Free Republic

Pagan John Roesch of Wheat Ridge conducts a ritual. (Evan Semon, Special to The Denver Post) Give them that old-time religion — ancient religion — and then watch an exploding population of modern pagans give it contemporary twists. Their numbers roughly double about every 18 months in the United States, Canada and Europe, according to the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Neopaganism, whether a careful reconstruction of ancient practice or a completely modern interpretation of ancient lore, is now among the country's fastest-growing religions. People, especially teens, are rejecting what they see as the "autocracy, paternalism, sexism, homophobia and...

It's just not a hippie protest unless someone is banging on a drum.Likewise for the white boy-with-dreadlocks.

David W. Oliveira/Standard-Times special Participants do the sprial dance , symbolizing the journey to inner discovery, part of the Pagan Pride Festival in Lakeville. LAKEVILLE — Drums pounded, witches danced and smudge wands wafted the aroma of burning sage and lavender on the afternoon breeze. It was Pagan Pride Day on Sunday and the gathering drew a diverse crowd that included musicians, spiritual practitioners, herbalists, crafters and the simply curious to Ted Williams camp. Admission to the all-day event was free but all who attended were asked to contribute a non-perishable food item for local food pantries. "It's been a...

One of the strangest features of the contemporary political landscape is the convergence everywhere of the Left with Muslim jihadis and extremists. Those who once protested against the installation of cruise missiles in Western Europe, say, now demonstrate against the war on terror. Those who praised the Soviet Union as peace-loving are now busy signing petitions and publishing articles to the effect that Iran's nuclear program and nuclear weapons (if it comes to that) are a third-world success and nothing to worry about. Anti-Americanism has made bedfellows of people whose world views and values are ostensibly incompatible. David Horowitz was...

The green fervour Is environmentalism the new religion?Joseph Brean, National Post Published: Saturday, February 10, 2007 In his new book Apollo’s Arrow, ambitiously subtitled The Science of Prediction and the Future of Everything, Vancouver-based author and mathematician David Orrell set out to explain why the mathematical models scientists use to predict the weather, the climate and the economy are not getting any better, just more refined in their uncertainty. What he discovered, in trying to sketch the first principles of prophecy, was the religious nature of modern environ-mentalism. This is not to say that fearing for the future of...

We need to have some of that sense of urgency of St Paul who said, "Woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel." The aim is not simply to win arguments, but to win hearts. The best way to conquer your "enemy" is to make him your friend. Few people see the turn of a century and fewer still the turn of a millennium as we have. Sad to say, many of those who were privileged to experience this awesome shift of time did not take note of the reason for it all. Very few realised it was...

(IsraelNN.com) Responding angrily to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's United Nations General Assembly address, Jordan's Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs blasted both the address and the United Nations. The official Jordanian body referred to Sharon's statements documenting the Jewish People's historic right to Jerusalem as untrue, calling it "full of lies and untruths," questioning how the international body permits a "war criminal" to make "false claims" regarding the holy city.