Posts Tagged ‘Wicca’

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News & Submissions 10/6/2010

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

Shamans and sorcerors booted off Russian TV
Having a sixth sense will no longer be enough to advertise legally – from now on only a license will allow fortune tellers, faith healers, magicians and shamans to practice.

Anyone who wants to use their traditional or occult gifts to promote a business will be forced to get a licence – and it’s up to the media to check out the credentials of their clients. Read full story from mn.ru

Jenice Armstrong: O’Donnell ad irks witches
GRAB YOUR broomsticks and go find yourself a black cat while you’re at it. Because even if you’ve never given a second thought to the notion that Delaware’s Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell was ever a witch, you might now. Read full story from philly.com

Jury to begin deliberating in case of alleged synagogue bomb plot
New York (CNN) — Jury deliberations are expected to begin Wednesday in the trial of one of four men charged with plotting to bomb a synagogue and a Jewish community center. Read full story from cnn.com

Why Sunday morning remains America’s most segregated hour
“Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of Christian America.”

That declaration, which has been attributed to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., used to startle listeners. Now it’s virtually become a cliché. For years, various academic studies and news articles have reported what many churchgoers already know: most American congregations are segregated. Read full story from cnn.com

Head of religious sect arrested in Siberia
Nikolai Rudnev, 43, who reportedly calls himself “a being from Sirius”, was arrested on rape charges after two former female members of the cult testified against him. Read full story from en.rian.ru

Cherokee chief opens Highland Games in Scotland
The orange flag with yellow stars symbolizing the seven Cherokee clans swayed brightly among swinging kilts and skirling bagpipes at the Highland Games in Nethy Bridge, Scotland. Read full story from indiancountrytoday.com

Court denies Onondaga land rights lawsuit
ALBANY, N.Y. – A federal court has dismissed the Onondaga Nation’s land rights lawsuit in a ruling that follows recent precedent-setting cases depriving other Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy nations of their lands. Read full story from indiancountrytoday.com

My Take: Atheists not so smart after all
The U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life went viral last week.

According to Luis Lugo, the Pew Forum’s director, over a million people have taken the online quiz associated with the survey, and the Forum “has had unprecedented Web traffic since the survey was launched, nearly crashing its servers on the day of release.” Read full story from cnn.com

Anti-gay church, grieving father square off over free speech, privacy (Source cnn.com)

Cancer patient: I see Jesus in my MRI (Source cnn.com)

Integration on Sunday Morning (Source cnn.com)

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News & Submissions 10/04/2010

Monday, October 4th, 2010

Darwen man wins Druid campaign
Phil Ryder, of Richmond Terrace, led the campaign as chairman of the trustees of the Druid Network, a nationwide fraternity of followers of the Pagan practice. Read full story from Read full story from lancashiretelegraph.co.uk

Druids recognized as religion for first time in UK
LONDON – Druids have been worshipping the sun and earth for thousands of years in Europe, but now they can say they’re practicing an officially recognized religion. Read full story from news.yahoo.com

My Talk at the Interfaith Observance at the Presidio
I was asked to give a talk this afternoon, October 3, at the Interfaith Center at the  Presidio chapel in San Francisco.  This was an annual gathering celebrating its founding, and this year’s topic was “Reclaiming the First Amendment,” a subject dear to my heart.  I spoke alomg with members of the Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Mormon, and Baha’i communities.  There was supposed to be a Muslim speaker as well, but last minute difficulties prevented his coming.  Another Muslim participant contributed some very good improptu remarks in his stead. Read full story from beliefnet.com

‘Expertly crafted’ statue of pharoah is dug up in Luxor
An ancient statue of Tutankhamun’s grandfather has been unearthed from the west bank of the Nile in Egypt.

