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Cover Story

September Pagan Pride Day for Florida

By Judi McLeod
Monday, august 29, 2005

Toronto--On a roll since atheism was established as a religion, Florida pagans are ready to come out of the closet.

Borrowing from the success of Gay Pride Day, there will be a Pagan Pride Day staged by Pagan believers from Pinellas County come September.

"Pagans in New Port, Richey, Fla. Told the Tampa Tribune they're tired of being labeled as devil worshippers who sacrifice animals under a full moon." (WorldNetDaily, august 21 2005). "People think paganism is evil," said Robert Crom, 25, regional coordinator for Pasco Pagans. "Some people among mainstream religions feel threatened by us."

Pagan Day, Florida style will be an all-day affair and will include both pagan worship and public education. The event is expected to attract at least 100 devotees.

"There's no voice for paganism here," said Crom whose group was formed mostly from neighbouring Pinellas County.

Pagans gave Canada Free Press its comeuppance last January when it lamented in a cover story that the followers of Gaia had discovered a funding stream through the Faith-Based and Community Initiative of George W. Bush.

Letters of protest, including one from arion the Blue, High Druid of Durham, flooded CFP.

…"as churches in Europe are all but empty, the Catholic church is entangled in scandal, and the Protestant faiths are involved in internecine doctrinal warfare as church attendance declines, your religion is increasingly turning to radicalism to prop it up," wrote arion the Blue. "and competition from other faiths who are not on the Monotheistic bus is something a fanatical radical just can't abide. In short, Ms. McLeod, you are scared of us, and so you try to make us look silly."

One of the High Druid of Durham's followers wrote: "With a name like McLeod, one would think you'd want to honor your ancestors who were most assuredly pagans and followed the teachings of Druid priests. Even if you yourself are not interested in that form of spirituality, one would think you would take some pride in the fact that your ancestors did. It's too bad you do them such dishonour."

When it was pointed out to the "practicing Druid and former Christian who wrote the letter that McLeod was merely the writer's married name, he wrote back, "I'm done arguing with the likes of you."

Florida is not the first state to have pagans coming out of the closet with a Pagan Pride day. In 2004, there were at least 70 pagan pride events in some 36 states.

The first Pagan Pride Day was held in Indianapolis back in 1998.

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Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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