Comments on: Can You Be a Christo-Pagan in Prison? http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-christo-pagan-in-prison.html Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:24:03 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-christo-pagan-in-prison.html/comment-page-1#comment-1627 Anonymous Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:31:00 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-a-christo-pagan-in-prison.html#comment-1627 I dont like christo pagans, they are repulsive. Theres a perfectly good reason for it. <br/><br/>1. the bible quote that so many choose to ignore "thou shall not suffer a witch to live"<br/><br/>2. Maellus Maleficarum<br/><br/>3. Christians are anti women, most Pagans are female<br/><br/>4. christians are anti magic, or they believe that "only jesus can cast magic"<br/><br/>5. Catholicism started this way. Ugh. I grew up catholic, I dont want to go back there.<br/><br/>6. christo pagans are just out to convert Pagans (ive seen websites that have bible quote after bible quote)<br/><br/>7. Christianity is monotheistic, Paganism is Polytheistic.<br/><br/>8. Christians have done many many bad things, all christo pagans are doing is tainting Paganism. <br/><br/>9. Charles Manson is a christo pagan.<br/><br/><br/>10. Dare we forget the Wichtrials that were done by Christians? I dont like christo pagans, they are repulsive. Theres a perfectly good reason for it.

1. the bible quote that so many choose to ignore “thou shall not suffer a witch to live”

2. Maellus Maleficarum

3. Christians are anti women, most Pagans are female

4. christians are anti magic, or they believe that “only jesus can cast magic”

5. Catholicism started this way. Ugh. I grew up catholic, I dont want to go back there.

6. christo pagans are just out to convert Pagans (ive seen websites that have bible quote after bible quote)

7. Christianity is monotheistic, Paganism is Polytheistic.

8. Christians have done many many bad things, all christo pagans are doing is tainting Paganism.

9. Charles Manson is a christo pagan.

10. Dare we forget the Wichtrials that were done by Christians?

]]> By: Anonymous http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-christo-pagan-in-prison.html/comment-page-1#comment-1484 Anonymous Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:48:00 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-a-christo-pagan-in-prison.html#comment-1484 Al,<br/>I'm not sure what you heard, you had a unique position knowing some inmates at McNeil - but my position was even more engaging because I was an inmate at McNeil for many years and Tom had no axe to grind with ANY religion, simply the people or persons professing it if they were obviously transparent.<br/>What you didn't see were behind the walls when you left through that front gate. And what you couldn't have known is how some inmates used their religion as a spring board for whatever means necessary to undermine the system. If it was getting around security to smuggle drugs, or gain benefits and privileges only those few in that faith had some of it was a very real scam.<br/>I personally knew several inmates who claimed Wiccan and Asatru but ALWAYS shifted when events like cinco-demayo came around just so they could go to those festivities. In short, their beliefs were commonly transparent and I honestly don't think you have all the facts. Al,
I’m not sure what you heard, you had a unique position knowing some inmates at McNeil – but my position was even more engaging because I was an inmate at McNeil for many years and Tom had no axe to grind with ANY religion, simply the people or persons professing it if they were obviously transparent.
What you didn’t see were behind the walls when you left through that front gate. And what you couldn’t have known is how some inmates used their religion as a spring board for whatever means necessary to undermine the system. If it was getting around security to smuggle drugs, or gain benefits and privileges only those few in that faith had some of it was a very real scam.
I personally knew several inmates who claimed Wiccan and Asatru but ALWAYS shifted when events like cinco-demayo came around just so they could go to those festivities. In short, their beliefs were commonly transparent and I honestly don’t think you have all the facts.

]]> By: Al http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-christo-pagan-in-prison.html/comment-page-1#comment-1432 Al Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:43:00 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-a-christo-pagan-in-prison.html#comment-1432 Suss! !@!#$@$<br/><br/>I was the sponsor for the Wiccan group at McNeil Island for a while, having to take over from a friend who had been doing it for a couple of years when he got called up for Iraq.<br/><br/>Suss was *hated* by the Wiccan and Asatru inmates (the latter were forced to meet for holy days with the former as Suss didn't recognize their group). I was constantly getting reports of Suss' snide comments about paganism from the inmates and covert (and sometimes) overt pressure on them from him. Now, inmates bitch a lot about things that are minor but it was pretty clear at the time that Suss took his role as a Catholic priest to be far more important than wearing the impartial "Prison Chaplain" hat.<br/><br/>Everyone is better off with him and his ilk gone from prisons that have to serve people who aren't simply Christian. Suss! !@!#$@$

I was the sponsor for the Wiccan group at McNeil Island for a while, having to take over from a friend who had been doing it for a couple of years when he got called up for Iraq.

