By Lizbeth Diaz In secret meetings that draw on elements of Haitian Voodoo, Cuban Santeria and Mexican witchcraft, priests are slaughtering chickens on full moon nights on beaches, smearing police with the blood and using prayers to evoke spirits to guard them as drug cartels battle over smuggling routes into California. Other police in the city of Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, tattoo their bodies with Voodoo symbols, believing they can repel bullets. "Sometimes a man needs another type of faith," said former Tijuana policeman Marcos, who left the city force a year ago after surviving a drug gang attack. "I was saved when they killed two of my mates. I know why I didn't die."

I have always had a soft spot for W.A.S.P. as the Crimson Idol is my second favorite metal album of all time after Faith No More's Angel Dust. They're a legendary name in metal circles since 1984, W.A.S.P. to this day still manage to put out quality heavy metal while many of their 80s peers have stagnated or worse. Thankfully, W.A.S.P. are still to... Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com

Balkan leaders urge the EU to keep faith in them as potential members, after Serbia withdraws from an EU-Balkans conference.

Thai protests point to wider discontent over elite rule

Bonnská Kunsthalle nabízí do 13. června výstavu o umění a kultuře Byzance nazvanou Byzanz: Pracht und Alltag. Jde o největší projekt, jaký byl kdy tomuto tématu v Evropě věnován. Větší byly jen výstavy The glory of Byzantium a Byzantium: Faith and Power v Metropolitním muzeu v New Yorku, uspořádané v letech 1997 a 2004.

000CatHot free twink sex - 000CatHot plays a rod awaiting a girl sex at another gently yellow mating ritual, rather than a fashioned front position almost reaches an used-up hole to another faith.

Reviewed by Fionnchú My son asked if one could survive only on meat. Contrarily, I looked up this history of vegetarianism to find out. Orthodoxy and conformity long allied with the herding & consumption of animals. To those in control, those refusing to eat flesh posed a social and moral threat. Not eating meat equalled rebellion against the state, the faith, and the norm. Spencer starts with early hominids and ends with fast food. He roams necessarily widely, if focusing most modern attention to the British take on vegetarianism. Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and India all earn ancient testimony for a long-lived counter-cultural tradition. While Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures appear to have come down harder on what become known as "Pythagorean" practices, the Hindus seem to have had a more balanced approach. A "dharma-sutra" ca. 600 BCE counselled: "In eating flesh, in drinking intoxicating liquors and in carnal intercourse there is no sin, for such enjoyments are natural, but absention from them produces great reward." (qtd. 76)

by Diana Goods Re: Funding faith-based colleges (March 10). Once again, as in the Youth For Christ proposal, the Free Press has come out in favour of public money supporting religious institutions. I recognize that our government has a history of providing funding to faith-based schools, but this is the direction we should be moving away from, not increasing the amounts or extending this to other institutions. Religion needs to be kept separate from the public sphere. In light of the recognition that immigration to our country is changing the demographics of the population, including the religious beliefs, I do not think the government should be in the business of financially supporting any particular religion. It is only because Christianity is still the dominant religion that these types of decisions are made. I would be very surprised to see the majority come out in favour of supporting a University of Scientology or a Pagan School of Wicca. Freedom from religion is just as important as freedom of religion.

CWmike writes "You can now pre-order an Apple iPad; but do you really want to, asks Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols. 'I mean, I get why you'd want an iPad. I'd like one too,' he writes. 'But,' he says, 'when I consider that there are soon going to be literally dozens of cheaper, Linux-powered iPad devices on the market, I find it a lot easier to resist putting $499 on my credit card. On top of that, Apple will be including DRM on some eBooks and other iPad content. I really, really hate DRM. All that said, I agree the iPad is really cool. I predict with absolute faith that the iPad and its clones are going to kill off single purpose devices like dedicated eReaders such as Amazon's Kindle and GPS devices within the next three years. How can it not work out this way? For the same price as a high-end dedicated device you can get a tablet that will do everything they can do and far more. But, and this is the important bit, you don't have to buy an Apple iPad to get all of the iPad's goodies. ARM, a mobile microprocessor power, is predicting that we'll see no less than 50 ARM-processor-powered iPad clones by year's end. And, what will they be running? These ARM-powered entertainment tablets will all be running Linux.'" Read more of this story at Slashdot.

