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Helping the Saints Win [08 Feb 2010|07:08pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/02/helping-the-saints-win.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4300

I’m not much of a sports fan, but I did end up watching the second half of last night’s Super Bowl between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. While the Saints seem like a well-honed and remarkably skilled unit, at least to my inexperienced eyes, I was also struck by how “lucky” the team seemed in those final quarters of the game. Did they have some “outside” help? Religion reporter Gary Stern noted that many of the Saints are devout Christians, who quickly thanked God for the victory.

“Well, that was quite a game. You have to feel good for the city of New Orleans, no matter which team you root for. Coming five years after Katrina, the Saints’ big win seems perfectly scripted. By whom? A bunch of Saints players are saying that it was “God’s plan” that they beat the Colts.”

But thinking about the religious and cultural climate of New Orleans, I had some other notions of who might deserve a thank-you. Lisa Johnson, sister of retired football pro Eric Dickerson, and a root-worker for several NFL stars, tells Gawker that the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

“The Colts were up against every single “Southern root doctor, voodoo priest, and conjurer” in the Bayou last night. Johnson knew the Saints were getting special help when she watched the NFC Championship against the Vikings two weeks ago: quarterback Brett Favre took a beating, playing terribly after a whole season of the best football of his long career. ”I guarantee you,” she said, “when he got up at the end of the game, he felt like an old man.” The conjurers went to work on the Colts the week before the game … From midnight to 5 a.m.—”the witching hour”—the conjurers “burn candles, sage and tobacco” Chicken feet were used to curse opposing players and protect the Saints. By the time the game started, Johnson knew the Colts couldn’t win…“

While I’m sure there were some practitioners in Indianapolis trying their best to influence the outcome, they were probably out-gunned by sheer numbers alone. For weeks the media has been hinting that alongside Christian prayers, many fans were trying to appease the spirit of Marie Laveau, or engage in some root-work to make the win happen. Indeed, many commentators, despite thinking the Colts were technically better, decided there were too many mystical intangibles working for the Saints to lose.

“Sure, Peyton Manning is the most ruthlessly clinical surgeon under center since Joe Montana. But he tempted the fates. He might have offended New Orleans’ late voodoo queen Marie Laveau along the way. Or did you miss the “gris-gris” bestowed upon the once-favorite son of the South? Brett Favre, who grew up a Saints fan in neighboring Mississippi and later became King Creole, had the audacity to ride into the Louisiana Superdome with Minnesota. He needed a mere five yards or so to set up a game-winning field-goal attempt in the waning seconds. And as he rolled right, the field opened up. Then, as if someone (Laveau?) stuck a pin in the right arm of his purple-clad voodoo doll, Favre uncorked a cross-body pass. Interception. Overtime. Favre never touched the ball again. The erstwhile Aints were Super Bowl-bound.”

So as Get Religion explores the many Christian dimensions of yesterday’s Super Bowl, let’s also acknowledge that there was plenty of “extracurricular” spiritual activity happening on the side-lines. I mean, can you have a big win in New Orleans without thanking God and the spirits? Something tells me there are going to be plenty of offerings left at crossroads, graves, and shrines in the coming weeks alongside the “amens” in church.
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What’s a Cult in Russia? [07 Feb 2010|06:59pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/02/whats-a-cult-in-russia.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4296

The Russian news service RT reports on efforts by the Russian government to change the laws in order to rein in “damaging cults”.

“There are about 80 or 90 cults which are well known and active in at least several provinces of Russia. But if we are talking about local cults that act within one town, or one province or one area of a town, then those can be counted in the thousands,” says cult expert Aleksandr Dvorkin.

But while the law seems aimed at news-making apocalyptic “doomsday” cults and groups that use aggressive missionary techniques, many fear that the changes, if enacted, will eventually be used to crack down on any faith that doesn’t meet with the approval of a post-Communist government that’s entering into an ever tighter symbiosis with the  Russian Orthodox Church.

“The Moscow Patriarchate, the policy-making body of the Russian Orthodox Church, now acts as President Putin’s agent in extending his control over all sectors of society. And since Dmitri Medvedev, Putin’s anointed successor, is also a practising member of the Orthodox Church, no change in that relationship seems imminent.”

As tensions mount between Russian Pagan groups and the Russian Orthodox Church, would these laws, if passed, be used to crack down on all Pagans, using the pretext of a violent and criminal minority to restrict them? It raises the serious question: who’s a cult in Russia? Who, exactly, would get to make that distinction?
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More on that Air Force Academy Circle [06 Feb 2010|07:15pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/02/more-on-that-air-force-academy-circle.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4291

What wild couple of weeks it’s been for the Pagans at the Air Force Academy! First it was announced that a special outdoor worship area was created for Pagan cadets and faculty (that had been in the works for some time), a positive step after past allegations of rampant Christian-fueled intolerance at the academy. Then, the story hit the national media, Tech Sergeant Brandon Longcrier was named an “intriguing person of the day” by Rick Sanchez at CNN, and the first rumblings of criticism were emerging. Sometime, during all this press, a “desecration incident” happened, when a large wooden cross was left at the site. Cue anger (and some debate over how serious of an incident this was) from Pagans, and strangely, anger from Christians at our temerity in claiming it a desecration.

Which brings us to today. While the initial flurry of national press seems to have died down, the Air Force Academy, and the Pagans on it, are still generating news. Some wondered if the Naval Academy would be building a worship area for Pagans, with the answer, for now, being “no”.

“Naval Academy officials said they have had no demand for such a spot. ”At this time, there have been no requests for a worship location for earth-centered religions,” academy spokeswoman Judy Campbell said. ”Midshipmen are always provided the opportunity to observe the religious obligations of their chosen faith, but their participation is entirely up to them,” she said.”

But you never know, perhaps we’ll see Naval Academy Pagans decide to organize and ask for one too?

Meanwhile, the Colorado Springs Gazette gives us some much-needed background concerning Pagans at the Air Force Academy, showing that this new stone circle wasn’t some rash action, but a response to a long-term need by an established community of cadets and service members.

“According to administrators, the traditions that some dismiss as “witchcraft” are nothing new at the Colorado Springs military academy. Wiccans, pagans and other followers of Earth-centered religions have been active on campus for at least a decade, and are now among 14 religious groups recognized under a program that sets aside time for cadets to worship on their own, said cadet wing chaplain Lt. Col. William Ziegler III. “We’re here to serve as caretakers to support every cadet’s religious freedoms,” Ziegler said of Special Programs in Religious Education, or SPIRE. Until recently, the pagan group met at a brick-and-tile worship area in Jack’s Valley, a sprawling, wooded training area to the north of the academy’s cadet area. About a dozen cadets belong, the academy said, and an additional 30 service members in Colorado Springs identify themselves as pagans. The group’s path to prominence began last summer, after an inspection determined the aging site was no longer “structurally sound,” Ziegler said.”

In other words, Pagans at the academy are nothing new, and the circle, built at “no additional taxpayer expense”, is the result of years of bridge-building and open communication. The article also notes that several military bases have established stone circles for Pagan soldiers, with the most famous being the one at Ft. Hood, the existence of which spurred the (in)famous “Witchcraft isn’t a religion” statement from George W. Bush, and a full-blown campaign against Pagans in the military by then-congressman Bob Barr.

Sadly, despite the genuine underlying non-controversy of all this happening, it has brought out the worst in some religious commentators. Like Catholic pundit Michael Terheyden, who calls this development “dangerous”, and essentially backs the flawed “two-tiered” religious arguments we see flying about in the Patrick McCollum case.

“Paganism and witchcraft are not equal to the major religions of the world. I believe that it largely died out throughout much of the world because, based on the idea of “survival of the fittest,” it was not the fittest.  In general it was violent and blood thirsty and mired in superstition and magic. It was seemingly unable to provide the glue necessary to maintain a healthy culture and society.  It is true that others have the right in our country to believe what they want, and we should defend that right, but it is another thing altogether to treat every belief as being equal when they are not.  Consequently, it does not seem competent or rational when the Air Force Academy, one of the premier training institutions of our military, equates neo-paganism with the major religions of the world and claims this is, somehow, indicative of tolerance and respect.”

