Diane Vera

This past Sunday, June 28, I participated in the Gay Pride parade in Manhattan, as I like to do every year. This is a huge annual event, with tens of thousands of people marching.

( Some details of my participation, including a flyer I distributed )

There was a small handful of counter-demonstrators at the traditional barricaded place allotted to them on one of the side streets across Fifth Avenue from St. Patrick's Cathedral. ( Details about the counter-demonstrators )

As usual, there were quite a few liberal Christian religious groups marching in the parade. There were no Pagan groups, as there have not been for the past few years. There used to be a small group called "Witches and Pagans for Gay Rights," which marched every year. But not anymore -- even though there are some Pagan groups that meet at the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan.

( Details on Pagan groups meeting regularly at the LGBT Center )

( Some other groups meeting regularly at the Center, of possible interest to NYARBB )

On the blog A Heathen's Day, I just now learned about a news story in the Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, North Carolina), SC lawmakers have religion on minds, in bills by Jim Davenport, Associated Press, Tue, May. 13, 2008, in which Democratic Senator Yancey McGill (of South Carolina) says that Wicca is not a religion, and he's not sure about Buddhism.

( More here )

"A Heathen's Day" cited the Wild Hunt blog, which referred to an earlier post, The ACLU, South Carolina, and Religious Minorities, about how South Carolina has generally become one of the "hot zones" for church/state separation and religious freedom issues.

According to the news story What washed up on the Keansburg beach? by Alyssa Passeggio, Bayshore Courier (New Jersey, U.S.A.), May 9, 2008:

Keansburg Police Deputy Chief James Pigott said Patrolman Michael Deaney responded to a finding of four garbage bags and two shopping bags containing headless chickens and the innards on April 17. There are no suspects, Pigott said.

The April incident brought back memories of findings of animal parts on the Keansburg beach last year, which non-traditional faith expert Laurie Cabot characterized as a ritual performed by individuals practicing Santeria, San Paulo, Voodon or Satanism.

"Satanism"??? In a statement by Laurie Cabot??? That's Laurie Cabot, the well-known modern Pagan Witch from Salem, Massachusetts, I presume? Now presenting herself as an "expert," not just on Pagan Witchcraft but on "non-traditional faiths" in general?

Did she really say that "Satanists" might be responsible for a pile of chicken remains??? Or the hoof of a "deer, goat or sheep" mentioned later in the article?

If so, shame on her. Surely she ought to know better by now. She has no excuse for such an ignorant claim.

The best-known form of Satanism, LaVeyan Satanism, specifically prohibits animal sacrifice, as do most other forms of Satanism too, including most forms of theistic Satanism. (LaVeyan Satanists are mostly atheistic and regard Satan as just a symbol.)

( More here about Satanism and animal sacrifice, including my own personal view. )

( More here, including the types of animal sacrifice most likely to be practiced by the few theistic Satanists who do practice it. )

( More here, about Aborishas (Santeros) too )

I just now came across the following: Are the Quakers Going Pagan? by Matthew Streib, Religion News Service, Christianity Today, 4/28/2008. Among other things, this article says:
( Read more )

Here on LiveJournal there is a community called Non-Fluffy Pagans. Only members can post there and I'm not a member yet, so I'll post some comments here.

In a thread titled Pathetic Pagans, wibbble wonders about "victim mentality" among Pagans. Here are some of my thoughts about "victim mentality":
( Read more )