Opinion

Pay attention to what Trump lies about most

Outlandish? Yes. Farcical? Absolutely. But also sinister and revealing.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia.

 (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

September 16, 2024
By Jim Wallis

(RNS) — The most talked about moment from last Tuesday’s debate has turned out to be not the two candidates’ policy differences on health care or housing or even any real discussion about immigration but, rather, Donald Trump’s claim that in Springfield, Ohio, Haitians hired by local companies are stealing and eating other people’s household pets.

“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” said Trump in answer to a question about immigration, repeating a calumny that he and his ticket mate, JD Vance, had been retailing at their campaign rallies. “They’re eating the pets of the people who live there, and that is what’s happening in this country, and it is a shame.”

The debate’s co-moderator, David Muir, the ABC news anchor whose network had actually fact-checked the claim, responded that the Springfield city manager had told ABC “there had been no credible reports of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by people in the city’s immigrant community.”

Trump responded, “I’ve seen people on television who said immigrants were eating the pets of people who lived there.”
RELATED: ‘Haitians are not eating pets’: Springfield faith leaders stand with embattled migrants

Outlandish? Yes. Farcical? Absolutely. But also sinister and revealing. It’s important when faced with a serial liar’s untruths to go beyond a shrug that says “That’s just Trump!” and examine what and who the person lies about most. It’s likely the key to the compulsion that leads to the lies.

Over and over again, when it comes to Trump, the lies are about migrants, refugees, asylum seekers. Trump strategically lies about those who are racially different from white Americans, his base whom he tries to make angrier and angrier. While saying he wouldn’t mind more immigrants from Norway, Trump has consistently demonized immigrants, calling them “rapists” and “criminals.” He accuses them of bringing in drugs and disease. Lately he has portrayed them as inmates of prisons and insane asylums, members of terrorist organizations and gangs, all coming to do us harm.

Migrants seeking asylum line up while waiting to be processed after crossing the border Wednesday, June 5, 2024, near San Diego, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

In truth the people seeking to come to America are those Jesus told us to welcome. In the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says how we welcome the stranger, demonstrates how we welcome or don’t welcome him. The word “stranger” in the gospel text literally means “immigrant” and “refugee.” Jesus says, “As you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.”

Anyone who has contact with the families and children coming from south of the U.S.-Mexican border know that these constant attacks are based on lies. Demagogues don’t like data, but the data on immigrants shows that migrants commit fewer crimes than native U.S. citizens. Undocumented immigrants can’t vote, and don’t, despite the Republicans’ repetition of a myth that the flood of “illegal aliens” are being welcomed to support Democrats.

Most Americans don’t have any personal contact with immigrants, however, and as demagogues repeat their lies over and over, people start to believe them. What many white Christians who support Trump lack is what I call a theology of proximity: Getting to know real people and their stories and their children always changes hearts and minds — in my experience, it even dissolves white conservative stereotypes and caricatures. Everything is about relationships, and encountering immigrants would easily wipe away all of Trump’s lies.

Trump also spoke admiringly — and tellingly — about Hungarian dictator Viktor Orbán and Russian dictator Valdimir Putin, both demagogues who fuel human divisions. Such leaders want people to believe only strong men can restore order in a divided society. To create this picture they narrow the definition of who our neighbors are, turning many of those around us into enemies. Our religious language calls this “othering,” and all faith traditions clearly and consistently condemn it.

That’s what the weird dogs and cats language was all about Tuesday night: fear, hate, violence and power. Expanding the definition of our neighbor — which faith does — defeats demagogues.

Sadly, we are still waiting to hear any of Trump’s white evangelical supporters speak up for the strangers that Jesus told us to welcome. Let’s watch for how many evangelical leaders preach on Matthew 25 in the next few Sundays, or any of the more than 400 verses in the Bible about caring for immigrants. Let’s hope preachers everywhere turn this into a Matthew 25 election.

Last Wednesday (Sept. 11), the day after the debate, I was given a tour of an amazing community center in Tucson, Arizona, where Christians care for those seeking asylum who have just arrived in the United States and are now legally on their way to families and sponsors in America.

It was a Matthew 25 day for me. After long, dangerous and very difficult journeys, after being exploited, robbed, ransomed, raped, tortured, after watching friends die, these people at last found the loving welcome they were so longing for. I saw the smiles on the faces of mothers, fathers and young children.

Later that evening, people of faith from all over southern Arizona packed into Southside Presbyterian Church to hear their now-retired pastor, John Fife, and others talk about being charged as felons for welcoming strangers across the border in a faithful ministry of Christ for many decades. We need more people like my dear friend John, who was willing to become a Matthew 25 felon, who told the diverse gathering the joy of following Jesus.

The Rev. Jim Wallis. (Courtesy photo)

(The Rev. Jim Wallis is director of Georgetown University’s Center on Faith and Justice and the author, most recently, of “The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy.” The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)

Opinion
Immigrants, pets and the sin of slander in an age of social media
No one is going to eat Rover.
(Image by Cdd20/Pixabay/Creative Commons)
September 12, 2024
By Matthew Soerens


(RNS) — This week, outlandish allegations that, in a small city in Ohio, Haitian immigrants were hunting down and eating people’s cats, dogs and other pets spread across the internet, even making an appearance in the presidential debate. Though there’s no verifiable evidence of any case of a Haitian immigrant eating a pet — to say nothing of a trend that will soon threaten your pet — rumors spread quickly.

