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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 7838
[Pagan]
Date Posted:
8/20/2003
9:26:28 pm EDT
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Comments: 19
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Update: Casey Pagan Radio Debate Enters Third Chapter
Author: Matt Cunningham Source: South East News (AU)
Title: PAGAN RADIO DEBATE ENTERS THIRD CHAPTER
The third chapter in a radio debate between Casey councillor Rob Wilson and the pagan community will be played out on 3SER Casey radio this Friday.
Junction Village resident Olivia Watts, who practices the pagan religion Wicca, will appear on air from 12.10pm to 12.30pm.
During the past three weeks, program host Henry Grossek has conducted interviews with Pagan Awareness Network president David Garland and Cr Wilson about the councillor’s allegation that a satanic cult was trying to take over in the City of Casey.
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Community Thoughts: There are 19 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Interesting Isnt It | Aug 22nd. at 9:19:03 am EDT |
by David Garland (Sydney Australia) - wc_xemail - Web
I thought I might update you a bit on what has been happening. This issue has been going for almost 3 months and there are plenty of articles that have not been available online that are scanned and available on our site.
Just reading the comments here. One of the biggest difference with religion in Australia is we do not have guaranteed freedom of religion like you do in the US (no one does not even the xtians) . No religion is recognised by the Australian Government under the constitution (this is a good thing as they can’t not recognise one either) . This is covered by Chapter 5 section 116 of the Australian Constitution.
There are however in most states good religious discrimination laws that we can use and are using in Casey against the Councillors concerned. It has gone legal there are two cases that I know of, one of them ours.
Casey has 200 000 residents so it is not some small town. When it first broke we couldn’t believe it was happening either. As soon as the court case starts the information that has been used for it can be released. Keep an eye out as if you are shocked now you will be horrified when it all comes out.
L&L
David Garland
President
Pagan Awareness Network Inc Find More info -- HERE
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| Wiccans VS Pagans | Aug 22nd. at 1:00:18 am EDT |
by Nodicia (Portland, OR) - wc_xemail
Pagan is a general umbrella term that can apply to anyone not of the Abrahamic faith. The Romans did NOT call themselves pagans, but they DID call country dwellers pagans, and it was basically a derogotory term, kind of like "Hick".
Now, we call the ancient Roman religions, and others, Pagan, because nowadays it's come to mean anything not Abrahamic. I thought this was common knowledge.
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| Wicca Is A Cult Religion??? | Aug 21st. at 9:37:34 pm EDT |
by Mme. Moondaisy (Pittsburgh, PA) - wc_xemail
"Technically, a cult is defined as the following: A group of people following one entity blindly. And that's out of my Webster's Dictionary, so what do you all think of that?"
Mmmphmmphmrphmphhhh. (The preceding comment was self-censored in accordance with new sensitivity posting rules. The author suggests exercising your power of imagination to fill in the blanks. Thank you ;-)
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| Bitchy Politics | Aug 21st. at 5:58:52 pm EDT |
by Stephen (Dallas Tx) - wc_xemail
I have been studying Wicca for 23 years. I'm not part of any coven though, they're still a little hard to find. This case is ridiculous, and not because it's just religious bigotry, but also because it the same stupid, shallow politics that seeks to sling mud, instead of talking the issues in a way that doesn't treat the polity as if they were freaking morons. My only caveat is in the constant equating of Wicca not just with drug users, and paedophiles, but also with Pagans, and I don't mean that offensively to the latter. My studies seem to show that Wiccans and Pagans are both under the general title of the New Age, or the Occult. I prefer Occult, since all it means is hidden or private if you prefer. Pagans in times past often feared witches, the ancient Romans certainly did, and they were Pagans. I don't begrudge the Pagans, but consider them what I call fellow travellers in the Occult along with spiritualists, shamans, etc. The distinctions between Witches and Pagans can at times appear to be of a hair's thickness. But such distinc-tions between Christians have caused their faith to spinter into many sects, all claiming to have the absolute truth, when from the outside it looks like they're only debating how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
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| ...group Who Follows Blindly...hum.. | Aug 21st. at 5:17:05 pm EDT |
by Cian (here and there...booga booga...) - wc_xemail
Sounds like the Catholics and the Mormons and the Presbyterians...yadda yadda yadda...
This councilor is yet another shining example of fear and ignorance winning the petite war raging within this poor man's hollow cerebellum.
Interestingly, the media has been chock full of pedophiles - MAINLY WITHIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH mind you, not within the Pagan Community.
Furthermore, this shallow minded individual (the councilor) had best curtail his tongue running wild for if he goes swimming and ends up floating like a duck...THEN HE'S A WITCH !!!! and thus will be in the opposite campground.
) O (
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| Ummm... | Aug 21st. at 3:58:05 pm EDT |
by Maharet (Pipe Creek, Texas) - wc_xemail
Technically, a cult is defined as the following:
A group of people following one entity blindly.
And that's out of my Webster's Dictionary, so what do you all think of that?
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| Last Word | Aug 21st. at 2:26:02 pm EDT |
by Matt (Newark, DE) - wc_xemail
Here's the problem: the man making the accusations will always get to have the last word in the discussion...
"Cr Wilson said this week he would expect the right of reply to Ms Watts on the radio program the following week, just as he had received the right of reply to Mr Garland."
He can make all the spurious claims he wants, because eventually the radio station will stop doling out airtime, and he'll have had the last word.
I don't know about Wicca's legal status in Austrailia, but I suspect (and hope) that the courts will not look to fondly upon a mayor using his official position to denegrate another religion.