by Jason Pitzl-Waters I like to think I’m a rather tolerant guy when it comes to religious freedom. I have no trouble with religions that practice humane animal sacrifice, I could care less what consenting adults want to get up to in the privacy of their own homes, and I tend to range from permissive to supportive on the issue of entheogens. All that said, this sicked me out more than a little. I’ll give you all a moment to collect yourselves. OK. So, why (oh dear gods why) am I writing about this? Because the man claims that this snail-drinking ritual is part of his Yoruban faith. “Authorities are investigating a Hialeah man who allegedly smuggled illegal Giant African Snails into Florida and convinced his followers to drink their juices as part of a religious healing ritual. State and federal authorities in January raided the home of Charles L. Stewart after learning he had a large box full of the snails — which grow to be up to 10 inches long — according to a search warrant filed recently in Miami-Dade Circuit Court … One witness told investigators that during the ritual, Stewart grabs a snail from the cage, then would “hold it over the devotee, then cuts the [snail] and pours the raw fluid directly from the still live [snail] into the mouth of the devotee.” Several followers became violently ill, losing weight and developing strange lumps in their bellies…”

"I have been reading score for maybe ten years and I have seen some jaw dropping women," writes J.D.  "Love the magazine and the website. Couldn't say anything bad about your magazine. I can't believe how sexy Faith looked. Absolutely amazing. Just when I think you guys have found the perfect woman, Karina Hart, you come up with Faith. A woman who truthfully puts any other model for SCORE in a distant second. All I can say is thank you and your photographers are the luckiest guys on the face of the earth. Please do what you can to keep her modeling for SCORE." Faith has produced this effect, multiplied many times. And she doesn't need to do much. Pretty much just undress and lay back. C.W. from North Yorkshire said, "I'm a connoisseur of the female form and nothing could have prepared me for Faith. The stunning curves, those seductive eyes and a body that can put a great sports car to shame. One thing is clear Faith has it all." And another bud pays Faith the highest possible comp by calling her "the best to come out of England" considering her world-class predecessors. But will Karla James step in and take over?   Join SCORELAND.COM Today!

"I have been reading score for maybe ten years and I have seen some jaw dropping women," writes J.D.  "Love the magazine and the website. Couldn't say anything bad about your magazine. I can't believe how sexy Faith looked. Absolutely amazing. Just when I think you guys have found the perfect woman, Karina Hart, you come up with Faith. A woman who truthfully puts any other model for SCORE in a distant second. All I can say is thank you and your photographers are the luckiest guys on the face of the earth. Please do what you can to keep her modeling for SCORE." Faith has produced this effect, multiplied many times. And she doesn't need to do much. Pretty much just undress and lay back. C.W. from North Yorkshire said, "I'm a connoisseur of the female form and nothing could have prepared me for Faith. The stunning curves, those seductive eyes and a body that can put a great sports car to shame. One thing is clear Faith has it all." And another bud pays Faith the highest possible comp by calling her "the best to come out of England" considering her world-class predecessors. But will Karla James step in and take over?   Join SCORELAND.COM Today!

"I have been reading score for maybe ten years and I have seen some jaw dropping women," writes J.D. "Love the magazine and the website. Couldn't say anything bad about your magazine. I can't believe how sexy Faith looked. Absolutely amazing. Just when I think you guys have found the perfect woman, Karina Hart, you come up with Faith. A woman who truthfully puts any other model for SCORE in a distant second. All I can say is thank you and your photographers are the luckiest guys on the face of the earth. Please do what you can to keep her modeling for SCORE." Faith has produced this effect, multiplied many times. And she doesn't need to do much. Pretty much just undress and lay back. C.W. from North Yorkshire said, "I'm a connoisseur of the female form and nothing could have prepared me for Faith. The stunning curves, those seductive eyes and a body that can put a great sports car to shame. One thing is clear Faith has it all." And another bud pays Faith the highest possible comp by calling her "the best to come out of England" considering her world-class predecessors. But will Karla James step in and take over? Join SCORELAND.COM Today!Link

By Glenn Coin The first pagan chaplain at Syracuse University has a sense of humor about the misperceptions of her faith. "We don't do animal sacrifices," Mary Hudson said, with a slight laugh. "We're not going to steal your babies and make candles out of them. "And godless? Absolutely not. We have more gods and goddesses than most people I know. Some of the most spiritual people I know are pagans." No dark makeup, no Goth clothing here: In her small office in the basement of Hendricks Chapel she shares with the Catholic chaplain, Hudson, 50, wears faded jeans and a powder-blue knit top. Hudson earlier this month became the 11th chaplain on the Hendricks staff, taking her place among representatives of more mainstream faiths like Episcopalianism, Roman Catholicism and Buddhism. "I know that you have to play nice in the sandbox," Hudson said. "You have to understand that everybody has a point of view."

