Pagans to protest the 7 Mountains Christian Dominionist 51 days of prayer event that demonizes Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids, and others

DC40

DC40Cindy Jacobs and John Benefiel have united in a 40-day prayer event that will culminate on November 11, 2011 (11-11-11) with prayers directed  at Washington D.C.,  which they call the "District of Christ."  The prayer event is part of a larger 51-days of intercessory prayer event which continues in Philadelphia.

Both Jacobs and Benefiel are prominent members of the New Apostolic Reformation movement, a movement that promotes Christian dominionism over "7 Mountains" of culture — government, religion, family, education, business and finance, arts and entertainment, and the media.   As noted in previous reports about the prayer event:

Jacobs sends "decrees over individuals and nations" and claims to be able to stop floods and make the waters subside with her verbal commands. She thought a reflection of a man riding a horse caught in an MSNBC news segment about riots in Egypt could possibly be a supernatural phenomenon associated with the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse and said the dead birds and fish in Arkansas were God's judgment for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Benefiel believes that the Statue of Liberty is a demonic idol and renamed the District of Columbia to the District of Christ in August 2010.

The Pagan community and other earth and goddess-based religions are alarmed by the intercessory prayer and New Apostolic Reformation movement, which calls for Christian nationalism and a form of theocracy. In fact, those in the Washington, DC, area will be protesting.

CapitalWitch.com announced that the Pagan community will hold a Celebration of the Divine Feminine and Religious Freedom in Lafayette Square Park across from the White House on Sunday, October 30th, 2011, as a protest to the New Apostolic Reformation’s 51-day prayer campaign targeting Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids, Heathens, and other Goddess-worshipers nationwide.

The October 30 protest is sponsored by Sacred Space, an annual conference on metaphysics, mysticism and magick.

From the press release,

Katrina Messenger, a writer, teacher, blogger, poet and Washington, DC native, will be the main celebrant in Lafayette Square Park.  Ms. Messenger said,  "The methods used by the NAR and other Dominionists are founded upon hate, fear, and ignorance.  Their demonization of our Gods and Goddesses uses inflammatory language that can lead to violence and discrimination against followers of minority religions.  We have choices in how to respond to this threat to our freedom and our faiths.  Many are resorting to prayer, some to writing letters, and some to defensive strategies.  We decided to honor the Queen of Heaven, the Goddess Inanna, in a public space, and demonstrate the very freedoms the Dominionists seek to destroy."  Ms. Messenger is the founder of Connect DC and the Reflections Mystery School in Petworth.

Event organizer Caroline Kenner is a Washington, DC-born shamanic healer and teacher who now lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.  “Nationally, many in our community are appalled by the scurrilous lies about our Goddesses spread by the New Apostolic Reformation.  We Pagans are proud American citizens entitled to all the religious freedom granted by the Founders of this country in our Constitution.  We are dismayed by the hate-filled rhetoric the New Apostolic Reformation uses, and we wish to show the public that our Goddesses are beneficent and peaceful deities.”

The event in Lafayette Square Park begins at noon and ends at 5pm on Sunday, October 30th, Samhain eve to many Pagans, leading into one of the most holy days of the Pagan year. “Samhain, or Halloween, is the Feast of the Ancestors in some of our Pagan religions.  We will invoke the Founding Fathers and Mothers of our nation during our ceremony, along with a multitude of Goddesses from pantheons both ancient and modern.  Among our Goddesses will be Lady Liberty and Columbia, the Goddess who stands guard atop the Capitol Building,” said Ms. Kenner.  “The New Apostolic Reformation people would topple Columbia from Her pinnacle, and rename DC the District of Christ.”

There will be a number of people offering prayers during the ritual, including a Unitarian Universalist minister and celebrants from several Pagan faiths.  After the religious ceremony, there will be drumming, dancing, chanting and energy raising designed to protect people in all fifty states and DC who support freedom of religious belief and practice for everyone.  People of all faiths or none are welcome to join the event.

As Right Wing Watch has previously reported, the leaders of the New Apostolic Reformation movement recommend "spiritual housecleaning" where followers are to burn "the kinds of material things that might be bringing honor to the spirits of darkness; pictures, statues, Catholic saints, Books of Mormon, pictures of former lovers, pornographic material, fetishes, drugs, Ouija boards, zodiac charms, good luck symbols, crystals for healing, amulets, talismans, tarot cards, witch dolls, voodoo items, love potions, books of magic, totem poles, certain pieces of jewelry, objects of Freemasonry, horoscopes gargoyles, native art, foreign souvenirs …"

D. Beeksma

One of the growing crowd of American "nones" herself, Deborah is a prolific writer who finds religion, spirituality and the impact of belief (and non-belief) on culture inspiring, fascinating and at times, disturbing. She hosts the God Discussion show and handles the site's technical work. Her education and background is in business, ecommerce and law.

