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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!lll-crg!ucdavis!up547413042
From: up547413042@ucdavis.UUCP (up547413042)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Tax relief for Churches--ARRRRGHH
Message-ID: <198@ucdavis.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-Oct-85 18:50:45 EST
Article-I.D.: ucdavis.198
Posted: Mon Oct 28 18:50:45 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Nov-85 00:34:33 EST
References: <40@drutx.UUCP> <12090@rochester.UUCP>
Organization: University of California, Davis
Lines: 48

> > In article <43@utastro.UUCP>, ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac) writes:
> > > > > > Wicca, started as a monotheistic, matriarchal religion based on a
> > > > > > deity called the Great Goddess or Great Mother.
> > > > > 
> > > > > ... conspicuous followers of the Mother, ... I for one am glad that
> > > > > their rituals have gone out of style.
> > > > 
> > > > 	Why are you glad their rituals have gone out of style.
> > > 
> > > I was thinking of the sacrifice of the annual consort.
> > 
> > Maybe their rituals have gone out of fashion amoung themselves.
> > 
> > What is your, or the states, objection to a cult worshipping motherhood?
> 
> Since you ask, none whatsoever.  I do not care if people worship motherhood
> (a laudable thing after all), or fatherhood (ditto), or chartreuse carpeting
> (which makes me puke, but really turns some people on).  I do not care if
> cultists meet and have orgies every Tuesday night or discuss scientology
> instead.  However, for some odd reason I am offended by silly idealizations
> of our barbarian heritage.  Call me peculiar.  Human sacrifice  does not
> become more respectable by having been practiced by our ancestors.  I
> find it as offensive when practiced by Aztecs or Myceneans as when practiced
> by the Catholic Church under the heading of "purifying heresy".  None of
> which is meant as an insult to people whose religious beliefs do not
> include this charming practice, but if you are offended...tough shit.
> 
> As for the state, if you mean the present administration, I note that in
> a rare display of common sense, they're against this nonsense.

I agree with your position, but it's important to note that 1)human sacrifice
is not part of the Wiccan religion. In fact, if it ever was, it would
have had to have happened after the influence of the patriarchal religion
of the northern barbarians  had influenced it, since initially there was
no male consort. It was a monothiestic religion. A similar mistake people
make is with the druids. There is no evidence of human sacrifice, except
the sacrifice of thieves in order to tell the future (not religious,
but mystic). Also, there is only evidence of this on the contenent, not
in Ireland.
	Secondly, the Christian religion was, initially, not so Christian
itself. The early Christian, when the Emperor became Christian in Rome, were
known to have done such pleasant things as strip the flesh off of live
priestesses in their temple and burn it in the temple fires. By the way,
being Catholic I resent the singling  out of the Catholic Church a bit.
The Protestants were involved in some pretty awfull things too, after
all.(Witch trials, for one. And England has quite a history too).

				-- Chris.