From the Times Ledger:Despite the sensational headlines the story was rather anemic. What it all boiled down to was the fact that Halloran was a believer in the tenets of an ancient and little-known religion here in the Northeast. It is Theodism and is called a pagan religion because it existed long before the birth of Jesus Christ and Christianity. I Googled Theodism. It provided me with much information on the topic. It seems its practitioners believe in pretty much the same principles as all other religions. To wit, be the best you can be, do no harm to your fellow man and leave the world a better place. There doesn’t seem to be anything sensational in that credo.
Curiosity is one of my strong suits, so I called Halloran for an exclusive interview...I questioned Halloran about how and why a nice Irish Roman Catholic young man educated by Jesuits ended up embracing a little-known religion. His reply was he deeply loved and respected and was devoted to his father. He could not understand why God would take away from him his beloved father who was only 52. He was so despondent that one of his mother’s Danish relatives suggested he might find solace in the religion of his mothers ancestors. It was as simple as that and that was more than 20 years ago. There has never been the whisper of a scandal connected with his choice of a religion.
What Halloran did say was he found it rather ironic his involvement with his religion was an issue, especially here in the Flushing area, the cradle of religious freedom, reaching back to the Flushing Remonstrance, which outlined our First Amendment.
In his conversation he said he found it repugnant to think in the 19th District, which is ethnically and religiously rich, that anyone could and would use someone’s faith to attack them.
62 comments:
While as a Roman Catholic I've heard this song before: "Tunnel to the Vatican." "Takes orders from the Pope." Sometimes religion is relevant.
Some groups such as the members of the people's temple in Jonestown and "the Moonies" have been highly politically active but their faiths have a coercive element.
The same has been said of another religion presently endorsed by many celebrities that was founded by a popular science fiction author.
And another Chinese-based group may believe in healthy exercise or may be a dangerous cult depending on who you believe.
If someone belonged to a minority religion, I would want to know more, since there are many groups that employ mind-control, operate front groups with deceptive names and employ other unsavory practices.
The Quakers were controversial in their day, but they never forced anyone to join, never operated under made-up names or prevented converts from leaving.
I vote "Intolerant Political Rag", in answer to your headline's question.
Here is the website for his religion. Check it out for yourself. It looks like the Trib lied about that being taken down as well.
No one ever accused Halloran of forcing people to join his religion.
iF HE WAS A DEM,NO ONE WOULD QUESTION IT.
Not only that, but if he were a dem, he would have been endorsed by the Trib...
I vote "Intolerant Political Rag". The Trib is the journal of the Queens County Democratic Organization.
I don't care what his religous beliefs are. Unlike some tribes in this city, I don't vote for a candiate based on his religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. I vote for a qualified candidate. Halloran has my vote.
It just shows the hollowness of our political elite.
Queens the birthplace of religous freedom.
Queens, the diverse vibrant multicultural paradise.
Words, people, just words.
All they really want to do is make money. Principles like the wish of the electorate (3rd terms anyone?) is just something to be dealt with.
Ironic that the party of the right wing religious fundamentalists that in this part of the country has roped into its fold Catholic fundamentalists who use being pro-life as a litmus test has a pagan apostate Catholic as its standard bearer in the district. Welcome to the world of diversity. But color me a skeptic, I'm not so sure Halloran's use of the name O'Halloran in things relating to his religion has to do with his ancestry. Seems more to me that he was trying to camouflage himself a bit so folks might not connect the dots. Hard to believe Raguso and company were unaware of his religion before endorsing otherwise.
Dan is a very decent guy.
He's got nothing nefarious to hide.
I wish I could say the same of Ackerman and his accomplices!
Nussbaum has got quite a record going back to Donald Manes!
I'd watch our Congressman Gary very closely because he's getting desperate and heavy handed....and he's got a contract to deliver his "opaque" Korean candidate to the northeast's doorstep.
He is apt to try and sink the 19th district in exchange for a fat retirement annuity (from Korea? Taiwan? or China?)!
He's the fish that (so far) wasn't caught in that original PVB scandal and quite possibly is the Taiwan connection to selling out Flushing!
Many have insisted that he's connected at the hip to Tommy Huang.
