Republican Councilman Explains his Paganism

Posted by disinfogreg on November 10, 2009

The GOP must be really confused by this. Score one for freedom of religion!

from Gothamist

Last week, Councilman-elect Dan Halloran (R-Bayside) narrowly defeated a Democratic candidate in one of the nation’s most liberal cities. Now comes the hard part: explaining his religious beliefs to the press. For the past two decades, the cop-turned-lawyer has been a devout believer in Theodism, a pre-Christian faith rooted in Celtic and Germanic tribal religions. “Understanding my theology is a little difficult for mainstreamers,” admits Halloran, who serves as the “First Atheling,” or king, of a local tribe of 120 followers called New Normandy.

The incoming Councilman tells the Post that his faith is a “cousin religion” to Hinduism, and downplays the role of “humane” animal sacrifices as nothing more than “processing food in a specific way.” “If a Christian goes to a Greek Orthodox lamb roast for Easter, there is nothing considered wrong with that. If a Jewish person decides to keep kosher, [it's similar],” he said. “To say ‘animal sacrifice’ makes it sound like you’re killing an animal willy-nilly.”