eckankar, which form the very foundation of this religion.

Is Eckankar Anti-religion and Anti-Christian?
In a recent international newspaper article, Eckankar portrayed the author of the new book Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey to Higher Consciousness, Ford Johnson, as anti-religion and anti-Christian. In truth, Confessions consistently portrays an anti-deception, anti-mythology (as religion), anti-lie perspective while recognizing the need for and the role religions play and have played in the world. Eckankar, on the other hand, portrayed itself as a supporter of religions when it wrote, “Eckankar respects all religions. Each of us must decide our own path home to God….” This is the benign face of Eckankar that is shown to the world and those new to its teachings. But the hidden face of Eckankar, which often remains hidden from the faithful even after they have been indoctrinated, is quite different. These passages ¾ with references ¾ are taken directly from Eckankar’s “Bible” called the Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad.

“Those who listen to Niranjan [Satan are listening to the false prophet. The sweet whispers of this negative genius [the Devil are heard in the voices of … the preachers, clergy and priests who represent the old orthodox religions [e.g. Christianity.” (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad Book I, 1st Ed., 1982, p. 44-45)

“[The mission of the Mahanta [Harold Klemp the Spiritual Leader of Eckankar on this earth is to stir the millions of non-initiated [followers of other religions into revolt against all orthodox religions.” (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad Book I, 1st Ed. 1982, p. 181)

“[Priests and clergy have … joined religious orders for the sake of their livelihood. A true seeker of the Eck cannot have much regard for such persons.... Such persons do not belong on the same level as the chelas [followers of Eckankar.” (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad Book II, 2nd Ed. 1988, p. 225)

Here is the real Eckankar doctrine, taken from their own “Bible.” The truth about Eckankar and its religious tolerance could not be more opposite their public platitudes.

Are There Many Paths To God?
Another misrepresentation presented by Eckankar is: “There are many paths that lead you to God. As children of God, we each have the spiritual freedom to choose the path that works for us. This freedom is given us by God.” This is the public face of Eckankar. Here is the private face, the one found in its written works. These quotes, ¾ with references ¾ are also taken from the Eckankar “Bible” and other books written by Eckankar’s founder, Paul Twitchell.

“It is not possible to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven except through the teachings of Eckankar” (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad Book I, 2nd Ed. 1987, p. 96)

“All these things can be learned through the medium of ECKANKAR, the only and universal path to God” (Twitchell, The Spiritual Notebook, 2nd Ed. 1990, p. 15)

“Again and again I have pointed out that there is no other path than ECK[ANKAR…. [Anyone who tries another path is trying to start on a lower rung. It seems so foolish for anyone…to select a spiritual path…when it is laid out for him to move on to the original and only path to God.” (Twitchell, The Spiritual Notebook, 2nd Ed. 1990, p. 221

This is the real Eckankar with its masks removed. Eckankar’s disdain for Christianity and all other religions could not be clearer or more duplicitous.

Eckankar “Invented” In 1965 By Paul Twitchell
It is now reasonably clear that Paul Twitchell, the founder of Eckankar, suffered from mythomania (pathological lying) and megalomania. This condition explains how a novelist turned spiritual leader could claim that his new religion, created in 1965 was the oldest religion in the world and that he was “God made flesh on earth…the representative of Sugmad [God in our midst today.” Paul Twitchell’s wife and co-founder is reported to have claimed that he “made up the whole thing.” Perhaps that is why she was paid $500,000 of Eckankar funds for the rights to Paul Twitchell’s writings and has had nothing to say or anything to do with this teaching since. Twitchell magically transformed a 1965 for-profit company into a religion and bestowed upon himself the exalted title of Mahanta the Living Eck Master. He even invented an absurd story for how this all happened. According to Twitchell, he received his title and a mystical Rod of Power — another Twitchellian fiction — from a 400-year-old master named Rebazar Tarzs, who supposedly is still living in the flesh, in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Northern Tibet. But this fictionalized master, as well as all the others created by Twitchell, was part of an invented ancient spiritual sect known as the Vairagi Order (a name that he stole from an order in India). These invented “masters” first appeared in print around 1965 as he substituted their names for those of real spiritual teachers he had included in earlier versions of the same books.

