A loyal reader pointed out an interesting new essay by author and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham concerning the end of “Christian” America. Using the recently released ARIS data as a starting point, Meacham talks with conservative Christian luminaries like R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and talk-show pundit Joe Scarborough who both seem to be far more convinced of a post-Christian future than I am.

“Turning the [ARIS] report over in his mind, Mohler posted a despairing online column on the eve of Holy Week lamenting the decline—and, by implication, the imminent fall—of an America shaped and suffused by Christianity. “A remarkable culture-shift has taken place around us,” Mohler wrote. “The most basic contours of American culture have been radically altered. The so-called Judeo-Christian consensus of the last millennium has given way to a post-modern, post-Christian, post-Western cultural crisis which threatens the very heart of our culture.” When Mohler and I spoke in the days after he wrote this, he had grown even gloomier. “Clearly, there is a new narrative, a post-Christian narrative, that is animating large portions of this society,” he said from his office on campus in Louisville, Ky.”

Meacham reinforces the ARIS data (and Mohler’s “gloomy” outlook) by supplementing it with some recent Newsweek polling that says 68% of Americans think religion is losing influence in American society, and that less than half (48%) now believe that religion “can answer all or most of today’s problems”. But as I’ve pointed out before, we should be clear that “post-Christianity” doesn’t mean Christianity is going away, or that America will soon be overrun by secularist stormtroopers, but that (as Mohler points out) there is a new narrative concerning religion that displaces Christianity as the lone voice of moral authority. What is this new narrative?

“In 1992 the critic Harold Bloom published a book titled “The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation.” In it he cites William James’s definition of religion in “The Varieties of Religious Experience”: “Religion … shall mean for us the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they consider the divine.” Which is precisely what most troubles Mohler. “The post-Christian narrative is radically different; it offers spirituality, however defined, without binding authority,” he told me. “It is based on an understanding of history that presumes a less tolerant past and a more tolerant future, with the present as an important transitional step.” The present, in this sense, is less about the death of God and more about the birth of many gods.“

In other words, a society welcoming to religious minorities and Pagans. The “others” that saw a growth spike in the ARIS numbers that Mohler finds so troubling. While Meacham turns introspective towards the end concerning Christianity’s place in out modern society, he does little to anticipate how much better a post-Christian society might be for those who don’t necessarily agree with the privileged place the dominant monotheisms have held for so long. That the “birth of many gods” will not lead to moral anarchy as Mohler and other conservative Christians fear, but a more (religiously) tolerant age.  Pagans will most likely be a very small minority for some time into the future, but there is a chance that we’ll see in our lifetimes the emergence of geographic regions where minority faiths like ours hold enough sway to influence elections and social policy. A time when what an elected official swears in on, or who leads an opening prayer, will no longer be seen as a possible front in a manufactured culture war. I, for one, look forward to this growing “post-Christianity” and hope the “gloomy” forecasts of conservative Christians aren’t simply a bout of self-obsessed pessimism.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel profiles some local botanicas for yet another “psychics do well in bad times” sort of piece.  While there are the usual claims of increased business and success, there is also some rather frank and honest advice from the owners and practitioners concerning expectations.

“Nelson Hernandez, who owns El Viejo Lazaro botanica in Miami, agrees. No one should expect orishas, or Santeria deities, to overturn something as vast as the economic crisis, he said. Hernandez, who is also a master of Santeria ceremonies, reads cowrie shells to see how the orishas can help his customers … “The orisha can help when a path exists, but not if there isn’t one,” he said.”

They also talk to a Santero who’s been giving away free readings due to the poverty of his clients. Words and deeds like this point to important distinctions concerning those who offer ritual and divinatory services for money. Sometimes the answer to a prayer, spell, offering, or ritual is “no”. Anyone who tells you differently, or who guarantees miraculous results, is most likely a lying scam-artist more concerned about their own income during this recession than yours. Even the most blessed, heroic, and well-connected people are sometimes bereft of divine or magical help.

If you’re in a difficult position, and seeking some sort of spiritual assistance through an intermediary, make sure the person you’re going to is involved with and accountable to their local community. A Santero, botanica owner, or local Pagan merchant who takes advantage of their community too often will find themselves saddled with a bad repuation and a shrinking client base, but the independent (and often stereotypical) psychics and card-readers you see with the lit windows and colorful signs are usually operating without such social pressures. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and always trust your intution. If something feels “wrong” it probably is.

My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

The Marin Independent Journal reports that Jo Carson’s documentary film “Dancing With Gaia” has finally been completed and will be shown at the Fairfax Film Festival.

