Pagan stone circle may have been destroyed in religous hate attack

The site in Lampeter, south west Wales, which also includes an altar and fire pit has been damaged beyond repair.

The University of Lampeter is well-known for its theological courses and there is speculation that the attack could be religiously motivated.

The steps giving access to the site, in the grounds of the town's Trinity Saint David University campus, were also torn apart.

Police believe that weapons, such as crow bars and pick axes, may have been used to deliberately cause as much damage to the area as possible.

Lampeter Pc Richard Marshall told town councillors at a meeting last week that the site had been "maliciously taken apart" and is now unsafe to use.

"It is disturbing," he added. "This is a place of worship. If this was a church I'm sure we'd be hearing more about it."

The pagan circle, which has been vandalised often in recent years, is also the subject of regular litter and debris clean-ups following impromptu parties by groups at the site.

This time, however, the damage was so extensive the temple and surrounding areas have had to be closed off amid health and safety fears.

The site is used as a meeting place for the 75 members of the university's Pagan Society, whose members have said the damage is "heart-breaking".

Former and current members of the student group have called for the vandals to be caught and punished.

The Lampeter Pagan Society Facebook page has been bombarded with messages of support describing the vandalism as "disgusting" and "saddening".

The group now hopes to secure funding for a complete rebuild at the current site to improve access and security, or to move to a new location.

Talks between the society, the university and the Students'Union are ongoing.

Cen Powell, the University's Executive Head of Estates and Facilities said that it is working with the Students' Union to "assess options" to find a new site for the Pagan Society to use.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman confirmed it is investigating the incident although no suspects have as yet been identified.

Source
Terrible. Imagine the uproar if it had been a Christian church. People have no respect.

I hope they can rebuild the site using the stones which were already in place. So sad that something which has been there for thousands of years, can be dessimated by idiots in minutes.

Hate knows no limits or bounds. Reading these things just makes me sad. What can an honest and informed person possibly find within the Pagan faiths to hate and destroy? We are, without much exception, the least offensive or 'threatening' belief systems in existence. Perhaps it's one of those folk who see Pagan and Wicca and automatically jump to believing the myth that it equates to Satanic worship.

Well... There is always that little rule of 3 to keep in mind and take solace in. Every action brings a reply in the grand scheme of things.

Well, after seeing pictures of the site..

Couldn't they just place some rocks in a circle, cover the ground with dirt and resume dancing naked in the moonlight?

I'm not advocating destroying anyone's property, but it doesn't look like there was much there to damage in the first place. Can't they just set up a new dirt circle?

It's sad that such a peaceful looking place got destroyed. It's not cool to mess with anyone's place of worship, I don't care WHAT religion you are!

Of course, we now know, thanks to archeological academia, that EVERYTHING that ever happened or was built or destroyed in the past was religiously motivated. Ahem.

It's like a handy plug-in for archeologists and sociologists. So: Mebbe, mebbe not.

Where is your evidence that it was Christians that did it? Christians and Pagans have lived side-by-side in England for centuries and the Christians didn't touch that area. However, you've got a new religion making inroads there, that has ZERO tolerance for anything but popping your ass in the air 5 times a day. My money is on those clowns.

Taliban Destroy Ancient Buddhist Statues

They have a habit of destroying things, don't they?

reply to post by TinkerHaus


I guess we could just bulldoze Calvary (Golgatha), and when the Christians cause an uproar we can just say "why can't you just pile up some more dirt and stick a couple of 4x4 posts on it?"

Sacred ground is sacred ground, and people should learn to respect it, as they wish their own sites to be respected.

Archeaologically it is a tragedy. The University shouldn't have allowed access to an archeaological site as old as this and should have hired a watchman for the night hours.

Worshipping at an archeaological site desecrates the history of the site, it's monuments and structures. This would be the equivalent of people going down to Stone Henge and having a tailgate party and an orgy and spray painting graffiti all over the monoliths (probably been done too).

Religion aside, some people have no respect for anything and this warrants jail time for the offenders if they catch them because this is vandalism of the baser sort.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Hate knows no limits or bounds. Reading these things just makes me sad. What can an honest and informed person possibly find within the Pagan faiths to hate and destroy? We are, without much exception, the least offensive or 'threatening' belief systems in existence. Perhaps it's one of those folk who see Pagan and Wicca and automatically jump to believing the myth that it equates to Satanic worship.

Well... There is always that little rule of 3 to keep in mind and take solace in. Every action brings a reply in the grand scheme of things.

Sure, spout anti-christian propaganda. Its the first thing that comes out of anyone's mouths when something like this happens.

"It's the chrishuns! They did it!!!!"

Seems like youre not above hate either....

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


Then I certainly hope no one worships anywhere in the Holy Land. There is nothing wrong with worshiping there. That is what it was meant for.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


I don't see the word Christian anywhere in that post. Muslims think Paganism is a form of Satanism as well, you know.