But in the early years, before Twitchell claimed that his new religion was “the oldest world religion”, he was more forthright about its true origins. He wrote:
“Eckankar, which I formed out of my own experience… is the term used for the philosophy I have developed for the Cliff hanger. It is based on Shabda-Yoga, a way out form of Yoga” (Twitchell, “The Bilocation Philosophy,” p. 52; Johnson, Confessions of a God Seeker, p.132, 142)

Even the current leader of Eckankar, Harold Klemp had to acknowledge the recent beginnings of Eckankar, and therefore of the fiction of the Mahanta, the Living Eck Master, when he admitted:

“[Eckankar was not used to describe any religious doctrines [the Mahanta, a necessary inclusion until the mid-1960's when it was coined, adopted and first used by Paul Twitchell " (From Court Records in Darwin Gross v. Eckankar, see: www.thetruth-seeker.com)

In spite of conclusive evidence to the contrary and written admissions by both Paul Twitchell and Harold Klemp, Eckankar history and doctrine carry the staggeringly false claims that:
§“ECK[ANKAR created and comprises all the religious ideas of the lower worlds. Art, writing, and sculpture are only developments of the higher ideals of ECKANKAR…. The major religions of the world have sprung out of ECK[ANKAR.” (Twitchell, The Spiritual Notebook, 2nd Ed. 1990, pp. 11)

§“Practically every man who has contributed to civilization has spiritually been a … student...of ECK[ANKAR.” (Twitchell, The Spiritual Notebook, 2nd Ed. 1990, p. 1)

With such obviously deceitful, fabricated and megalomaniacal pronouncements still a part of Eckankar doctrine, it is little wonder that Eckankar tries to minimize the effects of its exposure to the world. But Eckankar’s deception does not stop with its history and claims that its leader is “The Son of God,” and “God made flesh.” It infects every part of the teaching. Here are but a few of hundreds of examples of deception and lying —not to mention plagiarism—that find few parallels in religious history.

How The Myth Of The Mahanta Was Fabricated
In spite of what is now known about Twitchell’s conditions of mythomania and megalomania, Harold Klemp, the current spiritual leader, continues to delude himself into believing that Twitchell’s 1965 creation of the Mahanta myth is actually true. Klemp seems oblivious to the fact that Twitchell stole even the name from another spiritual path. When it made its early appearance in his book The Flute of God, Twitchell used it as merely a synonym for spirit and a state of consciousness like “love” or any other thought form (FOG pp. 46, 55). This was easy to accept, for most people believe in some universal force whether called “spirit” or by some other name. Twitchell later associated the word “Mahanta” with the “man” and added it to his exalted title. With this verbal fusion of two words, he was able to transform himself into spirit itself ¾since spirit and Mahanta now meant the same thing. He then diffused the word “Mahanta” throughout the Eckankar teachings, and reinforced the Mahanta/spirit connection by making it part of “every word, thought and action” of his followers. He urged his followers to look on his picture at all times and surrender all problems and their entire welfare — including their dreams —over to him. Therefore, it is not difficult to see how Eckists came to associate Twitchell, and Klemp with spirit and God itself. This verbal alchemy is actually how a single word ¾ Mahanta ¾ first used, according to Klemp, in 1965, transformed a mortal man into “God made flesh” and transformed Eckankar into a full-fledged religious cult. As if this were not enough, Eckankar’s history is further clouded by the embarrassing if not farcical revelation that Klemp, the current Mahanta, claimed that the previous Mahanta (also a purported “Son of God”) was a black magician. This is part of the ignoble history of Eckankar, revealed in Confessions of a God Seeker that is hidden from the Eckankar community.