The 3,400-year-old limestone statue of Amenhotep III, a pharoah who ruled Egypt from about 1391 to 1351 BC, was found at Kom el-Hetan in the city of Luxor. It portrays the king wearing the double crown of Egypt and seated on a throne next to the god Amun. The statue, which is 4ft tall and is decorated with the image of a serpent, was located at the site of the pharoah’s mortuary temple. Read full story from inpependent.co.uk

What do you make of ancient systems of wisdom, such as shamans?
It may come as a surprise to some of you that I have taken two courses on Shamanism. Even though I am a committed atheist, different world views fascinate me, particularly our Canadian indigenous religions. The beauty of the artwork and masks of our West Coast native life resonate within me and are a testament to a proud culture and tradition. It’s a shame that much of what we know of aboriginal religions and shamans is framed through Hollywood-coloured glasses as there is a pure, earthy richness to their beliefs that I find more tangible than those of the big three monotheistic faiths of today. Read full story from ottowacitizen.com

The conspiracy against tolerance
There is a conspiracy against tolerance. Ironically, that conspiracy is often waged in the name of tolerance. Political correctness now threatens free speech. Bigots now masquerade as compassionate liberals inveighing against ‘hate speech’, ‘intolerance’ and ‘bigotry’. Read full story from jamaica-gleaner.com

Far-right Dutch politician tried for inciting hatred
(CNN) — Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders went on trial in the Netherlands on Monday, charged with inciting discrimination and hatred over a controversial film he made about Islam. Read full story from cnn.com

Druids Interviewed

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News & Submissions9/30/2010

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Justice Department debuts streamlined tribal grants
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded a round of new funding under the “Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation Grants” banner to hundreds of tribes with the intent of improving the safety of tribal citizens. Read full story from indiancountrytoday.com

Pagan beliefs differ, share common ground
When asked exactly what Paganism is, Jenny Nguyen ’14 of the Vassar Pagan Circle (VPC) sits in awkward silence, then says, “I don’t really know what Paganism is, but whenever I think about it I think of like a ritual circle and a fire.” Members of the VPC have only a slightly clearer understanding of what Paganism is. “That’s a question that no one can answer…The closest thing we can do is tell you what we aren’t,” Aaron Fagan ’11 laughs. Paganism is not Abrahamic [Judeochristian], and most branches are polytheistic. Some modern religions have aspects in common with Paganism, but they are not considered Pagan because they do not view themselves as such. A common theme in Paganism is an oppressed or largely extinguished viewpoint, such as Greco-Roman religion or Druidism, being revived in a modern context. As such, there is a tendency for Pagan or neo-Pagan religions to be ostracized from mainstream society and viewed as archaic. These are all the general facts that can be summed up about Paganism in general, as the numerous branches vary widely. For such a small group, Vassar’s Pagan Circle-or VPO, the O standing in for a pentacle, or star inscribed by a circle-represents a surprisingly diverse array of viewpoints. Erin Clarke ’11 and David March ’14 are two Wiccans with radically different opinions on almost every issue; Fagan follows a Celtic tradition dedicated to the goddess Brighid, and Lilu is an atheist who has joined nearly every religious group on campus while considering a correlate sequence in religious studies. Read full story from miscellaneousnews.com

Trivia kings, but bad thinkers: understanding over facts
Is knowledge of religion important? Why?

As a boutique belief system in the United States, atheism has a good many advantages. There are so few atheists and agnostics that they do not run all the risks of a populist movement. Not for them is the burden of dealing with the masses of a global population, their idiosyncrasies, worries and all. Read full story from washingtonpost.com

Owners, supporters make pleas to re-open Yorktown Memorial Hospital
Eernisse is a member of Victoria Investigative Paranormal Research, and the Yorktown Hospital is reportedly a hotbed of paranormal activity. Read full story from victoriaadvocate.com

Cork set to host 10th annual Ghost Convention
The twilight world beyond the grave, fairies and the dead, haunting and possessions, the whispering spirit, and the ancient, ghostly Guardian of Self Defence. Read full story from irishcen\tral.com

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News & Submissions 9/29/2010

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Accuser’s message for Bishop Eddie Long: ‘You are a monster’
(CNN) — One of the young men who has accused a Georgia pastor of sexual coercion told Atlanta television station WAGA that he wanted to send a message to Bishop Eddie Long: “You are not a man. You are a monster.” Read full story from cnn.com

Pagan pride
AUGUSTA, GA – Augusta’s second annual Pagan Pride Day will afford Pagans and non-Pagans alike an opportunity to learn about this fast-growing religion. Read full story from metrospirit.com

Lights back on for tribal energy prospects
WASHINGTON – For a good chunk of this year, tribal energy prospects seemed dim in D.C., as politicians turned their minds to other issues, including re-election. But a couple new developments show promise.

