This summer a prisoner in Virginia, Michael Lenz, was executed for murdering a fellow inmate in the name of Asatru, his adopted religion. Though most adherents of the pre-Christian, earth- and heritage-based faith are honorable, law-abiding citizens who don't advocate random violence, a small (about five percent) but media-magnetic group of them are white supremacists, many of them prisoners.Asatruar worship a pantheon of Norse gods like Odin and Thor and goddesses like Freya and Idun. The warrior archetype is honored, but in no way defines the religion, says Stephen McNallen, 57, founder of the Asatru Folk Assembly, a leading Asatru group.McNallen recently set the Asatru record straight, speaking to Beliefnet from hisCalifornia home about respecting our ancestors, balancing the warrior with the Mother, and how he starts everyday with a pot of tea and a well-fed cat in his lap.
What does "Asatru" mean?
I usually say that Asatru means, "Those true to the gods" or "The belief in the gods."
How would you sum up the core beliefs of Asatru?
Well, people are going to
give you different answers on that.
I believe that the core of Asatru
comes down to about three or four main points. First, we are related to
the holy powers [gods and goddesses], and our task is to evolve to
become more like them. Second, we are specially connected to our
ancestors, to our living kin, and to our descendants yet tocome—the
family line is a continuity that transcends time and space, and even
mortality. Third, by leading lives of power and wisdom, we evolve to a
higher level and this evolution gives us more choices in regards to an
afterlife. And finally, the way of our ancestors is the best way for
us, because we are the representatives of those ancestors in this
little slice of space and time.
How many Asatruars would you estimate there are in the U.S.?
Well, obviously no one
really knows because we’re not a very centralized outfit. There is no
Pope of Asatru and no Vatican. The estimate that I have heard is 10,000
to 20,000.
What does a day in the life of an Asatruar look like? Are there daily or weekly rituals?
I can really only speakto
my personal pract......
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As real-estate listings go, this one is out of this world. A property is on sale in Quebec for a cool $2.95-million, and it even comes with its own flying saucer. UFOland, the playground and pied-a`-terre of the white-robed prophet known as Rael, is on the market — a onetime utopia that appears to have fallen to Earth.The Raelians, who gained global notoriety in late 2002 after announcing the birth of a yet-to-be-seen cloned baby, say their popularity has peaked in Quebec. So they are p...The cult disciple
Anthony North: My research on cults has convinced me they are full of elements endemic to society in general. Cults, it seems, are nothing more than an extreme example of the influences within society. For instance, who joins a cult? The easy and most popular belief is that cult disciples are inadequates of low intelligence. But in her extensive study of cults, sociologist Eileen Barker has found the opposite. Profile of a disciple: The normal cult member is of above average intelligence and com...Violent cults
Anthony north: Cults come in all shapes and sizes. They can be of any form of spirituality, from Christianity to the Occult, to Flying Saucer cults. They can appear strange and insular, while many do a great deal of charity work. Then we have the more sinister form of cult. Some of these make the headlines through mass suicide, but perhaps the most dangerous is the cult that ends up using extreme violence or intimidation. Rajneesh foundation: Typical was the Rajneesh Foundation of Bhagwan Shree ...Turkey detains Iranian Raelian leader
Authorities in Turkey are holding the Iranian leader of Iran"s Raelian movement, Negar Azizmoradi. In Iran the Raelian beliefs are considered to be a rejection ofreligious faith, a crime punishable by death."The Turkish authorities saythey are discussing what to do with an Iranian atheist who says she fled persecution in Iran. . Negar Azizmoradi, who is the leader of the Raelian movement in Iran, wasarrested after she arrived i...Cult suicides
Anthony North: Occasionally the most tragic of events can hit the headlines. When it happens, we all wonder why. But all too often a cult can explode into violence upon itself, the result being mass suicide. Why does it happen? What social forces are involved in this will towards self-destruction? This essay is an attempt to understand. And we need to begin with a few examples. Order of the solar temple: For instance, on 22 December 1995, sixteen corpses were discovered on a plateau in the Frenc...Spirits in the sky
Across Australia, people are looking to the skies for a saviour. Many people have seen objects in the sky that they could not identify, and many believe that we are not alone in the universe.But there are also people who have built spiritual belief systems around the idea that aliens once came to Earth, and will return one day to take them away to a better place. The Raelians, who had their "annual awakening seminar" earlier this month in Queensland, are a prominent group in Australia ...Cloning cult offers job to disgraced scientist
South Korean cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk, a science superstar disgraced when his pioneering stem cell research was unmasked as a fraud, has a new job offer from a UFO cult that says it has produced six human clones.Clonaid, a company linked to a group that believes humans were cloned fromprehistoric alien visitors to Earth, said it had offered him a post in one of its laboratories. The firm has never provided proof of the six clones it says it has produced, and does not reveal where...Dr Who fans will flock to his church
A Cardiff priest loves Dr Who so much he is preaching to his congregation through the Time Lord. St Paul’s Church, in Grangetown, Cardiff, was used as a location for an episode of the first series of Doctor Who starring the ninth Doctor played by Christopher Eccleston.And parish priest, Father Ben Andrews, 32, says he loves the cult TV show so much he thought a themed evening would go down well with the youngsters.He said: “I love the series and it has such a great following that we couldn’t res...UFO cult offers job to disgraced scientist
South Korean cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk, a science superstar disgraced when his pioneering stem cell research was unmasked as a hoax, has a new job offer from a UFO cult that says it has produced six human clones. Clonaid, a company linked to a group that believes humans were cloned from prehistoric alien visitors to Earth, said it had offered him a post in one of its laboratories.The firm has never provided proof of the six clones it says it has produced and does notreveal where the laborator...Job centre apologises for evicting Jedi fan
A member of the International Church of Jediism has received an apology after being kicked out of a job centre.The Jedi believer was asked to remove his hood and was thrown out when he refused to do so, he now intends to sue the job centre for discrimination despite receiving anapology.
A Jedi believer has won an apology from a UK employment centre which threw him out for refusing to removehis hood. . The Sun reported Star Wars fan Chris Jarvis, 31, was told he would have to leave if ...
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Raelians sell 'UFOland'
The cult disciple
Violent cults
Turkey detains Iranian Raelian leader
Cult suicides
Cloning cult offers job to disgraced scientist
Dr Who fans will flock to his church
Job centre apologises for evicting Jedi fan
