I've started this post over approximately seven times now, because I don't want to piss anybody off or downplay centuries of persecution or be a hypocrite as I rearrange the dustbunnies in my broom closet, but I can't find a way to say it that is smart or gentle or thoughtful, so I'm just going to come right out and say it:
I'm sick of Paganism being a reactionary movement.
It seems like every time I turn around, I'm reading an article about what those crazy (awful, evil, misguided, ignorant, insert your own ugly term here) Christians are doing to screw up the world and then reading a laundry list of comments that bring up Bible verses and religious teachings to really pound into the heads of everybody around that Christians are NOT DOING THEIR RELIGION RIGHT, y'all, and isn't it darkly humorous?
Or I'm reading an article about how an atheist is protesting something the crazy (awful, evil, misguided, et cetera) Christians are doing and how Pagans should totally stage another protest alongside the atheist, because we have to fight the Christian domination.
Or I'm reading the results of a poll that show that Pagans don't want to have a central, organizing body, we just want to be left alone to worship as we will, nor do we want spokespeople to carry our concerns to the legislators. Comments seem to revolve around how Pagans do their own thing, contribute to society as individuals, and don't care to emulate the actions of groups they find deplorable.
On a certain level, I understand and agree with many of the sentiments I find in these articles and polls. I live Under the Buckle of the Bible Belt, y'all, and it is generally one long parade of violations of the separation of church and state and wading through Christian hypocrisy. It is scream-inducing, to say the least.
And to be frank, Christianity is the base-level religion in our country. We can argue against it all we want, but the very concept of the separation of Church and State comes from a reaction in the Christian (or Deist, for a few) Founders to the bloodbath that was the Plymouth colony and the dream of William Penn's democratic utopia. Thomas Jefferson might have believed that a religious state was wrong, but this belief came from the cultural background of failed Christian statehood.
Finally, you can't ignore the ingrained belief in the most vocal of Christians that Pagans are going to hell, that ANYBODY not Christian is going to hell and that somehow, this should be the basis of a government, complete with the military might to do away with anything not Christian. Ugh.
But...you know, you can't ignore something else. Christians are NOT reactionary. They are actionary (ooh, look, I invented a word.) They DO things in the name of their faith (sometimes AWFUL things, granted.) They come together in groups not just to protest other faiths, but to do good works: they say, "We are a Christian group and we are going to feed these children, rebuild this town, clean up this street." And then they do it. And it occurs to me that perhaps this is why Christianity has been so successful. It is based on organization, numbers, and ACTION.
As bizarre as it sounds, maybe this is what Pagans should start thinking about as our numbers surge. What would be wrong with a Pagan Council with representatives from various faith families? What would be wrong with a clearing house website of sorts, built and maintained by this council with information about the various faith paths, so that folks who are questioning the Pagan path can find this information easily? What would be wrong with this Council sponsoring or helping to organize charities that are specifically funded? Honestly, I want to know.
Are we afraid of infighting? Honey, please. Every other week there's a new "witch war" that breaks out on the interwebs, often over the use of the word "pagan" or "magic(k)" or...catch my drift?
Are we afraid of losing the safety of the status quo? Do no harm is the creed many of us follow, but doing no harm also seems--at least to many of us, myself included--to have become "do nothing."
It's weird, isn't it? A couple of weeks ago, we saw Pagans from all walks of life band together to support a handful of Pagan mothers who blog. This was a concerted effort, with leaders and spokespeople that enacted change. WE CHANGED THE WORLD. Yes, it was a tiny corner of the interwebs, but we changed that tiny corner. We changed the minds of people. We made friends with and educated people we wouldn't have normally even glanced at.
So...why can't we apply that to the real world? Why can't we get organized to enact change and educate others?
What is it, really, that prevents us from taking action?
Personally, and I believe I've said this before on your blog when you brought this up, I think Religion should be kept out of everything except one's heart. If you (or any other Pagan) takes issue with a pushy Christian agenda, I believe that going at it from a "Pagan" standpoint only stoops the Pagan community down to the "holy war" status that is causing all of this strife.
ReplyDeleteWhat I love about my Spiritual path is that it is my own. The thought of a Pagan church or united effort makes me want to dig a hole and not come out until it's over. It completely goes against the grain of what Paganism is all about to me.
Paganism, to me, is not and has never been an "organized Religion". That's what Wicca is for.
Bottom line, protest against injustice PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE use your freedom of speech but standing on the pulpit of Religion (any Religion) is what started all this.
In my humble opinion, Organized Religion is the root of all evil.
I agree with you about the concept of a Pagan church, but I don't know that Pagans can, in our society at this time, have any kind of political or social viability until we organize in some fashion. I'm not saying it's right...just saying it might be true.
ReplyDeleteI guess what bothers me the most about it is that because I am Pagan I will be grouped in with this group of organized Pagans.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, not all Muslims are terrorists but that stereotype haunts them daily. Not all Christians are conservative zealots, but again, that stereotype is there.
If I saw an organized group of Pagans spouting out a bunch of crap I don't believe in I'd have to bear the brunt of that as I call myself a Pagan.
