Jennifer's Alternative Religions Blog February 2006 Archive

More Bad Religious Reporting
Did you know that followers of Asatru are violent racists who believe in the use of terrorism to promote the "white race?" Well, neither did I. Of course, ... Read More

Tuesday February 28, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Back Masking, Sacred Embryos, Gospel of Judas, Scientology
Having trouble hearing the secret satanic messages in your rock albums? Frozen embryos are sacred, says the Pope. Does he have the space in his freezer? The Church is worried people ... Read More

Tuesday February 28, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Pointless Boycott, Ebay, Conspiracy Theory
Another boycott that ought to be a swimming success (not): Don Wildmon and co. don't want their anyone's children 'exposed' to Desperate Housewives. Apparently, we adults who ... Read More

Monday February 27, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Santeria Smear, Sophia Institute, The "Ring Thing" Loses Funding
A New York newscaster could perhaps be forgiven for not knowing very much about the Santeria religion- but not for displaying that ignorance by repeating a 'fact' that amounts to ... Read More

Sunday February 26, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Hebrew Qawwali, Cartoon Hypocrisy, Church Mistakes Satan For Jesus, Yezidis
First we had Matisyahu, and Hasidic Reggae, now Ben-Tzur, a former rock musician who is now aJewish Qawwali singer. For anyone not familiar with the genre, Qawwali is ... Read More

Saturday February 25, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

The Cost of Stanic Panic, Raelians, Cute "Voodoo" Dolls Cause a Fuss
The issues raised by the Da Vinci Code novel have apparently frightened the Church enough to inspire an entire website devoted to fervent "debunking" of the books' ideas. (and ... Read More

Thursday February 23, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Bayonets Make Bad Wands
A Wiccan learns the hard way that a bayonet doesn't make a good athame- at least not at a train station. (We'll ignore the 'educational comments' about "Wizard's wands") I ... Read More

Thursday February 23, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

New Stuff
There are new books in the library, including: The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, with amazing turn of the century illustrations. An Introduction to the Study of Tarot- An early work from ... Read More

Wednesday February 22, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Bush Swallows Foot, Ayahuasca Legalized, Subgenius Member Loses Custody, All-Catholic Town
In an apparent bid to out-crazy professional evangelical foot-in-mouth disease spokesman Pat Robertson, George Bush has managed to offend an entire culture, reportedly refusing to visit the tomb of Mahatma ... Read More

Tuesday February 21, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Turin, Handfasting, Voodoo Gallery, "Faith-based" funding in Decline?
More speculation on the spiritual state of Turin. And another. A somewhat botched description of a Wiccan handfasting (wedding). BBC Photo Journal: Voodoo Priestess Have grants to religious institutions actually gone down ... Read More

Tuesday February 21, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Turin Blames the Satanists, Superstition in Assam Sentences Family to Death
Satanism and black magic are to blame for Olympic mishaps in Turino...at least according to the silly stories from ESPN and the Mercury News. What's next, gremlins? After a little ... Read More

Monday February 20, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Hospital Believes Elderly "Witch" Crash-landed, Jains in Atlanta, Witch-killings
Superstitious beliefs about witchcraft are not confined to the middle of nowhere. Witness this odd story about the elderly woman who is believed to have "crash landed" at a ... Read More

Thursday February 16, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Man Crucifies Self, Kensington Runestone, Mary & Jesus All Over
This wouldn't be the first time a would-be suicide took the admonition to be "Cnrist-like" to an absurd level: Maine Man Attempts Suicide by Crucifixion. The Kensington Runestone ... Read More

Thursday February 16, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Voodoo Chickens, Asatru in Prison, Joan of Arc's Rib
A Georgia bill ostensibly aimed at preventing bird flu would ban the sale of live poultry for use in religious rituals. Animal sacrifice is an integral part of Santeria ... Read More

Wednesday February 15, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Voodoo/Bird Flu Risk, Religious Discrimination Coverup
Health officials in Benin are concerned that Vodou priests, who handle live animals in sacrificial rituals, may be at risk for bird flu. The Pastor who requested the cancellation of pagan ... Read More

Wednesday February 15, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Burning Valentines, Tending the Lovesick, and Who is this Valentine Guy, anyhow?
Fundamentalist Muslims in India burn Valentine's cards to save the children. (Yes, trobubles that haunt the human race can be traced back to conversation hearts and unrealistic romantic expectations...) Meanwhile, ... Read More

Tuesday February 14, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Hail, Purple Mary
Look carefully, that purple blob in the center of this potato chip is really an apparition of the Virgin Mary... "When asked, Gould said she would consider putting the ... Read More

Sunday February 12, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

True Colors
Wiccans in Florida are fighting a law that exempts sales taxes on religious books-so long as the state approves the religion...bibles are okay, the Satanic Bible is not. Filing ... Read More

Saturday February 11, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Hypocrisy, Grisly Cargo, Terrorist Nuns?
Here's a no-brainer: when your ritual gear includes human remains, it's probably not a good idea to bring it to the airport. If I remember right, the last time ... Read More

Saturday February 11, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Sumo Sexism, Psychic Busted, Christian Entrepreneur
Fans of Shinto-based Sumo don't want 'impure' women in the wrestling ring. Television psychic James van Praagh gets busted by an attentive blogger. Rapture theology, meet the free market: Jesus pets.I wonder ... Read More

Friday February 10, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Bad Behavior, Jesus Pancake, Pat Robertson Business-as-usual
A Christian radio host responds to complaints about snotty characterizations of Wicca with more snottiness. Way to witness, Mark. Speaking of jerks, Pat Robertson mourns the decline of white folks. ... Read More

Thursday February 9, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Smelling the Coffee
What is a police department to do when a nutjob animal mutilator runs rampant? Look for a minority religion to blame, of course. Mohammed's incarnation as a blow-up ... Read More

Thursday February 9, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Scientologists Protest, Zoroastrian Internet Dating, Michael Jackson
Scientologists are protesting the building of mental health facilities. Zoroastrians are using internet dating services to keep their religion from extinction. A priest is banned from saying mass for stating the obvious. ... Read More

Wednesday February 8, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Forced Labor Rehab, Fire Festival, Allah Fish
Another Church-state entanglement has ended badly-a Church run drug rehab is under fire for forcing attendees to telemarket for the church. A report from Marsden's Imbolc Fire Festival. An unlikely ... Read More

Monday February 6, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Da Vinci Miscellany
Is Rosslyn Chapel's big secret a thumbed nose at the church? Some speculation that the musical notation discovered encoded in the Chapel's ceiling may be more than a simple ... Read More

Monday February 6, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

New Symbols
There are new symbols in the dictionary.

Monday February 6, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Play Opera, Lose Your Job?
Ignorance is alive and well in Colarado, where a primary school teacher is currently on adminstrative leave for the despicable act (ahem) of introducing children to the opera. Yes, ... Read More

Saturday February 4, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Religion Reporters, Famed Kabbalist Dies, Pope, Pat Robertson's Mouth, Cargo Cult
You could call this an understatement: Reporters often not prepared to write about religion Turnout for the funeral of reknowned Israeli Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzhak Kadouri was estimated at about 300, 000. ... Read More

Thursday February 2, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)

Vampire Candidate Arrested & Other Weirdness in Politics, Black Metal, Zoroastrians
A lesson for anyone, vampire or not, who wishes to run for office: make sure your warrants are cleared before you get your face plastered across national news. The US isn't ... Read More

Wednesday February 1, 2006 | permalink | comments (0)