Wiccans worship demons

By Judy Ducayne

Tuesday, November 14, 2006 9:57 AM EST

“Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” Dorothy was asked from the Wizard of Oz. From Macbeth to the present day, our stories, fables and fairytales have often contained witches, boiling cauldrons, spells, warlocks and magic.
Some of it can be considered a literary tool to illustrate the battle between good and evil. A recent article in The Citizen featured two local witches, Linda Townsend and Lydia Rosell. These days they call themselves Wiccans instead of witches. But Rosell admits that she practices the “craft” and was already casting spells in her 20s. It appears that the biggest thing that witches do is supposedly communicate with the dead.

They say that they can thin the veil separating the the worlds of the living and the dead. As Rosell put it, “The spirit world can merge with ours and they (the dead) can move among us.”

This is nothing more than satanism and demonism. Whether they know it or not, they are opening up themselves and others to the influence of Satan and his demons who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

The Wiccan rituals include a pentagram (a satanic symbol) and an altar. An altar is not just another name for a table but a surface used to offer a sacrifice in the praise and worship of the one, true God. Or it can be perverted in the worship of false gods and demons.

Communicating with the spirits of our ancestors is nothing more than aligning ourself with hell. Can strange things happen which cannot be explained by the physical scientific world? You bet they can. Demons are quite real. St. Paul said “we don't fight against flesh and blood but against the powers and principalities of the air.” Powers and Principalities are the names of two of the nine choirs of angels in heaven. In other words we're fighting against fallen angels-demons.

At the end of their rituals the witches of Wicca say, “We thank you and release you.” Once you open yourself to their diabolical influence they can plague you for the rest of your life. Their goal is your eternal destruction. Wicca will try to promote itself as a religion. However, religion is a virtue by which we worship and adore the One Supreme Being. This is a far cry from the demon-infested practices of Wicca. Townsend was quoted as saying, “There's only one rule - do what thou wilt and harm none. This is a variation on “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” which was coined by Aleister Crowley, the father of modern satanism who was known as “the beast.” Wicca, witchcraft, spiritism, satanism, demonology - they're all part of the same boiling cauldron of evil.

So say a prayer for these people that the evil grip will no longer hold them hostage and they will turn their lives over to the one true God.

Ducayne#'s column appears

Tuesdays and she can be reached at sacredheart6005@hotmail.com

The Citizens' Say

There are 243 comment(s)

The One Who Stands Alone wrote on Mar 13, 2008 4:03 AM:

" I have taken the time to read every single comment....
And if both sides have the time and patience to listen to someone who claims neither pagan nor christian.... listen to some sense....

I am 17 years old... I was raised in the Catholic Church, I have read the bible from front to back 20 times.... I know more about the lessons than the pastors do... and sadly enough I found no inner peace....
I than went on to study occult and paganism.... I have read over 60 ancient texts on occult and more than 230 books on paganism.... I am well versed in these matters....

Now than... The entry made was offensive, corruptive, and destructive of a belief of people... Most of the responses from both sides were noticeably worse.... Listen, I bow to no God,Goddess,Element,Object,Spirit,Demon, or Man.....
If nothing else for this sole reason... how can either religion make sense of the truth if instead of working together to find the greater truth that lies inside of christianity and paganism... you are constantly belittling and tearing eachother apart... christians if you truly followed your religion you would not tear apart pagans, Judge not lest ye be judged... And Pagans, Do not retalliate or initiate confrontation... it does you no better to stray from the path for a petty grievance does it truly matter what they say?
God has been taken out of everything besides church almost... Pagans are just as haggard today as they were in salem..... Stop the fighting... It's senseless and regardless of who you bow to..... You are serving no God/Goddess if you are serving your own egos... So fight on if you must... But please, don't claim to follow a being that would never lower itself to this... Pathetic... Maybe one day I will have a religion or a belief system... Maybe when a see an actual hope that reflects through its followers.... "

Rev. Joseph S. Worley wrote on Apr 26, 2007 6:51 PM:

" I'll not attack anyone on this list of responces to this Ladies article. I think that the author could do a little research on the Religion she chose to write about, as well as she could do well to do a little study on Christianity as well. Then this is just my own oppion. I for one am very happy that in the US we are free to have our "voices heard" even if certain elements of society only wish these freedoms for their own group. I to am happy this this 10 year court case with the VA on the Pentacle has come to a close. After all no one in the VA or elsewhere took offense to the Atheist symbol being added. (Just a little something to think about). May the Divine as you interpret it bless you. "

John wrote on Mar 25, 2007 1:11 PM:

" After reading an article like this, I am truthfully left saddened. The sake of newspapers and journalism is reporting the truth without bias, or in the case of an opinion column they should have all facts and records checked and rechecked. It is very surprising to me that something like this was ever printed in modern day society seeing how ignorent it is and how haphazardly it was put together. I have nothing against christians save their holier than thou attitude. Oh, and for the people that posted in all caps, i have only contempt for you. "

Becka wrote on Mar 22, 2007 2:45 AM:

" I emailed this lady and told her she needs to check her facts before letting her rear end do the writing. This article is downright pathetic, and holds more opinion than the titanic holds water. She's obviously nothing more than a little right winger who wants to make everyone else feel wrong, or bad to make herself feel superior. "

devotee to the goddess wrote on Mar 1, 2007 3:44 PM:

" i think that this has to be a joke, i also think that judy has seen one too many horror films made in hollywood, either that or she is so badly corrupted that she is beyond all redemption. wicca as with paganism is an earth religion that was around LOOONNNNGGGGGG before christianty came and corrupted the land. i have every respect for all religions, why cant all you ignorant people realsie that there are books on this subject and mayb learn to read and battle your ignorance and see that wicca does not equal demonic / satanic worship. the goddess and deity that is honours by pagans all have different qualities and to be truthful isnt it possible that all deity becomes one ??? i think the author (if you can call her that) is just caught up in sensationalism and therefor it doesnt matter what she writes................ quite a shame really cos it taints a worthy profession. my blessings to all you who feel that you have to hate first and think later, mayb you had bad socialisation when u was growing up... "

Donna L. Richardson wrote on Feb 4, 2007 3:31 PM:

" It's sad how we are caught out there bashing religious beliefs of one another Even Jesus never argued the point, He just said get behind me, and went about His work. Truth can be said in the most pleasant way possible, even Jesus spoke to His people with tears in His voice as He opened the truth to them about their way of life. Let us not point the finger which leads to 3 pointing back at us, but pray and work for the souls you want to reach & win for eternity. God is love and not the author of confusion. "

Jim Bone wrote on Dec 28, 2006 3:04 PM:

" The purpose of a newspaper is not to publish 'news' and certainly not 'truth'. It is to sell papers. Period. In fact any newspaper is in bed with whoever pays the most. How many pagans have been misquoted from here to Hell, for no other reason that to stir the pot? How many Xtians have been pandered to, in the name of "equal time"? Privilege? I believe I prefer the shadows. "

wiccan woman wrote on Dec 22, 2006 9:00 AM:

" Ok people, we all need to realize that it doesn't matter what race, gender, or religon we are part of. We all have those few who spout hatred or, are not the members of our "group" that we want to be associated with. You can not blame the whole for the actions or opinions of the few. There are beautiful and amazing christians and wiccans alike, many doing great deeds for humanity. I am still hoping that when we all wake up, that we can change the world for the better by working together. My grandmother always said "many hands make lite work." To the wiccans - I understand how hard it is to share this view when we still deal with persecution and non-acceptance. To the christians - When was the last time you were burned at the stake? Claims of eternal life is hard to accept when your faith has killed so many in the name of its God. We as wiccans do not have absolution or confessional. We cannot simply repent and find peace and a clean slate. We live by the karmic rule of three. That what we do; be it good or bad, comes back in return to us times three. There is no escape route, no get out of jail free card. What karma we have earned stays with us until it is paid for. Lessons learned and good deeds done, enlightenment acheived. "

Tim wrote on Dec 14, 2006 12:44 AM:

" This is fairly pathetic. Judy Ducayne has done no research whatsoever on wicca and has only succeded in stirring up a hornets nest. Your christian, im pagan, who cares? We go to the same schools, work the same jobs, say our prayers and even try to make the world a better place. As far as religion goes I like mine and you like yours, that should be good enough. This article however is BS. Im going to get off of here and pray fo Judy Ducayne, that she manages to keep her job and that she does her research before she writes her next article. "

Algiz wrote on Dec 13, 2006 10:48 PM:

" I am a Pagan and I find this story appaling. False Gods? Aleister Crowley a Satanist? If you are truly a Christian why dont you love everyone equally? You know why Pagans are rude on these posts? Because of the Crusades, Witch Burnings, Inquisition, and the destruction of so many lives and indigneous people, and because today Christians still condemn everyone to hell. Please worry about your own soul and not other's. The Gods and Goddesses have blessed me with great strenght and I have made much progress with my soul. If there really is a Christian God he would not punish me for advancing myself, because if he would I would rather spend an eternity in hell than live with him in heaven. Two things I have to say to Christians is that we'll find out who's right after we die and Pagans existed long before Christianity... Enough said. "

Michelle wrote on Dec 7, 2006 7:38 PM:

" You claim that we're ( Pagan community, if I may, speak as such ) the ones being decieved? Then let me offer you this penny for my thoughts. You worship a god which allows a demonic entity who succeeds at manipulating people on a daily basis into terrible things to exist, despite the fact that he is 'all loving' and 'all powerful. Why? Also, since your Satan is the lord of lies, how do you not know you are being decieved into worshipping him instead of your real god, resulting in all the animosity from Christians today? You're supposed to spead love and peace, not spit venom. And everyone who says you're praying for us, don't. We have our own religion. Trying to convert us to your path via hatred, misunderstanding, mistrust, and deception, in my opinion, breaking the very important Constitution. Besides, judging your god via you, I have absolutely no desire to follow a mindless, hate-ridden, paranoia god who has yet to adapt to the free world of today. That's my one cent. Stop attacking my religion. "

alayne wrote on Dec 7, 2006 4:29 PM:

