YOUR COMMENTS

It reads more like a story by H.P. Lovecraft than any religious practice I know, outside of some of the more obscure Voodoo cults. I doubt that you have much of a population practising either Voodoo or one of the more extreme Santeria sects in NH.
Based on my 30 some years of researches, WRT to witches doing it... you may as well accuse Presbyterians, or Mennonites, or any sect you're not a member of.
- Reverend R O'Donnell, England

They are still trying to blame it on Witchcraft, which is wrong. If people really were doing research they would realize that Halloween is our New Years, we celebrate and have fun. No where in our Halloween"Rituals" does it say lets go dig up a body. I don't know any Wiccan, Pagan or Witchcraft "Rituals" that would say go dig up a body. There is going to be a huge lawsuit if they don't stop accusing us. Let me guess the police officers must be what a Baptist? To be so closed minded he would have to be!! How does it feel!
- Lynn, Manchester

Ok folks, seriously...think about the real issue here. The problem is that someone dug up a body! That's so disrespectful...period. Doesn't matter why they did it...just that they are found and taught that they cannot do that and get away with it. I hope the body is laid to rest again soon.
Everybody breathe... ;)
- Brenda T, Manchester, NH

I am curious as to what reason the hillsborough police have to assume this is somehow related to the occult? do they have some evidence to suggest that, or are they simply grasping at straws because it happened around halloween? Am I the only one disappointed they would make such a statement without anything to back it up?

and to P in manchester. wicca (a form of witchcraft) is a religion, protected just as equally as your own religion. More importantly, their does not appear to be anything, at this point, that connects this crime to any form of witchcraft. thus, making the statement the police did, is completely ridiculous.

the police should be looking for clues instead of reading up on magic based on a spurious assumption.
- Kenn, stratham

I would urge anyone in law enforcement, the media, or the general public to look up "The Law Enforcement Guide to Witchcraft, Wicca, and Other Earth Religions" by Kerr Cuhulain. By educating our shared community about what Witchcraft is - and is not - we can combat the fear, destruction, and hatred that ignorance breeds. And yes - that's "Wicca" with a capital "W" - a federally recognized, legitimate religion, one which honors the Earth and all Her creatures as sacred. We do not rob graves, we plant trees. We do not sacrifice animals, we care for them. "Harm none" is at the core of our values. And in response to P. of Manchester, freedom of religion means any religion. On behalf of New Hampshire's Pagan/Wiccan community, I extend my condolences to the family of the deceased, and wish the officers investigating this tragic crime every success in bringing the trespassers to justice.
- Jess Baribault, Antrim

Political correctness aside, nothing, I repeat- nothing- in true witchcraft (othewise frquently referred to as Wicca in contemporary language; a pagan nature-based religion that promotes masculine and feminine duality) requires, requests, or even suggests the desecration of the dead. Your comment clearly indicates a lack of awareness and negative bias towards a nature-harmonious (and highly pacifistic, might I add) faith.
What's wrong with us? A lack of willingness to understand other's points of view and the inability to respect and love in light of differences in opinion.

Sadly, I believe that is what's truly wrong with us.
- Shannon McClain, Londonderry

Leave it to the local town cops to first turn to the local highschool to look for the culprits...
- Eric Forcier, Goffstown

"ritual" to be politically correct. Are we even kidding here. My children cannot say the word "God" in school, but we are going to be politically correct about someone stealing a body and not being able to call it witchcraft. Really what is wrong with us today?
- P., Manchester