First, in the Obama administration, the establishment of a tribal energy office within the U.S. Department of Energy is closer than ever, according to sources familiar with the situation. A firm date has not been announced, but one is anticipated shortly. Read full story from indiancountrytoday.com

Amazon Road Workers Find Ancient Earth Carvings
Road workers in Brazil were preparing to pave a highway through the Amazon rainforest recently, when they made an important archeological discovery — a series of enormous earth carvings, barely perceptible from the ground. Known as geoglyphs by researchers, these complex geometric designs are thought to have been crafted by ancient civilizations centuries earlier, though their purpose, to this day, remains a mystery. Read full story from treehugger.com

Local Wiccans Disavow Christine O’Donnell at Pagan Pride Day
There was no Satanic altar. There was no blood. There was no animal sacrifice. And as far as I could tell from talking to people at the Pagan Pride Day Celebration Picnic, held this weekend at the at Unitarian Universalist Church in Fort Lauderdale, there was nobody who believed anything Christine O’Donnell, the Delaware Republican candidate for Senate, had to say about “witchcraft.” Read full story from browardpalmbeach.com

Obama questioned on abortion, why he is a Christian

Albuquerque, New Mexico (CNN) — An event billed as a discussion on the economy turned personal Tuesday when a woman asked President Barack Obama about his Christian faith and views on abortion. Read full story from cnn.com

Faith vs. Religious Knowledge

In case you missed it: Belief Blog’s Stephen Prothero on American Morning

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News & Submissions 9/27/2010

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Viewpoint: Religious freedom is not tolerance
Here’s an essay question, students: Religious freedom and religious tolerance are not the same thing, or are they? Discuss.

The reason for asking the question today is obvious. The plan to build Park 51, a Muslim community centre a few blocks north of Ground Zero in New York City, has re-kindled resentment smoldering since 9/11 against the Muslim community in a significant portion of American society. Read full story from bbc.c0.uk

Jews for Justice Sail to Gaza today, September 26, 2010
THIS is exactly what I have been talking about in many of my comments and posts.

THESE are not Anti-Semites. There are people, like the rest of us, who oppose the Israeli governments actions towards the Palestinians in the West Bank. And they are tired of being cowed into thinking they have to show 100% loyalty to all actions of the Israeli government to be considered “True Jews.” Read full story from FDL

A look inside NYC Islamic center imam’s mosques
The controversy over a proposed Islamic center in lower Manhattan has spiraled into a global debate over Islam’s place in the United States, but the arrival of a mosque a couple blocks from ground zero was driven mostly by the simple need for more space. Read full story from cnn.com

Woman killed, another thrashed for witchcraft
BOKARO: A 56-year-old woman was killed and another battling for life in hospital after they were mercilessly beaten by a group of villagers for allegedly practicing witchcraft. While the deceased woman has been identified as Guruwari Devi, Mukta Devi is in hospital in critical condition. Read full story from indiatimes.com

Televangelist Eddie Long: ‘I’m going to fight’ sex allegations

Lithonia, Georgia (CNN) — Baptist televangelist Eddie Long said Sunday he will fight allegations that he coerced young male church members into having sex with him. Read full story from cnn.com

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News & Submissions 7/1/2010

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Wall of Separation
A Texas-based Christian group is arguing in a California court on behalf of the California Department of Corrections that the First Amendment to the US Constitution protects only major religions beliefs, but offers no protection for minority religions. Read full story from auburnjournal.com

Somali radio station defies Islamist ban on music
(CNN) — Somalis in Mogadishu could once again hear songs coming from their radios Thursday, as one of the city’s biggest independent stations resumed playing music. Read full story from cnn.com

Religious intolerance ‘the new racism’
RELIGIOUS intolerance is “the new racism” and one of the main causes of persecution of minorities across the world, according to the annual Minority Rights Group International report published today. Read full story from heraldsun.co.au

My Take: New York’s schools should observe Muslim holidays
I was recently eating dinner at a restaurant with a friend near Times Square when it became time for me to pray. Muslims pray five times a day and this particular prayer, called Maghrib, is performed at sunset. Read full story from cnn.com