You know, there was a time, not so long ago, when Catholics weren’t seen as “equal” to the protestants that dominated the American political and cultural landscape. They were discriminated against, and viewed with suspicion. It was such a big issue that John F. Kennedy, America’s first Catholic president, had to reassure voters that he wouldn’t take orders from the Pope.

“I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote; where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference; and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him or the people who might elect him.”

So to see a Catholic, so seemingly blind to his faith’s history in America, so ready to spout half-truths and misinformation about modern Pagan faiths, so ready to see the government create barriers against non-monotheistic faiths, is bitterly ironic.

Anyone with a clear sense of history, and a clear vision of America’s values, would see this simple stone circle as a testament to our success. To begrudge the Pagans a circle, or to imply that some faiths should be more equal than others, are the subconscious stirrings of a theocratic mind. Because once you draw the line for one faith, you’ll soon want to draw more lines, until only the “pure” and “true” faith is left. As history has taught us, that way leads to madness and horror.
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More Vodou Talk and other Pagan News of Note [05 Feb 2010|07:49pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/02/more-vodou-talk-and-other-pagan-news-of-note.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4288

Top Story: As post-earthquake Haiti continues to make the news, mainstream media continues to explore the unique and complex religious atmosphere of the small Caribbean nation. Specifically, the relationship of Haitian Vodou with Catholic and Protestant forms of Christianity, and the growing chorus of voices that have risen up to defend this oft-misunderstood faith. At the religion-focused interview program “Speaking of Faith”, Krista Tippett re-visits her previously run program on Vodou, adding new content from interviewee Patrick Bellegarde-Smith in the wake of the earthquake.

“After the earthquake, we had a moving and illuminating exchange with Patrick Bellegarde-Smith and learned that he lost nine members of his extended family in it. We’ve updated our current program with excerpts from this correspondence.”

SOF’s programs are rich explorations of the chosen topic, and have covered minority faiths like Vodou and modern Paganism fairly and fully. I highly recommend downloading/listening to the re-aired “Living Vodou” episode. Sadly, not all ongoing discussions about Vodou are fair or open-minded. Rod “Crunchy Con” Dreher tries to spark a discussion of “comparative theology and culture” with the not-at-all leading or offensive title of: “If Haitian vodou isn’t demon worship, what is?”

“But as a Christian, I don’t believe this is merely a psychological phenomenon. I believe that the vodou entities are real — and malevolent. Despite the syncretism with Roman Catholicism vodou tries to accomplish, there is nothing authentically Christian about it, and I too would think that this religion draws spiritual darkness around its followers and their communities. That does not mean that it causes earthquakes, for goodness sake! But I think it’s a mistake to see vodou as benign or positive. Serious question: if what you see on that photo slideshow isn’t demon worship — demons defined as malign spiritual entities — from a Christian (or Muslim, or Jewish) point of view, what is?“

But don’t misunderstand him! He just wants to explore “the limits of religious tolerance”, but beware, if you are “always” against passing value judgments on faiths you don’t understand, you might be an enabler of Mormon polygamy. He’s so charming, isn’t he? But wait there’s more! He also issues a dire spiritual warning to a Christian family that is raising their adopted Haitian orphans within the Vodou religion.

“I believe these well-intentioned people are playing with fire. Real spiritual fire.”

Yes, according to Dreher, caring Christian parents should obliterate any sign of non-Christian culture from traumatized Haitian orphans. Luckily the Fitzgibbons’ don’t share his rather narrow view of things.

“[Vodou] is interwoven into every bit of a Haitian person’s life,” said Paula Fitzgibbons, a former Lutheran pastor. “I’m at least presenting them with some part of their spiritual heritage. I can offer them enough that they will be familiar with Vodou when they get to the point of making their own choices about spirituality and religion.”

I’d make a guess as to who was actually more Christ-like, but being a unrepentant Pagan, I’ll refrain. You can read more about the Fitzgibbons family at their blog, “Raising Little Spirits”.

In Other News:

Patrick McCollum v. California: Americans United, who wrote an amicus brief on behalf of Wiccan chaplain Patrick McCollum, weighs in on the controversial WallBuilders brief that alleges the Religion Clauses should only apply to monotheists.

“Based on phony history, Wallbuilders’ court filing asks the 9th Circuit not to consider Americans United’s viewpoint. It states we don’t cite “true history” but a “revisionist history” since we claim the Founders wanted to extend religious liberty for all. Needless to say, the brief is offensive, disrespectful and essentially advocates that the government should feel free to discriminate against all non-Judeo-Christian religions. But what else can we expect from Wallbuilders? The organization’s founder and president, David Barton, is a well-known Religious Right propagandist who for years has pushed a fundamentalist “Christian nation” view of American history. He claims to be a historian, but he isn’t one. He earned a bachelor’s degree in “Christian Education” from Oral Roberts University and then taught math and science at a fundamentalist Christian school founded by his father. Wallbuilders’ brief, like Barton, is a serious joke. And we hope that the 9th Circuit pays it no mind.”

This story continues to seep into the mainstream press. There is still no response from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation concerning recent developments. For all of my past coverage of this ongoing case, click here.

Religious Discrimination or Misuse of Storage Facilities? The Times-Georgian reports that the Carroll County Board of Commissioners has rejected a conditional-use permit for the owners of a Pagan retreat that would have allowed them to keep using storage buildings as temporary residences.

“Robert Crowe asked the board to approve a conditional-use permit for use of his 33-acre tract as a Dragon Hill Retreat STAR (Sacred Tribe of the Ancient Roots) Grove, allowing it to be used in activities of the Church of the Spiral Tree, an “ecumenical pagan church.” The request itself was made by James and Rita Middleton, both members of the Church of the Spiral Tree. As part of the activities of the church on the property, the permit would allow storage buildings that have been used as temporary residences on the property to remain as such. Crowe said he is Native American and he practices certain pagan rituals that by definition are rooted in an “earth and nature-based religion.” Crowe said the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Board recommended denial of the request on Jan. 26 simply because the proposed church would promote activities and beliefs to which the members of the board were opposed.”

While Crow alleges that “personal prejudices” led to the zoning board recommending against the permit, Commissioner George Chambers says that his vote against the permit appeal had nothing to do with religion.

“I don’t take issue with what anyone else’s beliefs are. The issue is a conditional-use permit on the houses,” Chambers said. “It wasn’t an issue of whether or not I agreed with their beliefs or what they do on the land as part of their church. My issue is not with that because the current zoning allows for that. My issue was with the houses.”

So, religious discrimination, or simply a zoning issue? Why were storage facilities being used as temporary housing? The retreat’s web site says that there are cabins and kitchens, so what’s going on? Is this selective enforcement because they are Pagans? Or was this appeal more a CYA maneuver?

The Pagan Circle at the Air Force Academy: While the newly installed stone circle for Pagan cadets at the Air Force Academy has garnered some anonymous “criticism” recently, it has also faced some vocal lashings from Christians who seemingly don’t believe in the equal treatment of religions within government institutions.

“What we label today as ‘pluralism,’ God called ‘idolatry,’” said Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, in a commentary in The Washington Post. “The first commandment from God was, ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.’ ”To openly violate this most basic law is to invite God’s judgment upon our nation.”

Meanwhile, Bill Donahue, the self-proclaimed advocate for all things Catholic, says that Christians are the real victims in the military (all that pluralism is “chilling” to Christian expression, don’t ya know), and Fox News finds two conservative think-tanks to explain how this incident isn’t really  a big deal.

“It’d be one thing if there was a harmful act, but to have competing symbols, I’m not sure I would put that in the category of destructive behavior,” London continued. “What is being expressed here is the view of the Judeo-Christian as opposed to the pagan tradition.”

You see, it was just a friendly discussion! An exchange of symbols. I’m sure they would agree that a Pagan idol placed within a Christian facility would be equally harmless, just another round in the showcase of competing expressions. You can read all of my stories concerning the Air Force Academy, here.

