On Sunday, when the fire up in San Gabriel Canyon started, the reports were that it was due to a lightning strike. That seemed likely at the time, because there were a lot of thunderheads over the mountains. Here's the view from my balcony in Redondo Beach about mid-afternoon on Sunday, a couple hours after it started.

Note the rain clouds above the mountains, particularly the flying-saucer-like cloud above the fire. The smoke from the fire itself can be seen to be rising up toward the clouds.

But now the Pasadena Star is reporting that the Forest Service claims that it was started by candles from a pagan ceremony.

Given the content of the article you cite, I am disturbed by your characterization of the fire being started by "candles from a pagan ceremony." Witches do not practice animal sacrifice of any kind. Satanists, the other group mentioned in the article, are not Pagans, but heretical Christians.

Pagans in general do not believe in Jesus as divine, but rather as a very gifted and spiritual man. Satanists recognize Jesus as divine, but replace the Jesus/good god v. Satan/evil god with Satan/free god v. Jesus/restrictive god. (OK, Christians wouldn't call Satan a god, but in the historical context of every other religion that would be the appropriate term.)

Given these facts, it is clear that the putative group in the woods was not Wiccan, and if Satanist was still not Pagan.

[rolling eyes]

I said nothing about Wiccans, or Satanists.

From dictionary.com, a pagan is:

1. One who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew, especially a worshiper of a polytheistic religion.

2. One who has no religion.

3. A non-Christian.

4. A hedonist.

5. A Neo-Pagan.

Sorry, not trying to be pedantic, but the article you quoted stated (as I noted in my comment) that bit about "witches" or Satanists.

I will concede the dictionary definition of "pagan" is as noted. Of course, by this definition a Buddhist ceremony would also be pagan (under defn. 1) and a Muslim ceremony could also be pagan (under defn. 3). It seems a more precise term would be in order, particularly given the heading ("Another Peaceful Religion"), which indicates that you are speaking of a specific religion rather than a generic class of religions (non-Abrahamic, atheistic or what have you).

None of this is to say that Pagan religions are necessarily peaceful (some are in fact quite violent).

Jeez.

If you want to complain about mentions of witches, complain to the Pasadena Star--I said nothing about them.

As far as the post title goes, it was meant to be a joke (like the one about "Islam is a peaceful religion). My apologies to my hordes of pagan readers--there was no intent to offend.

Fuckin' pagans.