Clipmarks | boniface's 'witch' clips

Narnia owes more to Pagan mythology than christian

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:36:06 GMT

clipped by: boniface

How to Tell if The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a Christian Film

Lewis always insisted that his seven Narnia books were not a point-by-point Christian allegory. Much of The Lion, the Witch owes more to English folktales or Norse and classical myth than to the New Testament. The passage of the four Pevensie children through the magic closet into a world laboring under a spell of eternal winter is not Christian, nor are the cruel white witch, talking animals, centaurs, and even a duo of Roman gods who inhabit it. True, the description of the redeeming figure of the lion Aslan as "the Son the Great Emperor-Beyond-the- Sea" is a big hint. But even Aslan's sacrifice on a huge stone table (not a cross; and performed with a stone knife, Aztec-style), and his subsequent miraculous recovery could have been borrowed from any number of world religions.

What the Lion's filmmakers do with the charming storytelling that surrounds them is—theologically—optional.

In Defense of the CS Lewis's Pagan Prince Caspian

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:23:55 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: CS Lewis professed to be a Christian, but if you really want to see how Pagan he actually was, read the chapter "The Inklings and the Gods" in the book by Ronald Hutton "Witches, Druids and King Arthur."

Clip Source: www.christianpost.com

When they appeared in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, it was easy to look the other way in the face of the undeniable Christian imagery of Aslan dying and rising and conquering the White Witch. Bacchus and Silenus, ancient pagan gods, dance with nymphs and dryads. With Jesus so clearly figured, it was easy to ignore such things, but what to do when Bacchus and Silenus appear not once, but twice, in Prince Caspian, where such Christological imagery is not so obvious?

Is it possible that the writings of the “apostle to the atheists” actually smuggles in pantheism and Paganism? There are some who believe exactly that.

This is a stumbling block for many people, including Christians themselves. Christianity may be true but does it satisfy?

What is so appealing about heaven if it just means sitting in a pew for eternity? Many people in church are bored out of their minds right now. Who wants that experience forever? “No thanks,” many say.

Village primary's witch logo scares students

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:27:49 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: Yeah right, it's got to be the logo and not the "school's poor reputation."

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

A village school is to scrap its historic witch logo because of fears that it drives away pupils and teachers.

Warboys Community Primary School has used the emblem of a witch riding a broomstick on its uniforms for more than 60 years.

The unusual badge, which also adorns the clocktower and kits of sports teams, marks the fact that the Cambridgeshire village was the last place in England to hang witches.

A statement from the school claimed: "The school is aware that some parents choose not to send their children to Warboys and cite the witch as one of the reasons why.

"Parents said they would rather money was spent on the children's education, school books and equipment than replacing the logo." Villagers say that teachers are put off by the school's poor reputation rather than its logo.

Voters switch party registrations to the Democrats

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:27:33 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: My brother is a Republican, I am a Libertarian and we both switched and voted in the Democratic primary. Yes, Hillary was the reason we did this. Why? Because neither of us like McCain and couldn't stand the idea that Hillary would get the Dem nomination; we both voted for Obama!

Clip Source: www.philly.com

CAN YOU believe it? Hillary Clinton is staying in the race for the Democratic nomination for president. That witch is destroying the party!

But the party she may be destroying is the state GOP, which is watching as hundreds of thousands of voters switch party registrations to the Democrats. Since the year began, the state has recorded 102,113 new voters who registered as Democrats and 132,688 previously registered voters switching to the Dems.

In addition to swelling the voter rolls, having two candidates criss-cross Pennsylvania has allowed our usually ignored citizenry to hear the candidates and let the candidates hear them. It's also a very good thing for the national media to discover that real people live between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Religious Youth

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 17:48:47 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.smh.com.au

Teenagers place faith in witchcraft

MORE and more teenagers are signing up as trainee witches.

Witchcraft was once treated lightly in sitcoms such as Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and Bewitched, or demonised in horror films, but it is becoming increasingly mainstream.

In the last census more than 9000 Australians listed their religion as Wicca, the witchcraft branch of paganism.

Tags: teenagers, place, faith, witchcraft

No Bar-B-Q for You!

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:28:02 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.ktvu.com

Police Arrest 'Witch' On Noise Suspicion

Neighbors Say Late-Night Ritual Woke Them

WAUKESHA, Wis. -- A Waukesha woman who claims she's a witch was arrested on suspicion of disturbing her neighbors, police said.

