Spells in the cells.

I see that there are around 300 Pagans serving sentences in British prisons at the moment who, according to the rules, have the same rights as the followers of other religions. They are allowed to have in their cells hoodless robes, rune stones and twigs to be used as magic wands. Pagan chaplains (No I’m not making this up) can offer bedside healing rituals, meditation and special prayers to sick prisoners and may also bring in healing stones and small statues of gods and goddesses to place beside the prisoners’ beds. 

This latest example of religious tolerance reminds me of when I was training at an RAF camp in the late 50’s where it was the rule that all recruits attended church parade every Sunday. That is if you were a Christian and a member of one of the main churches in this country. Everyone else was classed as an ‘OD’ or ‘other denomination’ and did not have to parade.

Now in those days Muslims and Hindus were ‘a bit thin on the ground’ in the UK, and Buddhists were almost non-existent, except for one lad in my billet who shaved his head, sat cross-legged on his bed and claimed that he followed some old geezer called ‘Zen’. He was excused church parade (and eventually taken away) as were some others who claimed to be followers of various exotic eastern religions. There were also worshippers of Odin and Mithras and of course a few genuine agnostics and atheists.

Of course the NCO’s in charge of our training knew that most of the ‘OD’s’ were just ’taking the piss’ in the hope that they would be able to spend Sunday morning in bed while everyone else was being marched off to church. Sadly this was not to be, and the alternative day of military ‘meditation’ arranged for them caused most of them to undergo a miraculous conversion to Christianity the following Sunday.

Now I’m sure that there are a few genuine wand wavers in jail, but I bet most are like those ‘OD’s’ and are  …

…      just piss taking ‘Pagans’.