Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2006, Page 94
Ariuntuya Shagj, a Mongolian, is one of six UC missionaries who spent a day recently in
Sterling, CO, asking for donations from local businesses to support AIDS prevention and
education as well as an orphanage in his home country. Five such small UC groups are
traveling in various states around the U.S.
United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors
Two sheriff‘s deputies, who are also members of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors,
have been suspended from their jobs while a grand jury investigates the group‘s activities
at the Clark County jail. Nuwaubian leader Dwight “Malachi” York is now serving a life
term following his conviction on charges of child molestation and racketeering. Some fellow
deputies say they‘re concerned about which side the Nuwaubian deputies would take in a
racial conflict at the jail. There have been allegations that the Nuwaubian deputies were
recruiting prisoners and that one violated policy by corresponding with York.
Westboro Baptist Church
Fred Phelps, pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church, in Topeka, KS — which has 75
members, most of them his relatives — leads picketing at the funerals of people who, he
says, have been struck down by God and are on their way to hell because the country
tolerates gays.
The victims include soldiers killed in Iraq — ―Thank God for IEDs‖ (improvised explosive
devices) — and homosexuals — ―Fags die, God Laughs.‖ Phelps and his followers have also
picketed the funerals of Mr. Rogers, September 11 victims, and West Virginia coal miners,
among many others. The church blames disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the September 11
attacks, and AIDS on what it sees as America‘s permissive morals in violation of biblical
dictates.‖ They welcome disasters and pray that all of the chosen will join them in Kansas to
await the second coming and the end of the world.
Protests by Westboro Baptist at funerals, parades, and other events — it claims to have held
some 22,000 since 1971 —have led to 22 states enacting or proposing laws to limit the
rights of protestors at funerals. President Bush signed a federal law on Memorial Day that
now prohibits such protests at national cemeteries.
Phelps, 76, raised a Methodist, gained an appointment to West Point but felt a calling to
preach after attending a revival meeting. He later became a civil rights attorney, honored by
minority groups for his dedication to the cause, but he was disbarred for improprieties. He
ran as a Democrat for mayor, governor, and senator, but lost each time and is now rejected
by both parties.
Some of Phelps‘ children defend him unquestioningly, but others say he was abusive and
unstable, flying into rages over the way a child peeled an apple or forgot to wipe his shoes.
A loyal Phelps daughter, who lost one of her sons to the ―outside world,‖ says, ―What you
come to terms with is that the child is going to hell.‖ A disaffected daughter says followers
―believe that what my dad says is law. He‘s the shepherd and he gets his inspiration from
the Bible — he‘s the voice of God on earth.‖
The father of one of the soldiers whose funeral Phelps picketed has sued the Westboro
Church for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The Church says it will counter-sue ―for conspiracy to violate civil rights, and violation of
civil rights.‖ ―We [protestors] were,‖ said the church attorney, ―seven people exercising
protected rights of free speech and religion.‖
Wiccan
Rebecca Sommers is suing the Georgia-based Crawford &Company branch in Schaumburg,
IL, for allegedly firing her because she practices Wicca, a ―pagan‖ religion some think it
Ariuntuya Shagj, a Mongolian, is one of six UC missionaries who spent a day recently in
Sterling, CO, asking for donations from local businesses to support AIDS prevention and
education as well as an orphanage in his home country. Five such small UC groups are
traveling in various states around the U.S.
United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors
Two sheriff‘s deputies, who are also members of the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors,
have been suspended from their jobs while a grand jury investigates the group‘s activities
at the Clark County jail. Nuwaubian leader Dwight “Malachi” York is now serving a life
term following his conviction on charges of child molestation and racketeering. Some fellow
deputies say they‘re concerned about which side the Nuwaubian deputies would take in a
racial conflict at the jail. There have been allegations that the Nuwaubian deputies were
recruiting prisoners and that one violated policy by corresponding with York.
Westboro Baptist Church
Fred Phelps, pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church, in Topeka, KS — which has 75
members, most of them his relatives — leads picketing at the funerals of people who, he
says, have been struck down by God and are on their way to hell because the country
tolerates gays.
The victims include soldiers killed in Iraq — ―Thank God for IEDs‖ (improvised explosive
devices) — and homosexuals — ―Fags die, God Laughs.‖ Phelps and his followers have also
picketed the funerals of Mr. Rogers, September 11 victims, and West Virginia coal miners,
among many others. The church blames disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the September 11
attacks, and AIDS on what it sees as America‘s permissive morals in violation of biblical
dictates.‖ They welcome disasters and pray that all of the chosen will join them in Kansas to
await the second coming and the end of the world.
Protests by Westboro Baptist at funerals, parades, and other events — it claims to have held
some 22,000 since 1971 —have led to 22 states enacting or proposing laws to limit the
rights of protestors at funerals. President Bush signed a federal law on Memorial Day that
now prohibits such protests at national cemeteries.
Phelps, 76, raised a Methodist, gained an appointment to West Point but felt a calling to
preach after attending a revival meeting. He later became a civil rights attorney, honored by
minority groups for his dedication to the cause, but he was disbarred for improprieties. He
ran as a Democrat for mayor, governor, and senator, but lost each time and is now rejected
by both parties.
Some of Phelps‘ children defend him unquestioningly, but others say he was abusive and
unstable, flying into rages over the way a child peeled an apple or forgot to wipe his shoes.
A loyal Phelps daughter, who lost one of her sons to the ―outside world,‖ says, ―What you
come to terms with is that the child is going to hell.‖ A disaffected daughter says followers
―believe that what my dad says is law. He‘s the shepherd and he gets his inspiration from
the Bible — he‘s the voice of God on earth.‖
The father of one of the soldiers whose funeral Phelps picketed has sued the Westboro
Church for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The Church says it will counter-sue ―for conspiracy to violate civil rights, and violation of
civil rights.‖ ―We [protestors] were,‖ said the church attorney, ―seven people exercising
protected rights of free speech and religion.‖
Wiccan
Rebecca Sommers is suing the Georgia-based Crawford &Company branch in Schaumburg,
IL, for allegedly firing her because she practices Wicca, a ―pagan‖ religion some think it
