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Wicca campatable with the Catholic faith?; Coven tried to hire catholic church hall
Topic Started: Wednesday, 17. June 2009, 21:52 (194 Views)
william of bow
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From The Daily Telegraph - 17 June

Quote:
 
Witches claim religious discrimination after church ban
A group of witches is claiming religious discrimination after church leaders banned them from using its social club.

Sandra Davis, High Priestess at the Crystal Cauldron, was banned from hiring her local social club for her Pagan's group's Annual Witches Ball
Sandra Davis - High Priestess at the Crystal Cauldron - had reserved Our Lady's Social Club in Shaw Heath, Stockport for her Pagan group's Annual Witches' Ball.
But when she rang to make payment arrangements she was told the event could not be held there and - despite already having printed tickets - another venue must be found.

The Diocese of Shrewsbury have since confirmed witches are not 'compatible with the Catholic ethos'.

Sandra, 61, said: "I'm appalled.
"My congregation is shocked that in this day and age there can be such religious discrimination.
"We're normal people who follow an earth-based religion and want to enjoy ourselves.
"We thought we were bridging the gap with other religions but misconceptions still exist, like we sacrifice animals.
"Does the church check everyone's beliefs before allowing them in the club?
"Now we need another venue for at least 100 people with a stage for entertainment.
"At this point that's going to be very difficult."

Sandra, of Bridge Hall, set up the Crystal Cauldron as a pagan meeting place and hopes to turn it into a temple.
This year's ball was planned for October and Sandra agreed to hire the social club for £175.
But the Reverend John Joyce, from the Diocese of Shrewsbury, said there was no way the event could go ahead.
"Parish centres under our auspices let their premises on the understanding users and their organisations are compatible with the ethos and teachings of the Catholic church," he said.
"In this instance, we aren't satisfied such requirements are met."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/5558521/Witches-claim-religious-discrimination-after-church-ban.html
Published: 12:31PM BST 17 Jun 2009
William of Bow

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Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed: a passage which some have considered as a prophecy of modern journalism.
[G.K.Chesterton]



Check my Blog: http://www.williamonthehill.typepad.co.uk
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Fortunatus

Well now, what are we to make of this?
Did our Wiccan friends make it clear when they tried to book the hall that they were a pagan group?
If so, have the Catholics of Shrewsbury taken leave of their collective senses or their political nous? Because they should either have refused the let in the first place or bitten the bullet and allowed it to go ahead once they realised what had happened.
If not was this an oversight on their part or a deliberate provocation?
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draig
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Quote:
 
Wicca campatable with the Catholic faith?


Is it their sexually outrageous behaviour that was the issue?
Gripe. Moan. Snipe. Ignore any inconvenient truth. Don't provide specific data. Don't, whatever you do, provide links to hard evidence. The Traditional Way To Maintain A Discussion.
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Powerofone

Maybe the thought of long flowing robes, strange headgear, long staffs and loud chanting put them off.
Oh wait, that goes on in the Catholic Church too.. .
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william of bow
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I suspect this is a 'stalking horse' for a serious legal assault on the Catholic Church. We can expect more of this type of stuff in the future given the raft of recent legislation in this area of the law.

Was Ms Davis wholly transparent when she made her booking? Did she actually say that the booking of the church hall was for a real 'witches ball' or did she infer that the witches ball was just a bit of Hallowe'en fun? Or did Father not ask the right question? Or (and more likely) did the Lady of the Green Cardigan not ask the right question? Or merely saw the £175 to parish funds as being the issue?

Why does this group want to hold a witches gathering in a Catholic church hall? I suggest that this choice of venue is not accidental. There surely are other churches in this area with church halls and, I would suggest, other churches might well be more friendly to them.

No, I think their is more to this story than meets the eye and I expect the end of the story will be heard in a court of law.

William
Edited by william of bow, Saturday, 20. June 2009, 08:39.
William of Bow

Quote:
 
Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed: a passage which some have considered as a prophecy of modern journalism.
[G.K.Chesterton]



Check my Blog: http://www.williamonthehill.typepad.co.uk
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william of bow
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I suspect this is a 'stalking horse' for a serious legal assault on the Catholic Church. We can expect more of this type of stuff in the future given the raft of recent legislation in this area.