" If you're doing "good amongst the pagans", why haven't you realised that shouting "DEVIL-WORSHIPPER!" at us is only making us believe we're RIGHT not to be Christians anymore? I don't hate you guys - my best friends are Christian, I go to a Christian school, my family is Christian. But I find love and tolerance and acceptance amongst the Pagan community; having an intelligent discussion about other people's religions (with other Pagans) is better than having people like Ms Ducayne spouting off about devil worship under the misguided impression this will somehow return us to Jesus Christ. Develop a proper dialogue before you steam in with this hate speech; or you can expect to get this angry backlash from Wiccans and Pagans that you think is "hateful." Come to Witchvox and talk to Pagans, instead of smugly supporting someone we dislike for their intolerance. "

America Extremely Fundamentalist? wrote on Dec 6, 2006 4:51 PM:

" Alayne and unbelievers: AMERICA IS EXTREMELY FUNDAMENTALIST? I WISH! WE'D ALL BE BETTER OFF!!! And if you're that much in the dark, I'd like to let you know that pro-choice (abortion) is NOT fundamental, gay marriage is NOT fundamental, divorce is NOT fundamental, stem cell research is NOT fundamental, human cloning is NOT fundamental, commercialized Christmas, excuse me "holidays", is NOT fundamental, taking God out of the classroom is NOT fundamental! God is where you put Him. If you take Him out of your life, then out of your life He'll be. You hate Jesus because He's Truth. You hate Jesus because He's the Way. ""Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."" John 14:6, NIV. Well he loves you, and we love you, and we love all the people mentioned above even though they and you don't love God. He predicted you would do this to Him and He still loves you and died for you: "Live such good lives among the pagans that, THOUGH THEY ACCUSE YOU OF DOING WRONG, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:12, NIV, Emphasis mine. He'll be patient and wait for you, we'll be patient and wait for you. God Bless. "

Sweet Monkey wrote on Dec 6, 2006 4:17 PM:

" I think Judy is Great. Who cares about the pagans hate speech towards Christians. It's all boring!!! "

HELPING wrote on Dec 6, 2006 4:09 PM:

" I guess April doesn't realize that Churches run Soup kitchens to feed the hungry and homeless. Has a witch ever cast a spell to make someone not homeless? "

HO HUM wrote on Dec 6, 2006 4:06 PM:

" PAGANS SURE HAVE ALOT OF HATRED TOWARD CHRISTAINS AND SURE ARE NOT VERY TOLERANT OF OTHER RELIGIONS. CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION IT IS A RELATIONSHIP. "

April wrote on Dec 6, 2006 3:18 PM:

" blah blah blah. don't you have anything better to do with your christian powers of good than to bash other religions? how about helping the homeless? or teaching people to read? so sad. "

KandaP wrote on Dec 6, 2006 12:37 PM:

" Addressing The comment from Alayne: I guess that Christianinty has offened you, not a big surprise seeing the demonic influnece that controls your life now has Hated Christ from the Begining. I always find it interesting how easily offened the pagan society is and how much they misunderstand Christianity, although I understand. Back when I was in "The World" I discoved every other religion than Christianity sounded good to me and made alot of sense, & that is exactly how I figured out that Christianity is the One "TRUE FAITH", because the devil is the father of lies he was tring to deceive me into thinking Christianity was false, and that is how I knew, the devil was trying everything to keep me away from Jesus. You say "well I don't beleive in the devil".. that's exactly what he wants you to believe, he doesn't even have to try, he's alreay got you... Just try to read the Bible every day there are forces in this world that keep even Christains from reading their own Bible. Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. We pray for your deliverence & salavation, we DO NOT hate you in any way. The truth is just hard to hear when the devil hates truth so much. "

Captain Jack Sparrow wrote on Dec 6, 2006 9:28 AM:

" Yar even Pirates believe in Jesus.. "

Alayne wrote on Dec 6, 2006 7:45 AM:

" I'm interested to note the Christian response proves my understanding that America is extremely fundamentalist. For the record, I was a Christian for 16 years before I became a Pagan, so to the person who said it's impossible to seek him and not find him, that's laughable. Anyone with a brain would be offended by this hate speech - Christians because it makes them look like mouthy idiots, and Pagans because it denigrates us. Easy to understand? "

a young pagan wrote on Dec 5, 2006 3:13 PM:

" I congradulate Ms. Ducayne on proving that she does not research articles that she writes. I also am thankful that such a biased "journalist" and many of those who commented on this article would reveal their undenying hatred for others that are different than them. I agree with the representations of wiccan beliefs my fellow pagans replied with so I will not reiterate. I will only say that such prejudice saddens me, and I Sir, am sad that I will raise children in this world with so much hatred in it. "

Did you Know wrote on Dec 5, 2006 12:36 PM:

" Did you know that in the BIBLE the Religion is only mentioned once of being something good and God calls it "True Religion" every other time Religion is mentioned it is bad. THATS BECAUSE GOD IS INTO RELATIONSHIP AND NOT RELIGION. "

HEY NOW wrote on Dec 5, 2006 12:34 PM:

" Doesn't Judy have freedom of speech and Freedom of Religion too? "

Papa Smurf wrote on Dec 5, 2006 12:33 PM:

" Obviously the wickkkans don't have a clue...maybe they should reasearch before they state facts or quote Bible verses. "

J. Lovesu wrote on Dec 5, 2006 12:31 PM:

" Jesus Loves you wiccans :) He hopes you love him back and so do we.. :) "

hello kitty wrote on Dec 5, 2006 12:29 PM:

" we're praying for you pagans. "

FROM A CONCERNED CITIZEN OF CAYUGA COUNTY wrote on Dec 5, 2006 10:46 AM:

" WOW.. LISTEN TO YOU wickans, READ YOU OWN COMMENTS. THE wickans SURE ARE JUDGEMENTAL, RUDE, & FULL OF LOTS OF HATRED THEMELVES.. . WOW IT'S SCARY THAT YOU wiccans ARE OUT THERE, AND I HAVE TO RAISE CHILDREN IN A WORLD WHERE YOU ARE PRESENT IN IT.. "

Jocelynne wrote on Dec 4, 2006 6:13 PM:

" Obviously the woman who wrote this article did not research the subject of Wicca in any way, shape or form. Her lack of fact based information and the abundance of prejudice statements is offensive. If she had made any attempt to acquire information about this religion, even with just a cursory glance, she would have noticed that Wiccans, Witches, and all other Pagans worship nature, the duality of the divine, and do not have a devil to blame evils upon. We as a religious group are accountable for our own actions and do not follow, as Judy Ducayne is implying, an evil path. Our focus is not on raising/speaking to the dead, but on spiritual and mental growth, respecting and healing our world, and doing the best to deserve the graces we have received. If this woman is fool enough to feel that she can write with any authority on a subject she obviously knows nothing about, perhaps she should follow the rules of good dinner conversation, no politics, no religion, no sex. Honey, stick to the weather. "

Smitty Jensen wrote on Dec 4, 2006 4:35 PM:

" Great Article. May all the wiccans seek Jesus and find Him. If they are looking for Spiritual things, there is nothing more True & Spiritual than Jesus. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. We would never say you're going to hell, Christians are not the judge.... God is the Judge. Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Christians are only righteous through accepting what Jesus has done for them & by His Blood) News flash.. God dosen't send us to hell we choose to go there all on our own (free will), it breaks Gods heart to see us choose hell/eternal separation instead of choosing him.. he loves us so much. He is our Heavnly Father. Thanks for the Truth of this article and keep up the good work. "

Mr. Truth wrote on Dec 4, 2006 9:02 AM:

" WAY TO GO.... I LOVE THE ARTICLE!!! SOME PEOPLE CAN'T STAND TO HEAR THE TRUTH AND NEED TO GET A THICKER SKIN, THEY ARE TOO EASILY OFFENED. TRULY I HOPE THAT EVERYONE WHO IS INVOLVED IN THIS WITCHCRAFT STUFF WILL DISCOVER HOW SEROIUS AND DANGEROUS IT IS. IT IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY. THEY MAY BE TALKING TO SOMETHING IN THE SPIRIT WORLD, BUT IT IS NOT THE DEAD, IT IS THE ONE THIRD OF THE FALLEN ANGELS THAT FELL WITH LUCIFER AND THERE IS NO TRUTH IN THEM THEY ARE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF GOD (if GOD is TRUTH then the devil is a LIE). I HOPE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTO WITCHCRAFT OR ANYBODY ELSE WHO DOES NOT KNOW GOD, WOULD ALL FIND THE ONE WHO LOVES THEM MORE THAN ANYTHING, AND THE ONE WHO IS PASSIONATE ABOUT HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM (SPIRITUALLY), THAT ONE IS THE ONE AND ONLY JESUS CHRIST, THAT'S RIGHT I MENTIONED HIS NAME THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE ALL NAME IN HEAVEN AND EARTH THE NAME THAT THE POWERS OF DARKNESS MUST BOW TO IS: JESUS. ARE YOU OFFENDED YET? WELL THAT'S OK IF YOU ARE BECAUSE THE WORLD HATED JESUS BEFORE YOU HATED THESE COMMENTS, AND HE STILL LOVES YOU, I HOPE YOU ALL SEEK HIM BECAUSE YOU WILL FIND HIM, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEEK HIM AND NOT FIND HIM, I CHALLENGE YOU TO TRY IT. AND TO THE WRITER OF THE ARTICLE, I SUPPORT YOUR STANCE ON THE SUBJECT AND I AM GLAD SOMEONE AT THE CITIZEN HAS THE BRAVERY TO STAND UP FOR THE TRUTH. THERE IS A SAYING, "IF YOU DON'T STAND FOR THE TRUTH, YOU'LL FALL FOR ANYTHING". "

