A
Message #6814 "MagickNet Echo"
Date: 06-May-89 15:01
From: George Burnett
To:   All
Subj: Big Time Religion

 Oh, am I disillusioned!  .  I had supposed that the Neo-Pagan movement was
immune to Big Time Religion.  Pagan friends of mind like to say, "I don't
belong to an organize d religion; I'm a Pagan."  I've had experience with
several Northern Californian grou ps,  which served to confirm my view. 
Granted, some of the groups are very organized
, on paper, but still in the low rent district.  Now I see that "we" are not
immune t
 o the lure of Big Time Religion.  A few days ago I received the Spring 1989
"Circle N etwork Bulletin".  
 
 A full half page of this 8-page, tabloid size, bulletin, was devoted to
MONEY!--one o f the biggest symptoms of Big Time Religion.  Items included,
"a special fund-rasing drive to raise money for the Circle Sanctuary
Development Fund."   A disclaimer follo ws, "Money raised will go to meet
several critical needs.  These include the followin g:..."   Anyone using a
bit of logic, can see that the money may also go to other, un specified,
"critical needs", in addition to those listed.   
 
 The list enumerates:  "Publishing...to cover the costs of the computer
desktop publis hing system...", "Networking...to replace our antiquated
mailing list computer system
...", "Facilities...to improve our facilities for [those] who visit our
center [inclu
 ding] at least one indoor bathroom...", "Nature Preservation...to plant
more trees, p reserve our wetlands...and develop Circle Sanctuary as a
spiritual environmental educ ation center, "Land...to refinance our center's
Land as well as to cover land payment s themselves...Our center still has
more than $100,000 to pay and the balloon payment
 comes due in 1990."  [ Where is Jim Bakker  when there is a need for
ridiculous sums
 of money to be raised? ] 
 
 

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 * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93)

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Message #6815 "MagickNet Echo"
Date: 06-May-89 15:02
From: George Burnett
To:   All
Subj: Big Time Religion

 Now, about the "Sanctuary" these folks are attempting to finance  [ I
wonder if the G oddess will "call these folks home" if they don't get their
hundred thousand dollars?
 ].  Why am I so bitter in these two messages?  Further reading led me to
ask myself 
 if these folks are running a private reserve, under the guise of a
religious "Sanctua ry"?  To wit:  
  
 Under the heading, "Visiting Circle Sanctuary",  "Circle Sanctuary,
Circle's headquar ters, is a 200 acre sacred Nature preserve...If you would
like to visit Circle Sanctu ary, [-- they have  printed  the following in
bold italic letters --]  you must make arrangements with us in advance.  [
end of bold italic letters ].  Drop-in visitation
 is not permitted."  [Huh?]  They want heaven-knows how much money from us
and they d
 on't want us making any "drop-in visitation"?  What's going on here?   "The
best time s for Nature Religions practitioners (Pagans) to visit us are at
our events."  I inte rpret this to mean, that these folks want all the money
we can throw at them, but don
't want us to interrupt their cozy living situation by just dropping in. 
Unlike your
 neighborhood church, synagogue or mosque, this facility is open only at the
convenie
 nce of its live-in clergy. 
 
 Why are orther fairly large organizations able to carry on teaching and
public ritual s and all sorts of Pagan spiritual development without an
envious eye on your wallet?
--They are not large property owners and they are not in over their heads
with wild e
 yed fantasies about 200 acre "Sanctuaries" and they don't have clergy who
view the re ligion's property as their own private reserve.  The only
remaining question:  Is thi s situation unique to Circle?  
 
 Blessed Be to All!     George B. 

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 * Origin: ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93)

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