Englandshire: Dr. Who fans could find themselves a bargain as the memorabilia collection of Simon White goes on sale after he swapped science fiction for fantasy.
The collection, which Mr White estimates is worth nearly £7,000, was built up over a number of years but is to be cast aside because of his religious beliefs.
Dr Who and his materialistic obsession with it represents thegreatest lie that Satan ever toldaccording to Mr White...
He said:God delivered me from the evil that is Dr Who.
Don't offer too much now. We wouldn't want to reward him for his sinfulness now, would we?
Dr Who Tardis on sale on eBay—Wiltshire Times and Chippenham News, 21st March 2008.
Canada/Ireland: A Toronto-Heathrow flight had to be diverted to Shannon, Ireland, after the First Officer apparently suffered some kind of breakdown.
A passenger said the pilot was carried from the plane shouting and swearing, saying he wanted to talkto God....
He was very, very distraught. He was yelling loudly at times,he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
He was swearing and asking for God and very distressed. He basically said he wanted to talk to God.
Good job it wasn't a dark-skinned passenger yelling about his imaginary friend.
Pilot 'breakdown' diverts flight—BBC News, 30th January 2008.
So, none of last year's predictions concerning the end of the world have come true. Nor has there been any sign of Jesus. This, of course, will not stop the prophets of doom. So, what can we expect in 2008?
Continue reading "Annual end-of-the-world post 2008"Two recent stories have highlighted the extremes to which people will go to rid themselves of their imaginary enemies.
New Zealand: A woman was drowned by her relatives in an attempt to rid her of a curse.
Janet Moses, a mother of two, was held under water in an attempt to drive away a makutu, or Maori curse. Containers holding anextensive amountof water were brought into the lounge of the house, in Wellington, for the ceremony...
The exorcism ritual was held because the woman's relatives believed a curse had been put on her after another member of her family stole a taonga, meaning treasured artefact, belonging to someone else.
India: A man has married a dog to help rid himself of a curse he believes he brought upon himself by stoning two other dogs to death.
Fifteen years back Selvakumar was physically fit. But, once he attacked a pair of dogs and thereafter Kumar could not move his limbs freely,the relative, Ramu, told the BBC.
He tried every cure for his ailment but could not be rid of his disability.
“On the advice of an astrologer and others, he decided to marry a bitch to get cured. Then we arranged Selvakumar's marriage with a bitch.
One wonders if such marriages are consummated.
Woman drowns during exorcism ceremony—The Guardian, 12th November 2007; Man marries bitch to beat curse—BBC News, 13th November 2007.
The courts have been busy today, it seems.
Scotland: Police attended a séance in an attempt to find the killer of a Dundee woman in 1980. Fortunately, they didn't take it seriously.
Mr Robertson, who was a detective constable at the time, said there had been subdued lighting.
The officers had held hands, although not in anaffectionateway.
I can recollect, possibly, at some time the woman was induced through some form of hypnosis to go to a spirit guide who took her to another area,he said.
The medium then gave information which he did not think had any bearing on the case.
I can say it was never considered to be a serious line of inquiry,added Mr Robertson.
He said the séance did not last long because the woman was unable to continue hercharade.
Spain: God, it seems, has taken time off from worrying about pooves, and returned to His old trick of telling people to kill one another. In this case, He told a British man to kill and eat his girlfriend:
Following his arrest in 2004, Durant wrote to a British newspaper from his prison cell in Spain, saying that he had been driven to kill and eat Durrell by messages delivered to him by God via his television.
After I killed her I cut her body into small parts, eating what part of her I found eatable. I finally disposed of what was left in small rubbish bags around Calpe,he wrote.
My mental state was breaking down at this stage. I believed God had delivered her to me and I was getting messages from the telly.
Durant admitted manslaughter, and also told the court he had killed two people in the UK, including a man he claims abused him as a child. God's role in these killings was not explained.
Woods murder police 'held séance'—BBC News, 8th November 2007; British man faces jail over 'message from God' killing—The Guardian, 8th November 2007.
