DUSTIN’ OFF THE DEGREE – The Unification Church

NEWS

Hundreds of couples gathered, wearing crowns, for the AR-15 blessing ceremony at the Unification Sanctuary http://cbsn.ws/2tmL8Ua

The Unification Church’s most famous ritual is mass weddings, but they also do other commitment ceremonies, such as the one that the Moonie offshoot World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Newfoundland, PA held last week with hundreds of couples showing up wearing crowns and carrying their AR-15 style assault rifles, which the church believes to be the rod of iron in Revelation. During the service they drank holy wine and exchanged or renewed wedding vows. Protesters and state police were outside the church and a school across the street bused students across town to another campus.

During the service the Rev. Sean Moon prayed for “a kingdom of peace police and peace militia where the citizens, through the right given to them by almighty God to keep and bear arms, will be able to protect one another and protect human flourishing.”

Florida state senator thinks thoughts and prayers are the only solution http://bit.ly/2D1AcLz

The state of Florida debated, passed, and then rescinded an assault rifle ban. One republican voting against the bill was state senator Kelli Stargel. She’s also interested in limiting gun sales to those under 21, increasing mental health services, and increasing the amount of armed personnel on school campuses, but ultimately…

The Tennessee GOP and Lt. Gov. have attacked a special election candidate for the state senate because of her atheism http://bit.ly/2H8gkJ0

Gayle Jordan is the executive director of Recovering from Religion and she’s also running for the Tennessee State Senate in a special election. A few weeks ago the state Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden called on voters to reject her because she is a quote “radical atheist”.

On March 1 Lt Gov Randy McNally went to social media and wrote:

“In my 40 plus years in Tennessee politics, I’ve seen few candidates as dangerous as Gayle Jordan. She is not just out of step with a majority of Tennessee on matters of policy. She is out of step on matters of values and faith. In her daily work, she directs an organization called “Recovering from Religion.” Most Tennesseans, whether they are strong believers or not, recognize the strength and comfort faith provides. Gayle Jordan rejects faith as a positive force for good in the world. She believes faith is something from which people need to be rescued. This is not the type of person we need in the Tennessee Senate.”

An atheist in Ohio is suing over the court mandated religious addiction treatment program he has to attend http://bit.ly/2Hb8ZZ1

James Lindon was convicted of drug possession and theft for stealing five hydrocodone pills from the clinic he was working as a pharmacist at and convicted of tampering with evidence for swallowing four of the five pills when confronted by security guards.

He was sentenced to a month in a substance abuse program and two years of probation. He’s now suing because the program is Alcoholics Anonymous which requires people to submit to a higher power and he’s an atheist, thus this court ordered program violates his religious freedom.

A Kentucky bill to end child marriage is stalling due to lobbying from conservative groups and parental rights concerns http://cjky.it/2oIvyxK

Senate Bill 48 Pulled from schedule Kentucky Family Foundation

Alabama bill would eliminate marriage licenses http://n.pr/2FXj1xP

13 Alabama counties do not offer marriage licenses Probate judges “may” issue licenses not “shall” Passed state senate and house judiciary committee Eliminate marriage licenses Form to affirm meeting legal requirements Marriage contract

The Utah governor is asking people to pray for snow http://bit.ly/2FZ6v0s

While the Utah state legislature is advancing a resolution to acknowledge climate change and call of smarter energy policies, the governor is calling on people in his state to pray for snow. Why?

This has been a dry winter and left the state with only about half the snow pack it needs. Besides, when he asked people to pray for rain during the forest fires in 2012 it rained.

National Geographic is sending out crystal healing water bottles http://bit.ly/2tjW4Ci

National Geographic has been sending out press packets, including one that went to Gizmodo’s Ryan Mandelbaum, in advance of their new series, One Strange Rock, narrated by Will Smith.

Contained within the box was a National Geographic branded water bottle that retails for $70 and contains a sealed vial of crystals and in instruction manual on how to prepare heavenly gemwater, a scientifically proven process to raise the energy level of water.

120,000 South Koreans rallied for pastors to be punished in forced conversion cases http://bit.ly/2I3baiK

South Korea has a forced conversion problem. This usually happens when family members will kidnap someone who has strayed from the usually Christian faith and then they will take them to a convent or church where the apostate will be confined and “ministered” to. In some cases, as in the case of 25 year old Ji In Gu they are killed. Her case after being suffocated by her parents after escaping a monastery where she was confined for 44 days.

On January 28, 120,000 people across the South Korea’s major cities gathered for a rally organized by the Human Rights Association for Forced Conversion to demand that pastors who take part in or encourage these kidnappings to be punished.

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