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Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — August 10, 2012 — 62 Comments

There are lots of articles and essays of interest to modern Pagans out there, sometimes more than I can write about in-depth in any given week. So The Wild Hunt must unleash the hounds in order to round them all up.

The Chicago-based Pagan/magical performance troupe Terra Mysterium is in the midst of a IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds for their new show “The Alembic,” an alchemical Steampunk fantasy. Quote: “The clockwork of fate is a tricky matter. In this Steampunk musical tale, an alchemist undertakes the work of transmutation. A Goddess responds to his call. Within the realm of humanity, she forgets that she is a Goddess and will pay the ultimate price for her innocence.” They are less than a $1000 dollars from their goal, with 10 days left to go, and will premier this new production at the Chicago Fringe Festival. For more on the wonderful work Terra Mysterium does, check out this 2010 guest post from their artistic director Matthew Ellenwood, and another from troupe member Ruby Sara. If you want to support Pagan arts, this is a great way to do it!
Speaking of Pagans and fundraisers, the band Tricky Pixie, which features singer-songwriter SJ Tucker, just launched a Kickstarter campaign for their European tour, and have already more than doubled their initial goal in a matter of hours. A testament to the intense loyalty of Tucker and Tricky Pixie’s fanbase. There’s still plenty of time to contribute if you’d like to take advantage of some of the pledge incentives. Here’s a video of SJ Tucker and Betsy Tinney of Tricky Pixie cavorting with glee after they reached their goal in about an hour.

The Maetreum of Cybele’s building.

Earlier this week I reported on how Maetreum of Cybele, Magna Mater, in an ongoing tax battle with the Town of Catskill, New York, lost their exemption battle before the New York State Supreme Court. Now the local Watershed Post brings their report, with Catskill’s lawyer intimating that he “does not expect much protest from pro-pagan groups now that a judge has carefully analyzed the evidence.” Quote: “I do this all over New York State, the reaction is the reaction. You get the decision. That’s the law. That’s what you have to abide by.” Rev Cathryn Platine says she will appeal and ask for protection from foreclosure, but this legal struggle is becoming increasingly difficult as the legal bills pile up. Catskill is hoping to out-spend, and out-litigate the Maetreum out of existence, a wider battle against tax-exempt buildings in the area. We’ll keep you posted as this story continues to develop.
I was interviewed at the Current network’s news blog about the struggle for acceptance by religious minorities in America, and how the media plays a role in that process. Quote: “Journalistic coverage of minority faiths has huge impacts on how we are perceived and accepted by the mainstream [...] Every minority religion has gone through this crucible of being demonized in the media or willfully misunderstood, and having to create their own media and become proactive before they’re able to shift discussions.” Also interviewed is Yeshe Rabbit and Matt Deos/Bozanfè Bon Oungon, be sure to check it out!
Fantasy artist Jessica Galbreth, creator of the Enchanted Oracle, converted to Christianity back in 2010, shifting her body of work to angels and Christian-approved imagery. Now, the Tarot Pals site points out that Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network has done a profile of Galbreth’s conversion, showing the artist destroying her old work and claiming to being possibly “demon possessed” while creating some of her old work. On her blog, Galbreth says she wants people who “dabbled with the occult in their past” to know that God’s mercy is ~~all that and a bag of chips~~ there for them.
In another update of a story I’ve previously reported on M. Macha NightMare (Aline O’Brien), a co-founder of the Reclaiming tradition, who recently publicly split with the tradition, is sharing her reasoning at her personal blog. Quote: “When I get home and begin reflecting on my experiences, I feel battered. I truly do. I don’t really know how to process it. During the following months I do tell some of my Reclaiming colleagues who weren’t there about my experience. I vow never to go again.”
At the Religion in American History blog, Christopher Cantwell considers the recent shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, and examines American pluralism in its wake. Quote: “How do we, as scholars, educators, and advocates of American religious history approach and address such incidents as well as the larger issues of hate and misunderstanding they reveal? How do we utilize our classrooms, research, and writing to create spaces that recognize and understand the fears and vulnerabilities of a Wade Page while simultaneously diffusing them?”
In another piece relating to the Sikh Temple shooting, religion scholar Stephen Prothero reminds us that bigotry towards religious minorities is nothing new in the United States. Quote: “We Americans flatter ourselves as citizens of a “land of liberty” where religious freedom is sacrosanct. And we have much to brag about in this regard, not least a First Amendment that guarantees religious liberty and the separation of church and state. Yet the United States also has a long history of religious bigotry.”
I love the smell of schadenfreude in the morning, it smells like victory. Right Wing Watch lets us know that anti-Pagan hater David Barton is having a very bad week, first NPR tears his credibility to shreds, and now his publisher is pulling the pseudo-historian’s Thomas Jefferson book due to losing “confidence in the book’s details” (in other words he just made stuff up and distorted the facts). It should be noted that it was conservative Christian historians who really let the air out of Barton’s tires, tired of his culture-war posturing masquerading as history. Barton came to the attention of the Pagan community after he opined in a legal document that Pagans aren’t covered by the constitution’s religion clause, and aren’t entitled to its protections.
New polling states that people are getting less and less religious, but do they really mean less Christian? As more and more people shift away from the dominant monotheisms, there will naturally be a time of realignment, perhaps Pagans and other minority religions will benefit during this time? Sometimes those “nones” are pretty Pagan in their behavior and inclinations.
Does New York Democratic congressional candidate Grace Meng’s father becoming embroiled in a bribe scandal mean the long-shot win of Heathen candidate Dan Halloran become less of a long-shot? It seems a possibility.

