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| Witchvox Chapter: Wren's Nest News | Chapter Page Views: 54,874,903 |
Wren's Nest posts Pagan community news, updates on discrimination cases, legislative alerts, calls for action and general comments about Pagan issues around the world on a daily basis. If you find a news article of interest or are aware of an issue that may affect the Pagan community, please email us.
Top Stories (Past 7 Days)
 Today's News: Christian Leaders Unite On Political Issues Author: Laurie Goodstein Source: New York Times Title: CHRISTIAN LEADERS UNITE ON POLITICAL ISSUES Citing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to civil disobedience, 145 evangelical, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian leaders have signed a declaration saying they will not cooperate with laws that they say could be used to compel their institutions to participate in abortions, or to bless or in any way recognize same-sex couples. “We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence,” it says. The manifesto, to be released on Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, is an effort to rejuvenate the political alliance of conservative Catholics and evangelicals that dominated the religious debate during the administration of President George W. Bush. The signers include nine Roman Catholic archbishops and the primate of the Orthodox Church in America. They want to signal to the Obama administration and to Congress that they are still a formidable force that will not compromise on abortion, stem-cell research or gay marriage. | |
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Today's News: Handcuffed Statue Has The Experts Talking Author: Arkar Moe Source: The Irrawaddy (Burma) Title: HANDCUFFED STATUE HAS THE EXPERTS TALKING A handcuffed statue of a revered woman who exists only in Burma’s spirit world is at the center of debate and speculation among even the country’s intellectual elite. “It is very interesting and mysterious story,” said Khin Maung Kyi, a writer on cultural affairs. He and an increasing number of others interested in occult practices in Burma are following the story of a statue in Rangoon’s Bo Ta Htaung Pagoda which is handcuffed every night between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. “It is a sign of superstition,” said Khin Maung Kyi. “So we need to watch and observe it.” | |
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Today's News: Update: 'Agora' Picked Up For U.S. Release Author: Steven Zeitchik Source: Hollywood Reporter Title: 'AGORA' PICKED UP FOR U.S. RELEASE "Agora," Alejandro Amenabar's intellectual epic that had sat without a U.S. buyer for six months, has found a stateside home. Newmarket Films has picked up U.S. rights to the Rachel Weisz starrer and is prepping a release for the first half of 2010. The English-language "Agora" tells the story of religious conflict in Roman-governed Alexandria as the Christian and pagans battle, often violently, for religious and intellectual supremacy. The period story centers on he enlightened thinker Hypatia (Weisz) as well as both her philosophical and romantic conflicts. Max Minghella also stars. | |
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Today's News: More: Moscow Priest Could Have Been Killed By Extremists, Pagans – Sources Author: Interfax Source: Interfax Title: MOSCOW PRIEST COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BY EXTREMISTS, PAGANS – SOURCES Moscow priest Daniil Sysoyev most likely has been killed for his missionary activity among the non-Orthodox Russian population, a source at law enforcement agencies told Interfax. "He had recently received constant death threats from some extremist organizations. Daniil Sysoyev complained about it several times to the Federal Security Service," the source said. Fr. Daniil might also have been killed by members from the so-called sect of Rodnovers (Slavic Neo-pagans), the source told Interfax. Investigators are following all lines of inquiry but this theory remains the main one, he said. Additional Article Link: [Click HERE] | |
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Today's News: Russian Priest And Muslim Critic, Daniil Sysoyev, Assassinated In Church Author: Tony Halpin Source: Times Online (UK) Title: RUSSIAN PRIEST AND MUSLIM CRITIC, DANIIL SYSOYEV, ASSASSINATED IN CHURCH A Russian Orthodox priest known for his outspoken criticism of Islam and attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity has been assassinated in his Moscow church. A masked gunman shot Father Daniil Sysoyev in the head and chest after asking for him by name, police said. The choirmaster, Vladimir Strelbinsky, was seriously wounded in the attack at St Thomas Church in southern Moscow. Father Daniil, 35, died of his wounds in hospital late last night. A Russian newspaper reported that he had recently told its journalists of 14 death threats by telephone and e-mail, which he had received as a result of his work among Muslim migrants from former Soviet republics. Additional Article Link: [Click HERE] | |
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Today's News: What if People Actually Treated Religion as Just a Metaphor? Author: Greta Christina Source: AlterNet Title: WHAT IF PEOPLE ACTUALLY TREATED RELIGION AS JUST A METAPHOR? If religion really were just a metaphor, just a comforting and inspiring story that gives shape and meaning to people's lives... what might it look like? One of the most common tropes among progressive religious believers is Religion As Metaphor. "Religious beliefs don't have to be literally true," the trope says. "They're just useful metaphors: stories that give shape and meaning to our lives." I'm not buying it. I'm not buying it for one simple reason: If religion is just a story, then why does it upset people so much when atheists say it isn't true? Any more than it would upset a fan of "Alice in Wonderland" if someone told them it wasn't true? I'm seriously not buying it. I think the "metaphor" trope is just a disingenuous way for believers to slip away from hard questions about their beliefs. | |
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Today's News: Wiccans Don’t Deserve Scorn (Opinion) Author: Ellen MacInnis Source: Bi-College News (PA) Title: WICCANS DON’T DESERVE SCORN If I had to be completely honest with myself, “activist” would be pretty low on my list of preferred labels. I’m more of a lover than a fighter, the kind of person to ignore problems rather than confront them like a good Bryn Mawr student. But, after hearing about the Bath and Body Works employee fired last year because of her religion, I was surprised to discover that yes, I can play the activist as much as the next girl. (In addition to writing this article, I also wrote my own blog post, created a Facebook group, spammed my email list… you get the picture.) The setting: November 2008, Hartford, Connecticut. The players: Gina Uberti, sales manager at Bath and Body Works, and her new regional manager, Sandra Scibelli. The plot: Uberti had worked for Bath and Body Works for eight years and had for the last six taken personal vacations on or around the week of Halloween to make religious pilgrimages to Salem, Mass. Scibelli confronted Uberti about this week-long leave, and Uberti explained that her previous boss had approved the vacation nearly a year in advance. When pressed about which religious holiday she was celebrating, Uberti divulged that she was Wiccan and was observing Samhain, considered one of the holiest nights of the year. | |
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