Pastor Outs Coach for Being Gay
Steve Gaines doesn’t like gay people. He banned a woman from coaching in his church’s softball league because she admitted to being gay: Read full story from unreasonablefaith.com

Gathering strength through the water
LITTLE PRESQUE ISLE POINT, Mich. – As if emerging from the icy depths of Lake Superior, the fiery yellowish-orange sun rose the morning of June 19 to greet American Indians and non-Natives praying during the “Honoring Our Water” ceremony by Ojibwa women and gave them the strength to continue battling an international mining company that is desecrating sacred Eagle Rock on the nearby Yellow Dog Plains in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Read full story from indiancountrytoday.com

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News & submissions 6/30/2010

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Is Italy right to fight for crucifixes in classrooms?
Tons of comments coming in on Italy’s decision to fight to keep crucifixes in classrooms in the face of a European court ruling that such symbols violate students’ religious freedom rights. Here’s one that applaud’s Italy’s effort: Read full story from cnn.com

Annual fairy congress draws diverse crowd
CARLTON — A few have seen fairies. Others have heard them. And many more are hoping, one day, to connect with their realm.

The three kinds of humans made their way to the 10th Annual Fairy & Human Relations Congress west of Carlton over the weekend. Read full story from wenatcheeworld.com

Statues of chiefs and peace park envisioned near Zion
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A peace park featuring a collection of sculptures that represent a grand council of famous chiefs from across Indian country is envisioned near Zion National Park by Four Winds, a group working to bring the idea to reality. The park is to serve as a center of Native wisdom and cross-cultural healing. Read full story from indiancountrytoday.com

Concern over Long Man ‘desecration’
THE LONG Man of Wilmington has had a phallus painted on it and efforts are being made to remove the heavy-duty paint as soon as possible.

The addition appeared on Friday morning (June 18) and was spotted by many dog walkers and motorists driving along the A27.
While it raised a smile and giggle among some passers-by, others have been upset by the vandalism and the Sussex Archaeolo gical Society, which is responsible for the historical site, is now working to remove the outline. Read full story from eastbourneherald.co.uk

Michelangelo hid brain image in chapel, scientists say
The great Italian Renaissance artist dissected cadavers to familiarize himself with the human body, so he could better paint it. And, according to a new analysis, he included a representation of the brainstem in his representation of God on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which he painted from 1508 to 1512. Read full story from cnn.com

Protest at Brighton Centre as doctors vote to ban homeopathy on NHS
Scores of pro-homeopathy supporters demonstrated outside the Brighton Centre today ahead of doctors voting on whether homeopathic remedies should be banned on the NHS. Read full story from theargus.co.uk

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News & Submissions 5/27/2010

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Advice for employers: Employers have nothing to fear from faith
With recent headlines announcing pagan police officers’ right to attend rites and dance naked, it’s no wonder that employers are unsure about what they are expected to do to support their employees’ religious and philosophical beliefs. With legislation also covering less well-known religions and beliefs, such as paganism, Rastafarianism, druidism, Darwinism, creationism and atheism, there’s understandable concern about tripping up and being taken to an employment tribunal. Read full story from independent.co.uk

Judaism, a self serving monotheism
The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it, a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak, a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser, a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully. Read full story from veteranstoday.com

Courtesy of Twitter, God speaks
A new website launched this week called almightytweets.com culls tweets in which God’s advice is shared. Take, for instance, this one from this afternoon: “Yesterday Eli said ‘God told me we had to go to dippin dots.’ So we did.” Read full story from cnn.com

Wicca, Witchcraft & Wizardry on Long Island
Main Street in Smithtown is just like any other Main Street on Long Island—local pubs, delis, and places you’ll find the best and worst coffee you’ve ever had, all within a 1-mile radius. Just outside the center of town, winding roads are dotted with small churches scattered among sprawling ranches with wind socks flying from front porches and lawns that stretch to meet cherry tree-lined streets.