It was already an “old proverb” in the 19th century when Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon quipped, “A lie will go round the world while truth is pulling its boots on.” In the internet era, falsehoods move at light speed, and the biblical commandment to “not bear false witness” has become among the more socially acceptable sins.

That’s probably because it’s so easy: We can now disparage someone without personally articulating the charge, in either verbal or written form; we can reshare slanderous accusations with a tap of a finger or click of a mouse. Our human nature is apt to do so, dismissing any reluctance over an unverified charge if it seems credible to us, especially when the subject is an individual or group of people we’re predisposed to view as villainous.

But if we are to be faithful to the New Testament’s repeated instructions to put away slander of any kind, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. We should refrain from propagating any disparaging charge that we cannot confirm to be factual, lest we, as the epistle of James puts it, “curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” That’s always true, but it’s all the more relevant in the midst of a polarized U.S. election season.

With the border a top campaign issue, immigrants are used as a political pawn and have increasingly been the subjects of online maligning. Beyond the allegations of pet-napping, the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are often presumed to be “illegals.” Multiple U.S. senators have used that term to describe individuals from Haiti, Venezuela and other specific countries facing political crises who have been allowed into the U.S. by the Department of Homeland Security after being sponsored by family members, churches or others — despite the fact that they are entering lawfully, at the invitation of our government.

There’s a fair debate over whether this particular “parole” program is an overuse of executive authority, but that’s a question for the courts or legislation (if a senator disagrees with the judicial decision that thus far has left the program in place). To describe the people themselves who have entered the U.S. lawfully through an airport as “illegal” isn’t just inaccurate, it’s also false witness, as it is when more than 800 people retweet these claims. That few of those re-tweeters have a nuanced understanding of U.S. immigration law does not exonerate them from the responsibility to not disparage people falsely.

Migrants seeking asylum line up while waiting to be processed after crossing the border June 5, 2024, near San Diego. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

For me, this is personal. I met a Haitian couple a few months ago who showed up at my church. Both husband and wife are lawfully present, and given the disastrous situation in Haiti at the moment, desperate to bring their daughters lawfully to the U.S. as well. I brought them to my World Relief legal services colleagues to file the appropriate petition, and now they’re hoping and praying it will be quickly approved. They’re availing themselves of U.S. laws, not breaking them. They’re also certainly not eyeing my daughter’s guinea pig. I’m embarrassed that they have probably heard the cruel allegations against them.

Other immigrants, of course, have violated U.S. law by crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without inspection — including a record 1.4 million individuals who were apprehended by the Border Patrol (many of them more than once) last year. It’s right for Christians who affirm the God-ordained role of government in maintaining order and security to insist on reforms to address this situation and ensure secure borders, as many evangelical Christians have.

But while it’s fair to describe these migrants’ actions as illegal, that does not make it, as online rhetoric increasingly describes it, an “invasion,” which implies an intention of military conquest.

To the contrary, in recent years, most of those who cross unlawfully are seeking out the U.S. Border Patrol to request asylum under the terms of U.S. law. They may or may not qualify, but even advocates for more restrictive immigration policies, such as the Center for Immigration Studies and NumbersUSA, have said it is wrong to describe these unarmed individuals as invaders. But posting such inflammatory language can generate likes and reshares.

In my work with World Relief, I have personally met Christians who fled religious persecution and sought asylum at the border to save their lives. They are brothers and sisters pleading for mercy from our country, not invaders, and it upsets me when they’re wrongly labeled as such.

But it’s not just critics of immigrants who can fall into the sin of slander. Advocates for immigrants can as well when they presume that anyone who wants tighter border security is racist.

I’m quick to decry the fallacy of implicating all immigrants by the violent crimes of a very small subsample, but I can fall into the same trap if I suggest everyone advocating for reduced levels of immigration must be motivated by the same attitudes as self-avowed white supremacists and eugenicists — or even retweet someone else making that charge. It feels less culpable to share someone else’s hot take than to state it personally — but is it?

Matthew Soerens. Photo courtesy of World Relief

Scripture talks much about the tongue and teaches that “out of the abundance of the heart our mouth speaks.” We must guard our hearts and our tongues. If we’re to take seriously the many biblical injunctions to refrain from slander, the Apostle James offers wise counsel: “be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” In our context, we might also add being “slow to retweet.”

(Matthew Soerens is vice president of advocacy and policy for World Relief and co-author of several books related to immigration, including “Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate.” The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)

US Haitians find solidarity at church after week of false pet-eating claims


For many Haitian immigrants, Sunday mornings in Springfield, Ohio, are spent joyfully worshipping God as they sing and pray in their native Creole. This Sunday, they needed that uplifting balm more than ever.

“Jesus was a refugee, so he identifies with what the Haitians are going through. And the Bible is, is this is an easy sermon to do because the Bible is very clear on our mandate to stand for people who are oppressed and to love and welcome immigrants,” said pastor Carl Ruby of Central Christian Church who welcomed several members of the Haitian community to his service on Sunday.

