IN THE NAME OF GOD -- LOSING MY RELIGION

[HairOfTheDog]

Jesus Lord.





The Crime / Victims

Six members of a fundamentalist Christian Church in New Hartford, New York were arrested and accused of beating 19-year-old church member Lucas Leaonard to death on Monday.

They also beat his 17-year-old brother who is in the hospital in serious condition.

The nutjobs were conducting a "religious counseling session" whereby the devout Jesus worshipers beat the boys genitals, stomachs, backs and thighs in attempt to get them to properly confess to their past sins and ask for forgiveness.

Church members took Lucas to the hospital after the 2+ hour beating and told the staff he'd been shot. Police were called. Lucas died of blunt from trauma.

When police went to the World of Life Christian Church to investigate, they found his younger brother Christopher Lucas in the church (formerly a school house) and rushed him to the hospital.

Authorities found several children in the church and called in child protective services.

[HairOfTheDog]

The Suspects



The boys' parents,^ Bruce T. Leonard, 65, and Deborah R. Leonard, 59, each face one count of first-degree manslaughter. The Leonards were each ordered held on $100,000 bail at arraignment Wednesday.


^ Four other church members, including the boys' 33-year-old sister Sarah Ferguson (second left), were charged with second-degree assault, also a felony. They're being held on $50,000 bail.

The defendants will appear in court again tomorrow, Friday.

It's reported that the boys were home-schooled and were rarely ever allowed to socialize with anyone outside of the family or the church. Reminds me of the case of the Bever brothers a little; only this time the two boys were assaulted by their parents and sibling instead of the other way around.


Refs:
http://www.syracuse.com/crime/index.ssf/...torso.html
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/14/us/new-yor...ault-case/

[Love Child]

oh my god, they all have freaky eyebrows.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Anyone run a check or search to see how many guns they have?
Prime pickings right there

[HairOfTheDog]

UPDATE

-The 17-year-old victim, Christopher Leonard, is now in stable condition and has been released from the hospital into the custody of child protective services.

-Christopher Leonard is expected to testify at a hearing on Wednesday against his older sister and one of the male defendants who face assault charges.

-All six adults involved in the assault and killing have pleaded not guilty.


-Animal protection workers rescued a few dogs, cats, and birds who they say were terribly neglected in the filthy urine and feces-laden home (pictured above) where Lucas and Christopher Leonard lived with their parents.


Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/nyregi....html?_r=0

[HairOfTheDog]

Prosecutors have upgraded the charges from manslaughter to murder.

All the suspects have pleaded not guilty, except the victims' mother. As part of a plea deal, Deborah Leonard pleaded guilty to participating in the fatal beating.

She faces up to 5 years for the brutal killing of her 19-year-old son. I'm glad she's cooperating, but only 5 years is a travesty, in my opinion.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mother-of-te...o-assault/

[HairOfTheDog]

The father of a 19-year-old New York man who was beaten to death during a church counseling session has pleaded guilty for his role in the attack, which also injured another son.

Bruce Leonard (pictured above) pleaded guilty to assault Wednesday in Oneida County Court, where he was scheduled to go on trial on a more serious murder charge Thursday. His wife, Deborah Leonard, pleaded guilty to assault in December.

As part of the plea, Leonard will have to testify against his step-daughter, Sarah Ferguson, who's among seven others awaiting trial for the October attack that killed Lucas Leonard and injured 17-year-old Christopher Leonard. Authorities said the boys had discussed leaving the secretive Word of Life Church.

Ferguson, the victims' half-sister, waived her rights to a jury trial and instead opted for a bench trial, which is scheduled to begin Thursday. Trials for others facing charges in the case aren't scheduled to begin until September.

Bruce Leonard is expected to be sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/father-of-ne...ds-guilty/

=======================

15 years for helping to beat your son to death because he wanted to leave your church -- not enough, in my opinion.

I guess the police believe the stepdaughter was more directly responsible and really want the parents' testimony to put her away for a long time.

[FunkyBurger]

I've said it so many times and will keep repeating it until I die. The problem in this world is religion. Not one or another but all of them. People following fairy tales books of fictional events and incredibly sadistic punishments are dangerous. More so, people trying to put "God back in the White House" or similar fuckery need to be banned from public service positions. Churches are a scam used for profit and aimed to weak minded asses in need to superstitious favors from a guy in the sky.

[Duchess]

My God doesn't live in the sky, he lives in my woods and sometimes on my patio.

[OnBendedKnee]

My God doesn't live in the sky, he lives in my woods and sometimes on my patio.

When he's got a minute, have him visit Africa and live there for a little bit. They've got some shit going down and could use his help.

