Essay Pages

Future of Neo-Paganism; some comments on a E-list thread

by Lisa Morgenstern
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Bransen wrote:

So where do we all feel NeoPaganism is going? Is it gaining worldwide
acceptance? Should we care? Do misfit representatives of our religion
do more harm in the public eye than good? Or are they even making it
before the public eye? I have tons of questions about the kinds of
people attracted to the craft and their inner motivations...but
that's another story...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I think it would be safe to say that Paganism, Reconstructionist religions,
and Wicca in general is exploding. The dawn of the internet has served to
connect a lot of people who might not otherwise have gotten to know one
another.. And has proven to be a great networking tool. Just as people who
are into other types of things that you might not talk about casually
(religion, transgender, cross dressing, home schooling... To name a few),
are able to connect with one another with a feeling of safety, because they
need not come 'out' in order to do so on the internet.

On the other hand, there are plenty of folk who don't do the computer thing,
who are missing some big pieces of the picture.

I think that we will always have people who will never accept our religion,
just like it is likely that there will always be people who cannot accept
anything alternative to their own beliefs. I feel it's human nature, and
also a cultural thing. People who are raised in some cultures are taught
that doing _____ is evil, or verboten, and thus anyone who does _____ is
going to be ostracized, or perhaps even punished by law, in some places.

____
Is it gaining worldwide
acceptance? Should we care?
__________

Ok, I would say there is world wide awareness, and perhaps some tolerance,
but acceptance is quite a ways away. As far as caring? Well, there are some
practices that I choose to do that might never be accepted. For example- The
Great Rite in toto, is something that many cannot accept, and may never do
so. Honestly? I don't care what others think about my personal practices
with my husband (who is my HP) and don't feel it's that big a deal. My coven
and my practice are secret, oathbound, and because of that, I will *never*
have an interested observer watching what I do in my Trad circle.. I will
only have Initiates of my Trad in my Trad circles. Therefore, no, I don't
care. And many who practice in a similar fashion to me have said **** it,
they are going back to being "hidden children of the Goddess" and are not
interested in acceptance.

An interesting thread on the Pagans Against Discrimination list (a list
formed for folks who are trying to move on from the folding of WARD), was a
discussion by some about who to represent... Whether or not for example,
Satanists should be represented if they are having
workplace/housing/whatever religious discrimination. I was one of a few who
were loudly proclaiming that we needed to accept the Left Hand Path-ers,
Temple of Setians, and Church of Satan members, because they have a path
too. Some of them call themselves Witches or Pagans. Some of them do not.
Either way, as I said on that list, I would go to the wall for this one
fellow I know who is a Setian Priest.. If he or one of his kids was
experiencing discrimination because of religion, I'd want to help him defend
himself. Now, in my town, I'm not sure if they are ready to know about this
path, and since I'm pretty sure he's not leaping out of the closet to tell
his neighbors and community members about his religious path, It's not for
me to go out and start waving his flag. He needs to do that. But, if he
needed help in some way, I'd pitch SUCH a fit with the folks who run around
saying, "We aren't Satanists" as if that were a BAD thing. I think what they
mean is, "We aren't those stereotype folks who claim to worship Satan and
sacrifice animals, or humans... In fact, those are what I call criminals."

On our local Human Relations Hate Crimes Task Force http://avhctf.org , we
have a bunch of people who aren't ready to hear that yet. I'm working
towards acceptance of MY religion, and that of other Pagans in our area,
with such things as our local Pagan Pride Day, and by participating in our
local Interfaith Council: http://avinterfaith.com as a Witch and offering
prayers in my faith tradition. I feel that this work is EXTREMELY important,
and to NOT be flakey, and honor what I say I will do, when in the public
eye.

I spent a lot of time dressing VERY conservatively at Interfaith events,
(was accused of dressing like a Mormon).. And trying to reach people at
their level. To talk to the local ministers, I need to show them I am not
that different from them. To emphasize the commonality, I dressed more like
them, instead of having purple hair, multiple piercings and tattoos visible,
I could meet them at their level.

That leads into your next question:
________
Do misfit representatives of our religion
do more harm in the public eye than good?
_______
Yep. Yep. Yep.
Though every religion has them to some extent, when we present ourselves as
OUT pagans in the community, to the non-pagan community, we represent EVERY
Pagan or Wiccan or Heathen, whether we like it or not. Don't get me wrong, I
have lots of friends who are pierced in ... Interesting... Places, or have
tattoos or different colored hair.. People who look different from the
normal boy-next-door Disney employee type look. And one of the problems with
looking that way, is that all people see is the pierced
nose/eyebrow/lip/whatever and they don't look past it to the PERSON. Yes,
it's because of prejudice. Yes, it's because people are intolerant. But we
have to help make a half way mark somewhere.

One of the things that is a bonus but also a downfall of our Pagan community
is the lack of accredited colleges that people can attend to attain the
ministry. I say it's a bonus because it means we really have a good deal of
leeway... And it can be quite inexpensive, in fact, NO ONE SHOULD CHARGE for
Craft Priesthood training (another bit of dogma I learned from other
Witches) and that's a good thing. On the down side, however, it also means
that we have a PLETHORA of people claiming stuff that they are not. And
there are not a lot of ways to counter their false claims.

It has always been a struggle for me to comprehend why someone would need to
fabricate their background or training, that is, to claim they are
Gardnerian HP trained by Ray Buckland, when they are not and such thing, and
in fact just picked up a book last month... <shakes head I just don't get
it. But because of the incredible freedom we have, we also have the issue of
people who are wanna-bes and posers, representing themselves to the media or
to other clergy, and basically, making fools of themselves AND the religion
they represent.

I can't tell you how many folks told me, "I knew someone who was in a coven
in high school, they did X and Y and Z, and I didn't want to touch Wicca
with a 10 foot pole." Well, that wasn't Wicca.. (IMHO) and these posers do
no one any favors. Yet without a means of tracking down training or people's
credentials, this can and does happen again and again. Both to the seekers
and to those on the outside.

What I think is necessary, is for Witches and Pagans and Heathens who are
out of the closet, to do the community work, to be willing to roll up their
sleeves and volunteer in their community. And by doing that, and being a
good citizen and neighbor, we gain far more than we lose from the charlatans
who have the big mouths and small brains. :)

© 2003, Lisa Morgenstern

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