Who says the Republican “big tent” isn’t large enough to accommodate people of all stripes… and polytheistic persuasions. In the New York suburb of Queens, Republican leaders have rallied around lawyer Dan Halloran, a city council candidate and worshipper of Theodism, a pagan religion that predates Christianity. The issue of Halloran’s religious beliefs surfaced shortly after the primary election in local newspapers, some of which have connections to Halloran’s Democratic challenger, Kevin Kim.

The GOP candidate is listed under the name “Dan O’Halloran” on the website New Normandy, along with the title of “atheling,” or king, as part of his Theodistic faith. The website’s description of the religion includes this passage: “We believe in and honor the Gods and Goddesses of the North, spirits of the land and the memories of our ancestors.”

Some commentators have been surprised by the GOP’s embrace of Halloran, given that President George W. Bush’s administration refused to give author J.K. Rowling the Presidential Medal of Freedom because her Harry Potter books “encouraged witchcraft.”
                                                                                                                                                        -Noel Brinkerhoff

GOP has Faith in Halloran (by Nathan Duke, YourNabe.com)
Gods Bless America! Queens NY GOP Won't Dump Pagan Candidate (by Lisa Derrick, Huffington Post)