“An exploration of earth-based spirituality shot at sacred sites around the world, including Marin, the film will be shown for the first time at 2 p.m. April 5, a highlight of the 10th annual Fairfax Film Festival. A former Lucasfilm camera operator now working as nurse at Marin General Hospital, Carson traveled throughout Europe, the Mediterranean and the United States, filming the sacred sites of ancient earth-centered religions. She interviewed 15 visionaries along the way.It’s taken 20 years, but Jo Carson’s documentary, “Dancing with Gaia,” is at long last finished and ready for its world premiere.”

The film was inspired by Feraferia co-founder Fred Adams (who is also featured in the film), and features interviews with Pagan luminaries like Monica Sjoo, Cerridwen Fallingstar, and Kathy Jones. For those who can’t make it to a film festival showing, Carson says that there will be a DVD release out soon. Documentaries featuring Pagans are rare enough that I very much look forward to seeing this.

Did any of you catch the 200th episode of “CSI” last night? If so you were treated to an exorcist-haunted take (thanks to direction by William Friedkin) on Santeria (or was it Voodoo, the show is a bit hazy on that front) that manages to imply that the loa/orisha Ogun is some sort of evil demon (complete with subliminal Pazuzu-esque demon-head flashes) and paints adherents to Afro-Caribbean religions as wholly alien and apart from “normal” life.

“There was a piece of white leather in her hand with traces of powdered Datura on it, which was also in Silvia’s system. It’s a powerful hallucinogen that is reportedly used in Santeria voodoo rituals to speak with the dead. Brass and Nick check out local Datura dealers and come across some voodoo chanting with bongos and shrieking and possibly a couple seizures. There is some voodoo priest guy hauled in for questioning, but nothing ever comes of it. Weird  … When brought in, [the killer] still claims his innocence. Until his voice gets low and deep and he blames it on a Voodoo God. Ray twists his arm up, then leaves the room and punches a wall …”

Really awful. Some truly exploitative stuff here. Not a single attempt to paint the killers actions as completely outside the norm for African diasporic faiths, or that “Ogun” is simply a manifestation of his mental illness. In fact, there isn’t really any exposition concerning Santeria at all. It all exists as a prop for Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne) to get upset and punch things.

I haven’t been keeping track, so I’m not sure when this happened, but Pagan author A.J. Drew has closed down his web sites, started a goat farm, and is selling his most popular Internet addresses for 10,000 dollars.

There have been and still are plans to incorporate PaganNation.com into community software A.J. Drew began several years. However, maintaining this site is beyond our capabilities at this time, the software is not yet ready for release, and the obligations generated when his business was destroyed and the convention failed are pressing. He would very much like to conclude his former life without those obligations. In an effort to meet those obligations: PaganNation.com, WitchesBall.com, and TheRealWitchesBall.com Are for sale as a package: $10,000.00. Should a sale not take place prior to the launch of our software, PaganNation.com will return in a much improved format.

I’m not sure who would be willing to pay that much for 3 domain names (nor do they provide contact information for interested buyers), but who knows? Perhaps there is someone out there with deep pockets who covets “TheRealWitchesBall.com”, I couldn’t say. Aimee Drew (A.J.’s wife) also briefly explains her husband’s 2006 electrocution accident, and the subsequent deterioration of their previous life. It isn’t known if this is a permanent retirement from active participation with the larger Pagan community, or simply a step back to regroup, whatever the situation I wish them peace.

Author and “Techgnostic” Erik Davis shares his introduction to the new book “Mushroom Magick: A Visionary Field Guide” where he ponders the enduring myth of “shrooms” as a precursor to religion.

“…appearances can deceive. Despite the fact that Psilocybe spores carpet-bombed wide swaths of our planet millennia ago, there is little hard evidence for psychedelic mushroom use in traditional societies—even among groups that consume other mind-expanding plants and brews. Along with Mesoamerica, where royal weddings were capped with mushroom-fueled dance parties, the only other bulls-eye is Siberia, where shamans (and ordinary folks) consumed Amanita muscaria, the non-psilocybin-containing fungus whose psychoactive alkaloids were also passed around through the quaffing of urine. In Europe, there is scant suggestion of mushroom use, despite the ubiquity of several species. Solidly documented cases of probable Psilocybe intoxication begin in the eighteenth century, and they suggest that these accidental shroomers discovered nothing particularly cosmic in their trips—although some did get the giggles. Nonetheless, a number of authors insist that a hidden mushroom cult of fungal gnosis, rooted in Neolithic shamanism, has been passed down secretly.”

Like many myths that gained popularity in the 1960s, the European “mushroom cult” has obtained a reality of its own, with thousands using the fungus both recreationally and for sacred purposes.