Realizing that the Mahanta construct was fabricated but legitimized through verbal trickery and indoctrination, James Davis, author of a book about the Mahanta, The Rosetta Stone of God, disavowed his own book and the Mahanta concept. Davis independently reached this conclusion, based on his own inner and outer experiences. They confirmed what the author of Confessions, Ford Johnson, and thousands of others have come to realize. Spirit is the non-exclusive power of God and works in the lives of everyone. But, when a single “man” claims he is the exclusive channel for that force, indeed, God itself, both he and those who follow him are deluded. The Mahanta is a false paradigm. It works only because of the “power of belief.” But belief in a false paradigm ultimately limits the spiritual unfoldment of that person until it is replaced with an awareness of “God-soul,” the divine spark of God that lies within each person. This is the real source of love, guidance and protection. By repeating the expression: “I am one with ALL THAT IS”, “I surrender to my higher self”, “God-soul that is me”, a person is able to take the next step in spiritual unfoldment. The power of this concept replaces a false spiritual paradigm with the truth about their existence.

This is the lesson that our journey through countless religions and spiritual paths has been designed to teach. We are a spark ¾ a replica ¾ of God Itself, no greater or less than any other being that ever inhabited this earth. We have learned, through many life times, the lessons needed to expand our awareness to encompass this reality. It is summed up in the higher consciousness axiom, I AM, GOD IS, WE ARE ONE. Teachings like Eckankar will move heaven and earth to prevent us from reaching this awareness. They know that it will deprive them of control and thus a central role in our lives.

Fraud and Deception In Eckankar Initiations
Even in the sacred arena of initiations (stages of spiritual unfoldment), we find that there is no intrinsic truth or validity. Like everything else in Eckankar, they are part of Paul Twitchell’s invention. They serve as a mechanism of control and to insure the steady flow of revenues. The “Mahanta” does not determine through some “mystical spiritual process,” as Eckists believe, to whom or when initiations are granted, for we have already seen just how “earthly” this invented position is. Instead, a very mundane computer accomplishes this feat. Initiations are based on the number of years of continuous paid-in membership plus recommendations from local leaders. Harold Klemp admitted as much to a group of high initiates:

“[Many of the initiation records we had were destroyed,…were erased. We’ve reconstructed much of this. We don’t have very good records right now about your initiation levels I’m afraid to say. Another thing that was done and I have to be honest, that people were given 5th initiations by date…anybody that had 5 years, they were sent a pink slip. There are 5th initiates who aren’t 5th initiates….” (An exhibit from the Case Darwin Gross vs. Eckankar, 1985. See original at www.thetruth-seeker.com.

Harold Klemp and The Cover-up
In spite of the mountain of lies and fabrication, which Klemp found when he took over Eckankar, he was not prepared to see the truth and act on it. Instead, he fabricated incredible tales to explain to himself and others what Twitchell had done. To explain Twitchell’s unparalleled plagiarism, for example, Klemp rationalized that Twitchell had copied the thousands of stolen and plagiarized passages from an astral library that he visited during his dreams. In other statements he said that Twitchell’s habit of lying about his accomplishments was “without realizing it, just practicing [to eventually become the Mahanta.” Eckists and Eck leaders in the field are not aware of the thousands of lies that riddle this teaching. But worst, many appear afraid or unwilling to learn the truth, which only delays spiritual unfoldment. Instead, they follow a teaching that is based on a carefully interwoven set of lies.

Eckankar Techniques of Spiritual Entrapment ¾The Use of Fear To Control The Members
Another example of the intentional and knowing deception fostered by Twitchell and Klemp and covered up by the current leadership is found in a series of warnings about how spiritual students are trapped and deceived. Twitchell wrote these warnings for the enlightenment and protection of his followers. Then he used the same techniques of entrapment on his own students. Twitchell wrote:

“The oldest technique of keeping the loyalty of the chela by many teachers is with fear…. Because they grow afraid of losing their chelas to a Master on the higher level, the old fear tactics will be drummed into those who desire to move away…. These threats are very common. They usually go like this: [1“If you leave me, you will get caught in the astral and won’t get out.” Another cliché is: [2 “I’ve got the only path and if you leave it, you’re in deep trouble.” Another one is: [3 “I’m the true Master, and having initiated you, will be with you until the end of eternity. I’m your Master always.” These are a few of the techniques of fear used by most teachers of the psychic worlds. We can easily recognize them. “ (Twitchell, Eckankar, Illuminated Way Letters 1966-1971, pp. 93-94)

Having warned his students of the spiritual traps to look out for the use of several of these techniques has already been demonstrated in quotes taken from the writings of Paul Twitchell. But fear through the use of “curses” was the most powerful of these techniques and Twitchell and his predecessors used it to great effect, entrapping their followers and harming thousands of seekers who believed and trusted them.

