Contested gravesite at Israeli hospital may have belonged to pagans

The Barzilai Medical Center in Israel was scheduled to have a new wing built. This was delayed "indefinitely" when there was a burial site discovered during the digging however. First reports indicated that the burial was a Jewish burial site, and so the construction was going to be added to a different side of the Center rather than as originally planned. However, there are now reports arguing that the bodies at the site are those of early Pagan worshipers, and there has erupted a political battle over whether to move the burial site, or to leave it as it is. Neither side is reported to believe that the burial site should remain undisturbed if it is Pagan, but they simply disagree as to whether the site is Pagan or Jewish. To complicate matters further, economics play a clear role in this because the government's medical system would have to pay an additional NIS 160 million. This may be cause for the push to relocate the site. Different portions of the national ministry have now also attempted to block each other's powers in deciding the matter.

It's an interesting situation where the attitudes demeaning the older religion play such a significant role. I suppose we could also claim this in disrupting other sites such as this all over the world for archaeological purposes, but the difference is that archaeology seeks to understand, and, very frequently, document and preserve the ideas of the culture. This seems to be more of a political power play that doesn't specify where the bones will go when they are "relocated," rather than arguing for the preservation of the site by collecting the artifacts for a cultural institution, for example. This is also worrisome.

Haaretz Newspaper
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Let women MPs monitor law banning branding of females as witches

Due to the witch hunts in rural India, where as many as 2,500 women and girls have been accused of witchcraft and are beaten tortured and lynched in the past 15 years, India's Supreme Court suggested that the Bench enact legislation to ensure that more women are elected in order to monitor the implementation of the laws protecting women in these areas. It is important to point out that the laws intended to protect women from these forms of accusations, and punish the perpetrators, already exist. However, the local police agencies are very frequently said to be lax in enforcing them, if they enforce them at all. Victims are usually ignored. The idea then, is to ensure that there will be a larger voice for women in their government, against this type of violence. The Bench apparently declined to entertain the possibility, as their work load was too heavy, and they did not want to create more laws to enforce already existing ones. They state that it is simply the job of the police to enforce them. I agree. If they do not do this, it is also your job to tell them to do it, though.

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In the land of the kami

I must admit that my own knowledge is missing a large portion of Asian culture and history, and largely due to my own interests, what I read, and post about, is largely referencing European and African spiritual practices. When I happened upon this article concerning the nature and history of Shinto in Japan, it was very informative to say the least. It explained much in the way of the nature of the kami, so frequently translated as Gods in English, that I otherwise no nothing about. It is an interesting read for those of my readers who are interested in Asian cultures, and especially if you don't know very much. It's a very good read, and I encourage you to take a look at it.

The Japan Times
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Beheaded Vikings found at Olympic site

While digging near the site that will host the 2012 Olympics in Weymouth, England, construction crews discovered a mass grave of 51 skeletal remains that predate the Norman conquest of England. It has been determined that they were Vikings caught and executed by the Anglo-Saxons. It is a unique find because it is not very often that definitive evidence is found dating remains to this time period and showing them to be Vikings. It is also extremely uncommon to find mass graves in England. Archaeologist hope to find more details about the lives of the men with further study of the remains.

CNN
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Warning: Ancient sex on show in Paris

The Quai Branley museum in Paris is hosting an exhibit on the ancient Peruvian culture called the Moche. It is a somewhat graphic exhibit involving art pieces showing graphic sexual imagery, ranging from fellatio to functional anatomy on pitchers for example. The curator points out that the images are more than what they first appear to be. The images were meant to mirror rituals and ceremonies involving human sacrifice that were intended to bridge the gap between ideas of death and life. They tell the story of sexualized rituals, but also of how an elite class in a fairly advanced society used values and ritual to control a population. As the curator points out,

You control sexuality, you control access to it, and in the process you give yourself power over groups, over people and you embed this power into values and you disseminate the values as being part of the population... The population accept this because they believe it's part of their values. They don't think they are being controlled.

This is something that we as a people should always be aware of whenever new or old ideas are being presented to us. These ideas can form powerful tools that oppressed people can use to rise up, but they can just as easily be used by the oppressors themselves.

The Associated Press via Google News
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Chief exorcist says Devil is in Vatican

With all of the scandal that has recently been brought to light in the Catholic Church, it is no wonder that the chief exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth, believes that the devil is alive and well, perhaps especially in the Vatican. Amorth goes on to explain that he believes that the devil is available to possess, not only individuals, but entire groups of people and populations. The article is hardly worth mentioning as Amorth makes wild claims that he has performed over 70,000 exorcisms, and that iron spikes and glass shards are able to be ejected from the mouths of victims of possession. This is not to dismiss it entirely, but I seriously doubt the frequency of such occasions, even in the most severe cases of possession. However, it is not within the realm of this blog to worry about another religion's stance on these matters until it is attempting to hinder the freedom of worship of any group, but especially a nature-based or polytheistic spirituality.

What caught my attention was a note at the bottom about the Harry Potter books. As has been typical for a number of years now, the church has denounced the books. What was interesting however, was this tidbit in the story,

He also condemned the Harry Potter books, saying they were dangerous because they dabbled in the occult and failed to draw a clear distinction between "the Satanic art" of black magic and benevolent white magic.

I was raised Catholic and am somewhat familiar with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and have never run into a distinction, let alone any small toleration, of magic in any form, benevolent or otherwise. I'm not entirely sure how to interpret this, or the implications of the distinction, if indeed there is one for the Church. I also wonder how then it justifies the demonization of indigenous religious systems around the world. I will certainly keep an eye out for information pertaining to this, and if anyone else runs into any information, please pass it along.

The Telegraph
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Voodoo practitioners shrug off blame for Haitian quake

It had recently been reported by The Associated Press that there was an attack on Voodoo practitioners in the days following the Haitian earthquake. This worried me for the future of the traditional religion of Haiti and how it would fare in light of the escalating tensions and massive destruction facing the nation.

A new report from The Telegraph elaborates on many of the reasons why Voodoo would be stigmatized. For one, the people who typically are devotees fall largely into the stigmatized poor who make up the majority of the island's population. Further, it was used by two of the worst dictators the nation has seen in recent memory. With so much destruction this very easily creates a need for a scapegoat. Many are directly blaming Haiti's Voodoo practicing population. The practitioners themselves are acutely aware of the tension and blame that is placed on them, but they state that the disaster was simply a natural one. However, there is the very real manifestation of the blame in the attacks that were mentioned earlier. Out of those attacks is born this response, as described in the article,

Max Beauvoir, supreme head of Haitian Voodoo, said two days afterwards that a repeat of the violence would lead to "open war," with his followers told to meet aggression with aggression.

The article makes sure to state that this has not yet happened. I hope it does not, as the last thing this nation needs is more death. Perhaps I speak as a devotee of Morrigu, but I admire the strength they show when the whole world seems to stand against them. I admire their bravery, and I admire their faith. The article begins with a description of a ritual meant to bless the dead and in turn, the survivors. It is made somewhat dramatic for the readership, but towards the end it notes that several of the priests plan for larger, and more public ceremonies. I can only wish and pray for their safety, and stand back in admiration.

The Telegraph
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