Skip Having Breakfast With The Family: In a final update, I just wanted to note that while President Obama did indeed attend the Family/Fellowship-sponsored National Prayer Breakfast despite calls for him to boycott, both Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used the opportunity to indirectly criticize “The Family” and their support of Uganda’s noxious “kill the gays” bill.

“We may disagree about the best way to reform our health care system, but surely we can agree that no one ought to go broke when they get sick in the richest nation on Earth. We can take different approaches to ending inequality, but surely we can agree on the need to lift our children out of ignorance; to lift our neighbors from poverty. We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are — whether it’s here in the United States or, as Hillary mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda.”

It must have made for some uncomfortable moments over pancakes. To find out more about “The Family”, and why they are so dangerous, you can read my interview with journalist Jeff Sharlet, here.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!
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James Arthur Ray Arrested, Charged With Manslaughter [04 Feb 2010|08:25am]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/02/james-arthur-ray-arrested-charged-with-manslaughter.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4285

Notorious New Age self-help guru James Arthur Ray, who led a “sweat lodge” ceremony that ended up killing three people, has been arrested and charged with three counts of manslaughter.

“The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said Ray was indicted on three counts of manslaughter relating to the deaths of James Shore, Liz Neuman and Kirby Brown on October 8 following the retreat near Sedona. His bond was set at $5 million.”

Ray’s lawyer, naturally, is indignant on his behalf.

“The charges are unjust and we will prove it in court,” the statement says. “This was a terrible accident – but it was an accident, not a criminal act. James Ray cooperated at every step of the way, providing information and witnesses to the authorities showing that no one could have foreseen this accident. We will now present this evidence in a court of law, and we are confident that Mr. Ray will be exonerated.”

You know, if you lead a ritual that kills three people, I don’t think you get to simply say “whoops” and move on.  Just last week, Ray had given his first interview since the accident, where he admits that this experience has “adjusted” his ego.

“Well, I think we all struggle with our own ego identity, and certainly that’s me included. To say that I haven’t been tempted by, you know, my own press, if you will, would be crazy. I mean, I think a part of my path and all of our paths is to constantly look at ourselves. The word ego is a Latin word that means identity, or I. Everyone has an ego. You can’t function in the world without an identity.”

If any of the accounts from participants are accurate, he lost the struggle with his “ego identity” that day.

“Some participants began to appear ill after about an hour, she said, but Ray did not seem concerned. Bunn said he sat inside the tent door, leading the group in chants and prayers, while some people vomited and gasped for air and others lay on the floor. When someone lifted the back of the tent to let in fresh air, Ray demanded to know where the light was coming from and who had committed the “sacrilegious act,” Bunn said.”

So this is finally going to trial, and the families and friends of those killed may find some justice and closure. You can expect a huge media blitz for this one, and you can also expect Ray’s former pals, like Oprah and other “The Secret” superstars will be distancing themselves as much as humanly possible. John Curtis of Americans Against Self-Help Fraud calls this “the proverbial 9/11 for the self-help movement”, and while that’s a bit hyperbolic, major shifts in practice and attitude within the New Age and self-help subcultures could indeed develop from this situation.

You can be sure I’ll be following this story as it develops.
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Desecration at the Air Force Academy and other Pagan News of Note [03 Feb 2010|07:19pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/02/desecration-at-the-air-force-academy-and-other-pagan-news-of-note.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4276

Top Story: Well, that didn’t take long. While many have been pleased with the Air Force Academy’s recent turn towards accommodation for minority faiths in the wake of accusations that an aggressive and pervasive evangelical Christianity was creating a hostile environment for non-Christians, it seems that some aren’t so sanguine regarding recent changes. With national headlines touting a newly installed stone circle for Pagan cadets, some enterprising Christians decided it needed a finishing touch.

“The Air Force Academy, stung several years ago by accusations of Christian bias, has built a new outdoor worship area for pagans and other practitioners of Earth-based religions. But its opening, heralded as a sign of a more tolerant religious climate at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., was marred by the discovery two weeks ago of a large wooden cross placed there. ”We’ve been making great progress at the Air Force Academy. This is clearly a setback,” said Mikey Weinstein, a 1977 graduate of the academy. He is founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and has often tangled with the academy over such issues.”

While Weinstein is criticizing academy leadership for not informing cadets of the incident, he has praised Lt. Gen. Mike Gould for “acting swiftly and decisively” to ensure it doesn’t happen again. As for the act of “desecration” itself, one could argue that since the circle hasn’t been officially dedicated yet (that happens in March), there was nothing to desecrate. But like cheap gifts, it’s the thought that counts. One could only imagine the outpouring of rage had some anonymous Pagans placed a pentacle or Thor’s hammer inside the Christian chapel.

In Other News:

Patrick McCollum v. California: For some more background concerning the ongoing legal battle to win equal treatment for minority faiths in California, check out AREN’s just-posted interview with Patrick McCollum. In it, McCollum addresses many of the questions that have been emerged since this case has gained wider attention.

“Well, first let me say that I do have a legal right to bring this case forward, and that there’s lots of precedent to support that argument. That’s why I am before the 9th circuit court of appeals. Secondly, let me clear the record, the Pagan prisoners also brought this case forward in conjunction with me, and have been Plaintiffs in the case all along. The judge at the District Court level ruled that neither I nor the Pagan inmates had the right to bring it forward, go figure! What’s even more important to note, is that the State’s attorney general’s office, has made the argument that religion in California is two-tiered, and that the five state faiths (the first tiered faiths) are afforded all of the equal rights and protections granted under the Constitution, but that all other faiths including Pagans, are second tier … and are only afforded lesser rights, similar to one another. It is this concept that Pagans and other minority faiths are somehow less endowed, that I am fighting to overcome.”

I’d also like to note that I have contacted the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for an official comment on these latest developments, and have yet to receive any word back.

In a somewhat related note, I’d also like to mention that Patrick McCollum, on Imbolc, was installed to the Executive Board of Directors of a United Nations NGO, Children Of The Earth.

“This organization focuses on international youth utilizing spirituality as a tool, to bring about positive change in approaching many of the world’s problems. There are chapters across the world. While the Executive Board is composed of a small number of people, I feel honored and humbled to be included in the company of such distinguished individuals as a State Senator, the Speech Writer for Dr. Martin Luther King, and other similarly situated persons.”

Congratulations to Patrick! You can find out more about Children of the Earth at their web site.

African Pagans Against Witch Hunts: The South African Pagan Rights Alliance & South African Pagan Council are gearing up  for the 3rd annual “30 days of advocacy against Witch-hunts in Africa” from 29 March to 27 April 2010.

“The 2010 campaign is aimed at petitioning the African Union General Assembly and the Pan-African Parliament, to address the ongoing witchcraft hysteria in Africa, through constructive and humane programmes that seek to entrench and strengthen human rights and human dignity, instead of seeking to suppress witchcraft or ignore ongoing human rights abuses within member countries.”

Supporters of their campaign can sign a petition, or join the Facebook group. Further plans and actions will be announced closer to the start of the campaign. You can contact TouchStone Advocacy for more information on how to help.

Vodouisants Plan Memorial in Haiti: Max Beauvoir, Augustin St. Clou, and other Vodou leaders in Haiti are planning a national memorial service, funeral rites for the estimated 150,000 dead, and a week of scheduled mourning.

A week of mourning is scheduled to begin as early as next week with a service in front of the destroyed presidential palace. The event will include a traditional voodoo funeral rite for the more than 150,000 people who died in last month’s earthquake, said Max Beauvoir, the supreme priest of Haitian voodoo. Roman Catholic and Protestant leaders have also been invited to participate. ”We want to honour all those who disappeared, but we also want to make it a celebration of life, so that the people can regain their strength,” Beauvoir told Canwest News Service in a phone interview Tuesday evening. “Because life must go on.”