Again, you mention the "political or social viability". I don't believe Religion has a place there.
Organize a group based on their stance on a particular subject, not upon their Spiritual beliefs. Why does it have to be a "Pagan movement"? Can't it just be a movement for equality, or a movement for rights? Can't we just leave Religion out of it? It's like I said, that's what has gotten this world into the mess we're in.
I like the idea of organizing. Having a clear voice to represent us is not a bad thing. Because when it boils down to it, there is no real seperation of church and state. The entities may be seperated, but the PEOPLE cannot be. As long as there if a fundamantalist Christian making laws, those laws are in some small way fundamentally Christian. Why should we, as Pagans, not have the same voice?
ReplyDeleteIt is a very hard thing indeed. There are so many sects of any religion (including ours), and we can see how other religions have fared with it, which is not well.
ReplyDeleteFor many Pagans, I don't think it's in our nature to really rally ahead a specific sect or political thing. We're usually very independent or only hang with a close knit family/community. Not to mention, we basically educate ourselves and we all don't share the same knowledge and it can be so varied.
But then again, look back at the Druids, the teachers and law makers and justice rulers.
Perhaps it all depends on the climate, culture and society we are living in, whether or not it's feasible to have that type of representation. Which in a way is somewhat like 'a damned if you do, damned if you don't' type of thing. Damned if you do, because things could go the way of the witch hunts and zealots of today, and damned if we don't because we won't have a voice to make changes.
For the moment, I would love to see perhaps more education of the public, especially since younger generations are usually more open minded. Which that in itself will be hard. But maybe once there is more awareness, people might be more willing to see us as something other than evil or freaks of nature.
We still have a lot of our own stereotypes to overcome in the process of teaching others.
Have you gone to the site?? - http://www.witchvox.com/
Perhaps there is a way to start something, if just for yourself or as a way to help other pagans who are of a similar mind, there.
Amen! (pun intended.) I often have to ask, not just about pagans, but any other person who proudly announces that he/she is a (fill in the blank) "Do you actually practice (fill in the blank) or do you just like the attention? Most real witches and pagans out there walk the talk and do more walking than talking.
ReplyDeleteSome people will join anything in order to be "different," not to mention there are those who are perpetually seeking. I've seen more than my share of those. Pagans, simply by doing their thing and being consistent, will accomplish whatever it is they try to accomplish by protesting and comparing themselves to others.
I think that there is a problem in the pagan community of automatically seeing and branding any type of organizational or 'leadership' attempts as trying to set up a church or 'church like' situation. We honestly NEED (whether or not we want to admit it) a unified set of faces and organized response to handle preserving and widening our rights. It's great that all of our paths are different, and none of us want to be part of a large group, but the truth is that large groups get to stand tall, and small groups get squashed like bugs. If we don't want to be on the fringes anymore then we need to start acting like it.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong in creating a pagan voice. There is nothing wrong in creating a pagan committee to be a voice. There is nothing wrong in NOT WANTING TO BE A PART OF IT. There is nothing wrong in desperately wanting to be a part of it.
ReplyDeleteI have wanted to be involved in a pagan community for so long and the UU community I am a part of is good but its not a CIRCLE, or people who even understand what a circle is. Maybe its time to get a social media thing going - or maybe other people who have had success can tell us who they worked with to be successful
You know what it is? We are so reactionary against being anything like those crazy Christians that we fight off the idea that maybe organization isn't so bad. Organized religion is NOT that bad of a thing. And in most cases, we aren't talking about organizing our religious beliefs as it is. Most time we are talking about just organizing together for the greater good. If we can band together over a silly contest WHY on earth aren't we banding together for political purposes? Or merely even helping people in our own communities? Because, it's too much like the religions that burned us. And here comes the cynicism.....but it's also a crap load of work. I sit on council for our local public goddess temple. I run a charitable program within the temple. Do you know how hard it is to get anyone remotely interested in serving the community? Oh my goddess it's frustrating! If it requires work and dealing with people outside of the comfort zone, forget it. I have to work on my own. And that is a shame. Because one voice does not have the power of 1000.
ReplyDelete*steps off soapbox*
Being organized does not automatically equate with becoming a specific religion-that's a projection we as Pagans have invented from our deepest fears and the desire to be nonconformist...And I have to say, it's mostly from the latter. We are so hung up on the 'wild and free' Pagan image that we are being lumped in with the anachronistic 'hippie movement', we come off as being such non-conformist malcontents that we stand for nothing. No matter what we do, no matter what we say, someone is going to have an image of us that isn't descriptive of who we are. Personally, trying to be all things and encompass everyone is a big fat cop-out...so let's do some image polishing so we can have a voice in society, rather than allowing others to take our personal power and decide who we are... So what if someone does something we don't like? Baptists, Presbyterians and Catholics are all still Christians...why can't those of us of differing traditions accept the Pagan umbrella and stop being so elitist?
ReplyDeleteWhy can't people stand up and speak out without wearing a Religion around their neck?
