Free Republic

Eleven elderly people accused of being witches have been burned to death by a mob in the west of Kenya, police say. A security operation has been launched to hunt down villagers suspected of killing them in Kisii District. The BBC's Muliro Telewa in the region says the gang had a list of the victims and picked them out individually. The area has witnessed similar attacks in the past when people suspected of engaging in witchcraft have been killed or ostracised. But our reporter says that this is a surprisingly large number of people to be attacked at the same...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – MAY 8, 2008 CONTACT: Ryan Gill at: Ryan@MoveAmericaForward.org WITCH-HUNT Marine Supporters to Fight Back AgainstWitches at Berkeley Marine Recruiting Center FRIDAY, MAY 9th – 8:00 AM – 12:00 Noon (SAN FRANCISCO) – Pro-troop supporters will gather to counter the efforts by a coven of witches to cast a spell of binding on the US Marine Corps Officer Selection Office located at 64 Shattuck Sq. in Berkeley. The anti-military demonstration by witches, crones and sirens is being organized by the radical left-wing group, Code Pink which proudly announced the despicable gathering at their website: www.BayAreaCodePink.org The pro-Marine...

Code Pink is now resorting to witchcraft to beef up the number of its supporters protesting Berkeley's controversial Marine Corps Recruiting Center. The women's anti-war group has told ralliers to come equipped with spells and pointy hats Friday for "Witches, clowns and sirens day," the last of the group's weeklong homage to Mother's Day. "Women are coming to cast spells and do rituals and to impart wisdom to figure out how we're going to end war," Zanne Sam Joi of Bay Area Code Pink told FOXNews.com. The group's week of themed protests, which included days to galvanize grannies and bring-your-daughter-to-protest,...

As we pump out greenhouse gases, most of the discussion focuses on direct consequences like rising seas or aggravated hurricanes. But the indirect social and political impact in poor countries may be even more far-reaching, including upheavals and civil wars — and even more witches hacked to death with machetes. In rural Tanzania, murders of elderly women accused of witchcraft are a very common form of homicide. And when Tanzania suffers unusual rainfall — either drought or flooding — witch-killings double, according to research by Edward Miguel, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley. “In bad years, the killings...

Mysterious pits shed light on forgotten witches of the West Simon de Bruxelles Evidence of pagan rituals involving swans and other birds in the Cornish countryside in the 17th century has been uncovered by archaeologists. Since 2003, 35 pits at the site in a valley near Truro have been excavated containing swan pelts, dead magpies, unhatched eggs, quartz pebbles, human hair, fingernails and part of an iron cauldron. The finds have been dated to the 1640s, a period of turmoil in England when Cromwellian Puritans destroyed any links to pre-Christian pagan England. It was also a period when witchcraft attracted...

Saudi Arabia to execute woman for 'witchcraft'  Thursday, February 14, 2008 A leading international human rights organisation is calling on Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to halt the planned execution of a woman accused of "witchcraft". The woman is due to be put to death on foot of a coerced confession and the statements of witnesses who said she had "bewitched" them. One man claimed she had made him impotent. In another case, a divorced woman reportedly returned to her ex-husband during the month predicted by the witch said to have cast the spell. The court failed to probe alternative explanations...

This looks like a good resource: When the day's news is about "witches," many Americans reflexively conjure up images of ugly, wicked hags from stories like "Snow White" and "The Wizard of Oz" – or more recently, the smiling "good witches" of Harry Potter books and films. But none of these fictional fantasies has anything to do with the real thing. The real thing – that is, the stunning phenomenon of more and more American housewives, students, professors, and even soldiers self-identifying as "witches" – is the topic of the January edition of WND's elite monthly Whistleblower magazine. Titled "WITCHCRAFT...