While Vodou practitioners try to move past this tragedy and begin rebuilding, mainstream media seems increasingly fascinated with this oft-misunderstood faith. National Geographic interviews Wade “The Serpent and the Rainbow” Davis about Vodou, misconceptions, and Pat Robertson. He also anticipates the very memorial service now being planned.

“All people in all cultures honor the dead, and the fact that the sheer scale of the disaster has precluded the possibility of proper ritual burials will be a source of concern and sadness to all Haitians. Perhaps in time some of this grief may be released in a ceremony of national remembrance that will honor all who have been lost. For now the rest of us, the entire global community, must do everything we can to support the living and facilitate the rebirth of a nation that has given so much to the world.”

While some continue to peddle misinformation and lies about this faith, a strong pro-Vodou voice is emerging, and we may find a Vodou in post-earthquake Haiti that is unafraid to confront its critics or exist in the public eye.

Skip Having Breakfast With The Family: A growing number of voices are urging President Obama to either boycott the National Prayer Breakfast, or to use that opportunity to criticize the sponsoring group The Family/The Fellowship, for their support of Uganda’s notorious “kill the gays” bill.

You can read more about “The Family” and their theocratic agenda in my interview with journalist Jeff Sharlet, here. So far it seems unlikely that Obama will snub the prayer breakfast, which has been attended by every president since Eisenhower, but there is a faint hope that he will criticize the sponsors. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!
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The Wiccan “Blood Oath” and other Pagan News of Note [02 Feb 2010|07:40pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/02/the-wiccan-blood-oath-and-other-pagan-news-of-note.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4269

Top Story: Newspapers in Washington have been giving a lot of coverage to the death of Sherry Harlan, stabbed to death and then dismembered by her jealous ex-boyfriend Eric James Christensen. While serious crimes often get coverage in local papers, this one is getting special attention for its savagery, and the reason Christensen has given for murdering Harlan.

“Christensen told detectives that he’d found similar messages on Harlan’s phone weeks earlier and that she’d promised to cease contact with the man. To seal the deal, Christensen said he and Harlan had gone through a “blood oath” ceremony. “He said that in ‘ancient times’ people that broke similar vows were sometimes killed,” a sheriff’s detective wrote of the conversation. Christensen said that on Jan. 2, when he confronted Harlan about the messages, the argument became physical and they traded blows. He told detectives that because she’d broken the oath, Harlan “in Scottish … would be what’s known as a warlock, which is evil, a traitor, an enemy,” court papers said.”

The Daily Herald piece quoted above is to be praised, as they avoided the sensationalist and dubious term “Wiccan blood oath” repeated by several papers and news outlets in the initial wake of the story breaking.

“Prosecutors said Christensen told police that Harlan had broken a “Wiccan blood oath” she had made to break off a relationship with another man.”

Only local NBC affiliate King5 actually sought out a member of the Everett Pagan community for comment on the story, Jeri Schaible, who had once dated the abusive Christensen. Schaible confirms that both were studying Wicca, but points out that Christensen should not be considered a Wiccan as he doesn’t adhere to the Wiccan Rede. No paper, television outlet, or site has interviewed any local Pagan leaders or organizers for background, or to comment on the “blood oath”. This, despite the fact that the Seattle area is full of Pagans (and there’s a regular Pagan meetup in Everett), as is the Pacific Northwest in general.

There is little doubt that Christensen will be going to prison for life, as the man who helped him hide the body parts is testifying against him in exchange for immunity. With his capture and conviction ensured, now is the time to gain context for the sensationalist religious statements made by Christensen. Will the press step up here? I can’t imagine a killer invoking a “Christian blood oath” without local Christian clergy being consulted. As for Sherry Harlan, may her spirit find rest, may her killer be punished, and may her friends and family find closure.

In Other News:

Clash of Faiths in Haiti: Religious tensions are mounting in Haiti between Christian aid groups and Vodou practitioners. First, Vodou leader Max Beauvoir claims that evangelical Christians are monopolizing aid, and showing favoritism towards their own instead of fairly distributing food and water.

“Max Beauvoir, Haiti’s “supreme master” of voodoo, alleged his faith’s opponents had deliberately prevented much-needed help from reaching followers of the religion, which blends the traditional beliefs of West African slaves with Roman Catholicism. “The evangelicals are in control and they take everything for themselves,” he claimed. “They have the advantage that they control the airport where everything is stuck. They take everything they get to their own people and that’s a shame.”

He alleges these groups are using food to “buy souls”, taking advantage of the chaos in order to win converts. Meanwhile, the case of 10 Baptists from two different congregations in America, who are accused of trafficking Haitian children for the purposes of adoption, is only fueling accusations that protestant Christian groups have one primary objective, convert, convert, convert.

“Some critics say the race to remove Haiti’s children is culturally insensitive, if not downright illegal. Others are offended by the prospect of children from a Catholic culture being airlifted into evangelical institutions or families — losing their faith along with their families.”

You can be sure that the uneasy situation created by the increasing growth of evangelical and pentecostal denominations in the predominately Catholic-Vodou continuum of Haiti will only increase now that mission-minded groups see the earthquake as an “opportunity” for growth and conversion. It could not only radicalize Vodou practitioners in Haiti, but it could also create massive rifts between protestant and Catholic groups. And the longer that Haiti’s government is hobbled, the worse the problem may become.

Air Force Academy Gets A Circle: Last Thursday I reported on the Air Force Academy installing an outdoor worship area for Pagan and Wiccan cadets, a move that has been generally praised within the Pagan community. Since then the story has been picked up by national media outlets (I’m sure NewsBusters is pleased), and is now being used by some right-wing pundits as a stick to hit President Obama with.

“U.S. President Barack Obama, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, wants to make the Air force Academy more inclusive for people practicing occult pagan witchcraft. Hence, he’s willing to increase the federal government’s record-breaking debt to fund a chapel that will add a circle to be utilized as a worship area for so-called “Earth-centered religions, during a dedication ceremony” that is tentatively scheduled for March 10.”

Well, first off, Obama had nothing to do with the Air Force Academy building a stone circle (military bureaucracy just doesn’t move that fast), but even if he had, that’s a pretty weak “Obama the Democrat is spending too much” argument. Thankfully, not all conservative pundits see equal treatment for religions within the military as a bad thing.

“Our Constitution affords us the right to practice any religion we would like, I think that should be especially true for anyone in the military who is willing to serve and sacrifice for us. Do I agree with pagan religions like Wicca? No. But those who have chosen to serve their country, and have joined the Air Force Academy deserve a proper worship area just like any other religious faith.”

You don’t have to like Wicca or Paganism, but to deny we should have equal treatment goes against everything America stands for, no matter what groups like WallBuilders may claim.

The New Age Sweat Lodge Death Controversy: Self-help author Jonathan Ellerby, who seems better educated and more respectful of Native practices than most in his line of work, answers some key questions about sweat lodges that have arisen since three people died in a sweat ceremony led by New Age huckster James Arthur Ray.

“I personally do not think or feel that non-Native people should run Native lodges. Too many Native traditions have been borrowed and stolen from Native Peoples only to be misused, sold or poorly conducted. These are very powerful and culturally sacred practices and it’s a deep act of disrespect just to “copy” the practices of another tradition. You wouldn’t see a group of Native people pretending to be able to read Hebrew or making up fake Hebrew sounding songs in a building they called a synagogue. It’s absurd. Worse, Native people have been the victims of cultural appropriation and attack for 500 years. To take without permission, training or blessing is just an insult. However, yes, I do think that ceremonial steam baths have something to offer all people and if done well, a non-Native “sweat lodge” for non-Native people can be a very important, healing and beautiful thing.”

It is distinctly refreshing to see someone from the self-help/New Age/spirituality community come out in defense of the integrity of Native religion and spirituality. As Ellerby points out, if you want a sweat/steam ceremony, there are ways of designing one without simply aping American Indian traditions and slapping a different label on them. As for James Arthur Ray, he gave his first-ever interview since the incident last week. In it, he claims no responsibility for the deaths, but says that “his ego has been adjusted by the experience”. You know what else adjusts the ego? A court trial and punishment for negligent homicide.

Meanwhile, the Angel Valley Retreat Center is doing a little damage-control and CYA of its own, insisting that the sweat-lodge’s construction was not to blame (Ray has been insinuating that’s where the blame lies). We still await word on criminal charges in this case.

Art & the Tarot: In a final note, Erik Davis writes about tarot for HiLobrow, praising and analyzing the work of Rider-Waite artist Pamela Colman Smith.

“Since its appearance, the so-called Rider-Waite deck has sold gazillions of copies, inspiring brooding hermeticists and teenage Goths alike, and stamping its enigmatic images onto such key 20th century artifacts as T. S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland,” the classic noir Nightmare Alley, and the inner gatefold of Led Zeppelin’s fourth album. The Rider-Waite deck earns a so-called because the name — which has been trade-marked by US Games, the current (and controversial) copyright holder — ignores the artistic contribution of Pamela Colman Smith, an American illustrator and occult initiate whose nickname, Pixie, seems preternaturally on target in light of the most widely-reproduced photograph of the woman.”

I’ve often bemoaned the lack of emphasis and credit to female artists like Smith, or Lady Frieda Harris, without whom the tarot theories of famous (male) occultists like A.E. Waite or Aleister Crowley would have remained in books, and largely unexamined by a popular audience. Today, tarot artists are more widely feted and acknowledged as equal partners in the design and creation of new decks, instead of being treated as silent partners, or hired help, by tarot theorists and designers.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!
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Happy Imbolc [01 Feb 2010|11:00am]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/02/happy-imbolc-3.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4263

Tonight and tomorrow is when most modern Pagans celebrate the fire festival of Imbolc sacred to the goddess Brigid, patroness of poets, healers, and smiths. Today is also the feast day of Saint Brigid of Ireland patron saint of poets, dairymaids, blacksmiths, healers, cattle, fugitives, Irish nuns, midwives, and new-born babies.


Brigid: Saint and Goddess.

In Kildare, Ireland’s town square, a perpetual flame is kept lit and housed in a statue that pays homage to the Pagan and Christian conceptions of Brigid. Festivities for La Feile Bride in Kildare started on January 31st and will continue through February 7th.

Here are a collection of quotes on this holiday.

“The earliest whisperings of Springtide are heard now as the Goddess nurtures Her Young Son. As a time of the year associated with beginning growth, Imbolc is an initiatory period for many. Here we plant the “seeds” of our hopes and dreams for the coming summer months.” – Witchvox

“Imbolc is associated in Ireland and Scotland with Bríd the mythological woman whose nineteen nuns tend the eternal fire at Cill Dara. The sacred fire is associated with Uisneach, the omphalos or spiritual bellybutton of Ireland-as-goddess, and it was there that Bríd is said to have taken the veil. Imbolc is one of four seasonal holidays in the Celtic world with Halloween (Samhain), Bealtaine and Lughnasadh.” – Brendan Patrick Keane, Irish Central

“It seems crazy that a fire Goddess be the alternative name for Imbolc.  But at least for coastal Caifornia, She might be the perfect patron for what this season signifies.  Looking around at the rushing streams, moss growing everywhere, and leaden skies, one could scarcely guess that much of California’s landscape is dominated by fire, by the fact it burns regularly, and that dousing the burns simply guarantees they will be all the worse when they come again.  As they will.” – Gus diZerega, Beliefnet

“One of the nicest folk customs still practiced in many countries, and especially by Witches in the British Isles and parts of the U.S., is to place a lighted candle in each and every window of the house (or at least the windows that face the street), beginning at sundown on Candlemas Eve (February 1), allowing them to continue burning until sunrise. Make sure that such candles are well seated against tipping and guarded from nearby curtains, etc. What a cheery sight it is on this cold, bleak, and dreary night to see house after house with candlelit windows! And, of course, if you are your coven’s chandler, or if you just happen to like making candles, Candlemas Day is the day for doing it. Some covens hold candle-making parties and try to make and bless all the candles they’ll be using for the whole year on this day.” – Mike Nichols, The Witches’ Sabbats

“I’d sit with the men, the women of God, There by the lake of beer, We’d be drinking good health forever, And every drop would be a prayer.” – Saint Brigid’s Prayer

Many blessings to you this holiday! Be sure to check out the fifth annual Brigid in Cyperspace Poetry Reading in your travels around the web tomorrow, I’ll see you by the lake of beer!
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Letter to the Pagan Community from Peter Dybing in Haiti [31 Jan 2010|05:25pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/01/letter-to-the-pagan-community-from-peter-dybing-in-haiti.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4260

On Tuesday of this past week I spotlighted the efforts of Peter Dybing, a Pagan and member of COG, who is on the ground in Haiti providing emergency care to those affected by the massive earthquake that has shattered Port-au-Prince and killed tens of thousands. This morning Dybing posted an open letter to the Pagan community, and I’d like to share it with you here.

Open letter to the Pagan Community,

It is hard to communicate my gratitude for all the support from the Pagan community for Haiti Community Support. We are in the middle of a transition to having local providers doing all the medical care for the NGO. Long term the solution to this crisis lies in the hands of locals. Haiti Community Support continues to administer funds and provide logistical support and we are considering sending more medical providers. Our major consideration now is how best to use the funds we have raised. Sending a provider costs about $3,000.00 for a two-week deployment. These funds can buy a lot of medical supplies for local medical providers to use at our clinic.

It would be impossible to fully relate the effect this mission has had on me personally. The level of pain and suffering is unimaginable; the scale of the need is beyond all the resources in place. With many years of disaster experience, nothing equipped me to deal with the sights and sounds I experienced in Haiti. Please continue to support this great cause. While Large NGO’s were still doing a “Needs Assessment” we were on the ground providing direct medical care. Today there are people alive in Haiti who would have had no chance without your support.

Over the next few days the directors of Haiti Community Support and myself will be doing an assessment of long-term needs and funds available. It continues to be our focus to provide direct care to the people of Haiti without the high administrative costs of large NGO’s

Each day the positive healing energy sent my way helped me deal with the realities on the ground. To my sisters and brothers in the community THANK YOU, you made a difference.

Peter Dybing

If you want to contribute to Dybing’s efforts in Haiti, head over to the Haiti Community Support web site and make a donation. Dybing’s message to us is important, because it shows that our community can make an impact in these matters. That we can be effective in saving lives and changing things for the better. It eradicates the notion that you have to be in a multi-national NGO or member of an entrenched mainstream faith to help the afflicted. All it takes is our involvement.

While I’m on the subject of afflicted populations, and the Pagan efforts to help them, I’d like to turn your attention to a post made yesterday by fellow Pagan blogger Kathryn Price NicDhàna. While the world’s attention has been, understandably, turned to Haiti, South Dakota Reservations have been hit with massive ice-storms and some sections have been without heat, power, or water for over a week. Just as we have reached out to Haiti, let us also reach out and show solidarity with the indigenous population here in the United States. For a listing of legitimate organizations to donate too, click here. You can get ongoing updates at the Supporting SD Rez Twitter feed, and the Supporting South Dakota Reservations Facebook group.
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A Few Updates and Announcements [30 Jan 2010|07:54pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/01/a-few-updates-and-announcements.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4254

I have some updates and announcements of note for you on this Saturday afternoon.

Is The First Amendment for Monotheists Only: Let’s start off with some more information concerning Patrick McCollum’s legal battle over California’s “five faiths” policy. I have here, available for download, the entire complaint, which shows that it was filed as a class action alongside several Pagan inmates. Not, as past media coverage has implied, by McCollum alone.

“The two-tier system inherent in the Five State-Sanctioned Faiths Policy creates a lack of resources and denial of access, which denies Wiccan/Pagan inmates the ability to participate in essential religious ceremonies and perform religious rites mandated by their faith. Chaplains of the Five State-Sanctioned Faiths who are hired are often hostile to Wiccan/Pagan religions, yet are called on to oversee Wiccan/Pagan religious life because of the absence of Wiccan/Pagan chaplains. In many cases, the Five State Sanctioned Faiths Chaplains discriminate against the Wiccan/Pagans when forced into such roles and prioritize the needs of the adherents of their own faiths above the needs of the Wiccan/Pagans.”