[blueberryhill]

I've said it so many times and will keep repeating it until I die. The problem in this world is religion. Not one or another but all of them. People following fairy tales books of fictional events and incredibly sadistic punishments are dangerous. More so, people trying to put "God back in the White House" or similar fuckery need to be banned from public service positions. Churches are a scam used for profit and aimed to weak minded asses in need to superstitious favors from a guy in the sky.

I would agree that many wars from the beginning of times has been because of religion. It means so many different things to so many different people........

In the deepest, darkest corner of my soul, I believe we die, decompose and that is it (unless you are cremated). It is the extreme, radical beliefs by any religion who are the problem......we don't like anyone else's religion stuffed down our throats....and that is another reason we hide when we see Jehovah
Witnesses come to the door. My brother grew up as a Presbyterian but later in his life, he found comfort in that religion. It did annoy me when he tried to convert me, but since he died, I have realized that his believing and having faith in a religion made him a happier, more at peace person......I don't recommend everyone do this, but I think having faith that there is a higher power allows people to fear less their own mortality.....and allows many the "fantasy" of seeing their loved ones again in that place known as Heaven....hey, I try to keep an open mind......If there is a Heaven, I know I am due for a few bitching sessions directed at me......mostly from my Mother.......

If other find peace and joy in believing and have faith, I don't mind at all....anything is possible and I have an open mind....but people who constantly whine about where is God in the school, public offices, etc., it is most annoying as by now, they must know the reasons....It is not up to Politicians to put God anywhere...and they bitch about not being able to say "Merry Christmas." I tell them that is not against the law and I still say it.....Retailers can't afford to offend any religion, and God mixed
with Gov't took care of that in public offices, but we can still say it to each other.....
Equally annoying is certain people who thank God for saving their kid's life, when clearly it was the firefighter who just went into a burning house and saved the child.....If we want to believe God had a part in it, fine....but let's not overdo this.....
Taking God out of schools as some (a lot) people would have you believe, as the cause of the World's problems,is just not true......We are raising our children to believe they are entitled and they want everything now and immediately. Violence is a way of life as they have grown up playing Grand Theft Auto and all the other videos which display violence as fun and normal.....they have grown up in a self absorbed World with their smart phones as their constant companions. They would rather text than talk (less intimacy).....let's keep our distance, we don't want to really talk face to face, so here is another text....we hide behind our computers and phones and what are we afraid of........
well, guess I am rambling now, and as Sally calls my posts, ranting so will close this up....i have just been thinking about some of the comments made recently and why I find them so interesting.....

Well, that Guardian Angel watching over me is trying to get my attention...so I should sign off.....dang, she has saved my life a couple of times and she never gives me any sympathy so I can't use "poor me" as an excuse......My God is here within my heart along with all the memories of family and friends who have departed the physical world and who I miss every day.....Oh, if only one day, I could go back in time to see someone again....

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, that Guardian Angel watching over me is trying to get my attention...so I should sign off.....dang, she has saved my life a couple of times and she never gives me any sympathy so I can't use "poor me" as an excuse....

Sympathy is for the devil...that's what I've heard.

While you're a little devilish sometimes (and an old whore, according to Big Sal), I think you're a great and funny person, a strong woman, and a good read.

I agree with a lot of what both you and Funkay expressed; interesting exchange.

I don't think religion is bad on its own, and I've seen the positive impacts it can have on individuals' lives too. To me, religion and spirituality should be private matters.

Religion becomes destructive when groups and governments interpret/manipulate it to control or conquer others, in my view. The number of war deaths and atrocities attributed to competing theological ideologies throughout history is staggering. Amazing that it's still happening on a large scale in many parts of the world today.

[Maggot]

Duchess is on the right track with religion.

[OnBendedKnee]

Duchess is on the right track with religion.

The world would be a much sweeter place if it was instead the other way around.

[FunkyBurger]

I've said it so many times and will keep repeating it until I die. The problem in this world is religion. Not one or another but all of them. People following fairy tales books of fictional events and incredibly sadistic punishments are dangerous. More so, people trying to put "God back in the White House" or similar fuckery need to be banned from public service positions. Churches are a scam used for profit and aimed to weak minded asses in need to superstitious favors from a guy in the sky.

I would agree that many wars from the beginning of times has been because of religion. It means so many different things to so many different people........

In the deepest, darkest corner of my soul, I believe we die, decompose and that is it (unless you are cremated). It is the extreme, radical beliefs by any religion who are the problem......we don't like anyone else's religion stuffed down our throats....and that is another reason we hide when we see Jehovah
Witnesses come to the door. My brother grew up as a Presbyterian but later in his life, he found comfort in that religion. It did annoy me when he tried to convert me, but since he died, I have realized that his believing and having faith in a religion made him a happier, more at peace person......I don't recommend everyone do this, but I think having faith that there is a higher power allows people to fear less their own mortality.....and allows many the "fantasy" of seeing their loved ones again in that place known as Heaven....hey, I try to keep an open mind......If there is a Heaven, I know I am due for a few bitching sessions directed at me......mostly from my Mother.......