By Dáire Sinnsreachd is a cultural and religious movement that revives the pre-Christian religion, including cultural elements, of the Gaelic peoples of Ireland and Scotland from which it and many of its practitioners are descended. Sinnsreachd is a Gàidhlig (Scots-Gaelic) word that means, in this context, "Customs of the Ancestors", and is a term that truly expresses what it is that we hold dear. Our faith, our culture, our way of life all fall within the bounds of that single word, yet no simple term can ever describe the vastness and complexity that is encompassed in the ways of our people. In simplest terms, Sinnsreachd is a polytheistic folk religion that bases its core cultural, social, and religious doctrine off of the extant customs and superstitions of rural Ireland and Scotland combined with modern restorations of society, culture, and customary law gleaned through research. Sinnsreachd draws on the ancient elements of Gaelic culture and religion as they existed prior to Christianity, but does so in the modern day and age. While the history of the Gael from which Sinnsreachd draws is recorded and quite clear-cut, its direct roots as a modern movement are harder to pinpoint. Though the first vestiges of a resurgence of the faith of the pre-Christian Gael are found in writings from over a century ago, it is hard to determine exactly when academic postulation became faith.

More than 2,000 atheists from around the world meet in Melbourne, Australia, to celebrate their lack of religious belief.

by Jamie Henson Being of the Wiccan faith, I was offended when I read a teacher would not allow a student to build a Wiccan altar in shop class - especially since Wicca is a recognized religion in the United States. It's a simple matter of fear of the unknown. Wicca is not devil worship. The devil is an entirely Christian concept. We believe in balance in things: the light and dark sides, male and female, life and death. It's a different belief, not a wrong one. I doubt the student was asking his teacher to share in his belief system. Was the teacher wrong to forbid the building of the altar? Yes. Since it was for something that didn't fit into the teacher's scope of thinking, it was denied. Is the whole battle over religious views and who's right or wrong overrated? Yes. How about live and let live?

By Jess Folks new to Heathenry today, particularly if they are coming from Wicca or another Neo-Pagan faith, usually tend to ask two questions when it comes to being Heathen in the modern day: - Is it necessary to (or, How can I) learn galdr and/or seiðr? - How do I know who my patron/matron deity is? These are questions that I have encountered frequently in my own conversations with new Heathens and/or people interested in Heathenry, and the answers to both are simple. - Knowledge of galdr and/or seiðr is not necessary to be Heathen. - You are not required to have a patron/matron deity. Some people can get very frustrated with new folks asking these kinds of questions, but the simple fact is that they originate within the context of Wicca and Wiccan-derived Pagan beliefs, where adherents are generally encouraged to find a patron/matron deity, and where the study of magical practises and concepts is a backbone of education and training. Although I have been told that they exist, I have not personally encountered a Wiccan who did not do magic, and most Neo-Pagans I have met have a definite patron/matron deity.

Reunited alternative rock legends Faith No More has announced their first show on the East Coast of the United States since they reformed. The concert will take place at Williamsburg, Brooklyn?s Waterfront on July 5th. The band have previously announced that they will be performing a three night residence at the Warfield in San Francisco from April... Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com

A nine-minute highlight video from Faith No More's set at the Soundwave Festival on March 1, 2010 in Perth, Western Australia has been posted online. It's pretty decent quality sound and footage, so check it out below. Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com

Novell has asked the Court to rule further on their Motion in Limine No. 4 [PDF; text]. The Court had previously issued a ruling [PDF] granting that Motion, but Novell now asks for further ruling, stating that "[t]he Court addressed this issue solely in the context of SCO's covenant of good faith claim. However, Novell's motion covered all of SCO's claims, including slander of title. The Court's prior ruling did not expressly address other claims, so Novell requests the Court to rule on the issue that was left open by its prior order."

