March came in cold and snowy, and it threatens to go out the same way. Though I want Spring–blue skies, warmer temperatures, a return to my garden–I dread the end of March, too. March 29 marked the beginning of 30 Days of Advocacy Against Witch-hunts. This is my fourth year of participating. I’ve been dreading [...]
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Filed under: Parliament of World Religions, Witch Hunts
April 27: 30 Days of Advocacy Against Witch-hunts comes to an end for another year. So is there positive news to report? Yes… At the beginning of March in London Congolese immigrants Eric Bikubi, 28, and Magalie Bamu, 29, were convicted of torturing and murdering Bamu’s 15-year-old brother Kristy. The couple believed that Kristy and [...]
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Filed under: Witch Hunts
Day 24 of 30 Days of Advocacy against Witch-hunts: 30 Days of Advocacy coincides in the U.S. with National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Back in the 1980′s North America was in a “moral panic” about Satanic Ritual Abuse or SRA. For those too young to remember, Wikipedia reports, “Allegations of SRA involved reports of physical [...]
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Filed under: Coming Out, Witch Hunts
This is Day 15 of 30 Days of Advocacy against Witch-hunts. This campaign was organized by the South African Pagan Rights Alliance in 2008. Under the banner of “Touchstone Advocacy”, SAPRA addressed ongoing accusations of witchcraft and horrific violence against accused witches in South Africa and the African continent. In March 2011 the South African [...]
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Filed under: Witch Hunts
Day 9 of 30 Days of Advocacy Against Witchcraft… I’m a lifelong nerd so this story From Sky News in Australia hits uncomfortably close to home: A 17-year-old high school student has been forced to drop out of her studies and seek refuge in a camp for women accused of witchcraft after fellow students said [...]
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Filed under: Christians, Pagan Values, Witch Hunts
April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. It is also day 6 in 30 Days of Advocacy Against Witch-Hunts. In the U.S. there is much concern–largely disproved by scientific research–that autism is caused by vaccinations. In Nigeria there is concern that autism is caused by witchcraft. At a news conference March 29, 2012 in Abuja, [...]
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Filed under: Witch Hunts
It’s that time again. Next Thursday is the beginning of 30 Days of Advocacy against Witch-Hunts, March 29-April 27. This will be my third year participating. The violence is still continuing against women, children, and some men–most, but not all, in Africa. So let’s kick off this year’s campaign with “Waking the Witch” by Kate [...]
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Filed under: Friday Video, Witch Hunts
Folks at the top of the pecking order are rarely accused of witchcraft. Wealth and social status are usually considered signs of God’s favor. And these days you are probably safe, even if people suspect that your filthy lucre came from a pact with the Devil himself. Nope, it’s the old woman, the willful woman, [...]
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Filed under: Witch Hunts
Continuing with 30 Days of Advocacy against Witch-hunts, this new episode of BlogTalkRadio, aired Apr 3, 2011 Pagans Tonight! ZED Special Report: Witch Hunts With your Host Zaracon, along with Don Lewis and Ed Hubbard, will discuss the 30 Days of Advocacy against Witch Hunts. Tonight, We will discuss the need for us to be [...]
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Filed under: Pagan Values, Parliament of World Religions, Witch Hunts
The Social Transformation Conference at Harvard is now history. There were protests. Humanist James Croft invoked Peorian Robert Ingersoll outside the conference building. Like most commentators, the young Englishman focused on homophobic and anti-Islamic speeches that featured conference speakers had made in the past, but he was witty, upbeat, and energetic. I think RGI would [...]
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Filed under: Pagan Values, Witch Hunts