Their community is reeling from false accusations that they are eating their neighbor’s cats and dogs. The now viral and highly politicized rumors are being fueled by former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance and others.

And violent threats against the community are upending daily life in their city.

“I can't even begin to tell you how scared and anxious they are right now. And it could all be stopped if people would just admit that they've been misinformed, that this hasn't happened. If people in power or people who have been in power would ask the hate groups to leave, I think they probably would,” said Ruby.

Officials have said there have been no credible or detailed reports about the pet-eating claims, even as Trump and his allies use them to amplify racist stereotypes about Black and brown immigrants.

Trump’s 2024 campaign has focused heavily on illegal immigration, often referencing in his speeches crimes committed by migrants. He argues immigrants are responsible for driving up crime and drug abuse in the United States and taking resources from American citizens.

“And after dealing with all of this on the week and we have the opportunity to hear a message of hope, a message of solidarity,” said Viles Dorsainvil, Executive Director of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center, who joined the Central Christian Church congregation on Sunday.

“That kind of gives me some hope that in the days ahead, we are going to have to leave that behind us, because the truth at the end of the day will overcome,” he said.

Another service was held at The First Haitian Church, located next to the Haitian Community Center.

“It was a challenging week because we're not used to that in an American society where Haitians are targeted for something they don't do,” said Bernardette Dor, one of the pastors at The First Haitian Church.

“They feel the threat, they feel they not welcome. They feel people are talking about them.” She said.

Though she worries about repercussions of the false statements, she said gathering to worship with her community and feeling support from others in Springfield gives her hope.

“One thing I can tell you, we are good people,” said Dor. “We love working. We love having fun. And we have good cuisine, good food. We're always laughing, dancing. Even though in the midst of adversity, we're still having faith in God. We believe we are strong in faith. We believe in God. We believe in love. We believe in Christ. And I think that's made the difference.”

‘Haitians are not eating pets’: Springfield faith leaders stand with embattled migrants

'It was a tough week,' said Harold Herard, a Haitian community leader in Springfield and visitor at Central Christian Church on Sunday. 'But today, we feel free.'

The Rev. Carl Ruby, center, and other church representatives hug members of the Haitian community during a service at Central Christian Church in Springfield, Ohio, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (RNS photo/Kathryn Post)

September 16, 2024
By Kathryn Post

RNS

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (RNS) — “Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is with us in truth. And the truth is that Haitians are not eating pets in Springfield,” said the Rev. Carl Ruby, gripping the pulpit of Central Christian Church in Springfield, Ohio.

Moments later, the 60-person congregation rose to its feet, applauding the five Haitian community leaders visiting Sunday morning (Sept.15).

“We love you,” Ruby said to them. “We are glad you’re here.”

Earlier in the week, the small nondenominational church hadn’t been certain they would be worshipping on Sunday. Bomb threats and the presence of hate groups had the city on edge, but the board voted to meet — and Ruby took the opportunity to appeal to both President Biden and former President Trump.

“I call on our former president, President Trump, out of the goodness of his heart, out of the divine spark of God’s image that lives in every human being, to let people know that he was misinformed about what’s happening in our community, and to ask hate groups who are here to leave,” said Ruby. He also called on President Biden to provide additional resources to support the expanding city, which has seen an influx of as many as 20,000 Haitian migrants in the past decade.


Central Christian Church congregants applaud Haitian community leaders, center, during a service on Sunday morning, Sept. 15, 2024, in Springfield, Ohio. (RNS photo/Kathryn Post)

The appeal came after the midwestern city was thrust into the national spotlight during last week’s presidential debate, when former President Trump claimed Haitian migrants are “eating the pets of the people that live there.”

Since then, the debunked pet-eating line has become a “memeified” punchline. But for community members, effects of the remark have been no joke.

On Thursday (Sept. 12), two schools, Springfield City Hall and Clark County offices, closed in the wake of bomb threats. On Saturday, two Springfield hospitals closed due to bomb threats, and flyers claiming to be from the Trinity White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan — a Kentucky offshoot of the white supremacist group — were reportedly distributed in Springfield.

“Foreigners & Haitians Out,” the flyers read, according to a photo obtained by RNS. “Join us and stand against forced immigration.”

Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, which provides legal, interpretation and case management services in Springfield but does not resettle migrants there, has faced verbal and written attacks, chief executive Tony Stieritz told America Magazine.

“My daughter asked me, what’s going on dad?” said Harold Herard, an engineer and member of the Haitian Community Help & Support Center who visited Ruby’s church on Sunday. “I tried to explain to her the situation, but I don’t want to put her in a situation of feeling fear about school.”

On Sunday, patrons and cashiers at a Dunkin’ Donuts in the south end of the city traded rumors about Haitians being arrested and consuming pets. But later that afternoon, a different narrative unfolded just around the corner, where about 60 Haitians met at First Evangelical Haitian Church of Springfield for a weekly English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course. Normally, the classes are stretched to find English-speaking conversation partners. But this week, about 30 volunteers — many of them from local churches — participated.