By R. Wolf Baldassarro With the popularity of ghost hunting shows offered today it is difficult for many to look at ghost hunting as little more than a hobby or fad. Parapsychology is a science comprised of a complex set of theories and terminology that has been around for 100 years. I attempt through this column to show both the skeptical and the believable sides of parapsychology and to teach ghost hunting techniques and tips in a manner that most can understand and enjoy while learning about the subject. Some of these terms and concepts are a bit confusing and hard to swallow but I have faith in the intellect and integrity of my readers. Ghost hunting is a passion but it must also be respected. Spiritual work in paranormal research is subject to intense debate. It’s tendency to be dangerous and a matter of faith makes it controversial and its subjective results often questionable. This is the first of a three part series exploring this area of research. Part one will touch on some basic concepts and practices of spirit communication that can aid in paranormal investigations. Some topics such as soul rescues, possession, atavism, and exorcisms are particularly complex and hazardous. These will be covered in part two. Part three will conclude the series by looking at dream analysis and spirit contact through dreams and other trance states.

by KAT FATLAND If Dale Halferty, the Guthrie Center teacher who banned his student from creating a Wiccan altar in shop class, actually believes his own words, that "this witchcraft stuff... is terrible for our kids. It takes kids away from what they know, and leads them to a dark and violent life," then Halferty should not be a teacher. If Halferty thinks that learning about any valid religion is "terrible," he is thus prohibiting entire fields of knowledge from being accessed. If one reflects on reasons why anything should not be talked about in school, the only reason Halferty has is fear - and nothing is more degrading to knowledge than fear of it. What was he afraid of when he prohibited this student from creating this altar? Was he afraid that other students might be interested? Not only is that a biased response from his own Christian faith, it is an ignorant one as well.

Up until only a few weeks ago, I had little, very little faith in Microsoft ever doing anything serious with its spectacular Courier tablet-book-thing-whatever concept. However, this thing happened, and this thing is called Windows Phone 7 Series - it showed that Microsoft is willing to take risks, willing to introduce something new and fresh. As such, colour me intrigued about rumours from Engadget concerning the Courier actually being real - accompanied by a boatload of screenshots and concept videos.

Typ: - Audio: - Downloads: 144 Seeder: 8 Leecher: 79 Komplett: 38 Health: 2/5 Details: http://bitreactor.to/torrent/1133009-xxx-filme-xxx-ass-teen-mouth-faith-hq

type: - audio: - downloads: 144 seeds: 8 leechers: 79 completed: 38 health: 2/5 details: http://eng.bitreactor.to/torrent/1133009-xxx-movies-xxx-ass-teen-mouth-faith-hq

By Jeff Sharlet When Barack Obama moved into the Oval Office in January, he inherited a military not just drained by a two-front war overseas but fighting a third battle on the home front, a subtle civil war over its own soul. On one side are the majority of military personnel, professionals who regardless of their faith or lack thereof simply want to get their jobs done; on the other is a small but powerful movement of Christian soldiers concentrated in the officer corps. There’s Major General Johnny A. Weida, who as commandant at the Air Force Academy made its National Day of Prayer services exclusively Christian, and also created a code for evangelical cadets: whenever Weida said, “Airpower,” they were to respond “Rock Sir!”—a reference to Matthew 7:25. (The general told them that when non-evangelical cadets asked about the mysterious call-and-response, they should share the gospel.) There’s Major General Robert Caslen—commander of the 25th Infantry Division, a.k.a. “Tropic Lightning”—who in 2007 was found by a Pentagon inspector general’s report to have violated military ethics by appearing in uniform, along with six other senior Pentagon officers, in a video for the Christian Embassy, a fundamentalist ministry to Washington elites. There’s Lieutenant General Robert Van Antwerp, the Army chief of engineers, who has also lent his uniform to the Christian cause, both in a Trinity Broadcasting Network tribute to Christian soldiers called Red, White, and Blue Spectacular an

