A few stories of note I wanted to share with you, starting with a development that has already been mentioned by a few heavyweights in the Pagan blogosphere, the destruction of altars to Santa Muerte in Mexico. Collatoral damage of the intensifying drug-war in that country.

“Mexican law enforcement won’t say it is targeting the “Santa Muerte.” But last month, army troops accompanied workers who used back hoes to topple and crush more 30 shrines on a roadway in the city of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Laredo, Texas. Many were elaborate, one-story, marble-clad constructions with electric lighting and statues of the skeletal Death Saint. The sect’s archbishop, David Romo, denounced the destruction as religious persecution and demanded a meeting with President Felipe Calderon … “Sometimes people look down on us because we believe in her, but my faith is bigger than somebody looking down on me,” said America Melendez, a 24-year-old street vendor marching with a red-robed statue of the saint.”

Because Santa Muerte (Saint Death) is extremely popular among those who live in fear of violent death, it is popular both with drug-dealers and the communities plagued by them (though this recent destruction was supported by some local residents and officials). This psychological slash-and-burn tactic against the drug cartels may backfire on the government, making adherents believe the government isn’t interested in protecting their rights or safety.

I don’t know if you heard, but Easter is coming up this Sunday, and there are plenty of “pagan origins of Easter” stories littering the aggregators. But is Easter really “stolen” from the pagans? Christian History looks at the evidence and finds it lacking.

“The first question, therefore, is whether the actual Christian celebration of Easter is derived from a pagan festival. This is easily answered. The Nordic/Germanic peoples (including the Anglo-Saxons) were comparative latecomers to Christianity. Pope Gregory I sent a missionary enterprise led by Augustine of Canterbury to the Anglo-Saxons in 596/7. The forcible conversion of the Saxons in Europe began under Charlemagne in 772. Hence, if “Easter” (i.e. the Christian Passover festival) was celebrated prior to those dates, any supposed pagan Anglo-Saxon festival of “Eostre” can have no significance. And there is, in fact, clear evidence that Christians celebrated an Easter/Passover festival by the second century, if not earlier. It follows that the Christian Easter/Passover celebration, which originated in the Mediterranean basin, was not influenced by any Germanic pagan festival.”

Lest you think author Anthony McRoy is using biased sources, he generously quotes Ronald Hutton’s investigations into the history of Easter, and finds little evidence that Christians were trying to steal Eostre’s thunder. Of course that doesn’t mean that all those eggs and bunnies aren’t “borrowed” from pre-Christian folk traditions, but I think we can rule out wholesale holiday theft in this case.

In a final note, does a sickening crime against a child point to the spread of a growing anti-witch hysteria? A 10-year-old girl reported being beaten and sexually abused by a relative until she confessed to being a “witch”. The suspect, Emmanuel Beavogui, a native of Guinea here on an expired visa, was arrested and the alleged implements of his torture as well as a book on expelling demons was found in his home.

“The girl’s aunt told police that the youngster confided to her that Beavogui was beating her with a stick and accusing her of being a witch. The girl then told police a similar story, saying Beavogui pushed her against walls and recently struck her in the shins with a broomstick, which made her bleed. Police took photos of her injuries. The girl also said Beavogui beats her “until she confesses.” At Midwest Children’s Resource Center, which evaluates alleged child abuse, the girl said Beavogui had often given her baths when his wife was gone. During these baths, he would rub her vagina and scrub it with a plastic mesh — doing it so hard on one occasion that she bled, the girl told a nurse. After getting a search warrant for Beavogui’s home, police found two brooms, a wooden stick, a blue plastic mesh and the book about demons.”

Beavogui seemed cocky concerning his arrest, saying he could beat a “sexual charge” due to being married. He is currently out on bail, and his passport is being held while he awaits trial. The girl is in protective custody. While the abuse of children is always troubling, there seems to be something more here than mere abuse. I’ve noted that some extremist Christian elements lately seem quite comfortable adopting language and practices from the anti-witchcraft/occult hysteria-peddlers in Africa. Mix that with the fear, uncertainty, and doubt spread by the two-bit occult “experts” and concern-trolls and you have a potentially volitile mix that could endanger kids who don’t toe the line. Could the next “Satanic Panic” be focused on the children instead of in alleged defense of them? What happens when some of those quiverfull children don’t want to become culture warriors for their parents? Will they suffer extensive “exorcisms” as some children already have? Or something even worse?

Over at Salon.com Laura Miller has written a fascinating review of two new books that explore humanity’s deep attachment to relics, ancestor worship, and “biddable magical forces”. The books: “The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist” by Matt Baglio, and “Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World’s Holy Relics” by Peter Manseau (co-author of “Killing the Buddha: A Heretic’s Bible”), seem to point to the reality that no matter how secular our culture or transcendent our faith we still find ourselves drawn to an ethically diverse world of strange powers which we engage with decisively immanent devices.

