Compound of Anti-Gay Tony Alamo Raided By Police and FBI

Self-styled Christian and homo-hater Tony Alamo (who claims that homosexuality is caused by "demon possession”) had his headquarters compound raided by both police and FBI agents on reports that the "ministry" was involved in pornography and/or the sexual abuse of underage minors. I am continually amazed at the number of people who fall for such frauds as Alamo who seems to be a nutcase by almost any standards. The Southern Poverty Law Center has even described Alamo's "ministry" as hate group. While Alamo may be more whacked out than others in leadership positions among the Christian Right, in my opinion the only real difference is one of the degree of craziness and hate. In essence, they are all cut from the same cloth. Here are some highlights from the Los Angeles Times' coverage which indicates an arrest warrant is expected for Alamo:

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FOUKE, ARK. -- FBI agents and state police raided an evangelist's headquarters Saturday as part of a child pornography investigation, and social workers interviewed children who live at the complex in southwestern Arkansas to find out whether they were abused. The raid at the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries south of Texarkana started an hour before sunset, but state police said no one was arrested. Armed guards regularly patrol the headquarters of the group -- which critics call a cult -- but there was no resistance as agents moved in, state police said.

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About 100 state and federal law officers raided the 15-acre compound housing the ministry, which the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as a cult that opposes homosexuality, Catholicism and the government.

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John Selig, head of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, said state workers were talking to children. "I can't say whether we will be removing any children," Selig said, adding that he did not know how many lived there. U.S. Atty. Bob Balfe said before the raid that he expected an arrest warrant would be issued later for Alamo.

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Alamo was once accused in California of directing the beating of a church member's 11-year-old son.