by Jason Pitzl-Waters While traditional media outlets continue to cut back on their coverage of religion, there’s been a slow expansion on the Internet. Beliefnet, one of the first Internet religion-news hubs, continues to reign supreme in terms of size and traffic, but it’s starting to see some competition from sites like Patheos and the Newsweek/Washington Post-supported On Faith. Now, another new-media contender is entering the God(s)-beat, as the left-leaning Huffington Post launches a religion section. Some of the big-name contributors include Jim Wallis, Deepak Chopra, Sister Joan Chittister, and Eboo Patel. But will HuffPost Religion cover modern Paganism? I’ve received some initial signs from folks working there that they are looking to add Pagan voices to the section, so we’ll see how things play out in the weeks ahead. Patheos, Beliefnet, and On Faith all now include a Pagan perspective (to varying degrees), so I can’t imagine HuffPost Religion will be far behind (especially since they have Pagans writing for them in other sections). I’ll keep you posted on developments.

Greenfield Festival (11.06.10 - 11.06.10) 2009 feierten über 24.000 Besucher beim <b>Greenfield Festival</b> in Interlaken mit Bands wie Billy Talent, Soulfly, Faith No More, Slipknot und Nightwish eine dreitägige Festivalparty. <br><br> Und auch dieses Jahr kann sich die erste Bandbestätigung durchaus sehen lassen: Rammstein sind Headliner beim <b>Greenfield Festival 2010</b> <br><br> Line Up: Rammstein<br> The Prodigy<br> Beatsteaks<br> Heaven Shall Burn<br> Wizo<br> The Hives<br> Hot Water Music<br> Turbostaat<br> Callejon<br> <br><br> Sichern Sie sich jetzt ihre Tickets online.

by Jason Pitzl-Waters The Social Science Research Council has released a study titled “The New Landscape of the Religion Blogosphere.” A snapshot of some of the most influential religion blogs, its primary goal seems to be getting the religion-blog “A-List” to communicate and collaborate with one-another. Yes, The Wild Hunt is included in the study as “leading” blog on modern Paganism, I’m one of the few minority faith blogs included (along with a smattering of Buddhist and Humanist/atheist sites). It’s certainly flattering to be included, and I hope my inclusion will open some new eyes to the existence of a thriving Pagan blogging and podcasting community. Particularly to academics and the religion sites that are primarily journalism-oriented, as I feel our perspectives can often be overlooked on issues that concern us. Beyond that? I’m certainly willing to enter into discourse with the largely monotheist-dominated religious blogosphere, but I fear direct collaboration will be somewhat limited (on both sides) due to some sticky theological differences. In any case, it’s very nice to see religion blogs get some attention, and I urge folks to download the entire report.

By Brynneth Cities tend to be multicultural places. Pagans are one faith group amongst many, and as society becomes more open to people following different faiths, this creates all kinds of interesting issues. Do we want to engage with other religions? Should we be talking to people of other faiths? Secrecy and wariness have been part of pagan life for a long time and there are still places where it’s not ok to be openly pagan. Should pagans receive the same attention (and money and tax breaks) from governments that other faith groups do? If talking to other groups, and sharing public celebrations is something we want to do, who speaks for us? There are probably as many kinds of paganism as there are individual pagans. It’s very hard to represent paganism to anyone else. There are at least as many differences as there are similarities between practitioners. (The same can be said of Christianity though).

TrueSin27 Faith Turner - A hairy TrueSin27 skillfully has sex with a hesitantly pretty boss.

Reviewed by Sterling Garnett Those who have kept abreast of the substantial body of work, in Greek poetry and (what is typically called) mythology, of Claude Calame, the tremendously learned and tremendously opinionated Director of Studies at the Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, will find much that is familiar herein. This slim but dense volume is nothing less than an assertion, and a justification, of the particular methodology (and, perhaps, ideology) expressed in his earlier works, both a practical essay for students in the field and, in his own words, "a kind of act of faith" (ix) containing a "genuine personal sense of commitment" (266), an expression of opposition to structuralist analyses that over-universalize their subjects, focusing excessively on the common factors of diverse symbologies while neglecting their specific qualities and (particularly) performance contexts. This is by no means an overall study of critical approaches to classical mythology; indeed, Calame's view of "structuralism", the approach against which this book is a polemic, could well be argued to be an unfair pastiche thereof. Despite Calame's qualifier, in the preface to this edition, that these approaches are "totally legitimate", and merely taken too far (ix), his interpretation reads them as contributing to a nefariously colonialist scholarly zeitgeist.

