How did the Los Angeles Times reporter become "duped," as well as other respectable media outlets, including television, newspapers and even the police?

Contact: Great Among The Nations, 310-338-1021

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 26, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Media outlets were used as pawns in a character assassination plot against the invaluable Christian ministry named "Great Among The Nations" and its Holocaust Survivor Pastor, Benjamin Altschul, a pastor who stood firm against a mob of injustice.

The United States Supreme Court has identified, convicted, and disbanded the real culprits; 'Cult Awareness Network' (CAN). On the surface, CAN appeared to be a non-profit, educational, anti-cult entity, but under its façade it was a group of contrived evil profiteers and unscrupulous public officials making huge incomes from human trafficking, using terrorist tactics: kidnapping, false imprisonment, battery, rape, assault, and other white collar crimes including money laundering and tax evasion.[1]

As the Supreme Court, and the District Court Judge, John C. Cougnenour stated; "the primary activity of CAN and its members, was to provide false and inflammatory opinions to the media and others about minority religions. All of which was derogatory and consistent with their goal to 'educate' the public into believing religious movements are destructive cults."[2]

Using buzz words like 'imminent danger' and 'mind control,' members of CAN fabricated hype and fostered fear among families to extort between $15,000-$25,000 from them, and later to kidnap and coerce a family member until they disavow their alliance to their church, group, or beliefs. CAN's senseless "hit list" of dangerous cults included numerous mainline denominations such as Baptists, Lutherans, Catholics, Assemblies of God, Campus Crusade for Christ, and Mormons, as well as secular organizations such as the Girl Scouts, the Democratic Party and even companies like Snap-On Tools.[3]

How did CAN operate a horrendous criminal ring under the radar of the common public? In hundreds of documented cases of kidnapping, false imprisonment, and battery nation-wide, the victims usually dropped charges; they were unwilling to hold their own family members accountable to the statues of Federal, State and local laws.

In 1988, Earle Brown, an engineer residing in central California, fell into CAN's trap of fear and hysteria and had his adult-daughter, Ginger Brown kidnapped, beaten and held hostage against her will for five days. Ginger Brown, a member of Pastor Benjamin Altschul's ministry, "Great Among The Nations," did not fall into the statistics of CAN's pressure, deceit and trickery. She did not cover up the crimes. She did not walk away silently!

Ginger Brown, along with the support of her Pastor Benjamin Altschul, did not waiver in her faith, morals and ethical responsibility. Ginger Brown loved her family enough to give them the possibility of allowing them to see right from wrong. She ran the risk and put her life in her Christian faith, in God, and stood on morals that 'no person is above the law.'

Ginger Brown took the stand as one of the witnesses in the criminal case District Attorney Edwin Miller of San Diego brought against the CAN conspirators that also included her parents and sister. She endured scores of media interviews both locally and nationally. Ginger believed that her stance would eventually deter further violent kidnappings and was broadcast on the national level as Peter Jennings reported her stand on this First Amendment case on ABC's 'World News Tonight.'

In 1996, the United States Supreme Court prosecuted and forced CAN and all its members out of business and into bankruptcy in a landmark trial on the west coast from another kidnapped victim. United States District Judge John C. Coughenour concluded: "Each of the defendants' seeming incapability of appreciating the maliciousness of their conduct, (the) large award given by the jury against both CAN and (its members) seems reasonably necessary to enforce the jury's determination on the oppressiveness of the defendants' actions and deter similar conduct in the future." [4]

"This decision is a milestone for religious and civil rights in America and the end of an era of anti-religious fanaticism." Dr. George Robertson, Founder of Friends of Freedom, Professor at Maryland Bible College and Baptist Minister said, "We applaud this decision as the death blow to a former reign of religious terrorism, fueled by lies, fear and bigotry. We feel religious liberty is America's most important freedom.\"5]

For further information about Pastor Benjamin Altschul and the ministry "Great Among The Nations," please visit their website www.gatn.org.

[1][2] www.cesnur.org/2001/CAN.htm
[3][4][5] www.religioustolerance.org/acm2.htm