Among those Wiccans in Delaware, how has the reaction been to Christine O'Donnell's comments?
There was a lot of eye rolling. It obscures the actual issues involved [in Wicca]. Who knows what she did or dabbled in when she was in high school.
I doubt very seriously that she knows what it was. Certainly I do not think that she has any concept about what witchcraft, Wicca or paganism actually is. I doubt very seriously whether she has any concept of what Satanism actually is.
How did you react to her conflation of witchcraft and Satanism? [O'Donnell said her dabbling included having a picnic on a bloody Satanic altar.]
One grows accustomed to it. It's a ridiculous and childish and uniformed conflation. Most monotheistic religions, as they encounter other paths and belief systems, tend to want to confuse those with their own conceptions of what is evil. Satanism is a Judeo-Christian-Islamic concept.
To be a Satanist, one must believe in Satan. We don't do that. It's not part of our belief system at all.In the past, has your group been involved in secular politics?
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organization. As an organization, we make no comment. But as individuals, we certainly are involved in politics. Within our structure, we have a code of ethics.
We have an idea about the sanctity of life, about personal responsibility, the importance of treating human beings with respect. The divine nature of the world around us, the importance of environmental issues, of the freedoms of religion and assembly — those are an important part of what we believe.Read more:
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2023973,00.html#ixzz11dU6WjdX