If the feds did their job properly they'd might have uncovered vast sums of money from foreign nationals that found their way into various political campaigns back in the 1980s.
But how could they when oily Ackerman was running interference for the likes of the Chinese tongs, etc. (??) in Washington DC to cover it all up!
Eventually it will all be unearthed.
Water seeks its own level AND SO DOES SLIME!
Gary is well aged pond scum that is already forming a crust like a rotten wheel of Brie cheese.
If the FBI would give him a good poke...the crap will run out!
If opposition to POLICIES of Obama is racist, or questioning the tax swindling of Rangel is also racist,
why are the religious beliefs of a politician even mentioned?
Oh! Oh! Oh. I get it! Now I understand!
The Socialist policies of Obama, or the swindling by Rangel, are the products of Democrats. So they are sacred. They are to be never questioned.
But Halloran is a Republican, and must be defeated no matter what it takes.
It is forbidden to pray or mention God, Jesus or any religious teachings on public grounds (the ACLU wants the crosses removed from headstones of our soldiers killed in action), but it IS mandatory that a Republican's religious beliefs be questioned and ridiculed if he is running for City Council in a "progressive" city where liberal-minded Democrats outnumber Republicans.
You needed a definition of liberalism? You have it!
Elect Halloran.
A moron said:
"...Hard to believe Raguso and company were unaware of his religion before endorsing otherwise."
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As despicable as I find Phil Ragusa (spelling accuracy is everything), why should he inquire into the religion of anybody anytime for any reason?
What a hate-filled notion that is. As was the loathsome remark about pro-life beliefs. Is anonomoron a believer in pro-death for children?
I thought in this country people have the freedom to worship any way they want. My opinion is all religions are cults that is why I truly believe religion should play NO PART in government. From my experience religion is nothing more than a way to control the masses. Leave the guy alone and let him practice his faith the way he sees fit, it should have nothing to do with whether or not he can do a good job. This stuff makes me sick.
Read into our story whatever you would like, but when we ran this piece 10 days ago, he took down his website. It has since been reposted with a slew of information removed.
A page titled "A Synopsis of Beliefs" is now gone - as are many others. This is a quote from his page declaring himself a king:
"An Atheling or King, is considered the “first Aethling” amongst the realm’s peers [nobility]. Garman Aethling, who holds the position of King in Winlandes Realm, was “raised on a shield” [presented as king by his folk] in 1995. He was the Atheling [Othal Aethling] of an Anglosaxe Theod (Anglo Saxon sprung Theod) for many years before that. His coordinate was Ealdoraed Aethling, of Moody Hill Thiud. Together they founded the first Theodish community in Watertown New York in 1976. In the Modern Heathen history there been three such Athelings, other than Ealdoraed and Garman Aethling (who was finally set upon a shield and made King in 1995 in the Winland Rice); Gerd Hera Groenwald of Frisia, Swain Hlaford Wodening of Mercia, and Dan Heras O’Halloran of Normandy."
Check your facts before you accuse us of lying.
King of some underground religion? Who cares? Seriously?
Bloomberg declared himself King of New York by overturning term limits and you nimrods endorsed him!
There is such a thing as separation of church and state. You can be in a position of power in your church, but in daily secular life you are just like everyone else - a U.S. citizen.
Don't see the relevance here.
Stay tuned, folks...tomorrow I'll have all the pissed off letters to the editor that the Trib won't put on their website!
Of course Ragusa is an asshole...a self absorbed one at that!
If he'd take some time to remove his head from his own...he'd soon realize that ain't Channel #5 he's been sniffing up there.
What's the Republican party been sniffing lately?
It must be something more stronger than Phil's sphincter!
His religion sounds as if only admits WHITES. what sort of religion is that?
I think anyone who is too religious (whatever religion that may be) are always the people to watch out for.
"His religion sounds as if only admits WHITES. what sort of religion is that?"
Yeah it sounds kind of like Korean churches that only admit Koreans!
"I think anyone who is too religious (whatever religion that may be) are always the people to watch out for."
Being "too religious" requires a subjective assessment. Before this article, you probably didn't even know Halloran was religious. I'd say he's keeping his religious fervor in check and low key. He's certainly not calling for Jihad against people.
"He's certainly not calling for Jihad against people."