Suss was *hated* by the Wiccan and Asatru inmates (the latter were forced to meet for holy days with the former as Suss didn’t recognize their group). I was constantly getting reports of Suss’ snide comments about paganism from the inmates and covert (and sometimes) overt pressure on them from him. Now, inmates bitch a lot about things that are minor but it was pretty clear at the time that Suss took his role as a Catholic priest to be far more important than wearing the impartial “Prison Chaplain” hat.

Everyone is better off with him and his ilk gone from prisons that have to serve people who aren’t simply Christian.

]]> By: Jason Pitzl-Waters http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-christo-pagan-in-prison.html/comment-page-1#comment-1431 Jason Pitzl-Waters Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:50:00 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-a-christo-pagan-in-prison.html#comment-1431 <i>"It's a major dilemma for these chaplains..."</i><br/><br/>True, it will be a dilemma for many prison chaplains, but it is a dilemma that was bound to happen. Once the lawmakers and courts decided that prisoners have the same basic religious freedoms as law-abiding citizens (barring serious security risks) it was only a matter of time before the issue of claimed dual (or multiple) adherence came around. <br/><br/>Many of the problems we see here result from a prison system that wasn't/isn't ready for a post-RLUIPA world. “It’s a major dilemma for these chaplains…”

True, it will be a dilemma for many prison chaplains, but it is a dilemma that was bound to happen. Once the lawmakers and courts decided that prisoners have the same basic religious freedoms as law-abiding citizens (barring serious security risks) it was only a matter of time before the issue of claimed dual (or multiple) adherence came around.

Many of the problems we see here result from a prison system that wasn’t/isn’t ready for a post-RLUIPA world.

]]> By: Brock_tn http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-christo-pagan-in-prison.html/comment-page-1#comment-1430 Brock_tn Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:14:00 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-a-christo-pagan-in-prison.html#comment-1430 The problem here, which many Pagans seem to be carefully ignoring, is that Catholic doctrine currently teaches that one cannot be a Catholic-hyphen-<i>anything.</i> One is either entirely Catholic or one is not. A person who identifies as a Catholic-Pagan has at best fallen into serious error and may well have committed mortal sin.<br/><br/>Whether or not the <i>PAGAN</i> community is accepting of such things is kind of irrelevant, since a Catholic priest is going to be obligated to teach the people he works with that they CANNOT be both Catholic and Pagan. And he would be entirely justified under canon law in witholding the Eucharist from prisoners who insist in remaining in error. A good many Protestant denominations have similar theological views. And this new ruling is going to put many prison chaplains in a difficult position because their own religious beliefs and/or denominational rules will require them to treat Chrsto-Pagans differently than other prisoners.<br/><br/>It's a major dilemma for these chaplains... The problem here, which many Pagans seem to be carefully ignoring, is that Catholic doctrine currently teaches that one cannot be a Catholic-hyphen-anything. One is either entirely Catholic or one is not. A person who identifies as a Catholic-Pagan has at best fallen into serious error and may well have committed mortal sin.

Whether or not the PAGAN community is accepting of such things is kind of irrelevant, since a Catholic priest is going to be obligated to teach the people he works with that they CANNOT be both Catholic and Pagan. And he would be entirely justified under canon law in witholding the Eucharist from prisoners who insist in remaining in error. A good many Protestant denominations have similar theological views. And this new ruling is going to put many prison chaplains in a difficult position because their own religious beliefs and/or denominational rules will require them to treat Chrsto-Pagans differently than other prisoners.

It’s a major dilemma for these chaplains…

]]> By: steward http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-christo-pagan-in-prison.html/comment-page-1#comment-1429 steward Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:40:00 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2008/01/can-you-be-a-christo-pagan-in-prison.html#comment-1429 The list people can choose from is interesting - there are quite a few Christian selections, but Pagan - a polyglot definition if there ever was one - is a single selection. Now Protestantism tends to have the same basic rites across all denominations; Pagan sects differ. I think one thing that WA state should do is ask what kind of Pagan so they can better classify needs; I also suspect that many that claim Paganism see it as a form of Atheism in which you can force "The Man" to hand over some goodies. Want more goodies than the guy in the next cell? <i>Claim additional religions!</i> The list people can choose from is interesting – there are quite a few Christian selections, but Pagan – a polyglot definition if there ever was one – is a single selection. Now Protestantism tends to have the same basic rites across all denominations; Pagan sects differ. I think one thing that WA state should do is ask what kind of Pagan so they can better classify needs; I also suspect that many that claim Paganism see it as a form of Atheism in which you can force “The Man” to hand over some goodies. Want more goodies than the guy in the next cell? Claim additional religions!

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