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<< News >> Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West

Submitted by Andy B on Friday, 08 November 2002  Page Views: 4758

Modern SitesThe Western Daily Press writes: A circle of standing stones on land owned by Prince Charles could be used for pagan worship, it is feared. Now councillors have demanded that the monument is destroyed.

It was created by quarry boss Richard England on Duchy of Cornwall-owned Ham Hill to celebrate the stonemasons who have worked in the area for more than 2,000 years.

But the local parochial church council, at Stoke-sub-Hamdon, near Yeovil, fears the circle could become a focus for pagan and occult practices.

It has now written to the Duchy asking for the stones to be removed. They claim picnic tables erected in the centre of the circle, created from large, flat stones, could make ad-hoc altars for sinister witchcraft rituals.

The Rev Peter Kerton-Johnson, 61, who served as a parish priest in South Africa for 20 years, said: "To put an altar in the centre of the circle is really inviting some sort of pagan practice.

"I have come from South Africa where these sort of things happen daily, even human sacrifice where children are killed and body parts taken by witch doctors.

"There has already been an instance recorded in Britain in which a mutilated child's body was found in the Thames.

"Now there is hearsay that some sort of wedding took place at the circle."

He continued: "The flat stone may be intended as a picnic table but it also appears to be a mockery of the Lord's table."

He said the book of Jeremiah refers to Israel's ancient pagan neighbours indulging in ritual sex at religious sites on hilltops in the belief that they would be put in touch with divine powers.

A bemused Mr England said: "I can take it all away, but what will be next to go, Stonehenge?"

Source: Western Daily Press.

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"Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West" | Login/Create an Account | 11 News and Comments
  
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Re: Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West by Anonymous on Sunday, 16 April 2023
I'm not a Druid or a Pagan, but I am a Christian.
I find the Reverend's comments deeply offensive, that he thinks a) Pagans would do this - it shows a DEEP lack of understanding, and that b) he measures British values by those of South Africa's. This nanny state old fool needs to get off his frankly outdated by about a century ideas. Otherwise, what next? Avebury? Stonehenge? Total clown, should be laughed at instead of being taken seriously. He gives decent, sane thinking Christians a very bad name indeed.
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Re: Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West by Anonymous on Tuesday, 20 June 2017
I am Pagan and also South African. I find your comment to be both inaccurate and just plain stupid. Obviously you are not informed about what Paganism is. I hate to disappoint you but there are no sacrifices of any kind - not even a carrott. You are mixing Paganism with African practices that involve isangomas and muti. You won''t find that in England and you won''t find it amongst Pagans in South Africa. I suggest you use google or even read religion for dummies. If you let Pagans use the circle you will find people doing Earth meditations and peace mantras. In England they won''t even let Pagans have a bonfire on public sites - so you are very very safe.
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Re: Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West by Anonymous on Tuesday, 30 September 2014
As a Druid of the Pagan group I find that it makes me sad that the Christian Church in all it's finery (with Alters and Rituals of their own) which appears in various ways to that of the Pagan Ritual with Priests, Alter Chalices, Bread and Wine (Cake and Ale) though with a difference representation appears keen to destroy both the physical, and spiritual sites just because they don't agree with or fear other belief systems.

As was said destroy a "Sacred Site" of this type what next? Stonehenge, like lets stop destroying out of emotional fear and lets live in Harmony, Peace and Love ... Ameryst Oak
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    Re: Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West by Anonymous on Tuesday, 30 September 2014
    In addition, though some cultures continue to practice Sex and Human Sacrifices, you'll find that Western Witches, Wicca and Druidry "DO NOT" do this, we haven't done this at all or if we have done in past 10 millineia then it's that long ago no one really remembers or holds on to those practices.
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    Re: Religious Bigotry may not now be alive and well in the South West by Runemage on Tuesday, 30 September 2014
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    The article's from 2002, times change, people change, sites change. The view in the article, which was only one man's opinion extrapolated from things he'd seen whilst working abroad, may not reflect current feeling about the site.
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Re: Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West by Anonymous on Wednesday, 10 May 2006
Not all Christians are that insecure! Are all Pagans happy with what other Pagans do in the name of bitchcraft? Are all Buddhists, Hindus, or even atheists happy / secure with others who adhere to their beliefs? If they were, then why are there streams of belief within every stream and sub stream of beliefs. Now, how about a worldwide atheistic religion - that would solve everything. Who shall we emulate... Hitler? Stalin? Mao Tse Tung... you don't need a dualistic theology to be a killer. It's within us all. Humans are the problem, not religion, not politics!
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Re: Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West by Anonymous on Tuesday, 09 May 2006
More people have been murdered in the name of dualistic religion than under any other banner! Peter, have you ever seen a murder take place in the name of African Traditional belief, or are you guessing here? Muti murders happen because of money not belief. Remember the chaos that was caused during the Spanish Inquisition. No one has a clean slate here.
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Re: Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West by Anonymous on Tuesday, 09 May 2006
Why are Christians so afraid of other religeous beliefs? Dualism has been manufactured in the minds of man and does, in fact, not exist. This is not a crazed new age idea but a proven scientific fact (get your noses out of the old testament and read some current quantum physics theory). It is unnecessary to belittle and attempt to control the beliefs of others, like the christian infiltration of half the countries on the planet. Worry about you own souls and let us worry about ours! Seek and ye shall find! - Sean Blyth, South Africa
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Re: Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West by Anonymous on Friday, 09 April 2004
"Now there is hearsay that some sort of wedding took place at the circle."

Is that heresay, or did he mean heresy? I sat here and honestly, I slapped my forehead. Some people are so insecure in their own beliefs that they can't stand to think there are others elsewhere who believe differently. I hope the anti-pagan brigade didn't get their way.
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Re: Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West by Walrus on Saturday, 09 November 2002
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I object to Xtianity, so lets pull down Westminster Abbey!
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    Re: Religious Bigotry alive and well in the South West by Anonymous on Saturday, 09 November 2002
    I am a Xtian, but think this is completely mad. Like many Xtians I am quite happy to tolerate the beliefs of many faiths (but of course it is only the minority of Xtians that gets heard !) Its a picnic table for God's sake (oops shouldn't say that may be seen as blasphemy :-) ) My besy friend is a pagan.
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