Lately I have been reading and learning more about the outer image of paganism. I have grown concerned and troubled about how people act, and wonder how to fix it. But actions by a few can turn into something ugly quickly, and can mirror actions of other religions. We pagans love to think for ourselves and some of us protest whenever someone steps on our toes. I believe that sometimes we have no choice in the matter, that something has to be done to protect the greater good of paganism.
The Kaye Berry saga continues, shortly after being told that she needs to remove herself from the New Council of Witches concept, she is still selling services under a witch banner. A good friend stated that she was having an Herbal class for $2,000, a dramatic increase in price. Is she doing this out of anger? My gut tells me that she is, but I will never know for sure. What rhetoric is she spewing if she is angry with the pagan community. She has threatened people with legal actions, what does that say about paganism? What does that say for pagans?
I am bothered with information that I have learned tonight. There is a book called , "The Good Witch bible" by Gavin Frost. I have yet to read the book, not sure if I want to buy the book to show support for it either. In this book , there are many questionable comments made about sexuality and children. If half of what I have read about is factual, I couldn't support this book in any manner. All religions in the US must follow the laws of the land, and anything that is sexually corrupting children is violating the laws of this nation. This gives paganism a black eye, Anyone seeking to find something to hold over paganism can use this book and say that pagans are sexually corrupting children.
I am wanting to promote a clean image of paganism. Pagans are not sexually repressed like the abrahamic religions. We like sex and will enjoy sex when the proper situation occurs. Most pagans believe in sexual acts between consenting adults, not with children.
How do we protect this image of paganism that we hold dear to our hearts? If a group of pagans created a list of questionable practices according to the law, they could be considered angry and spiteful. We want to right to practice what we believe in, and if we start to "black list" certain aspects connected to a pagan path, aren't we just as guilty as the christians that try to condemn other christian groups? I think there is a difference, but not much. Currently there are fundamental preachers spreading hate and intolerence about so many other groups, but barely any christians are speaking up against them. Thus allowing the hate to continue. If a group of pagans were to make a list of questionable books, rituals, or groups based solely of legal and ethical actions, then the difference is made.
Can you stand by and allow others to tarnish what you have worked hard to build?
The stuff about Gavin Frost really upset me, not that I am any kind of fan of his, but his name does come up in Wiccan circles. I was telling my hubby and he reminded me that the book was written in the 1970s, many were experimenting all sorts of strange fetishes with coked up minds. Now as far as the incest with children, that is sick, but we don't know if he wrote about it in some drugged hallucination or if he actually committed the crime. Without any victims we will never know for sure. Now, just writing about it makes me not want to know the guy, and it gives the whole pagan community a bad name. Witches have been accused of all sorts of sick things in attempts of justifying the holocaust against them. We sure don't need to prove them correct.
ReplyDelete