| Church of All Worlds Official Communication |
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| 27 September, 1998 |
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| Greetings All; |
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| This is an advisory of a situation that has impacted the Church
of All Worlds in Oklahoma City OK, and by extension may affect
all of those who pursue a Pagan path-especially in the State
of Oklahoma. KFOR TV in Oklahoma City OK aired a segment detailing
the arrest of an individual named John Demerest, he is accused
of child molestation and is currently in the custody of the Police
in Oklahoma City. |
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| Apparently in this segment the station showed some CAW documents
and a copy of Green Egg #108, Spring 1995, the issue dealing
with Pagan Family Values and Pagan Parenting. In this segment
the reporter apparently stated that Mr. Demerest had "Satanic" materials
in his possession, inferring that these CAW documents are "Satanic" in
nature. The Board of Directors of the Church of All Worlds has
drafted a statement to address this issue directly with the TV
station management, and has sent it to the station via hand delivery
by a local CAW Member. |
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| (See attached copy) |
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| As this situation develops I will update you directly. |
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| May You Never Thirst; |
| James Assad |
| Secretary of the Board, Church of All Worlds |
| CA Chapter Director, Witches Against Religious Discrimination |
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| Cc/ BoD, archive |
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|
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| Letter to KFOR (Online Copy) |
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| Church Of All Worlds |
| 212 South Main Street, Suite 22A |
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| Willits CA 95490 |
| (707)456-0332 voice |
| (707)456-0333 fax |
| Email: cawnemeton@aol.com |
| Website: http://www.caw.org |
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| 27 September, 1998 |
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| Tim Morissey |
| President and General Manager |
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| Mary Ann Eckstein |
| News Director |
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| KFOR-TV |
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| P.O. Box 14068 |
| 444 E. Britton Road |
| Oklahoma City, OK 73133 |
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| Dear Mr. Morissey and Ms. Eckstein: |
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| It has been brought to our attention that your station has
aired a segment dealing with the arrest of a man by the name
of John Demerest. In this segment you displayed Church of All
Worlds literature ("Green Egg" magazine, Issue #108, Spring 1995)
and mistakenly identified it as Satanic. |
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| Our religion is based on the cycles of the seasons and the
recognition and nurturance of immanent divinity manifesting all
creation, and could loosely be termed a polytheistic nature religion.
The Church of All Worlds is an Earth based, Pantheistic religion
dedicated to stewardship of the Earth and all her creatures.
A primary tenet of our Church, as with Pagans in general, is
the imperative to harm none. |
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| Our church identifies itself as a Pagan religion, and we realize
that the word "Pagan" is often erroneously assumed to be synonymous
with "Satanic." The Church of All Worlds is not Satanic. |
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| Furthermore, we wish to strongly emphasize that child molestation
or sexual conduct between adults and minors has never been condoned
by our Church. It is also not condoned by sincere adherents of
Wiccan (Witchcraft) traditions which are also Pagan religions.
The alleged criminal behavior of Mr. Demerest and his possession
of "Green Egg" magazine are not related and should not be linked
in the reporting of his arrest. "Green Egg" is available on newsstands
and is read by the mildly curious as well as by members of the
Church of All Worlds and other Pagans. If Mr. Demerest had in
his possession a copy of "US Catholic" magazine or "The Watchtower," would
you have considered that relevant to his criminal arrest? |
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| Pagans come from all walks of life. We reside, shop, go to
school, are active in community projects and work alongside those
who choose other religious paths, without prejudice, and seek
only the same for ourselves. We are your neighbors, elected officials,
medical practitioners, lawyers, coworkers and fellow citizens.
Unfortunately, Pagan people have often been victims of harassment
or discrimination because of their religious beliefs. Sensationalist
treatment of our religion in the media is a contributing factor
to the misconceptions which lead to this victimization. |
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| We strongly urge you to consistently apply the same standards
in making references to Pagan churches, publications, and beliefs
that you would apply when referring to any other religion. To
do otherwise is not only bad journalism, it is blatantly discriminatory.
We ask you to help us correct those misconceptions which may
have been, however unintentionally, created by your original
news story. |
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| The Board of Directors of the Church of All Worlds formally
requests that your station retract its statements which identified
the "Green Egg" magazine (and by implication, the Church of All
Worlds) as Satanic in the segment regarding the arrest of John
Demerest. Please correct also any implication that the Church
of All Worlds condones child molestation and send a copy of the
aired retraction/correction in VHS format to: Church of All Worlds,
212 South Main Street, Suite 228, Willits CA 95490. |
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| We sincerely hope that your station will act responsibly and
correct its error in reportage without the necessity of our seeking
redress by other means. You may contact me regarding this matter
at [omitted for privacy]. |
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| Sincerely; |
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| James Assad |
| 6th Circle Scion |
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| Secretary of the Board, Church of All Worlds |
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| CA Chapter Director, Witches Against Religious Discrimination |
| Night An'Fey |
| 7th Circle Priest, Church of All Worlds |
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| Cc/ KFOR, file |
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| Close
Window |
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| All materials contained herein, with exception
of authored materials, are copyrighted by, Alternative
Religions Educational Network (AREN), Incorporated, 1998-03.
All graphics copyrighted to AREN unless otherwise specified.
Please do not take any graphics without permission. |