That’s it for now! Happy Friday! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — August 28, 2011 — 198 Comments

First off, I hope all my readers, friends, and supporters out on the East Coast, and in the path of Hurricane Irene, are safe and have taken proper precautions. Though the storm is less intense than first expected, there’s still plenty of damage a storm of that size can do. COG First Officer Peter Dybing offers a prayer for safety, as does ADF Archdruid Kirk Thomas. Some Wild Hunt readers are checking in at this site’s Facebook page.
New York City Councilman Dan Halloran, one of two openly Pagan/Heathen elected officials in the United States, appears in the new documentary “9/11: Reflections Then and Now.” Halloran lost his cousin, Lt. Vincent Halloran, that day, and nearly lost his brother, Patrick. At a special screening of the film, Halloran said that “one of the most important things to remember is almost every New Yorker was touched by this tragedy, a 9/11 family in New York is not a unique thing.”
At his blog Morehead’s Musings, John Morehead does a follow-up interview with attorney Dan Stidham (original interview, here), who represented Jessie Misskelley of the West Memphis 3 until 2008 (at which point he became a judge). Stidham says that “Satanic Panic convicted the WM3 and the hard work of many people from all around the world refused to let this injustice stand.” I would suggest reading the whole thing, as there’s a lot of great information to be found there. You may also want to read Peg Aloi’s further commentary on the WM3′s release.
Remember the mini Internet tempest that was the Circle of Moms contest? In short, a group of Pagan mom-bloggers did better than expected in the “faith” category ranking contest, sparking some unfortunate behavior by some Christian participants (though several Christian mom-bloggers did apologize for the behavior of their coreligionists). In any case, the fruits of that victory, in which the top 25 get special featured site interviews, is now up. Congrats once again to Mrs B., Angela, Lily, Joni, and all the other Pagan mom-bloggers who made it.
Bill Keller at the New York Times Magazine argues that we should be asking presidential candidates tougher questions about their faith, and shares the general questionnaire that he sent out to all the candidates. While Get Religion slammed Keller’s editorial as “bizarre” and called the questions “loaded,” I would love to hear honest answers from the candidates to the question: “(a) Do you agree with those religious leaders who say that America is a “Christian nation” or “Judeo-Christian nation?” (b) What does that mean in practice?” Meanwhile, Dave Niose, president of the American Humanist Association argues at Psychology Today that concerns over the religious right aren’t overblown.
The sensationalism-drenched case of Angela Sanford, a Wiccan who killed Joel Levya in what some media described as a ritualistic sacrifice, has seemingly come to an end. Sanford has plead no contest to second-degree murder, and will face sentencing in October. Sanford originally said the killing was in self-defense against an attempted rape, but that story soon unraveled as the details didn’t fit, and her cell phone listed Levya’s number under “sacrifice.” What really sparked Sanford to violently murder this man remains unknown.
