Against Satanic Panics > Cultural paranoia

Instances of general cultural paranoia and intolerance toward nonmainstream religions and subcultures, related to anti-Satanist scaremongering

by Diane Vera

Copyright © 2006 by Diane Vera. All rights reserved.

Anti-Satanist scaremongering often goes hand in hand with general cultural paranoia (e.g. denunciations of pop cultural phenomena which most people would consider innocent, such as the Harry Potter books) and intolerance toward various nonmainstream religions and subcultures, not just toward Satanism itself.

First, here are some instances not documented elsewhere on this site:

• Roman Catholic opposition to the Harry Potter books
• Satanism and Roman Catholic fears of "de-Christianization"
• Subliminal "Satanic" imagery in Roman Catholic church art?
• More later

See also the following news stories and commentary, on other sites:

• Accusations of Satanism show nature of pro s59'ers - Press Release, Green Party, New Zealand, 27 February 2006
• Stop Cashing in On Satan by Kedrick Mukutuma, The Post (Lusaka), Opinion, March 5, 2006 - objects to the use of Satanism scares to win people into Christian churches
• More later

For some other instances, see the following pages, elsewhere on this site:

• Mexico's Roman Catholic hierarchy and exorcism, vs. New Age and traditional healers
• Manifestations of the scare: censorship and pop-cultural paranoia on my page about Italy's current Satanic panic - and its impact on the Roman Catholic Church worldwide
• More later

For some general commentary, see also the following pages, elsewhere on this site:

• To Pagans and occultists: Why it behooves Pagans and occultists to oppose a Satanic panic
• To Satanists: Tabloid prophecy fulfillers:  Satanism's real-life criminal fringe - How should law-abiding Satanists respond?
• Promoting religious tolerance

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