True. I was actually thinking more of these people that go to church every day. They always seem to be the most selfish, hypocritical people I know.
My problem with Halloran is him personally. There's something about him that's very off-putting. Hard to explain. But then again I wasn't impressed with Kim either. I have no idea who to vote for in November.
Still another moron said:
"His religion sounds as if only admits WHITES. what sort of religion is that?"
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Tell me moron, how does any religion restrict believers to one ethnicity?
Isn't it true that whoever wants to believe in something cannot be prevented from doing so?
Or, conversely, anyone who decides to not believe cannot be forced to do so?
So, apart from your dangerous loathing for religion and believers, what makes you such an idiotic moron?
Interesting that you publish the column written by the dyed-in-the-wool Republican who got fired by the Tribune 6 or 7 years ago as the defender of Halloran and the attacker of the Trib.
Let's forget for a second that it's the Tribune and Ackerman's cronies. It all comes back to the simple question: Is this a subject worth bringing up?
Is it right for a political candidate to hide his leadership role in his religion? If here were a deacon, a cantor, a rabbi, an imam or a priest, and hid it, shouldn't that be something that voters find troubling?
I begrudgingly admit that I agree on this one - this is something people should know about.
The members of his faith are multi-ethnic. I have pictures.
"Is it right for a political candidate to hide his leadership role in his religion? If here were a deacon, a cantor, a rabbi, an imam or a priest, and hid it, shouldn't that be something that voters find troubling?"
No, because those are established and accepted religions. If you know that someone is going to take your religion and make a mockery of it, splash it all over the front page of a newspaper, point and laugh at it because they don't understand it and are intolerant assholes, then yeah, it may be something to keep under wraps.
QC said:
"Being "too religious" requires a subjective assessment. Before this article, you probably didn't even know Halloran was religious. I'd say he's keeping his religious fervor in check and low key. He's certainly not calling for Jihad against people."
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So true.
But there's more.
All this so-called anti religious fervor really expresses a dread fear that someone else is having a thought that hasn't been approved by the late-night "comics" who believe in nothing.
So, empty-headed lost souls dread that perhaps the believers are on to something and the empty-heads are missing out.
The empty-heads have no principles to live by (just TV schedules and fashion magazines), so they just do not understand people whose principled thoughts lead them to one religion or another. The principled, religious believers do not need anyone to approve their thoughts.
This is frightening to the conformists.
And it is the conformists who are most vulnerable to the siren songs of the vapid politicians whose own empty heads crave approval from others.
Nice to know you follow Queens Crap...Brian...and feel the burning need to post in order to defend your "honor" as well.
This adds to the legitimacy of us having an extremely high circulation among the muck-a-mucks.
Now let's get to the truth of the matter...and the telling of the truth.
You're Nussbaum/Ackerman's pussy boy who doesn't know his ass from his elbow without their instructions...who confuses running a front page political smear ad with news reporting!
10-4...over and out! 'Nuff said!
You ain't no Joseph Pulitzer!
Yeah..."ruffles" Rafferty.
Panty waist...news boy clubhouse go-fer...that's about right!
Can't he get a real job working for a legitimate newspaper?
Thank you, Italian girl, for your usual baseless indictments. Next time I pray at my grandmothers grave I'll remind her of how selfish and hypocritical she was. The nerve of her to attend church that much.
Taxpayer Said:
"Tell me moron, how does any religion restrict believers to one ethnicity?"
Try joining Farrakhan's Nation of Islam
Does a US Congressman own a newspaper that makes fun of a religion?
Um...Bill of Rights anyone?
Any Republican from the Ol South ready to discuss this on the House floor with Mr 'Silver Slipper' Ackerman, the purvayer of scantly clad women in a family newspaper?
Queens Crapper rules! This is not the first time a local newspaper representative came here to defend themselves. You must be doing something right. As for the local rags, you get what you pay for...NOTHING!!! Journalistic integrity seems to be more important to the bloggers than to these idiot (and alleged) newspaper reps. Hey Brian (aka Ruffles Rafferty)---get a real job!
People came to America for Religious Freedom. Halloran is free to worship whoever and wherever he wants. Wow, the Dems must be desperate if this is what they've come up with against this guy. Hope he wins. Show these Dems that they can't chip away at our Constitution and Religious Freedom. Good Luch to Halloran. As for the Trib, line your bird cage with it and use it to Paper Train your Pooch.