There is no intrinsic truth or power to any of the curses and fear devices used in Eckankar. Twitchell has already admitted that they are simply devices of control. They work only if the individual accepts them as true. Here are just a few of the many curses that Twitchell and Klemp have placed in front of Eckists to keep them in line. They wrote:

“The wrath of the ECK crashes down upon anyone who …deserts the Master….Not once will he see the connection between his betrayal …and the horrendous troubles that strike him down like a plague on every hand. And thus he goes downward…until he leaves his body in hopeless despair…. “ (Klemp, The ECK Satsang Discourses, Third Series, Letter 8)

“Whosoever…shall divulge the secrets of his initiation… shall be deprived of his sight and tongue in order to never again be able to say anything about the degrees of initiation in ECKANKAR” (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad Book II, 1st Ed. 1977, p.150)

“To ridicule, to scorn, to speak mockingly of the words of the Mahanta, and not to have faith in him and the cause of ECK is to bring woes on the advocator of doubt.” (Twitchell, Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad Book I, 2nd Ed. 1987, p.107)

For a teaching that professes to be about love and spiritual unfoldment, these curses are nothing more than a not-so-sophisticated form of black magic. Klemp and Eckankar use “curses” to frighten their followers into remaining silent, obedient and entrapped. While it is despicable to subject loving and trusting followers to the threats of eternal wrath, that is precisely what Eckankar is doing. On this point, Ford Johnson explains:

“A ‘curse’ is ‘a prayer or invocation for harm or injury to come upon another. It is a denunciation that conveys a wish or threat of evil.’ What Twitchell and Klemp have working here are the same techniques employed by the local Juju man — the witch doctor — who knows the power of planting a seed-idea of harm or self-destruction in the mind of a victim or group. It is unmistakably a form of black magic or psychic control widely practiced throughout the world. Once believed, a curse can have a devastating effect on an individual. We receive numerous e-mails from ex-Eckists who believed Eckankar’s curses and suffered as a consequence. We show them that it is only fear or anger that allows these negative psychic thought forms to have an impact on their lives. Sending love, reacting with humor (after all, they are hardly pronouncements from God), and reflecting (mirroring) the curse back to the sender nullifies its effect, and sends the consequence back to the perpetrator. All of these techniques and more are spelled out in Part IV of Confessions of a God Seeker, which deals with the actual Journey to Higher Consciousness. We have helped many people harmed by Eckankar, to take back control of their lives. Thousands have already stood up to Eckankar’s many deceptions and have emerged stronger, happier and more enlightened.”

The use of psychic attacks, exposes Eckankar as a harmful, even dangerous, cult because of the blind obedience of its followers to a person they mistakenly consider “God made flesh.” Eckists have surrendered their will and remain happy and content so long as they are obedient and never question. However, having pulled back the curtain and revealed the sorcerer’s tricks, Eckankar is left with only the devices of fear, name-calling, denial, misrepresentation and more lies to defend itself. The evidence of this can be seen in recent communications from the leadership of Eckankar to its members, which stated in part:

“He [Paul Twitchell was quite frank about the effects that hit a Judas in Eck. Any overt act against the Mahanta, the Living Eck Master evokes the full fury of the divine power. It stops acting in the troublemaker’s behalf, and misery is the outcome.” (Excerpt from membership renewal letter from Eckankar, 2004), and

“These betrayers of ECK will pick up all their old karma once more. More, the karma of all those whom they’ve fooled is inscribed into their karmic log too. Hard times lie in store for them.” (Mystic World, Ask The Master by Harold Klemp, March 2004)

Aside from being just another fear tactic about which Twitchell has already warned us, it is false and has no spiritual validity. Karma ¾ cause and effect ¾ is to teach not to punish. Once one has learned the lessons that karmic experiences are designed to teach, how can he lose the expanded awareness he has gained? The Twitchell/Klemp curses are absurd on their face. To the contrary, when one exposes truth or learns from it, he experiences freedom and growth, for he has escaped the entrapment of the lie. Once free, his life is filled with love and light for he is empowered with the realization that he is a part of God itself and can tap the power of the universe.

