Oregon

Five out of six family members died in a house fire on Monday in Medford, Ore., with the father, 51-year-old Jordan Criado, being the only one to survive.

Criado is currently in a medically induced coma after suffering smoke inhalation, reported the Mail Tribune. He is also under investigation for a possible arson and homicide case.

His wife, Tabasha Paige-Criado, 30, and children aged 2, 5, 6, 7, were all reported to have died from smoke inhalation and stab wounds. more >>

An Oregon man, believed to be a follower of Harold Camping and in jail for allegedly shooting a co-worker last week, wanted to punish the victim for mocking the California preacher’s rapture prophecy, emerging developments suggest.

A 39-year-old man from west Eugene, Dale O’Callaghan, shot his co-worker, 33-year-old Jerry Andrews, in the shoulder June 24, calling him “one of those Satanic” people, according to a sworn affidavit filed in Lane County Circuit Court by Eugene Police Detective Ben Hall.

O’Callaghan and Andrews, co-workers at LHM Hydraulics for several years, had argued occasionally over Harold Camping’s prediction that the rapture would cause the end of the world beginning May 21, which turned out to be false, The Register-Guard quoted the victim’s mother, Robin O’Brien, as saying Tuesday. more >>

A husband and wife in Oregon City have been brought before a court charged with child abuse after they attempted to rely on faith to heal their young child instead of seeking the medical attention properly required.

Timothy Wyland and his wife Rebecca are both followers of an unorthodox Christian sect called “The Followers of Christ”, which rejects modern medicines. The parents refused to take their baby daughter to see a doctor as a tumor grew on her face, preferring to anoint her with oils and lay their hands on her.

The tumor, known as a hemangioma, was left untreated for so long that as Alayna turned six-month-old it had grown to the size of a baseball. The tumor continued to grow to the extent that it threatened baby Alayna’s eyesight, as it started pushing her eyeball out of its socket. more >>

Taking cultural conversations among Christians beyond the walls of the church, the Q Gathering that kicks off today in Portland will feature an unconventional line-up of speakers that includes evangelists, the city's gay mayor and the imam who was at the center of the controversial “Ground Zero mosque.”

Gabe Lyons, who founded the event five years ago, will interview Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of the “Ground Zero Mosque” Wednesday night at the event's venue inside the Crystal Ballroom.

In a recent blog post for Q, Lyons explained that one of the reasons he decided to invite Rauf to the Portland gathering was to address the "heightened tension among Christians and Muslims in America." more >>

The mass online support through social media sites Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook for an Oregon man who says he plans to end his life on Tuesday because he has terminal cancer is “disturbing,” said a Christian bioethics professor.

Thousands of people have left comments of support to “Lucidending” on the social news website Reddit over the past three days. And nearly 75,000 people have watched a YouTube video titled, “Goodbye lucid ending,” in which a fellow redditor sends a balloon up to the sky and then cheerfully waves goodbye.

Reddit, which is owned by Conde Nast Digital, states that user Lucidending is among the site’s top ten of all time posters in terms of points and comments received. more >>

An Oregon lawmaker introduced a bill Monday to end legal protections for parents who use only faith to heal their sick or dying children.

State Rep. Carolyn Tomei (D-Milwaukie) introduced House Bill 2721 to remove spiritual treatment as a defense for all homicide charges. The bill also ensures that parents convicted of homicide for faith healing may receive longer sentences through the state’s Measure 11 mandatory sentencing guide.

"It's going to make it easier to hold parents accountable who don't protect their children," John Foote, the Clackamas County district attorney, told The Oregonian. more >>