2.27.2008
(Pagan) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
As if sensing that the recent Pew Forum study of America's religious landscape would show that modern Paganism continues to grow, while Christianity's majority status is eroding, a growing number of anti-Pagan articles have appeared warning the faithful of our growth. One comes from Janice Crouse, a senior fellow with Concerned Women for America, who warns of the growth of Wicca and "Earth Worship" among the Christian youth.
"Janice Crouse, a senior fellow with Concerned Women for America, says it's disturbing that many young people in evangelical churches are experimenting with the Wiccan religion. Church leaders and Christian parents, she warns, must be ready to counter that growing interest among their youth. Crouse cites an article in Religion Journal which said youth pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention were worried about large numbers of evangelicals taking part in Wicca, a religion that involves nature worship, stresses moral autonomy, and includes remedies and spells ... [Crouse] says the interest in Wicca can be traced to recent books featuring witchcraft and similar topics."
Meanwhile, WorldNetDaily prints the cover story from their recent Whistleblower magazine issue dedicated to the growth of Witchcraft in America. Besides including a strange obsession with author Neale Donald Walsch, it is your typical anti-Wiccan piece, complete with the "feminism/lesbianism encourages Wicca" argument.
"In many ways, the interest in Wicca among women (at least two-thirds of Wiccans are female) parallels the growth in feminism and lesbianism – all fueled by disillusionment with and alienation from men. Indeed, sociologist Helen Berger, who spent 10 years researching and writing the authoritative book "A Community of Witches: Contemporary Neo-Paganism and Witchcraft in the United States," reports the astounding conclusion that at least 40 percent of Wiccans and neopagans are homosexual or bisexual. Clearly, Wicca has become the spiritual home for many feminists, including lesbians. It's also the most graphic, in-your-face example of a much more universal phenomenon - the increasing feminization of the Christian church and of Western culture."
Articles like these (and others) seem to point to an increasingly nervous conservative Christian population. A group of believers concerned with their looming irrelevance. A future where politicians no longer feel the need to pander to them, and where they are just another voice in diverse chorus of religious voices.
The blog Newspaper Rock links to an article put out by the United Methodist Church discussing their problems ministering to Native Americans, and the long history of (justified) distrust among Native peoples towards the Christian religion.
"No more than 6 percent of the 2.7 million Native Americans in the United States identify themselves as Christian--a statistic often blamed on mistrust of the church. Mission schools operated on Indian reservations from the late 1800s through the first half of the 20th century, many of them founded by Methodists. Children were forced to adopt Anglo-European culture, abandon their tribal languages and convert to Christianity. Today the Native American Church, an indigenous denomination that mixes elements of Christian faith with tribal sacraments, thrives in Native communities where mainline churches don't."
Newspaper Rock blogger Rob Schmidt says that there is another very good reason, aside from distrust, why Christianity has problems making inroads into Native Country.
"I suspect most Natives eschew Christianity not because they mistrust the church but because they already have perfectly good religions."
A point not often conceded by the missionary-minded.
In the wake of a woman being sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for "witchcraft", the European Union is criticizing a draft penal code in Iran that would order death for anyone convicted of "witchcraft".
"The European Union has called on Iran to drop provisions in a draft penal code stipulating the death penalty for apostasy, heresy and witchcraft. "These articles clearly violate the Islamic Republic of Iran's commitments under the international human rights conventions," the Slovenian EU Presidency said in a statement."
Are Muslim nations ushering in a new era of witch hunts? How will the international community react once innocent women are being put to death for the "crime" of witchcraft?
Diane Slawych travels to Catemaco, Veracruz (in Mexico) and surrounding areas to witness the annual Congreso Internacional de Brujos, a convention of shamans, witches, Brujos, Santeros, and other traditional healers in the region.
"Another local tells me witches can be found in more than a dozen towns in the area and are often consulted by locals seeking a spiritual cleansing or help with various life problems. But why have all the witches congregated in the same region I wonder. One guidebook offers a possible explanation. Until the 1940s the area was dense jungle and so folk traditions survived longer here than elsewhere ... the witches festival isn't heavily promoted, though many Mexicans, who make up most of the visitors, seem to know about it. The weekend event begins this year on Friday, March 7. Ask for details of shows and other activities on arrival. And if you want to meet a practitioner of folk medicine, keep in mind you don't have to come during the festival. In the towns of Los Tuxtlas you can meet a witch at any time of year!"
Its too bad the article is written as a light piece of "spiritual tourism", instead of actually taking an interest in the indigenous and syncretic faith practices of the area.
The Interfaith Alliance has compiled a video outlining the "Top 10 Moments in the Race for Pastor-in-Chief and the unholy use of religion in the presidential campaigns."
Number one? Mike Huckabee tells a crowd: "What we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards". With all the Christian rhetoric flying this primary season, its hard to know which candidate will really hear the concerns of minority faiths in America.
In a final note, Slate.com reports on the growing popularity of mead, a drink made from fermented honey, popular throughout the ancient world.
"...the recent interest in fermented honey has morphed it from an esoteric item that only a few bearded Dungeons & Dragons players indulged in to a small yet legitimate commercial enterprise ... Is mead, last popular around King Arthur's table, poised for a comeback?"
Sadly this interesting article is marred by the harping on the drinks "image problem" due to its popularity with SCA members and Renaissance fairs (as if this were some insurmountable obstacle). In the end, the author admits that he just doesn't like mead all that much, claiming mead is the perfect beverage for Winnie-the-Pooh should he ever take to the bottle. Perhaps next time an article of this nature could be written by someone who actually enjoys mead.
Labels: American Indian, Brujeria, Christianity, Islam, mead, Mexico, Native American, Pagan News of Note, Paganism, Presidential election, Witch Killings, Witchcraft, WorldNetDaily
2.10.2008
The New Anti-Paganism
Now that the Democratic party is rushing to publicly embrace God and close the "religion gap" with rival Republicans, and with secularism seemingly on the run (or at least out of fashion), some Christian conservatives are looking towards a new scapegoat that will appeal to their audience: Paganism. While certain segments of Christianity have always been a bit obsessed with "the occult" and other "dark forces" that could imperil one's soul, this new anti-Pagan alignment casts Christians as caring individuals wanting to cure a religious "sickness" caused by an irreligious secular age.
"If you think that secular humanism has become biblical Christianity's most threatening opponent in contemporary society, Peter Jones wants you to think again. He will tell you - politely but emphatically - that you're at least a decade or two behind the curve ... Jones calls it neo-paganism. Around the world, in dozens of shapes, names, and forms, it is winning the allegiance and hearts especially of young people who are already disillusioned with the empty promises of secularism and materialism. The idea of the supernatural no longer bothers or embarrasses them. They want to know there is something more "out there," and they are willing to explore bizarre realities to find whatever it might be."
Much like the evangelical crusade against homosexuality, adherence to a Pagan faith is starting to be seen as a "confusion", a tragic illness caused by a lack of knowledge concerning the "truth" of Christianity. To be cured, one must only hear the truth. So just as yesterday's "vicious sodomites" have become today's young men and women in need of intensive therapy to realize what is "normative", so too have Pagans morphed from Satanic helpers to a collection of over-earnest environmentalists, frustrated feminists, and misguided teens. As this re-alignment has happened, several Christian authors have cast themselves as champions of empathy working to help Christians "understand" Paganism and in turn, guide these poor "spiritually hungry" souls back towards the righteous path.
"Wicca is here and we need to face that," said Sanders, a speechwriter for the U.S. Department of Justice. "We can be threatened by these trends or we can see all of this as a sign that people are hunting for something that is greater than themselves, yearning for spiritual experiences they can call their own. They want to rebel against the secular culture and find a way to get back to nature."