“Relics are potent, largely because the value of these objects lies not in their testimony to the ordinary lot of humanity, but in their promise of transcending it. The devout believe that holy relics can miraculously cure diseases, heal broken relationships, deliver loved ones from misfortune, straighten out misguided children, and so on and so on, ad infinitum. Their adoration is utilitarian. This isn’t about flesh and blood, but about magic. The inclination to believe in biddable magical forces capable of acting for or against us appears to be irresistible to large numbers of people in every nation on the planet.”

Miller seems quite dismissive of Manseau’s attempts to view the world’s relics through a humanistic “circle-of-life” lens, and instead favors the more face-value religious worldview that the figures in Baglio’s book about an exorcist in training inhabit. Of course exorcisms aren’t  just for driving out Christian demons, but (as I’ve pointed out before on this blog) are a part of a larger spiritual struggle against religions that appeal more directly to the desire to control those “biddable” forces.

“The deftest church officials have used the furor to extend the battle for spiritual dominance on other fronts. According to the dutiful Baglio, “occult ties” are listed as one of the primary causes of demonic possession, with “occult” defined as everything from performing satanic rituals to participating in séances, tarot card readings or other forms of divination, the use of “an amulet or talisman,” transcendental meditation, engaging in Wicca ceremonies, using crystals and other New Age paraphernalia, frequenting psychics and even reading the Harry Potter books, which were condemned by the Vatican’s official exorcist. Anything, in short, likely to compete with the church for your spiritual interest and dollars can lead to an infestation by Beelzebub or Asmodeus (names that originally belonged to Middle Eastern gods who were rivals of the famously jealous God of the Old Testament).”

To a certain extent these books seem to underline a point made by Michael York in his book “Pagan Theology: Paganism as a World Religion”, that the “pagan” religious impulse never died out as the dominant monotheisms (and later, post-Enlightenment rationalism) took prominence around certain parts of the world. Instead, to varying degrees, the “world” religions adapted, absorbed, and tolerated just enough of these practices to remain relevant to their geographically and culturally diverse adherents. We shouldn’t be surprised that a variety of relics are still venerated across different faiths, or that the Catholic Church is ramping up the exorcisms to meet a need (and combat competition), these conditions point towards the idea that a polytheist condition is natural for humanity and can only be suppressed for so long. If it’s true that the natural instinct when reaching towards the unknown is to acknowledge a multiplicity of powers/forces, we will never truly see magic, “paganism”, or “superstition” ever really leave us.

While America is distracted by the Pope’s visit, the Christian Broadcasting Network (home of Pat Robertson’s “The 700 Club”) spotlights the growing popularity of exorcisms in Italy (a topic I’ve touched on before).

“In this predominantly Catholic nation the devil is gaining a foothold. “There is a greater openness towards the devil,” Rev. Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s chief exorcist, said. In fact, Rome has been called the most ’satanized’ city in Italy. “Satanism and the occult are in fashion,” said Father Pedro Barrajon, a professor of theology.”

None of this rhetoric is new or unusual (indeed, the good Rev. Amorth seems willing to talk to any news outlet that will give him the time of day), but what did draw my eye was an un-sourced statistic thrown out by the CBN reporter.

“There are an estimated 800 satanic cults operating in the country, with more than 600,000 followers. And their numbers are growing.”

Over half a million Satanists? Really? That seems like an awfully big number. To get some perspective, I checked in with theistic Satanist Diane Vera’s web site, where a whole section has been devoted to Satanic panic in Italy. According to Vera, these high numbers may be including Satanists, occultists of all stripes, Pagans, psychics, and other “heretical” individuals (teenage metal heads, for example).

“Among Christians, including Catholics, an increased emphasis on demons and exorcism leads inevitably to an increased fear of all non-Christian spiritual practices … All the “We’re not Satanists” disclaimers in the world will not stop conservative Christians from associating non-Christian spiritualities – especially the more “magical” spiritualities – with demons and/or with Satanism. Even in the eyes of those relatively few conservative Christians who are well-informed about the beliefs of Pagans, occultists, etc.”

This view is backed up by the blog Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion, who dug into census data and found that there were only 240 or so “organized” Satanists (as of 2003).

“Therefore, despite the many more relevant numbers often supplied by mass media – those who propose such numbers should, of course, be capable of supporting their statements with evidence as far as we can see from the numbers right now – the groups of organized satanists only represent an insignificant percentage of the Italian population even if, of course, the experience lived can be extremely hard for the people involved. The organized satanism is therefore a phenomenon that is often overrated, as a matter of fact, it concerns only a few thousands of people all over the world.”

Taking all this into account, it becomes clear that exorcisms aren’t simply a tool against “demonic possession”. No heroic Father Merrin casting out the demon in little Regan. Instead, we have a struggle against all forms of non-Catholic thought. If you embrace a theology outside the bounds of the dominant monotheisms, or simply want to divorce your Catholic husband, you are demon-haunted and ripe for spiritual torture-tactics.

“Typical cases, he said, include people who turn away from the church and embrace New Age therapies, alternative religions or the occult. Internet addicts and yoga devotees are also at risk, he said.”