A weekly English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course, primarily attended by Haitian migrants, meets at First Evangelical Haitian Church of Springfield on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Springfield, Ohio. (RNS photo/Kathryn Post)

“I am with you in the difficulties,” the Haitian students practiced speaking in English. “Mwen avèk ou nan difikilte yo,” the English-speakers learned to respond in Haitian Creole.

At the end of the event, the English speakers distributed flowers and baked goods, while Haitian leaders thanked them for their solidarity.

“We are in amazement at how so much good is coming out of such difficulty,” said Heidi Earlywine, an English teacher and advocate who co-coordinates the ESOL classes.

Despite the welcoming atmosphere, some Haitian ESOL students voiced concerns about the level of scrutiny they’ve faced in Springfield this week, saying the toxic atmosphere had pushed them to consider relocating out of state. Viles Dorsainvil, president of Springfield’s Haitian Community Help and Support Center and a former Moravian pastor, said he’s also heard Haitians debating whether to leave Springfield. But he hopes people stay a few more weeks before deciding.

“We have so many good leaders working with us,” said Dorsainvil. “And we do our best in our nonprofit to work through this situation with the community. I think that if we just take our time, we will navigate this together. But the tension is here. The fear is here.”

A car drives down Fountain Avenue in Springfield, Ohio, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

Once a bustling manufacturing town that produced farm equipment and other machinery, Springfield faced race riots in the early 20th century, and struggled with closing factories and a declining population at the tail end of the century. Then, about a decade ago, the city launched a successful effort to bring in several businesses and companies that created thousands of new jobs. Haitian migrants facing political turmoil and gang violence in their home country began to arrive, filling job shortages and opening churches, shops and cafes.

“First Baptist Church is one part of a larger faith community and group of public service agencies that believe in the tremendous gifts that come along with the increase in population,” said the Rev. Adam Banks, a Springfield pastor who pointed out the benefit of welcoming skilled Haitian professionals, including educators and health care specialists. “As a city that has seen its population decline for decades, this increase provides a great deal of hope.”

Countering rumors that resettlement organizations have been “bussing in” migrants, Herard said Haitians have arrived organically after hearing about jobs from other Haitians in the area. The vast majority are here legally, many as recipients of Temporary Protected Status due to conditions in Haiti. Springfield’s Haitian population has swelled to between 12,000-20,000 in recent years, city officials estimate.

Some longtime Springfield residents called the “pet-eating” rhetoric a distraction from the very real strains on local health, education and government resources facing the city. The influx of residents has, according to many business owners, landlords and city officials, been a boon for the declining city, but it has also come with costs. Schools and hospitals are struggling to keep up with the growing population and the need for translation services and ESOL classes. Housing costs have risen, and the sudden increase in new drivers has prompted safety concerns.

In August 2023, tensions between Haitians and longtime Springfield residents ruptured when 11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed in an accident caused by a Haitian migrant who crashed into a school bus. (Clark’s parents have since asked that their family’s tragedy not be used to stoke hatred or be exploited for political gain.)

City Council meetings were suddenly flooded with concerned residents, and Haitians became the targets of beatings and robberies. First Evangelical Haitian Church of Springfield was reportedly broken into. But the fractures were subsiding when, this summer, Republican vice presidential nominee and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance cited Springfield as a failure of Biden’s immigration strategy.

Central Christian Church in Springfield, Ohio. (RNS photo/Kathryn Post)

“It really kind of quieted down until our local leaders reached out to J.D. Vance for help getting financial assistance,” said Ruby. “And instead of providing financial assistance, he politicized it.”

Herard said Springfield’s Haitian community is most in need of better translation services, as well as mental health support, particularly in the wake of last week’s debate. For now, many of Springfield’s churches are giving support by way of English classes, correcting misinformation, and displaying solidarity. At the end of Central Christian Church’s Sunday service, congregants shuffled to the front of the sanctuary where they took Communion elements and bundles of small fliers intended for distribution

“Mwen byen kontan ou la. Kris la renmen ou e mwen menm tou,” the fliers said in Haitian Creole. “I’m glad you are here. Christ loves you and so do I.”

To Herard, the service was a welcome respite. “It was a tough week,” he said. “Fear. Confusion. But today, we feel free.”

How the far right media bubble failed Donald Trump

By ensconcing himself in the comfort of friendly — and increasingly conspiracy-driven — media, the former president is stuck in a feedback loop of his own making


What is Trump's media consumption and immersion in far-right internet culture doing to his campaign?
(Image credit: Photo by Rebecca Nobel / AFP via Getty Images)

By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
published 16 September 2024

When Donald Trump during last week's presidential debate erupted with the baseless assertion that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were "eating the pets" of local residents (city officials and local law enforcement have vehemently denied the allegation) it may have seemed to many casual viewers like a jarring non sequitur as unexpected as it was baffling. For viewers familiar with the nebulous online ecosystem of ultra-conservative media and MAGA digital influencers, however, Trump's claim was much less of a shock. To those viewers, it was the inevitable endpoint for a piece of evidence-less internet lore that had spent days burning its way up the ladder of the far-right blogosphere. Starting as a post in a local Facebook group "based entirely on third-hand hearsay" said NewsGuard, which traced the claim to its source, the allegation was quickly amplified by figures like Elon Musk, vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and ultimately Trump himself.

