Page 6A
FAITH
East Oregonian
Three Muslims mourned,
speakers blame hate crime
despite initial police report
people execution-style, we
know what this is about. And
they have posted on their
Facebook how much they
RALEIGH, N.C. — The hated faith, there’s no doubt.”
fathers of three young Mus-
The funeral crowd was so
lims allegedly slain by a large it had to be moved from
neighbor who was angry DPRVTXHWRDQDWKOHWLF¿HOG
over parking spots stood be- at North Carolina State Uni-
fore their caskets Thursday versity in Raleigh, where all
and urged a crowd of thou- three studied before Barakat
sands to protect others by de- and Mohammad moved to
manding justice.
Chapel Hill to pursue careers
More than 5,000 people in dentistry.
came to the funeral of Deah
The families viewed the
Shaddy Barakat, 23; his wife, victims’ bodies in a small
Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, building before the funer-
21; and her sister Razan Mo- al. Then midday Muslim
hammad Abu-Salha, 19, who prayers were held. The crowd
were killed Tuesday in the cou- was solemn and silent —
ple’s Chapel Hill apartment.
only a few children crying in
A self-described “gun tot- the distance could be heard.
ing” atheist with a reputation Finally, hearses carried the
for bullying his neighbors, WKUHH FRI¿QV LQ JUD\ ZKLWH
Craig Stephen Hicks, turned and silver, to an Islamic cem-
himself in and was jailed on etery outside Raleigh.
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Namee Barakat told the AP
Chapel Hill police said that Hicks had visited his son’s
they are investigating wheth- FRQGREHIRUHÀDVKLQJKLVJXQ
er religious or ethnic hatred as he demanded they stop us-
motivated Hicks in any way, ing visitors’ parking spots.
and federal investigators said
“Yusor told her dad that
hate crimes haven’t been this guy, he does not like us,”
ruled out. The FBI also an- Barakat said. “He does not
nounced Thursday that it has like our hijab. She was con-
“opened a parallel prelim- cerned.”
inary inquiry to determine
Abu-Salha told the AP
whether any federal laws that he’s certain his daughters
were violated.”
“were targeted for their reli-
U.S. Attorney Ripley gion.”
Rand, the district’s top fed-
“This is not a parking
eral prosecutor, had said dispute,” he said. “These
Wednesday that there was children were executed with
no immediate evidence Mus- shots in the back of the head.”
lims were being targeted.
Police have said they are
And that didn’t sit well not commenting on evidence
with many at the funeral, in the case, including manner
where the victims were hailed of death.
as martyrs for their faith.
“We understand the con-
“When we say this was cerns about the possibility
a hate crime it is all about that this was hate-motivated,
protecting all other children and we will exhaust every
in the USA,” Dr. Moham- lead to determine if that is
mad Yousif Abu-Salha, who the case,” Chapel Hill police
lost his daughters, told the Chief Chris Blue said in an
crowd. “It’s all about making email Wednesday.
this country that they loved,
Hicks, 46, is a Second
where they lived and died, Amendment rights advocate
peaceful for everybody else.” with a concealed weapons
“We need to identify permit who often complained
things the way they really about organized religion on
are,” Abu-Salha continued. Facebook. “Some call me a
“If somebody picks up a gun toting Liberal, others call
¿JKWDERXWDQ\WKLQJWKH\FDQ me an open-minded Conser-
invent, and they murder three vative,” Hicks wrote.
By EMERY P. DALESIO
and MICHAEL BIESECKER
Associated Press
Mormon ousted for website
that doubts church teaching
By BRADY MCCOMBS
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — A
Mormon man who gained
notoriety over the past de-
cade for running a website
that offers doubting Lat-
ter-day Saints a forum to
chat has been kicked out of
the religion.
John Dehlin announced
the decision from region-
al church leaders Tuesday.
He becomes the second
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to be excommunicated in the
past year in what Mormon
scholars consider to be the
Utah-based faith’s way of
keeping dissenters in line.
A regional church leader
in North Logan told Dehlin
in a letter that Mormon of-
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decision to excommunicate
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by the church as repeatedly
acting in clear public oppo-
sition to the faith.
While not a lifelong ban,
excommunication is a rare
move that amounts to the
harshest punishment avail-
able for a church member.
The letter from Bryan
King says Dehlin is being
kicked out not because he
doubted and asked questions
about church doctrine, but
because he made categori-
cal statements opposing the
faith that were disseminated
on his website. King wrote
that Dehlin’s actions have
led others to leave the faith.
“You do not have the
right to remain a member of
the church in good standing
while openly and publicly
trying to convince others
that church teachings are in
WALLA WALLA —
Journey Church leaders
are the featured speakers
of the upcoming Walla
Walla Aglow Community
Lighthouse.
