Religion
Secret Shelters
Fred Kelly reports on a two-week investigation by The Charlotte Observer which uncovered an “underground network” of shelters and safe houses, many run by religious ministries, which have sprung up as official shelters face issues of overcrowding. Exact numbers on how many of these make-shift shelters exist are unknown, but The Observer located 17 in…
Read MoreTax dollars pay for religion behind bars
Diana B. Henriques and Andrew Lehren of The New York Times report on the proliferation of faith-based rehabilitation programs funded by tax dollars and springing up in correctional facilities across the country. “Since 2000, courts have cited more than a dozen programs for having unconstitutionally used taxpayer money to pay for religious activities or evangelism…
Read MoreFort Worth Diocese concealed abuse
After a 19-month legal battle by The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the newspapers obtained more than 700 pages from the personnel files of seven priests that the diocese had fought to keep secret. The records show that Fort Worth Catholic Diocese leaders systematically helped predator priests stay in ministry for two…
Read MoreFaith and foreign aid
Farah Stockman, Michael Kranish, and Peter S. Canellos of The Boston Globe, with Globe correspondent Kevin Baron, examined the complete database of USAID prime awards from 2001 to 2005, containing more than 52,000 funding actions, to reveal that USAID gave more than $1.7 billion to 159 “faith-based” organizations. The percentage of USAID funds to NGOs…
Read MoreSpecial benefits for religious groups
Diana B. Henriques of The New York Times, with computer analysis by Andy Lehren and research by Donna Anderson, examined the quiet expansion of special benefits for religious groups. “In recent years, many politicians and commentators have cited what they consider a nationwide ‘war on religion’ that exposes religious organizations to hostility and discrimination. But…
Read MoreChurch’s report on priests incomplete
Jean Guccione and William Lobdell of the Los Angeles Times analyzed church records to show that 11 priests were left out of the 2004 “Report to the People of God” even after parishioners raised concerns about inappropriate behavior with children. “Seven of these 11 cases were not detailed in the People of God report. The…
Read MoreMd. churches violate law with political donations
John Fritze of The (Baltimore) Sun reviewed candidate finance reports to show that more than 100 churches in Maryland — including dozens in Baltimore — have made campaign contributions to political candidates in recent years, an act that is prohibited by federal tax law and blurs the line between politics and the pulpit. Some have…
Read MoreEx-adviser gets out of jail early, but victims get little
Brent Schrotenboer of The San Diego Union-Tribune used court records in an investigation of John W. Gillette Jr., a former financial adviser to high-profile athletes. He is four years removed from prison after fleecing those athletes out of more than $11 million. He serves as the chief operations officer at Shadow Mountain Community Church in…
Read MoreU.S. secretly monitoring radiation levels at Muslim sites in D.C. area
David E. Kaplan of U.S. News & World Report finds the U.S. government has been monitoring more than 100 “Muslim sites in the Washington, D.C., area, including mosques, homes, businesses, and warehouses, plus similar sites in at least five other cities” since 9/11 in search of a terrorist nuclear bomb. As part of the top-secret…
Read MoreVast scope of priest abuse in Los Angeles
Jean Guccione and Doug Smith with contributions from William Lobdell of the Los Angeles Times tracked the assignments of 228 priests from 1950 through 2003 who have been named or identified as the subject of abuse complaints. The analysis reveals that because the accused priests moved around the archdiocese on average every 4.5 years, the…
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