Denise wrote on Dec 3, 2006 1:54 PM:

" I am quite offended by this article. I don't really have much to say, because the majority of people here have pretty much hit the nail on the head. Before an article can be written about a religion, you must research the facts. YOU, Ms. Ducayne, did not research anything. Before you begin to spout nonsense about a religion you know nothing about, I suggest you do a bit of background research beforehand. "

Stephanie Davies wrote on Dec 3, 2006 12:29 PM:

" This is sheer hate propaganda, remniscent of the Nazis in WW2. As a Pagan, I am truly offended by this article. I don't know anything about the newspaper that published this utter nonsense, but I assume they are of the same quality as the Weekly World News and the other tabloids that claim they found Atlantis or saw Elvis. I think it is horrible that something could spread hate and misunderstanding like this article. Pagans are NOT evil, are NOT affiliated with Satan, and do not practice any form of harmful practices. We don't even believe in Satan or Hell (quite frankly, we find the idea of a place of eternal suffering laughable - just like this article), so how can we worship Satan if we don't believe in him? "

Estatigua wrote on Dec 2, 2006 5:14 AM:

" I could go on a rant, but everyone has said all I would want to say & more. I feel sad for her sorry, misguided, predjudiced soul. "

wiccan woman wrote on Dec 1, 2006 9:56 AM:

" This is simply sad, most spiritual paths are based on some form of the "golden rule". If those who follow their path are not intentionally causing harm to other living things, or hypocrisizing their beliefs, why should they be put on "trial"? It is ridiculous for anyone to believe that they know the one true way. It is not the religion that should be questioned, but the people who have charged themselves with spreading it. We all fall prey to our fragile human nature on occasion. Everyone has felt fear, anger, even hatred, some people act on these things, others try to influence masses to follow them in their cause. It is far easier to fear what we don't understand than to take the time to educate ourselves. It's horrible to think that we are still killing our fellow man in the name of something meant to promote love and light. Persecution has always been an embarrising act in the race of man. Sadly, I fear this will never end. Let those with only love in their hearts throw the stones.....ahh, but they wouldn't! "

John W. wrote on Nov 30, 2006 1:57 PM:

" Apparently this reporter, and I use the term loosely, is just spitting out her own venomous version of hate towards anything that does not conform to her own twisted beliefs. There are so many innacuracies in her story the paper should be sued for allowing it to be published. The pentagram for instance origianlly was a Christian symbol before being associated with satanism just as the swastika is a tibeten religious symbol not a nazi symbol only. Also in the Christian faith there are numerous instances of historical people who not only spoke to the dead but raised them from the dead...Jesus is one example. Does that mean Jesus is actually a satanic agent? Wonder how miss know it all-bigot answers this question? By the way since Jesus raised the dead does that make Ms. Ducayne a closet Wiccan or devil worshipper as she claims all Wiccans are? Bet she does'nt respond to this. Most cowards who make accustaions they can't back up never do. And no, for your information I am not Wiccan I am a Christian also. "

WitchyWoman wrote on Nov 30, 2006 7:58 AM:

" This article completely disgusts me...especially when she says how communicating with our dead ancestors is evil...Last i checked, God is christianities creator, which would make him their ancestor, and isn't praying a way of communication ?? Yea...i thought so. Before writing articles as rediculous as this, based on nothing but opinion, I think you should get educated first. I know nothing about journalism or being a columnist, maybe I'll get a job at my local newspaper, obviously you don't NEED to know anything about it to write articles.. "

Gypsy wrote on Nov 29, 2006 9:00 PM:

" Wiccans worship demons ~ OMGoodness~Not true in any sense, this is just so silly of you to say~ A Pentagram ~ NOT (a satanic symbol) used for protection~ An Inverted Pentagram is (a satanic symbol) A cross is used for protection An inverted cross (a satanic symbol) AN Altar for your future information BEFORE you go blasting something you know nothing about check this out~ with photos http://www.magickrituals.com/bosaltar.html Ms.Judy Ducayne some info on Different Types of Witches/ Charmers Ceremonial Witchcraft~ Strega Witches ~ Soliitary Witch ~ Pow-Pow Witch~ Caledonii Tradition ~ Hereditary Witch~ Pictish Whitchcraft~ Dianic Tradition ~ Gardenarian Tradition~ Alexandrian Tradition~ British Tradition Witch ~ Eclectic Witch~ Celtic Wicca ~ Satanic Witch ~ THIS does'nt EXIST! ~ Why?? ....Witches DON'T believe in Satan. How can a respectible newspaper publish such a narrow minded idiots option such as this? If you care to learn anything AT ALL about the craft or Witches/Wicca please come to my posting board. Witch's Community - Home http://inthecircle.proboards83.com/index.cgi We are a family that helps each other, we pray for people of all Gods~ We do research and learn from each other~ We don't" bash" or make "Potentially libelous statements. Obscene, explicit, or racist language. Personal attacks, insults, or threats against anyone~ If you are looking for satanic people ...look somewhere else~ If your looking for Spirits see the Ghost Hunters~ As you say"Communicating with the spirits of our ancestors is nothing more than aligning ourself with hell. that is called Paranormal~ NOT HELL.....lol PLEASE get a clue and retract this column and apologize for your lack of knowledge and admit you have don't have a glue on what your talking about here? Ms. Judy Ducayne you are sterotyping so many groups here and calling them Witches/Wiccans~ I as many will be watching to see what you do on this because I do know some good Lawyers, who would love nothing better than to take on a News Paper~ BlessedBe Gypsy "

shanna wrote on Nov 29, 2006 2:54 PM:

" Potentially libelous statements. Obscene, explicit, or racist language. Personal attacks, insults, or threats. didnt you do that all in the story i forgot we dont live in the middle ages anymore i guess i forgot that the witch trails were over and i guess you like using sterotyping and i guess you don't believe in the freedoms i guess our forefathers fought for nothing man oh man what a flake if you dont know anything about wicca dont write the story you olny make people really see how big of a shallow mind flake you really are before judging something learn about it yourself and stop believing everything you hear people like you is why the world will never be in peace we all believe in the same god start acting like it you make christains look bad and shallow minded people like you is why some of us have to still hide how we believe afiard that we will be judged for how we worship god you know people comes to my mind when i think of how you think called dictators you know if you guys at thisnewpaper should really get a life and reseach before printing stuff i did feel like we didnt live in a free country anymore if you were try for that angle man it worked better watch out everyone a nut with a pen is at it agian the sad part is theres at least one fool out there that believe this crap "

shanna wrote on Nov 29, 2006 5:15 AM:

" Potentially libelous statements. Obscene, explicit, or racist language. Personal attacks, insults, or threats. didnt you do that all in the story i forgot we dont live in the middle ages anymore i guess i forgot that the witch trails were over and i guess you like using sterotyping and i guess you don't believe in the freedoms i guess our forefathers fought for nothing man oh man what a flake if you dont know anything about wicca dont write the story you olny make people really see how big of a shallow mind flake you really are before judging something learn about it yourself and stop believing everything you hear people like you is why the world will never be in peace we all believe in the same god start acting like it you make christains look bad and shallow minded people like you is why some of us have to still hide how we believe afiard that we will be judged for how we worship god you know people comes to my mind when i think of how you think called dictators you know if you guys at thisnewpaper should really get a life and reseach before printing stuff i did feel like we didnt live in a free country anymore if you were try for that angle man it worked better watch out everyone a nut with a pen is at it agian the sad part is theres at least one fool out there that believe this crap "

i think someone needs a life wrote on Nov 29, 2006 4:20 AM:

" hey people if we are to hell for what we believe man oh man they are along with us because isnt judging another a sin by the way i dont believe in worshipping demons give me a break and come back to the real world for a minute a pentagram is not a satanic sybol it like saying the star of david is evil or a cross is evil oh my god lady you need a life and the word warlock isnt even really used saying i worship satan is like say i worship mickey mouse if i dont believe hes real how can i worship it lady you are so funny i havent laugh so hard in my life lady why dont you go out for yourself and look whats wiccan is really about before you jugde it people like you is why people seen christian as a bunch of bible beaters and by the way spells are olny praying . eternal destruction this is so funny i also believe that the people at this paper watches and believes anything they hear or see on tv i have a lot of christain friends and im wiccan and my husband is christain hows that one for you hes isnt as shallow minded as you are thats for sure before you write another story like this one why dont you really study what you are writing about because you surely do not have any clue or since you like writing lies go work for the tabloids but of course sometimes they get stuff right well more then you do "

BritWitch wrote on Nov 26, 2006 5:01 PM:

" This woman's writings remind me of the propaganda put about Judaism during WW2. Written to incite hatred - is this truly the way of Christianity? "

wife of a pagan wrote on Nov 26, 2006 2:21 PM:

" this article makes me sad that there are such narrow minded idiots that write columns for a paper and get paid for it "

Adam Labonoski wrote on Nov 21, 2006 2:11 AM:

" This article is pure bull. I can accept that this is Judy's personal opinion, but it has no place in a respectible newspaper. Judy needs to return to journalism classes and learn to research fact from fiction properly. There is nothing sadder in this world than an uninformed person who spews garbage like this in the name of religion. Blessed Be! "

Mark wrote on Nov 20, 2006 6:27 PM:

" Why isn't this column placed in the "Funnies "section of the newspaper? Judy's ability to present a topic in an intelligent manner is certainly comical. "