by Molly Snyder Edler During the past decade, most Americans have accepted and embraced the need to go "green." For some, this simply means a commitment to composting or using natural cleaning products. For others, it runs deeper. Starhawk is a well respected writer on the topic of modern Earth-based spirituality and an activist for environmental issues. Starhawk, who lives part-time in San Francisco with her partner and friends and part-time in a little hut in western Sonoma Valley, will visit Milwaukee to conduct a variety of lectures and workshops at the First Unitarian Society, 1342 N. Astor St. She has authored or co-authored 11 books, including her latest, a children's book called "The Last Wild Witch." She is also a filmmaker, a panelist for Newsweek / Washington Post's Web site on religion called "On Faith," an Earth activist coach, community volunteer and more.

Voodoo faith's role in helping Haiti's quake victims

By Sitara Haye We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership. Principle #6 is what I like to call the tragic flaw in the Wiccan construct. In literary terms, a hero is said to have a tragic flaw when he possesses a trait that is both his highest good and his undoing. If anything is Wicca’s tragic flaw, it is our lack of central leadership and hierarchy. From a positive perspective, this lack of central authority provides us with immense freedom to express and develop personal spirituality. There are no dues to pay, except the ones we pay to the Universe as tuition for admittance to the school of experience. There is no one to tell us how to do things or what to believe or which Deity is greater or lesser than another. There isn’t a bloated hierarchy of religious leaders who have made faith their business.

By Elizabeth I’ve decided in the intervening months since I made this post that there is another thing besides faith, contemplation, service and mindfulness which I feel ought to be vitally important to Pagan monastics, which distinguishes it from mere duty and which keeps one connected to the world and to the gods and spirits that inhabit it better than any amount of study or theological debate. Maybe it’s even more important that all the rest put together. That fifth thing, the fifth cornerstone of the Pagan nun or monk’s practice is joy. As Pagans we try to take delight in the world around us even though parts of it are painful or frankly unnecessary. Most of us believe in the immanence of the Divine. By this, I mean that we see our gods all around us, either in a pantheistic sort of way, or in that They come to us at specific times of the year, in specific ways or at certain places on this earth, or in that the things They hold sacred might be sacred to us as well. Our gods are not remote or distant. They are present, even when we have a hard time sensing that presence.

By Ed Stoddard Thought America's "generation gap" had narrowed? Think again. According to a new report by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, the gap on some issues has widened into a chasm, notably on issues related to gay rights and tolerance. "Young people are more accepting of homosexuality and evolution than are older people. They are also more comfortable with having a bigger government, and they are less concerned about Hollywood threatening their values," said the report, which was released on Wednesday. The report also found "Millennials" (aged 18-29) were far more likely than their elders from "Generation X" and the "Baby Boom" to be unaffiliated with a specific faith. Generation X was born between 1965 and 1980, Baby Boomers from 1946 to 1964.

by Jason Pitzl-Waters Today the Religion News Service has released a story on the Patrick McCollum chaplaincy case currently before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. This, along with Dr. Barbara McGraw’s recent editorial at On Faith, Starhawk’s advocacy on McCollum’s behalf, and a groundswell of attention throughout the blogosphere, should mean that a lot more attention is going to be paid to this case in the near future. Because I know that several of you will want to write about this issue on your own blogs/journals, or be informed when you discuss this issue with others, I’m providing a summary of my coverage, with pertinent links to case documents. About Patrick McCollum: Patrick McCollum has been working as a Pagan chaplain and activist for well over twenty years. He was one of the founding members of the Lady Liberty League, and has been involved in numerous legal struggles involving modern Pagans. In recent years he has received attention for his appearance before the US Commission on Civil Rights in Washington, DC, to speak at a briefing focused on prisoners’ religious rights (full transcript of the proceedings), and for his meeting with Obama Administration officials concerning interfaith relations and discrimination against minority faiths in America. On Imbolc of this year, McCollum was installed to the Executive Board of Directors of a United Nations NGO, Children Of The Earth. McCollum currently serves as an unpaid statewide correctional chaplain for the Calif