Was Ms Davis wholly transparent when she made her booking? Did she actually say that the booking of the church hall was for a real 'witches ball' or did she infer that the witches ball was just a bit of Hallowe'en fun? Or did Father not ask the right question? Or (and more likely) did the Lady of the Green Cardigan not ask the right question? Or merely saw the £175 to parish funds as being the issue?

Why does this group want to hold a witches gathering in a Catholic church hall? I suggest that this choice of venue is not accidental. There surely are other churches in this area with church halls and, I would suggest, other churches might well be more friendly to them.

No, I think their is more to this story than meets the eye and I expect the end of the story will be heard in a court of law.

William
Edited by william of bow, Saturday, 20. June 2009, 08:41.
William of Bow

Quote:
 
Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed: a passage which some have considered as a prophecy of modern journalism.
[G.K.Chesterton]



Check my Blog: http://www.williamonthehill.typepad.co.uk
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Quicunque vult

And if a court of law rules against the Church, Relativism will finally have been imposed as a compulsory dogma.

QV
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Ned

william of bow
Saturday, 20. June 2009, 08:38
Why does this group want to hold a witches gathering in a Catholic church hall? I suggest that this choice of venue is not accidental. There surely are other churches in this area with church halls and, I would suggest, other churches might well be more friendly to them.
Sadly, there are what you could call, speaking carefully, 'pagan-friendly' groups within the Church. The obvious example is the people who want us to stare at lit candles while we say our prayers, so as to promote conversions from Hinduism. The basic idea is that 'It doesn't matter what you believe. The important thing is that you believe.' :disagree:

A great part of the Church in Central and South America is trying to embed itself into the various indigenous native cultures by muddling-up Christianity with some some of the old customs and beliefs.

In Haiti many Catholics are also involved in Voodoo. There are people who want the Church to accept that situation.

It is said that in parts of Africa a great many Catholics, as well as other Christians, have simply tacked their new beliefs onto their old pagan ones.

Are you sure that we're much different here. Remember Saint Paul's caution: he who thinks he is safe should take care that he does not fall. I've only ever heard two instances of people combining Catholicism with witchcraft, and it's probably unusual. But there are a lot of funny ideas around. It is my same boring old rant but we do all of us need a lot more Religious Instruction. The bishops must bring back Evening Services with the 30-minute sermon.
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CARLO
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This story rings a bell with me from a 4 or 5 years ago.

I am sure something very similar has happened before and indeed was discussed in 'another place' at some length.

Basically we ain't having it - Shrewsbury is a beautiful place inhabited by really nice people. The Catholic Cathedral although messed around with by the V2 vandals is still a Pugin delight.

Not the place for tree worshippers and face painters!

:boxing:

Avanti!
Forward!


CARLO

Judica me Deus
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Rose of York
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Ned
Monday, 22. June 2009, 18:32
The bishops must bring back Evening Services with the 30-minute sermon.
Do they have the brains to realise that, following the introduction of evening Masses, we lost much of our Catholic prayer life, litanies, rosary, exposition, novenas, processions, and as Ned rightly points out, 30-minute weekday sermons.

They sit back and wonder why gullible people are taken in by false New Age spirituality.
Keep the Faith!

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Derekap
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I think people in Haiti have been mixing their Catholic practices and beliefs with Vodoo for many many years, even before V2. It is not a contemporary introduction.

***************

On the question of Rosary, Sermon and Benediction on Sunday Evenings I agree it is a shame such practice has fallen by the wayside. However, it can be suggested that the Holy Sacrifice of Holy Mass is more valuable spiritually. I merely mention this point as a matter for debate.

The weekday evening Celebration in my former parish for a while became available only during Spring to Autumn and then never returned.
Derekap
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Ned

Derekap
Tuesday, 23. June 2009, 15:51
I think people in Haiti have been mixing their Catholic practices and beliefs with Vodoo for many many years, even before V2. It is not a contemporary introduction.
Quite so, Derek, but now the world is shrinking. Suddenly we have television, cheap air-travel and mass-immigration. There is this idea of multi-culturalism and a New World Order.

Should we have a set of sweepstakes on the year when the Mexico's Day of the Dead will come to be celebrated by the Church in (a) the USA (b) Ireland (c) England ?

Regards

Ned
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