Steph Curry has teamed up with Viola Davis to make a documentary about the 2015 church shooting in Charleston in which 9 African Americans were killed. The movie is called “Emanuel” — named after the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal…
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Justin Bieber Looking Distraught at Church Following Selena Gomez Mental Health News
Justin Bieber needed a hug and some love on his way out of church, clearly impacted by our story about Selena Gomez’s mental health crisis. The first signs Justin wasn’t his normal self came when he showed up alone to his usual…
Thursday, August 30, 2018
John McCain"s Memorial Service Set to Begin at North Phoenix Baptist Church (LIVE STREAM)
John McCain’s life will be celebrated at a memorial service before a huge crowd … and TMZ will be live streaming it when it starts at approximately 10 AM PT. The late senator’s family and friends — along with local and tribal officials as well…
Monday, July 30, 2018
Chris Pratt & Katherine Schwarzenegger Kiss After Church with Son Jack Nearby
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger are officially a couple — a churchgoing one at that — but they won’t really show it until they’re out of God’s purview. The recently-single Hollywood stud was spotted on another date with Arnold and Maria’s…
Chris Pratt & Katherine Schwarzenegger Kiss After Church with Son Jack Nearby
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger are officially a couple — a churchgoing one at that — but they won’t really show it until they’re out of God’s purview. The recently-single Hollywood stud was spotted on another date with Arnold and Maria’s…
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Justin Bieber: Using Church Dates to Convince Hailey Baldwin to Stay?
As we are all very aware, Hailey Baldwin has been enjoying Selena Gomez’s sloppy seconds, by which we mean that she is dating Justin Bieber. Again.
This recently rekindled power couple has taken their PDA tour to the West Coast … and to church.
Is Justin repeating the same tactics he used with Selena to get Hailey to stay this time?
Even though Justin Bieber is no longer the sexual-awakening-inducing heartthrob that he once was, he’s still doing very well for himself.
He and Hailey Baldwin dated back in 2016 and now they’re dating again, and Hailey is, if anything, more gorgeous now than she was then.
These two have been rekindling things and while TMZ supplied proof that they’re back together, they’ve been seen together much more than that.
For one thing, one Twitter user’s clueless dad ended up hot-tubbing with the couple without realizing it.
A Twitter user named Jaycie writes: “My dad was hot-tubbing with Justin Bieber & Hailey Baldwin this weekend and had no clue until he came home and showed me his pictures… #justdadthings”
Obviously, her dad wasn’t as clueless as she makes him out to be — since he had enough of a sense to snap a photo, right?
It’s understandable that someone older wouldn’t recognize Justin.
His body is covered in 100 hours worth of tattoos.
He’s also sporting one of the worst mustaches that we’ve ever seen (all tea, no shade!).
He had a similar look when he and used his Instagram stories to make his rekindled relationship with Hailey Instagram-official.
Take a look:
Creepy facial hair choices aside … (though seriously, he’s rich, and could just get laser hair removal if he finds shaving to be such a pain) … Justin and Hailey do more together than have hot hot sex.
They’ve taken their PDA to church.
Well, they’re attending church services together.
The images below are blurry because, well, that’s the reality when you’re relying upon random video from people in houses of worship that can seat thousands.
But Justin and Hailey get a front-row seat to sermons. Because of course they do.
This is actually part of a pattern with the Biebs.
Remember, before he and Selena were officially dating again, they were doing three things:
One, they were talking, after Justin begged her mother to put him in touch with her.
Two, they were riding bikes together. We don’t know at which exact point that transitioned into riding each other again.
Three, Justin and Selena were attending Hillsong Church services together.
That third one, many believe, added a religious element to their relationship that may have encouraged that they get back together.
Religious pressures may have even encouraged them to keep trying to make it work longer than they otherwise would have.
After all, Bieber believes that God wanted him to be with Selena.
So … is Justin Bieber just trying this same tactic, but with a different ex?
Maybe … or maybe not. Not everything has to be viewed through a cynical lens.
Hailey Baldwin is a very devout Christian. Her dad is Stephen Baldwin — no offense to Hailey, who is great, but Stephen is the diehard right-wing Baldwin.
So attending church together might not be the Biebs’ version of makeout point.
Their deep and sincere faith might just be something that the two of them have in common with each other.
We’ll see how long this reunion of exes lasts.
