Another video in which I talk about demons and exorcism.

Jesus Christ this is the most chilling thing I've read in ages. The "new understanding of truth" described here is not new in any way, it is basically a return to pre-literate dark ages & the inevitable result is going to be fascism.

Yesterday, Australian news announced that a "speed run" devolved into a riot with nearly 200 people.

So much for religious freedom. If this was a Christian celebration, the GOP would be fine with it.

Finished: Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds, by @josephlaycock.bsky.social. I greatly enjoyed it, both for the history of moral panic, as an intro to various strands of game studies, and its thoughts on religion and fantasy

Our next NAASR Conversation is coming up May 22nd at 1PM EST! We welcome @julieingersoll.bsky.social, @rebekkaking.bsky.social, and @josephlaycock.bsky.social to discuss the Politics of Curriculum. Tune in here: ua-edu.zoom.us/j/84780179864 #religiousstudies #naasr #religion #highered

I remember I was briefly consulted in this lawsuit.

. . . What?

Supreme Court Overturns ‘Right v. Wrong’ https://theonion.com/supreme-court-overturns-right-v-wrong-1819573211/

I wrote an amicus brief for this case. This would set a terrible precedent: we cannot have a system where two people convicted of the same crime receive different sentences depending on their religious background. Davis doesn't even identify as a Satanist––so even conversion wouldn't be a defense.

Even actress Leah Remini, who is a former member of the church and now one of the religion’s most vocal critics, has urged people not to participate. “Please stop. . . . it’s turning something serious into content,” she said.

"My claim is not that Donald Trump is “the” Antichrist or literally Satan. My claim is that just as people like Robert Prevost—or Dorothy Day or Óscar Romero—can “image” Christ, can show us glimpses of the face of Christ, so also those who descend into selfishness and egomania can “image” Satan."

"We believe, as does Father Maginot that the real reason St Stephens was closed has nothing to do with finances and priest shortages and everything to do with exorcisms." Maginot believes that publicity about those exorcisms has created jealousy in the church, leading to St. Stephen’s being closed.”

I didn't know Tarantino himself borrowed this verse from a Japanese martial arts film. That's a pretty interesting pattern of borrowing, distorting, and exporting.

I just gave a copy of “Dangerous Games” to Alice Cooper. He said, “I will read this.”

This sucks.

"The legality of university policy and state legislation aside, the effort to sideline Alter from a public protest illustrates the growing trend of academic suppression in the Lone Star State."

"If the board or the university wants to micromanage, censor, tell us what to say and what not to say, the very idea of a university collapses."

People Leo *was* warned about Satanism by the International Association of Exorcists, which has claimed Satanism is on the rise for its entire existence. Leo's warning was that God "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war."

What is religion? Whatever the Catholic League says it is, apparently. Same goes for "the occult." This essay is a masterclass in categorical legerdemain.

I was cited in this piece this morning on JD Vance's interest in demons:

Twenty years ago Gabrielle Amorth said more exorcisms were needed because of yoga and Harry Potter. These claims always reverse causation: People are getting more exorcisms because *exorcism* is trending. This causes exorcists to blame some other pop culture trend to explain the rise of exorcisms.

I have never done a podcast around a campfire before. Let alone at a remote hill country property that looks like it was decorated by Rob Zombie. I did my best to explain exorcism, Satanic Panic, and NRM studies for two hours.

OK--well then who DID eat Stanley Kubrick??

This woman on Patheos is claiming––with zero evidence––that Mark Zuckerberg is "sponsoring" The Satanic Temple. And I can't even post a proper link without gory pictures of fetuses posed next to dimes. What has happened to Patheos? www.patheos.com/blogs/onthec...

I had an interview with a local reporter from San Antonio and this week and she kept asking me about Baal worship. Now I know why. I'm glad the Daily Star talked to Richard Raiswell on this one.

So ChatGPT can confirm that you have repressed memories of Satanic Ritual Abuse. This doesn't surprise me at all. I've noticed the number of people calling my office about demons attacking them started to decline around 2022--the year ChatGPT launched.

You heard it here first: northcountrynow.com/stories/liza...

This seems more like a bid to make exorcism relevant than anything like a coherent scenario.