The rhetorical slight-of-hand that turns all non-Catholic thinking into demon-possession hasn’t escaped the notice of Pagan groups around the world, who condemn this new commitment to “curing” people who may simply be happier as Pagans.

So while Benedict XVI makes nice at an inter-religious gathering in America, those under his purview continue to ignore his wish to “discuss our differences with calmness and clarity”, and instead label anyone in Rome rejecting Christianity as “Satanists”. But then, perhaps Benedict’s call for “sincere dialogue and cooperation” was only extended to the religions big enough to be invited to the party. Pagans, Heathens, and assorted polytheists, on the outs since the time of Theodosius, need not apply.

Last week I noted a recent story about the rise in popularity of exorcisms in Europe. In the article, a Polish Catholic priest laid out the types of people ripe for such a service.

“Typical cases, he said, include people who turn away from the church and embrace New Age therapies, alternative religions or the occult. Internet addicts and yoga devotees are also at risk, he said.”

In other words, Pagans need exorcisms! Sadly, it seems this trend towards spiritual warfare isn’t isolated to Catholic strongholds in Europe. A Catholic news service reports a sharp increase of exorcisms in Australia, and it looks like they are rounding up the usual (demonically possessed) suspects.

“One priest who asked not to be identified said he presently carried out exorcisms at least once every two weeks. ‘Being possessed by a demon is terrifying in one’s mental and emotional life,’ he said to the Courier Mail. ‘Some of these manifestations are extremely powerful, causing people to be plagued by disturbances. They hear voices and see hideous creatures in their sleep. There has been a recruitment of pagan practices, and it’s sheer poison … We are not very plentiful and certainly need more of us to cope with the big occult following that is emerging today,’ he said.”

But Australia’s Pagans don’t seem to be taking these slurs laying down. Australia’s Pagan Awareness Network has released a statement blasting the Catholic Church for attempting to create a “moral panic” regarding Pagan religion.

“‘A pagan ritual is no more dangerous than going to a church, a temple, or a mosque,’ says PAN president David Garland. ‘The Catholic Church is once again trying to create a moral panic about devil-worship and the occult. This kind of fear-mongering belongs in the Middle Ages, not in the 21st century. Exorcisms endanger lives and physical safety. Anyone worried that they might be possessed by spirits should seek referral to a psychiatrist or other mental health expert, not a witch-doctor in a priest’s collar. The Catholic Church should ban this barbaric practice … Mr Garland said that according to 2006 Census, there were more than 40,000 Pagans of different denominations across Australia, ‘all remarkably unaffected by demonic possession’.”

The Australian manifestation of this exorcism trend should be understood from the perspective of demographics. According to census data, Christianity is in the decline, and could lose its statistical superiority in the next 30-40 years. So it is only natural that some denominations will start to resort to more extreme measures of adherent retention. As numbers continue to decline, and some churches resort to spiritual “scorched earth” strategies, you can expect more belligerence and hostility to emerge from religious minorities.

The Washington Post’s Craig Whitlock reports on the recent rise in popularity of Catholic exorcisms. This new trend, which is taking root in predominantly Catholic areas of Europe, has allowed for a large spike in Church-trained practitioners.

“About 70 priests serve as trained exorcists in Poland, about double the number of five years ago. An estimated 300 exorcists are active in Italy. Foremost among them: the Rev. Gabriele Amorth, 82, who performs exorcisms daily in Rome and is dean of Europe’s corps of demon-battling priests … Amorth and other priests said the resurgence in exorcisms has been encouraged by the Vatican, which in 1999 formally revised and upheld the rite for the first time in almost 400 years.”

This new openness towards training exorcists seems to go hand-in-hand with the Catholic Church’s recent traditionalist turn, including loosening regulations for the performance of the Tridentine Mass (aka the Latin Rite), and a more strident tone towards non-monotheistic faiths. Which perhaps explains Rev. Wieslaw Jankowski’s guidelines for which demographics most need the rite of exorcism.

“Typical cases, he said, include people who turn away from the church and embrace New Age therapies, alternative religions or the occult. Internet addicts and yoga devotees are also at risk, he said.”

In other words, Pagans need exorcisms! But don’t worry, we will be in good company, since women who want to get a divorce also seem to need some demons ejected.

“According to what I could perceive, the devil was present and acting in an obvious way,” he said. “How else can you explain how a wife, in the space of a couple of weeks, could come to hate her own husband, a man who is a good person?”

Yes, I couldn’t think of a single reason why a woman would suddenly want to get a divorce. There is no way physical or emotional abuse, finding out about an affair, or simply realizing that the love is gone, could factor into it. It must be demons. Sadly, this woman’s “demons” seem too strong for the exorcist, and subsequent exorcisms haven’t been successful in making the woman want to go back to her husband (imagine that).

Is this new trend towards exorcisms a way to engage people in the power of the Church? Reframing all urges towards non-Catholic thoughts and practices as a struggle against evil powers, instead of acknowledging that they may be merely disillusioned with what the traditional monotheisms have to offer? It could be that this new vogue for casting out demons is actually a policy of retention, after all, would you want to leave the Church when your the focal point for spiritual warfare?