by Jason Pitzl-Waters The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has released a new study, entitled “Religion Among the Millennials”, that tracks the beliefs and views of the generation born after 1981 (and who largely came of age in the year 2000, hence the name). The report asserts that Millenials are far more “unaffiliated”, religiously speaking, than the previous two generations, and less concerned about “culture war” issues like gay marriage and abortion than their predecessors. As for Millenials and modern Paganism, 2% of adults aged 18-29 adhere to a Pagan, New Age, Unitarian-Universalist, or “eclectic” faith (the “other faiths”). Outstripping adherence to Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and roughly tied with Judaism and Mormonism. Further, Millenials are about tied with Baby Boomers in adherence to an “other” faith, with Generation X making up the demographically largest grouping. You can download the entire report, here. You may also want to take a look at Pew’s 2007 Religious Landscape Survey, something I’ve covered in depth here, which much this data is culled from.

By Sannion Lately I’ve noticed a fundamental flaw in a great deal of polytheist thinking, and that’s the ambivalence with which faith is regarded. Many go so far as to assert that they have no faith whatsoever, and that none is required. They claim that they don’t believe in the existence of the gods; rather they know that they’re real in the same way that they know that a rock or a stream or whathaveyou is real. First off, if the existence of the gods was this self-evident every single person in the world would know it with equal certainty. There wouldn’t be atheists or Christians or Moslems or any others who question their existence. Well, these people aver, my experiences are such that I am left with no doubt concerning the existence of the gods, rendering faith meaningless for me; others may indeed have different experiences that lead them to different understandings, and that’s no concern of mine.

You've been expecting this, I'm sure. Ralph Yarro wants to loan SCO some money, $2 million, or more accurately up to $2 million, and the SCO trustee, Edward Cahn, wants to let him. It's all at "arm's length" and "in good faith" negotiations with this SCO insider, don't you know. So, does this mean nobody else wants to fund SCO? No potential buyers? Just Ralph? And Cahn asks the court to please shorten the time to handle the motion. Is SCO on its last legs or something? The motion calls Yarro the "former Chairman" of SCO's board of directors. See all the stuff you can hide if you don't file MORs or with the SEC, despite being a public company? Say, didn't Cahn promise to file those MORs by now? What, they look too awful? Still, they're supposed to be filed. Well, well. SCO's MO seems to be catching. Delay, delay, delay while they keep their greedy hand reaching desperately for the brass ring. "The Trustee is advised that Seung Ni Capital Partners, L.L.C. is a newly formed entity formed by Ralph J. Yarro III ("Yarro") and was created for the purpose of providing postpetition financing to the Debtors. Since Yarro is the former Chairman of the Debtors' Board of Directors and the Debtors' largest shareholder, Yarro is an insider pursuant to Bankruptcy Code section 101(31). See 11 U.S.C. § 101(31). The Trustee represents that at all times the negotiations among the Trustee, his advisors and Yarro were at arms-length and in good faith." Wait. Look at page 2

Let's correct some facts and assumptions in Dr. Gary Pisano's Expert Report on behalf of SCO in the SCO v. Novell trial, shall we? Why? First, it's fun. Geek fun, granted, but that is who we are. Second, I see what I view as mistakes, and I surely don't want people to be confused or for errors to go down in history unanswered. If the testimony is excluded, which is the relief that Novell is asking the court for, it won't be answered in the trial. So, for historians, and for our own enjoyment, here is Groklaw's answer to the expert report of Dr. Gary Pisano, part 1.Feel free to meaningfully and politely respond to his report in your comments, and I'll glean everything, add my own 2 cents, and we'll do a second, color-coded version of the report, with our rebuttal interspersed. To aid us I've done as text Novell's memorandum in support of its motion for a Daubert hearing to disqualify Dr. Pisano (not just some of his testimony), and then Exhibit A, his submitted report, and a snip from his deposition, in which he tries to say an online survey he didn't do is reliable because Laura DiDio of Yankee Group did it. It's also why SCO would be wise not to oppose this motion. I'm sure the Novell lawyers would make mincemeat of him, should he take the stand, because although he is apparently an expert on business administration, what he doesn't know about Linux and Unix is a lot, by my reading, unless he is selectively cherry picking only materials that match SCO's story. So,

by Chris Gourlay The 2011 census is likely to be Britain’s last following concerns that the 209-year-old survey is unable to cope with the nation’s rapidly changing population — and respondents’ lies. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is drawing up plans to introduce a new register that could be based on existing computer records. The data, such as tax, pension and medical details, could then be supplemented with more regular surveys, possibly conducted by telephone, over the internet and through face-to-face interviews. The proposed overhaul follows concerns about increased levels of migration that threaten to make the census data redundant almost as soon as they have been collected. Prank responses to questions that are perceived to be too intrusive have also knocked confidence in the current system. In 2001 — the first time a voluntary question was asked about faith — almost 400,000 people took inspiration from the Star Wars films to claim that their religion was “Jedi”. This was in addition to about 7,000 people who said that they were witches.