If other find peace and joy in believing and have faith, I don't mind at all....anything is possible and I have an open mind....but people who constantly whine about where is God in the school, public offices, etc., it is most annoying as by now, they must know the reasons....It is not up to Politicians to put God anywhere...and they bitch about not being able to say "Merry Christmas." I tell them that is not against the law and I still say it.....Retailers can't afford to offend any religion, and God mixed
with Gov't took care of that in public offices, but we can still say it to each other.....
Equally annoying is certain people who thank God for saving their kid's life, when clearly it was the firefighter who just went into a burning house and saved the child.....If we want to believe God had a part in it, fine....but let's not overdo this.....
Taking God out of schools as some (a lot) people would have you believe, as the cause of the World's problems,is just not true......We are raising our children to believe they are entitled and they want everything now and immediately. Violence is a way of life as they have grown up playing Grand Theft Auto and all the other videos which display violence as fun and normal.....they have grown up in a self absorbed World with their smart phones as their constant companions. They would rather text than talk (less intimacy).....let's keep our distance, we don't want to really talk face to face, so here is another text....we hide behind our computers and phones and what are we afraid of........
well, guess I am rambling now, and as Sally calls my posts, ranting so will close this up....i have just been thinking about some of the comments made recently and why I find them so interesting.....

Well, that Guardian Angel watching over me is trying to get my attention...so I should sign off.....dang, she has saved my life a couple of times and she never gives me any sympathy so I can't use "poor me" as an excuse......My God is here within my heart along with all the memories of family and friends who have departed the physical world and who I miss every day.....Oh, if only one day, I could go back in time to see someone again....

We agree on many ways. Believing in God is a personal thing and would never bother me, as I agree on people believing in whatever makes them better to themselves and others. The problem is that religion (or the majority of them anyway) tells you is the complete opposite. They tell you not only to believe it and practice it but to spread it to others in order to "save them" as well as saving yourself in the process. It is designed to recruit and also to punish the ones that don't join it. The three most powerful religions in the world (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) have the exact same message: They want God to rule the world and mandate terrible punishment to the ones not following their laws. They were meant not exclusively to address the matters of your inner spirituality but to be used as the law of the land, and they are very clear on this. Moderate religion chooses to use a diluted version of the scriptures but the ones following the books "literally" are going to commit atrocities like the ones we see today. Therefore I believe religion as it exists needs to be banished as an outdated form of governing that is no longer applicable in the 21^st century, much like all other medieval laws.

[Blindgreed1]

I've said it so many times and will keep repeating it until I die. The problem in this world is religion. Not one or another but all of them. People following fairy tales books of fictional events and incredibly sadistic punishments are dangerous. More so, people trying to put "God back in the White House" or similar fuckery need to be banned from public service positions. Churches are a scam used for profit and aimed to weak minded asses in need to superstitious favors from a guy in the sky.

I would agree that many wars from the beginning of times has been because of religion. It means so many different things to so many different people........

In the deepest, darkest corner of my soul, I believe we die, decompose and that is it (unless you are cremated). It is the extreme, radical beliefs by any religion who are the problem......we don't like anyone else's religion stuffed down our throats....and that is another reason we hide when we see Jehovah
Witnesses come to the door. My brother grew up as a Presbyterian but later in his life, he found comfort in that religion. It did annoy me when he tried to convert me, but since he died, I have realized that his believing and having faith in a religion made him a happier, more at peace person......I don't recommend everyone do this, but I think having faith that there is a higher power allows people to fear less their own mortality.....and allows many the "fantasy" of seeing their loved ones again in that place known as Heaven....hey, I try to keep an open mind......If there is a Heaven, I know I am due for a few bitching sessions directed at me......mostly from my Mother.......