Bonnie Thompson's Hicksville house is bedecked with all kinds of witch decorations. There are witch-on-broomstick weather vanes staked in her flower beds and witch chimes dangling below her mailbox. Sitting atop the sill of her bay window are small iron cauldrons and witch figurines. But none of these objects is there because Halloween is coming. Thompson is a real witch, or wiccan to be more exact, who follows the concepts and rituals taught by Richard and Gypsy Ravish. The Salem, Mass., couple are head priest and priestess of the Temple of Nine Wells and initiated Thompson into wicca. As the...

The Managing Director of Brother Trust Nigeria Limited, Apapa, Mr. Adedojo Aroloye, has narrated to an Ikeja High Court how he lost N9 million to some people who claimed to be witches and wizards. The N9 million fraud charge was brought against four accused persons, Kayode Awolumate, Sunday Omotayo, Joke Adamolekun and Ibrahim Adebisi. Aroloye told the court that he was defrauded by the accused, who claimed to be witches and wizards and promised to make him richer. Narrating the incident, Aroloye said his driver, Sunday Omotayo (one of the accused), introduced his father, Oluwole Adamolekun a.k.a. Gadaffi, No Mercy,...

'Witch hitman' jailed for life 11/09/2007 19:47  - (SA)    Pietermaritzburg - A man promised R10 000 to kill a woman suspected of killing people through witchcraft has been jailed for life by the Pietermaritzburg High Court. The man, Blessing Malinga, 30, of Empangeni, pleaded guilty to the murder of Maria Buthelezi by gunning her down in her house after allegedly being hired by Mkhombiseni Sithole of Gluckstadt in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Several of Sithole's family had died recently, and they believed that the deaths stemmed from by witchcraft practised by Buthelezi. The Sitholes decided to kill her and hired Malinga, the court was...

Testimony from dozens of persons and police officers depict seeing what appear to be witches flying through the skies of remote Mexican towns. Several people videotaped the strange phenomenon. The creatures appear to infest the skies over an old cemetery.

House Democrats from Long Island and New York City on Friday joined the chorus of critics slamming Ann Coulter. The lawmakers signed a letter drafted by Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) demanding that the conservative commentator apologize for saying in her new book that widows of some 9/11 victims are "enjoying" their husbands' deaths. The book refers to the four New Jersey women as "the witches of East Brunswick." "Their personal loss should never be minimized, especially in such a cold and callous way as you attack these victims in your book," Israel wrote.

What a moron. Ann Coulter, that is. After calling a group of 9/11 widows "harpies" who seem to be "enjoying their husbands' deaths" in her new book, the conservative pundit has gone too far. She even added: "And by the way, how do we know their husbands weren't planning to divorce these harpies? Now that their shelf life is dwindling, they'd better hurry up and appear in Playboy..." Huh? Ugly is the only way I can describe what Coulter has written. Now I understand why Time magazine put her on the cover a few years ago and made her look...

Witches have returned to the German forests, dancing naked in groups under the full moon and calling to their gods. The covens vary in size and in how seriously they take their calling, but the numbers are rising, particularly amongst the young. Their religious ideas are described as "pagan" rather than Satanist, and many of the older practitioners have a history in the environmental movement, where they learnt a passionate love of nature. In some cases this has led on to a belief in the natural powers of the forests. The women are convinced they can work magic. "The witches'...

The New Underground Railroad Thousands of women come to New York each year for late-term abortions. A hundred New Yorkers take them in. Haven Coalition volunteer Suzanne in the space where she hosts women who travel to New York for abortions. (Photo credit: Donna Ferrato) It’s 8 p.m. on a Friday, and Adeena is lying on a bed in my apartment, squirming in pain, her pants unzipped to reveal a disturbingly large belly. We’re watching a DVD she chose from the corner Blockbuster: Coach Carter, starring Samuel Jackson and Ashanti. Jackson has just taken a job at a ghetto...