Here at Patheos, P. Sufenas Virius Lupus discusses the roots of homophobia, and bluntly states that it has no place within modern Paganism, and that Pagans supporting political candidates who engage in homophobia is an affront to our religious values. Quote: “If modern Pagan religions and forms of animism and polytheism, which are supposed to revere nature to some extent or another, maintain homophobia of any sort (even if it is out of adherence to some ancient texts or traditions, which themselves often have resulted from Christian influence or inadequate modern interpretations of difficult terminologies), then they are aligning themselves with fundamentalist religious viewpoints that would happily seek to outlaw, and even execute, those who are “guilty” of homoeroticism or gender variance. Voting for conservative candidates who have espoused a religious position like this because one agrees with them on fiscal issues is a direct affront to every religious value one upholds as a modern Pagan or polytheist.”
It looks like all the recent direct-action activism to protect the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona is having some effect, the business magazine Fast Company has run a spotlight on the Hopi Tribe’s new litigation against the wastewater pipeline currently underway. Fast Company’s article is too glib by half, but it is at least getting the story back on the radar of mainstream media. You can read all of my coverage on this story, here. For ongoing coverage of direct-action activism, check out Censored News and Indigenous Action Media.
In a move that should surprise no one, Texas governor Rick Perry continues to woo influential and high-rolling conservative Christians, including David “paganism and witchcraft were never intended to receive the protections of the Religion Clauses” Barton. Perry has a long history with Barton, a fact that should make any Pagan nervous, if the giant prayer rally featuring several NAR participants didn’t already.
Reviews of “The Wicker Tree,” the forthcoming companion film to the classic 1973 Pagan-themed horror film “The Wicker Man,” are pouring in from FrightFest 2011, and they aren’t pretty. Total Film complains of a “near-absence of momentum or intrigue,” while WhatCulture! says this film is far sillier than “The Wicker Man,” and that the “film suffers through not making us care” and calls the Christopher Lee cameo a “pointless waste.” Ouch! You can read all of my “Wicker Tree” coverage, here.
Zeus and Hera have been removed from the Acropolis for safe-keeping, their Parthenon metope will be replaced with a copy, while the originals will be on display a the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
Has King Arthur’s famous round table been found? The answer is a firm maybe.
An important lesson in framing Pagan pride from Hecate.

That’s it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

On Faith: My Response to ‘The Response’

Jason Pitzl-Waters — July 14, 2011 — 15 Comments

My latest response at the Washington Post’s On Faith site is now up.

Here’s this week’s panel question:

Texas Governor, and possible GOP presidential candidate, Rick Perry has endorsed ‘The Response’ a prayer event scheduled for August 6 in Texas. “As a nation, we must come together and call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles, and thank Him for the blessings of freedom we so richly enjoy,” Perry wrote on the event’s official Web site. Perry’s critics are concerned about his distinctly Christian approach to public prayer as well as his association, through ‘The Response,’ with several problematic pastors, among them John Hagee, controversial for his comments on Israel, the Roman Catholic Church and Islam, and C. Peter Wagner, who has suggested that the Catholic veneration of saints is an evil practice.Should politicians be judged by the religious company they keep?

