So the big religious story right now is how little most Americans know about religion, even our own religion. This comes from the newly released Pew Forum U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey.

“On average, Americans correctly answer 16 of the 32 religious knowledge questions on the survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life. Atheists and agnostics average 20.9 correct answers. Jews and Mormons do about as well, averaging 20.5 and 20.3 correct answers, respectively. Protestants as a whole average 16 correct answers; Catholics as a whole, 14.7. Atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons perform better than other groups on the survey even after controlling for differing levels of education.”

This has led to a lot of conjecture, some gloating, and some defensiveness from different corners of our society.

“The secular elite has provided most of us with wretched religious education by all but banning it as a topic for serious enquiry or discussion. Meanwhile, they know just enough about religion to get some “facts” right on a pop-religion quiz, but have no grasp on why, despite all temptations, some thoughtful folk remain religious. They know some of the lyrics of religion, but cannot hear the music.”

But I don’t think these results are because atheists are smarter, or more inquisitive, or that Christians are all unthinking sheep who follow the leader and don’t explore faith.  I think instead that this religious illiteracy is partially due to poor secular education regarding religion, and partially because religious minorities, of any theological or political stripe, defensively work harder to learn about the dominant religious realities of where they are living. Let’s look at the data.

Who does well? Atheists, Jews, and Mormons, do well. Also, the “unaffiliated” score higher than most in the “World Religions” category (I’d be interested to see how Pagans would have scored). The reasons for each group doing well might differ slightly, but all share the experience of living in a country where Protestant and Catholic forms of religiosity dominate. Now, many (theologically and politically) conservative Christians will tell you that we live in an age of secular decay, and that Christianity being shut out is the culprit of this current ignorance, but that isn’t the how religious minorities living here see the situation.

“It is axiomatic that illiteracy has consequences. Academic illiteracy dulls a society’s future; religious illiteracy stunts pluralism that is the cornerstone of a multi-religious society. And the nightmare scenario is with us today: witness the recent spate of violence against Muslims, Siikhs and Hindus.

While we search for solutions, we must avoid the trap of false introspection. Look deep and religious illiteracy’s undercutting of pluralism is but one whirl on a vicious circle. Those who presume to know Truth fail to accept other versions of that Truth. See no need to seek and share other perspectives on Truth, ignorant we remain, and the rickety wheel turns until the axle goes too…”

I don’t fully agree with all of Aseem Shukla’s conclusions, but he does bring up an important point, which is that our current inability to have robust religious literacy courses isn’t due to atheist intransigence (who aren’t that politically powerful), but (usually) Christian attempts to shape such courses to their benefit and use them as evangelization tools, leading to lawsuits and the courses (usually Bible history and literacy-based) being shut down. If our nation was truly interested in religious literacy, a course would be developed that didn’t cater to any single faith’s whims, and was truly robust in what it taught. Imagine if all Americans had some basic knowledge about modern Paganism, I think the coverage of Christine O’Donnell’s “dabble-gate” would have been a lot more like this, than what we got. However, if a new era of religious literacy is to begin, we need to go beyond “study the Bible” and truly explore our nation’s diversity.

As many Pagans start to both anticipate and dread (due to the “silly season” mainstream press coverage) the coming of the Samhain / Día de los Muertos season, mainstream Americans are planning to make the holiday of Halloween bigger than ever.

“Americans are ready to spend far more on Halloween this year than last, an estimated $5.8 billion, and they aren’t leaving their pets out of the fun. A survey by National Retail Federation (NRF) showed the single largest expense will be on costumes for children, adults and pets. ”This year, people are expected to embrace Halloween with even more enthusiasm,” Matt Shay, the chief executive of the NRF said in a statement, noting that the pagan holiday has given Americans a welcome mental break from the stress of the economic doldrums … The total represents a 17.7 percent increase from last year and will be roughly on par with 2008 levels, according to the poll of 9,291 people.”

This grand confluence of spooky escapism, retail therapy, and old traditions is most keenly felt in Salem, Massachusetts, where real Witches mingle and party with a horde of tourists who invade and create something akin to a second Mardi Gras.

“…what began as a local tourist draw is gradually morphing into a nationally (and internationally) recognized seasonal festival. For better or worse, this change from cheesy wax-works and trial re-enactments into a massive cultural (and money-making) multi-week event is partially due to the emergence of Witches and modern Pagans injecting a sense of the sacred (and the psychic) into the proceedings. It may never be officially called a Samhain festival, but for all intents and purposes this is America’s tribute to Summer’s End.”