If other find peace and joy in believing and have faith, I don't mind at all....anything is possible and I have an open mind....but people who constantly whine about where is God in the school, public offices, etc., it is most annoying as by now, they must know the reasons....It is not up to Politicians to put God anywhere...and they bitch about not being able to say "Merry Christmas." I tell them that is not against the law and I still say it.....Retailers can't afford to offend any religion, and God mixed
with Gov't took care of that in public offices, but we can still say it to each other.....
Equally annoying is certain people who thank God for saving their kid's life, when clearly it was the firefighter who just went into a burning house and saved the child.....If we want to believe God had a part in it, fine....but let's not overdo this.....
Taking God out of schools as some (a lot) people would have you believe, as the cause of the World's problems,is just not true......We are raising our children to believe they are entitled and they want everything now and immediately. Violence is a way of life as they have grown up playing Grand Theft Auto and all the other videos which display violence as fun and normal.....they have grown up in a self absorbed World with their smart phones as their constant companions. They would rather text than talk (less intimacy).....let's keep our distance, we don't want to really talk face to face, so here is another text....we hide behind our computers and phones and what are we afraid of........
well, guess I am rambling now, and as Sally calls my posts, ranting so will close this up....i have just been thinking about some of the comments made recently and why I find them so interesting.....

Well, that Guardian Angel watching over me is trying to get my attention...so I should sign off.....dang, she has saved my life a couple of times and she never gives me any sympathy so I can't use "poor me" as an excuse......My God is here within my heart along with all the memories of family and friends who have departed the physical world and who I miss every day.....Oh, if only one day, I could go back in time to see someone again....

We agree on many ways. Believing in God is a personal thing and would never bother me, as I agree on people believing in whatever makes them better to themselves and others. The problem is that religion (or the majority of them anyway) tells you is the complete opposite. They tell you not only to believe it and practice it but to spread it to others in order to "save them" as well as saving yourself in the process. It is designed to recruit and also to punish the ones that don't join it. The three most powerful religions in the world (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) have the exact same message: They want God to rule the world and mandate terrible punishment to the ones not following their laws. They were meant not exclusively to address the matters of your inner spirituality but to be used as the law of the land, and they are very clear on this. Moderate religion chooses to use a diluted version of the scriptures but the ones following the books "literally" are going to commit atrocities like the ones we see today. Therefore I believe religion as it exists needs to be banished as an outdated form of governing that is no longer applicable in the 21^st century, much like all other medieval laws.

[OnBendedKnee]

Religious belief in and of itself is value neutral:
There are good beliefs and bad beliefs. Good beliefs include things like charity, alms for the poor, compassion, and others. Bad beliefs include things like racism, intolerance, shunning non-believers, hellfire for non-believers, binary thinking, and placing blind obedience over rational discourse. What does this mean? It means the statement "these are my religious beliefs" is worthless. It tells us nothing about the value of your position; it only tells us you hold it dearly.

Religious Values/Belief Are Often Mutually Exclusive:
If persons A's religious beliefs conflict with person B's religious beliefs, how do we decide which one trumps the other? We are forced to resort to other, non-religious criteria.

Churches Don't Pay Taxes:
The idea that a religious organization can influence policy without paying taxes is obscene. Can you imagine playing a poker game against someone who doesn't have to pay a buy in? That doesn't seem too fair.

Reason is What Ultimately Guides Morality:
Natural or Supernatural: even if you think your religious views are those of God, there must be a rational reason for it. God doesn't prescribe moral rules that make no sense, and if he does - what kind of Deity is that?

[HairOfTheDog]

OP Update



A woman accused of taking part in a 14-hour group beating that killed one of her half brothers and injured another during a church counseling session was convicted on Tuesday of manslaughter and assault but was acquitted of murder.

Oneida County Judge Michael Dwyer acquitted Sarah Ferguson of the most serious charge she faced, second-degree murder, saying prosecutors had not proved that she knew 19-year-old Lucas Leonard could or would die after she pummeled both brothers' groins with an electrical cord at the Word of Life Christian Church in October.

Ferguson, among nine relatives and church members charged in the case, testified last week that the brothers admitted during the counseling session to molesting her children. Ferguson, who had waived her right to a jury trial, left the courtroom Tuesday without saying anything.

The judge said he "did not believe very much of her testimony." "Sarah Ferguson ... testified that after the beating she saw both boys standing and that they looked OK to her," the judge said while explaining his verdict. "She also testified that she did not think that they needed medical attention."

District Attorney Scott McNamara said Lucas Leonard and his younger brother were ordered during the beating to repent a variety of sins, which included using a voodoo doll. Police have said there's no evidence to support the sex abuse claim and the church's pastor called the counseling session after the brothers discussed leaving the secretive church.

Lucas Leonard died slowly after collapsing and losing consciousness as blood from a cut to his penis saturated his left pants leg and sneaker, McNamara said during the trial. His younger brother, 17-year-old Christopher Leonard, was hospitalized for a week with life-threatening damage to his kidneys and injuries to a lung, the prosecutor said.

The judge found the 33-year-old Ferguson guilty of two counts of gang assault, two counts of assault and one count of manslaughter. The charges carry potential prison terms of up to 25 years when she's sentenced in September.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-york-chu...ms-sister/