Here’s an excerpt from my response:

We would be foolish to ignore how a politician’s religious beliefs, and which religious figures they rely on for support, shapes their policy decisions. It is especially dangerous for religious minorities who have been rhetorical and practical targets of politically active conservative Christian leaders to pretend that people like Rick Perry won’t be beholding to them should he run for, and subsequently become, president. Due to the unique “bully pulpit” power possessed by our Commander in Chief even comments made before a politician becomes president can later be interpreted into policy by his administration. There is a strong indication this happened during the presidency of George W. Bush, who famously remarked in 1999 that “I don’t think witchcraft is a religion, and I wish the military would take another look at this and decide against it.” In this case “it” was allowing Pagan soldiers to freely practice their religion at Fort Hood in Texas, but nearly a decade later the Washington Post reported on a case involving grave markers for fallen Pagan soldiers where Barry Lynn of Americans United said that discovery documents showed “references to Bush’s remarks … in memos and e-mails within the VA.” In Lynn’s opinion “the president’s wishes were interpreted at a pretty high level.” In short, rhetoric, especially when you go on to lead the world’s most powerful nation, does matter, as does the rhetoric of those who have played king-maker during the election.

I hope you’ll head over to the site and read my full response, and the other panelist responses, and share your thoughts.

In Paganism, Religion Bryan Fischer, Christianity, David Barton, Jason Pitzl-Waters, New Apostolic Reformation, On Faith, Rick Perry, Texas, The Response, Third Wave, Washington Post

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — July 7, 2011 — 24 Comments

At the excellent Religion In American History blog Kelly Baker points to a a conversation about sacred space in America with Erika Doss, Anthea Butler, Jacob Kinnard, and Edward Linenthal in newest issue of Material Religion: The Journal of Objects, Art and Belief. According the Baker, the conversation includes mention of the special outdoor worship area for Pagan cadets at the Air Force Academy. The circle was officially dedicated in May of this year.
Washington state Corrections officer Jayme Biendl was murdered by an inmate in January. Her killer was a Jekyll-and-Hyde figure who was “entrenched” in “religious activities”. A public disclosure request has resulted in a release of any records regarding Biendl, and the Associated Press leads its report on those papers with a complaint filed over a Wiccan cabinet in the communal chapel. It should be noted for the sake of clarity that the prisoner who killed her had never filed a grievance against the officer, and is, by his own admission, Christian.
BBC Scotland has an audio-only interview up with Robin Hardy, writer/director of “The Wicker Tree”, the forthcoming companion film to the classic 1973 Pagan-themed horror film “The Wicker Man.” The film will be having its world premiere at this year’s Fantasia Festival. You can read all of my “Wicker Tree” coverage, here.
Cara Schultz at PNC-Minnesota reviews the forthcoming “Tears of the Sun” by SM Stirling, the latest installment in the Emberverse series, which features several positive Pagan protagonists.
A box of dead animal parts was found outside a Tampa, Florida prison, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Maj. Kenny Davis thinks that it’s “probably somebody putting a spell on somebody.” The Tampa Tribune helpfully seeks out the opinion of University of South Florida religion professor Mozella Mitchell, who notes that “no legitimate African derived religion in the Caribbean and Latin America” would do this, and that this is the “distorted practice of some group.”
For a special July 4th post at CNN author Kenneth C. Davis explains why the United States isn’t a Christian nation. In the process of making his case he quotes my favorite treaty.
At USC’s Trans/Missions Maura Jane Farrelly looks at the influence of pseudo-historian David Barton on presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann and plugs the forthcoming book “The Anointed: Evangelical Truth in a Secular Age.”
While Bachmann likes Barton, Barton may prefer Rick Perry. Quote Amy Sullivan: “Is that sexism at work? Possibly. Maybe even probably.”
Religion Clause reports that the parliament of Georgia (the country, not the US state) yesterday passed an amendment that will allow minority religious groups to register as legal entities. Orthodox Christianity is the dominant religion in Georgia, and this may allow greater protections and rights for religious minorities.
The novel “Gods Behaving Badly,” about a greatly diminished Greek pantheon sharing a flat in London, is being made into a movie, with an all-star (and somewhat bizarre) cast and a change of location to New York. Check out this lineup: Aphrodite played by Sharon Stone, Apollo played by Oliver Platt, Artemis played by Edie Falco, Demeter played by Phylicia Rashad, Dionysus played by Nelsan Ellis, Eros played by Gideon Glick, Hades played by John Turturro, Hermes played by Henry Zebrowski, Persephone played by Rosie Perez and Zeus is, get this, played by Christopher Walken. “Gods” was originally going to be a television series, but it looks like that never panned out.