Some are saying this is a sign that the economy is improving, or at least stabilizing, since Halloween isn’t as important as Christmas, or other calendar events during the year.

“If we were in a really horrible time, I’d expect there’d be a contraction there,” said Mike Slotkin, an associate professor of economics at Florida Tech in Melbourne. “Certainly, Halloween is important in our national identity, but I don’t think it would withstand very poor economic conditions.”

But I think this undervalues the importance of Halloween, especially in bad times. I think it’s the only modern holiday where everyone can be someone else, engage in role-reversals, forget their troubles for a moment, safely express their fears, and embrace a childish glee that’s approved for both kids and adults. I don’t know if Halloween is completely recession-proof, but I think it’s far more resilient than anyone could possible imagine (it should be noted that cut-backs in 2009 were on candy, not on costumes or parties). For better or for worse, this holiday has moved into second place in the United States (and many other Western nations), and Pagans who hold this time as holy could certainly benefit from this good will, even if it does make for some horrid journalism for a few weeks.

I didn’t get a chance to mention this in yesterday’s Pagan Community Notes, but there’s been some good news from the UK. The Druid Network, an organization whose aim is to “inform, inspire and facilitate the practice of Druidry as a modern living religion”, has been officially registered as a charity.

“The Druid Network received notification yesterday (24th September) that our application to be registered as a charity furthering the religion of Druidry has been finally accepted. This has been a long hard struggle taking over five years to complete. Greater detail shortly and a big thank-you to all who helped make this important recognition possible.”

Brynneth at The Pagan & The Pen notes the historical importance of this event.

“This is very big news. It makes tdn the first recognised Druid charity in the UK and the first pagan group to be registered under the 2006 Act. It’s taken years and a lot of very wonderful people have fought very hard to make this possible – dealing with a system that had been set up to handle religions shaped more like Christianity than not.

The Druid Network having achieved charitable status will bring all kinds of benefits to the organisation, enhancing credibility and creating opportunities to promote and support Druidry. This is all good. It also means that any other pagan charity is going to have a much better chance of getting charitable status. No other Druid group is going to have to prove that Druidry is a valid religion. Other pagan groups will be able to use the tdn case to help express their own. The process that has got tdn charitable status has helped create understanding of nature based religion, modern polytheism, and things that are not remotely like Christianity. As this is a legal definition of tdn as a religious charity, it will have all kinds of wider legal implications too.”

The 2006 act that Brynneth mentions is the Charities Act of 2006, which made it easier for smaller charities to become registered, and to appeal decisions of the Charity Commission. In Britain, there’s a marked difference between a charity and a nonprofit. While The Pagan Federation is a nonprofit organization, it is not a charity, and as such doesn’t receive the same tax privileges. So this truly is a big step for Pagan organizations in the UK, and should hopefully see the creation of more Pagan charities there. Congratulations to The Druid Network!

Pagan Community Notes is a companion to my usual Pagan News of Note, a new series more focused on news originating from within the Pagan community. I want to reinforce the idea that what happens to and within our organizations, groups, and events is news, and news-worthy. My hope is that more individuals, especially those working within Pagan organizations, get into the habit of sharing their news with the world. So lets get started!

American Mystic West Coast Premiere: The new documentary film “American Mystic”, which focuses on the beliefs and practices of a Lakota sundancer, a Spiritualist, and Pagan priestess Morpheus Ravenna, is set to have its West Coast premiere in San Francisco on October 23rd.

“Save the date for the long-awaited West Coast premiere of American Mystic! The film will be coming to us on the weekend before Samhain, with a one-night special screening Saturday October 23, 9:30 pm at San Francisco’s Roxie Theater.  After-party to follow. More details will be coming on that, so mark your calendars for this not-to-be-missed event, and we’ll post the details here!”

The Wild Hunt will have an interview with director Alex Mar of Empire 8 Productions, a full review of the documentary, and more details about the DVD release in the near future. What I can say at this point is that this is a powerful film, and if you’re in the San Francisco area you shouldn’t miss this opportunity to see it on the big screen.

Patrick McCollum at the UN: Pagan chaplain Patrick McCollum,who just received the Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Religious Pluralism, and was honored at the 25th anniversary of the Lady Liberty League, was invited to participate in the 2010 International Day of Peace at the United Nations in New York on September 21st. Rev. McCollum began the morning by blessing the Peace Altar at the center of the UN compound, and then later participated in the opening flag ceremony during the ringing of the Peace Bell, which marked a world-wide cease fire for one day.