Neighbors along a typically quiet Waukesha street said they woke up just after midnight Tuesday to quite a commotion, reported WISN-TV in Milwaukee.

"All of a sudden I'm seeing flashing lights, firecrackers and all sorts of stuff," said neighbor Vicki Denova.

Investigators said Brenna Barney is a Wicca and was practicing a religious ritual because of a new moon.

Police said it involved a bon fire in a pit and witch chants.

Tags: witch, wicca, fire, chants, arrest

The Little Guy Wins One!

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:19:04 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Witches win shopping centre name battle

A coven of witches is claiming victory in its battle to get the name of a £350 million shopping centre changed.

The witches were outraged when developer Hammerson called the Leicester project - a huge extension of the city's Shires malls - the Highcross Quarter.

The coven wanted to set up an internet site to "break through the ignorance and misunderstanding, prejudice and stigma" attached to witchcraft.

But it was then forced, it claims, to turn down a number of unsolicited offers from Hammerson for its domain names Highcrossquarter.com and Highcrossquarter.co.uk.

When the group refused, the company began proceedings with the United Nation's World Intellectual Property Organisation, which adjudicates on internet domain names, to force the coven to hand over the online title, said Ms Wisecraft.

Tags: witch, witches, highcross, quarter, leicester

That "Old Time Religion"

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:36:34 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Norway hosts witchcraft experts

Pro-witchcraft groups say discrimination is still widespread

More than 60 experts on witchcraft from across the world are gathering in a tiny Arctic town in northern Norway.

For three days in Vardo they will have discussions, lectures and the odd film show on ancient and modern sorcery.

The International Midnight Sun Witchcraft Conference is organised by Scandinavian and US universities.

As well as touching on these issues, the Norwegian conference will also discuss Shamanism - a practice that centres on communication with the spiritual world, mostly through animal spirits.

Some experts claim that Shamanism predates all other organised religions.

Tags: witch, witchcraft, norway, experts, conference

Starbucks vs. Wicca

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:55:55 GMT

clipped by: boniface

Clip Source: www.beliefnet.com

Wiccan Ex-barista Sues Starbucks Over Religion

By Brent Hunsberger
Religion News Service

PORTLAND

, Ore. (RNS) A former Starbucks barista in Hillsboro, Ore., has sued the coffee giant, saying it discriminated against her based on her Wiccan religion.

In a complaint filed Jan. 8 in U.S. District Court in Portland, Alicia Hedum said a manager at Starbucks' Hillsboro Landing cafe asked her to remove her Wiccan cross several times, even though other employees, including the manager, wore Christian crosses.

Hedum accused Starbucks of retaliating by refusing to promote or transfer her, reducing her hours and scrutinizing her "minor tardiness."

Tags: wicca, wiccan, pagan, witch, witchcraft, lawsuit

She's Baaack!

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:28:10 GMT

clipped by: boniface
clipper's remarks: A publisher couldn't ask for better publicity than a protest against your books. People will want to read the books for themselves and see what all the hub-bub is about, which amounts to more sales!

Clip Source: blog.washingtonpost.com

She's Back! Laura Mallory, OFF/beat's 2006 Idiot of the Year, appears undeterred in her quest to banish Harry Potter books from school libraries. The suburban-Atlanta mother announced, Wednesday, that she plans to appeal a Georgia court's dismissal of her contention that the best-selling novels are "evil" propaganda aimed at indoctrinating youngsters into witchcraft. Despite having never read the books herself, Ms. Mallory persistently maintains that she is "tak[ing] a stand for truth."

Now, without going so far as calling her an idiot (oh wait), it certainly shows a high level of ignorance to believe that a book you haven't even read is capable of converting people to a religion you know little about. Beyond the flawed logic though, Ms. Mallory's dogmatic persistence may actually end up driving more children to read Harry Potter. In a time when faith is mired by extremism, and reading is at an all time low, perhaps she feels the only way to teach the concepts of poetic justice and the dangers of close-minded fanaticism is through a polemic gesture. If not, she is demonstrating a line of thinking that makes the Salem Witch Trials seem almost rational.

Tags: wicca, wiccan, witchcraft, witch, pagan, harry, potter, idiot, moron