Dancing With the Devil, by Phil Lawler

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture, Sept. 06, 2024

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org.

As summer comes to an end, what offers more wholesome fun than the local agricultural fair? Bring the family. Wander through the exhibits of prize pumpkins and tomatoes. Sample the homemade baked goods. Let the kids ride the bumper cars and the ferris wheel. Watch the oxen pull. Listen to the bluegrass music. See the local witches dance.

Wait. Witches? At the local fair? Doing their dances on the midway near where the children buy cotton candy and take pony rides?

Yes, that’s what the program said. As we prepared to submit our sourdough bread and our honey to the judges, we learned that a group of witches would be dancing nearby. The organizers of the fair assured us that it would be a lighthearted show, all in fun—a bit spooky, maybe, but nothing “dark.” But the web site of these local witches included a reference to “Lord Lucifer.” Suddenly you realize that what is presented in fun is only a short step removed from something very, very dark. …

Continue reading >>>>>>>>>>>>>