John Beckett

promoting Paganism through public service I mainly listen to Shhh! There are Pagans in Texas!! for their coverage of Pagan events in North Texas. But in their most recent episode, they replied to a listener who had asked their opinion on responding to Christian apologetics and on whether or not Pagans should proselytize. I encourage [Read More...]

Last week a group of Catholic priests and bishops met in Baltimore to discuss how to deal with the growing demand for exorcisms. It got coverage and comments from everyone from CNN to Al Mohler. I wrote about it on my blog – one person left a lengthy comment that basically said “exorcisms are dangerous.” [Read More...]

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Pagan of any description speak of being “possessed” – at least not in a negative sense. The only “possession” Pagans usually experience is ritual possession, as in Drawing Down the Moon – and that’s generally a very positive experience. It’s also a temporary experience, presumably because our deities [Read More...]

This weekend, a group of American Catholic leaders are meeting in Baltimore to discuss how “to prepare more priests and bishops to respond to the demand” for more exorcisms. The article in the New York Times makes it clear that the Catholic church is responding to a demand from the laity, and that they carefully [Read More...]

Ah, insight. Sometimes you have to labor for it, through study and prayer. Sometimes you have to pursue it, through meditation and divination. And sometimes out of nowhere it pours over you like a waterfall, washing away your fears and overflowing your soul with more wisdom than you can contain. That’s what happened to me [Read More...]

Religious leaders of almost all flavors like to rant against our evolutionary desire for more more more. Unless you’ve been immersed in a “prosperity gospel” church for the past twenty years you know what I’m talking about. Once our basic needs are covered, “more” material stuff doesn’t make us happier, so our religions teach us [Read More...]

Not exactly a spiritual event, but well worth attending if you’re in the DFW area.  Click on the image to see a larger version of the flyer. [Read more...]

I’m not mad, I’m disappointed. I hear parents say that to their kids when what they really mean is “I’m mad as hell but I’m trying to set a good example.” I hear supervisors say that when what they really mean is “I’d like to fire your worthless ass but I don’t have time for [Read More...]