Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 7, No. 3, 2008, Page 68
New Summaries
Details on these and other news reports are available in the ICSA E-Library.
Ria Ramkissoon, also known as Princess Marie, and three other members the very small 1
Mind Ministries, including supposed leader Toni Ellsberry, also known as Queen
Antionette, have been charged with murder in the starvation death of Ramkissoon‘s 15-
month old child, found dead by authorities in a suitcase in 2007. He was punished because
he allegedly refused to say ―amen‖ after meals. Ramkissoon‘s family says she shouldn‘t be
held responsible because ―She had no control over that situation at all.‖ Her mother adds,
―My daughter [who is being held in a psychiatric ward] was a victim, just like my grandson.
Somebody made that decision to not feed that child, and my daughter had to follow
instructions. They made the rules. I don‘t think my daughter knew what she was getting
into.‖ When the child died, Antionette allegedly told followers to pray, and said that God
would resurrect him.
Members of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam based in Silver Spring, MD, are upset by the town
of Walkersville‘s rejection of their plan to build a worship center in the municipality.
Mainstream Muslims worldwide, including the U.S., are hostile to the century-old
Ahmadiyya, whose 70 million members believe their founder was the messiah. The sect has
40 mosques in this country, with 3,000 members in the Silver Spring establishment, and
they have successfully proselytized on the East Coast. ―The mainstream community went
after them and basically said: ‗Look, as long as you don‘t think that Muhammad is the last
prophet, you have violated the creed of Islam ...and you are not a Muslim,‘ ‖ says
Muqtedar Khan, director of Islamic Studies at the University of Delaware. Mainline Muslims
in the U.S. sometimes discriminate against Ahmadiyya, for example, by refusing to buy at
shops run by members of the sect.
Walkersville refused to rezone the 224-acre farm, on which the Ahmadiyya wanted to build
not only a mosque, but a school and facilities to host 10,000 people for an annual three-day
convention. Some local residents have expressed disdain for Islam and fear of Muslims.
Following a September raid on his Arkansas compound by authorities pursuing a child
pornography investigation, Tony Alamo said he won‘t fight extradition from Arizona to face
charges that he took minors across state lines for sexual purposes. He believes that the age
of consent is puberty, and that early marriage for girls is sanctioned by the Bible, although
he added, ―I don‘t marry them if they want to at 14–15.‖ He has reportedly said that the
raid was part of a federal effort to legalize same-sex marriage and stamp out polygamy.
After 12 years, bankruptcy procedures for Aum Shinrikyo have culminated, and an
estimated 1.5 billion yen are to be distributed to the group‘s victims. Although more than
twice that amount is owed, attorneys believe that the split in the group means that it would
be difficult to collect more money. Meanwhile, both the ruling and opposition political parties
in Japan are considering a bill to financially aid the victims.
Rev. Carl Stevens, founder of The Bible Speaks, who lost a $6.5 million suit brought by a
follower who accused him of mind control, died in Baltimore in June at the age of 78.
Following the judgment against him, Stevens left his Lenox, MA-based church — which
continues, with 460 branches in 76 countries — and founded Greater Grace World
Outreach, which today lists 25 affiliated churches nationwide.
Michael Baldasaro and Walter Tucker, who ran the Church of the Universe, in
Hamilton, Ontario, have been sentenced to jail for two years and one year respectively for
selling marijuana at the church. They said God tells them to smoke it and pass joints
around. The judge said they were running ―a marijuana convenience store that operates for
profit like a prohibition-era speakeasy.‖
New Summaries
Details on these and other news reports are available in the ICSA E-Library.
Ria Ramkissoon, also known as Princess Marie, and three other members the very small 1
Mind Ministries, including supposed leader Toni Ellsberry, also known as Queen
Antionette, have been charged with murder in the starvation death of Ramkissoon‘s 15-
month old child, found dead by authorities in a suitcase in 2007. He was punished because
he allegedly refused to say ―amen‖ after meals. Ramkissoon‘s family says she shouldn‘t be
held responsible because ―She had no control over that situation at all.‖ Her mother adds,
―My daughter [who is being held in a psychiatric ward] was a victim, just like my grandson.
Somebody made that decision to not feed that child, and my daughter had to follow
instructions. They made the rules. I don‘t think my daughter knew what she was getting
into.‖ When the child died, Antionette allegedly told followers to pray, and said that God
would resurrect him.
Members of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam based in Silver Spring, MD, are upset by the town
of Walkersville‘s rejection of their plan to build a worship center in the municipality.
Mainstream Muslims worldwide, including the U.S., are hostile to the century-old
Ahmadiyya, whose 70 million members believe their founder was the messiah. The sect has
40 mosques in this country, with 3,000 members in the Silver Spring establishment, and
they have successfully proselytized on the East Coast. ―The mainstream community went
after them and basically said: ‗Look, as long as you don‘t think that Muhammad is the last
prophet, you have violated the creed of Islam ...and you are not a Muslim,‘ ‖ says
Muqtedar Khan, director of Islamic Studies at the University of Delaware. Mainline Muslims
in the U.S. sometimes discriminate against Ahmadiyya, for example, by refusing to buy at
shops run by members of the sect.
Walkersville refused to rezone the 224-acre farm, on which the Ahmadiyya wanted to build
not only a mosque, but a school and facilities to host 10,000 people for an annual three-day
convention. Some local residents have expressed disdain for Islam and fear of Muslims.
Following a September raid on his Arkansas compound by authorities pursuing a child
pornography investigation, Tony Alamo said he won‘t fight extradition from Arizona to face
charges that he took minors across state lines for sexual purposes. He believes that the age
of consent is puberty, and that early marriage for girls is sanctioned by the Bible, although
he added, ―I don‘t marry them if they want to at 14–15.‖ He has reportedly said that the
raid was part of a federal effort to legalize same-sex marriage and stamp out polygamy.
After 12 years, bankruptcy procedures for Aum Shinrikyo have culminated, and an
estimated 1.5 billion yen are to be distributed to the group‘s victims. Although more than
twice that amount is owed, attorneys believe that the split in the group means that it would
be difficult to collect more money. Meanwhile, both the ruling and opposition political parties
in Japan are considering a bill to financially aid the victims.
Rev. Carl Stevens, founder of The Bible Speaks, who lost a $6.5 million suit brought by a
follower who accused him of mind control, died in Baltimore in June at the age of 78.
Following the judgment against him, Stevens left his Lenox, MA-based church — which
continues, with 460 branches in 76 countries — and founded Greater Grace World
Outreach, which today lists 25 affiliated churches nationwide.
Michael Baldasaro and Walter Tucker, who ran the Church of the Universe, in
Hamilton, Ontario, have been sentenced to jail for two years and one year respectively for
selling marijuana at the church. They said God tells them to smoke it and pass joints
around. The judge said they were running ―a marijuana convenience store that operates for
profit like a prohibition-era speakeasy.‖
