BELTANE 97

Last year a young chap called Nick Gargani fell to his death off cliffs at Lewes. Detectives found out that he believed someone was trying to kill him and that he'd been sent a Cow's heart through the post. One cock-eyed journalist even tried to foster a myth that Gargani had bought 'Satanic' material from the Sorcerer's Apprentice in Leeds. Gargani had in fact purchased four books totaling just £36.37 from the S.A. none of them had anything whatsoever to do with Satanism. Naturally the sensationalistic press failed to mention this vital fact because it didn't fit in to their Satanic conspiracy theory. Needless to say, the S.A. are dealing with this defamatory allegation in their own excellent way; contact SAFF for further information/details on this issue. Local press and clergy suggested that Gargani's death could have been linked to the activities of a nasty young (17-year old) vandal who was said to have driven the poor guy to his doom. The kid has since been put on probation and ordered to have psychiatric treatment. Some sought to create more Satanic myths blaming the Occult community, because local graveyards had been subject to desecrations by some mindless idiots. PAN has dealt with this type of affair on several occasions. Headstones/Crosses get broken so the local Pagans are of course the evil culprits There are many Anti-Occultist Christian groups around happy to supply police/authorities with Anti-Pagan literature which further fuels the hatred against us. Most are well financed, active in Parliament and totally supported by the established Church, (you know, the orthodox established theocracy that naive Interfaithing Pagans are selling us out to for our own good!) The upshot of all the Lewes Fiasco is that the media and clergy have again sought to link unexplained death, graveyard desecration and vandalism to the spectre of Satanic/Pagan activity. They know full well that Satanism is different to Paganism yet the old lies still sell papers and instill fear into the hearts of unenlightened Christians. They know that this fear keeps bums on church pews and stops the flock from wandering too far from the fold. The old fundie chestnut of blaming the smallest minority (Satanists) for all of society ills, then linking Pagans to the trouble is of course nothing new.

Wise Pagans who keep up to date with the fundie game plan by liaising with us know the score. There have been unfortunate cases of naive Pagans rushing in and shooting us all in the foot by supporting silly church claims of Satanic abuse/activity. We can appreciate that Pagans who should know better can be excused if they have for some good reason not followed the SRAM. It is however absolutely appalling to see a letter from the PF spokesperson Pete Jennings (Independent 19/4/97.) suggesting that Satanists could be to blame for a church desecration in Crowborough. PAN members have written in to us expressing their absolute disbelief at the PF's stupidity in this case. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot, this must be one of the best examples yet of PF inability to represent its member's best interests (and we say this as PF members ourselves). Incidentally the Archdeacon of Lewes and Hastings seems to have shown more sense here than the PF, as he stated that the desecration was due to 'vandalism' rather than Pagan activity. The fundies will be laughing their socks off at this typical PF own goal.  

We would urge all thinking Pagans to write a letter of complaint to the PF over their stupidity in this affair, before they do us any further damage. Because of the current fundie campaign to outlaw all occultist religious beliefs, there can be no excuse for such crass irresponsibility from people who set them selves up as Pagan leaders. Newcomers rely upon these 'leaders' to protect their rights. They rely upon them to give out the latest, correct information on the fundamentalist forces that seek to disenfranchise them from the rest of society. Unfortunately these so-called leaders cannot come up with the goods because they refuse to work with the SAFF and PAN. Instead they hide their inability by wasting time and effort on the ludicrous Interfaith affair. PAN's last 'Pagan Rights' broadsheet dealt with Interfaith albeit in brief fashion. This paper (as expected) thankfully ruffled several feathers on the backs of the 'Interfaith-Bunnies' (IBs) who reckoned that their own 'personal' opinion was more in touch with reality than that of PAN/SAFF. I mean what do we know? We only monitor the ongoing Fundie situation on a daily basis. So what do the IBs care if the establishment in the west is run by Christians who state categorically that: this is a Christian Country-not Multi Faith one? What do they care if these mind-controllers have never apologised for the mass torture and murder of millions of innocent Pagans by their predecessors? What do they care that Christians recently firebombed occult-bookshops? What do they care if the forces they seek to collaborate with work against Paganism in the highest places in society? No, the IBs in their 'lemming-like' rush to join hands with forces that ultimately seek to destroy our freedoms, do not see the inherent stupidity of their actions for Paganism in the long term. World history testifies to the missionising tactics of Christianity. Only a fool would state otherwise.

Whilst we are on the subject of Interfaith we should also point out the following: If anyone doubts the gross naivety of the latest PF Leadership then take a butchers at their Beltane 97 'Pagan-Dawn' article, 'Breakthrough with the Church? (by Christina Oakley) on page 3. They printed comments from Michael de Ward (Interfaith-Christian) which proves just how misleading this whole affair really is to the unenlightened.

Michael de Ward insisted that: Pagans, being members of another religion are not supposed to be targets of missionary activity or guidance. Pan asks, "CAN ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND BELIEVE SUCH LUDICROUS STATEMENTS." All evidence points to the contrary. The mainstream churches support the activities of most Evangelical organisations that seek to convert members of other faiths across the globe. Please keep in mind that every Xtian denomination has been infiltrated by the fundamentalists. One tiny example: just think of the strong native church support for the Evangelical 'Billy Graham' Christian missions to London et al a while back, (even the Prime Minister and the Queen welcomed him and his chums with open arms). Many mainstream (supposedly independent) church newspapers are edited by Evangelical organisations. Every week PAN receives more data proving that: Jews, Hindus, Sikhs (and yes Pagans too are falling prey to the activities of these well-financed gospel pushers. Why we ask is the PF helping them to achieve their aims? For the future of Paganism we urge the PF and its members to again look at their own history. In essence nothing has changed, the Christians always end up infiltrating other faiths in order to convert them.

The evidence is blatantly clear on this vital issue. It's no good putting all your eggs in one basket especially if the basket has holes in it!

On the 26th April the PF Interfaith Committee complained in the Independent that it had been excluded from a recent 'Sacred Land Project' at St Mary's well Willesden. The PF couldn't quite understand why they had been left out in the cold (we could have told them). The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Carey was criticised by other church leaders for attending a ceremony that was 'seen to be associated with Paganism.' Well the IBs may ask did Carey speak up for Pagan rights? The answer is of course no. Carey's office distanced itself from Paganism by stating: "He went as a Christian leader to a Christian ceremony in a Christian churchyard and drew water from an ancient Christian well."  

Not much joy here then for the IBs is there? Church leaders continue to tell the populace that Pagans must be either suppressed or converted. PAN sincerely asks critics and Interfaith supporters to again examine their history books then tell us just why Paganism is now safe from the efforts of the evangelistic campaign? To spread the Gospel is their game plan (in case you live on Mars it's called the Decade of Evangelism), and that includes reaching the heart of Pagans too. The PF blindly tells its members to educate Christians (Pagan-Dawn Beltane 97 page 3) about Pagan beliefs. Such naivety is so foolish, Pagans have been evangelised and more will certainly follow the leaders. The Christian press recently held high a case of a Witch (yes-we have evidence of this!) who had 'found Jesus' after attending an Alpha-Course (Evangelical meetings held across the country in order to gain converts). Pagans are being attacked on two fronts first: the Satanic abuse allegation up front way, secondly with the Evangelistic Interfaith side.

This statement is not an opinion it is hard fact gained through years of undercover monitoring activity by the only organisations that are truly fighting for your freedom of belief - the SAFF and PAN. One way or another the established church has been trying to rid society of Paganism for centuries. What makes the Interfaith brigade think that Christianity has stopped trying to spread the Gospel? What a bloody joke. We ask: "why are the Pagan Federation (and remember we are members too) helping the missionaries to destroy our religions, instead of joining us in fighting for the rights of all occultists?" The Christo-Pagans (who are no better than xists themselves) are selling us down the river, please don't let these plastic-pretenders get away with it. Whilst many IBs have been wasting time on liaising with the fundies (which they tell you is for your own good) we have been: continuing to press the secular authorities to acknowledge Pagan rights, counteracting Anti-Occultist campaigns, working with authorities on Clergy-Abuse and generally spending thankless hours protecting all our freedoms by monitoring the fundie-machine.

Many thanks to all those hard working Pagan activists out there who devote their time, energy and resources to the noble PAN campaign. Please help PAN in any way you are able. All work is voluntary we do it because someone has to. We are always short of stamps and other supplies. If you win the lottery keep us in mind.

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