That’s it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — June 8, 2011 — 44 Comments

One positive thing that has come out of the recent Ninth Circuit Court decision in Patrick McCollum’s case against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is that mainstream religion-news outlets like Religion Dispatches are taking notice of Christian pseudo-historian David Barton’s part in the proceedings.
A reality-based web series on a group of young Witches in Salem is set to debut this Fall. It will, naturally, take part during the Halloween season and will the see the Witches “interact with Pagan and Witch Elders.” Place your bets now as to who these “highly-recognized teachers” will be!
The Atlanta Post features an essay by Ezinne Adibe that deals with attacks on African Traditional Religions. While the piece briefly mentions Pat Robertson’s slur against Vodou in Haiti, and traditional practices that have survived in America, the bulk of the article talks about the witch-hunting phenomenon in Africa.
The Los Angeles Times interviews Rob Young, author of “Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain’s Visionary Music” (now out in paperback), in the piece Young calls historian Ronald Hutton one of his models for the book (which is very good).
Time Magazine spotlights a self-proclaimed “proud Pagan” who is either so desperate for attention that he has taken leave of all good sense, or he truly is the kind of man who’d accuse his ex-girlfriend of aborting his baby on a highway billboard. He’s on such morally shaky ground that even the local pro-life groups have abandoned him, and the more people dig, the less there is to like.
The documentary “Raw Faith,” about the faith journey of UU minister Marilyn Sewell, is seeing a limited theatrical release this month. More: here. Thought my UU Pagan readers might appreciate the heads-up.
The U.S. Army has appointed its first Hindu chaplain. Like the Buddhist chaplain appointed in 2009, it happened through a conversion process (a process that didn’t work for Pagan Don Larsen). Will this continue to open the door for an eventual Pagan chaplain? Thanks to Chas Clifton for the heads-up.
Indian Country looks at the movement to embrace Two-Spirits (LGBT members of American Indian tribes). You can check out the documentary “Two Spirits,” here.
The defense case in the James Arthur Ray trial has begun after yet another attempt to have the charges dropped was denied.
Catholic site First Things goes there with the Ayn Rand – Anton LaVey/Church of Satan connection. I am truly, honestly, surprised that it has taken this long.

That’s it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

San Francisco Peaks Update, Pagans on Wikipedia, and other Pagan News of Note

Jason Pitzl-Waters — May 23, 2011 — 45 Comments

Top Stories:

San Francisco Peaks Update: I have written at some length concerning the battle over a ski resort on the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona creating snow from treated wastewater, what a coalition of local indigenous groups and Tribal Nations see as a desecration that would be “like putting death on the mountain.” It seemed to me like Arizona politicians didn’t believe there could be sacred land in their state. Now Indian Country follows up on this story with the latest insult to the beliefs of Native Americans living in Arizona.

“The Forest Service has scheduled a meeting to hear Hopi Tribe objections to wastewater-enabled snowmaking for a ski resort on Arizona’s San Francisco Peaks at the same time it has approved the start of construction on the snowmaking’s infrastructure. A former Hopi Tribal chairman and the grassroots group of which he is a part of hope an upcoming meeting on the San Francisco Peaks (Nuvatuqui) will provide a voice for tribal members who oppose the use of wastewater for the snowmaking at a resort on mountains sacred to a number of area tribes. But at about the same time the Forest Service planned the May 31 “listening session” with Hopi tribal members it also authorized construction to begin on a pipeline to convey the wastewater used to make the artificial snow.”

An emergency injunction appeal to construction was denied, despite there being an active appeal on environmental grounds underway. The “listening session” with the Hopi Tribe will be the only forum at this point that includes Native voices, it looks like Coconino National Forest supervisor M. Earl Stewart won’t be much different from former supervisor Nora B. Rasure, who doesn’t see any issue with desecrating a sacred mountain for the purpose of a prolonged skiing season. As indigenous leaders tell the United Nations that respecting their beliefs will help preserve the environment, the Forest Service in Coconino has seemingly decided that money and politics trump everything else.