In the days following last week's debate, Trump's invocation of the pet-eating myth has become a meme, complete with humorous remixes and even a tongue-in-cheek shout-out from President Joe Biden. Perhaps more importantly, the episode offered a crucial peek into how Trump has ensconced himself in a conservative media bubble, highlighting the risk of shaping his worldview and electoral messaging on a notoriously closed loop.

'More interested in winning the fight on Twitter'

Trump's debate performance likely "seemed unintelligible without a deep understanding of obscure corners of far-right social media," NBC News said. Full of "familiar dog whistles to people who spend time on fringe message boards," the risk for Trump is that it's "not clear how the outlandish rumors may have landed with everyone else." Although Trump's political career has been predicated in part on "exploiting social media's power to broadcast lies and conspiracy theories to the masses," CNN said, his invocation of the pet-eating myth suggests he has "veered so deep into the internet muck he can't see through it."

"You stupid mf'ers just got Trump to repeat your lie about the pets," far-right commentator Erick Erickson lamented on X. "Congrats on setting the news stories tomorrow by lying so Trump picks it up and says stupid shit." Trump's problem is having "put Twitter edgelords around himself," Erickson said in a separate post. Accordingly, Trump seems "more interested in winning the fight on Twitter than the fight for the country."

Trump is "personally addicted to getting his news from these crazy people," said Media Matters for America's Matt Gertz on the "Tell Me Everything" podcast. Not only is he surrounding himself with conspiracy theorists like Laura Loomer, but his media diet consists of "watching Fox News and seeing what people are Truth Social-ing at him and basically immersing himself in these crazy places." Trump's choice to surround himself in the "safety blanket" of his MAGA base affords him the "comforting illusion of hitting a grand slam with every half-baked response" even as it turns his campaign into "something of a niche experience," said The Hill.

The 'Wild West of social media'

The essential tension comes down to a dynamic between an "online world in which things get taken to the nth-degree because its economy rewards that sort of hyperbole" but which "don’t hold up" when removed from that limited environment, The Washington Post said. "What else can you do but marvel at how strange it all is?"

In part, this is a symptom of the fact that the "right suffers from a talent shortage," said conservative commentator Sohrab Ahmari at The New Statesman. The resulting vacuum means there are "many applicants to be the next Fox or Newsmax loudmouth" for whom success doesn't come from enterprise reporting or advanced rhetoric, but merely "bellow[ing] about how 'they' want us to eat bugs and take poison vaccines."

The recent wave of mocking allegations that J.D. Vance has had sex with furniture that originated in left-leaning circles online highlights the Democrats' and Republicans' "very different relationships with the informational Wild West of social media — a difference shaped by Trump himself," The New York Times said. "I don't think anybody believes that [Kamala] Harris thinks that J.D. Vance actually has sex with sofas,” communications expert Jeff Giesea told the Times. The problem is that "Trump can't tell the difference between fake news and reality, ironically."

Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.

The church was named Good News. Hundreds of members died in a cult massacre that haunts survivors

A charismatic preacher, he was said to perform miracles and exorcisms, and could be generous with his money. His followers included teachers and police officers. They came to Malindi from across Kenya, giving Paul Mackenzie national prominence that spread the pain of the deaths across the country.

September 16, 2024
By Rodney Muhumuza


MALINDI, Kenya (AP) — Shukran Karisa Mangi always showed up drunk at work, where he dug up the bodies of doomsday cult members buried in shallow graves. But the alcohol couldn’t numb his shock the morning he found the body of a close friend, whose neck had been twisted so severely that his head and torso faced opposite directions.

This violent death upset Mangi, who had already unearthed children’s bodies. The number of bodies kept rising in this community off Kenya’s coastline where extremist evangelical leader Paul Mackenzie is accused of instructing his followers to starve to death for the opportunity to meet Jesus.

While he sometimes sees the remains of others when he tries to sleep, Mangi said recently, the recurring image of his friend’s mutilated body torments him when he’s awake.
“He died in a very cruel manner,” said Mangi, one of several gravediggers whose work was suspended earlier in the year as bodies piled up in the morgue. “Most of the time, I still think about how he died.”

In one of the deadliest cult-related massacres ever, at least 436 bodies have been recovered since police raided Good News International Church in a forest some 70 kilometers (40 miles) inland from the coastal town of Malindi. Seventeen months later, many in the area are still shaken by what happened despite repeated warnings about the church’s leader.

Mackenzie pleaded not guilty to charges in the murders of 191 children, multiple counts of manslaughter and other crimes. If convicted, he would spend the rest of his life in prison.

Some in Malindi who spoke to The Associated Press said Mackenzie’s confidence while in custody showed the wide-ranging power some evangelists project even as their teachings undermine government authority, break the law, or harm followers desperate for healing and other miracles.

It’s not only Mackenzie, said Thomas Kakala, a self-described bishop with the Malindi-based Jesus Cares Ministry International, referring to questionable pastors he knew in the capital, Nairobi.

“You look at them. If you are sober and you want to hear the word of God, you wouldn’t go to their church,” he said. “But the place is packed.”

