Evangelical Pagans and Shunning..

     I  was greatly disturbed yesterday  when I  quickly peeked at Facebook  before I  headed off to  work. I  have Shauna Aura Knight on my friends list and she recently posted a comment that  bothers me greatly.  Shauna is upset that  the Frosts are invited guests to  the Michigan Pagan Pride Day,  and she has decided to campaign to remove the Frosts from this  event. Here is the post she made:

There are a many issues here that  just upset me greatly. Shauna lives in Illinois and is from Wisconsin. Why is she getting involved with  what is going on in Michigan. If a group in Michigan want to  have the Frosts  as guests, they  should be allowed without  some out of state person complaining.  Shauna is just as  bad in my eyes as the  American Family Association. This is one of a few groups that  sent Campaign money to Iowa after Iowa legalized Gay marriage. They made it their mission to  oust the judges that  voted in favor of Gay  marriage.  Shauna is wanting to  campaign to oust the frosts.

One of my Favorite aspects of Paganism is the freedom that we all  have in following the path  that  we want. You  can place 200  pagans in the same room and not find two  that  share the same exact beliefs. There is really no  wrong way  to  be a pagan. But Shauna is basically telling these people in Michigan that  they  are wrong in  wanting to  have the Frosts to  be at their event.  A couple of pagans must have wanted to  meet the frosts and they are being told be Shauna that  this is wrong.

Shauna is saying that  her problems aren't with  the Frosts, but  with  the pagans that  support them.  That it is 'water under the bridge". If it is actually water under the bridge, why is she getting so upset about  this?  But  she did  mention that  the Frosts were "wrong" with  what  they  wrote TWICE.  Everyone including Shauna can have an opinion, but  there is a difference in having an opinion and trying to enforce it one others. Shauna has become an Evangelical Pagan, she has decided that  her  moral  standards are above others.  Because everybody that  doesn't  agree with  her must change their  way of handling of the Frosts.  Shauna wants you to  SHUN the Frosts.  There is no  way  of spinning this to not look like shunning.  Shauna is very  descriptive to  the level of interaction she wants the Frosts to  get... NONE!!!

     When did  Shunning become a part of Paganism?  Up until  this  year I  have never heard of any  pagans be told that  they  are to  be shunned. With  Shauna's demand that  the Frosts receive no  hospitality, this makes it the second time for me to  see Shunning used in Paganism. The first was a few months ago when a lady  that  I  was in a disagreement with  said that  she would block me from attending a any  pagan event  within 300 miles.  And what  makes this situation even worse is that  both these people are members of a pagan leadership group on Facebook.  And that  should  make you  see some red flags.  It is also  how organized religion works, Paganism is going to  face some growing pains very  soon. Name a religion that is famous for shunning people?............ I  bet over half of you said Christianity.  Didn't many of us Pagans leave Christianity because of things like this?

     Shauna is upset  with  the Frost's writings , calling them unethical.  Which is something that  I  find hypocritical. Shauna is asking for the Frosts to  be shunned by the pagan community.  In her eyes they shouldn't be a part of any  events and nobody should attend their classes.  This is how pagans earn money in the pagan community. Thus Shauna is openly blocking the Frosts  from employment in the  Pagan community. Shauna is Blackballing the Frosts, and that is an illegal action.  And the legal  definition for Blackballing in Iowa (my State) is: Preventing or trying to prevent, either verbally or in writing, a discharged employee from obtaining other employment.

     Why is Shauna so  upset? Because the Frosts wrote a book " The witch's bible" later named "The good witches bible". Chapter four has some writings that  can be taken in a unethical manner. It is talking about sex in the coven, and that  new members should be prepared to  be sexual within the coven. In the original edition no  age was stated and thus a few people like A J Drew took  it as targeting children. Shauna states in her post that  the Frosts have done nothing about this problem. When in fact they have done all they  can do to fix the situation.  They have revised the book, calling the revised version 'The Good Witches Bible" In which  they have added a disclaimer stating   "No formal initiation into a group that practices the great rite should be done before the candidate attains the age of eighteen."   18 is the legal age of adulthood, thus no kids would be brought in to  this act.  The reason why  this issue won't die is because there are still  copies of the original book still out there and that is what  people are looking for. The Frosts can't go out  and find every single copy and destroy them. And the revised edition was printed over 25 years ago.

     Evangelical Shauna has decided that  the many many  pagans that have moved past this one book are wrong as well.  Shauna is upset that  these pagans have swept this issue under the carpet.  Remember that  wonderful aspect about Paganism, how we can each  find our own unique path. Shauna thinks you are wrong for not  punishing the Frosts as much as she thinks they  deserve.  Should it be up  to  the individual  to decide who  they wish  to  be friends with and learn from?  Shauna has decided that she is the moral  standard and that  you apparently need to  follow her desires when it  comes to  the Frosts. I  have ideals and ethics as well, but I  can't and won't campaign to  have them imposed on others.  I am not perfect, and my  ethics are ideal for my culture and location. Paganism is a world wide blanket term for various earth based religions, covering many  cultures and nations. Who am I  to  say that  my ethics can be put on the world,  I  would be an ASS is I  tried that. But Shauna is doing it by  telling others that  the Frosts should be shunned and receive nothing from the Pagan community.

     I  did my research on the Frosts. I  double checked sources looking for anything that  was questionable about them.  If they  were molesting children,  I  wanted to  see the proof of it. And that is the thing,  The Frosts have never be charged with  molesting children.  There are people like A J Drew that have accused them of it, but  they  are innocent of child molestation.  I seen people on Shauna's post call them child molesters, and Shauna never corrected them on the name calling.  The Frosts are being punished for a crime they  did not commit.  They  are only guilty of poorly writing and explaining their ideas about sex in the coven. I  read the Wild Hunt that  said the same thing I  am saying,  The Frosts have never been found guilty or charged with  child molestation, but  some people  assume that  they  have.