by Jason Pitzl-Waters I had some decent sleep the night before, so (relatively) bright-eyed and bushy-tailed I began my second day at PantheaCon. First, after a rather pricey bowl of oatmeal, I attended the 9am panel discussion “Pagans in Global Interfaith Work” led by Don Frew, National Interfaith Representative for C.O.G., and featuring contributions by Rowan Fairgrove, T. Thorn Coyle, and others. It was an interesting history of how modern Pagans started getting involved in interfaith work, with a lot of attention was (understandably) given to the recent Parliament of the World’s Religions. The point was made of how large interfaith gatherings have allowed Pagans to network and dialog with indigenous religions, Hindus, and other minority faiths that they might not have be able to otherwise. After the interfaith panel, I went to “Pagan Power: Pagan Freedom, Pagan Rights”, a talk led by Selena Fox and Patrick McCollum. A history of the Lady Liberty League was given, including how an anti-Wiccan law proposed by Jesse Helms back in 1985 fueled the group’s creation. There was some discussion about Patrick’s current case against the California Department of Corrections, a new site was pointed out that contains copies of all the amicus briefs filed in the case so far, and Starhawk, who was in attendance for the talk, briefly mentioned her new essay at On Faith in support of McCollum. It was pointed out that the best way to help Patrick right now is to write to California offici

Gothic metallers Paradise Lost are continuing their "Faith Divides Us ? Death Unites Us" tour which kicks off today in Sofia / Bulgaria. The band?s Lead Guitarist Greg Mackintosh will join the band again after he was forced to cancel the previous European tour last winter. The upcoming Paradise Lost tour dates are as follows: 2/12 Hristo Botev H... Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com

By Aladine The early Irish goddess, the Morrígan, through the passage of time has slowly diminished in power, significance, and stature. Quite apart from the relative disappearance of the Irish pagan faith since the time of the ancient Celts, her role in translations, syntheses, and dramatizations of the ancient mythological stories has been dramatically curtailed to suit the needs and taboos of later ages. Stories and epics that originally placed a great deal of emphasis on the prominence of the Morrígan as goddess of fertility, sovereignty, war, order, and chaos have been inaccurately transcribed and translated. Mistakes have been made in preeminent influential works, such as that of Standish O’Grady, that have neither been attended to nor fixed, and consequently have added to the inaccuracy of vision the world already had due to the Christian influence on Irish paganism. An investigation of her Indo-European origin, her nature, her role in Irish mythology and text, and subsequent textual misrepresentations, will establish the gravity of her position as the arbiter, foreteller, and instigator of the course of contention between order and chaos.

Blackened death metallers Acheron have officially added two new guitarists, Art Taylor and Eric Stewart, to the band. Taylor came to Acheron from Wehrwolfe and Stewart was in Mangled Faith and Infernal Faith. Both guitarists also previously worked together in a King Diamond/Mercyful Fate tribute band titled Them. Founder and front man Vincent Cr... Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com

by Jason Pitzl-Waters In addition to writing for The Wild Hunt, I’m also co-founder and Projects Coordinator for the Pagan Newswire Collective. The PNC’s purpose is to share and promote primary-source reporting from within our interconnected communities. Building off the successful “Pagans at the Parliament” site, which raised the profile of Pagan involvement at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and helped break important stories as they happened, the PNC has decided to pursue more targeted single-topic blog projects. The first will be an ongoing group-blog entitled Pagan+Politics. This group blog is about modern American Pagans, from across the ideological and theological spectrum, commenting on the politics of the day. Giving insight and opinion, and sharing how their religious faith shapes their political views. Why this project? Because the last few years have shown us that contemporary Paganism, whether we like it or not, is a part of today’s political discussion and process.