Christine O'Donnell's "Witchcraft" Comments Rebuffed by Satanist
By
Stephanie Condon
/ CBS News
AP
Yesterday, Hotsheet reported that Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell's past remarks that she "dabbled into witchcraft" offended Wiccans, who said O'Donnell's comments misrepresented their religion. Today, a Satanist from New York City is taking issue with the Tea Party candidate.
Since pulling off a surprise victory in the Republican Senate primary earlier this month, O'Donnell has come under scrutiny for a number of controversial remarks. Liberal pundit Bill Mahrer on Friday released a video clip from 1999 of O'Donnell talking about her foray into witchcraft in an appearance on his television show "Politically Incorrect."
"I dabbled into witchcraft," O'Donnell said. "One of my first dates with a witch was on a Satanic altar, and I didn't know it. I mean, there's little blood there and stuff like that... We went to a movie and then had a midnight picnic on a Satanic altar."
Some Wiccan leaders complained that witches do not believe in Satan. Diane Vera, the founder of a group called "NYC Satanists, Luciferians, Dark Pagans, and LHP Occultists" added today that O'Donnell's anecdote also misrepresents Satanists.
"As far as I am aware, no serious practitioner of any variant of either Wicca or Satanism would have a picnic on one's altar," Vera said in a press release.
Vera also cited a 1997 Washington Post op-ed O'Donnell wrote as head of the Savior's Alliance for Lifting the Truth (SALT). O'Donnell wrote about proselytizing to concert goers in the Washington area.
"Walking through the crowd I also noticed more pentagrams than crosses around the teenage necks," she wrote. "'Satanism is the religion of the '90s, I was told."
Vera responded that O'Donnell "has a tendency to confuse Satanism with not only Wicca but also rock fan culture."
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.
Christine O'Donnell's "Witchcraft" Comments Rebuffed by Satanist
By Stephanie Condon
/ CBS News
Yesterday, Hotsheet reported that Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell's past remarks that she "dabbled into witchcraft" offended Wiccans, who said O'Donnell's comments misrepresented their religion. Today, a Satanist from New York City is taking issue with the Tea Party candidate.
Since pulling off a surprise victory in the Republican Senate primary earlier this month, O'Donnell has come under scrutiny for a number of controversial remarks. Liberal pundit Bill Mahrer on Friday released a video clip from 1999 of O'Donnell talking about her foray into witchcraft in an appearance on his television show "Politically Incorrect."
"I dabbled into witchcraft," O'Donnell said. "One of my first dates with a witch was on a Satanic altar, and I didn't know it. I mean, there's little blood there and stuff like that... We went to a movie and then had a midnight picnic on a Satanic altar."
Some Wiccan leaders complained that witches do not believe in Satan. Diane Vera, the founder of a group called "NYC Satanists, Luciferians, Dark Pagans, and LHP Occultists" added today that O'Donnell's anecdote also misrepresents Satanists.
"As far as I am aware, no serious practitioner of any variant of either Wicca or Satanism would have a picnic on one's altar," Vera said in a press release.
Vera also cited a 1997 Washington Post op-ed O'Donnell wrote as head of the Savior's Alliance for Lifting the Truth (SALT). O'Donnell wrote about proselytizing to concert goers in the Washington area.
"Walking through the crowd I also noticed more pentagrams than crosses around the teenage necks," she wrote. "'Satanism is the religion of the '90s, I was told."
Vera responded that O'Donnell "has a tendency to confuse Satanism with not only Wicca but also rock fan culture."
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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