     Then I  have been asking myself a very important question. Why is Shauna doing this? The Book in question has been out of print for over 25 years. The Frosts have added the disclaimer, thus editing and removing the  parts in question.  It is my opinion that  Shauna has gotten a little too  big  for her britches and is still  working on building her name.  I  call  her an Evangelical  because she is trying to impose her ideals on others,  showing little regard to  the individuality that  pagans love.   Most evangelicals need something to  preach  against. Christianity has satan and sins, Shauna as it seems has picked the Frosts.  The Frosts are 84 and 83 years old, it is a canned hunt. Just like the crude trophy hunters that  spend money  hunting an old or injured tiger, Shauna is 38 years old with  a large online fan base of young people that  have probably never read any  book  by the Frosts. In my opinion , Shauna is just as bad as A J Drew when he decided to  burn the Frosts in Effigy.

     I  am going to post my blog on Shauna's facebook  page.  I  am blunt and to  the point, some of these questions need to  be answered. Shauna, when did shunning become an acceptable practice in Paganism? Who  gave you the authority to  decide which people need to  be shunned?  Shouldn't the  Pagans of Michigan be the ones to  decide who will  be the special guests at their Pagan event? After all, it is Michigan Pagan event and not Shauna Pagan event.  Are you going to  create a list of all  pagans that  are not allowed to  be special guests at Pagan events? So  that  next year Michigan doesn't have to  ask you before they  pick that years special  guests.  Shauna is out doing a witch  hunt on two people that done a lot for  the pagan community. It  was their church  that  was the first federally recognized pagan Church. They  have written many  books, and have helped teach many  pagans. I  remember there being discussions about respecting older pagans for all  the knowledge they have is important to  share,  I  guess you missed those discussions.

      Those two pagans wrote the very first pagan book I  ever read,   I  do  respect the older pagans that  have so much  to teach us.  They are not guilty of any  crimes against children.  So if you are looking for a fight,  you now have one with me.

The Maynard Generation, not the millenium generation.

I  am an older person with  some strong old fashioned ethics. But do not conclude that I  am out of the loop. I  am fairly good with  computers and I  check out the latest trends.  And there a old fashioned ethics that  worth knowing and living to.  Shunning these ethics is not productive for yourself and society. And what  are these ethics that  I  am talking about? Hard work, manners, and being self reliant are the three standards that I  think  are being ignored by  the latest generation to enter the work world.

A few months ago I  read an article that  kids are taking their parents with  them to  job interviews. If I  was an employer I  would never hire a person that  brought their mom or dad to a job interview. I  would want a one on one conversation with  the person that I  might hire.  And since I  am not hiring their mom or dad, they  shouldn't be there. It tells m that  this person can't handle situations on their own. If I  had a large corporation to  run with  a major presentation to  be delivered by  the millennial , do I  tell  then to make sure that  the  bring their mom with, because we can't miss this opportunity?

Manners seams to  be dying away  at a quicker pace. Because of the limited social interactions that  this new generation has due to  cellphones and twitter,  millennials are social stunted. At work  for me, the younger employees barely say  anything at break  and lunch  time. they  just sit and stare at their smart phone.  And their posts are so  grammatically challenged , you would think  that  a 5th grader wrote them. The art of conversation  has vanished, being replaced with  "loll's" and "ROFL's".  With  such limited mentality, these people don't know social  graces like please and thank yous. opening the door for someone is now mostly done by  the older people only.  There are some exceptions, but  there aren't many.

I  was told at work  that  the 'rules' have changed. That  we have to  be nicer and more sensitive towards the younger generation. They  can't handle  the negativity that  we are accustomed to. I  am so  against this principal. Now the younger people that  have little or no  work  ethic have been given ore control over the work environment. Worse yet , we can't tell them to  get to  work. So  people like myself that have worked  a certain job for over 10 years have to bend over backwards to  accommodate the younger less experienced person. They  can actually start dictating how the work area will  run because they  can now run to a manager and say  that someone like me was 'mean'.

And this new generation doesn't have a work ethic  to save their life.  Recently I have a 20 year old kid last one day  working with me, and I  did  a majority of the work.  Many  25 and younger kids  haven't lasted more than a month at my  work. How  can you say  that  you gave a job an honest attempt if you  only went to work  twice?  And these kids are our future leaders? well I  feel  a great deal of doom over head.  Many kids were handed everything they  wanted without having to earn it. So  they  have become dependent  on the others giving in to  them. These young adults  get upset when they are cut off from  their parents  bank  account.  Work is something they  just can't handle. They  want the paycheck  but not the work it takes to  earn it.  There are many  that  believe that  they  should be managers when they  can't do  the work  of an entry level employee.

So  why  call  these young adults with  little to offer society the Maynard Generation instead of the millennium Generation? Because there is a TV character that  these people act like.  And not the Tow truck  named Maynard from Cars.  Because that  character was 'Get R Done" , and that  would require an effort.  In the early  1960's there was a program called "The Many  Loves of Dobie Gillis" or just "Dobie Gillis".  Well Dobie was a high school student and he had his best buddy... Maynard G. Krebbs.  Maynard was a Slacker that  was afraid of work. Every time he heard the word work he would  freak out.   Maynard lacked social skills, manners, and a work ethic, much like this new generation does today.  He is the clip from YouTube the shows you what I  mean..  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqzpQPDSr2s


This is the first generation that  has  failed to  show  potential  and desire to make this country a better place. This generation will  be in and out of the work environment faster that many of us older workers and we will have to  support their  failures.  This why  we must improve our schools, schools have declined in putting out quality people. This must change our we will  become the least modern industrial nation on the planet.