A man like Mackenzie, who refused to join the fellowship of pastors in Malindi and rarely quoted Scripture, could thrive in a country like Kenya, said Kakala. Six detectives have been suspended for ignoring multiple warnings about Mackenzie’s illegal activities.

Kakala said he felt discouraged in his attempts to discredit Mackenzie years ago. The evangelist had played a tape of Kakala on his TV station and declared him an enemy. Kakala felt threatened.

“Those were some of his powers, and he was using them,” Kakala said.

Kenya, like much of East Africa, is dominated by Christians. While many are Anglican or Catholic, evangelical Christianity has spread widely since the 1980s. Many pastors style their ministries in the manner of successful American televangelists, investing in broadcasting and advertising.

Many of Africa’s evangelical churches are run like sole proprietorships, without the guidance of trustee boards or laity. Pastors are often unaccountable, deriving authority from their perceived ability to perform miracles or make prophecies. Some, like Mackenzie, can seem all-powerful.

Mackenzie, a former street vendor and cab driver with a high school education, apprenticed with a Malindi preacher in the late 1990s. There, in the laid-back tourist town, he opened his own church in 2003.

A charismatic preacher, he was said to perform miracles and exorcisms, and could be generous with his money. His followers included teachers and police officers. They came to Malindi from across Kenya, giving Mackenzie national prominence that spread the pain of the deaths across the country.

“As a religious leader, I see Mackenzie as a very mysterious man because I can’t fathom how he was able to kill all those people in one place,” said Famau Mohamed, a sheikh in Malindi. “But one thing that’s still puzzling, even at the moment, is he still talks with so much courage. … He feels like he did nothing wrong.”

The first complaints against Mackenzie concerned his opposition to formal schooling and vaccination. He was briefly detained in 2019 for opposing the government’s efforts to assign national identification numbers to Kenyans, saying the numbers were satanic.

He closed his Malindi church premises later that year and urged his congregation to follow him to Shakahola, where he leased 800 acres of forest inhabited by elephants and big cats.

Church members paid small sums to own plots in Shakahola, and were required to build houses and live in villages with biblical names like Nazareth, according to survivors. Mackenzie grew more demanding, with people from different villages forbidden from communicating or gathering, said former church member Salama Masha.

“What made me (realize) Mackenzie was not a good person was when he said that the children should fast to die,” said Masha, who escaped after witnessing the starvation deaths of two children. “That’s when I knew that it’s not something I can do.”

The grass-thatched house with a solar panel where Mackenzie lived was known as “ikulu,” or statehouse. Police found milk and bread in Mackenzie’s refrigerator as his followers starved nearby. He had bodyguards. He had informers. And, decisively, he had his aura as the self-proclaimed prophetic “paapa” to thousands of obedient followers.

“(He’s) like a chief, because they had a small village and my brother’s the elder of that particular village,” said Robert Mbatha Mackenzie, speaking of his older brother’s authority in Shakahola. “He went there, and, in only two years, he made a big village. And many people followed him there.”

Mbatha Mackenzie, a mason who lives with his family and goats in a tin shack in Malindi, said that while Mackenzie was generous to his followers, he never treated his extended family with similar kindness.

“My brother — he seemed like a politician,” he said. “They have a sweet tongue, and when he talks something to the people, people believe him.”

A former church member who escaped Shakahola said she lost faith in Mackenzie when she saw how his men handled people on the verge of dying from starvation. She said Mackenzie’s bodyguards would take the starving person away, never to be seen again.

The woman said it was “like a routine” for the bodyguards to rape women in the villages. She says she, too, was sexually assaulted by four men while she was pregnant with her fourth child. The Associated Press does not identify victims of alleged sexual assault unless they choose to publicly identify themselves.

Those who tried to the leave the forest without Mackenzie’s permission faced beatings, as did those who were caught breaking fast, according to former church members.

Autopsies on more than 100 bodies showed deaths from starvation, strangulation, suffocation, and injuries sustained from blunt objects. Mangi, the gravedigger, said he believed more mass graves were yet to be discovered in Shakahola. At least 600 people are reported missing, according to the Kenya Red Cross.

Priscillar Riziki, who left Mackenzie’s church in 2017 but lost her daughter and three grandchildren in Shakahola, broke down as she remembered Mackenzie as “good at first” but increasingly discourteous to his followers. Her daughter Lorine was not allowed to take her children on family visits without Mackenzie’s approval, Riziki said.

One of Riziki’s grandchildren was identified through DNA analysis and received a proper burial. Lorine and two of her children are presumed dead.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which witnesses said strengthened Mackenzie’s vision of the end times, the leader ordered more rigorous fasting that became even more stringent by the end of 2022. Parents were forbidden from feeding their children, witnesses said.

Some church members who escaped Shakahola spread word of suffering there, once causing a fight inside the forest when outsiders riding motorcycles attempted a rescue mission, said village elder Changawa Mangi Yaah.

The rescue party had two of their motorcycles burned in Shakahola, but the police failed to act beyond making brief arrests, Yaah said, adding that he realized “Mackenzie was more powerful than I thought.”

