The ‘cult’-like church whose members are accused of fatally beating a teen

Lucas Leonard, 19, was pronounced dead Monday afternoon at a nearby hospital after sustaining blows to his abdomen, back, genitals and thighs, police told the Associated Press. Leonard’s 17-year-old brother, who was not named by authorities, is in serious condition.

Bruce Leonard, 65, and Deborah Leonard, 59, from Clayville, were charged with first-degree manslaughter, police said in a statement. The two are being held in Oneida County Jail on $100,000 bail. Four fellow church members were charged with second-degree assault and are being held on $50,000 bail. Police have not given a possible motive for the attack.

The ‘cult’-like church whose members are accused of fatally beating a teen

Not sure where thin line between cult and church is, but to me looks like 'cult' is often misused to differentiate between good and bad religion, like in this case.

It is very sad to hear that young man had died, his brother is in serious condition and thankfully rest of children are in protective custody.

It makes you wonder, what happens behind the closed doors... and how many more kids are in danger or constant fear knowing that only reason you hear about this case is because of murder. It seems that there will be more arrests regarding this case.


Another article about it: www.syracuse.com...

a reply to: SuperFrog

Where are all the religious freedom goons?

You know it spells out in the bible how to specifically to do this to a child who mouths back right?

Where is this cult's freedom?

/sarc

Cult behaviour thats violent towards or destructive to persons,properties and freedoms should be treated as organized crime in my views.

They have all the same trappings. Closed door meetings with high membership loyalty and devotion to the cause. They are cunning,calculating and tax exempted.




a reply to: SuperFrog

originally posted by: IslandOfMisfitToys
a reply to: SuperFrog

Where are all the religious freedom goons?

You know it spells out in the bible how to specifically to do this to a child who mouths back right?

Where is this cult's freedom?

/sarc

Well Unless they are hebrews they dont have the right to do that. Anyone following the OT laws are trying to act liek hebrews.christians(which they are hypocrites if they beat their children to death) Are not to do nothing but what jesus asked of them to do. So no they are not following their bible correctly. Same as the Daesh in the middle east not following the quran correctly.

You're just focusing on the bad stuff, OP. These people were trying to share the gospel, and the love of Christ...

One stitched textile was framed and hung on the wall that said, in part, "We have been commissioned through the written word of God to reach out to those who have not experienced the love of Jesus Christ in their lives ... Through the systematic training up of saints, our goal is for them to reach out confidently, sharing the love and compassion of Jesus Christ..."

The "systematic training" just got a little zealous, that's all.

It's a shame it took someones death to bring this to light. Who knows what else has gone on for the past few decades that has been kept secret, and covered up.

originally posted by: SuperFrog


Not sure where thin line between cult and church is, but to me looks like 'cult' is often misused to differentiate between good and bad religion, like in this case.

All religions are cults, all churches are cults but not all cults are churches.

STORIES LIKE THIS are WHY I fight against religion and don't trust its followers!

Sickening.
I feel nauseated just thinking about it.

[A neighbor called]Humble said Tuesday evening that Bruce Leonard was "extremely antisocial" and religious. Neighbors said Deborah and her children were deferential to Bruce Leonard, but those neighbors never saw him raise his voice.

Deborah stayed home to school the kids, Humble and fellow neighbor James Constantine said. The family would never celebrate Christmas and holed themselves inside a pitch-black house during Halloween, they said. The youngest, a boy who is around about age 10, told them that "Christmas was bad," they said.

...
Constantine said the children were all extremely polite, especially Lucas, who was the oldest and who he relied on to let his dogs out during weekend trips.

"He was a normal-looking kid, real pleasant," Constantine said.

Neither Humble nor Constantine knew what Bruce Leonard did for a living, and they said the family could often be seen accepting donated clothes and food from a thrift shop across the street.

Follow up article but please note that in the OP's second source, the article said the neighbors heard chants at 3am IN THE CHURCH - in the follow up (posted here), the article says they heard those chants FROM THE HOME. So, some confusion there.

At any rate:


These people are insane. These people are the reason WHY parents should be coached and educated about parenting. This whole family is an example of the RESULT of the stupid idea of "not letting anyone tell you how to raise your kids."

How do you think their KIDS are going to "turn out" (the ones that aren't already DEAD)?

THIS IS WHY RELIGION IS POISON, and BAD NEWS. This is why I fight it. For the kids.

Don't pass your sick, twisted view of humanity and life on to them! Leave them the HELL alone!!! GODDAMMIT!!!



Humans - what a scourge on the planet.

This really breaks my heart....

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — After services on Sunday, the two brothers were called into a counseling session in the sanctuary of a secretive upstate church here called the Word of Life.

The session was supposed to be a chance for church members “to discuss their spiritual state,” the authorities said on Wednesday. The brothers, ages 19 and 17, were met by their parents and an older sister, as well as other congregants.

Then the counseling turned violent.

“Both brothers were subjected to physical punishment in the hopes that each would confess to prior sins and ask for forgiveness,” Chief Michael S. Inserra of the New Hartford Police Department said at a news conference on Wednesday.

For several hours punches and kicks landed all over the teenagers’ bodies, he said — on their stomachs, genitals, backs and thighs.

The older brother, Lucas Leonard, was found unresponsive and not breathing the next morning by church members, Chief Inserra said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from blunt force trauma.

Source: www.nytimes.com...

Those people who supposed to protect those kids... not really people, animals, its just inhuman... they left him there to die, and younger brother was found ONLY after police recovered his body from church?!

