Innocent Satanists, Guilty
"cultists" and Scott Peterson
by Jen Shroder
12/16/04 Permission granted to repost in advance
A popular Satanist website that boasts of over 13 million guests
featured my previous column, "In Lone Defense of Scott Peterson"
creating an avalanche of outraged emails from "high priestesses,"
witches and Satanists defending their name and challenging my views.
Is there anyone ELSE that would like to take on millions of Satanists?
If one post from me can create this much pressure, imagine what would
happen in the mainstream.
My knowledge on this topic has been questioned, therefore, let me share my
California history.
Before I committed my life to Christ, I worked at
Renaissance Faires, I knew many witches and warlocks, read Tarot cards and studied
the signs of the Zodiac. I never saw a satanic ritual but I knew which
people to steer clear from. I heard stories from friends and police
who also described chilling ritual findings at murder scenes. I later
worked in a county position and was privy to suppressed police reports
including the gruesome details of a ritual death, even in my little
home town, details completely withheld from the media. (Yes, it does
happen, and no, they won’t tell you).
I knew a famous (in her world) Wicca priestess who converted to
Christianity, feared for her life after leaving her order and had gone
underground. She planned to come with me to share the Gospel at the
Renaissance Faire (later in my life), but she couldn’t, her voice was shaking when she
told me she was worried she would be recognized.
I listened to an ex-Satanic priest give his testimony at his
Christian baptism, broken and weeping because of the heinous acts he
had done including blood sacrifices. He would not give any details. He
said he was wearing a T-shirt that stated, "God is dead" and was
shocked when he, (a large intimidating man) was approached by a
scrawny Christian who said, "That’s right, Christ died for you-- and
then rose again." That conversation turned his life around and his
admonition to us was, never give up (sharing the Gospel).
I know more than the average citizen about the occult. I know
enough to know that writing this column is dangerous, and I suspect
that’s why few columnists will. I wonder why Geraldo Rivera broke so
many stories about cult slayings and then did a complete turn around,
apologized to Satanists and then led the witch hunt against
Peterson. Did Geraldo completely make up all those cult stories and if
so, why is he still a respected journalist? OR, was he effectively
threatened by "cultists," which would explain his unbelievably
vehement attacks on Peterson along with Rita Cosby, and his continued
employment. How many times have we seen journalists resort to
name-calling, hanging and convicting those on trial even before the
trial began?
Along with outraged emails, I received mountains of "Finally! I
thought the same thing" emails, and encouragement from authors and
PhD’s who have researched cult rituals. Pamela Perskin*, Executive
Director of the International Council on Cultism and Ritual Trauma
wrote, "Among the variety of cults and rituals that we investigated,
none would have "wasted" the bodies of their victims in the manner of
the Peterson case. That is to say that the bodies and their blood
would have played a significant role in any ritual. Had ritual crime
been a factor, the bodies and blood more likely would have been burned
or consumed although in some cases, the remains are ritually buried
(i.e., the Kilroy case in Matamoros) or displayed (i.e., Arliss Perry
at Stanford University). Ritual murders are either kept secret in
which case the body and any evidence is meticulously destroyed, or
they are flaunted as a demonstration of contempt for the authorities
or a warning."
(There’s one explanation for a few of those missing bodies from
10,684 suspicious abductions in California just last year.)
Perskin makes a good point with claims the bodies would have been
sacred and ingested, except for one thing---seven months prior to
Laci’s disappearance, Evelyn
Hernandez, (24)
also
vanished one week before she was to deliver her baby. Her body washed
up in the San Francisco Bay just like Laci’s did. Her five year old
son was with her when she disappeared and they have not found him.
Has anyone considered that just maybe, the victims were kept alive
for a time while the disappearances were publicized and the bodies,
like contraband, became "too hot to handle" and were dumped,
strategically where someone else would be blamed? With some people
pointing at ritual sacrifices, how eager would "cultists" be to go
through with their ritual, especially when there are so many other
potential victims to nab. 10,684 is a lot of missing persons. Better
to just give up Laci and Evelyn.
Most of the angry email I am receiving are from Satanists who
assure me they are peaceful. Some say Satan is only a metaphor, and
that they are a gentle people who want only to be left alone. This
puzzles me, why would the founder of this "peaceful philosophy" name
themselves "Satanists," thus aligning themselves with all the ritual
killings that take place in that name? After posing this question on
their website, I was told to check out the history at the official
"Church of Satan" website, so I did, only to find a stern looking man
with horns, holding out his ring finger to me. I clicked on him and
found the same man in front of a naked woman lying on an alter behind
him. Oh yes, peaceful people, much like the Jihadists.
The First Church of Satan website speaks of love and gentleness,
but again, why align your foundation with commonly recognized cult
murderers and then expect to be embraced by society? One of these
gentle priestesses reminded me of crimes committed by "Christians" and
then wrote, "we shall rejoice when Scott Peterson is murdered in
prison---as he should be."
Most concerning about these emails and comments on the Satanic
board is the high level of intellect, leading one to wonder what kind
of professions they are in. One of the Satanist commentators claimed a
high level position, (ex-District Attorney’s office, something like
that), but when I went back to get the exact information it was gone.
Others asked for legal advice about suing me and it was quickly and
knowledgeably answered among them. Most comments on the Satanist board
were very articulate as were their emails, indicating a network of
professionals, not a bunch of whacked out renegades.
In the middle of all the hoopla, citizens seem hyper-sensitive to
the idea of being dubbed a Satanic town as evidenced by one woman who
carried the sign, "Modestans are not Satanists" at the courthouse. So,
my apologies to the millions of Satanists that are offended at being
indicated in ritual cult activities. Geragos should have merely named
"cultists," maybe then the police wouldn’t have been so nervous about
following up on "cultist" leads.
I have no idea if Peterson is guilty or not, but I know two things,
in a state with so many missing persons, the "cultist" theory should
not have been mocked, and Rivera and Cosby should have kept their
opinions to themselves rather than insist Peterson was guilty before
he was tried.
Now I hope I live to see my next birthday. Again, this is my last
post on the topic.
See Related Columns:
In Lone
Defense of Scott Peterson
Research shows the satanist defense
should not have been ignored
Fox News confronts
BlessedCause column listen to audio clip
Peterson conviction a travesty
NEW
Justice4Scott.com website, for extensive details
***
Post Script: I did not originally lump Wiccans and
Satanists together, in my first column I wrote about Satanists and the
Wiccans got up in arms. I have always considered them separate and was
surprised to find they did not.
*Pamela Perskin also co-authored "Cult and Ritual Abuse: Its
History, Anthropology, and Recent Discovery in Contemporary America"
Also of special mention, Morning, Come Quickly
by Wanda Karriker, Ph.D.; and last I looked, testimony IS evidence.
