As part of my preparation for a discussion I'll be leading on the topic of The exorcism trend and anti-Satanist paranoia, I've searched Google for stories about exorcism in New York City newspapers. Here is what I found (omitting movie reviews):

( Interviews with exorcist Gary Thomas )

I recently came across the news story Updated: Vatican steps back from Discovery's 'Exorcist Files' by T.L. Stanley, Los Angeles Times, January 10, 2011, according to which:

"Aside from the priests, experts like Richard Gallagher, a faculty member at Columbia University's Psychoanalytic Institute, will be part of "The Exorcist Files." So will ( Read more... )

This blog was linked recently from the article Crying Witch: Learning From the O’Donnell “Dabbling” Debacle by Spencer Dew on Religions Dispatches, October 28, 2010.

For those readers who might be looking for my group NYC Satanists, Luciferians, Dark Pagans, and LHP Occultists, which was mentioned in the above article, details are here on Meetup. ( Read more... )

treph posted a comment here, regarding my use of the term "brat brigade" to describe obnoxious teenage Satanists:
I'd appreciate it if you would respect the "Brat Brigade" a little more. Not all teenagers such as myself are uneducated in Satanism. Sure, you probably have your reasons for not liking teenagers and I do not blame you old curmudgeon ( Read more... )

Yesterday a press release was put out by one John Ramirez, author of a book titled Out of the Devil's Caldron: A Journey from Darkness to Light, in which he claims he was "trained to be the third-ranked high priest of a satanic cult (Santeria) in New York City--casting powerful witchcraft spells and controlling entire spiritual regions" -- until, ( Read more... )

Catching up with the Talk to Action blog, about the religious right wing, I find the following: Evangelical Latino Politicians/Pastors Lead Fight Against Same-sex Marriage in New York by Bill Berkowitz, Wednesday, May 20, 2009. About Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), and Ruben Díaz, a ( Read more... )

This past Sunday, June 28, I participated in the Gay Pride parade in Manhattan, as I like to do every year. This is a huge annual event, with tens of thousands of people marching.

( Some details of my participation, including a flyer I distributed )

On Sunday, May 17, there were rallies in Manhattan on both sides of the same-sex marriage issue.

( Links to news stories about the rallies )

Recently. I've gotten to know someone who is a former Lubavitcher Hasidic Jew, who managed to leave that way of life (rather cult-like, according to her) and build a new life for herself.

( On the difficulties of leaving a Hasidic group. )

I've been away for a long time -- very busy with a new job, among other things.

Some good news: As of this past month, I've found a very passionate co-administrator for the budding NYC proto-congregation of the Church of Azazel, and also for New Yorkers Against Religion-Based Bigotry. Hopefully both can now, finally, begin to get off the ground ( Read more... )