And yes, we learn things like this only when it gets to this point... we can just guess what else happened there or in similar 'churches'.

And just to think that they had 'tax exemption status' and protection of 'religion'...

All churches are cults. Definition of a cult: a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.

Times like this I genuinely hope there isa god so the children are rewarded for the good life they apparantly led....shame there isn't.

To do it to your own flesh and blood or to facilitate such things is horrible and a reminder to all the damage that religion can do to someone's state of mind. They would have done it with a piece of mind "knowing" what they are doing is "right", the same piece of mind a psychopath would have murdering ppl.

There are a few crimes where I think an "eye for an eye" sentence should be sought. Like this. Being beaten to death by adults you should be able to trust? That claim to love you? Then leave you in a bleeding heap upon a cold church floor all night while you slowly die?

That is unfathomable evil and makes me sad. So very sad..

Love and good vibes to the kids. And other children unfortunate enough to be involved with this "church"

I found this link...

www.syracuse.com...

it almost sounded like it was a commune or something, don't know. A really sad story though, when you see stories like this, you have to wonder, did these "God fearing" people really believe what they were trying to teach these kids, because well, if they did, they should be really fearing God at this point!! How in heaven's name can you beat your own kid to death like this, let alone in God's name....
Now all we need is a good "God fearing" prosecutor to refuse to do his job and prosecute these "god fearing" people for "religious reasons" of course, and well, everything will be just jim dandy perfect!

originally posted by: HUMBLEONE
All churches are cults. Definition of a cult: a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.

All clubs and organizations can be then. Scientist practically worship global warming(which recently has been exposed as a lawsuit scam by a particular scientist who wa s getting kickbacks for his expert analysis)

Bankers worship MOney. Poloticians worship power. Drunks worship the toilet every morning lol!!

originally posted by: yuppa

originally posted by: HUMBLEONE
All churches are cults. Definition of a cult: a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.

All clubs and organizations can be then. Scientist practically worship global warming(which recently has been exposed as a lawsuit scam by a particular scientist who wa s getting kickbacks for his expert analysis)

Bankers worship MOney. Poloticians worship power. Drunks worship the toilet every morning lol!!

Firstly,

this topic is not a place for science bashing...

If you need help with global changes or any other scientific topic, create new topic ub appropriate sub-forum or join some discussions that are there already.

To call science cult simply because you don't even understand it, or how it works, or who profit if we just don't to nothing with changes that we all witness ARE HAPPENING.... goes well against moto of this site - deny ignorance. Not to mention use of this tragedy to spread ignorance...

Topic here is murder off a teen by no other then his parents and other church individuals. Police said there will be more arrests as soon as more information is available. Seems that they are trying to hide facts... even for second sun took police to break into church to get him out and into hospital where he is now, in serious condition.

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
STORIES LIKE THIS are WHY I fight against religion and don't trust its followers!

Sickening.
I feel nauseated just thinking about it.

Good luck, we have the first amendment on our side, and the second amendment to make sure we can defend the first. Not all religious people are cultists. But some of us are dangerous...

a reply to: ngchunter

But some of us are dangerous...

And especially so when you become parents.

Your "guns" and "god" don't scare me. I know how to shoot back.

Your KIDS are defenseless. You think for one minute that these people will retain their "freedom" now that they've killed their son with their RELIGION?

Yeah. Some of you are very, very dangerous.

originally posted by: SuperFrog

originally posted by: yuppa

originally posted by: HUMBLEONE
All churches are cults. Definition of a cult: a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.

All clubs and organizations can be then. Scientist practically worship global warming(which recently has been exposed as a lawsuit scam by a particular scientist who wa s getting kickbacks for his expert analysis)

Bankers worship MOney. Poloticians worship power. Drunks worship the toilet every morning lol!!

Firstly,

this topic is not a place for science bashing...

If you need help with global changes or any other scientific topic, create new topic ub appropriate sub-forum or join some discussions that are there already.

To call science cult simply because you don't even understand it, or how it works, or who profit if we just don't to nothing with changes that we all witness ARE HAPPENING.... goes well against moto of this site - deny ignorance. Not to mention use of this tragedy to spread ignorance...

Topic here is murder off a teen by no other then his parents and other church individuals. Police said there will be more arrests as soon as more information is available. Seems that they are trying to hide facts... even for second sun took police to break into church to get him out and into hospital where he is now, in serious condition.

OK then i want you to correct who i quoted too then since he wa s who i was responding to IF youre not being hypocritical that is. YEah the People in that church apparently are cult ish. no argument there. ALthough if you cant see the similarities between soem scientist and cult leaders i cant help you.

A cult leader says this is how it is,and no oen bu tme is correct. SO do scientist who say something is settled and anything anyone else says is wrong. Cults also almost all HAve a consensus on their relgions, My sound s similiar to th e Opinion of certain GW scientist does it not?

originally posted by: yuppa
OK then i want you to correct who i quoted too then since he wa s who i was responding to IF youre not being hypocritical that is. YEah the People in that church apparently are cult ish. no argument there. ALthough if you cant see the similarities between soem scientist and cult leaders i cant help you.

Nothing is settled, especially not the science. (it is a link, click there)

originally posted by: yuppa
A cult leader says this is how it is,and no oen bu tme is correct. SO do scientist who say something is settled and anything anyone else says is wrong. Cults also almost all HAve a consensus on their relgions, My sound s similiar to th e Opinion of certain GW scientist does it not?

SNIP

Still - this topic has nothing to do with what you are trying to impose. it is tragedy that follows religions around the world, where some take meaning of sacred texts literately...