Paganism Becomes Key Issue in Queens City Council Race

There's always a lot of political name-calling on the eve of election day, but we're pretty sure this one is a first. Democratic Queens Council candidate Kevin Kim is alleging that his Republican rival isn't just an anti-Semite — he's also a pagan. Kim's campaign is accusing Dan Halloran of insulting Jews in his attempt to downplay the role of blood sacrifice in the ancient Germanic religion of Theodism, a faith in which the City Hall hopeful has risen to the title of "'First Atheling,' or King," of a New York City area pre-Christian group according to the Queens Tribune.

Though he once wrote on his PaganSpace webpage that "Theodism regularly practices blood sacrifice," Halloran told the paper that the ritual is similar to Jewish dietary laws. That riled up Kim supporters. "By comparing animal blood sacrifices with the Jewish dietary laws of keeping kosher, it's no wonder that Dan Halloran's religion is supported by neo-Nazis and white supremacists," Michael Dovid Sais, a Jewish Kim backer told the Daily News.

Halloran defended himself by saying that his religion is out of bounds when it comes to the race for the seat soon to be vacated by former Mayoral candidate Tony Avella. "I don't think any of this is really relevant to the City Council race. It's like talking about what church you pray at. That you understand the divine is the most important part." That said, he claimed that Kim's attempts to go after his religious beliefs are a "clear sign of a desperate campaign." Halloran — who if elected, would be the Council's first Theodish member — accused Kim — who if elected, would be the Council's first Korean-American member — of being tied to Asian developers and using his campaign staff to intimidate voters on Primary Day.