Jerry Morgan wrote on Nov 20, 2006 5:02 PM:

" Is this Diversity? If it is the I don't want ant part of it "

Michael Schillace wrote on Nov 20, 2006 4:39 PM:

" Why are we reading religious sermons from a weekly Citizen columnist? Someone who writes a regular column for a newspaper has a responsibility to do research and learn about what she's writing about before going on a rant about people and their beliefs. As others have already made clear, Wiccans do not worship Satan. Anyone who knows even a tiny bit about Wicca or the history of religion knows that paganism is not the same as Satanism. Satan and his demons are the fictional creations of the Catholic Church. Of course, there are Christians who will say that any kind of spirituality that is not the same as their own is Satan worship. Why that sort of nonsense is being preached by Judy Ducayne to readers of The Citizen is beyond me. It is people like Judy Ducayne who make me realize more and more that Christians and followers of Jesus are not the same thing. In fact, I think Wiccans live closer to the spirit of Jesus than many Christians do. "

Andy Bartholomew wrote on Nov 20, 2006 12:33 PM:

" This woman is insane! Although to be fair to the citizen this article is an editorial. It's her opinion, I've seen some pretty crazy sentiments in this paper from both the Left and the Right. "

Reginleif wrote on Nov 20, 2006 8:36 AM:

" DiCondito: Well, someone dropping in from Mars likely wouldn't have any idea that Xtians have been persecuting everyone who's disagreed with them for 2,000 years. If you think the " intensity, duration and tone of the responses to this article are seriously out of proportion with article itself," maybe you need to brush up on your history. Then again, if you find people defending their non-Xtian religions to be more "evil" than Xtians attacking other people's religions, I'm sure there's no reasoning with you. "christian minority" (snort): Your handle itself was an indication that the rest of your comment would be idiotic blathering, but I'll respond anyway: Poor, poor Judy. She attacked a religion that has done nobody any harm -- unlike hers and your own -- and now she has "a gang" "beating up" on her. Wah, wah, wah. As for her being a "christian mother," who cares that she reproduced? Actually, to be honest, I find it frightening that she did, but since when does that give her any more moral authority? And quite a few of the pagans who have responded to you have kids, so give us a break with the manipulative "our children" garbage. "Rev. Wall, DM": Let me guess, you were trained at some "Bible college" whose geology professors teach that the world is 6,000 years old. The Finger Lakes is a gorgeous region, full of cultural and historical delights. But if Judy and her defenders are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to local Christo-fascists, no wonder so many reasonable people are looking to escape. "

Pagan wrote on Nov 20, 2006 7:49 AM:

" The best interpretation I can put on your article is that you are ignorant, Judy. I'm surprised that the publication you work for allows you to write such a libellous and unfounded attack on any religous group. I suggest that you reseatch your subject matter more thoroughly in the future. "

David Heizer (NYC) wrote on Nov 20, 2006 5:50 AM:

" Actually, to give the (ahem) devil her due, contrary to the screaming of most of the commenters, Ducayne is not calling Pagans evil people. (Although she uses the terms interchangeably, not all Pagans--nor all witches for that matter--practice Wicca.) She is--clumsily, haphazardly--making the claim, based on the Jack Chick strain of fundamentalist Christian theology, that "[w]hether they know it or not, they are opening up themselves and others to the influence of Satan and his demons." She is certainly insulting the wisdom of Pagan practitioners, but her claim is a theological, not an ethical, one. Once one posits a basically paranoid theological worldview where the world we live in is a battleground between Jehovah and Satan, and that, furthermore, gnosis (symbolized by that famous fruit) is forbidden by God, the conclusion that anyone practicing mysticism must be (however ignorantly) of necessity being led astray by the Deceiver (since it obviously can't be God) becomes a pretty inescapable conclusion, and one that many kind and well-meaning Christians cannot in good faith disavow, as much as they may wish there was some way they could (lovingly) convince us of our folly. The fact is, one thing the various Pagan theologies (and there are many) pretty much all have in common is that we do not think of the universe as a battle to the death between Good and Evil but as an ecosystem of many forces and primal energies, both great ("Gods") and small (spirits, whether human, animal, or otherwise). We simply do not recognize a "one, true God" (except those who see the various Gods as aspects of a single Divinity which we cannot hope to approach in its pure nature), and do not recognize the existence of Satan (except as a malevolent deity created and maintained as a necessary part of the Christian/Muslim traditions) or Hell (except perhaps as the place where bad Christians and Muslims go after death as part of their religion). Ms. Ducayne, like all people, is certainly entitled to her beliefs as to the ultimate nature of reality, but might consider adopting a bit of humility about the fact that no one still living can know The Truth about the divine realm with any degree of certainty. "

David Laurie wrote on Nov 20, 2006 1:21 AM:

" As a Catholic, a naturist, and an environmentally aware soul, I find that artcle too be ignorant and obnoxious in the extreme... Call her a 'Journalist' ? What a sick joke. Ignoramus, more likely.. I have to side with the Wiccans and other Pagans on this one. This sort of superstitious, misinformed, and probably largely self-created crap is the type of rubbish that turns most rartional and reasonable against the fundamentalist fringes of all religions. What an idiot that writer is. "

Ugh...not other one of these fools again. wrote on Nov 19, 2006 11:40 PM:

" It's people like Ms. Judy Ducayne that reinforce the fact that we should all be educated as to others belief systems and, yes, even respectful of them. In Leviticus, it does tell us to murder witches, yet Jesus spoke about something much different in the latter half of the Bible. Perhaps Ms. Judy Ducayne hasn't read past the Old Testament quite yet. Words like "love thy neighbor" can be hard to understand. "

Tom Swiss wrote on Nov 19, 2006 10:26 PM:

" What a stunning and shameful display of ignorance. Ms. Ducayne, I've very sorry that you've been exposed to such lies and mis-information about Wicca. However, as a journalist, you do have a professional responsibility to get your facts straight, and not rely on twisted rumors and hearsay. May I suggest that you 1) quit this writing job that you are obviously unsuited before (before you are fired), and 2) cure your ignorance by reading a good book about the Pagan movement, such as "Drawing Down the Moon" by Margot Adler? "

karl logan wrote on Nov 19, 2006 10:24 PM:

" ...just a little note to all the curious out there on the side of the pagans(you KNOW that includes me!!! There's a book i just finished reading called "Caesar's Messiah" by Joseph Atwill that, in my estimation (having done extensive research and reading on this specific subject) proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ was invented by the Romans;specifically by Titus Flavian as a way to replace the anticipated militaristic messiah with a peaceful and benign figure who would gradually subvert and replace the militant Judaism which was so troublesome at the time. This is also why the New Testament contains so much anti-Semitism; to punish and destroy those radical elements(like Judy? :) )within ancient Judaism by inventing a new religion that blamed the old for "killing" it's "savior".It's a absolutely fascinating thesis and at one point the author uses the laws of statistical probabilities to compute the odds of his evidence being wrong--- and he comes up with a percentage IN FAVOR of his conclusions that are BETTER THAN THE DNA STANDARDS CURRENTLY USED IN A COURT OF LAW !!!!!It's a "must-read" for those who want to arm themselves with the awesome power of Knowledge to repudiate ignorant fanatics like Judy Ducayne.Or to confirm for yourself that there is no historical evidence whatsoever for the messiah of the religion which throughout history has been Paganism's greatest persecutor...P.S.Jerry Morgan,you sound like a pathetic soul forever trapped in the anger and humiliation of being abused and ridiculed in the schoolyard,continuously trying to purge your insecurities with ridiculous statements about your God having a bigger "G" than a pagan "god".I thank "myself" that I'm not an acolyte of whatever "God" you think sanctions and blesses your pathetic utterances.Grow up!! "

Proud Pagan Priestess wrote on Nov 19, 2006 10:18 PM:

" I really dont have anything to say about Ms. Ducayne's article as all my fellow pagans/readers/supporters have said it all. I just wanted to say that I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in my chosen path in reading the number of passionate responses to the ill-written article. This paper is from a small town in upstate NY and it proved that we Pagans/Wiccans are everwhere and are not to be put down or back into the proverbial "broom-closet". I applaud you my fellow spiritual brothers and sisters. Blessed Be. "

For your Freedom wrote on Nov 19, 2006 5:21 PM:

" My husband is a Wiccan and he is over in Iraq right now fighting for your freedom to offend his religion. "

You Have Issues wrote on Nov 19, 2006 4:49 PM:

" I think you need to find the real story before you post something like this ever again. "Wiccan is an ancient practice, a gentle, earth-oriented religion that seeks truth and understanding, and a way of life meant to affect inner change. Yes it's a freamework for using magickal powers. It also involves worshipping ancient Pagan deities and it recongnizes the duality of the divine as one force that incorporates male and female, both God and Goddess. It also encourages respect for nature, stresses concern for the planet and acknowledges that the life force so be reverenced in all things as well" This does not in anyway make us devil worshipers. I'd love for you to know this. I am only 17 years old. I have been studying wicca for over a year now. This is a complete insult to us all. I think you need the prayers not us. ~*~missa ann~*~ "

ellen wrote on Nov 19, 2006 12:50 PM:

" aren't you afraid we are going to curse you Judy? That we will make your readership fall off and your job go bye bye? Oh WAIT?? you did that yourself.... shame on the citizen for paying for bigotry and hate!!! I'll never pick up that paper again! Ill get Syracuses paper, or Rochesters... "

Preston Wilson wrote on Nov 19, 2006 9:53 AM:

" I am proud of my fellow Auburnians in doing through writing what they did physically in running the neo-nazis out of town some years back. There comes a point, as happened with Joe McCarthy, when the people, recognizing a threat to sacred principles of their culture, collectively respond with, "Have you no shame?" In a strange way, Ms. Ducayne's attacks bring us closer together and make us proud to hold hands with our neighbors and say,"Enough"! "

