Religion
Related: About this forumReligious Services Now Being Held in OH and WV Prisons for Pagan, Wiccans & Satanists
Druid Priestess, Reverend and Interfaith Minister Donna Donovan
23 JAN 2017
POSTED BY NATHAN GLOVER
Jail administrations of West Virginia and Ohio have given greater freedom to inmates to receive spiritual aid from religions other than the major Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist faiths. Pagan and Heathen inmates are now allowed to practice Paganism, Wicca and even Satanism while in jail with the help of Donna Donovan from the Appalachian Pagan Ministry in West Virginia and Ohio
In West Virginia and Ohio, Druid priestess Donna Donovan from the Appalachian Pagan Ministry, caters to the spiritual needs of prison inmates whom she calls pan pagan. The priestess refers to those religious prisoners who dont adhere to an Abrahamic faith, thereby excluding Jews, Christians and Muslims. People who attend the services her ministry conducts include those who follow Heathenism, Odinism, Asatru and even Satanism. For Donovan, its not important as to who the attendees at her services believe in. All that matters to her is that they believe in a higher power. She told The Columbus Dispatch The only way to eradicate hate and intolerance is through education. I dont personally care what your higher power is as long as you believe theres a higher power than yourself.
Pagan ways of life are different from conventional Abrahamic religions in that they dont advocate the supremacy of any deity. Rather, they accept all deities and believe that whether or not any of them are supreme is a something left to the believer. No wonder then, that pagans of all systems find spiritual solace in Donovans ministries.
Donovan notes that these ministries are helping the inmates develop a positive spirit, as is reflected by the acceptance that the inmates have of their mistakes and their conscious efforts at trying to improve.
http://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/christianity/religious-services-now-being-held-in-oh-and-wv-prisons-for-pagans-wiccans-satanists
http://www.appalachianpaganministry.com/
This is Rev Donna Donovan. I would like to thank you for writing this article. Just a few clarifications: Appalachian Pagan Ministry goes in to state prisons, not jails. There is a difference, as they are run by separate governmental agencies. We serve on site monthly at 5 prisons in West Virginia and 5 prisons in Ohio, including Death Row. We also serve, via correspondence, to several Kindreds and Covens across the country.
The majority of the inmates we work with of the non-Abrahamic paths are Heathen (Asatru/Odinist) and Wiccans. About a 60/40 split. Ohio does not at this time recognize Satanism, so they work with us via correspondence. West Virginia, however does, and I have developed an onsite course for them as well.
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(82,333 posts)I didn't write the article though. I posted it here because it's a good place to discuss the intersection of religions and government.
Please feel free to post frequently. You have a valuable perspective. And thanks for your hard work in this area.