On October 31, the Associated Press reported that a Dutch court ruled that the costs of witchcraft lessons could be tax-deductible. Meanwhile, Zenit News Agency is reporting that in England, Portsmouth’s Kingston Prison has hired a pagan chaplain to advise three inmates who are currently serving life-sentences. A London newspaper has also reported that pagan priests in prisons will be allowed to use wine and wands in ceremonies. Pagan inmates will be allowed hoodless robes, incense, and religious jewelry. These incidents clearly indicate that paganism is on the rise. But why? Catherine Sanders has tried to answer this question in...

Scared of Halloween The Objectivist Center & Atlas Society ^ | October 31, 2005 | Edward Hudgins Posted on 10/31/2005 10:00:31 AM PST by Ed Hudgins Scared of Halloween By Edward Hudgins Exective Director The Objectivist Center & Atlas Society ehudgins@objectivistcenter.org October 31, 2005 Halloween has its origins in superstition and sadly, it invokes old and new superstitions still. Halloween, from "All Hallows Eve," was the evening before the Catholic All Saints Day and was supposed to be haunted by demons jealous of the holy day to follow. It also had roots in prehistoric Celtic mythology. But in modern times...

As if their support of child pornography and same sex marriage weren’t enough to prove that the Dutch were out there, this one should cement it. Apparently they are not offering tax breaks for the study of Witchcraft. Read More... Craig DeLuz Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense... www.craigdeluz.com

Scared of Halloween By Edward Hudgins Exective Director The Objectivist Center & Atlas Society ehudgins@objectivistcenter.org October 31, 2005 Halloween has its origins in superstition and sadly, it invokes old and new superstitions still. Halloween, from "All Hallows Eve," was the evening before the Catholic All Saints Day and was supposed to be haunted by demons jealous of the holy day to follow. It also had roots in prehistoric Celtic mythology. But in modern times it's developed into a fun day where children dress in ghoulish or cute costumes and canvass the neighborhood for candy while adults at masquerade parties imbibe...

A place to avoid, as advertised on DU: benburch (1000+ posts) Thu Jul-28-05 10:55 PM Original message August 27, Mendocino County, Witches’ Ball: A Sexy Witch Celebration Witches' Ball: A Sexy Witch Celebration A freaky, friendly, sex positive, size positive, queer positive, play positive, kitschy, kinky, Magickal Extravaganza! August 27, Mendocino County, address and other details available with ticket purchase. Come witness the unveiling of Sexy Witch by LaSara FireFox, help to kick off LaSara's 20-city (!!!) book tour with a silly, sexy, fun, celebration...and benefit two radical Mendocino County based women's groups in the process! Festivities will include: *...

Channel 10 Executive Producer Avi Barzilai on Wednesday repulsed the idea of broadcasting a tape of the Pulsa Denura ceremony against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, calling the rite "a despicable ceremony by despicable people bought and broadcast by individuals who pretend to be journalists and would do anything in order to raise their ratings." "As a senior journalist," he told Army Radio, "I don't regard them as members of the profession," Barzilai continued. Israel Segal - chief editor of Channel 2's current affairs program Mishal Ham that acquired the tape for $5,000 - claimed that the moment the tape became...

SALEM, MA — The unveiling of the "Bewitched" statue yesterday was pure magic and even purer spectacle. The very moment TV Land President Larry Jones pulled the blue cover off the 9-foot bronze statue of actress Elizabeth Montgomery, the late actress who played Samantha Stephens in the 1960s TV sitcom, there was a puff of white smoke. Then, as if on cue, rain fell from the dark skies. A crowd estimated at 1,000 had braved unseasonably cold weather for just this moment, and many of them — including a large contingent of black-clad witches — cheered happily. But minutes earlier,...

LONDON (Reuters) - A schoolgirl told a British court Thursday she was put into a laundry bag and was going to be thrown from a third-floor apartment window into a river by her mother and aunt who thought she was a witch. Prosecutors say the girl, brought to London from Angola by a woman claiming to be her mother, had been regularly abused by members of her family after they had become convinced she was putting curses on members of her family. The court has heard the abuse culminated in a plan by her 38-year-old "mother" and another woman, Sita...

