This is a victory for right leaning Pagans. From the Queens Tribune, which has an obvious anti-Pagan bias:
Dan Halloran, the Republican candidate for City Council facing primary winner Kevin Kim in the 19th District, already has a leadership role in a vast community that very few people know about – or understand.
Halloran is the “First Atheling,” or King, of Normandy, a branch of the Theod faith of pre-Christian Heathen religions assembled in the Greater New York area. A group of dedicated fellow pagans swear their allegiance to him through oaths of fidelity, allowing luck from a series of ancient gods – specifically the “Norse” or “Germanic” gods Odin, Tyr and Freyr – to pass through the King to his kinsmen.
“It is our hope to reconstruct the pre-Christian religion of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European peoples, within a cultural framework and community environment,” Halloran – who in many circumstances surrounding his religion goes by his ancestral name O’Halloran – wrote on his tribe’s Web site.
“We believe in and honor the Gods and Goddesses of the North, spirits of the land, and the memories of our ancestors,” he wrote.
Within minutes of speaking with the Tribune Wednesday, Halloran’s site was listed as “under construction.”
When asked Wednesday about his faith, Halloran was uneasy. “I am not comfortable with injecting my religion into my politics,” he said. “I grew up born and raised Roman Catholic. I went to Jesuit schools. Most of my life has been in traditional Irish household.”
He added, “I don’t think any of this is really relevant to the City Council race. It’s like talking about what church you pray at. That you understand the divine is the most important part.”
Theodism relies upon an interlocking ring of honor, wisdom and generosity to motivate the individual members to achieve a spiritual evolution. “Any earthly life that a man doesn’t die out of as a better and worthier man than he was born into it is seen, in these terms, as a wasted life, ultimately bound for Hel [sic] after death,” Halloran wrote on his Web site. He also is listed on at least one Web site as a “Pagan Attorney” and served as legal counsel and incorporating attorney for the New York City Pagan Pride Project.
“Theodism is… an entirely kin and oath-bound community, operating by certain set standards to which the important business of oath-swearing is regularly and officially held,” Halloran’s site reads. “This has the effect of creating a vast web of social and personal connections high and low, weaving together the doom (fate) of those in the web. It is through this web of oaths that the beneficence of the Gods filters down to the individual members of the tribe, through a mechanism called luck.”
Halloran said that his leadership position in his faith is not simple to explain. “Things in non-mainstream religions are not as clear cut and obvious as in mainstream.” Just like Mormons, he said, the hierarchy, roles and responsibilities of members are difficult for somebody outside the faith to comprehend. “It’s different than being a bishop in a Catholic church.”
The piece goes on to throw the specter of blood sacrifice out there as a way to make Halloran voters uneasy, even though it never talks about the barbaric practice of Halal slaughter when a Muslim runs. But the local GOP has fully endorsed Halloran, which even if the Tribune gets its way and tanks his campaign is a big step forward for Pagans on the right.
Visit Dan’s offical campaign site here. Learn more about Dan on his blog.You can learn more about Theodish belief (a religion that is said to have been born on July 4th 1976) here and here. The Wild Hunt blogged about this story as well.
While I am not Theodish myself, nor do I endorse Theodism, I am proud to support Dan Halloran.
h/t Hot Air
Rob Taylor,
You Wrote,
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The piece goes on to throw the specter of blood sacrifice out there as a way to make Halloran voters uneasy, even though it never talks about the barbaric practice of Halal slaughter when a Muslim runs.
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I think that is largely because people are afraid to criticize Islam right now, in part because of the demonizing of any one critical of the religion, and the fear of getting killed by its most devoted followers.
This is excellent. I’m glad he’s also not shoving religion in people’s faces and making his candidacy about important issues instead. Even if he doesn’t win, this is a stepping stone in the right direction. It’s especially helpful to show people that not all Pagans are leftists.
“barbaric practice of Halal slaughter when a Muslim runs. ” I don’t get what your problem it, esp the way that sentence is said.What do you mean by “when a Muslim runs”? I’m not Muslim myself but I do know that Halal would be the proper Muslim way to kill an animal so that they can eat it.
Also yea I don’t understand why people have too many issues with ANY belief system just because it’s not the one they subscribe to. I just read the Queens Tribune article in the paper and wanted to know more about the religion this politician belongs to, and you are the first site that supports him AND gives links to information. Very Cool!!
Theresa Muslims run for office all the time and no one makes a big deal over Halal slaughter which is slitting an animals throat and bleeding it to death. I’m not commenting on the practice, just observing it’s crueler than other methods and no New York paper article has ever made a big deal out of it.
My pet usually gets two walks a day, along with one off leash at a park to play fetch game. I am afraid if we may struggle to fit in two a day once the baby gets here… But I know he is surely better behaved when he is tired!