The complaint also lists the various discriminatory actions against Pagan inmates and McCollum perpetrated by the California correctional system. In addition, I was provided a copy of a document that proves the California Department of Correction’s key official and witness committed perjury before the court, regarding the most key components of the state’s case against Pagans. Finally, I have a copy of another amicus brief in support of McCollum that includes the support of several religious and chaplaincy organizations, including such Pagan organizations as Cherry Hill Seminary, Covenant of the Goddess, and The Aquarian Tabernacle Church.

Relevant Documents:

It’s becoming increasingly clear that there’s a very good reason why the State of California wants to deny McCollum standing, because if this goes to trial it could potentially explode into a huge scandal, and cost several officials their jobs. As always, I’ll keep you posted regarding the latest developments.

Pagan Benefit CD for Haiti: PaganFM! and Circle Sanctuary are teaming up to release a benefit compilation album with the proceeds going towards recovery and rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

“Pagan musicians and bands from Australia to Canada are taking part; some are very well-known, others are up and coming, and still others are well-established but have more limited audiences. The music on the album ranges from folk, to rock to ethnic and beyond. This album will be an opportunity for each of them to use their talents and skills to open the hearts of listeners across the planet, encouraging everyone to unite in purpose.”

Tentative release date is the first week in March. Once I know more concerning a track-listing or purchasing information, I’ll let you know. For more information, contact Deirdre Hebert of PaganFM!.

Sectarian Prayer in North Carolina: On Thursday a federal judge ruled that using sectarian prayer to open a North Carolina county board of commissioners meeting violates the First Amendment. This comes after a magistrate judge issued a similar ruling on the same case back in November.

“The Supreme Court has also emphasized that such legislative prayers must not advance a particular faith or belief, because to do so would have the effect of affiliating the Government with that particular faith or belief in violation of the Establishment Clause,” U.S. District Judge James A. Beaty Jr. wrote.

As I reported previously, several North Carolina counties have been anxiously watching this case, wondering if it would interfere with their own sectarian opening prayers. It now looks like they too will have to alter their practices, or else face expensive litigation on a legal issue that isn’t trending in their favor. North Carolina has been host to any number of legal issues lately that focus on a Christian majority misusing its power, could this be the start of a shift away from that trend?

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!
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Is The First Amendment for Monotheists Only? [29 Jan 2010|10:00am]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/01/is-the-first-amendment-for-monotheists-only.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4246

A case coming before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals could end up having major legal ramifications for all religious minorities in the United States. Wiccan chaplain Patrick McCollum has been fighting for years to overturn the State of California’s “five faiths policy”, which limits the hiring of paid chaplains to Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and Native American adherents. While McCollum has suffered setbacks in his quest, with a California federal district court ruling in early 2009 that he had no standing to bring his suit, he recently gained support on appeal from several civil and religious rights groups who argue that his case should be heard.

“McCollum’s central claim strikes at the heart of the rights and freedoms that the Establishment Clause, the Equal Protection Clause, and Title VII were designed to guarantee. A state policy that classifies on the basis of religion (or any other protected ground) epitomizes disparate treatment that is properly subject to challenge by a member of the excluded group.” – From an Amicus Brief submitted by Americans United For Separation of Church and State, The Anti-Defamation League, The American Jewish Committee, The Interfaith Alliance, and The Hindu American Foundation

While decisions made so far have focused only on whether McCollum has standing as a taxpayer or non-inmate to bring his suit, a new Amicus Curiae filed by the National Legal Foundation, on behalf of a conservative activist organization called WallBuilders, argues that McCollum has no standing because modern Pagans aren’t guaranteed the same Constitutional rights and protections as Christian or monotheist citizens.

“The true historic meaning of “religion” excludes paganism and witchcraft, and thus, does not compel a conclusion that McCollum has state taxpayer standing … paganism and witchcraft were never intended to receive the protections of the Religion Clauses. Thus, in the present case there can be no violation of those clauses … Should this Court conclude that McCollum has taxpayer standing … this Court should at least acknowledge that its conclusion is compelled by Supreme Court precedent, not by history or the intent of the Framers.”

These statements, while certainly not representative of modern-day understandings of the Religion Clauses, have been seemingly welcomed by the California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), as the amicus gives no indication that they are missing consent from the defense.

“Wallbuilders files this Brief pursuant to consent from Counsel for Plaintiffs-Appellants and pursuant to the accompanying Motion For Leave to File a Brief Amicus Curiae.”

Indeed, instead of rejecting such a blatantly discriminatory  amicus, according to McCollum, in a statement sent to The Wild Hunt, lawyers for the CDCR have argued from the beginning of this long legal saga that there are two “tiers” of religion in America.

“I originally sued on behalf of myself and Pagan inmates as their chaplain, but about a year later several inmates joined the lawsuit.  Together, we claimed that it is unconstitutional for the state to deny the Pagan inmates their religious rights, their religious materials, and their religious services.

During the course of the case, the CDCR, other related defendants, and the Assistant Attorneys General who represents them have argued before the court that Pagans are not deserving of equal civil rights as are provided adherents of the preferred faiths.  In one of their first arguments to the court, the defendants said that certain “traditional” faiths are first tier faiths and that those faiths were meant to have equal rights and  protections under the United States Constitution, but that all of the other faiths were second tier faiths, and were not meant to have the same equal rights and protections under the United States Constitution as the first tier faiths.”

The bold claim in the WallBuilders’ amicus that modern Pagans have no Constitutional claim to protection under the Religion Clauses is the plain-speaking truth behind the more nuanced claims of faith “tiers” or “traditional” faiths made by the CDCR’s legal counsel. The brief reveals, in the words of McCollum, the “real culprits” behind this long struggle.

“I was told by a wise person early on in my legal battle with the CDCR and the other defendants that in every civil rights case the true nature of those opposing the civil rights of the injured parties would eventually rear their ugly heads, and that it would then become crystal clear who was actually calling the shots on their side and what their objective was.  Yesterday with the filing of this most recent brief, I think I can safely say that the real culprits have clearly shown themselves in full form — and that their goal is to tear down the religious freedoms of all faiths, except a privileged few,  to create a theocracy of privilege similar to the one that spurred the discriminations and abuses on account of religion, which prompted the American founders to form a new nation with liberty and justice for all–a new nation free from such coercion.

If the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals should decide that this line of argument has any validity, it could send a shock-wave through the legal community, casting doubt on any number of legal cases that now ensure the equal protection of religious minorities. This case, fought for so long, and simply to keep a Wiccan from possibly getting a paid chaplaincy position, has already created a “two-tier” religious system for incarcerated Pagans in California. Guaranteeing that some faiths are more equal than others.

In the face of these recent developments, McCollum calls for modern Pagans and their allies to speak up against this injustice.

I think it is now time for our community, and also for people of good will in other faiths and religious communities of conscience to respond to this outrageous position in support of continued discrimination by a governmental agency.  The safety and security of every minority faith community in the country is in danger when arguments like these are thought to be credible by anyone.

We all need to write to Jerry Brown, the California Attorney General, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Mathew L. Cate, the Secretary of the CDCR and let them all know our outrage.  And if you are a Pagan or Heathen, then we must also demand equal treatment, equal accommodations, equal access to our religious items for institutionalized persons, including prison inmates, and equal access to paid Pagan chaplains.”

It seems increasingly clear that arguments in this case over “taxpayer standing” has been something of a red herring, obfuscating the true history of this legal odyssey by McCollum and the Pagan inmates he is fighting for. This is about civil rights and our religious freedoms, not just a chaplaincy job in a prison. One can only echo McCollum’s sentiments, that the time to speak out is now. The time to stand behind and support McCollum is now.

You can be sure that I will continue to follow and report on this case, and that I will make more information and documents regarding this appeals process available as I have them.

