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Paganism, witchcraft on rise in UK
MSNBC ^
| 06/19/03
| Reuters
Posted on 06/19/2003 7:23:10 AM PDT by 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 summers 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 churchs 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 summers 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 natures power as magic.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.com ...
TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catholiclist; paganism; sofingwhat; witchcraft
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To: N3WBI3
When most churches talk about 'buddy Jesus' its no wonder people leave.
Or they go get their very own Buddy Christ!
41
posted on
06/19/2003 11:10:57 AM PDT
by
Xenalyte
(I may not agree with your bumper sticker, but I'll defend to the death your right to stick it)
To: Xenalyte
42
posted on
06/19/2003 11:16:51 AM PDT
by
Dead Corpse
(For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
To: Dead Corpse
That is THE perfect picture! And such an elegant headdress . . .
43
posted on
06/19/2003 11:18:44 AM PDT
by
Xenalyte
(I may not agree with your bumper sticker, but I'll defend to the death your right to stick it)
To: Xenalyte
44
posted on
06/19/2003 11:22:02 AM PDT
by
Dead Corpse
(For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
To: Dead Corpse
Who needs a Spanking?
45
posted on
06/19/2003 11:24:00 AM PDT
by
Dead Corpse
(For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
To: Dead Corpse
Sa-WEET!
46
posted on
06/19/2003 11:40:45 AM PDT
by
Xenalyte
(I may not agree with your bumper sticker, but I'll defend to the death your right to stick it)
To: what's up
Britains #1 cultural contribution is a witchcraft novel for kids. What ever happened to The Tales of King Arthur?
47
posted on
06/19/2003 11:42:11 AM PDT
by
oyez
(Is this a great country or what?)
To: bedolido
"When people cease to believe in the one, true God, they don't just believe in nothing. They believe in anything." G.K. Chesterton
To: what's up
I agree with you entirely. I have a teenage daughter who tends to like weird literature and even she knows to stay away from this stuff. There is a lot of good literature out there; we don't have to descend to this. And the price our culture is paying is already evident, as this article points out.
49
posted on
06/19/2003 11:53:20 AM PDT
by
twigs
To: marshmallow
"Pull the wool over your own eyes and relax in the safety of your own delusions."
-J.R. "Bob" Dobbs.
50
posted on
06/19/2003 11:53:29 AM PDT
by
Dead Corpse
(For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
To: marshmallow
I'm reading Orthodoxy right now. What an incredible book!
51
posted on
06/19/2003 11:55:45 AM PDT
by
twigs
To: ASA Vet
Well Judism has been going for 3500+ years, the ancient egyptian system lasted from something like 4500BC until almost the Christian era, and Hinduism may be close to as old. Hinduism and Judism are still alive and kicking, of sorts. Other than that, I'm not really sure.
52
posted on
06/19/2003 12:15:35 PM PDT
by
CatoRenasci
(Ceterum Censeo [Gallia][Germania][Arabia] Esse Delendam --- Select One or More as needed)
To: CatoRenasci
From what I've been able to determine, the hindu supernaturlist system dates back just a couple centuries BCE.
Looks like judism has the longivity title for this cycle of recorded history.
53
posted on
06/19/2003 12:28:22 PM PDT
by
ASA Vet
("Those who know, don't talk. Those who talk, don't know." (I'm in the 2nd group.))
To: ASA Vet
Hmm, I think the Egyptians are still ahead, but it's a close run thing and Judism may well win out in the end (unless the Arabs have their way with the Jews). Judism is a special case, however, because it has not been the religion of a major state other than for 1000 years or so BC (I refuse to go to BCE and CE - too politically correct, so I'll stick with BC and AD). If you want to look at systems that sustained major states, the Egyptians win hands down, although there are probably claims that need to be investigated for Zoroastriansim, the religion of the Persian state before the Arabs.
54
posted on
06/19/2003 12:39:08 PM PDT
by
CatoRenasci
(Ceterum Censeo [Gallia][Germania][Arabia] Esse Delendam --- Select One or More as needed)
To: CatoRenasci
The original wicca supernatualism was long lived too.
(One of my ancestors was hung in the Salem insanity.)
I refuse to use BC and AD because they give unwarranted status to
a specfic supernaturalist system.
I'd rather use AE (atomic era,) in which it is currently 58 AE, but I'd be real lonely.
55
posted on
06/19/2003 12:59:02 PM PDT
by
ASA Vet
("Those who know, don't talk. Those who talk, don't know." (I'm in the 2nd group.))
Comment #56 Removed by Moderator
To: LanPB01
"Yeah, right. I guess a story that encourages children to work hard and do their best to overcome obstacles can't compete with a book featuring happy tales of worldwide flooding, testing people by encouraging them to kill their own kids, and wholesale slaughter."
LOL! Depends on the child. As for your other remarks I believe you need professional help. You're off the wall.
Harry Potter is for the troubled child. Studies have indicated that. So for us, we prefer to avoid witchcraft and spells. You do as you see fit without villifying and exaggerating the preference of others. Ooops, I forgot, Harry Potter fans are unable to do this. They are too intimidated by disapproval.
57
posted on
06/19/2003 1:58:06 PM PDT
by
nmh
To: dark_lord
"To fight evil one must recognize it. Think of it as paladin educational services."
Surely you don't need Harry Potter to show you what evil is! What a hoot! ALl I need to know about evil is written in the Bible and witchcraft is definitely evil as this articles states.
58
posted on
06/19/2003 1:59:50 PM PDT
by
nmh
To: nmh
So, according to the Bible, will you burn me, stone me, or just slit my throat then defecate in my mouth? I've got a baby daughter coming, will you dash her brains out on the rocks? Or wait until she is of age then allow her to be raped to death?
Don't you people even bother to read the whole damn book?
59
posted on
06/19/2003 2:08:38 PM PDT
by
Dead Corpse
(For an Evil Super Genius, you aren't too bright are you?)
To: ASA Vet
I'd rather use AE (atomic era,) in which it is currently 58 AE, but I'd be real lonely H. Beam Piper bump to the top.
60
posted on
06/19/2003 2:09:38 PM PDT
by
Pilsner
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