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  • http://allbiblicalquotes.com/ Ken Mafli

    The reaction of the pagans may be an overreaction in that so far as I know, the dominionists are not asking to go back to the middle ages and spread Christianity through brutality. Instead they are seeking to advance Christianity through prayer, persuading argument, and being a presence in our mainstream culture. Since this is the proper way to advance your ideas in a pluralistic culture, they sound legitimate. You may not like their ideology, but you cannot disagree with their methods, every other minority movement has used similar tactics to advance their way of thinking.

    • http://www.houseofbetazed.com Mriana

      Did you miss the last paragraph in this article?

  • http://thejoyfulmystic.blogspot.com Sheri Lawson

    Although I agree somewhat with what Ken says, I disagree with any group that seeks to subjugate and oppress any other group, and that's what this group is dong. They have infiltrated top tiers of government and are now attempting to force others to live by their shallow and limited ideas of what it means to be human.
    ~Sheri

  • http://angelashaferfiction.wordpress.com Angela Shafer

    Speaking as a Pagan who was raised Christian, I think things would be so much better for all if people would understand that different doesn't mean wrong. I currently live in the Midwest, where it's automatically assumed everyone is Christian, so, yes, I can say, because of what I see every day, that there is a movement within Christianity to make the United States what they call a "Christian Nation."
    It's a matter of perspective. If the situation were reversed, I would imagine those holding this event would protest because they would feel like their rights to their religious beliefs were being threatened.
    I say live and let live and celebrate diversity instead of trying to use various tactics to make everyone the same. The man known as Jesus Christ had great wisdom to teach, and I admire him. And though I'm no longer Christian, I won't be hateful to those who believe the only way to eternal happiness is to be Christian, though I disagree with that belief. To each their own and may we all enjoy inner peace without trying to force our beliefs on others.

    • http://www.houseofbetazed.com Mriana

      I hear you. I live in SW MO and I see the movement, esp from the A of G'ers, to force everyone to be Xian. I find it sickening. I don't really care what other people believe, as long as they do not force it on anyone else. When they start imposing and enforcing, that's when I have BIG problems with them and their beliefs. They start giving me hell about my vegetarianism, love of the earth and nature, love other animals, and esp a lack of a belief in a deity, then we have BIG problems. I also find it troubling and even frustrating that they have so little knowledge of other religions, that they just assume my views are pagan or Wiccan, or whatever and never heard of naturalistic beliefs, such as naturalism and/or pantheism, neither of which are the same thing as paganism or Wiccan, but I have less harassment from pagans and Wiccans concerning my views. However, I'm not actually offended that they confuse the two, because if one has a fondness for nature, I'm cool. Thus, I get along well with pagans and Wiccans. I have a friend who worships Bast and I would rather hang around her than a Xian, esp a Fundamngelical one.

  • Oilthepoil

    I agree with Angela that each person is entiled to one's own beliefs but the Domionists are not like that. Witness what is going on in the US Armed Forces. Too many of our fine service members are forced to participate in military ceremonies in which Christian prayers are used. The Air Force Academy is currently a hotbed of Christian evangelical activities. These people are certainly not interested in religious diversity.

  • http://www.houseofbetazed.com Mriana

    That's just sick! "Burning" and "spiritual housecleaning"? Sounds like the Inquisition and Dark Ages combined, as they force and impose Xianity on others.

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  • dorian

    burning all that stuff! sounds like nazi germany to me. so glad i have nothing to do with my former christianity albeit they were not crazy like that.

  • NOLR History

    Your title, "Pagans to protest the 7 Mountains Christian Dominionist…" is an oxymoron. The NAR is a documented non-Christian (Pagan) cult that was started by some twenty-somethings in North Battleford, Saskatchewan post WWII after they embraced the Christian-Kabbalist writings of a 17th century London-based cult called the Philadelphian Society. Joseph Smith used the very same Philadelphian Society writings to start his hybrid Mormon cult. The biggest thing that will stop these apostates in their tracks is simply to learn the historical sources they pulled from to form their cult.

    Bottom Line

    The NAR's central claim is that "God is restoring the office of apostles and prophets." That declaration comes straight from the Philadelphian declaration that was based upon the Lurian Kabbalist doctrine of "Gilgul" or the transmigration of souls. The Philadelphians embraced this non-Christian doctrine and believed that the ancient souls of Israel, including those of the original apostles and prophets, would reincarnate into their genetic descendants. The central authority of the NAR is based upon this Kabbalist doctrine of reincarnation of souls. Very similar to Hindu and Egyptian doctrines of reincarnation.

    For you to suppose that the NAR is in any stretch of the imagination a legitimate expression of Christian faith and doctrine, and then suppose that Pagans are protesting their "Seven Mountain Mandate" of World Dominion is ludicrous!! They are both cut from the same cloth. The NAR is simply a christianized version of Jewish Lurian Kabbalism. University libraries have many academic studies explaining this 17th century renaissance-era phenomenon. The game is up. The answers and the studies have already been done. Either connect the dots or be marginalized.