United States: Yet another animal shelter falls victim to the annual urban myth about black cats being adopted for sacrifice at Hallowe'en and has sentenced the poor animals to another month of misery.
Hillside SPCA, Pottsville, prohibits adoptions of black cats now to Nov. 2, fearing the animals could be mistreated in Halloween pranks or worse, be sacrificed in sadistic or occult rituals.
We put a sign up during the month of October prohibiting adoptions,said Sylvia Nabholz, a volunteer and board member with the nonprofit animal shelter off the Gordon Nagle Trail, Route 901.
Although Nabholz said she was not aware of any cruelty incidents specifically involving black cats, the temporary ban on their adoption is a precautionary measure.
...Fortunately, she said, the shelter has not noticed an increase in adoption rates of black cats in the the month before Halloween.
Hillside SPCA nixes adoptions of black cats for Halloween—The Republican and Herald, 15th October 2007. See also Hoary old chestnut—The Prattle, 25th October 2002; Hoary old chestnut campaigns for vote.—The Prattle, 26th October 2003; Warm black pussies.—The Prattle, 30th October 2003; That time of year again—The Prattle, 31st October 2006.
England: A group of British Wiccans have pressurised the owners of Highcross Quarter to change the name of their shopping centre to something else because it sounds a bit like a neopagan holiday-- presumably one of the even-more-invented ones found in fundie dossiers on the occult.
It was our only wish all along, to be left in peace to develop our Web site and maintain the aspirations for faith and of our simple way of life,said the group's spokeswoman, who gave her name as Morrigan Wisecraft.
Of course, the easiest way to be left alone is not to be a media whore and whine publicly about perceived slights that actually have bugger all to do with your recently made-up religion (as opposed to religions that were made up some time ago), and everything to do with getting your name in the papers.
Witches happy over shopping centre—Metro, 24th July 2007.
United Kingdom: Britian's neopagans are upset again. First of all it was Trinny and Susannah daring to change the sex of the Long Man of Wilmington, and now they're upset that a figure of Homer Simpson has been painted in biodegradable paint in the vicinity of another 400-year old cartoon, the Cerne Abbas Giant.
It's not King Kevin complaining, either, but the middle class ladies of the Pagan Federation. And, just like the Mohammed cartoon protesters, they're making threats and promising to get their imaginary friend to fix the problem.
Ann Bryn-Evans, joint Wessex district manager for The Pagan Federation, said:We were hoping for some dry weather but I think I have changed my mind.
“We'll be doing some rain magic to bring the rain and wash it away.
Well, that should solve the problem of heavy rains and flooding in England. It's enough to make you want to turn the Long Man of Wilmington into a depiction of the Prophet Mohammed.
Wish for rain to wash away Homer—BBC News, 16th July 2007
Update: This image by HappyToast at B3ta is glorious:
Further update: The Grauniad is running a caption competition.
England: A doctor who prescribed Christian exorcism for a Muslim patient has been found guilty of professional misconduct and banned from practising medicine for six months.
'Exorcist' doctor is banned—The Sun, 12th July 2007. See also Pratt-fall—Pagan Prattle, 9th July 2007 and Alternative medicine—Pagan Prattle, 8th November 2006.
England: Last November, we brought you the tale of Dr. Joyce Pratt, summonsed before a General Medical Council Fitness to Practice hearing to account for her unusual methods of treatment. Despite claiming to be a visionary, she also claimed to have not got the letters and was therefore unaware of the hearing. She did not turn up. For some reason, possibly this one, that hearing collapsed and a new one was scheduled.
The new hearing is now being held, and the press are reporting more details. It turns out that the patient for whom she prescribed a Christian exorcism is Muslim.
The story repeats the "visionary" claims and quotes extensively from the patient's statement. It seems Dr. Pratt told the patient that her recent trip to Asia had put her under the influence of evil spirits.
In her statement to the panel, Mrs K said the doctor had told her normal medicine would not help her pain and bleeding...