Andrew and Heather
Robinson will share their
testimony. Everyone is
invited Saturday from
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at
Whitman Court, 305 Ash St.,
Walla Walla — with entry at
the south entrance on Isaacs.
A freewill offering will be
taken for the event, which
includes lunch.
For more information,
call Paula McKee at 509-
220-1408 or Darya Tucker at
509-876-1668.
celebration, precedes Ash
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Lent.
The all-you-can-eat meal
at St. John’s, which includes
pancakes, ham, scrambled
eggs, applesauce and a
beverage, is $6 each or $15
per family. It’s Tuesday from
5-7 p.m. at 665 E. Gladys
Ave., Hermiston.
The Redeemer Church
all-you-can-eat dinner
features pancakes, scrambled
eggs, sausage and a beverage
for $7 per person, with
children under 3 free, or
$20 for a family. The meal
is Tuesday from 5:30-7
p.m. at 241 S.E. Second St.,
Pendleton.
Everyone is welcome
at both meals. For more
information, call 541-567-
8683 in Hermiston or 541-
276-3809 in Pendleton.
Evangelist to speak Christian musician
at Faith Center
to perform in
Church
Pendleton
PENDLETON —
Evangelist Dr. Greg Romine
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Your Prophetic Destiny”
at the Faith Center Church
Sunday during the 10:30
a.m. service. The church is
located at 108 S. Main St.,
Pendleton.
Dr. Romine is pastor
of King’s Church in
Vancouver, Wash., president
of The College of Global
Deployment, host of the
TV show “Options” and
co-leader with wife Cyndi of
Called to Rescue, a ministry
that defends and rescues
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For more information,
contact Pastor Ray O’Grady
at 541-276-9569.
Churches
announce Shrove
Tuesday meals
St. John’s Episcopal
Church in Hermiston and
Episcopal Church of the
Redeemer in Pendleton are
planning Shrove Tuesday
meals.
Shrove Tuesday, which
is marked with feasting and
PENDLETON — Living
near a tobacco farm in
Kentucky, Charlie Walker
grew up singing songs such
as “I Never Picked Cotton”
and “Do Lord.”
Now living in central
Oregon, Walker presents
Biblically based, life-
inspired songs that make
it easy for audiences to
relate to him. The country
Christian artist will perform
in Pendleton.
The free concert is
Sunday, Feb. 22 at 11 a.m.
at Pendleton Baptist Church,
3202 S.W. Nye Ave.,
Pendleton.
Walker’s musical career
began in 1985 when he
and a friend formed the
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They performed at fairs,
conventions and opened
for big name acts across
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Following a call from God
in 1997, Walker began a solo
career.
For more information,
call the church at 541-
276-7590. For more
about Walker, visit www.
charliewalkermusic.com.
AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune
John Dehlin arrives with his wife Margi at the North
Logan Stake Center for a disciplinary council in
North Logan, Utah, on Sunday.
error,” King wrote.
Dehlin lives in North Lo-
gan, a city of 9,600 about
85 miles north of Salt Lake
City.
The decision comes
two days after he met with
church leaders in a four-hour
disciplinary hearing.
Dehlin, 45, is a married
father of four who has been
a Latter-day Saint his entire
life. He is a doctoral candi-
date in psychology who pre-
viously worked in the high-
tech industry.
He hoped he wouldn’t
be excommunicated but
told church leaders he could
not in good conscience stop
operating his website, Mor-
monstories.org.
“We’re going to keep
telling stories and keep pro-
viding support and commu-
nity for Mormons who are
unorthodox,” Dehlin said
Tuesday.
The family hasn’t been
attending church services
since June and doesn’t plan
to return. “We’re happy to
use our Sundays to bond to-
gether as a family,” he said.
Dehlin said he was told
last year that his website and
his public support of same-
sex marriage were reasons
he was being accused of
apostasy.
But Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints
spokesman Eric Hawkins
said in a statement that
while Dehlin’s views on gay
marriage go against church
teachings, they were not the
reasons for his discipline.
The letter cites three key
issues, including Dehlin’s
belief that the Book of Mor-
mon and Book of Abraham
are fraudulent and his rejec-
tion of the religion being the
“true church with power and
authority from God.”
Hawkins said excom-
munication is not the end,
but rather the “beginning of
the road back to full fellow-
ship.”
People who are kicked
out or leave the church are
welcome to return “through
the grace and Atonement of
Jesus Christ,” Hawkins said.
The move is likely to send
ripples through the Mormon
community. It comes on
the heels of the June ouster
of Kate Kelly, founder of a
group pushing for women to
be allowed in the religion’s
lay clergy.
Scholars say Kelly
and Dehlin are the most
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communication proceedings
since 1993. That year, the
church disciplined six Mor-
mon writers who questioned
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and kicking out a sixth tem-
porarily.