SALEM -- When the cast and crew of ''Bewitched" flew into Salem in 1970 to film episodes of the television sitcom, Witch City rolled out its red carpet. Elizabeth Montgomery, the actress who played twitchy-nosed Samantha Stephens, was honored at official dinners. Fans thronged The House of the Seven Gables and other historic sites used in the filming. And Oct. 7, 1970, was declared ''Bewitched Day" in Salem. But now some in Salem are upset over plans by the TV Land cable network to honor the late Montgomery with a 9-foot bronze statue in a city infamous for its 17th...

An article on witchcraft by a Central Middle School student has a local group concerned. "Most people believe witches don't exist, and I am here to prove them wrong," wrote the eighth-grader, adding that her aunt is a Wiccan witch. The short article was printed in the winter issue of the Cavalier Chronicle. "We think it's inappropriate for a middle school student newspaper to encourage 11-year-olds to experiment with witchcraft," said Gary Glenn of the Midland-based American Family Association of Michigan. The student wrote she has "decided to experiment with this religion and see if this is the way for...

After applying and getting denied twice, the Boston University Nemeton Wicca Student Group was approved by the Religious Life Council as a new religious organization on campus Wednesday afternoon at Marsh Chapel. The RLC denied the group, which applied as a pagan organization the first two times, because paganism is not formally recognized as a religion. But, last semester the organization changed its affiliation to Wicca, which is considered a religion, changing its name to the Wicca Student Group this year. Nemeton President Aubrey Hooser said renaming the group was not an issue. "The majority of the group follows Wicca,...

"A suicidal mom, despondent over her divorce and struggling with her teenage daughter, beat the 14-year-old to death with a hammer and shovel...Friends said Lynn Giovanni had written a book, 'Judicial System Loopholes,' last year that slammed the court's treatment of domestic violence. Giovanni used the nom de plume 'Faith Hope.'"

Recently the liberals in the blogosphere have taken comfort in a 1798 quote by Thomas Jefferson, namely, “A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to it's true principles.” Given Jefferson’s humanist philosophy, the quote seems odd—more appropriate for a Calvinist from Massachusetts than a deist from Virginia. So, a little research later, we find the original, which is, indeed, from the Jefferson pen. It can be found at http://www.wadsworth.com/history_d/special_features/ext/ap/chapter7/7.1.tj2taylor.html And, for verification, it is also found at the University of Virginia’s...

We Must Have Patience ...Barbra Streisand In response to the results of the Presidential election last week, I would like to share with you a quote from Thomas Jefferson. Although written in 1798, I feel his words speak perfectly to the strong sentiments of frustration and disappointment 48% of the country feel. "A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of...

Since I cannot start a thread (which I think is a good rule by the way), I have to hijack one -- at least briefly. I do want this thread to continue on, though, because the topic is so important. (Moderators can feel free to move this, of course.) But I also had something I wanted to say to all of you. You know that I read DU and have for quite some time, long before any of you knew my name. I really appreciate the support you have given me on this latest hurdle and before. It means a...

Abortion Supporters Warn Bush on 'Women's Rights' (CNSNews.com) - "Reproductive health" groups -- abortion supporters -- were among the first to issue press releases on Wednesday warning President Bush not to roll back the clock on women's reproductive rights. In a statement issued Wednesday morning, NARAL Pro-Choice America Interim President Elizabeth Cavendish said, "President Bush had to pull out all the stops to beat back the mobilized opposition he faced in this campaign. He will face an even bigger mobilization if he now tries to pack the Supreme Court with new anti-choice zealots. "Not even George Bush could keep a...

Despite Protest, School Bans Halloween To Appease Witches PUYALLUP, Wash. -- Kids who show up in Halloween costumes at public schools in Puyallup, Wash., may be sent home. School district spokeswoman Karen Hansen said that's especially true if the costumes disrespect any group, including witches. The school board upheld the ban on Halloween activities at a Monday night meeting. School Board President Greg Heath said the board supports the administration because improving student achievement is the district's highest priority. District officials said Halloween parties and costumes waste class time and offend real witches or Wiccans. Many of the 400 people...

PUYALLUP, Wash., Oct. 21, 2004 -- A Washington state school district is canceling its annual Halloween celebration, and the explanation has some parents baffled. "Let them have their 30 minutes of dressing goofy and having candy," Silas Macon, a father of two school-age girls, said Wednesday outside Maplewood Elementary School after learning that the grade-school tradition of a party and parade in costume during the last half-hour of class before Halloween night won't happen this year in the district. A letter sent home to parents Wednesday said there will be no observance of Halloween in any of the district's schools....

Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Gloria Feldt to Speak at the Democratic Convention http://www.ppaction.org/ppvotes/main.html We are excited to announce that Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Gloria Feldt will be speaking at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, July 26 between 6 and 7 p.m. ET. Gloria's speech is part of the opening night program that will be covered live on C-SPAN. For those of you headed to Boston, we look forward to seeing you there. If you're not going to be in Boston, be sure to tune in to C-SPAN on Monday night to watch Gloria's address!

BOSTON -- Sen. John Kerry's sister assured a rally of feminist Democrats here yesterday that her brother will name several pro-choice justices to the Supreme Court if elected president.     "There are three things my brother is going to do when he's elected president," Peggy Kerry told a Boston event held yesterday at the Harvard Club by the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Feminist Majority.     Mr. Kerry will restore $34 billion to the United Nation's population fund for family planning, she pledged, and the Democrat will make sure that "CEDAW," an international treaty to eliminate discrimination against women, is...

On the hunt for grave sites By TRACY MOSS © 2004 THE NEWS-GAZETTE Published Online July 12, 2004 CLICK TO SEE PHOTO CATLIN – Stan Pentecost doesn't believe in ghosts, or UFOs, because he's the kind of guy who needs to see something to believe it. So, when he read that dowsing – using two rods to find underground water – could also be used to locate graves as well as determine the size and gender of the deceased, he had to try it. "I still can't explain it, but it works," said Pentecost, a member of the Illiana Genealogical...

<p>First there was no way that 1.15 million people were there, as claimed by the organizers. They are lying and they know it, 200,000 tops. I was down on the mall for the "Promise Keepers" event, and there was well over 4 times the number of people for that event.</p>

I appreciate having this opportunity to talk with you about something that's important to both of us -- the 2004 presidential election. You and I share a strong desire to put John Kerry in the White House, and we're not alone: Did you know that in the past five days, nearly 75,000 people from all across the country have donated almost $7 million to help John Kerry get his message out? I am writing today to ask you for your help, too. By contributing to this great cause, you can make sure that John Kerry's message of hope, promise, and...

Artefact recalls witches' shadow By Greig Watson BBC News Online, Nottingham The bottle contained pins, hair and a leather strap A chilling reminder of our superstitious past has been unearthed from a rural farmhouse. The "witch bottle" was discovered buried in old foundations in the Lincolnshire village of Navenby. Containing bent pins, human hair and perhaps urine, the bottles were supposed to protect a household against evil spells. Dated to about 1830, it is evidence the fear of dark forces persisted far longer than previously thought. Discovered by accident during building work, the artefact initially sat unrecognised in a cupboard....

From the American Coalition for Fathers and Children For Immediate Release January 5, 2004   Dr. Stephen Baskerville to head ACFC Fathers' Group Names New President Washington, DC (Jan. 5, 2004) &#8211; The American Coalition for Fathers and Children (ACFC) announced today that Dr. Stephen Baskerville, professor of political science at Howard University, will become President effective January 5, 2004. Dr. Baskerville is internationally known for groundbreaking commentary in both academic and news publications on the dismal state of family courts in America and the national tragedy of court manufactured fatherless children. His incisive commentary, ACFC believes, is setting the...

To all freepers, I wanted to let you know the problem I have with the League of Women Voters before I deliver my letter to them so that you can check out the links before they have them removed. Let me have you read my letter then I will have an action item at the end.

For many, the image of women burned to death for practicing witchcraft is a potent symbol of both Christian intolerance and Christian irrationality. That's why critics of Christianity are so quick to bring the subject up. But as a new book demonstrates, nearly everything we've been told about Christianity and witch-hunts is wrong. Feminists like Andrea Dworkin and Mary Daly claim that up to nine million European women were burned at the stake for witchcraft. And even non-feminist historians write about how the witch-hunts "consumed millions of innocents." Historian Rodney Stark calls these claims "absurd" and "nonsense." In his new...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAW OF THE LAND Judge: Witches can pray at county meeting - ACLU hails federal decision as victory for non-majority religions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: November 15, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com Witches, or practitioners of the Wicca religion, can pray at a county's board meeting, a federal judge ruled. Officials in Chesterfield County, Virginia, discriminated against Cyndi Simpson, a Wiccan, when they barred her from being on a list of clergy who can open the board of supervisors meetings with prayer, said U.S. District Court Judge Dennis W. Dohnal, according to the Chesterfield Progress-Index newspaper. The lawsuit...

Wicca high priestess battles town on prayer She wants Jesus Christ taken out of premeeting entreaty DAN HUNTLEY Staff Writer GREAT FALLS, S.C. - Wicca High Priestess Darla Wynne won't bow her head: Not for prayers to Jesus Christ. And not to the Great Falls Town Council members who refuse to change their prayer before meetings to accommodate Wynne's non-Christian religion. In this former mill town that lies hard by the Catawba River 50 miles south of Charlotte, a culture clash is churning. On one side is a New Age spiritualist in stiletto heels who has filed a federal...

I would like to get a lively discussion going on about feminazis and their role in todays society....I would like the most descriptive information i can get...

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, October 31, 2002 - In the New England town of Salem, once considered the city of peace for the New World and the gateway to a glorious Christian commonwealth, the community prepares for the annual Halloween celebration, viewed by many as a triumph over the narrow-mindedness of Christianity. More than three hundred years after the now-infamous witch trials of 1692, Salem has become a Mecca for witches, as covens and practitioners of the occult arts gather from around the nation each October 31 to glory in paganism and identify with the city whose name has become synonymous with...

Europe's first school for witches and wizards opens in AustriaEurope's first school for witches and wizards has opened in Austria.Students can take a six-semester course, including learning to make potions and cast spells, ending in a "sorcerers' diploma."The school is located in the mountains of Klagenfurt in southern Austria."Wizardry is very close to nature and is in no way a form of religion," said school director Andreas Starchel, who also calls himself Dakaneth."The school's aim is to pass on witches' and wizards' ancestral knowledge, which is gradually being forgotten," says the school's website.The school caters for three classes of students....

LIVERPOOL -- Fans of the Harry Potter stories and The Lord Of The Rings may enjoy attending a new School for Wizards and Witches. In the popular Harry Potter stories, a young orphan suffers while living with his vile uncle and aunt until he discovers that he is a legend to the witches and wizards of the world. Soon he's off to boarding school, where he studies the magical arts. The new school -- which isn't in any way connected to either the J.K. Rowling series or the Warner Bros. movie -- is housed in Victorian premises at 3 Temple...

<p>LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Like any other church group they have their pot luck suppers, charity fundraisers and mid-week fellowship meetings.</p> <p>The witches and warlocks of Lancaster, California, also happen to practice an ancient, Earth-centered religion known as Paganism, which involves invoking spirits and spells, concocting herbal potions, praying to an array of gods and goddesses, and performing mock "animal sacrifice" rituals by melting chocolate bunnies in fondue pots and eating the gooey remains.</p>