While this emerging anti-Paganism has hardly replaced the vehement anti-secularism you still see within most conservative circles, fringe organizations like WorldNetDaily have devoted quite a bit of time and attention to the matter. Their special anti-Witchcraft publication was handed out freely at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference, gaining some mocking mentions from the press.
"The magazine Whistleblower examines 'Why So Many Americans Are Embracing Witchcraft,' and subsequently 'sexing each other in the moonlight while summoning spirits and casting spells.' The magazine's publisher concludes that Christians must never practice yoga, but instead 'serve like an occupying army of love and peace until Jesus comes back to reign as king.'"
This still-nascent trend will only enlarge as modern Paganism continues to make inroads towards the mainstream. As outreach groups try to re-tool their methods in an attempt to stop alienating the younger generations, you can expect more and more attention will be given to the "problem" of modern Paganism's growth. Some of the more dramatic Pagans out there might envision a new "Burning Times", but I think the truth is that you'll instead see loads of propaganda, hand-wringing editorials (won't anyone think of the children), and further attempts to legislate us back underground. In the meantime, I suppose it is something of a compliment to be ranked up there with secularism in the "dangers to Christianity" department.
Labels: Christianity, Paganism, politics, Religious Freedom, Wicca, WorldNetDaily
1.02.2008
WorldNetDaily and The Witches
Here I go again, breaking my unwritten rule to not blog about anything that loony-fringe "news" site WorldNetDaily has to say about Witches. But sometimes they try so hard to get our attention that you can't help but say something in response. To wit, their "special" issue of Whistleblower Magazine focusing solely on Witchcraft and the dangers of the occult.
"The real thing - that is, the stunning phenomenon of more and more American housewives, students, professors, and even soldiers self-identifying as "witches" - is the topic of the January edition of WND's elite monthly Whistleblower magazine ... Wicca is intentionally shrouded in mystery, said David Kupelian, managing editor of WorldNetDaily and Whistleblower. 'But in the news business we prefer sunshine to moonlight, believing it makes a much better disinfectant. This issue of Whistleblower shines a very bright light on New Age, neo-pagan and occult beliefs and practices, and in a way that I believe will generate a lot of 'aha!' experiences in our readers.'"
Only the best clip-art for their hard-hitting expose'.
Yes, Wicca is "intentionally shrouded in mystery", which is why there are hundreds (if not thousands) of books published on the subject that you can find in any mainstream bookstore. Lest anyone start to think this might be a "fair and balanced" view of modern Pagans, the very first article is entitled "The great deception has begun" (where Witches are portrayed as "part of a rebellion against Him and His laws"). They have an "an in-depth and shocking" look at Pagans in the military, and more articles that provide a "mind-boggling" (you can say that again) investigation into this "stunning phenomenon". These "journalists" are answering the tough questions about Witchcraft!
"...can witches be good? Can they really cast spells that somehow call forth the spirits beyond the world of nature to help them accomplish their will - whether good or evil? Is magic real? Why do witches often perform their ceremonies naked?"
So if you miss the days when Wicca was looked at with fear and suspicion, take a trip back to the "golden years" with the lunatic fringe. Where the Cold War still rages, Christianity has a vise-grip on morality, and religious minorities (not to mention sexual and racial minorities) knew to keep their heads down. I salute the "brave" staff of Whistleblower for exposing this shocking religious movement before is spread across the world, gained legal recognition, and entered the mainstream.
ADDENDUM: An angry Wiccan priest writes a letter to WND.
"Wicca is not such as you have presented. Rather, the religion more closely associated with the mountain of perversity, bigotry, hatred, child molestation by ministers and priests, sexual abuse by the same priests and ministers, and numerous other perversities mentioned daily in news sources across the nation is none other than "Christianity" itself!"
They made it their "letter of the week".
Labels: lunatic fringe, New Age, occult, Paganism, Religious Right, Satanic Panic, Wicca, Witchcraft, WorldNetDaily