“The church is sending
a message with this: ‘Don’t
express your doubts or con-
cerns publicly, or you risk
excommunication,”’ said
Mike Huband, a Dehlin
supporter and active Mor-
mon. “They are saying to
those people on the fringes,
‘We don’t want you in the
church.’ It’s very disappoint-
ing.”
To supporters like Hu-
band, Dehlin is a hero who
risked his standing in the
faith to create a much-need-
ed forum where church
members could openly dis-
cuss sensitive or controver-
sial issues about the faith.
Church
Directory
BRIEFLY
Walla Walla
couple to share
testimony
Friday, February 13, 2015
s h i
W o r
p w i t h u s !
Adams Community
Churc h
Duane Geyer, Pastor
140 N. Main,
Adams, OR
566-9457
Worship
9 am
OPEN HEARTS – OPEN DOOR
www.graceandmercylutheran.org
Sunday Worship 9:00 a.m.
541-289-4535
Dot Hensley, President
164 E. Main St.
Hermiston, Oregon 97838
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
All People
Are Welcome
Scripture, Tradition
and Reason
Family service 9am Sunday
Gladys Ave & 7th Hermiston
Fr. Dan Lediard, Priest. PH: 567-6672
“Love Is Spoken Here”
First Church of God
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
712 SW 27th
Pendleton
541-276-1894
-Presbyterian Church (USA)-
201 SW Dorion Ave.
Pendleton
“Proclaiming God’s word,
growing in God’s grace”
Early Service: 8:30 am
Sunday School: 9:30 am
Second Service: 10:30 am
Wednesday Service (All Ages) 7 pm
www.fcogpendleton.com
Service of Worship - 10:00 am
Children’s Sunday School - 10:20 am
Fellowship - 11:00 am
www.pendletonpresbyterian.com
FAITH LUTHERAN
CHURCH
Living Word
Christian Center
Grace Baptist Church
555 SW 11th, Hermiston
567-9497
Nursery provided for all services
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:45 AM
6:00 pm
Wed Prayer & Worship - 7:00 PM
Pastor Jon Jensen
in Mission for Christ LCMC
Bible Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:00 AM
Sunday Worship . . . . . . . . . . . 10:30 AM
www.faithpendleton.org
www.livingwordcc.com
Community
Presbyterian Churc h
Faith Center Church
Worshiping God • Loving People
14 Martin Drive,
Umatilla, OR
922-3250
108 S. Main • 276-9569
Sunday School 9:30 am
Sunday Worship 10:30 am
Sr. Pastor, Ray O’Grady
pendletonfaithcenter.org
Worship: 10 AM Sunday
School at 11:30
Seventh-Day
Adventist
Church
Saturday Services
Pendleton
1401 SW Goodwin Place
276-0882
Sabbath School 9:20 am
Worship Service 10:45 am
Pilot Rock
104 W. Main
Sabbath School 9:30 am
Worship Service 11:00 am
All Are Welcome
Come meet Jesus at
PENDLETON
BAPTIST CHURCH
3202 S.W. Nye Avenue, Pendleton, OR
541-276-7590
Sunday Morning Worship
8:30 & 11:00 AM
Sunday Bible Classes 9:45 AM
Sunday Youth Group 6:00 PM
Awana Kids Club
Tuesdays 6:30 - 8:00 PM
K - 6th Grade (Sept-May)
210 NW 9th, Pendleton ELCA
Join us Sundays
9:30
Sunday
Worship
9:30 am am
Sunday
Worship
10:30 am Fellowship
11:00 am Sunday School & Adult Class
Sharon Miller, Pastor
401 Northgate • Pendleton
278-8082
Sunday Morning Worship 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday Worship Noon
Wednesday Evening Prayer
and Pot Luck 6:00 p.m.
P eace L utheran C hurch
Sunday Worship Service
10:00 AM
Wednesday Bible Study 7:00 PM
( Oregon Trail Room )
Red Lion Hotel
Open Hearted...Open Minded
241 SE Second St. Pendleton
(541)276-3809
www.pendletonepiscopal.org
~Come and be at Peace~
on 1290 KUMA noon each Sunday
Sunday Worship Services:
9 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.
First United
Methodist Churc h
352 SE 2nd St., Pendleton, O R
Office 276-2616
New Pastor Dr. Jim Pierce
Worship Service 9:00 AM
Fellowship 10:15 AM
Broadcast KUMA 11:00 AM
Childcare Available
Choir practice
Sundays 8:30 AM
585 SW Birch, Pilot Rock, OR 97868
(541) 443-2500
prbconline.blogspot.com
Sunday School: 9:30 am
Worship Service: 10:45 am
Wednesday Services:
Kids’ Club: 6:00 pm
Youth Group: 7:00 pm
To share your worship
times call
Amanda Jacobs
541-278-2683