"Thank you, Italian girl, for your usual baseless indictments. "
For what reason does anyone need to go to church EVERY DAY??!!
NEWSFLASH:
Going to church doesn't make you a better person. Being kind to others makes you a good person.
Every person I've ever met who is ultra religious is a selfish, miserable, stingy creep.
I went to church every day when St. Saviour's church looked like it was going to be torn down with a bulldozer. I went to ask God to give me strength because the battle was quite literally making me sick. I stopped eating, dropped too much weight in a very short period of time and was up all night worrying about it and trying to think of new ways to try to stop the destruction. One day I almost passed out. While I didn't attend mass every day, I stopped in during my lunch breaks to say the St. Jude's prayer. It was the only thing that kept me sane during that period of my life and the only place I could feel peace. Some may view attending mass every day as acting "holier than thou" but those who do it probably have their own deeply personal reasons for doing so. I went to church to help me cope with life and it sounds like Mr. Halloran got involved with this religion to cope with the death of his father. There's nothing sinister in that.
I'm sorry you went through all that regarding St Saviours. But going to church in times of stress I GET.
It's those folks who spend their lives going to mass EVERY DAY that bugs me. What's the purpose? Like I said before, the people that I know like that are hypocrits and are nothing even approaching good people.
My aunt was one of the kindest people I knew and she attended mass every day. She had a special devotion to the infant of Prague.
After she died I won 2 roundtrip plane tickets to Prague and when my sister and I went, we found the church of the Infant of Prague and said prayers in her honr.
"It's those folks who spend their lives going to mass EVERY DAY that bugs me. What's the purpose?"
Why do you care what other people do as long as it doesn't harm you? Is this what you teach your students to do? How self-centered are you?
People got to bars every day, some go to MacDonalds every day, some go to OTB some to Dunkin Donuts, but Italian Girl is so bothered by people who go to church every day.
people that pray constantly have issues and there usually not praying for others i'll bet
Italian Girl said: ....these people that go to church every day. They always seem to be the most selfish, hypocritical people I know.
And what's your brainless generalizations about other groups like Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, Irish, etc., any more words of wisdom Italian Girl?
SCARY THOUGHT, this woman ITALIAN GIRL is an educator. Yikes!!!
A simple (covert) plot:
Korean churches" are out to block bust northeast Queens WITH BLOOMBERG'S BLESSINGS!
i.e.
That's why there's a deliberate hold on Broadway/Flushing's municipal landmark district and the Douglaston Hill extension!
Halloran's religion is his business and he's free to worship as he pleases. I'm still skeptical that his party, which is the party of the religious right, would have endorsed him if they actually knew he was a pagan. The irony of his views in relationship to his party's many followers and their constant mixing of religion with politics amused me.
Italian Girl said...
"I think anyone who is too religious (whatever religion that may be) are always the people to watch out for.
I was actually thinking more of these people that go to church every day. They always seem to be the most selfish, hypocritical people I know.
My problem with Halloran is him personally. There's something about him that's very off-putting. Hard to explain. But then again I wasn't impressed with Kim either. I have no idea who to vote for in November.
For what reason does anyone need to go to church EVERY DAY??!!
NEWSFLASH:
Going to church doesn't make you a better person. Being kind to others makes you a good person.
Every person I've ever met who is ultra religious is a selfish, miserable, stingy creep."
And anyone who describes herself as Italian Girl at the age of 57 and spends her days blogging this trash is definitely creepy.
How many homes have been taken off the tax rolls by their conversion into Korean "churches"?
Isn't it time that the federal government took a serious look into these "churches"...CONGRESSMAN ACKERMAN ? !!!
That's supposed to be part of your job!
I guess we can forget it...you're the problem...because you're their bag man!
Nice to be employed by two nations.
That smelly bloated pig is beginning to look like exactly what he really is...an old corrupt crook with a seedy white carnation stuck in his lapel!
The polls is where we get to dispose of our trash.
GARBAGE:
Ackerman, Kim, Liu, Bloomberg and so on.
"Is this what you teach your students to do?" No.