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| It Sometimes Gets Tempting....... | Aug 21st. at 2:04:33 pm EDT |
by Aidan (Philadelphia) - wc_xemail
As many lies as I've heard the Christians tell about Wiccans, Pagans and any other faith that is not theirs, I get tempted.
They have a scripture which says "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That would seem to mean that for those who lie about me, I can lie about them. In fact, they wish that I would do so!
At least so far as individuals are concerned. After all, their own scripture seems to state that I would in fact have their explicit permission because that is how they would have me do unto them, correct?
Of course, there is one fact that goes beyond any discussion of kharma and/or the Threefold Law. That is the fact that I do not wish to stoop to their level.
But I would not mind reminding them that they have invited me to do so.
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| Peadophiles And Such | Aug 21st. at 11:58:39 am EDT |
by Titania (East Coast, USA) - wc_xemail
The previous article alluded to tolerance of Wicca equating to tolerance of pedophiles and drug dealers. Don’t ya’ just love that mentality. Then the motivation behind this is revealed in the second article--she's running for office.
Don't expect people who are against her because of her religion to bother getting real information about Wicca or any other Pagan path. They are more likely to go to a fundamentalist site rife with misinformation and outright lies. Aussie Pagans can only hope that radio stations like the one cited in the article will give equal time to groups like PAN and others where everyone can hear from a reliable source what Wicca and Paganism are.
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| In The News | Aug 21st. at 11:17:32 am EDT |
by Ares Hearthfire (ny, ny) - wc_xemail - Web
With the amount Wicca and paganism get in the news and with all he availability of what it is being public knowledge from these sources and books and the internet, it is amazing that anyone can make comments like this.
I wonder how many Australians did a lookup for Wiccans on the web to find out because of this guy and have been to this site? Pretty interesting thought though.
Ares
Big pet peeve: my religion is not a cult...calling it such makes me very angry
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| Ahhh! The Penny Drops! | Aug 21st. at 10:57:05 am EDT |
by Deal (Toronto, Canada) - wc_xemail
Finally in this series of stories the real reason for his comments is revealed. The Witch in question is running for office!
No wonder there's a nasty smear campaign afoot! It also explains why her sexuality is in question.
I must admit that when I first read about this article I was wondering why but this time its all come out. He's afraid he's going to lose his job!
So he's using the fact she's not "in the mainstream" religion wise to throw mud around and hope that no one realizes that she might do a better job than he does.
I don't know how things work in Australia, but here a Mayor has to win a council seat before they get to have any real power. So he's just basically chicken. I sure hope the people of Casey figure this out in time to vote this clown OUT of office. If he's running this scared I'd be wanting an audit of any monies he's been in charge of.
Blesse Be
Deal
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| One For The Aussies | Aug 21st. at 6:37:21 am EDT |
by Morgan (Brisbane, Australia) - wc_xemail
Believe it or not, most Australians ARE nice, accepting people (I should know, being as how I am one - generally) . But we all have our bigotted twits, and this councillor is obviously one of 'em. Let's just hope that when he gets down off his own little soapbox, he'll notice the sense he's NOT making, and stop ruining this poor woman's life.
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| Confused... | Aug 21st. at 6:27:34 am EDT |
by Sibylle (R.I., USA) - wc_xemail
In this and the ealier article it was mentioned that "a satanic cult was trying to take over in the City of Casey". Yet if you read the article there is no talk about any (commen) cult activities, just about how this councillor is ranting at that poor woman and the typical right wing fundie accusations that we hered so many times (cant they come up with something new? but that would mean that they had to use they brains - sorry, nevermind) . Anyway - where does it come from, I just dont get it?! One woman who said she practice wicca and say make a satanic cult moving out of it? Please tell me thats not true...
getting of my soapbox anf off to work
Farewell
Sibylle
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| Sadness | Aug 21st. at 3:11:05 am EDT |
by NightShade (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - wc_xemail
It gives me great sadness that such a ridiculous claim is made towards anyone. And in Austrailia no less. It's always seemed like a very 'liberal' nation up until now. Not that one small town (ship?) changes that completely, it just opens my eyes a bit.
If anything, I think that satanists everywhere should be rallying together against this Councilor's words since they have made great pains to distance themselves from the wiccan community. Obviously, this man has no idea what he's talking about. There are two types of satanist: the ones who follow Satan, an obviously Christian counterpart; and those who value/worship physical and material possessions/attributes over spiritual ones. This woman and other wiccans are neither. (wiccans can and some do value material/physical gain over spirituality, but not necessarily all of them) I really think the Church of Satan (and/or other satanist organizations) should send him their information.
I feel for this woman and her family and hope a decent apology is given for her grief. (if not a decent settlement from a libel suit, should that happen)
Tis a sad day in sad times. And yes, this and other things have given me reason to keep myself in the 'broom closet'.
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| Australia Is NOT The USA | Aug 21st. at 2:12:10 am EDT |
by Sappho (SF Bay Area, California, USA) - wc_xemail - Web
People, people, Australia is NOT part of the USA. Melbourne is in Australia, which is part of the British Empire, which means everyone gets to speak in cool Aussie accents. [ My Yahoo! group was recently relocated to Australia and I'm enjoying the virtual sunshine.] This article just goes to show that fear-mongering and right-wing bigotry exist all over the English speaking world. Bear in mind that the Australian Episcopal Church is against ordaining gay bishops and performing gay commitment ceremonies. They are very upset at the American Episcopals right now.
Bear in mind also that there are lots of cool, fine Australians of all paths and orientations who do not appreciate the bigots. My point is that people are the same everywhere, but that Australia is not the US.
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