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

TRUTH IS HERESY

Pope Francis draws criticism for saying all religions are a path to God

Pope Francis holds a news conference aboard the papal plane on his flight back after his 11-day journey across Southeast Asia and Oceania, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Francis went rogue plenty of times in Asia, and at the in-flight press conference

 Monday, September 16, 2024

Pope Francis has ruffled the feathers of some religious leaders in the United States by saying that all religions provide a path to God.

Francis delivered the spontaneous remark late last week during an interfaith gathering with young people at a Catholic institution in Singapore, according to The Christian Post. He went off-script from his prepared speech, emphasizing that different faiths serve as “languages” leading to the same divine truth.

“There’s only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God,” Francis said, as reported by the Catholic news website Crux Now. “Some are Sheik, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and they are different paths [to God].”

This inclusive message immediately drew sharp reactions, particularly from Bishop Joseph Strickland of Texas, who was dismissed from his duties by the Vatican last year for publicly disagreeing with the pope over abortion and LGBT issues. He took to X to call for the pope to reaffirm that Jesus is the sole path to salvation.

“Please pray for Pope Francis to clearly state that Jesus Christ is the only Way. To deny this is to deny Him. If we deny Christ, He will deny us, He cannot deny Himself,” Bishop Strickland posted.

Bishop Strickland’s comments arrive amid broader, long-standing criticisms from Catholic traditionalists, who have previously accused Francis of promoting a diluted version of church teachings.

Earlier controversies include his remarks on humanity’s inherent goodness during a “60 Minutes” interview, which some viewed as contradicting core Christian doctrines on sin and redemption. Traditional Catholics have also been left fuming over Francis’ slow crackdown on Latin Mass liturgies, begging the pontiff for an explanation.

AAMA 2024 Champions African Solidarity, Advocates for Free Movement and Human Rights Activism

The All-African Movement Assembly (AAMA) 2024, the largest gathering of African movements, activists, and human rights defenders, concluded its three-day event in Accra, Ghana, with a resounding call for Pan-African solidarity, free movement across the continent, and more robust human rights advocacy.

September 16, 2024
By Africans Rising

Borderless Africa: Free movement in Africa is a step towards complete decolonisation

Held from August 29th to 31st, the Assembly brought together over 400 physical participants, and more than 1,000 virtual attendees, all united in their commitment to advancing Africa’s development. A key theme that emerged from the Assembly was the push for a borderless Africa,
where all citizens can travel freely between countries without needing visas. According to the delegates, this would not only enhance the movement of people and goods but also strengthen intra-African trade, foster economic prosperity, and build fraternity among Africans.

Samia Nkrumah, President of the Kwame Nkrumah Pan-African Center and daughter of Pan-African icon Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, passionately advocated for this vision during her opening address. “We can achieve this with the necessary political will and determination. The time
for action is now”; she urged, emphasizing the need to carry forward the legacy of the African Union’s founding fathers.

The Assembly commenced with participants visiting the historic Cape Coast and Elmina Castles, where they were reminded of Africa’s painful past, including the exploitation of natural resources and the horrors of slavery. The tour, which included visits to the infamous ‘Condemnation Room” and the “Door of No Return”, served as a poignant reminder of the need to learn from history and work towards a united and free Africa.

The Assembly’s second day was marked by powerful speeches from Emma Nyerere and Samia Nkrumah, descendants of iconic African leaders Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. Both leaders reignited the call for African unity, emphasizing that solidarity is crucial in
tackling poverty, inequality, and neocolonialism. “The time has come for us to unite and face our challenges together”, said Emma Nyerere. Samia

Nkrumah echoed this sentiment, urging for renewed efforts towards political and economic integration across the continent.

A significant focus of the Assembly was the shrinking civic space in Africa, with increasing reports of crackdowns on dissent, harassment, abductions, and the killings of activists. Delegates stressed the urgency of collective dialogue and unified action to protect human rights and ensure
the rule of law.

Hardi Yakubu, Movement Coordinator of Africans Rising, called on African leaders to demonstrate the political will to champion the cause of a borderless Africa. “We must move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps towards making this vision a reality”, he stated.

The Assembly also launched the Pan-African Solidarity Network to solidify support for human rights defenders. This idea arose in response to the multiple issues that activists encounter, which may be addressed more efficiently through a collaborative platform.

At the same time, the Africans Rising honoured activists for their contributions towards positive societal change.

Activism Awards
To top it off, on the evening of August 31st, the Pan-African Gala and Award night ceremony was held as one of the key events during the Assembly. We recognized and honored African activism through the presentation of three awards: ’Activist of the Year’, ‘Movement of the Year’, and the
‘Artistic Activist of the Year’. The awards support individuals and movements, aiming to bring positive societal change. We believe that activists deserve to be recognized and celebrated for their selfless efforts in pushing for a better continent for all. This year marked the 6th anniversary of the
awards initiative.

2024 Activism Award Winners
In the activist of the year award category, Seth Tsongo from the Democratic Republic of Congo was named the Winner followed by Mwami Samuel from Zambia who came in second, and Adel Azoun from Tunisia took third place.

In the Movement of the Year award category, Hand In Hand from Cameroon was named the winner, followed by Equal Education from South Africa. Sanitized Communities Konnect Foundation from
Ghana took third place.