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Texas Shooting Suspect Partook in Church Dance Days Before Killing
The student arrested for gunning down 10 people at his high school appeared to be nothing more than a church-going dancer mere days before the shooting. TMZ has obtained video of 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis participating in a…
Texas Shooting Suspect Partook in Church Dance Days Before Killing
The student arrested for gunning down 10 people at his high school appeared to be nothing more than a church-going dancer mere days before the shooting. TMZ has obtained video of 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis participating in a…
Beyonce Buys Old Church in New Orleans
Holy lord … Beyonce now has her very own church! Queen Bey’s the new owner of a stone structured, 7,500 sq. ft house of God in The Big Easy. The New Orleans church — which is more than 100 years old — was listed at $ 850,000 … but it’s unclear…
Monday, April 23, 2018
Joel Embiid Makes Surprise Church Appearance In 76ers Warm-Ups
With the 76ers up 3 games to 1 … Joel Embiid is calling in the big guns for help — making a surprise appearance at a Philly-area church Sunday night in his team warm-up pants. We spoke with officials from St. Kevin Parish in Springfield,…
Joel Embiid Makes Surprise Church Appearance In 76ers Warm-Ups
With the 76ers up 3 games to 1 … Joel Embiid is calling in the big guns for help — making a surprise appearance at a Philly-area church Sunday night in his team warm-up pants. We spoke with officials from St. Kevin Parish in Springfield,…
Friday, March 23, 2018
Duggar Family Shame: Church Members Share Shocking Tales of Abuse
Anyone who’s regularly watched the family’s reality shows knows that the Duggars are a deeply religious lot.
But even the most diehard Duggar fans may not know the details of the belief system that Jim Bob and Michelle have imparted to their children.
The Duggars are Independent Baptists, but they’re also members of the Institute in Basic Life Principles and the Advanced Training Institute, both founded by controversial pastor and former personal guru of the Duggars, Bill Gothard.
Back in 2015, the Josh Duggar sex scandal shined some light on the institute’s teachings and more scandalous practices.
Not only did the organization assist Josh and his parents in evading prosecution, it also justified his misconduct with homeschooling curriculum that places the blame for sexual assault squarely on the victim.
Prior to Gothard resigning in disgrace after being accused of sexual misconduct by more than 50 former employees, he presided over the organization for decades, and – according to many former members – was directly or indirectly involved in countless acts of systemized sexual assault.
Recent revelations about the Duggars and the rise of the #MeToo movement have emboldened several alleged victims to come forward with shocking accounts of the abuse they suffered under Gothard’s watchful eye.
As reported by In Touch Weekly, an anonymous Reddit used was recently at the center of one of the sites “ask me anything” or AMA sessions.
And what she had to say about her time as a member of the IBLP-ATI is likely to shock even the most strident Duggar defenders.
“I was part of a fundamentalist Christian cult known as ATI/IBLP,” the user began.
“Recent scandals have hit the news about the cult leader Bill Gothard when over 50 women came forward with allegations that he sexually harassed them. But that’s only scratching the surface.”
“Let me tell you my scariest experience — and just keep in mind, I’m far from the only one,” she continued.
“First off, throughout my childhood, my father and sisters abused me sexually. Since the cult taught a strict familial hierarchy, with the father being top dog, then mother, then children in order of birth, as the youngest I was bottom of the totem pole.
“My father would twist Bible verses to justify rape, death threats, and more. Because ATI is a homeschool cult, it was really handy to cover up the abuse from any prying eyes.
“My home was a prison for 11 years until he died of a massive heart attack. And that’s not even the scariest experience.”
The user went on to explain how the abuse worsened as a result of her mother’s continued involvement with the IBLP.
“Fast forward two years. I’m 13, with a mother who’s frantically fixated on me being a ‘troubled child’ because 1. I dared resist my father’s advances and argue against the abuse I was suffering, gaining me the reputation of ‘rebellious,’ 2. I’m severely depressed because I’m a freaking rape victim and depression is considered sin, and 3. I asked too many questions as to WHY we believed the things we believed —you don’t ask questions, needless to say.”
She then describes being shipped off to Oklahoma without warning and enrolled in the IBLP’s “Log Cabin” program, which is designed to “retrain” resistant adolescents.
“All I know is I’m about to move to Oklahoma for a while to be fixed by ‘nice counselors’ because I’m a dirty sinner,” she writes.
“For the next two years, I am tortured, brainwashed, starved, sleep-deprived, threatened with a shotgun, punished, humiliated, interrogated, and terrorized.
“I lose 40 pounds in the first month or two. They take me off my medications (believing it is wrong to take them) cold turkey; I exhibit severe symptoms of withdrawal and they go ignored.
“I am worked grueling hours, sent on aimless hikes and marches, scrubbing floors on my hands and knees until my knuckles are cracked and bleeding from the bleach, punished with hard labor until I’m near fainting,” she adds.