“It was a powerful day,” said McCollum, “a time signifying hope and equality for all people, World Peace, and a reverence for our planet.” Following the International Day of Peace, Rev. McCollum participated in 4 additional days of meetings as a member of the Executive Board of Directors of the United Nations NGO, Children of the Earth.

Rachel Bevilacqua/Rev. Magdalen Custody Case: Long-time readers may remember my previous reporting on Rachel Bevilacqua (aka Rev. Magdalen) a member of the Church of the Subgenius who has been fighting a long and bitter custody battle with her former boyfriend. Now, it seem like the fight is finally over according to a comment sent to me by Modemac at The High Weirdness Project.

“The final deadline of September 22, 2010 came and went without any last-minute attempts by Rachel Bevilacqua’s former boyfriend to appeal the custody decision. This means that the custody case is now officially CLOSED IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. Any further attempts to disrupt Rachel’s relationship with her son would have to be filed in the state of Georgia. This means that he would most likely have to SPEND MONEY to do so. In other words: After four years of hell, IT’S OVER.”

Keep in mind that this “victory” came at the cost of thousands of dollars, personal bankruptcy, and a still-standing ban on exposing her son to any Subgenius materials. I recommend reading the exhaustive run-down of this case at Modemac’s The High Weirdness Project: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Cases like this are indicative of the struggles faced by parents who are adherents to minority religions. As more parents use religion as a “wedge” in custody battles, Reverend Magdalen’s case threatens to become a mere statistic in a larger trend of parents having to defend their faith in court.

RDNA on Bonewits: The latest issue of Reformed Druids of North America’s (RDNA) newsletter, the Druid Inquirer, features lengthy remembrances of Isaac Bonewits, who recently passed away after a struggle with cancer.

“As leaves fall, so do Druids. This issue is focused on the life and career of Isaac Bonewits (1949-2010) who died on August 12. You can separate his life into period into four quarters. First growing up a disgruntled but curious Catholic 1949-1965. Then he was most active in the RDNA from 1968-1983 and then became the founder and first Archdruid of ADF from 1983-1996. The last quarter of his Druid career was a focus on his family, the internet growth of Druidry, dealing with health problems, publishing books and the nurturing of the various projects from his youth. As with his mentor Robert Larson’s passing in 2005 and Norman Nelson in 2009, we are devoting this issue to providing you more resources in understanding the scope of Isaac’s Druidical influence.”

You can download part one, here, and part two, here. This is vital reading for anyone wanting to understand the evolution of Druidry in America, and Isaac Bonewit’s place in that history.

Welcoming PNC-Heartland: In a final note, I’d like a welcome another new addition to the Pagan Newswire Collective’s bureau’s project, PNC-Heartland, serving Kansas, Western Missouri, and surrounding areas.

“The PNC-Heartland Bureau was launched on 23 September 2010 by two Kansas City and one Wichita Pagan who are committed to gathering Pagan news in the Kansas and western Missouri region.  They have established a blog at http://pncheartland.wordpress.com.  If you have questions, news or would like to be part of this effort, please contact us at pncheartland@gmail.com.”

Yet another forward movement in creating a news infrastructure for the Pagan community, I wish them the best of luck. Stay tuned for announcements regarding the launch of PNC-Main’s web site and our official “coming out” at Pantheacon.

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

As long-time readers of The Wild Hunt know, I’m a lover of music. In years past I’ve been a radio DJ, a club DJ, a concert promoter, and music columnist. I keep my hand in by hosting a weekly streaming radio show and podcast called A Darker Shade of Pagan. For years I’ve been focused on discovering great new music that appeals to my personal Pagan sensibility, but I’ve noticed that this task is becoming more difficult. While there is more great Pagan and Pagan-friendly music than ever before, the venues in which we can discover this music, or to simply keep track of the artists we like, have shrunk.

