Jehovah’s Witnesses policies allow child sexual abusers to operate within their congregations without fear that they will be reported to police, according to a new report published by the Australian government.
Santa Muerte, the goddess of death, is worshipped by millions of Mexican Catholics. But law enforcement agencies are going after believers, claiming that there is a link between the popular folk religion and the narcotics trade.
Under the “theocratic warfare” doctrine, Jehovah’s Witnesses are allowed to hide the truth from anyone outside of the religion – including in legal matters such as child sexual abuse cases – if doing so protects the organization.
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Historically, the Muslim American community has kept its disputes private. But as the number of mosques increases and Muslims integrate with mainstream America, conflicts are seeping into secular courts from California to Texas and Florida.
In August, we’re picking up the threads from three major investigations to see what’s happened since they aired. These are stories that moved people, made them angry and sparked change.
Reveal reporter Trey Bundy has fielded hundreds of messages from people relaying their experiences as Jehovah’s Witnesses, reinforcing our previous findings that sexual abuse is not an isolated problem within the religious organization.
Debbie McDaniel, an expelled Jehovah’s Witness, spoke to Reveal about how the organization hides sexual abuse from law enforcement agencies and banish those who speak up about it. Then, just hours before the investigation published, her patio, windows, doors and furniture were tagged with ominous warnings written in black marker.
The self-styled leader of an Oklahoma satanic church hopes to educate the community about his beliefs after the state attorney general showed his support for the distribution of religious material in public schools.