She then said that there was black magic inside.She continued:Dr Pratt said that the bleeding was because of something inside my stomach and that there is nothing that a doctor can do medically, but that she had the power to help.
”She said she didn't have the total power but there is a priest at Westminster Cathedral on Friday and Saturday nights after 9pm at night who would put their hands on my stomach and make it go away.
Mrs K said she had believed Dr Pratt could help her and drank theholy waterbecause she seemed to know private things about her family which very few people knew.
The doctor wrote her mobile number on a piece of paper and some lines from the bible and gave it to her, Mrs K said.
Mrs K left the clinicbewilderedand carrying the crosses and stones, the panel heard.
This time, Dr. Pratt has refused to turn up and also any representation. The panel is expected to retire to consider its verdict tomorrow.
Family planning doctor 'prescribed exorcism' for bewildered patient—The Daily Mail, 9th July 2007.
Kenya: Politicians were among those protesting the arrest of a witchdoctor in Coast Province. Mr Rashid Salim apparantly offered advice and protection
to several of them, and they now fear losing their seats. Salim has been charged with possessing dangerous items, but the news reports don't mention any guns, knives, poisons or anything like that—just a load of useless tat.
Among the items recovered from the witchdoctor's home were horns, bottles of coloured water, herbs, gourds, bracelets and chains.
One of his politician customers defended him:
A Kanu parliamentary aspirant denounced the arrest of theharmless old man.
He confirmed he had sought his release, saying Salim has helped many people overcome work, health and love related problems...
In every house of a Digo, you will not miss paraphernalia used for protection. Salim has never harmed anybody,he said.
Witchdoctor defended—The Standard, 29th May 2007.
Poland: It seems that Jerry Falwell is not dead after all—he just moved to Europe and had a sex-change.
A senior Polish official has ordered psychologists to investigate whether the popular BBC TV show Teletubbies promotes a homosexual lifestyle.
The spokesperson for children's rights in Poland, Ewa Sowinska, singled out Tinky Winky, the purple character with a triangular aerial on his head.
I noticed he was carrying a woman's handbag,she told a magazine.At first, I didn't realise he was a boy.
According to the BBC, most Poles are joking about her comments. One radio station even had a phone-in to determine the most suspicious
children's characters.
Poland targets 'gay' Teletubbies—BBC News, 28th May 2007.
Turkey: Greenpeace are sending out a strong message that climate change is a myth, just like the Biblical flood. Of course, they don't see it that way, but what other conclusion can you draw from their building a Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat? That flood was just a story, after all.
Noah's Ark rebuilt to show climate change threat—Reuters, 23rd May 2007 (via Pharyngula).
India: A pair of occult practitioners are the main suspects in the disappearance of a pair of rare owls from a zoo and, for once the police might be being reasonable in their suspicions.
A zoo official said two local occult practitioners recently offered to purchase the birds for 30,000 rupees ($A890) each, but the park refused.
It fits in with the local magical traditions too:
Owls are usually captured for black magic rituals and sorcery by a number of Jharkhand tribes. Brown fish owls are also believed to bring good luck if kept at home.
The dried flesh, beak, claws, feathers and blood are used as ingredients in black magic spells.
Black magic suspected in bird theft—News.com.au, 20th May 2007.
The Virginia Tech massacre, while not generating quite enough junk to qualify for its own Great ... Conspiracy List
, has produced some interesting insights, and fortunately the Prattle's readers are very eagle-eyed.
Red Wolf found some of Cho's rant posed on the ABC website. It was rather, well, Christian. (Uni gunman: 'I die like Jesus' )
Thanks to you I die like Jesus Christ, to inspire generations of the weak and the defenceless people,he ranted....
Just like Jesus, he criticised the rich:
He also railed against wealthy students:Your Mercedes wasn't enough, you brats? Your golden necklaces weren't enough, you snobs? Your trust fund wasn't enough? Your vodka and cognac weren't enough? All your debaucheries weren't enough? Those weren't enough to fulfil your hedonistic needs? You had everything.