Read The Fine Print wrote on Nov 19, 2006 9:15 AM:

" If Judge Judy had submitted her opinion here, I wonder how much would have made it through the libel-filter that they mention? Fascinating that she was likely paid for her work by this publication, yet those who respond online may not spread libel or break the Code of Conduct for The Citizen. What exactly is the Code of Conduct at The Citizen? Here's what is says at the bottom of this form: Auburnpub.com encourages readers to offer opinions on our local stories. We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. For this reason, comments are first reviewed and may not be posted immediately, especially during overnight hours. No comment may contain: Potentially libelous statements. Obscene, explicit, or racist language. Personal attacks, insults, or threats. Commercial products or promotions The opinions above are from readers of auburnpub.com and in no way represent the views of The Citizen or Lee Enterprises "

Rev. Wall, DM wrote on Nov 19, 2006 2:41 AM:

" As I am sure all of you good Christians and well read Pagans know, Jesus was an initiated and trained Druid! He was sentenced and put to death on a Cross (Crucifixion for those not in "the know")for being a "witch". And for all of you fluff bunnies out there, according to Christianity you DO worship Lucifer, as He was given dominion over the Earth (by God) not over Hell. By the way, read Dante's Inferno for the proper modern version of the underworld, a piece of fiction I believe. "

Doragon Reklaw wrote on Nov 19, 2006 1:17 AM:

" I would argue with Ms. Ducayne... but I have learned that you cannot win an argument with an ignorant person. Partly because they are too close minded to listen, but more because they do not truly know enough to know when they lose the argument. "

Miriah Bruce wrote on Nov 18, 2006 11:45 PM:

" I'm extremely happy that I don't live in the area that this paper is published in. This article was a crock of BS. "

Sharon wrote on Nov 18, 2006 9:17 PM:

" Very offensive publicity stunt, Ms. DuCayne ... and shame on your editor for endorsing it. "

Rev Deborah Thomas (UCC) wrote on Nov 18, 2006 5:25 PM:

" I can honestly say that.. I am embarrassed ,ashamed and mortified of a this so called fellow Christian… Thank God and Your Goddess too that all of us do NOT believe as she does.. She is narrow minded and self-serving and I think she is trying to get a name for herself by hurting others with out have the facts on a subject and people (GOOD People I will ad) that she knows nothing about "

Food for thought wrote on Nov 18, 2006 2:17 PM:

" I'm thinking that we (as people of an alternativre belief system) are assuming that Ms.Ducayne is a Christian. She never once said in her article that she is, in fact she never mention what religious belief she follows. So, in saying this, maybe she is assuming that all Christians believe what she wrote. Obviously she didn't do much investigating when she wrote about wiccans/pagans, why would you all assume that she would investigate (in full) the Christian belief? You are all giving her way toooo much power here. I'm asking my self...why is she still in all of your thought, manifesting negativity? Just food for thought.... "

Dave Drinnan wrote on Nov 18, 2006 1:24 PM:

" It's the paper's right to publish peoples' views, however far-fetched or prejudiced, ignorant, or one-sided they may be. After all, it's America, and we have the right to free speech. And this writer's article is all of these... with ignorance taking the lead. She lives a life with an obvious one-sided view that there is no other way than the Christian way. She makes several references to Satan and his influence and his dangers... forgetting that there are other belief systems, and the vast majority of the world does not believe that Satan exists. That doesn't make them wrong, simply because SHE (and a minority) believe he exists; it just simply means they have different opinions and beliefs. She says "Can strange things happen which cannot be explained by the physical scientific world? You bet they can. Demons are quite real." So therefore, we are to believe that anything Science cannot explain is the work of demons?! This is quite laughable. Even moreso, when you think of the modern day bible thumpers that claim that science is wrong when it comes to evolution. She also says "However, religion is a virtue by which we worship and adore the One Supreme Being." Well, there's another statement showing ignorance... or refusal to accept that her reality is not the only reality. That's more the definition of Christianity, than of "religion". There are many religions (some of them FAR pre-dating Christianity) that recognize multiple gods and goddesses. And in closing, I'll just add that I know many wiccans myself, and for the most part, they're all wonderful people... and live lives as good as any Christian could strive to live. "

Tom Wiggins wrote on Nov 18, 2006 11:53 AM:

" The Citizen has succeeded in sacrificing editorial integrity and responsibility on the altar of sensationalism. The decision to print a malicious attack by a predatory columnist upon members of a minority religion was, at the very least, reprehensible. The motives for this decision must be questioned. Perhaps the Citizen views controversy as a means to increase its revenue. Ethics, morality, and reputation are simply impediments to business success. In choosing this course, the Citizen risks alienating readers of conscience and businesses who prefer to advertise in respectable publications. The temptation by the paper, or the columnist, in the forthcoming week to invoke their Constitutional rights as an exit-strategy would be an insult to the concept of decency. The right, proper, and moral course of action would be an apologetic retraction and compensation for any injuries incurred to the reputations of the two women named. "

miaka wrote on Nov 18, 2006 11:02 AM:

" I have been wiccan for over a decade, and never have i heard any mention of this satan. I would think this newspaper should issue a public apoligy to all the people it has offended. How are you any different from Muslim extremists to incite people to blow things up?/ That is all you are doing, is trying to get people worked up, by spreading lies! And not only should hte author of this article apoligize but so should her editor, and the newspaper for allowing such lies to be printed! "

Annoyed wrote on Nov 18, 2006 10:53 AM:

" Who is the bigger fool...her for writing this or everyone who posted here for taking her seriously? "

Agnostic in PA: wrote on Nov 18, 2006 10:51 AM:

" Proverbs 12:18 Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal. Proverbs: 12:16 When a fool is annoys, he quickly lets it be known. Smart people will ignore an insult. Proverbs 14:3 A fool's pride makes him talk too much; a wise man's words protect him. Proverbs 16:5 The Lord hates everyone who is arrogant; he will never let them escape punishment. Proverbs 16:28 Gossip is spread by wicked people; they stir up trouble and break up friendships. And finally: Proverbs 26:3 You have to whip a horse, you have to bridle a donkey, and you have to beat a fool. I have been Methodist, fundamentalist, Wiccan, pagan and now I am agnostic. Mostly because while I believe in the God and Goddess, I find that religion is more harmful than helpful. Judy's attempt at 'warning' others (at least that is what I am assuming she is doing) is as mean and spiteful as anything that Jack Chick (http://www.chick.com/default.asp) or Fred Phelps (http://www.godhatesfags.com/) has come up with. She has the right to think what she want, to say what she want, and believe what she wants. I was in the US Army to defend that right. I have the right to disagree with everything she says. And, I do. I also agree with what several of the other people have mentioned: you are not doing the Wiccans/Pagans any help by lambasting her. Cursing at her and speaking badly of her only puts you at her level. She knew what she was doing before this was even published. The editors knew what they were doing when they published it. This is just as much pulp trash as any tabloid, give it the same respect. "

born , raised and will die a pagan wrote on Nov 18, 2006 9:51 AM:

" Wow, I am amazed that person that is suppose to be so educated as you are, is so stupid!!! Pagons in your book must all be satan worshipers. I am one have been one my whole life, Born raised and raised my children as ones also. Yes right here In auburn new york I raised theese children, who went on in life to hold great jobs and contribute to your community. One is in law inforcment the other in law school and the third in high school. My mother was a witch my grandmother my great grandmother, and so forth and so on. My family came from Ireland. Witch means healer moron. Witches were the first healers. Yes they worshiped idols. Don't catholics? they have saints they pray to, Those could be considered idols. It was easy to convert pagans to christ. because they were offered what they had already A virgan mary? they had a goddess/ saints/ and lest not forget hmm soltice / christmas/ spring equonx/easter all hallows eve/ all saints day... so forth and so on. Most of these so called converts never really converted they just practied the craft in private. Wicca is a religion the federal goverment recg. it in 1982 and then allowwed gi's to put it on thier dog tags as relgion. Btw untill 1978 it was still illeagal in the untied states to practice witch craft. Must be your a left over uniformed moron . I do not worship Satan. I have never worshiped satan! I don't steal children in the night. I don't kill little animals or do scarifices. There is a big differance between Satan worshipers and white witches. You would be surprised to find out how many witches there are in cayuga county allot them do not publiclly admit to it because of people like you. So the next time you are in the E.r sick or at the grocery store checking out. or getting gas, or just walking down the street you can wonder wow that nice dr who just treated me who would of known so forth and so / no one would known because people like you would run them out this town with your ingnorance "

Proud Pagan Veteran and Child of the Land of Nod wrote on Nov 18, 2006 9:07 AM:

" Now, let me start with this. Doesn't YOUR bible--by which I mean the current misprinting in a long line of misprintings from misprintings from other misprintings from other misprintings, ad nauseum--state, "Judge not, lest thee be judged thyself?" I see a lot of judgement of other human beings in your article; this tells me that your God and his earthly son will be judging you and finding your soul wanting. I can only hope that you will open your eyes and your mind and find compassion for your fellow humans before your judgement day, else Mr. Jesus Christ may just rescind the offer he gave to the rest of his followers and say with tears in his eyes, "Father, I may have died for all their sins; but not hers, for she and her kind of Christians are the true manifestation of Evil on Earth." "

You Are Dumb wrote on Nov 18, 2006 1:51 AM:

" guess what you are? DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB "

You Suck wrote on Nov 18, 2006 1:47 AM:

" Bassically i think that u made up all of your info and you have prejudged what wiccans are and you a idiot, i hope that u are aware of how many people you offended, you suck "

Jeff wrote on Nov 18, 2006 1:43 AM:

" This is the sole most offensive thing that has ever crossed my path...the title of the column is enough to put my mind in a knot..this women if that is what you would call her is completely and utterly pathetic "

Nicole Chardenet wrote on Nov 18, 2006 12:46 AM:

" Good to see that in "the land of the free, the home of the brave," even the most ignorant, uninformed and superstitious dunderhead can have their say in public. Read a science book, lady, I've been a practicing Pagan for sixteen years and I have yet to raise a demon. What use would I have for Satan anyway? He's a Christian invention, not a Pagan one. I wonder What Would Jesus Post? Probably a blistering response to Ms. Ducayne as well, who may well not be nearly as Christian as she thinks she is. She certainly doesn't write like a real one. Go back and read the Gospels lady, Jesus *stood up* for a pagan Roman soldier, did you know that? "

Magick Mark wrote on Nov 17, 2006 9:43 PM:

" Another article by an ignorant, uninformed, person who completely lacks any real understanding of the subject she writes about. Everything I read was just plain false. "

LEV wrote on Nov 17, 2006 9:29 PM:

" I would like Ms. DuCayne to ponder the following before she writes, and The Citizen prints, such a closed minded, irresponsibel article. We teach are children to be respectful, accepting, tolerant,in schools. This article was the epitomy of the schoolyard bully rallying her cronies to pick on those 'different' from them. I found this a while back and found it to really make you think. It wwas written to Dr. Laura Schlesinger in response to a show on homosexuality and how in homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 . Dear Dr. Laura, Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them: When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9, The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them? I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness – Lev.15:19-24, the problem is, How do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense. Lev.25:44 sates that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians? I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself? A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination – Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this? Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here? Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die? I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves? My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? – Lev. 24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14) I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging. Your devoted fan, Jim "

Lisa wrote on Nov 17, 2006 9:21 PM:

" This article was the most boring piece I have ever read. Not only did she basically lie about another religion... it's the same lie that has been told over and over again... at least when you lie, give us new material. -Military Pagan "

A wiccan priestess wrote on Nov 17, 2006 9:08 PM:

" Judy Love, the quote about 'do what thou will' from Crowley, actually is from the teachings of St Augustine. The problem with christians such as yourself is that not only are they completely ignorent about the faith of others, they are also often very ignorent about their own.In my experience the avarage Pagan can teach the avarage christian way more about christianity that a christian could ever teach a pagan! I advise Judy to get some psychotherapy, religious extreemism is a classic sign of a schizm taking place in the psyche. "

trisha and james good wrote on Nov 17, 2006 9:00 PM:

" No wonder hatred still runs rampant in this day and age.You made an assumption that a religion is all about one thing when you obviously know nothing about it. I have known more people of other religions who have harmed more people with their prejudicial thinking than any i have ever known in the earth based religions. So if you were a good columnist you should have done your research with several different sorces to compare the information you were getting. Then once you had accurate information you could have made a more informative decision. All you have accomplished in doing is creating a hatred for people of earth based religioins without giving them a chance.I feel so very sorry for you.THat you are that shallow that you could believe a fairy tale version of the truth and not really check into the truth about the wiccan and pagan religions. and if you are christian then you have just then you should be aware that it is unchristisanlike to judge people before knowing them.and that is exactly what you yourself have done.You have prejudged a whole group of people without knowing all the facts. Yes granted there are some people as there are in any other religion or faith that do things that are not of the norm.Those are the ones who make everyone else look at that religion and shake their heads and condemmn the whole religion for the acts of a few. I feel sorry for you and your readers if you are that shallow and you believe that all wiccans and pagans are bad and into satanismm. satanism is a belief all on its own. Not all wiccans are witches,granted there are witches that are wiccan.But being one does not mandate that you are the other. Learn how to get reliable sorces of information before you open your notepad and spread untruths again. Oh yeah and it you happen to be of the christian faith did you not know it is unchristian like to spread lies about another. Hope you learn to discern the truth a little better next timem. trisha and james good kentucky "

Madame Chaos wrote on Nov 17, 2006 8:56 PM:

" What an ignorant crock of drivel. You no not of what you are speaking! Grow up and read a book, you ignorant, self-absorbed, intolerant, uninformed waste of skin. "

Serenity, Buffalo/Niagara Pagan wrote on Nov 17, 2006 8:23 PM:

" Oh my Goddess… I can’t believe what I just read... I had to read it twice just to make sure what I was reading was real… it is so very heartbreaking that this woman lives in such ignorance , trepidation. & plain fear... We do NOT… repeat NOT worship Satan and his demons... Fact be told we don’t even believe he even exists…Satan is a Christian belief. and why do you insist on pushing it into other religions… For many a millennium nature worshipping people, Pagans included have used the Pentacle as a form of protection as it is to represent the five elements - Air and Fire, Water and Earth and Spirit, with the top of the star representing Spirit and all others corresponding to their true direction… They are all interconnected and kept in balance by the circle… We do however live along with nature inn an eco-friendly (meaning we care about everything within our world) & honor all the interconnections between all living creatures. Our Alter… is a table that is sacred and all items on it is for honoring the divine, at times there may be incense, candle, chalice of water and bowl of ice, and crystal.. Some use an athame and or a wand but in no way is there anything evil... I really cant believe that the Editors would not allow such an uninformed article to be published… We should demand an immediate retraction Oh one more thing There's only one rule we do follow ~ “ Do What Thou Wilt An It Harm None” Light and Love, Serenity Buffalo/Niagara Pagan "

Ann Cash wrote on Nov 17, 2006 7:57 PM:

" I'm a veteran law enforcement officer with nearly 30 years of service to my community. I also do a good deal of community oriented work to improve the quality of life for less fortunate members of society. I have a wonderful, close and loving family life, and I'm a productive, contributing member of society. I am also Wiccan, and have been for many years. Though I expect to run up against people who don't know about Wicca, or really understand what alternative religions are all about, I'm still amazed that people of Judy's level of ignorance still exist in this country. Here, she had the perfect opportunity to shed light on a beautiful, loving religion, yet she chose to spread lies and gross inaccuracies. She had the opportunity to open the door to better understanding between Christians and non-Christians, but she chose to slam the door, and pull down the blinds. Instead of helping to educate, she took it upon herself to spread her ignorant hate. Her lack of insight, and obvious desire to remain uninformed is her choice. However, she should not be allowed to predjudice others with her narrow-minded views. This "article" reminded me of something I might see in a middle school newspaper, in the editorial section. It had that untrained feel to it. I don't know who is more at fault for this rag, Judy for writing such uneducated filth, or The Citizen for not tossing this waste of space in the trash. I could almost understand allowing this horror to be published, if Judy had at least researched her material, and written from an informed standpoint. However, this article was nothing more than her hate and fear filled opinions of a religion that she has no working knowledge of. I am opening Pagan, and have many Christian friends, coworkers, and associates. All of them know and accept that my Path is different from theirs. They don't fear alternative religions, because they have actually bothered to learn about them. They know that Wiccans are as far from evil "demon worshippers" as Jesus and his followers were. Remember, 13 is the ideal number of members to make up a coven. Counting Jesus and his 12 disciples, doesn't that make 13? Since we are a new, alternative religion, we are often referred to as a "cult". Throughout history, any new religion was first looked upon in the same light. Jesus was a "cult" leader in his time. And look where that's lead. My advice to Judy is to open your eyes, and take another look around you. Melt the ice from around your heart, and try to walk the walk, instead of just talking the talk. Your Jesus preached love, tolerance, understanding and acceptance. If he could do it, what's stopping you? As for The Citizen, you will attract trained, educated, and qualified writers if you raise their salary. Given the way this article was written, you obviously aren't trying to improve sales, or your standing in the community. "

Susan wrote on Nov 17, 2006 7:42 PM:

" Wicca/Paganism is an earth-based religion with gentle, peace loving people who don't even believe in Satan or "the devil." Satan is a Christian concept, not a Wiccan one. "

Mike wrote on Nov 17, 2006 7:23 PM:

" You are truly ignorant and uneducated. Just the person to preach a holier-than-thou attitude in the name of Christ. "

Rev. Wayne L. Chonicki, Ph.D.e wrote on Nov 17, 2006 6:29 PM:

" While I support author's right to free speech, I cannot condone her blinding ignorance of the facts and her bigotry. I had been born & raised Roman Catholic and for a time was even a Laity consultant to Mount Mercy Catholic College (now Carlow College) in Pgh., Pa. onthe topics of magic, witchcraft and TRUE Satanism. The world has enough true 'boogiemen' without manufacturing windmills to tilt at. Albeit, the windmills don't strap bombs on themselves and wade into innocent women and children spouting THEIR version of extremist fundamentalism before yelling "God is great" and detonating themselves. I would ask the author, since she fancies herself such a good and pious person...if ever in the TRUE Christian sense of Love and Spiritual Works of Mercy... "Has she EVER considered praying to either Jesus or Jehovah for the eventual reconcilliation between God the Creator... and the FORMER Archangel 'Lucifer'? So often Fundamentalists forget that the God Who made all Creation... ALSO made 'Lucifer'. And... if indeed the Creator is both all powerful and infallible...it is IMPOSSIBLE for God not to have FORSEEN what we today see as Lucifer's character flaw. Since God does not make 'junk'...there be method in God's "madness"~ And... lest we lose sight of the BIG picture... when all time comes to an end ask oneself: "To Whom do 'all the toys' belong in the first place?" (in the beginning there was but God and God's Spirit moved upon the darkness...) The outcome is already a foregone conclusion. Why would ANY thinking person back someone who owns NOTHING of their own? "

Jim Ziegler wrote on Nov 17, 2006 6:12 PM:

" Is this a joke? This may be the most obtuse, hyperbolic piece of hateful filth I've ever seen in a publication. What kind of paper is this, anyway? The author's ignorance is matched only by her intolerant presumptuousness. What responsible editor would allow this demonic bigotry pass for responsible journalism? You people really need help. Possibly prescription medications, too. "

Rev Amy Sampsell wrote on Nov 17, 2006 5:53 PM:

" I am simply disgusted !!! How can a paper allow such hate to be printed? Has anyone ever heard of Religious Tolerance? Obviously not I say !! The freedom of speech act is out there, yes, but it is not there to be abused as badly as it has been by this hate-filled woman. I feel that since this piece has been allowed to be printed, I, and many of my friends and congrgation members, have since decided to longer subscribe to a paper that allows this type of treatment of various religions. One must remember, Wicca, like many other alternative religions are accepted by the judical system as legal religions. I believe that the editor really must let this woman leave due to the amount of ignorance and hate that she has generated. And to Judy Ducayne, please, I urge you to seek professional assistance for your lack of compassion, grace, intelligence and last but not by far least, your hate at something that you do not wish to understand or take the time to actually learn about. After all, journalists are 'supposed' to give un-biased truths... and allow the readers to form their own opinions when the complete facts are given. Do keep that in mind please. And also, fire that woman as far away from this paper as you can before she poisons more people with this trash.....what a shame. "

Simon (UK) wrote on Nov 17, 2006 5:35 PM:

" Although I am not a witch, I am tempted to turn to the Wiccan faith solely to spit into the eye of this columnist. The Evil of Bigotry lies deep in her heart contrary to the tenets of her faith. "

Jennifer wrote on Nov 17, 2006 5:09 PM:

" Judy, Your article was biased and unresearched. I am all for freedom of speach, however, as a professionial journalist you are representing the paper and have a resposibility to be fair and present both sides of the story. I do not think you should be fired for your opinions, but I do think you owe an appology and a retraction of the article. "

Jay Ritchie wrote on Nov 17, 2006 4:58 PM:

" My only questions; What happened to balanced reporting? What happened to basic research for an article? What was the editor thinking? "

Time to resign! wrote on Nov 17, 2006 4:55 PM:

" There is nothing to say, but WOW. Actually, I do have this to add to the fray: With any freedom comes responsibility, freedom of speech is not exception. Judy, your opinion piece was based upon your limited knowledge of the subject material and should never have been published. You have the responsibility to investigate before you site your opinion. Do you think that the Auburn citizen editors “shoot from the hip”? You should accept responsibility for your actions and rightfully resign. If you don’t resign or refuse, I urge Auburn citizens to start a petition to remove you from your bully pulpit. This isn’t the first time you have written an uneducated piece, but it should be the last. "

Boston wrote on Nov 17, 2006 4:49 PM:

" I think this "devote Christian" is angry with witches/wiccans because they have no spell to cure her closted homosexual angst she normally deals with by spewing venom about the gay community. Her and Ted Haggard should keep searching for that special spell.. "

Daniel Kestral wrote on Nov 17, 2006 3:58 PM:

" Traditionally, Wicca is an Initiatory Mystery Religion of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. There are no demons, no devils, or diabolical practices. One thing I cannot stand is how someone can continually lie about my chosen Path. We worship/honor/revere pre-Christian Gods and Goddesses. Whatever you may believe, please donnot impose your own dogma on a Path that doesn't recognize or give any validity whatsoever to the concept of hell and the devil. I honor complimentary opposites, not adversarial ones found in the middle-eastern desert religious traditions. "

robert in Rochester wrote on Nov 17, 2006 2:42 PM:

" as a devout Christian, I practice the " what would Jesus do" principle. He certainly would NOT so hatefully attack another religion.Will she now go after the Jews, Islamic followers, Brunettes, people who have freckles? come on this is soooo hateful and cruel, please fire her. get a Journalist in here, a real one. Hey the 11 year old that wrote had better people skills then Judy, why not offer HER the job instead..... "

jo wrote on Nov 17, 2006 2:38 PM:

" Im appalled that this "Christian" has forgotted what she was taught about love and compassion... do unto others rings a bell? Jesus never put others down and he certainly wouldnt attack someone in such a vicious way.... Please cease publishing her.... "

Holly wrote on Nov 17, 2006 2:17 PM:

" It is a shame that Judy is so ill-researched that she leads others to believe that ALL Christians are as misinformed. As a Pagan, I am saddened that you would represent yourself (and your religion for that matter) in such a way. There is enough ignorance in the world. I have many Christian friends who have studied other religions so as NOT to preemptively judge another person. Love thy neighbor, respect other beliefs, and for goodness' sake- read a book. "

This is the Worst Yet wrote on Nov 17, 2006 2:08 PM:

" Worse than the tattoo piece (though not by Judy), worse than the gay marriage rant. Who gets picked on next and when will this community demand that OUR newspaper stop bashing fellow members of this community? I for one am getting off my butt after 20 years of living in Auburn and getting my family out of here and into a community with a wee bit more tolerance - which shouldn't be too difficult to do. "

??? wrote on Nov 17, 2006 1:14 PM:

" First let me say that I am shocked that a newspaper, an organization that is supposed to have facts would publish something like this. This is nothing but one person spewing their hatred out on people and showing that their mind is closed and that they are happy with their ignorance. As a wiccan I can say that we are peaceful, and we do not summon demons to reak destruction or anything like that.We worship nature and recognize the divine in everything around us. I kindly ask that the Editors make sure their reporters do research before publishing an article. I also advise Judy to get a job at a tabloid. The pentagram also happens to have been a christian symbol at one time, representing the 5 wounds of jesus. Also Wicca is a religion where as witches are practitioners of witchcraft. ~Blessed Be p.s.-about some of the earlier posters, wicca isnt hundreds of years old, created in the 50's by Gardner. "

L.S wrote on Nov 17, 2006 1:08 PM:

" You know publishing something like this is ignorant! Obviously this lady knows little to nothing about the craft nor Wicca. I would think that a paper would at least research the material before allowing it to be printed! You have just opened your self up for lawsuits against you and the lady! "

An Enraged Christian wrote on Nov 17, 2006 12:01 PM:

" How ridiculous. Judy, how dare you perpetuate the ignorance of our religion? I am canceling my subscription as of today. "

SeaRaven wrote on Nov 17, 2006 11:59 AM:

" HOW can a "newspaper" publish this sort of inflammatory drivel? Does no one do RESEARCH anymore??? My goodness, Ms. Ducayne, are you living in THIS century? Would you say such things about OTHER non-Christian people? It's individuals like Ms. Ducayne who perpetuate prejudice and injustice in the world today. "

SOD wrote on Nov 17, 2006 11:55 AM:

" “Satan and his demons who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.” Judy it must be nice to be that out of touch with reality, do you play dungeons and dragons or something? I thought that went out in the 80’s with mullets and hair metal. "

L Perez wrote on Nov 17, 2006 11:36 AM:

" As I read this article, I must wonder if you even bothered to research the religion which you so villainously persecuted. I also must wonder how insecure you are in your own faith that you would seek to shake the faith or others. You have based your entire article on one aspect of Wicca, and that aspect has been so sorely represented and skewed that it is hardly recognizable to one who practices the faith. Before I go, I would also urge you to look up the definition of "religion". Christians do NOT have a monopoly on the word or the institution. "

Calling all Clergy wrote on Nov 17, 2006 11:00 AM:

" I hope that our local clergymen/women of all denominations will use Ms. Ducayne's column in services to reinforce the universal idea of human compassion, goodwill and tolerance - particularly with the holiday season rapidly approaching. A way perhaps to to take some of the sting from her hateful words. "

GenerationHex wrote on Nov 17, 2006 10:59 AM:

" No comment may contain: Potentially libelous statements. But they put it in their papers? Am I missing something? How did this woman even get published? There must be something seriously wrong with The Citizen ig they're printing and selling slanderous proppaganda. "

Myrydhn wrote on Nov 17, 2006 10:43 AM:

" Perhaps you'd be more comfortable living in Alabama. If I had a time machine, I'd lend it to you so you could also go back in time a few hundred years. That would also make you more comfortable, I'm sure. Who knows? Maybe you could participate in a lynch mob or burn someone at the stake. Wouldn't that make you happy you closed minded bafoon? "

LAB wrote on Nov 17, 2006 10:19 AM:

" If this article was written about another faith there would be a great up roar. Judy Ducayne is very ignorant and clearly does not know about the roots of Wicca. If she would read a history book she would understand that the roots of Wicca go back before Christianity and it was re-established in the 60’s and 70’s by various practitioners. Ms. Ducayne you should read some history books and become more informed about the subjects that you write about in the newspaper before they go to print. I am really embarrassed for you because your article displays your level of ignorance and lack of knowledge. As for the Auburn newspaper, The Citizen, would they run such an article if it was about Judaism or Islam? Lastly, satan is a Christian God. Wiccans do not believe in the devil or satan. "

Rev. Sandy Caswell wrote on Nov 17, 2006 10:15 AM:

" Oh, dear, how very sad that this woman lives in such ignorance and fear. I must address this article point by point, but before I do, please understand that we should be gentle with her as clearly, she has lost the power to entertain an independent, rational thought. “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” One could also ask, "Are you a good Christian or a bad Christian?" One would suppose a GOOD _____ would strive to build bridges rather than divisions, endeavoring to heal rather than wound and to soothe rather than scare. One would also assume that a GOOD _____ would use documentable FACTS in an arguement. "It appears that the biggest thing that witches do is supposedly communicate with the dead." No, I'd say the BIGGEST thing we do is live closely with nature in an eco-friendly and responsible manner, honoring the interconnection between all living creatures. I wonder, Judy, what is the biggest thing YOU do? "This is nothing more than satanism and demonism." Nope. Satan comes from Christian stories. We don't believe in a Spirit of unrelenting evil whose fondest desire is to seduce us away from good. "The Wiccan rituals include a pentagram (a satanic symbol) and an altar." Oops... wrong again. For millennia, nature worshipping people have used the pentacle to represent the five elements - air and fire, water and earth and spirit, all interconnected and kept in balance by the circle. We wear this as a symbol of balance and protection much the same way Christians wear the image of a saint. "An altar is ...a surface used to offer a sacrifice in the praise and worship of the one, true God. Or it can be perverted in the worship of false gods and demons." Oh, please... an altar is a table on which one rests sacred items for honoring the divine, They may be a Pagan's incense, candle, bowl of water and crystal or a Catholic's censor of incense, crucifix candle and sacramental wafers. "Communicating with the spirits of our ancestors is nothing more than aligning ourself with hell." Why? Are your ancestors in hell? I can confidently say, mine are not. "Can strange things happen which cannot be explained by the physical scientific world? You bet they can." Absolutely. The power of prayer, for one. How scarey is that? "St. Paul said “we don't fight against flesh and blood but against the powers and principalities of the air.” Air... as in non-tangibles like ideas and opinions contrary to our own. "Once you open yourself to their diabolical influence they can plague you for the rest of your life. Their goal is your eternal destruction." and you know this how? "...religion is a virtue by which we worship and adore the One Supreme Being." Check any dictionary and it will tell you that religion is the format by which any person or group of persons express their spiritual beliefs. Girl, have you read ANYTHING besides the Bible? "Townsend was quoted as saying, “There's only one rule - do what thou wilt and harm none. This is a variation on “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” which was coined by Aleister Crowley, " Could be. It could also be a variation on "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" which was coined by Jesus of Nazareth. "So say a prayer for these people that the evil grip will no longer hold them hostage and they will turn their lives over to the one true God." So say a pray for the people that are so closed minded and fearful that they cannot even consider the possibility that an idea other than their own might have merit and say a pray for those who live in fear. Be the Light - Rev. Sandy Caswell Lady of Willow Grove Look to the Heavens * Honor the Earth * Celebrate Life "

Rhiannon wrote on Nov 17, 2006 4:11 AM:

" It really saddens me to read articles like this. I'm a respectable member of my community, a responsible teacher and a loving daughter, sister and friend. And yes, I have been a Wiccan for years. It is a real paranoia to think that people call demons "whether they know it or not" though it is not the first time I hear such nonsense. It all arises from the ideology that is doing the world so much harm-I am right, you are wrong, you are evil. Ms Ducayne, you just added your bit to a mountain of destructive hate. Congratulations. "

A.Lizard wrote on Nov 17, 2006 2:01 AM:

" If the intent of the editors of "The Citizen" is to persuade people who live outside your community that Auburn, NY is filled with hateful, ignorant rednecks, and that intelligent, educated professionals, and corporations that don't restrict their hiring to members of the extremist Religious Right are not welcome, you have succeeded beyond your wildest dreams. A town where religious crazies of the sort who the American people rejected in last Tuesday's midterm elections are given newspaper space instead of professional help ... I guess that says it, doesn't it? Enjoy your blissful ignorance, and the sooner your local economy tanks, the better. "

Miss Myra wrote on Nov 17, 2006 1:37 AM:

" This "Reporter" may consider writing childrens books. Not much research needed there. If in fact she wished to indulge in the subject at hand, perhaps she should consider interviewing more than two subjects. Our religion is not just a salad to be tossed together, it is in fact true love, and acceptance of ALL people and beliefs. "

Chris of California St wrote on Nov 16, 2006 11:01 PM:

" In regards to many of the comments I have seen posted. We must remember, regardless of the columnist's rhetoric, that we must try to remain objective in the regard that we should not be launching an attack on Christianity or other faiths, but of honest criticism of (in my opinion) an ignorant, close-minded, ill informed and unresearched (and I use this term very loosely) literary work. --------------- Showing that we are displeased and angry at a person is one thing, But resorting to insults, spite, and hate, makes us no better than the instigators of the Inquisition from 1233 - 1808 or the "select" model citizens of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It is my hope that the love of ourselves and others, and through acceptance of all, regardless of belief, that there is a better way. ---------------- Blessings to all Chris Abel "

Joe Fleming wrote on Nov 16, 2006 10:44 PM:

" My significant other is High Priestess of Sanctuary of the Crescent Moon, another coven in Rochester. I am as appalled as everyone else on this website. Wiccans worship the dieties that are found in all living things. We are polytheistic and practice varied traditions that pre-date Christianity by centuries. We recognize the masculine and feminine aspects of all, including our dieties. We respect all life. we follow the rede of "An it harm none, do as ye will." We also believe in the three-fold law, This states that for anything we do, good or bad, that it will come back to us three times over. We believe in Kharma and reincarnation. We do not worship the god of Christianity. We do not recognise the devil as anything other than one of many things in the Christian religion which are made up. We see the inconsistencies in the bible. We see the narrow minded bigotry professed by people like this woman. I have been in and thru Auburn many times. It is the county seat for Cayuga County, NY This is the same county that openly has demeaning events like DWARF TOSSING in neighborhood taverns. (Yes, it IS exactly what you think!!!) I thank the Goddess daily that for as much as bigots like this try to espouse this drivel, there is a strong enough group of people who are not willing to sit back and let this warped idea of freedom become the way of the land. "

just for thought wrote on Nov 16, 2006 10:36 PM:

" "They say the road to heaven is straight and narrow They say the road to hell is smooth and wide Well, the path I follow is long and winding But it surely leads to the other side" "

This is funny wrote on Nov 16, 2006 10:33 PM:

" All this publicity for the Auburn News paper, just because of an angry old spinster, who can't even do her jb correctly, PEOPLE...she's waaaacked, she wants the attention, that's her job. The paper will gladly pay for the lawyers if they get sued...It's more publicity. The best way to handle this, is just to ignor her, she's a nothing, going no where in the next life! "

El of Greece NY wrote on Nov 16, 2006 10:22 PM:

" First I must say that you as editors, should have reserved the right not to publish Ms. Ducaynes article, as in yor own written words #1: Potentially libelous statements, and #3: Personal attacks, insults, or threats. It seems to me that this woman did do exactly that, and, in my opinion (of course) I feel that she should make a retraction of a good portion of her article which may I add was totally false. If you are going to employ a journalist, you should see to it that said journalist does some investigative work, before they give an opinion on it, otherwise their opinion is void. Also, (in my opinion) she should be made to apologize to the many good hearted people that follow their spiritual path to the fullest, with out doing any kind of sacrifices! The only sacrifice that we may do, is to not think bad thoughts, or put out any negative "vibes" into the universe about people such as Ms. Ducayne. This next portion of my letter is in my own opinion also... I am writing this to you in hopes that you may be able to straighten out a few thoughts about the way certain people perceive what "Christianity" is suppose to be all about. First let me start out by saying that I am NOT perfect, and by no means follow what is suppose to be a “good Christian diet of the soul” but as I observe and listen to what is being said and done by a few of the “saved” people in the "Christian church",pains me to see what is being done by them. I thought (whether you are “saved” or not) you as an individual and a child of the almighty should be as forthright as possible, you should love thy neighbor as you would love thyself, you should NOT pass judgment on ANYONE (the last I heard the only one that should be passing judgment is the one who oversees all that is going on in the kingdom here on earth, unless that has change in the past several hundred years, or the people have changed the way that is suppose to be “perceived” in the bible). Now that I’m on the subject of judgment, I would very much appreciate your ear and understanding in what I am about to say, this is my opinion however and really doesn’t matter if you or anyone else agrees with it, because it is an opinion. I’m not sure where it was or is said that a person who is not “saved” should be condemned by anyone, or judged as a “bad” person, or judged at all for that matter in anything. It seems that there are people of a "certain belief" that think they are above others that are not “saved”, but they themselves do not seem to follow the basic rules of Ten Commandments. Or, maybe it is the “implied” thought of saved people that they do not have to follow the “rules” because they are saved and they will be forgiven if they do wrong? Let me see here if these words are remembered. “Thou shall not bare false witness against thy neighbor”. In my own opinion this to me means (very simply) DO NOT LIE about what your neighbor has done, or said. How many people have done that? For what ever reason…, maybe it’s to take blame off ones own self, or for self gratification? What ever the reason may be IT IS WRONG! If you want holy guidance you must study the word of God and find out what God has to say about life and human experience, so that you can be guided by His Word. Neither my opinion, nor anyone else's opinions are sufficient to solve the problems of humanity. The answers can only be found in God's Word. He is the creator of all things, and He has the answers for His creation. He is the Judge and final authority on every subject. And yes, I am a pagan, and follow my path, in the old way of "The Strega" a mystical art that is handed down from generation to generation. So I will conclude this letter in saying...Blessed be, and may the Goddess be with you. "

PaganVet wrote on Nov 16, 2006 9:37 PM:

" Judy: I served in the military to protect YOUR right to freedom of religion because I respect your right to it. I'm not asking you to share my beliefs, but I am DEMANDING that you at least respect my right to the same. And please at least research your information before before shooting off your mouth and slandering good people. I find it both amusing and sad that beneath the box where I'm posting this that the following appears: No comment may contain: Potentially libelous statements. Obscene, explicit, or racist language. Personal attacks, insults, or threats. Too bad that doesn't apply to the staff of this newspaper as well. I hope both ladies hit them with a nice juicy lawsuit. "

Tom wrote on Nov 16, 2006 8:49 PM:

" Judy Ducayne just proves that even Intelligent people can be twisted by religious fanaticism. "

DiCondito wrote on Nov 16, 2006 8:49 PM: