Paganism, witchcraft on rise in UK

MSNBC ^ | 06/19/03 | Reuters

[bedolido]

TV shows, Internet, Harry Potter boost membership

LONDON, June 19 — Paganism and the ancient art of witchcraft are on the rise in Britain, experts said on Thursday as the summer’s most celebrated Pagan festival approached.

TELEVISION, THE INTERNET, environmentalism and even feminism have all played a role in the resurgence, they say.

Soaring Pagan numbers have churches worrying and calling for stricter controls on cult TV programs and films that celebrate sorcery like “Harry Potter,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”

Record attendance is expected at dawn on Saturday morning at the mystical megaliths of Stonehenge, where Pagans have celebrated the summer solstice for thousands of years.

The trend has worried some of the Protestant church’s more traditional elements. “The rise of interest in Paganism is damaging because it normalizes spiritual evil by presenting it as mere fantasy and fiction,” said Reverend Joel Edwards of the Evangelical Alliance, a grouping of some one million UK Christians.

Who's going to die in Harry Potter? “The Evangelical Alliance calls on government and TV regulatory bodies to monitor programs which promote or glamorize Pagan issues,” he told Reuters.

Thirty thousand are expected to dance in the sunrise on summer’s longest day at Stonehenge, says English Heritage, which manages the site — nearly four times the number in 1990, when it re-opened to the public after many years.

Scholars believe the ring of 20-ton stones was built between 3,000 and 1,600 BC as a sacred temple. Many of the revelers will be there just to party, but among them will be druids, who believe in spiritual enlightenment through nature, and witches who practice Wicca — harnessing nature’s power as magic.

[cavtrooper21]

I know that this is a flame risk, but on the first part of your statement I agree with you...
There are far too many good messages contained in Harry Potter to be ignored.
I still can't figure out the parents that will tear a Harry Potter novel from their kids hands and then plant them in front of the TV to watch violent/sexual TV shows or to play violent vidiogames. They top this off by saying that Harry Potter is "evil" or "Satanic" yet its ok for little Johnny to watch every type of degenerate activity on TV.

[cavtrooper21]

These phobics were the same nimrods that said D&D was Satanic...
I played for several years and then put it aside, and I don't nor have I ever "worshipped Satan".
If you put Harry Potter in the context that it was meant to be taken, it has very good messages. Hard work, Honesty, Loyalty to your friends, among others.
Alot of these twits also want to ban Huck Finn because it uses the word "nigger" but if they ever stopped spazzing out long enough to actually read (perish the thought!!!) the book they would find that the book takes a very "anti discriminatory" stand.
These folks are still stuck in the Salem "witch-hunt" mode.

[Coleus]

They top this off by saying that Harry Potter is "evil" or "Satanic" yet its ok for little Johnny to watch every type of degenerate activity on TV.
>>>>

Most people who are against Harry Potter are also against degenerate TV, MTV and the like, many do not even watch TV or allow their kids to watch it.

[Coleus]

I have seen things first hand.>>>

Wow, you will have to tell me one day.

[fatima]

I will tell you any day,many stories-comes with working for All good-want to see all bad-I did- don't go to one of these things-it is real.

[cavtrooper21]

And there are those who look for evil in everything except their own hearts, yet the greatest evil dwells within them.
Dreams of faith and fantasy make us who we are. I think that the message in Harry Potter is by far more positive than the message "close your mind, never dream, toe and walk the line." If mankind had never dreamed, we would never be exchanging these messages, we would be huddled fearfully in huts as the Priest/Witchdoctor extorted us with warnings of EEEVVVIILLLL, SSSSIIIINNNNN, and Aposty while our children wasted away from disease and starvation.
God's Will?

[Xenalyte]

You and me both - I played D&D for years, including the lame-ass computer version. No Satan here.

[steve-b]

I'm curious, because it's very hard to get unicorn tail hair and dragon heart strings here, and I'm looking for a supplier.

I've got plenty of cat tail hair and guitar strings, though -- will those work instead?

[Xenalyte]

Nah, we have those at home too. No dice. Thanks for the offer, though!