And Cho reminds us of Jesus' suffering:
Do you know what it feels like to be torched alive? Do you know what it feels like to be humiliated and be impaled on a cross and left to bleed to death for your amusement? You have never felt a single ounce of pain your whole life.
Strangely, even though Cho was clearly inspired by the Bible, there have been no calls to ban that particular book.
Alan Braggins pointed out a discussion on the Fox News website: Did the Devil Make Him Do It? Fundies, of course, disturbed by Cho's Christian blathering, say Quick, let's grasp that straw!
.
Dr. Richard Roberts, president of Oral Roberts University, shouts an unequivocalYes!
Based on what I've seen in the news,Roberts said in an interview,there's no doubt that this act was Satanic in origin.
Roberts added that he doesn’'t know if it was Satanicpossessionoroppression.Possession, he said, occurs when Satan takes over a person's life, and the person's actions are dictated by demonic possession within. Roberts says he's seen this type and has seen the Devil cast out of a person.
Satanicoppression,on the other hand, isthat which comes against.It's not in a person, but is coming against them, trying to put evil thoughts in their minds,Roberts said.
He said that the evil thoughts in Satanic oppression can be fairly innocuous, or they can be harmful. And the oppression can be in the form of fear, depression or discouragement, he said, becauseSatan comes to kill, steal and destroy.
Roberts says we'll never know whether Cho waspossessedoroppressed,because the killer has died. But he did leave a note blasting everyone around him, calling themrich kids,anddeceitful charlatans,and then blaming them, sayingyou made me do this.
I thought the name of Jesus was supposed to have power over Satan. How could he possibly have tolerated his posessee shouting it all the time?
United States: A fire marshall with 22 years service has resigned after admitting he consulted psychics while at work:
Tom Weber, a 22-year fire veteran, was put on administrative leave nine months ago after he was accused of asking an online psychic on a department computer whether he and others would be successful in getting rid of Middleton's fire chief...
Weber said he's resigning effective March 31, and denied working against Harris. But he doesn't dispute contacting psychics on department computers. A computer technician found other communications dating back three years.
One wonders if he'd have been pushed out if he'd been praying for the chief's removal, or checking online Bibles for guidance on the matter?
Everyone is entitled to their spiritual guidance,Weber said.
He said he's been interested in psychics for years.
Psychic chat drives fire marshal to quit—The Charlotte Observer, 25th March 2007.
Yemen: Riots have broken out after rumours that a French engineer might have 'desecrated' a book by throwing it on the floor with insufficient respect.
After a fight between a French engineer and another who is Yemeni, the Frenchman - to enrage the Yemeni - threw a Koran on the floor in an offensive way,a local official told AFP news agency, requesting anonymity.
The response of the locals suggest they are probably incapable of reading any book:
Hundreds of rioting workers burnt cars and a helicopter at the French-run facility, sources told news agencies.
Unconfirmed reports say four Yemenis and a Frenchman were injured in the unrest and the engineer was evacuated.
The paper on which holy books tend to be printed makes excellent loo roll, by the way.
Koran riot grips Yemeni gas plant—BBC News, 25th March 2007.
Malawi: A witchdoctor's unconventional magic has resulted in a two year prison sentence, with hard labour.
People in Mulanje were going about their daily businesses but for two women and a 13-year-old girl all from the same family it was a morning of lifetime experiences. The three were having their pubic hair shaved with razor blades by a self proclaimed male witchdoctor who promised them the fortune of life.
One by one the three sisters were called into a bathroom a few metres away from their main house where they stripped naked before 21 year old Peter Harawara who sat there touching and shaving their private parts.
The women began to suspect something was amiss when he threatened them with death and demanded sex.
Continue reading "A close shave"Thank you spiritof1976 for introducing me to the LJ community dot_pagan_snark. Some highlights:
poured from optically pur acrylic, no caves had to die to let our Crystal Goddess Live!)
Guatemala: Mayan priests plan to ritually purify an historic sacred site to remove the bad spirits
they expect to be left by the visit of George W. Bush.