“They had fun coming up with new and strange ‘punishments.’”
Through it all, the victim says, she was so brainwashed she didn’t fully realize that those who imprisoned her were engaging in the most egregious forms of abuse.
It wasn’t until years later that she began to become aware that something was deeply wrong with the religion she had been raised in.
“There really wasn’t one concrete ‘oh s–t’ moment,” she explains.
“But the first time I remember thinking ‘this is BS’ was how often people would be ‘sentenced’ to hell for the most trivial reasons. Everything from an impure thought to cursing to sleeping in late.”
Amazingly, despite the high-profile nature of their lives and the zeal with which they discuss their beliefs, the Duggars have managed to avoid commenting on their continued involvement with the IBLP-ATI.
That may prove increasingly difficult as time goes on.
Or the family’s legion of devoted fans may prove willing to continue turning a blind eye to the rampant abuse within the organization.
Watch Counting On online for a closer look at reality TV’s most controversial family.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Justin Bieber"s Lambo Bottoms Out at Bumpy Church Service
Justin Bieber got bumpy service during a church service. The Biebs was worshiping Thursday in L.A. at the Saban Theatre … while he was inside, a staffer struggled as he backed Justin’s Lamborghini up into a driveway. The major downside to a…
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez Kiss on Valentine"s Day Date, After Church of Course
Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were sure to make time for each other — and a little makeout sesh — on Valentine’s night, but only after church, of course. Justin and Selena cozied up next to each other Wednesday night at a fancy Beverly Hills…
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Duggar Family Member Speaks Up Against Family Church!
The Duggars are controversial about so much more than just that they have a whole lot of kids. They have many controversial beliefs about women, children, faith, homeschooling, and society. Oh, and pants.
Though the Duggars are famous, they’re not the only members of their congregation. They’re not the only believers in the Institute in Basic Life Principles.
Well one member of the Duggar family is finally speaking out against the IBLP. And she’s not mincing words.
Amy Duggar, the Duggar cousin who’s taken steps to escape the almost feudal culture in which she was raised, tweeted:
“I have to be honest, and true to myself by tweeting this.”
That’s a good mindset for tweeting.
“I do not support Bill Gothard and the Institute of Biblical [sic] Life Principles in any way, shape, or form.”
That’s a powerful statement.
“I find his ‘teachings’ extremely questionable.”
Amy is not the only one. Not by a long shot.
Bill Gothard is the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles. For years, the now-disgraced minister instructed the Duggars in matters of faith.
Remember how Josh Duggar got his totally legit “counseling” from Bill Gothard after, infamously, Josh molested a number of young girls, including several of his own sisters?
Well, Bill Gothard stepped down from his position at the IBLP in 2014 after multiple accusations of sexual harassment.
Oh, and molestation.
It sounds like he’s not the best guy to let around your kids, but also not the best guy to try to talk to Josh about Josh’s own terrible crimes.
Amy Duggar then goes on to clarify what she believes.
“I am a Christian.”
That shouldn’t be a shocker to anyone.
“I believe in God’s good Grace and freedom to be ourselves!”
That’s a huge part of what many Christians consider to believe the message of the gospel and the teachings of the New Testament.
“God gave us emotions, personalities, and He wants us to live our best life.”
Finally, she adds: “Legalism is the opposite of what my Bible teaches.”
Legalism, by the way, is when Christian fundamentalists place the Old Testament teachings referred to as the Law of Moses in a higher position than gospel teachings, requiring adherents to follow strict guidelines in how they live their lives.
And, specifically, legalism is the term applied to beliefs that place obedience to strict laws regarding lifestyle as seemingly more important than the usual accept-Jesus-as-your-savior method of attaining salvation described in the New Testament.
So, if her focus is on the New Testament (which, though I’m not going to tell anyone how to practice their faith, makes sense coming from a Christian), then yeah, legalism is the opposite of everything her beliefs stand for.
It ties into that Jeremy Vuolo quote about how he doesn’t believe that God saves people’s souls in order to make them wear skirts.
InTouch Weekly interviewed a former IBLP member, Rebecca Ishum, who describes exactly what it’s like within that fringe organization.
“I was conditioned to believe anything that anyone in authority told me without question.”
Scary, but standard for fringe organizations often characterized as cults.
“Because of that, I internalized all of the teachings and brought them back home with me. So, for example, there are a lot of physical requirements with IBLP.”
Most religious folks would say that that spiritual requirements are the priority, but it’s not so for IBLP.
“The physical requirements weren’t enforced to that degree at home (I wore shorts as a kid), but by the time I got home from my time in the training center, I was wearing skirts all of the time because I had been told that I was immodest otherwise, and I didn’t want to cause myself to be raped.”