The Law of Cause and Effect Is Still At Work
Tragically, the leadership of Eckankar seems to have forgotten the law of cause and effect. It is still at work and applies equally to everyone, even the Mahanta the Living Eck Master. When anyone engages in black magic, curses, threats of evil, and hardship, they are setting forces in motion that will boomerang to them. It is little wonder that the Living Eck Master himself continues to suffer a string of personal hardships and set backs including, perpetual sickness and weakness, which prevent him from even traveling. While Klemp attributes these calamities to taking on the karma (sins) of his chelas and because he has chosen his affliction, one might well ask, “then why so many physician visits?” “If one chooses to suffer, then why seek a cure?” In truth, Klemp is only reaping the consequences of his own states of consciousness and the curses he has set in motion to control others. For, as Paul Twitchell, in one of his more truthful and enlightened statements, made during his pre-Eckankar days, wrote:

“Whatever anyone is receiving or lacking in the out picturing and expression of his consciousness is each ones own responsibility.” “Until you can understand that nothing can happen to you, nothing can ever come to you or be kept away from you except in accordance with the state of your consciousness, you do not have the key to life.”

So much for the curses! While this drama unfolds in full view of the world, the information is now available for all to see and to make their own decisions.

Does Eckankar Still Work For The Eckist? How Spiritual Deception Works
Most Eckists have grown and learned while in Eckankar for it does contain truth. But, it is important to remember that all deception schemes are based on a clever interweaving of truth with lies. The question for the truth-seeker is, which is which? In a series of public pronouncements, Eckankar has spelled out a test for whether a religion or path should be abandoned or continued. This test centers on the question of whether it still works for the individual. To answer this, the test includes additional queries such as whether the religion or teaching: (1) “brings you closer to God’s Love,” (2) “brings more charity and good will into your life,” (3) “brings about a growth in spiritual awareness,” and (4) “leaves you happy in your faith.” All these are important and fair questions. However, this test fails to ask the most critical question, the answer to which can render all other answers meaningless. That question is: Do you know the truth about that religion or path? Much like a personal relationship filled with love and devotion, it “works” for both partners when it is based on trust ¾ truth ¾ and love. However, if one partner is unfaithful or has been dishonest about fundamental issues, a relationship that may appear to pass all the tests cannot do so without fundamental compromises once the deception, the lies and the dishonesty is finally revealed. So, the questions that comprise this test presuppose that an affirmative response is based on knowing the real history of the religion and what it represents.

This cannot be said of the followers of Eckankar for they have been systematically lied to and deceived. They do not know the truth that lies behind the façade. If after being exposed to this truth an individual can still answer these questions in the affirmative then they are indeed where they should be. But, to answer these questions in the affirmative while ignoring or denying the truth behind Eckankar is to knowingly engage in self-deception. Eventually the truth will out and self-deception will cease. Then, the painful task of cleaning out the lies must begin. This is inevitable for deception has a limited shelf life even though it may work, in the short term, for those who continue to treat the lie as though it is the truth. Thus, Eckankar and its deception will work for Eckists for the same reason that all other religions and teachings work. Namely, it is the power of belief not the object of belief that produces the results. Further, where there is belief, a strong love bond is also created along with an abiding fear of separation. Paul Twitchell was quite eloquent on this point:

“We are concerned with the two ways that anyone [or any religion can hold another; first is by the loyalty of Fear, and secondly is by the loyalty of Love. These are the basic ways by which one is attached….When one is loyal…because he is afraid…then the whole foundation of spiritual growth is nil… In the loyalty of love…he who intensely loves another is somewhat trapped by the negative power….What I am getting at here is that we cannot live with fear and at the same time we cannot live with an over-abundance of sentimental love…either will pull us down in the depths of despair sooner or later.” (Twitchell, Eckankar, The Illuminated Way Letters, 1966-1971, p. 93)

Twitchell’s statement speaks directly to the dilemma now facing Eckists worldwide. These challenges to Eckankar’s veracity will not go away, they will only intensify. For, a teaching based on lies will eventually fall by the weight of its own deception when exposed to the light of truth.