Originally posted by cetaphobic
reply to post by lonewolf19792000

 

I don't see the word Christian anywhere in that post. Muslims think Paganism is a form of Satanism as well, you know.

Satan is a christian word, muslims call him Iblis. So in reference to satan, they were talking about christians or he would have said iblis. I know all about the history of what has been done in the name of Christ, it doesn't make it right but that particular brand of christianity is gone. We don't have to tolerate standing the presence of pagan worship, but were not going to go out and destroy someone elses site of worship.

The number one commandment of Christ is "do unto others as you would have done unto you". If you keep that commandment then you are doing his will even if youre a pagan. We wouldn't want someone desecrating our places of worship (but it has happened, Satanists love painting pentagrams and 666 on churches, happened at the church i went to as a boy, they also dug up the corpses in our cemetary and desecrated the bodies).

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Hate knows no limits or bounds. Reading these things just makes me sad. What can an honest and informed person possibly find within the Pagan faiths to hate and destroy? We are, without much exception, the least offensive or 'threatening' belief systems in existence. Perhaps it's one of those folk who see Pagan and Wicca and automatically jump to believing the myth that it equates to Satanic worship.

Well... There is always that little rule of 3 to keep in mind and take solace in. Every action brings a reply in the grand scheme of things.

Sure, spout anti-christian propaganda. Its the first thing that comes out of anyone's mouths when something like this happens.

"It's the chrishuns! They did it!!!!"

Seems like youre not above hate either....

Okay, I went back and really looked over what I said word by word and I can't see where anyone can pull out something anti-Christian about it?? I honestly hadn't even considered Christians, as such, as culprits myself. I haven't met any practicing Christians in my life who would wantonly destroy the religious construction of another Faith. Oh I know such radicals exist..but not that I've personally met.

So..... was it the Satanic reference? As a general catch all for public misunderstanding of Pagan and Wicca, that is a fair statement and again, doesn't point a finger to Christians as having done anything wrong.....

If there is hate in the words I spoke on this, I'd sure like to know where. The last comment I'd made simply refers to what some might call Karma others, fate. The idea though is that whatever you do in life, good or bad, DOES return, multiplied. Again... Hateful? Not how I've ever thought of it. That just stands as a rule of life I follow and live by in my Faith. Oh well.... misunderstandings I suppose.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

Perhaps it's one of those folk who see Pagan and Wicca and automatically jump to believing the myth that it equates to Satanic worship.

I would never do anything like that even if i do believe you worship Satan without knowing it, but it was offensive that you would link that to any christian doing such a thing like that as to desecrate a pagans place of worship. You wanted to take a jab at us in your heart or you would have thought "maybe i shouldn't type that, someone might take offense". Your hands betray your thoughts.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


Except that it is largely Christians who lash out at Pagans like this. But let's just ignore that, right?

Originally posted by cetaphobic
reply to post by lonewolf19792000

 

Except that it is largely Christians who lash out at Pagans like this. But let's just ignore that, right?

Really? When? Been several hundred years since that stuff happened. Could've been muslims, could've been jews, could've been some kids just looking to be punks for the sake of being mean, yet it was aimed at christians.

None of us know what happened. All we have are some words written by someone none of us have ever met.

For all we know the Wiccans did it to blame on the Christians. I'm not saying that's the case, only that it's just as plausible as any other theory being presented. Until we know what happened is there really any point arguing about it? Seems silly to me to get all bent out of shape toward each other over pure speculation.

This is why religion is silly. EVERY religion. Some people broke some rocks and stairs - something that wouldn't have been a big deal had it not been uh, ahem.. "sacred ground."

Im confused. "Pagan" is not a religion it is a word describing a religion

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

Perhaps it's one of those folk who see Pagan and Wicca and automatically jump to believing the myth that it equates to Satanic worship.

I would never do anything like that even if i do believe you worship Satan without knowing it, but it was offensive that you would link that to any christian doing such a thing like that as to desecrate a pagans place of worship. You wanted to take a jab at us in your heart or you would have thought "maybe i shouldn't type that, someone might take offense". Your hands betray your thoughts.

I'm seeing the messages on the thread and I am aware you are getting a few people who are seeing Christians behind every bush on this outrage, but please read what I write in my posts and not what I don't. Many people make writing between the lines a true art. I've never even tried to learn, myself. If I mean something I say it outright, and sometimes take entirely too much screen space in doing it.

I don't mean this to be as pointed as it may come across, I really don't. Having said that, I really, honestly, hadn't even thought about Christians or anyone else as a specific culprit doing this out of a religious motivation of their own Faith. This strikes me as ignorant punks pulling ignorant crimes.

It makes about as much sense as Christmas displays a family puts thousands of dollars into and spends a week putting together to make the neighborhood kids happy just to see some punks come and bust it up in the middle of the night. Happens every year...and I'm sure religion has absolutely nothing to do with it. They bust things up because they are there to be busted and the people doing it are just too backward and ignorant in their thinking to appreciate things like historical value or cultural importance.