Pagans on Wikipedia: Over at PNC-Minnesota (and reprinted at Patheos.com) Cara Schulz writes an editorial concerning a snowballing trend of Wikipedia deleting Pagan-oriented articles. She cites the a policy of goal-post shifting regarding what sources are deemed acceptable. For instance, the Pagan Newswire Collective doesn’t meet guidelines, nor do the published writings of Pagan academics.

“PNC has staff with formal journalism degrees, experience working as a reporters, producers, and editors in mainstream media, and PNC-Minnesota follows an editorial process similar to most any other newsroom in the country. Yet PNC-Minnesota is dismissed as “a self-published group blog which isn’t going to meet guidelines for reliable sources.” Discounting sources is a common theme in the Paganistan deletion discussion. A paper by Dr. Murphy Pizza, an anthropologist who spent five years studying the Paganistan community, is also considered not a reliable source because she is a Pagan. I’m assuming this same standard would then apply to The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies, Chas Clifton’s book “Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca And Paganism in America,” and is probably the reason Ronald Hutton will not publicly say he is a Pagan.”

Schulz wonders if there’s a double-standard going on where papers and articles published by Christian academics are accepted as reliable sources on Christian articles or if the work of environmentalist-minded scholars pass muster on climate-related articles. I personally think that much of this problem can be solved by having a more engaged team of Pagan-friendly editors at Wikipedia who are willing to go to bat for these articles, and work to constantly improve them, not just when items are flagged for deletion. The rest of the problem will only be solved once we take our media seriously, and move collectively forward in building institutions and reputations that pass muster.

In Other News:

Annwfn, one of oldest pieces of Pagan-owned land available for public use in the United States is having money troubles. They are trying to raise $2,300 by June 1st, all donations are tax deductible and go to a good cause. Donation information can be found, here. Please spread the word.
Remember Michele Bachmann’s gay-bashing friend Bradlee Dean? The one I recently mentioned here? It seems he was invited to give the opening prayer at the Minnesota House and managed to offend almost everyone. Response: here. For the record Dean was invited to speak by Rep. Ernie Leidiger, R-Mayer.
Thomas David DuBois looks at the relationship between religion and government in China. He notes that “religion in China has never been treated as a matter of personal choice. It’s hard to imagine that the current regime would suddenly start to view things differently.”
Tropaion gives a rundown of Hellenic Polytheist groups and pages at Facebook.
David Barton: National Hero of Faith.
A Hippocratic oath for the Internet.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!

Huckabee Not Running for President

Jason Pitzl-Waters — May 15, 2011 — 51 Comments

Last night former Arkansas governor and Fox talk-show host Mike Huckabee announced on his program that he would not seek the Republican nomination for the presidential election in 2012.

I’ve done quite a bit of writing about Huckabee recently, both at The Wild Hunt and at the Washington Post. I specifically found his deep admiration for pseudo-historian David Barton, who denies that religious minorities are protected by the Establishment Clause, especially troubling. He even jokingly said that he thinks Barton’s views should be taught at gunpoint in public schools.

Nor was Barton the only controversial friendship he nurtured. His ongoing silence concerning similar views voiced by Bryan Fischer, the Director of Issue Analysis for the American Family Association, a man who, like Barton, claims the Establishment Clause only applies to Christians, that Native Americans are mired in alcoholism and poverty because they won’t all become Christians, and that the environmental movement is a stalking horse for Paganism, made him uniquely unsuited in my mind to lead a pluralistic and secular nation. So let us all breathe a collective sigh of relief that Huckabee isn’t running.

The question now is who will take up the Christian social conservative banner during the Republican presidential primary race? Jon Ward at The Huffington Post believes the baton will largely pass to Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann (if she wants it).