The Higher Consciousness Society and The New Spiritual Paradigm
The Higher Consciousness Society (HCS), a non-profit spiritual education society, is the outgrowth of Confessions of a God Seeker. It is based on The New Spiritual Paradigm, presented in Part IV of Confessions of a God Seeker, which embodies the principle that every soul is a reflection of GOD, possessing the attributes and characteristics of ALL THAT IS. Our journey through life in many dimensions of reality is to come to the full awareness of this truth. HCS recognizes that true inner guidance comes from the higher self, God-soul that lies within each person. It accepts the guidance of others as teachers but never as masters, saviors, messengers, or any other title suggesting spiritual superiority. Instead, it views every person as both teacher and student differing only in the degree to which they understand, accept, and live by the heart of all spiritual truths: I AM, GOD IS, WE ARE ONE.

HCS rejects doctrine, dogma, and spiritual hierarchical paradigms. Instead, it teaches that all sentient beings are an equal part of the whole. It provides insight, instruction, guidance and support that lead to souls liberation from religious entrapments. Through continued instruction and support, the individual as God-soul learns their innate power as soul and how to use it for their own happiness and to assist in the enlightenment, liberation and empowerment of all souls. HCS teaches the Master Principle and the Master Techniques, developed and first presented by the HCS founder and author of Confessions, Ford Johnson. These techniques teach each individual how to use the power of spirit to bring into their life the abundance and happiness that is their birthright as soul. Classes and an active bulletin board with contributions from seekers around the world can be found at www.higherconsciousnesssociety.org. Everyone is invited to visit this interactive web site, ask questions, seek spiritual help and fully participate.

Confessions of a God Seeker: A Journey To Higher Consciousness is available through www.amazon.com", www.barnes&noble.com, and www.onepublishinginc.com, where it can also be obtained as an e-book computer download.

The denomination is going to be offering discount prescription discount drug cards. The church believes that this may be history-making ministry for any religious denomination.

The decision to take this unique step was made during a conference March 6th in Nashville.

Inorder to make this offer, the United Methodist Church is entering a strategic alliance with a Los Angeles prescpription drug discounter, DestinationRX. Normally, the company charges a start-up fee ranging from $90 to $120 but, for the Methodists, they'll be offering the card free.

Individual Methodist congregations might open the benefit to members of other churches. DestinationRX requires only that members of other churches register through a United Methodist church. "If the people they help are Baptist or Catholic, that's OK," Griffith said. www.destinationrx.com

A study published in the February issue of the journal Endocrinology demonstrates that not only are certain groups of cells different between genders in a part of the sheep brain controlling sexual behavior, but brain anatomy and hormone production may determine whether adult rams prefer other rams over ewes.

"This particular study, along with others, strongly suggests that sexual preference is biologically determined in animals, and possibly in humans," said the study's lead author, Charles E. Roselli, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, OHSU School of Medicine. "The hope is that the study of these brain differences will provide clues to the processes involved in the development and regulation of heterosexual, as well as homosexual, behavior."

The results lend credence to previous studies in humans that described anatomical differences between the brains of heterosexual men and homosexual men, as well as sexually unique versions of the same cluster of brain cells in males and females.

"Same-sex attraction is widespread across many different species." said Roselli, whose laboratory collaborated with the Department of Animal Sciences at Oregon State University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service's U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho.

Kay Larkin, Ph.D., an OHSU electron microscopist who performed laboratory analysis for the study, said scientists now have a marker that points to whether a ram may prefer other rams over ewes.

"There's a difference in the brain that is correlated with partner preference rather than gender of the animal you're looking at," she said.

About 8 percent of domestic rams display preferences for other males as sexual partners. Scientists don't believe it's related to dominance or flock hierarchy; rather, their typical motor pattern for intercourse is merely directed at rams instead of ewes.

"They're one of the few species that have been systematically studied, so we're able to do very careful and controlled experiments on sheep," Roselli said. "We used rams that had consistently shown exclusive sexual preference for other rams when they were given a choice between rams and ewes."

The study examined 27 adult, 4-year-old sheep of mixed Western breeds reared at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station. They included eight male sheep exhibiting a female mate preference – female-oriented rams – nine male-orient