Mwiza Zulu from Zambia was named the winner in the final category for Artistic Activist of the Year. Blanchard Bosey and Schela Mutaka, both from the Democratic Republic of Congo, came in second and third respectively. Each winner was given an award plaque, Africans Rising Souvenir and USD 1,000 prize for the winner, while the first and second runners-up received USD 500 and USD 300 respectively.

At the same time the winners of 2023 Africans Rising Activism Awards were celebrated and similar awards presented to them. Read more about these winners here: https://www.africansrising.org/winners-of-2023-activism-awards-announced/

Others recognized include the Invisible Giants, which celebrates the African women on the continent and in the diaspora working tirelessly in their communities for social change.

THREATS AND INTIMIDATION

Boeing warns of job losses and cuts spending after strike

Theo Leggett & Natalie Sherman
Business correspondent & Business reporter, BBC News


Boeing is making immediate spending cuts and says it may temporarily lay off staff, as it grapples with a strike by more than 30,000 workers in the US.

The cuts include a freeze on hiring, "significant reductions" of spending at suppliers, and a ban on non-essential and first-and business-class travel, including by senior executives.

Boeing said the moves were aimed at preserving cash during the industrial action stand-off that executives have warned will worsen the firm's already perilous financial state.

"Our business is in a difficult period," chief financial officer Brian West wrote in a letter to staff.

"This strike jeopardizes our recovery in a significant way and we must take necessary actions to preserve cash and safeguard our shared future," he added.

The strike at Boeing began on Friday, hours after workers in Washington State and Oregon rejected a new four-year contract offer.

The proposed deal promised a 25% pay increase over four years and improvements to terms and conditions, and had been recommended to the workforce by union leaders.

Boeing itself described the offer as "historic", but the deal was overwhelmingly voted down by employees.

Talks are due to re-start on Tuesday, according to the union.

In the meantime factories building the 737 Max, the 777 and the 767 freighter have all been affected by the walk outs.

Boeing has asked suppliers to halt shipments of most parts for those planes, suspended non-essential capital spending and frozen spending on consultants.

The company, which employs more than 170,000 people, the majority of whom are based in the US, said it was also "considering the difficult step of temporary furloughs for many employees, managers and executives in the coming weeks".

The last strike at Boeing in 2008 lasted about eight weeks.

Boeing has said the impact of the strike will depend on its duration, but analysts say it could cost the firm billions of dollars if it lasts for a number of weeks.

Major ratings companies have warned that the stand-off could lead to a downgrade of the aerospace giant's credit rating, making it more expensive for the firm to borrow.

The company has been dealing with historic losses. Production has slowed as the firm responds to concerns about the quality of its manufacturing.

 

A pipeline has exploded and is on fire in a Houston suburb, forcing evacuations

 Firefighters were battling a pipeline fire in suburban Houston that sparked grass fires and burned power poles on Monday, forcing people in the surrounding neighborhood to evacuate. The fire began at 9:55 a.m.

LA PORTE, Texas (AP) — Firefighters were battling a pipeline fire in suburban Houston that sparked grass fires and burned power poles on Monday, forcing people in the surrounding neighborhood to evacuate.

The fire began at 9:55 a.m. in La Porte, located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Houston.

Video footage from KTRK showed a park near the fire had been damaged and firefighters pouring water on homes near the blaze.

Officials have ordered residents in the Brookglen neighborhood area near the fire to evacuate, Lee Woodward, a La Porte city spokesperson said in an email.

“Please avoid the area and follow law enforcement direction. Further details will be released as available,” Woodward said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

The Associated Press

Texas chemical plant explosion: Evacuations ordered in La Porte amid roaring pipeline fire

AP | | Posted by Shweta Kukreti
Sep 16, 2024 

Texas chemical plant explosion: Firefighters were battling a pipeline fire in suburban Houston that sparked grass fires and burned power poles on Monday

Firefighters were battling a pipeline fire in suburban Houston that sparked grass fires and burned power poles on Monday, forcing people in the surrounding neighborhood to evacuate.

Texas chemical plant explosion: Officials have ordered residents in the Brookglen neighborhood area near the fire to evacuate, Lee Woodward, a La Porte city spokesperson said in an email.(Reuters)

The fire began at 9:55 a.m. in La Porte, located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Houston.
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Video footage from KTRK showed a park near the fire had been damaged and firefighters pouring water on homes near the blaze.

Officials have ordered residents in the Brookglen neighborhood area near the fire to evacuate, Lee Woodward, a La Porte city spokesperson said in an email.

“Please avoid the area and follow law enforcement direction. Further details will be released as available,” Woodward said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Owing to the power outage, residents in the vicinity might be evacuated. As per the Deer Park Office of Emergency Management, a section encompassing Wal-Mart and H-E-B has been closed to automobile traffic.

“Unified Command is established with Deer Park handling the west side and La Porte handling the east,” stated the office. “A mobile command post is set up at East Blvd. and Spencer Hwy. HC Pollution Control is on scene.”

San Jacinto College has issued a shelter-in-place order, and evacuations have also been requested for the Brookglen community.

In a social media post, the college stated: “SJC Central remains under shelter in place. No fire on campus.”

“Emergency responders are on site. A shelter in place will remain for the San Jacinto College Central Campus until all clear is provided.”