That a person like (Bush), with the persecution of our migrant brothers in the United States, with the wars he has provoked, is going to walk in our sacred lands, is an offense for the Mayan people and their culture,Juan Tiney, the director of a Mayan nongovernmental organization with close ties to Mayan religious and political leaders, said Thursday....
Tiney said thespirit guides of the Mayan communitydecided it would be necessary to cleanse the sacred site ofbad spiritsafter Bush's visit so that their ancestors could rest in peace. He also said the rites -- which entail chanting and burning incense, herbs and candles -- would prepare the site for the third summit of Latin American Indians March 26-30.
Priests to Purify Site After Bush Visit—Washington Post, 9th March 2007 (thanks, Sister Iona Dubble-Wyde).
Serbia: A metre-long stake has been driven through the corpse of Slobodan Milosevic by vampire hunters who wanted to be sure he didn't come back, ever.
...the politically-motivated Van Helsings, led by Miroslav Milosevic (no relation), gave themselves up to cops after attacking the deceased despot in his grave in the eastern town of Pozarevac. Milosevic popped his clogs back in 2006, while on trial in a UN war crimes tribunal for various unsavoury activities connected with the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia.
Miroslav Milosevic saidhe and his fellow vampire hunters acted to stop the former dictator returning from the dead to haunt the country. His team explained that the wooden stake had beendriven into the ground and through the late president's heart.
At least they can be sure he's dead now.
Serbian vampire hunters prevent Milosevic come-back—The Register, 6th March 2007 (via Randy McDonald).
Belgium: An airline has redesigned its logo because superstitious people were worried about it.
The new and old Brussels Airlines logos compared
Thirteen dots looked just right to the designer Ronane Hoet. Together they had the perfect balance to form a stylisedbfor the new Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines and the number also matched the destinations it flew to in Africa, a key market.It was harmony,she said, wistfully.
This week, however, Brussels Airlines workers were adding a 14th ball to the logo on the tail and sides of an Airbus 319 in response to complaints from superstitious customers in the US and Italy.
Immediately after the November announcement that the successor to the merged SN Brussels and Virgin Express would come into operation on March 25 with the 13-ball logo, the firm was flooded with disapproving emails and calls.
They said they were not pleased with an aircraft with a logo with 13 balls because they think it brings them bad luck,said airline spokesman Geert Sciot.
Not quite sure how a loaded A319 makes it to the US. Still, one of the airlines forming the new one rose out of the ashes of Sabena, which is a much better reason to avoid it. The new design has 14 balls, which is fine as long as the airline does not serve east Asia.
Brussels Airlines could have gone to 12 dots or 14. It chose 14 to avoid connection with the 12 disciples. Luckily, it is not flying to China, where 14 would be a definite no-no; in Mandarin, 14 sounds like the phraseto want to die.
In both Chinese and Japanese speaking areas, the numbers 4 and 7 are unlucky because the words for them sound like the word for death
. The Japanese even use alternative words for the offending numbers where possible, which is why shichimi togarashi
(seven spice) is more usually labelled nanami togarashi
.
Airline redraws logo as superstitious customers curse 13-ball design—The Guardian, 22nd February 2007. Related story: Superstition in strange places.—The Pagan Prattle, 29th January 2004.
It seems I missed at least one important date out of my Annual End of the World Post 2007: St. Valentine's Day. According to a poster on various newsgroups, ancient Egyptian astrologers knew all about it, although I suspect the bigotry is a modern addition to the prediction:
Predators such as jews, shiate and Pope Ratzinger could be in for a nasty Second Coming shock this Valentine's Day as a huge comet originating in the costellation of Aquilla the Eagle heralds the Return of the King, according to astrologers decoding the British Museum's ancient star maps found in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.
Comet Nemesis hails from the giant bright star Altair and has been predicted to usher in the Day of Judgement according to the Cheops Codex.
Exactly what this will bring is a little vague. Okay, that's me being too polite. What follows makes no sense whatsoever.
We forsee the total collapse of the Family Evil Empire as the comet transits natal fault lines that have held together for centuries with glue made from boiled cloven hooves, Gog family semen and rattlesnake venom.