Whoa!
“There is a lot of victim- and women-blaming in that cult.”
We’re glad that Amy Duggar got out and is living her best life, especially after her rough childhood. We just wish that we could say the same for literally every other Duggar daughter trapped in this dangerous cult, most of the sons, and every other member of the IBLP.
Monday, December 25, 2017
Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Kids Attend Christmas Eve Church Service
Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton had a pretty fancy XMAS eve. Gwen and her 3 kids joined Blake for a church service in the City of Angels. Gwen’s a devout Catholic who never misses a Christmas service. The kids have something of an English flair.…
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Cardinal Law, Archbishop at Helm During Church Sex Abuse Scandal, Dead at 86
Cardinal Bernard Law — the disgraced Boston archbishop at the helm during the Catholic church’s sex abuse scandal and prominently featured in the Oscar-winning movie “Spotlight” — is dead. The Vatican made a one-sentence announcement, “Cardinal…
Friday, December 8, 2017
Justin Bieber Is Filled With The Holy (Fighting) Spirit, Shadow Boxes After Church
Here’s the thing, Justin Bieber could probably kick your ass. We know it’s tough to come to terms with, but if you don’t believe us just check out this video of the Biebs throwing punches after church. You know he looks fast. Admit it. Before you…
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Duggar Family Church: Abuse, Mind Control Exposed By Ex-Member
A man has taken to Reddit to share some of the horrors of life in the Duggar family’s church, exposing what goes on behind the scenes.
The Institute in Basic Life Principles and their ATI teachings, both founded by the Rev. Bill Gothard, have always been extremely controversial.
This new account should increase that several-fold.
Celebrity news magazine In Touch Weekly, which many fans forget was the publication that outed Josh Duggar in 2015, has this exclusive.
“I was part of a fundamentalist Christian cult known as ATI/IBLP,” the former church member said on Reddit, as revealed by In Touch.
Despite the horrific accounts of Gothard abusing more than 50 women sexually, the source says this is barely “scratching the surface.”
The church member says he was abused sexually, and “since the cult taught a strict familial hierarchy,” he could do very little about it.
“My father,” he disturbingly writes, “would twist Bible verses to justify rape, death threats, and more,” and he was powerless to stop this.
“Because ATI is a homeschool cult, it was really handy to cover up the abuse from any prying eyes. My home was a prison for 11 years.”
When he was 11, his father died of a heart attack.
This, he said, gave way to a different horror: “Fast forward two years. I’m 13, with a mother [fixated] on me being a ‘troubled child."”
This was “because 1. I dared resist my father’s advances and argue against the abuse I was suffering, gaining me the reputation of ‘rebellious."”
“2. I’m severely depressed because I’m a freaking rape victim and depression is considered sin, and 3. I asked too many questions.”
He says he was later placed in a “secretive program called the ‘Log Cabin’ program” for treatment, the likes of which he doesn’t grasp.
“All I know is I’m about to move to Oklahoma for a while to be fixed by ‘nice counselors’ because I’m a dirty sinner,” he laments.
This “treatment” center served as a “residential childcare facility,” meaning that a parent signs over his or her rights to care for the child.
The result?
“For the next two years, I am tortured, brainwashed, starved, sleep-deprived, threatened with a shotgun, punished, humiliated,” he writes.
He was “interrogated, and terrorized. I lose 40 pounds in the first month or two. They take me off my medications (believing it is wrong to take them).”
“I exhibit severe symptoms of withdrawal and they go ignored. I am worked grueling hours, sent on aimless hikes and marches.”
“Scrubbing floors on my hands and knees until my knuckles are cracked and bleeding from the bleach, punished with hard labor.”
Just sick.
From the moment they became TLC stars, the massive size of Duggars’ brood and facets of their belief system were called into question.
For the record, no one is suggesting Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar were involved with or support the kinds of activities described above.
You would have to be deeply disturbed and cruel to treat anyone that way, and Jim Bob, Michelle and kids are kind, well-meaning people.
That said, the enormity of the family and the particulars of its church members’ worldview are not necessarily unrelated, either.
The Duggars belong to a controversial, non-denominational organization that encourages its followers to do some questionable things.
As long as there are bizarre and often dangerous tales of the Quiverfull movement such as these, don’t expect the criticism to abate.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Can Marry in a Church, Despite Divorce
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can walk down the aisle under the eyes of God if they want, ‘cause there’s no issue with a church wedding … despite her being a divorcee. British author Katie Nicholl — an expert on all things Royal –…
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