Preacher behind bars after alleged abuse at Christian camp
Investigators said that a San Antonio preacher has been arrested, after a 15-year-old girl from Floresville, claimed she was abused while at a Christian boot camp in Banquete. According to an arrest affidavit, the teenage girl was injured, when the camp director and another camp employee, tied her up to the back of a van and then dragged her along a dirt road.

13-year old Alex Cullinane lost his life at a Christian boot camp
Back to Basics Christian Military Academy; subcontracts with Fort Lauderdale-based Juvenile Military Training and Leadership Corp. The camp is run by certified National Guard drill sergeants. It is state funded with state records showing 24 students are using state scholarship money for disabled children to attend the private military academy. His death is under investigation. 15-year old squad leader Brandon Scott believes he died of dehydration. He did not eat for days, according to other children, and complained of stomach pain. He died in the middle of the night after getting up to use the bathroom.

Jesus Camp: What are parents getting their kids into? Is it a cult? Are children being brainwashed?
Jesus Camp depicts young soldiers for God - 3-part video: 1 2 3. Instead of telling ghost stories around the campfire, children speak in tongues and bless a cutout of President Bush ... "I want to see young people who are as committed to the cause of Jesus Christ as the young people are to the cause of Islam," said camp leader Pastor Becky Fischer. Some people feel the children are being used as political pawns. (click here) Some critics have labeled the camp a frightening example of brainwashing and child abuse. "This is war! Are you part of it or not?," Fischer shouted at the children during the film. Fischer proudly compared her Bible camp to indoctrination of young boys by extremist Muslims.

Youth facility in Marion under fire for its tactics: New Horizons official says problems of the past are being solved
New Horizons Youth Ministries, a conservative Christian school based in Marion since 1981, is at the heart of a controversy over the treatment of children in its care. But the academy's chief operating officer says problems of the past are being solved and the school continues to care all its former students even those who are now campaigning against the school.

Gay Teenager Stirs a Storm
The camp in question, Refuge, is a youth program of Love in Action International, a group in Memphis that runs a religion-based program intended to change the sexual orientation of gay men and women. Often called reparative or conversion therapy, such programs took hold in fundamentalist Christian circles in the 1970's, when mainstream psychiatric organizations overturned previous designations of homosexuality as a mental disorder, and gained ground rapidly from the late 90's. Programs like Love in Action have always been controversial, but Zach's blog entries have brought wide attention to a less-known aspect of them, their application to teenagers. "Today, my mother, father and I had a very long 'talk' in my room, where they let me know I am to apply for a fundamentalist Christian program for gays." "It's like boot camp," Zach added in a dispatch the next day. "If I do come out straight, I'll be so mentally unstable and depressed it won't matter."

C. J. Hyatt was adopted by Christian Science parents and became profoundly deaf at age seven after a series of untreated infections. C. J. tells of the emotional abuse as well as medical neglect in faith healing. In April the station aired an interview with a Christian Science practitioner whose paid profession is giving spiritual “treatments,” which the church claims can heal all diseases. Both programs can be heard by clicking on this link: The interview with the practitioner is under “Related programs” at the bottom of the screen. http://www.capradio.org/programs/insight/default.aspx?showid=3365&programid=10.

For more information on abuse in then name of religion, see:

Jordan Riak's Flogging for God: Violence toward children under the guise of religion

Helpful links:

http://www.childrenshealthcare.org/
Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty (CHILD, Inc.) is a non-profit national membership organization established in 1983 to protect children from abusive religious and cultural practices, especially religion-based medical neglect. CHILD opposes religious exemptions from duties of care for children. CHILD is a member of the National Child Abuse Coalition.

http://www.familywatchdog.us/
Family Watchdog, LLC's goal is to provide you with the information you need to protect your loved ones. Their service allows you to view known registered offenders and predators in your area. Knowing who these people are and what they've done provides you with your best defense to protect your family - awareness.

Isabelle Zehnder