What's black and white and read all over?

Today's newspaper, The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY) had three articles of interest to me. Firstly, and most importantly, an article about a forum held at a high school in our area that is involving students in learning about the diversity of religions and how these diversities can enrich us, as opposed to raising conflicts. The focus of the forum was to demonstrate how various religions have a commonality, and to not allow the differences to raise barriers. There were six local religious leaders ( representing the Catholic, Sikh, Jewish, Baptist, and Islam faiths) brought together by the organization "Interfaith Works" who wanted to engage in discussion with the students about finding what religions have in common, and to dispel myths and misinformation about other religions. Ending falsehoods and myths would certainly cause enhanced relations between people.  I applaud this forum and hope to see more like this in the near future at other schools and venues. And it would be even greater to see people of pagan religions represented as well. Education and civil discussions would do much to bring about tolerance for those who worship differently.

The second article causes me concern because it seems heartless and mercenary. I think most of us are aware of the recent reports of vast numbers of birds around the world that have fallen dead from the skies. Possible caused of this mass extermination range from lightning, fireworks and simple disorientation. There have also been millions of fish washed upon the shores of various oceans and seas, dead.  In a brief blurb in the paper under a caption of Aflockalypse Now, we are told an Irish bookmaker named Paddy Power is taking bets on which country will be next to see large numbers of dead birds, and the next marine life to die en masse.  Nature has seen these kinds of mass exterminations before, sometimes explained, sometimes not. Some would like to see this as the beginning of the end of days for the Earth. As a Wiccan I am terribly saddened by these deaths, and hope it is not the result of a human-caused event. No matter the cause, or the species, these deaths hardly deserve to be a source of entertainment and mockery by the humans among us who always seem to turn up in the face of disaster.

Lastly, this from the entertainment world. With a name like Season of the Witch a new movie being released today sounds like something a witch like me would love. After reading about it and a couple of reviews I am not so sure. I never make a judgment about a movie until I have actually seen it. But from the description I wonder if I do want to see it. It is about a pair of 14th century knights (Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman) recently returned from the Crusades who are sent to escort a woman accused of being a witch and who has apparently caused the Black Plague. There are battles and suspenseful intrigues, and the main characters "learn the witch's dark secrets".  Oh well. I think I will place on my Netflix "save" list and watch it when it comes out on DVD. Maybe someone will see it at the theatre and let me know if it is worth the trip and the ticket price.




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