Relevant Documents:
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Air Force Academy Gets a Circle and other Pagan News of Note [28 Jan 2010|07:45pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/01/air-force-academy-gets-a-circle-and-other-pagan-news-of-note.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4243

Top Story: As noted by Pagan bloggers Chas Clifton and Gus diZerega yesterday, the Air Force Academy, once notorious for its culture of religious intolerance towards non-Christians, is adding a circular worship area for followers of modern Pagan religions.

“The Air Force Academy chapel will add a worship area for followers of Earth-centered religions during a dedication ceremony scheduled to be held at the circle March 10. The circle, located atop the hill overlooking the Cadet Chapel and Visitor Center, will be the latest addition to a collection of worship areas that includes Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist sacred spaces. Tech. Sgt. Brandon Longcrier, NCO in charge of the Academy’s Astronautics laboratories, worked with the chapel to create the official worship area for both cadets and other servicemembers in the Colorado Springs area who practice Earth-centered spirituality.  “Feel free to check the site out, but treat it as you would any other religious structure,” he said.”

This development comes in the wake of a massive effort by the academy to improve relations with minority faiths. Sergeant Longcrier, who joined the academy shortly after accusations of religious intolerance emerged, says that the improvements have been palpable.

“When I first arrived here, Earth-centered cadets didn’t have anywhere to call home,” he said. “Now, they meet every Monday night, they get to go on retreats, and they have a stone circle. … We have representation on the Cadet Interfaith Council, and I even meet with the Chaplains at Peterson Air Force Base once a year to discuss religious climate.”

A dedication ceremony is scheduled to be held at the circle on March 10, one that they hope will well-attended.

In Other News:

Who’s Responsible for the Decapitated Goats: After two hog-tied decapitated goats were found in Washington DC, Humane Society officials said they believed the animals were ritually sacrificed, and the Washington City paper wondered if that meant Santeria. This prompted a practitioner of Santeria to step forward and defend her faith.

“Meet Elaine Hall … a member of a local “Ile,” or Santeria house. “I think that they were sacrificial animals, but I am not certain with which religion they are associated,” Hall says of the decapitated livestock found on Sheridan. Though devotees of Santeria certainly could have given the goats up to the gods, Hall has a hard time believing the gory remains Humane Law Enforcement came across on Jan. 17 have anything to do with Santeria. Why? It was sloppy work. “With the religion of Santeria, if an animal is destined to be ritually killed, it is believed that we— as humans—should be grateful to the animal, and it behooves us to treat the animal kindly and humanely before it dies for fear of offending the orishas [deities] and Olodumare [God].  Therefore, it is inappropriate to kill an animal that is bound (i.e. hog-tied), for one wants the animal to be offered of its own free will.”  Another reason? “My first thought when I read that two decapitated goat bodies were found was ‘That’s weird! Why did they waste the meat?” Hall says goats killed during a Santeria ritual are typically eaten afterward.”

I’m so glad that Ms. Hall stepped forward. Too often assertions of “ritual sacrifice” and “Santeria” are thrown around by ill-informed animal welfare and law enforcement officials when presented with dead animals. The only way to truly combat this ignorance is through education, by speaking out and educating those who accuse you. Then instead of simply rounding up the usual animal cruelty suspects, animal welfare officers can enter into a real dialog with faiths that engage in animal sacrifice. Separating the conscientious and law-abiding practitioners from rogue elements, the mentally disturbed, and thrill-seeking teenagers.

The Aversion to Christianity: Pope Benedict, while leading a Vespers service, condemned the “growing aversion” to Christianity around the world.

“Pope Benedict is condemning what he called “growing aversion” to the Christian faith in the world. Benedict urged Christians to invigorate efforts to spread their faith’s message despite what he described as the unfriendly climate to Christianity in parts of the world. He did not specify any particular region. “In a world marked by religious indifference and even by a growing aversion toward the Christian faith, a new, intense activity of evangelization is necessary,” the Pope said.”

Man, this is just too rich for me to digest in one sitting. If we just try harder to make everyone Christian, then our “aversion towards Christianity” problem will be solved! Genius! This coming from the Pope who has repeatedly insulted Pagans, who intimated that indigenous faiths are “silently longing” for Christ, and who keeps angering Jews. No doubt it’s all part of his cunning plan to somehow make us all like Catholicism more by angering us first. How Zen. Oh well, if this doesn’t work, maybe all those new blogging priests will.

Ted Andrews Memorial Service: A public memorial service will be held on January 30th for well-known spiritual teacher and author Ted Andrews, who passed away on October 24th after a long struggle with cancer.

“Loving family members and spiritual friends from around the nation are expected to arrive in Dayton by Saturday, Jan. 30, for a 10 a.m. memorial service in honor of Ted A. Andrews. Mr. Andrews, a prolific writer, teacher, story teller, protector of wildlife, a musician, and a serious student of the occult and esoteric, died from cancer at his Jackson, Tenn., farm and animal refuge on Oct. 24 at the age of 57.”

The memorial service will be held at St. Luke Parish in Beavercreek, Ohio. My heartfelt condolences to his friends and family, may Andrews’ spirit find rest and peace.

Here’s How You Spell It: In a final note, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor Patrick Bellegarde-Smith, Terry Rey, chair of the religion department at Temple University, and Leslie Desmangles, professor of religion at Trinity College, team up to give us all a lesson on how to spell Voodoo Vodou.

“Whether writing in English, French or Creole, the correct spelling of the predominant religion in Haiti is Vodou, according to the official orthography of Haitian Creole language … Derived from the term “Vodoun” in the language of the Fon of Benin in West Africa, and signifying a company or family of spirits, the correct pronunciation is VO-doo.”

So if you are talking about the religion in Haiti it’s “Vodou”, and if you are talking about the religion in Africa it’s “Vodoun/Vodun”. They only time the popular spelling of “Voodoo” is used is in the context of Louisiana/New Orleans Voodoo. So now you know. For further commentary from these professors on Haiti and Vodou, check out this article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that interviews Bellegarde-Smith, and Leslie Desmangles was recently quoted by CNN concerning Vodou. Both are worth the read.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!
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Goddess Religion and Misandry? [27 Jan 2010|06:37pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/01/goddess-religion-and-misandry.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4239

Is modern goddess religion misandrist? Has it, in fact, “encouraged widespread misandry in popular culture”? That seems to be the contention of two Canadian religious studies scholars, Paul Nathanson and Katherine K. Young, who have released a new book: “Sanctifying Misandry: Goddess Ideology and the Fall of Man”.

“In “Sanctifying Misandry”, Katherine Young and Paul Nathanson challenge an influential version of modern goddess religion, one that undermines sexual equality and promotes hatred in the form of misandry – the sexist counterpart of misogyny. To set the stage, the authors discuss two massively popular books – Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” and Riane Eisler’s “The Chalice and the Blade” – both of which rely on a feminist conspiracy theory of history. They then show how some goddess feminists and their academic supporters have turned what Christians know as the Fall of Man into the fall of men. In the beginning, according to three ‘documentary’ films, our ancestors lived in an egalitarian paradise under the aegis of a benevolent great goddess. But men either rebelled or invaded, replacing the goddess with gods and establishing patriarchies that have oppressed women ever since. In the end, however, women will restore the goddess and therefore paradise as well. The book concludes with several case studies of modern goddess religion and its effects on mainstream religion. “Young and Nathanson” show that we can move beyond not only both gynocentrism and androcentrism but also both misandry and misogyny.”

It seems pretty clear that the documentary  films they are referring to are Donna Read’s Women and Spirituality series, which included “Goddess Remembered”, “The Burning Times”, and “Full Circle”, and starred many Pagan, goddess-religion, and women’s spirituality luminaries like Starhawk, Merlin Stone, and Luisah Teish.

But do the early claims of the women’s spirituality movement really create a culture of misandry? Of man-hating? Leading to the supposedly misandrist pop-culture heavyweight that is “The Da Vinci Code”? Several scholars have criticized Nathanson and Young’s past work for spotty methodology, of misusing feminist theory, of only picking the data that fits their argument in pursuit of an agenda.

