[Westbrook]

Then maybe you need to read this, which was written by a modern Wiccan, decrying the rape of children.

http://ajdrew.blogs.pagannation.com/defrost-please-read/

While the article only mentions sexual abuse and rape of children, scholars do remain divided on whether the traditions of Samhain, as practiced by ancient pagans, included child sacrifice.

It is difficult to locate a pagan religion anywhere on the Earth that did not practice child sacrifice.

While there are no Wiccans flying airplanes into buildings and openly threatening to destroy Western Civilization, I would never trust any of them with any of my children.

[Lusis]

So...the best you can drum up is one Wiccan blowing the whistle on other Wiccans. Bear in mind that there is no governing authority in that religion, as it's nothing more than a collection of small independent groups with a very loosly defined set of beliefs. I know there are far more occurances of the very same thing within Christian churches, good examples being The Family and the Roman Catholics.

Modern Wicca is only about 50 years old, and is not the same thing as ancient paganism, so comparing modern Samhain rituals to the ancient ones is a far stretch. You might as well be comparing modern Christianity to ancient Mithraism.

I'm not saying Wicca doesn't have it's kooks (probably about the same amount that exists in evangelical Christianity), but misrepresenting their beliefs does you no profit, and personally, I think damages the integrity of this site.

[sagar]

“It is difficult to locate a pagan religion anywhere on the Earth that did not practice child sacrifice.”

Human sacrifice has been part of almost all ancient religions, including non-pagan ones. Christianity is centered around sacrifice and shedding of the Savior’s blood. The Cross itself symbolises (human) sacrifice. God’s own son, sent as human, to be sacrificed for man’s sins.

Hebrews/Israelites take pride in the attempted sacrifice of Issac by his Father Abraham... the story gets twisted in Koran with Ishmael being the subject, but Islam takes pride in that too and names Ishmael as the father of the Muslim Nation.

So, human sacrifice isn’t just among pagan/non-Abrahamic religions. In fact, pacifist religions like Jainism and Buddhism are totally against any violence and that includes prohibiting any kind of physical sacrifice.