But the Poodle gods in Sally, Rabat is totally blase about any collapse of its power structure on the 14 February and has even hinted that the head of the Metropolitcan Police's cash-for-honors probe may have been offered a life peerage to clear up the whole messy business pretty damned quick.
Internet spread betting index AintgottaWarholprayer.net is offering odds of 5/4FAV on Alaoui being led kicking, screaming and manacled out slowly on Wedenesday morning after the King mohamed sesta alaclaoui, the Pretender to the Throne of god and all the other Bots and Clones implants are shot at dawn for treason against Salvation.
Right-o.
Prey for Valentine's Day Second Coming says astrologers—Warhol
, 12th February 2007.
Yet again, the doomsayers have let us down, and the world spectacularly failed to end in 2006. Nor was there any sign of Jesus' return, so it's time, again, to see how we will meet our collective end in 2007. It looks like it will be much busier than last year.
Continue reading "Annual end-of-the-world post 2007"Nigeria: A recent article looking at folk cures and protections against HIV among the prostitutes of Lagos included an example of the way predatory churches exploit the pandemic—by lying, of course:
Over the din of the giant generator and commercial motorbikes belching smoke into the hamathan haze, she managed to say:Please I want you to see this.
From her handbag she pulled out a crumpled newspaper publication. It was actually a page out of a newsletter published by a Pentecostal church in Lagos. The story was a good story, about a 26-year-old woman who had received miracle cure for AIDS. The woman in the photograph wore a happy smile. Her name was given as Christina Okpe. The story was a testimony of the same Christina detailing how she had lived with full-blown AIDS and how a bus preacher directed her to a healing camp where she received miracle.
Christina went on to say in the article that she had forsaken her sinful past and now lived under a glorious authority as a child of God protected from earthly afflictions. The faith healer was quoted as saying that Christina's case was yet another proof thatfor all those who believe in Him, they shall be healed of every sickness including blood diseases...
Getting a little impatient, the reporter looked up with a frown. Testimonies of faith healings were common in religious bulletins and newsletters. Until the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) put a stop to it, television screens were riddled with episode after episode of religious miracles. Many of the miracle receivers were believed to be phonies recruited to advertise the purported powers of the spiritual leader. It was possible Christina was just another but Esse cut short the puzzle by saying that the woman in the picture was dead. According to her, Christina died about four months after the testimony, of complications arising from AIDS.
But in a world where they have little power, and men insist on not using condoms, the women rely on other superstitions too:
Saturday Sun, discovered that among the male population of this community, it is common to possess a talisman called Iba-esu, said to protect the man from HIV/AIDS. The efficacy is only based on the belief that if the man's sex partner were HIV positive, he would receive an 'electric shock' the moment he touches any part of her body. Interestingly, the womenfolk have their own talisman, Iyo-esu, woven into fashionable waistbands. If the woman’s sex partner has HIV/AIDS or STDs like gonorrhea or syphilis, the Iyo-esu is believed to work by making the penis go limp.
Real or myth, the Iyo-esu is known to have caused serious problems for women who use them. Men with erectile dysfunction are known to have taken their frustrations out on the woman and if she is a prostitute, she is accused of using a corrupt Iyo-esu that allows her to accept money from clients but never gets to render any service.
Esse narrated that she and her colleagues tended to get the most problem from men who use Iba-esu.They are the ones who will never use the condom, no matter what you tell them.
Lime, lies and HIV/AIDS—The Saturday Sun, 23rd December 2006.
England: A family planning doctor faces disciplinary action after she advised a patient that she needed an exorcism. The aptly named Dr. Joyce Pratt told her patient that she was under a black magic spell and had something awful inside her
stomach.
She then allegedly offered to use her special powers to help the woman and told her to visit a priest at Westminster Cathedral, believing the patient was possessed by an evil spirit.
The three-day GMC fitness to practise hearing in Manchester will also investigate accusations that the GP told the patient her mother was a witch, and that the patient's husband and mother were trying to kill her.
