http://www.religionnewsblog.com Religion news about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:15:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23631/pennsylvania-pagan-festival http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23631/pennsylvania-pagan-festival#comments Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:28:01 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23631 ADAMSTOWN, Pa. — In the rolling hills of deeply religious rural Pennsylvania sits Stoudtburg Village, a tiny hamlet modeled on a German town. On weekends, tourists come here to visit shops on the ground floors of closely set three-story houses painted bright colors on pedestrian-only streets.

But this weekend, plans for a nature-worshipping group of modern pagans and witches to hold a festival in this picturesque section of Adamstown are getting a mixed reception, with some shop owners welcoming the visitors but others saying they plan to close.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23631/pennsylvania-pagan-festival/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23362/israel-paganism http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23362/israel-paganism#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:17:49 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23362 Like many other soldiers who took part in the Gaza operation, Omer, 20, occasionally took a few moments to pray, but he did not pray to the Lord of Israel.

Omer considers himself pagan, and has sworn allegiance to three ancient gods. During combat, he says they appeared before him, giving him strength during the most arduous moments.

The soldier is part of a tiny community of pagans that has developed in Israel]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23362/israel-paganism/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23198/lawrence-douglas-harris-2 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23198/lawrence-douglas-harris-2#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:16:50 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=23198 In the basement, officers find candles, Larry's ritual knife, stained with DNA from one of the girls, a symbol of Baphomet, representing Satan and believed to have occult power, bells and an amulet with an inverted pentagram -- all items used in rituals described in "The Satanic Bible."

Larry tells police he has a spell notebook in his and Marla's bedroom closet. The notebook contains drawings from the book "Pagan Ways," references found in the occult fiction book "Necronomicom" and page numbers corresponding to "The Satanic Bible," including one specific spell.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23198/lawrence-douglas-harris-2/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22879/paganism-margot-adler http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22879/paganism-margot-adler#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:34:22 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22879 Paganism is alive and well in America, according to author and National Public Radio correspondent Margot Adler.

Adler, a priestess of the Gardnerian Wiccan tradition, wrote "Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today." The book, first published in 1979, was one of the first publications to document the history and modern practices of various Earth-based religions. ]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22879/paganism-margot-adler/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22878/paganism-prison-uk http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22878/paganism-prison-uk#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:15:18 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22878 Paganism is on the rise in jails in England and Wales with the number of practising prisoners more than doubling in the past four years.

Paganism was recognised by the Prison Service as a religion more than eight years ago but since 2003 the numbers have risen steadily from 133 to 328 in 2007, according to figures published yesterday.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22878/paganism-prison-uk/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22257/ellinais-paganism-parthenon http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22257/ellinais-paganism-parthenon#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:59:12 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22257 Defying police presence and a thunderous downpour, dozens of Greek pagans huddled near the Parthenon in Athens on Sunday, holding a protest prayer for a museum being built at the foot of the sacred site.

The ceremony, attended by scores of curious onlookers, was performed amid the ruins of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon. The ancient Greek religion was outlawed by the Roman empire in the fourth century.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22257/ellinais-paganism-parthenon/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22212/ellinais-paganism-acropolis http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22212/ellinais-paganism-acropolis#comments Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:36:19 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=22212 A small group of pagans pledged Thursday to hold a protest prayer among the ruined Acropolis temples, more than 1,500 years after Christians stamped out worship of the ancient Greek gods.

Peppa's Athens-based group, Ellinais, is campaigning to revive ancient religion and has defied Culture Ministry bans to hold prayers at several ancient temples.]]> http://www.religionnewsblog.com/22212/ellinais-paganism-acropolis/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21413/pagan-festival-parade-berkely http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21413/pagan-festival-parade-berkely#comments Tue, 13 May 2008 04:49:03 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21413 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21413/pagan-festival-parade-berkely/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21408/pagan-prisoners-allowed-twigs-in-their-cells-to-use-as-magic-wands http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21408/pagan-prisoners-allowed-twigs-in-their-cells-to-use-as-magic-wands#comments Mon, 12 May 2008 08:08:38 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21408 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21408/pagan-prisoners-allowed-twigs-in-their-cells-to-use-as-magic-wands/feed 0 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21361/pagan-weddings-attract-more-than-a-cult-following http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21361/pagan-weddings-attract-more-than-a-cult-following#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 17:09:26 +0000 Religion News Blog http://www.religionnewsblog.com/?p=21361 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21361/pagan-weddings-attract-more-than-a-cult-following/feed 0