Fact: Cult Relationships Have Bad Track Records

"As they cross-examined the witnesses, Antoinette, Williams and Cobbs appeared to take exception at the characterization of their group as a cult.

'Where did you come up with or where did you hear that we were a cult?' Antoinette asked Khadan-Newton.

Khadan-Newton cited the group's restrictions on what its members wore and on their movement outside the residence. 'In my head, that's a cult,' she said.

Antoinette's lengthy cross-examination of Bynum produced some odd moments. Under questioning from prosecutors, he detailed her justification for their romantic relationship.

'She told me that God said it was OK for us to have a sexual relationship,' Bynum said, and that 'through sex, she got closer to Jesus Christ.'

'Did you feel closer to Jesus Christ?' Assistant State's Attorney Julie Drake asked.

'No, ma'am,' Bynum said.

Antoinette said the Bible doesn't mention that sex allows people to get closer to Jesus.

'Did you not think it strange,' she asked, 'for someone to say something like that to you?'

'Yes,' Bynum said.

'What did you do about it?'

'I didn't do anything about it,' Bynum said. 'If I did anything, I ended the relationship.'"

-- John Patti, bringing us the further hilarious adventures of Queen Antoinette's 1 Mind Ministries cult - the corn-rowed queen (seen above) and her followers are on trial for killing a 16 month old child who didn't say "Amen" when it was demanded - and (as most of enquiries into cults do) landing us all in the sexual gutter, and the pages of The Associated Press.

UPDATE: WBAL-TV11 News has coverage of the trial. And I have a question:

Why does someone always have to die before journalists decide cultism is a story?