“Spreading Misandry’s stated goal to make recognizable the extent of misandry in popular culture is lost in its failure to connect their assumptions to sociological theory. The methodology that selectively examines some examples of popular culture and not others and then asks us to accept their interpretation as relevant and not others severely limits the potential of the research findings. Nathanson and Young promote sexism and gender polarization in their oppositional approach to gender. Most importantly, the work is totally divorced from the important connection of culture with structure in that they did not demonstrate a link between misandry in popular culture and the broader societal structures that negatively impact men. Instead of criticizing feminist theories, the authors would be advised to apply many of the findings and concepts of feminist researchers examining gender to an analysis of masculinity. Such would be a more constructive approach to examining gender-both masculinity and femininity. I am not convinced that misandry is a pervasive cultural pattern. Consequently I do not recommend this book for academic or popular consumption.”

What’s the result of bad or biased scholarship? Who cares if their methodology is spotty or agenda-driven? First, it can empower people like Canadian newspaper columnist Barbara Kay to write things like this.

“…it’s all nonsense: ideology gussied up as religious myth. Their methodical exposure of Goddess spirituality’s perversion of Christian tropes reveals the misandric obsession at its core. Taking Daly’s scapegoating revisionism as a reliable clue, they site Goddess spirituality — and for other persuasive reasons feminism in general — under the rubric of conspiracy theorism.”

As an extra-classy note, Kay’s anti-goddess hate-fest is married to a pseudo-obituary of Mary Daly. I realize that Daly had said and advocated many problematic (even hateful) things during her life, but spitting on the dead is usually frowned on in civil society. You can expect that Kay’s shot across the bow will soon become a full-blown salvo from people like Ross Douthat, Rod Dreher, and the loon-bats at World Net Daily, all of them referencing “Sanctifying Misandry” as proof of their beliefs regarding goddess-religion and feminism.

Regarding accusations of  women’s spirituality’s own spotty scholarship in the past, those issues have been almost fully absorbed and corrected within modern Paganism (not to mention modern feminism). With today’s scholarship having a clear-eyed assessment of where history/herstory got more poetic than factual.

As I said the last time this issue came up, when outdated criticisms of bad history were lobbed in our general direction:

“Wiccan-fabricated libels? Oh! You mean the “Burning Times”, right? The old “nine million witches” killed thing. Funny thing about that, it wasn’t a libel fabricated by Wiccans, it was an estimate by an 18th century German scholar which was then propogated (in part) by a 20th century British anthropologist. While some debunking of that estimate already existed in academic circles, it was hardly common reading at the time it was picked up by feminists and early Wiccans (the 1960s and 1970s). In the last twenty years, as the number was successfully reevaluated, modern Paganism has mostly dropped that meme, and those who don’t are often criticiszed within the modern Pagan community. Even Charlotte Allen, who wrote the critical piece from 2001 that Douthat links to, admits that Wiccans and Pagans have mostly moved on from “The Burning Times”.”

To link filmmaker Donna Read to author Dan Brown to claims of a man-hating institutional misandry really seems absurd. Especially when you see that misogyny and patriarchy are alive and well in Western culture, and ever-dominant around the world. To claim that goddess-religion has taken over pop-culture on a structural level, encouraging misandry in our day-to-day lives, is to turn a blind eye to the vast swathes of pop-culture that revel in the masculine, in the sexist, and ultimately in abuse. The whole thing smells like a hit-piece – partisan anti-feminist tome that draws women’s spirituality into the mix in order to cast the “villain” (feminism) as some sort of destabilizing counter-faith (shades of anti-environmental rhetoric). It, like other books of this nature, have to over-state and “pump up” the influence and pervasiveness of their enemy to justify the attack.
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Haitian Art After the Quake and Pagans Helping in Haiti [26 Jan 2010|07:48pm]

http://wildhunt.org/blog/2010/01/haitian-art-after-the-quake-and-pagans-helping-in-haiti.html

http://wildhunt.org/blog/?p=4215

While we have discussed Haitian religion, specifically Vodou, quite a bit in the wake of the massive earthquake that has decimated Port-au-Prince, there are many other important aspects we haven’t talked about. This was partially due to the immediate need to get aid and donations rolling, but now that we are two weeks into the crisis, some are looking at the vast cultural damage that has been done to Haiti.

La Sirene Vodou Banner by Mireille Delice

“With dozens of galleries, museums and other venues badly damaged in the quake, Haiti’s arts community is sick at heart. Had the nation’s rich cultural patrimony, a testament to joy and beauty in a land that has seen tragedy and despair, been lost? Since the quake, gallery owners have been trying to pull together a list of artists killed, injured or missing. They’d accounted for about half of those they represented. Untold is the toll in artworks, with their wild colors and real-life portrayals; their lions, tigers and bears, though those animals don’t exist in Haiti; their echoes of voodoo traditions and the nation’s African roots.”

The Los Angeles times talks with several curators, gallery owners, and Haitian artists about the state of Haiti’s artistic and cultural legacy after the quake, including flag-maker Mireille Delice (a protégé of  renowned Haitian artist Yves Telemak), who is persevering under the weight of considerable loss.

“Mireille Delice is a well-known creator of the “flags,” or banners, a form of Haitian art that is a piece of cloth, usually satin, decorated with beads or sequins. In the quake she lost her sister, her house and her box of sequins. “We have to keep on,” she said, seated at the gallery with other artists.”

Art can seem trivial, especially in the face of such a devastating human toll, but it also underpins and unites nations, religions, and cultures. As Haitian artist Gabriel Coutard says in the article, “art serves us. We must keep it.” To do otherwise really would mean the death of Haiti, certainly as a shared idea and culture, if not as a nation. As Haiti starts to mend, it will turn to its artists to make sense of things, and express the country’s pain, loss, and eventual recovery to the world.

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Since the quake many Pagans have given generously to aid Haiti, and several Pagan organizations have set up special funds for earthquake relief, we are also now starting to get word of Pagans who are on the ground helping the Haitian people directly. Pagan priestess Alane Brown, a member of the Crow Women Circle and Goddess Choir, has sent out an open letter to the Pagan community regarding Covenant of the Goddess member Peter Dybing.

Peter Dybing in Haiti

“Looking for a way to help the Haiti earthquake victims? Want to support an emergency medical clinic in Port au Prince that’s run by a Pagan priest? Please consider donating money to Haiti Community Support. This NGO is not itself affiliated with any political or religious group. However, the man running the clinic, Peter Dybing, is a member of the Covenant of the Goddess and a longtime practitioner of the Craft. He was very active in the Albuquerque Pagan community before relocating to the Virgin Islands a few years ago. There he met Mathilde and Bruce, who run Haiti Community Support. Haiti Community Support is a NGO that has been helping Haiti since 2006 through programs in health, education and infrastructure building. Following the earthquake, Haiti Community Support shifted its emphasis to disaster relief. Peter (an EMT) and Mathilde traveled to Port au Prince on January 14th and set up an emergency clinic in a park. They recruited over 30 local Haitians and together they began caring for people who, despite severe injuries, just could not get into the overwhelmed hospitals.”

If you want to donate to this effort in Haiti, head over to the Haiti Community Support web site. According to Brown’s letter, the emergency clinic now has doctors and nurses working with it, and is planning to start traveling to different affected areas. So if you have been looking for a way to donate that involves the Pagan community, and directly aids the Haitian people, Haiti Community Support seems to be exactly what you are looking for. May the gods bless and protect Peter Dybing in his work.

Dybing isn’t the only Pagan on the ground in Haiti, Circle Sanctuary member Otis Richardson (Fenian), a Pagan soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army, deployed for relief aid on January 16th. Circle has a page up with his contact information if you’d like to send him well-wishes or include him in your prayers and workings (Dybing’s information is included on that page as well).

Finally, while not on the ground, Rev. Tamara L. Siuda, Nisut of the Kemetic Orthodox Faith, and an initiated Haitian Mambo, has been sharing information about the safety of Vodou practitioners and their peristyles in Haiti via her Facebook Page and blog. Blessings to them in their efforts as well.
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