U.S. Flies Rescued Family Back After Their Failed Attempt To Sail To Kiribati For Religious Freedom

AP reports that U.S. Embassy officials in Chile have arranged for the flight back to the United States of 5 members of a northern Arizona family who were rescued after 2 months at sea in a failed attempt to sail their small boat from California to the island nation of Kiribati. According to Hannah Gastonguay, her family left the U.S. because they were fed up with government interference with religious independence. She said that as Christians they don't believe in "abortion, homosexuality, in the state-controlled church," and objected to being "forced to pay these taxes that pay for abortions we don't agree with." The Gastonguays are not members of any church; their beliefs come through reading the Bible and prayer.