"How self-centered are you?" Very. :)
"People got to bars every day, some go to MacDonalds every day, some go to OTB some to Dunkin Donuts, but Italian Girl is so bothered by people who go to church every day." Anybody who does any of those things on a daily basis has got some troubles.
"And what's your brainless generalizations about other groups like Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, Irish, etc., any more words of wisdom Italian Girl?" Brainless? lol. I'm not a racist you dimwit unlike some other folks around here.
"And anyone who describes herself as Italian Girl at the age of 57 and spends her days blogging this trash is definitely creepy."
57??!!??!! rotflmao You really think I'm 57? What makes you think any of my profile info is truthful?
LOL. You anonymous(es?) made me pee in my pants today I laughed so hard. I get such a rise out of aggravating the sh#@ out people.
Thanks for the laughs! :-)
Questa ragazza italiana è così stupida che se scopro che la istruiscono è in I' il ll si assicura che tutto sappia circa lei. Se insegna a in " public school " che sto trasmettendo il mio capretto alla scuola Cattolica.
Italian Girl:
"I get such a rise out of aggravating the sh#@ out people."
Now there's someone that should go to church.
A rag I wouldn't dain to wipe my ass with or line a cage with!
Off topic with personal insults.
The point here is Ackerman, Ackerman, Ackerman.
A US Congressman's paper made fun of an American citizen's religion.
This is the kind of think that can get you censured on the floor of Congress.
Focus on Ackerman.
A rabbi, a priest, and a theodist walk into a bar....
Anonymous said:
""Tell me moron, how does any religion restrict believers to one ethnicity?"
Try joining Farrakhan's Nation of Islam"
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You missed the point entirely.
You confuse joining with entering a building. But, that's why you're a moron.
Nothing could stop me from reading and then believing in all that Calypso Louie preached.
* * * * *
Italian girls said:
"It's those folks who spend their lives going to mass EVERY DAY that bugs me. What's the purpose? Like I said before, the people that I know like that are hypocrits and are nothing even approaching good people."
- - -
Usually I can agree with IG. But her remarks about what people do with their time are frightening.
How can it possibly matter what other people do with their time? Some watch old movies for hours on end. Some cook. Some Blog. some have sex all day long. And, then, others go to morning Mass every day. Perhaps to thank God for the many great things he does. Or, to pray for peace. Or to pray for Italian girls.
Some may be recovering from long, severe illness and pray for relief. Some pray for the children. The list of great reasons for daily Mass is eternal.
What makes IG's views dangerous is that it provides ammunition to those who simply hate religion.
And, IG, you just will never, ever know who is, indeed, a hypocrite, as opposed to those who struggle endlessly with conquering personal faults - such as judging others without any evidence at all.
Praying to God at church is something like talking on the phone with no one on the other end to me. What God would let children get sick and even die? What God would have allowed a bunch of jihad pyschos crash planes into buildings? What God would allow children to be molested and even murdered? What God would have drowned a couple of hundred thousand people in the Tsunami in Thailand? What God would bury people alive in earthquakes and landslides? What God would have killed those kids on the Taconic Pkwy in that fiery crash? I could go on and on....
Yeah, God is listening.
Yes, indeed. What merciful God would allow Italian Girl to own a computer and comment on blogs?
Please God have mercy on us all!
The answer to the original question posed here is "yes".
"Praying to God at church is something like talking on the phone with no one on the other end to me."
IG: "I don't believe it."
Yoda: "That is why you fail."
INTOLERANT POLITICAL RAG
(perfect for puppy pee-pee)
Good idea...call for the congressman's censure!
Put Ackerman on the carpet for aiding and abetting religious intolerance!
I guess this sort of complaint goes to the speaker of the house of reprentatives.
Anyone know the full procedure?
IT OUGHT TO BE DONE!
I am a Theodsman and must say that the story in the Tribune was not wholly accurate. Dan has never claimed to be "king" of his faith. He is the leader of his particular sect, but not its king. Kingship has a special position in Theodism, and for that reason few refer to themselves as kings. I suggest if you want to read more on Theodism you go to New Normandy or Wednesbury Shire
Anyway, the very fact that the Tribune used the title king, a title Halloran has never claimed shows that the story was sensational in nature. They intended to cause controversy, and thereby distract people from the true issues at hand.
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