| Revision as of 10:47, 4 September 2002 edit198.20.32.254 (talk) Wrote it. Ack, stupid Christians. | Revision as of 12:03, 4 September 2002 edit undoMav (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users77,874 edits Wikified and some minor NPOVins (perhaps a Christian should take a look at this)Next edit → | ||
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| Satanic Ritual Abuse is the alleged organized abuse -- generally |
'''Satanic Ritual Abuse''' is the alleged organized abuse -- generally ]ual or violent abuse -- of unwilling individuals by worshippers of the ] devil ]. Some conservative Christian groups in the ] have claimed that as many as 60,000 people a year are murdered by an organized network of ]s. If true this would mean that SRA kills three people for every one victim of "regular" homicide. | ||
| Concern over SRA became most prominent in the 1980s, when a "Satanic panic" descended on America's Christian community. According to the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, an "SRA industry" sprung up in this period, taking money to educate law enforcement and private citizens on the alleged threat. | Concern over SRA became most prominent in the ], when a "Satanic panic" descended on America's Christian community. According to the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, an "SRA industry" sprung up in this period, taking money to educate law enforcement and private citizens on the alleged threat. | ||
| Many promoters of the SRA |
Many promoters of the SRA ideas have been later shown to be frauds, but not before they appeared on popular television programs to spread their story. ]n investigators have pointed out that the supposed procedures of Satanic abusers are inconsistent between these individuals, leading many of them to believe they are either lying or crazy. Believers in SRA have also targeted ]s, especially ], claiming that these games are secret instructions for ] and Satanic abuse, or a "back door to Satanism". ] writer ] wrote an extensive report about the most prolific of these investigators, who launched a nationwide crusade against Dungeons and Dragons after her son committed suicide. | ||
| Some believers in SRA have used agressive therapy techniques, especially the use of highly leading questions under ] that has, in many cases, implanted false memories of ritual abuse in patients who have not suffered it. These memories are vivid and "real" even though they often show signs of fantasy and have been flatly contradicted by physical evidence. Female virgins have "recovered" vivid memories of satanic rape. | |||
| The most famous false case of SRA involved a large number of children at McMartin preschool in Manhattan Beach, California. Under interrogation techniques designed for adults, small children told police they had been sexually abused, forced to murder infants, and drink blood. They also recalled being flushed down the toilet and abused in sewers, taken into an underground cavern beneath the school, flying through the air, and seeing giraffes and lions. The original accuser was a paranoid shitzophrenic. Eventually the case collapsed under its own weight, but several completely innocent people were ruined financially and in the eyes of the community. | The most famous false case of SRA involved a large number of children at McMartin preschool in ]. Under interrogation techniques designed for adults, small children told police they had been sexually abused, forced to murder infants, and drink blood. They also recalled being flushed down the toilet and abused in sewers, taken into an underground cavern beneath the school, flying through the air, and seeing giraffes and lions. The original accuser was a paranoid shitzophrenic. Eventually the case collapsed under its own weight, but several completely innocent people were ruined financially and in the eyes of the community. | ||
| While the SRA meme remains in society, no credible evidence has ever been found that there is a statistically significant number of murders due to SRA, nor that there is any kind of organized network of ritual abuse. The panic slowly died off in the late 1980s and 1990s. | While the SRA meme remains in society, no credible evidence has ever been found that there is a statistically significant number of murders due to SRA, nor that there is any kind of organized network of ritual abuse. The panic slowly died off in the late 1980s and 1990s. | ||
Revision as of 12:03, 4 September 2002
Satanic Ritual Abuse is the alleged organized abuse -- generally sexual or violent abuse -- of unwilling individuals by worshippers of the Christian devil Satan. Some conservative Christian groups in the United States have claimed that as many as 60,000 people a year are murdered by an organized network of Satanists. If true this would mean that SRA kills three people for every one victim of "regular" homicide.
Concern over SRA became most prominent in the 1980s, when a "Satanic panic" descended on America's Christian community. According to the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, an "SRA industry" sprung up in this period, taking money to educate law enforcement and private citizens on the alleged threat.
Many promoters of the SRA ideas have been later shown to be frauds, but not before they appeared on popular television programs to spread their story. Wiccan investigators have pointed out that the supposed procedures of Satanic abusers are inconsistent between these individuals, leading many of them to believe they are either lying or crazy. Believers in SRA have also targeted role-playing games, especially Dungeons and Dragons, claiming that these games are secret instructions for suicide and Satanic abuse, or a "back door to Satanism". Science fiction writer Michael Stackpole wrote an extensive report about the most prolific of these investigators, who launched a nationwide crusade against Dungeons and Dragons after her son committed suicide.
Some believers in SRA have used agressive therapy techniques, especially the use of highly leading questions under hypnosis that has, in many cases, implanted false memories of ritual abuse in patients who have not suffered it. These memories are vivid and "real" even though they often show signs of fantasy and have been flatly contradicted by physical evidence. Female virgins have "recovered" vivid memories of satanic rape.
The most famous false case of SRA involved a large number of children at McMartin preschool in Manhattan Beach, California. Under interrogation techniques designed for adults, small children told police they had been sexually abused, forced to murder infants, and drink blood. They also recalled being flushed down the toilet and abused in sewers, taken into an underground cavern beneath the school, flying through the air, and seeing giraffes and lions. The original accuser was a paranoid shitzophrenic. Eventually the case collapsed under its own weight, but several completely innocent people were ruined financially and in the eyes of the community.
While the SRA meme remains in society, no credible evidence has ever been found that there is a statistically significant number of murders due to SRA, nor that there is any kind of organized network of ritual abuse. The panic slowly died off in the late 1980s and 1990s.
The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance conclude, "In the early 1990's, we analyzed reports on SRA from both believers and skeptics. We tentatively concluded that the skeptics are correct; there is no international Satanic conspiracy ritually abusing and murdering children. We have been tracking the SRA movement ever since, and have not seen any hard evidence to change our conclusions."