Doctor who prescribed exorcism faces disciplinary action—The Guardian, 8th November 2006.
United States (where else?): Crap in bed? Having trouble getting it up? Homosexual? It's probably all the fault of demons, at least according Erica Shepherd, who runs a Sexual Exorcism, Healing, Deliverance Ministry!
Your Sexual Problem May very well be Spiritual? ... Once you have been A Victim Of this type of Spiritual Sexual Abuse You require Personal Exorcism Healing Deliverance Ministry
But how could the demons have found you? The possibilities are endless, but naturally, we're only going to mention the really, really silly ones here.
I have prayed with people who have had these sex Demons unloosed upon them by witchcraft.
I have prayed with people who have had these sex Demons unloosed upon them though Astral Projection.
I have prayed with people who have had these sex Demons unloosed upon them through sleepin in a Hotel room bed and not praying over the room first.
I have prayed with people who out of contex, really believe that "Jesus" has become their husband and Is providing them with sexual gratification.
I prayed with another lady, who went to a foreign Country and was made a Spiritual bride, without Knowing it and she was plagued with a sex Demon, so badly that she almost went crazy.
And if you feel the call to help people afflicted in such a manner, you can always attend her Exorcism Healing Deliverance School.
(via The High Weirdness Project, in alt.conspiracy)
A few short items for you:
United Kingdom: There has been much fuss in the British press of late after a man with severe hearing problems who lipreads, mentioned that the full veil worn by some Muslim women made communication difficult for him. It's been all over the net too, so here are a few select articles:
Several things that no-one has been saying—Roz Kaveney in Silence Exile and Crumpets, 7th October 2006.
Why Muslim women should thank Straw—Saira Khan in The Times, 9th October 2006.
And Jesus and Mo were rather quick to comment on the situation, too.
United States: A financial advice site isn't the sort of place you'd expect to find barking mad religious press releases filled with allegations of human sacrifice by, well, a bunch of hippies.
Dr. Holliday recounts a woman's story, which proves the rise, and social acceptance of witchcraft in America has caused progressive interest and involvement in the occult thus capturing millions as spiritual slaves. Dr. Pat Holliday's new book,Walking Deadcaptures the Lamb family's ordeal with a witch in their life. It conveys the truth thatWitchcraft and Satanic worship, coupled with human sacrifices is widespread and happening now!
It seems that magic is real, and a single spell can destroy your life!
The effect of the witch's spell was explosive and devastating, almost completely destroying Rita's life.
This being Loony Fundie Nonsense, the only way to protect yourself from imaginary enemies with imaginary weaponry is to get yourself an imaginary friend. Of course.
Witchcraft in America is on the Rise With Millions Captured in Spiritual Slavery—Finance Visor Markets News, 27th September 2006.
Kenya: When Yisrael Hawkins of the Hosue of Yahweh predicted nuclear annihilation on September 12th, his Kenyan followers bunkered down to await the end.
Then nothing happened.
But they are not even slightly embarrassed, and insist they will be proved right soon enough, and that mockers will die as a result.
They say that the nuclear will start around the great river Euphrates and the house of Yahweh is only mandated to teach people what they must do to protect themselves.
But this will not be the end. The end will come 13 months later with four-fifths of the population destroyed,warns Yaaqob Kiplagat, a member of the religious group.
They are well prepared for nuclear war, although they do not explain why anyone would waste nukes on Kenya.
The group has in their bunkers molasses, honey, illegal brew — busaa — and other permissible foodstuff according to their faith.
Mosheh said they have eaten enough food which contains molasses for immunity of which will prevent them from being affected by the nuclear chemicals.
We have also prepared safe rooms of which are covered with thick paper bags which will absorb the nuclear chemicals.
They are a bit odd, even by loony fundie standards, refusing to call the Bible by that name.
Furthermore, we do not call it the bible, we call it the book of Yahweh because the bible means Babylon which is a place of idol worship,he says.
Cult: 'Those who laugh at us will perish'—The Standard, 16th September 2006.