Gwinnett guru defends himself; theft charges dropped
Founder of Hindu Temple of Georgia says critics are jealous that he’s rich, famous and happy

Click on the link above to read the entire article.

I find it very hard to be sympathetic toward those people that were likely robed by Annamalai. These people chose to go see a faith-healer instead of a real doctor. Faith-healing is a sham and a scam and if you walk away upset that your credit card was charged $1,780 then you are incredibly naive or pathetically ignorant. I hope that these people take a long hard look at faith-healing and apply some rational thinking to the situation and come out better people for it.

However, what intrigued me most about this article was this particular snippet, “”[Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny] Porteralso said the state law for practicing medicine without a license provides an exception for religious healers.”

Once again the state is providing special treatment to religions that no one else receives. Even a licensed massage therapist cannot give a patient medical advice without losing their license and even being fined, but a “guru” can dispense it because he or she is religious? When are we ever going to learn to stop giving religion special privileges?

- posted by Blair Scott

WATCH LIVE – BUCKNER
“INVOCATION” ON THE INTERNET
TUESDAY, JULY 28, 7 PM

AMERICAN ATHEISTS President Ed Buckner will deliver at “Invocation” on Tuesday, July 29, 2009 at 7:00 PM before the Cobb County Commission. For those who cannot attend in person, you will be able to watch this event live, on the Internet!

Here’s the link to the live stream, which begins at 7 pm EDT:

http://www.ecstreams.com/cobbco/cobbcolive.asx

If you miss the live stream on Tuesday, you can watch streaming replays at the same link:
July 29 at 8 a.m. & 6 p.m.;
July 31 at 7 p.m.;
August 1 & 2 at 8 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.
(all times EDT)

BUCKNER TO “INVOKE,” CHALLENGE
PRAYER AT COBB COUNTY
COMMISSION MEETING TUES. 7/28

DR. ED BUCKNER, President of American Atheists has been chosen to deliver the “invocation” at next Tuesday’s meeting of the Cobb County, GA. Commission.. The event will take place at the BOC Room, second floor, 100 Cherokee St. in Marietta, GA. at 7:00 PM. The venue is located off the square in Marietta.

According to dictionaries, an “invocation” is an act “calling on a higher power.”

Ed Buckner was one of the plaintiffs in a 2006 law suit which challenged the practice of having sectarian prayer to open County Commission meetings. Those chosen to deliver the prayer reflected a sectarian, often evangelical Christian point of view. One result of the suit was that the court criticized this practice; since then, the County has been trying to keep prayer in government by randomly selecting people to deliver an “invocation.”

Buckner firmly opposes any and all prayer, whatever its denominational affiliation, at government meetings.

There MAY be an informal, on-your-own social event/get-together following the Cobb County event. For more information, e-mail Ed Buckner at ebuckner@atheists.org or call 770-803-5353.

WHO & WHAT: Dr. Ed Buckner, President of American Atheists, delivers a very special “invocation” at the Cobb County Commission Meeting.

WHEN: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 7:00 PM

WHERE: BOC Room, second floor, 100 Cherokee St. in Marietta, GA. at 7:00 PM. The venue is located off the square in Marietta.

MORE INFO: For more information, e-mail Ed Buckner at ebuckner@atheists.org or call 770-803-5353.

(AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists, Freethinkers and other nonbelievers; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.)

Sources in the U.S. disclosed to me this week that his son’s sudden death has ‘deeply shaken’ Travolta’s faith in the strange sect, which makes wild claims about its ability to cure a variety of physical and mental disorders.

The star – who, thanks to his dedication and open cheque book, has risen to the top of the secretive organisation – is said to be angry that the religion was unable to help Jett, who was widely reported to have suffered from autism.

‘There have been strong rumours coming out of Scientology that John Travolta is disappointed that the religion was not able to help his son more,’ Rick Ross, an American author and lecturer on Scientology, told me this week. ‘It’s led him to question his faith.’

Read more:

I can’t imagine what it must be like losing a child, and I am not going off on a rant against Travolta for being suckered into the scam that is Scientology.

I just want to send a message of hope out to him, and to all those like him: It’s not too late to live the rest of your life free from the cult, free from the pseudoscience, and free from the hypocrisy. Scientology did not help you or your son because they don’t help anyone. They are liars, and you got suckered. It happens. If you leave the not-really-a-church, they will say nasty things about you, but all we’ll hear is that you’ve learned from your mistakes and grown as a person. That happens too.

In a recent article, journalist Trina Hoaks wrote a about Brad Pitt’s recent confirmation that he is “20% atheist and 80% agnostic”. The article was fine, except the title: “Brad Pitt Admits Atheism”.

Folks, atheism can no longer be seen as an admission, especially by us. Admissions are for crimes and other shameful things, not for personal or intellectual victories that coming out as secular can represent. Coming out can be a confirmation, or preferably a boast, but not an admission. Never an admission.

So boast about being an atheist. Brag about it. Trumpet it from the rooftops. Our days of admitting it are over.

Federal agents swept into New Jersey towns across several counties Thursday morning, charging 44 people–including three mayors–and religious leaders in a federal investigation into public corruption and money laundering.
…
The money-laundering portion of the investigation swept up several rabbis in New York and New Jersey, according to Ralph Marra Jr., acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey.

In all, 29 people were caught up in the probe into public corruption, and 15 were implicated in the investigation into money laundering, including one Brooklyn man charged with conspiring to broker the sale of a kidney. Those arrested were expected to be arraigned in court Thursday afternoon.

Read More

Jews, apparently resenting all the press being given to the Moslems and Christians, are now coming out of their shells with their own cases of pathetically sub-human behavior. First, it was child rape and hiding pedophiles. Now, it’s money laundering and trafficking body parts.

After I mentioned that the Rabbis were laundering money through their synagogues just like the Moslem terrorists, my wife responded that at least the terrorists are doing it for a reason — the Jews involved in this scandal are just doing it for money. Good old-fashioned stereotypical Jewish greed.

Right on, Babe! Now if only we could get some politicians with the guts to question why they don’t pay taxes.

Religious organizations have had plenty of time to garner their strength as tax-free entities, and look what they’ve achieved — body parts, international money laundering, child rape, and terrorism. No good — just pathetic immoral behavior worthy of nothing less than long prison sentences.

Let’s just hope they have enough federal prisons with kosher kitchens.