This trend started in 2008 when the Pagan-friendly music services Woven Wheat Whispers and Dancing Ferret/Noir Records both closed down. Suddenly, a key importer of great European music, and a clearinghouse for esoteric and “wyrd” folk were gone. Then in June of this year long-running Pagan music distributor Serpentine Music announced it was shutting down its service, citing a changing music industry and a lack of fiscal incentive to stay open. Finally, in July of this year I reported that three music news services, all of which covered Pagan and Pagan-friendly music, Gothtronic, Judas Kiss, and Heathen Harvest,  were closing down. Suddenly, it seemed like Pagan music coverage was going to be severely restricted, or limited to print magazines like Witches & Pagans, which while certainly worthy, they could hardly be expected to be a major resource in this ever-changing and expanding environment. Not without sacrificing coverage elsewhere. So several music lovers in our community put our heads together and I’m happy to announce the launch of “The Movement of Sound”.

A joint venture of the Pagan Newswire Collective and the Pagan Portal at Patheos.com, The Movement of Sound is music news from a Pagan perspective. What do we mean by that? It means coverage, reviews, and interviews of musicians, bands, and events that appeal to the creativity and sensibilities of the interlocking Pagan communities. We’ll cover explicitly Pagan artists, but will also acknowledge the many projects and bands who don’t consider themselves Pagan, but draw a significant Pagan audience. It will be information-focused with updates of tour information, new, and upcoming releases. In addition we’ll highlight playlists from Pagan radio shows and podcasts to see what’s on their radar, and keep you up-to-date with one handy resource.

The Movement of Sound will be participatory with the music scenes we cover. Key labels, distributors, and musicians will be offered posting access so they can directly update their fans, and we encourage other Pagan or music resource sites to embed our feed (with attribution) to keep their audiences informed. As you can see by heading to paganmusic.info we already have updates on several new releases, and have a write-up of StrowlerFest by musician and participant Sharon Knight.

“StrowlerFest was similar to a few of our convention-style Clan gatherings out here in California – namely the Pagan themed PantheaCon and sci-fi themed BayCon, except that StrowlerFest featured music as the prominent element. Care was taken to choose a good venue for experiencing a musical concert, and an excellent sound system and skilled technicians were in place to give participants the best experience of the featured music. As a Pagan musician, this was a welcome turn of priorities for me. Whereas PantheaCon gives us the opportunity to come together and explore our spiritual identity, StrowlerCon gives us a way to build our culture. This has been something I have been ready for for some time.”

We are still building our (hopefully) large team of contributors and editors, so if you have a passion for Pagan music, no matter what the genre or style, drop me a line. This also goes for Pagan musicians and label-runners, we need your news! I’m hoping this will not only turn into a good resource, but will also act as a promotional hub for music that appeals to our diverse and interlocking communities. As we grow, and as Pagan musicians start to organize bigger and bigger events, the need for a site that keeps people informed is more important than ever. So join us at paganmusic.info, or become a fan at Facebook.

Today is the fifth anniversary of the death of Sgt. Patrick Stewart, who was killed along with four other US troops of “Mustang 22″ when their helicopter was shot down by enemy fire in Afghanistan. Sgt. Stewart was the first openly Pagan soldier to be killed in the line of duty, and his death is what ultimately led to Wiccan soldiers finally being granted the right to have the pentacle engraved on their military tombstone or marker after ten years of stonewalling by the VA.

Staff Sgt. Patrick Stewart.

In Nevada, a memorial is being erected in honor of Stewart and the Nevada Army Guard’s Mustang 22 crew.

“A Nevada Army Guard memorial is set to be dedicated Saturday. The permanent memorial will pay tribute to the Nevada Army Guard’s Mustang 22 crew and helicopter, which was the CH-47 Chinook helicopter that was shot down in Afghanistan on September 25, 2005. Five soldiers were killed in action: Chief Warrant Officer John Flynn, Warrant Officer Adrian Stump, Staff Sgt. Patrick Stewart, Staff Sgt. Tane Baum, and Sgt. Kenneth Ross. Flynn and Stewart were in the Nevada Army Guard.”

In addition, a special remembrance rite was performed today at Circle Sanctuary.

“A Remembrance Rite will be conducted by circle Sanctuary’s senior minister Rev. Selena Fox & Pagan veteran Al Rickey of the Order of the Pentacle & others at 9:15 am CDT on Saturday, September 25 at Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve in Wisconsin at the start of this year’s Welcome Fall Festival. The rite will be held at Circle Cemetery at Sgt. Stewart’s grave marker, which was one of the first pentacle markers issued by the US Department of Veterans Affairs after it added the pentacle to its list of emblems of belief.

