The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a claim last week to sue President Bush and The National Day of Prayer Task Force ran by Focus on the Family. The issue is over the First Amendment and the Federal Government.

The Foundation charges that the government “aligns and partners” with the NDP Task Force as the official organizer of the National Day of Prayer. The NDP Task Force identifies itself online as “The National Day of Prayer ‘Official Website.’ ” The task force has close ties to Focus on the Family. Its chair person, Shirley Dobson, is married to Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, and the task force is located in the Focus on the Family headquarters. Read full release on their site here and you can read the actual legal claim here in pdf.

Back at the end of April and beginning of May I wrote about this same subject here and even a letter to my local paper(which can be read here). The Nevada Appeal had reprinted the National Day of Prayer Task Force false information and though they were aware of the issue, they never printed a correction. I had even pointed out that the declaration as created by the task force had been signed by Governor Gibbons months before President Bush even signed his declaration. My efforts to educate with the correct information were both attacked in some instances or ignored all together but at least I tried.

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A retired vicar named Rev Kevin Logan published a book in 1987 entitled Paganism and The Occult. In light of Harry Potter’s popularity, the reverend has decided to update and re-release his book.

Now, I have purposely not commented on the whole Harry Potter and Paganism topic over the years because I felt that the “hoohaa” was completely unfounded. In my personal opinion, which goes the same for the controversy over Brown’s Da Vinci Code, these books are works of creative fiction. Rowling tells a good story that appeals to many people and she does it in away that captures people’s imaginations. Yet, at the end of the day they are still works of fiction neither Rowling nor Brown has ever tried to sell their work as historical truth. I digress, though as covering Rowling’s work is not what this post is about.

This post is about the Rev Kevin Logan and his statements to the UK’s The Citizen. Rev Logan who expresses his concerns about the rise of Paganism as: “Harry Potter is a PR exercise for paganism. One hundred children a month are contacting pagan organizations wanting to know how to become a witch or wizard. I did a Google search for paganism and thousands of groups were inviting me to join a coven or become involved with pagan ways – it is an issue we need to be aware of.”

One of the main tenets underneath the umbrella of Paganism is that we do not prostelytize. Pagans do not go around trying to convert people and coven’s do not actively seek people to join up. We don’t have social conversion or prayer gatherings and we certainly do not require as a part of the faith to go door to door to spread our own beliefs to people who are not looking for it. I would really like to know where Rev Logan came by is statistics.

Who are these “thousands of groups” who he states that tried to get him to join a coven? Where is the statistical information showing that one hundred children a month are contacting Pagan organizations? Does Rev Logan even know of any Pagan organizations?

Blatant assumed statements like Rev Logan’s confuse me in this day and age. What seems to be going on here (and I could be wrong) is that Rev Logan is retired and is at an apt stage to re-release a book for profit. If the concern was really with saving people from Paganism, why not re-release the book for free? He also seems to be a bit late in rehashing the whole war on Harry Potter and Paganism stance, as the books have been out for quite awhile. Why wait so long to warn people about the dangers?

Technorati Tags: harry potter, Kevin Logan, Pagan, paganism, pagans, Rev Kevin Logan, rowling

Ok, I came across Jason’s post here: Reality Television Hits New Low (If That’s Possible) and just about fell out of my chair giggling. I thought perhaps this was another “reality” joke… but no.

The Reverend George Hargreaves, whose idea it was for this show, seems to be of the opinion that people who are not Christian are at the cause of England’s moral decline. I find the reverend’s opinion humorous, only due to the fact that Christian’s out number those who chose not to be. If Christian’s are the majority and thereby hold more political office having more influence on how the country develops…then it would seem to me that the obvious cause for the moral decline would be…

Yep, not going to get into the rest of it. I do trust that you all understand what the point is.

However, if one should not understand what I am alluding to all you have to do is ask and I will explain it. Should you ask, be prepared for a historical lesson beyond the religious one.

Thank you and good evening.

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The Southwestern Community College in Iowa fired an educator for not promoting Christianity.

Steve Bitterman, a now ex-professor at SCC, was teaching a Western Civilization class. Every other cultural religion that they had covered the students seemed to be fine with until they reached covering Christianity in the same way that all the other religions were looked at. When Bitterman stated that the Garden of Eden story is not historically true, one of his students argued with him and then walked out of the classroom.

“A few of the students thought I was knocking their religion by not promoting it,” he said. “They were upset that I didn’t say that the Bible was literally true.” Bitterman said that he treats the Bible as a historically significant, important work, but that he does not accord it status beyond that. “That really seemed to come as a shock to some of them,” he said. You can read the full story over at Inside Higher Ed.
…read full article…

Technorati Tags: bible, christianity, laura jean karr, Religion, Religious Right, simple abnormality, Southwestern Community College, steve bitterman, teacher fired, western civilization