What was it like in the 60's and 70's?

Dean wrote: [] Any sceptic who disregards the experiences you relate as tall-tales would be wrong because the events you have described most certainly happened: Patrick Michael Newell, the kid who was bound with duct tape and drowned in a pond by two of his friends in 1971 really did drown in a pond in what was described at the time as "an assisted suicide" and as "a Satanic Ritual". That's evidence and a sceptic would never disregard evidence.   Richard Williams who assisted in the drowning told police that Michael belonged to a Satan worshippers sect and that he was merely introduced to his ideas and was not a member himself. He lived up the street from me and Michael used to tutor many of us in school. In several newspaper articles during that time, it was stated that police had confiscated evidence proving that there were 50 members present on the night Michael was murdered. That's why so many witnesses were questioned. There was evidence in Michael's room which led police to believe that this so called sect had members hiding in plainsight. They claimed the members belonged to the Chesnut Assembly of God church. There was no physical evidence on Michael's body and since the 2 boys admitted to the crime, everything else was disregarded as circumstantial evidence. Although police investigated for 2 years to prove otherwise. A Miami newspaper read that Pastor Harry Snook deprogrammed 90 teenage devil worshippers in 71'. He was the pastor of the Chestnut Assembly.      That Newell dabbled in the occult is also considered to be evidence and no sceptic would dispute that. Where sceptics draw the line is in any conclusions drawn from that event that are not evidence-based, such as the connecting of unrelated events as being symptomatic of a wider conspiracy (née secret) of systematic (satanic) ritual abuse. I knew some of the police officers who investigated the case because some of my friends had suffered through S.R.A. and had gotten involved with the Satan cult at Menantico. But there were other cults seperate from Michael's.    Sceptics also question the belief that these events are the work of a devil, demon or any other supernatural phenomenon (such as demonic possesion) since that also lacks any evidence I for one..don't believe in any of it.   - sadistic morons in black cloaks are sadistic morons in black cloaks - in true Scooby Doo fashion, the only factual evidence is they are the janitor or the park-keeper or a local business man in fancy dress. That does not make them any less sadistic (or moronic).

I suppose...I find their act moronic. To believe in some God and use that for an excuse to torture vunerable people like my friends. I know what you're saying about the evidence, I know that in comparison to the newspapers version of the story...things were very different. I had hands on experiences with it and I suppose because what I actually witnessed is no longer available in publication, people doubt it. The on going investigation of an elderly wealthy sect , animal remains and other discoveries were in the front page of the Vineland Times Journal .. Those articles are not available on the net. Just the basic story and that's it.

TODDLER wrote: Dean wrote: Any sceptic who disregards the experiences you relate as tall-tales would be wrong because the events you have described most certainly happened: Patrick Michael Newell, the kid who was bound with duct tape and drowned in a pond by two of his friends in 1971 really did drown in a pond in what was described at the time as "an assisted suicide" and as "a Satanic Ritual". That's evidence and a sceptic would never disregard evidence.   Richard Williams who assisted in the drowning told police that Michael belonged to a Satan worshippers sect and that he was merely introduced to his ideas and was not a member himself. He lived up the street from me and Michael used to tutor many of us in school. In several newspaper articles during that time, it was stated that police had confiscated evidence proving that there were 50 members present on the night Michael was murdered. That's why so many witnesses were questioned. There was evidence in Michael's room which led police to believe that this so called sect had members hiding in plainsight. They claimed the members belonged to the Chesnut Assembly of God church. There was no physical evidence on Michael's body and since the 2 boys admitted to the crime, everything else was disregarded as circumstantial evidence. Although police investigated for 2 years to prove otherwise. A Miami newspaper read that Pastor Harry Snook deprogrammed 90 teenage devil worshippers in 71'. He was the pastor of the Chestnut Assembly.

I have never believed in the supernatural. I have never believed in demons or the devil. I believe that anyone who trusts their life to a ritual in a book is delusional. I've just never believed in any of those things. When my first wife worked roots on me and I became sick..it made perfect sense. If a person who doesn't claim to be a witch were to put roots in your food, you would feel sick or in a trance. Because it is logical that any kind of medicine will affect your mental/physical state. But a person who is working roots on you and believes it revolves around a spell or has power over you is full of it. Trust me on this one...it's just the affect of the roots and that's it.