In a final note, The Sun interviews Colin Meloy of The Decemberists about their new concept album “The Hazards of Love”, and how folk, metal, and prog-rock are linked together through a shared love of myth and mysticism.

“Metal and folk share a similar fascination with mythology, mysticism, pre-Christian stuff, paganism. Led Zeppelin are the most obvious bridge between the folk revival and classic metal. But Black Sabbath had quite a bit of that with Fairies Wear Boots etc.”

Considering The Decemberists’ new album features “a shape-shifting forest dweller” and a “jealous forest queen”, it might just appeal to fans of myth-drenched pagan-friendly music.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!

We’d like to think that the age of dangerous life-destroying rumors concerning “Satanic” and “occult” practitioners is long over, but a quick look at the Austin Chronicle’s recent examination of the “Satanic Panic” scare of the 1980′s and 90′s (aka “Satanic Ritual Abuse”) shows how some people are still suffering from the after-effects of this madness.

“Fran and Danny Keller were each convicted of sexually assaulting Christina Chaviers, and each was sentenced to 48 years in prison. For the Kellers, now 58 and 68, respectively, it was effectively a life sentence. They’ve since come up for parole, but neither will acknowledge the remorse that is a requirement of release – after 17 years, the Kellers still fiercely maintain their innocence. And in fact, the Chronicle’s reinvestigation of the Fran’s Day Care case has revealed serious problems with the state’s case against the Kellers – including questions about the quality and reliability of the state’s medical evidence and forensic interviews. Moreover, the sensational nature of the charges themselves, in a period of hysterical national rumors about supposed “satanic ritual abuse” at day care centers, made it virtually impossible for the Kellers to receive a fair or even rational trial.”

In addition to examining the sad lack of real justice for the Kellers, the paper has also published companion pieces on the history of the Satanic abuse scare, and issues concerning children and testimony. People like the Kellers, and the West Memphis 3, are still wasting away in jails thanks in part to a moral panic dreamt up by Christian fundamentalists, unscrupulous “therapists”, various “cult experts”, and media-fueled folk legends (supported in the past by talk-show hosts like Donahue, Geraldo Rivera, Oprah Winfrey, and Sally Jesse Raphael). Sadder still, there remains a hard-core contingent of “survivors” and true belivers who are simply waiting for the cultural winds to shift again so they can peddle their fear and spectral evidence once more. So long as people are prosecuted or remain jailed due to rumors, unfounded beliefs, or misinformation concerning new religious movements the “Satanic Panic” era will never truly end.

The ongoing legal battle between Euless, Texas and Santeria priest Jose Merced over the issue of animal sacrifice starts its next round in court today as arguments are heard in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Merced, backed by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, is appealing an earlier ruling that the ban against Merced sacrificing goats is legal due to public health issues (even though slaughtering your own chickens and deer are legal in Euless).

“Jose Merced accused the city of Euless of violating his constitutional freedom of religious exercise, but U.S. District Judge John McBryde of Fort Worth sided with the city and dismissed the Puerto Rico native’s claims last year. Merced asks the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn McBryde’s ruling. A three-judge panel is to hear the case Wednesday in New Orleans. Euless says certain animal sacrifices pose a threat to public health and violate its slaughterhouse and animal cruelty ordinances. Merced’s lawyer say he’s sacrificed animals at his Euless home for 16 years without incident.”

The goal here is to prove that the law in Euless is arbitrary and unfairly burdens his religious practice. In 1993 the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye vs. the City of Hialeah, Florida, that laws governing the slaughter of animals must be neutral and generally applicable. Since Euless already allows for the home slaughter of various (potentially) pathogen-carrying “tablefare animals” (chickens, turkeys), to single out Merced’s sacrifice of goats certainly seems arbitrary. Also questionable is the fact that only Merced has been singled out in the enforcement of these “slaughterhouse” and “animal cruelty” ordinances.

“Euless argued that applying these ordinances was justified because Merced’s rituals affect public health. However, Euless has moved to protect the public health only with respect to Merced’s actions. Euless has not targeted restaurants, veterinarians or others who pose equivalent threats to the public health.”

For more information, check out the Becket Fund’s fact sheet on the case and this video press release:

This is an important case, and a win here would greatly increase the established legal rights for the humane and sanitary home slaughter of animals for religious purposes. While it is certainly understandable that some in our communities view such practices as retrograde and unnecessary, we should not forget that animal sacrifice was a bedrock of ancient paganism, and that some Pagan groups today engage (or wish to engage) in similar rites. We should support our “cousins” in Santeria, if only because ensuring their religious freedoms also ensures ours.