ReplyDelete@Dark Mother, why hasn't that happened so far? And organizing doesn't have to take on specific religious beliefs....organizing is just getting together with a plan to stand up. Too many would rather sit back and let someone else do the work.
ReplyDeleteWhat about just having a site that focuses on some of the issues Pagans are particularly concerned about- the environment, women's rights, whatever- not call it 'pagan' and 'organized' in the same sentence, but have it just be a place to put community things out there. Volunteer opportunities, political rallies, that kind of thing. I kind of want to make this happen now... anyone else like this idea?
ReplyDeleteDM, in cases of politics, as in "this law was written to further Religion X," that the separation of C & S should be held firm. However, I don't think it is logical to say that religion should be kept out of public life. (This is just my opinion...just trying to think out loud.) The truth is that our faiths reflect how we interact with the world and I think that modern Pagans of all ilk are missing out on an opportunity to lessen prejudice if we don't publicly interact with the world. Islam certainly gets a bad rap, but the world also abounds with Islamic groups that work to educate the public and perform good deeds and one of the reasons they do it is, frankly, P.R.
ReplyDeleteTocaya, I agree. Keeping religion out of the actual law is a great idea, but when the people who influence the law are one particular religion, it makes it hard for all to be represented.
FC, I agree that there's a double edged sword we have to tiptoe around. I further agree with the idea of education for the public, but while I adore Witchvox, I'm not sure if that's the purpose it serves.
Aine, well...I'm a perpetual seeker. LOL! I think, however, that my frustration is that I feel like it's time for Pagans to "step it up."
ReplyDeleteTravs, EXACTLY. If you consider, for example, the diverse factions within Christianity, it's staggering to consider how powerful united under that umbrella can be. Of course, Christians have had problems, as well. Those who embrace Christianity in a Christ-centered way are often pushed aside by those who favor a Paul-centered Christianity. But, by and large, a group with a "face" does much better than a group without one.
DiannaMoon, I absolutely agree. One shouldn't have to join any organization in order to embrace a faith's tenets. However, I think that there should be a way for those of us who DO want to band together to enact change to do so.
Angela, I think you're right. Trying to do something by yourself (I not at all fondly recall my attempts at Earth Day in Dingleberry...) is a world of pain and frustration.
AmethJera, I agree. I believe that holding on to the (reactionary) "we're not like Teh Christians" thing is holding us back.
DM, I think because...that's not the world we live in. I think also that...this is hard for me to vocalize. Maybe it comes from living in a place where we TALK about stuff. The South might be rank with dumbassery, but we don't shy from having political discussions. It isn't uncommon for a casual dinner to involve conversations in which you declare the religious or political ideology behind life choices. And so I see very clearly the power that people have when their faith is vocalized as the reason behind their actions--good or bad.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I think that's an interesting idea. I LIKE it. Tell you what...email me at nothannah@comsouth.net and let's talk. In fact, if anybody else is up for it, email me.
It is really difficult for me to pick a side on this. On the one hand, I think you should support a cause because you believe in it, and not solely because of religious convictions. Even if your spirituality or choice of faith is what led you to have those convictions, I don't feel it is necessary to inform everyone of it.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Pagans coming together to support various causes or supporting specific values *could* help "fight the fear" as they say. However, you are opening the door to PR, you have just as much chance of having bad or negative PR as you do good or positive.
I like the idea of being able to join a Pagan support team for hungry people or similar, but at the same time, I feel like hungry people are hungry and they don't care what religion is giving them a sandwich.
BUT, I want to be able to put "Pagan" on my medical forms at the hospital so that in case something happens, someone who prays like me, to the Goddess is called to my room instead of a priest or a pastor. I *WANT* to see news casts about which political cannidate is being supported by the majority of Pagan voters.
I'm not sure if those things are possible without a Pagan Face or Voice. It's possible it *COULD* be, who knows?
I don't think there is anything at all wrong with organization. If there was a "Pagan music for Food" drive type of event, I'd be there with fucking bells on, but if there wasn't, I'd still donate food.
I just really can't decide definitively one way or another which I feel is the best idea.
Ya know what? Maybe it's time to piss off the people who need to see just how their LACK of action is hurting the very belief system they hold dear.
ReplyDeleteSeparate the wheat from the chaff - that's what I'm talking about. If people have the energy to scream about being persecuted then they need to put up or shut the hell up.
YES - it takes LEADESHIP. Oh whoopsie - there's that word that makes pagans cringe. Well GET OVER IT. How in the HELL does anyone expect to be taken seriously as a religion/belief system WITHOUT LEADERSHIP?
Don't get me wrong: it's OK to practice your beliefs in the safety of your own homes where you don't have to fear being persecuted or made fun of. But to just turn the other way when those who are trying to provide you with even BETTER tools to develop your spirituality are asking for help? SHAME ON YOU!!
ugh.
/rant
ps: even negative PR gets you noticed by the right people. Just ask Christian Day, or Laurie Cabot. Love her or hate her, Laurie Cabot has done AMAZING things to get the public educated on what we are - and are not.
ReplyDeleteHannah: it's crucial to open the dialog. THAT'S how amazing things get accomplished!!