Circle Sanctuary invites others to join in honoring the service & sacrifice of the Mustang 22 Crew killed in action on September 25, 2005 by kindling a candle, ringing a bell, speaking their names, and/or honoring them in other ways: Chief Warrant Officer John Flynn, Warrant Officer Adrian Stump, Staff Sgt. Patrick Stewart, Staff Sgt. Tane Baum, Sgt. Kenneth Ross.”

Stewart’s sacrifice not only led to the Veteran Pentacle Quest victory, but helped spark a movement within our interconnected communities to expand on that victory and include other Pagan symbols on military headstones and markers, and to continue the fight for Pagan military chaplains. Let us honor Stewart’s sacrifice, and the sacrifice of all Pagan military personnel who choose to serve. I would also like to extend blessings to Patrick’s widow, Roberta Stewart, and their family and friends on this day. My blessings as well to all the veterans and civilians who work tirelessly to see that Pagan military personnel receive equal treatment and consideration, a struggle that continues today.

I have a few quick news notes to share with you this Friday.

More on Pretending to Practice Witchcraft: The South Asian Focus looks at the recent arrest of Canadian citizen Yogendra Pathak on charges of fraud and the once-obscure ordinance against “pretending to practice witchcraft”. They note that the case is being watched by several communities to see how this will ultimately affect them.

The case is being watched closely by some who fear any fallout could inevitably impact them. Pandit Prithipal, another well-known service provider in the GTA, said roughly 200-300 people are currently practicing astrology to help clients in different ways. Apart from South Asians, communities from the Caribbean, Europe, Africa and elsewhere also offer parallel services. Sgt Shah agreed there are other people who are also offering the same kind of services, but said: “We cannot act unless we have a complaint.”

I covered this story last Friday, and noted then that the accused perpetrators were caught and charged with existing laws against fraud, making this additional charge nothing more than a sensationalist addition that could have far-reaching implications if allowed to stand. When you start to think about the variety of services and practices being offered from different cultures in Canada, the cast net of possible future “witchcraft” charges seems to grow uncomfortable large.

The Satanic Candidate: While I’m in Canada, and as a refreshing change of pace from the Christine O’Donnell tempest, here’s a candidate who admits to far more than “dabbling” with Satanic altars.

“Scott Robb could have a devil of a time winning a seat in October’s civic election. The 31-year-old security officer is the founder of the Darkside Collective, which he believes is the first Canadian-based satanic church. ”I have been a practising Satanist since 1996. I briefly joined the Church of Satan in San Francisco in 1997 and quit there in February 2000 and started my own church.” Robb, one of five Ward 4 [Edmonton] council candidates, compared his group’s beliefs to psychological improvement or Buddhism rather than the occult activities of popular culture.”

You can find Robb’s campaign web site, here. Here’s the official candidate list. Robb doesn’t want to make an issue of his Satanic beliefs, and of his campaign states that “I kind of equate it to the first (openly) gay politician and wondering if their sexuality was a key point in their campaign.”

Reviving the Worship of the Moon Goddess: The Teochew people in the Kluang district of Johor in Malaysia have revived the worship of Chang’e (aka Chang-er, Ch’ang-O, or Chang-Ngo) the moon goddess during their mid-autumn festival.

“Since the Teochew people believe that men should not worship the moon, the ceremony was held exclusively for females and children, with the ritual conducted by the women’s wing of the Teochew Clanhouse … Organising chairman Huang Chun Long said they were doing their best to promote the worshipping of the Goddess of Moon and celebrating the mid-autumn festival in a bid to remind the public of the traditional Chinese customs, especially among young people.”

According to a government official, this is the first time such an event was held in Kluang. One wonders what the social and cultural ramification are of reviving the worship of Chang’e?

Salem Would Be OK Electing a Witch: Who cares about politicians dabbling in Witchcraft? Not the “witch city” of Salem. The Salem Gazette is running a poll in the wake of Christine O’Donnell’s “dabble-gate” and the results are heartening for any would-be Pagan politician in the area.

“For some people, the news raised questions about whether O’Donnell is fit for duty as a senator, especially a conservative one. But for other people, there’s a broader issue: the effect of O’Donnell’s comments on witches and Wiccans.”

So it seems that where Pagans are out, active, and an economic force, they can be a viable political candidate as well. While other Pagan communities don’t have to be as flamboyant as Salem, we could all certainly look at all the things they have done right in forging an identity and community there. I would be fascinated to see the results for such a poll in Paganistan or the Bay Area, I have a feeling they would be similar.

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