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Religious family abandons U.S., gets lost at sea

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A northern Arizona family that was lost at sea for weeks in an ill-fated attempt to leave the U.S. over what they consider government interference in religion will fly back home Sunday. Hannah Gastonguay, 26, said Saturday that she and her husband "decided to take a leap of faith and see where God led us" when they took their two small children and her father-in-law and set sail from San Diego for the tiny island nation of Kiribati in May.
But just weeks into their journey, the Gastonguays hit a series of storms that damaged their small boat, leaving them adrift for weeks, unable to make progress. They were eventually picked up by a Venezuelan fishing vessel, transferred to a Japanese cargo ship and taken to Chile where they are resting in a hotel in the port city of San Antonio.
Their flights home were arranged by U.S. Embassy officials, Gastonguay said. The U.S. State Department was not immediately available for comment.
Hannah Gastonguay said her family was fed up with government control in the U.S. As Christians they don't believe in "abortion, homosexuality, in the state-controlled church," she said.
U.S. "churches aren't their own," Gastonguay said, suggesting that government regulation interfered with religious independence.
Among other differences, she said they had a problem with being "forced to pay these taxes that pay for abortions we don't agree with."

I am upset I am forced to pay taxes to help rescue fools and bring them back to the US.

Religious family abandons U.S., gets lost at sea - CBS News
 
Well, our taxpayer money is squandered in so many other ways...and here, children were involved, so I don't mind the expense at all.
 
Sounds fair to me.
 
I hope so. Whether they pay or not is another thing.
Often in such instances, passports and other things are lost. The State department will take care of that, and arrange travel back to the US. The air fare is paid for by these people, not the government. This is standard procedure. I can't say that other arrangements don't occur because they do, but in general, such costs are borne by the people receiving assistance. They were extremely fortunate they were found.
 
Helping people in need is exactly what our tax money should go to. We are a single nation. We take care of each other. Even the really stupid parts of each other.

I guess all that praying they did on the ocean didn't help much, huh?
 
Helping people in need is exactly what our tax money should go to. We are a single nation. We take care of each other. Even the really stupid parts of each other.

I guess all that praying they did on the ocean didn't help much, huh?


If the US Government had sent them out on that boat trip and didn't respond to any of their calls for help you know damn good and well they would be putting the US down left and right.
 
God led them to a hotel in Chili. They should stay there, since that's where their god led them.

Apparently he has lead them home via Chile. He wants them to be pilgrims in an unholy land after all.
 
The family should have had their citizenship revoked.
 
Why? That would be one less family to go on Obamacare.

I thought you felt that the Affordable Care Act was bad? Now you want as many people on it as possible? You conservatives are a flip-flopping hoot.
 
I am upset I am forced to pay taxes to help
rescue fools and bring them back to the US.

Religious family abandons U.S., gets lost at sea - CBS News


Me too. The millions of Obama voters who were stupid enough to think that he would buy them the personal items they needed like a Kitchen, a House.

The millions of people who " want to flip the script " with the election of Obama and see what this " Country can do for them ".

A boat full of religious people isn't really our problem is it ?
 
If these people really believe in God, they must be really upset with him right about now.
 
The family should have had their citizenship revoked.

As we let pour in tens of millions of NON-CITIZENS take what little jobs that exist under Obama away from American citizens you want to target these people.

You Liberals are sick.
 
If these people really believe in God,
they must be really upset with him right about now.

They're alive. I sincerely doubt their too upset.
 
I thought you felt that the Affordable Care Act was bad? Now you want as many people on it as possible? You conservatives are a flip-flopping hoot.

No, I don't support it...That would be called making an ironic point...
 
I am upset I am forced to pay taxes to help rescue fools and bring them back to the US.

Religious family abandons U.S., gets lost at sea - CBS News

this great nation was started by people just like them leaving a country they felt persecuted in to start a new life somewhere else. they risked their lives and that of their family and many did die. We even have a national holiday in their honor. So be care what you criticize
 
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I hope so. Whether they pay or not is another thing.

The IRS isn't usually very concerned whether they want to pay, just take it away from them regardless.
 
Helping people in need is exactly what our tax money should go to. We are a
single nation. We take care of each other. Even the really stupid parts of each other.

I guess all that praying they did on the ocean didn't help much, huh?


They are ALIVE...
 
As we let pour in tens of millions of NON-CITIZENS take what little jobs that exist under Obama away from American citizens you want to target these people.

You Liberals are sick.
1) I'm a libertarian. It's clearly listed in my profile. Learn to read.

2) I never advocated non-citizens taking jobs from American citizens. Once again, learn to read.

3) These people don't want whatever jobs they had here so by getting their citizenship revoked they will lose said jobs.

Literacy isn't a strong point for you is it? Scratch that, rubbing two braincells together to make a connection would be difficult for someone like you.
 
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