I chose to be Pagan. I volunteered. But this latest persecution of alternative religious expression got me thinking that I didn’t choose this. I didn’t choose to be a victim of an oppressive theocracy.
My great-grandparents came to this country to escape pogroms. They came here to be free. And, while some Jews adopted gentile surnames, we did not. I was raised to be proud of who I am, and raised to celebrate my difference, to celebrate the religious freedom that makes America both diverse and free. Like a lot of Jews, I am a liberal patriot, because I know how precious it is to be free, and how easily that freedom can be snatched away.
I credit my mother’s pride in her Judaism with my ability to be proud of my Paganism. I am proud of her. To the extent that I hold my head up, and say not here, not to us, never again, I am proud of myself. But we have to keep fighting.
We have to fight the attempts to establish a theocracy. Fight religious monuments in government buildings. Fight the notion of a “Christian nation.” Fight bigotry against Muslims. Fight with our keyboards, our wallets, our voices, and the stands we take. If we don’t fight for it, I guarantee they’ll take it away from us.
It’s tragic that so many are born without a bullshit detector. Everyone is hypocritical sometimes, but the neocons take it to a different level. The open scorn for theocracies in the middle east is just unbelievable, given the attempts to turn the US into a christian theocracy.
We do need to fight the theocracy. On that I totally agree.
But more people need to grow a thicker skin and to get a sense of humor.
I get so tired of seeing complaints that this joke or that joke offends them because it makes fun of a segment of the Pagan population. It makes me want to hurt them.
I agree that we voulenteered for this, I just wish others would be reasonable in their responses to this. Not super accomidating, not fawinging, just reasonable.
Say, for example, that someone were abusing their child and hiding behind Wicca. Then by all means, the judge SHOULD take that child. But taking a child because the parents are pagan is stupid. Even more stupid is the judge ordering a ban on teaching that child a religion because it’s not mainstreem.
Blarg… not making sense today. Sorry.
Wiccans have by and large been extremely outspoken about protecting children, and not letting people hide behind the veneer of Wicca if they’re doing harm. Maybe that’s covering our asses, but I prefer it to the behavior of the Vatican in regard to the priest-abuse scandals.
I think hiding behind Wicca and/or thin skins are a very minor problem compared to children being taken from their homes because Wicca is practiced there.