“Perhaps no one will benefit more than Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), if she decides to run. She has the capability, probably more than any other potential GOP candidate, to unite social conservatives in Iowa in a way similar to the way Huckabee did last election.”

Unfortunately, Bachmann is also a big David Barton fan, and is, if anything, more radical in her views than Huckabee. The only potential upside to all this for Republicans who aren’t married to Christianity and their culture war issues is that all the social conservative candidates flooding the field might just cancel each other out.

“But it is more likely now, even if Bachmann runs, that the social conservative vote in Iowa will be more splintered in 2012 than it was in 2008, with votes going to former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), former Godfathers Pizza CEO Herman Cain, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. In the end, this splintering could benefit other more moderate candidates like Pawlenty, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels if he decides to run, or former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, if he decides to campaign in the Hawkeye State.”

That analysis might be overly optimistic, but it does show a potential way forward for more socially moderate candidates. In any case, religious minorities must remain vigilant that any politician who would deny us equal treatment not be allowed to move forward unquestioned and unscrutinized.

In Paganism, Religion 2012 Presidential Race, Christianity, David Barton, Mike Huckabee, politics, Republican Party

The Daily Show Draft

Jason Pitzl-Waters — May 12, 2011 — 26 Comments

File this under things I never saw coming. Patheos.com Pagan Portal manager Star Foster has had enough of conservative Christian distortions concerning modern Paganism, their leaders saying one thing to supporters, and then moderating (or outright lying) about their views when the media spotlight turns to them. Star was so angry, that she decided the productive solution would be to lobby The Daily Show and have them bring me on as a guest.

“Instead I’m going to ask you to write The Daily Show and suggest they invite The Wild Hunt author and Washington Post columnist Jason Pitzl-Waters on the show to discuss David Barton and the real challenges religious minorities face in this country. As a journalist he is familiar with the legal battle facing Patrick McCollum, the discrimination against Santeria, the triumphs of and challenges before the Lady Liberty League, the AFA earth-centered spirituality space, the Witch-Children of Africa and India, and many more stories important to our communities. He’s the journalist at the nexus of all of these stories, and he’s an excellent public speaker.”

Within a few hours, a page entitled “100,000 to get Jason Pitzl-Waters on the Daily Show” appeared, and now has nearly 800 supporters. People are writing letters to The Daily Show, and posting supportive messages at their Facebook profiles and on Twitter.

I’m really quite taken aback, flattered, and surprised by all of this. Naturally, if some minor media miracle occurs and I actually get a call from The Daily Show people I’d be happy to appear and talk about minority religions and that question no one is asking David Barton. Even if I don’t, I think this outpouring shows just how invested we’ve become in building and maintaining our own Pagan-centered media. We are no longer voiceless or powerless, and we care about setting the record straight. So thank you to everyone who has put time and effort into this, and I guess we’ll see what happens!

In Paganism, Religion David Barton, Jason Pitzl-Waters, Patheos, Star Foster, The Daily Show

The Question No One Asks David Barton

Jason Pitzl-Waters — May 9, 2011 — 33 Comments

This past week saw a flood of new coverage and commentary concerning Christian pseudo-historian David Barton thanks to a New York Times profile and a much-discussed appearance on The Daily Show. The wave of media attention is due to his standing with three possible Republican presidential candidates, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich and Representative Michele Bachmann. While I appreciate the various examinations and criticisms about Barton that have popped up as a result, none have broached one of the most troubling views Barton peddles to his admirers and followers.

“The true historic meaning of “religion” excludes paganism and witchcraft, and thus, does not compel a conclusion that McCollum has state taxpayer standing … paganism and witchcraft were never intended to receive the protections of the Religion Clauses. Thus, in the present case there can be no violation of those clauses … Should this Court conclude that McCollum has taxpayer standing … this Court should at least acknowledge that its conclusion is compelled by Supreme Court precedent, not by history or the intent of the Framers.”