It is here where the annual summer craft fair will take place in the church basement next week, where mass begins at 8 a.m. on Sundays, and church bells ring at noon sharp every day of the week. It is on Main Street where bars and cafes will soon open their doors to the summer crowd. And it is in the backyard of one of these idyllic suburban houses where a group of women stand in a circle once a month under the full moon, one holding a sharp blade toward the sky, all of them trying their best not to scare the neighbors. Read full story from longislandpress.com

Monks and money: A business beyond prayer
Their surroundings are idyllic, their lives contemplative, their needs simple. But don’t assume monks who live in monasteries and dedicate their lives to prayer aren’t feeling pressure in this economy. Read full story from cnn.com

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News & Submissions 5/26/2010

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Native woman recognized as a pioneer in the aviation field
SAN MANUEL, Ariz. – On a sunny spring day in April a small crowd of people gathered at the San Manuel Airport outside of Tucson. They traveled from as far as Colorado and California to attend the two-day Gyrocopter “Fly-in” event.

In attendance was a woman known as the “Gyrocopter Queen,” 81-year-old Marion Springer, a Choctaw pioneer in the rotorcraft – or rotary wing aircraft – industry. The first female certified flight instructor, she has been flying gyrocopters since the late 1960s. REad full story from indiancountrytoday.com

Hertfordshire Constabulary recruit two Humanist advisors
In the same week as Pagan police officers were officially recognised by the home office, Hertfordshire police have recruited two Humanist advisors to help support their staff. Read full story from watfordobserver.co.uk

Listening to Signs from Nature
We are used to thinking about nature as sending “messages” with big things like weather and earthquakes–though we often scoff at the idea as superstition. But there is a whole tradition around the world of looking at the little signs from nature and examining the personal messages that may be there for us. Read full story from huffingtonpost.com

Christian group enters rosary case
A Michigan-based attorney representing the American Center for Law and Justice said he visited Raymond Hosier’s house on Monday to prepare a case against the Schenectady City School District for suspending Raymond from Oneida Middle School because he wore the rosary. Read full story from timesunion.com

The Dalai Lama is wrong
Like the Dalai Lama, who writes of how he was influenced by Thomas Merton, I believe we can learn greatly from other religions. I too hope for tolerance and harmony in our interreligious interactions. I am convinced, however, that true tolerance and lasting harmony must be built on reality, not fantasy. Religious exclusivism is dangerous and naïve. But so too is pretend pluralism. The cause of religious harmony is not advanced in the least by the shibboleth that all religions are different paths up the same mountain. Read full story from cnn.com

Prosecutors: Witchcraft-fueled murder was premeditated
EVERETT — Prosecutors believe modern witchcraft drove a Gold Bar man to kill his girlfriend, dismember her body and scatter her remains around Snohomish County. Read full story from seattlepi.com

Two centuries of non-conformist history go online
The names and details of half a million UK radicals and religious dissenters covering a period of 225 years are available online for the first time. Read full story from guardian.co.uk

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News & Submissions 5/25/2010

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

Pagans use fest to show their beliefs
VALPARAISO — Lizz Frenzel was drawn to the first May Faire Sunday at Taltree Arboretum and Garden because of the maypole.

Fresh from a trip to the Bavarian region of Germany, Frenzel, of Valparaiso, saw maypoles in many of the small towns, though she missed the May 1 celebration of the ancient tradition there. Read full story from post-tribune.com

Mummies galore: 57 ancient Egyptian tombs discovered in secret underground network
Archaeologists have unearthed a labyrinth of rich Egyptian tombs that had been hidden under the ground for thousands of years.

Most of the 57 ancient tombs contained an ornately painted wooden sarcophagus with a mummy inside, Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities said. Read full story from dailymail.co.uk

Separation of church and state: fact or fiction?
Not so very long ago, “separation of church and state” was as American as motherhood and apple pie. Despite perennial debates over the degree of separation, public support for the principle itself has been strong for much of our history. Read full story from firstamendmentcenter.org

‘God must have something specific in mind for me’
From CNN’s Sara Sidner in Mangalore, India: It’s puzzling how we human beings can fight so fiercely over our differences, but when it boils down to it we are all so similar. No matter what religion we believe in or don’t believe in, it never escapes me that in life’s most extreme circumstances our differences suddenly fade away and what is left are the simple human traits we all share. Read full story from cnn.com

Using humor to bridge religious divides

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