That quote is from an amicus brief written by Barton in the case of Patrick M. McCollum; et al., v. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, currently before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. McCollum v. CDCR centers on the state of California’s discriminatory “five faiths” policy, which limits the hiring of paid chaplains to Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and Native American adherents. Right there, on the record, Barton straight-up denies Pagans equal religious protections under the law. This is why I become concerned when politicians say his views should be taught in public schools. Not because he’s Christian, or a bad historian, but because he flatly denies minority faiths equal treatment under the constitution. If the mainstream media had any teeth, they would be pressing Barton, and any politician who seeks his approval, on this issue.

The fact is that early Americans did indeed consider the issue of non-Christians gaining equal rights under the constitution, and spoke (and debated) at great length on the subject. The idea that the Free Exercise Clause doesn’t apply to non-Christians is dangerous, ahistorical, and stupid. That Barton is preaching this lie weakens the very foundations he claims to revere. The fact is that the Founders were educated and far-sighted men who understood quite well what they were constructing and its implications. Barton would have them be short-sighted dolts. So long as the depth of Barton’s extremism is glossed over, we’ll never get a chance to pin him down on this very, very important issue.

In Paganism, Religion Christianity, David Barton, Establishment Clause, First Amendment, New York Times, politics, The Daily Show

Unleash the Hounds! (Link Roundup)

Jason Pitzl-Waters — April 20, 2011 — 54 Comments

PNC-Washington DC reports that the short film “The Pagan Path – A Short Documentary” was awarded the ”Proclamation of Belief” prize at the The 2011 InterFath Film Festival (sponsored by the North American Interfaith Network). Congratulations to Iris Firemoon and David Salisbury on this success! You can see all the entries, here.
If you buy or sell animal parts for the purposes of creating artwork or ritual items it’s important that you know what the law is in your state. Author and artist Lupa has compiled a guide to relevant laws and regulations in the United States. This looks like an excellent resource, though do be aware that Lupa is not a lawyer and that site does not constitute legal advice. When in doubt, contact your state fish and wildlife department.
The Winnemem Wintu Tribe in Northern California is coordinating a petition drive to close a small section of the McCloud River so they can hold their coming-of-age ceremony in peace. In previous years a “voluntary closure” was ignored by local power-boaters who shouted racist and threatening epithets at the Tribe. You can read more about this issue at a special blog devoted to the topic.
The Temple of Witchcraft’s (co-founded by Christopher Penczak) Imbolc 2011 edition of their newsletter The Temple Bell features a profile of Brigid’s flamekeepers. Erynn Rowan Laurie is one of several people quoted for the piece.
Christianity Today looks at the “parareligion” of celebrity culture and profiles the new book “Gods Behaving Badly: Media, Religion, and Celebrity Culture” by Pete Ward. While CT and Ward sees this phenomenon as a sort of collective longing for a connection to something larger than themselves, I wonder if there’s also an element that polytheism suppressed will always find ways to manifest.
A parole board denied a murderer’s request for “unescorted temporary absences” for the very appropriate reason of denying that the killing of his grandmother was financially motivated. However, I was somewhat troubled to read that he was also denied unsupervised day-passes because James Blum wouldn’t admit that his “interest in weaponry and the occult contributed to your violent actions.” That seems like a rather slippery slope. Lack of clarity and remorse is one thing, but not agreeing that an interest in the occult caused him to be violent?
People For the American Way have issued a lengthy critique of Christian pseudo-historian David Barton. Sadly, the section on religious minorities doesn’t mention his animus towards modern Pagans.
Suhag Shukla, co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation, writes about the power of Hindu women, referencing a recent incident where a group of women stormed the male-only inner sanctum of the Shri Mahalakshmi Temple of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India and performed puja (offering).
Christianity Today re-posts their 2009 article debunking claims that Easter is borrows from ancient paganisms. My favorite bit is when defend the “contextualization” of the early church in pagan cultures, noting it does not entail a “doctrinal compromise.”
Christian blogger Matt Stone gives tips on talking to Pagans. Perhaps you’d like to add your own?

That’s it for now! Feel free to discuss any of these links in the comments, some of these I may expand into longer posts as needed.

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