"many in the mainstream have a hard time separating the violent offenders and racists from the true believers"
Of course, this also works in reverse - some of us outside the mainstream have trouble making the same distinction between Christians (I do sometimes, when I don't make myself think about it). And, sadly, just because someone is violent or a racist doesn't automatically mean they're not a "true believer"...
Christianity has its own versions of extremist groups that condone violence or racism, Christian Identity being one. Islam suffers from extremism too, as we well know. Hopefully, no one will call all Christians, Muslims, or Pagans violent or racist because of such fringe groups.
It's up to those in the mainstream of any religion to speak out and ensure their voice is heard over any extremists using the label of their religion to condone such things, to teach and spread tolerance whenever possible.
I'm sure there are many good and wonderful pagans and neo-pagans. In the abstract, the "Earth-centered" traditions teach us important lessons. I will say that once in my former UU church, during a Cakes for the Queen of Heaven service, I recollect a woman saying that reclaiming some (Celtic or Nordic) god helped her reclaim her heritage, and oddly ... I admit to you this made me cringe. For all their faults, and their own bouts of racism, Islam and Christianity (to say nothing of Buddhism, or dare I say it, Humanism) aspire to be world, rather than ethnic-heritage, religions. Even the name "Goth," to be sure, is ... an ethnic designation (I think first and foremost of the Visigoths). Obviously, even the most sort of virulently fundamentalist Christianity wouldn't appeal in quite the same way (or for the same reasons). That neo-paganism is not a "coherent" or centralized faith community is both a strength and a weakness, but here the weaknesses of such an organizational approach are ... showing a bit more. It is a cross pagans must bear, I'm afraid.
Sorry if this comes off as a bit on the snarky side, but, Richard, are you really saying that the destruction of native cultures by world girdling religions is a good thing? Were the missions to the Souix where children were taken from their parents and educated in the One True Religion a episode in the history of Christianity of which you are proud?
I view the preservation and furtherance of the heritage and traditions of *all* the peoples and regions of the world as a Good Thing. I was always under the impression that this was a progressive view, but have discovered that many folks styling themselves "progressives", religiously or culturally, don't seem to include European peoples and traditions in their definition of diversity.
And I can't for the life of me understand that.
Be well,
Dave H.
Richard,
The aspiration to be a world (or universal) religion, while sometimes undertaken for noble reasons, has been far too often undertaken for... reasons that are less than noble, shall we say.
And, of course, that aspiration is ultimately doomed to failure, because there is no one religious answer that is right for everyone. Someone who can be led to salvation by following Christ is unlikely to be equally able to achieve Nirvana through the Buddhadharma - or vice versa.
In honoring the Greek gods, the ancestral gods of Western European culture, I too have "reconnected with my heritage" - a connection that I lost for a long time when I left the Church. And, perhaps ironically from your perspective, it is through this "Re-ligio" that I have come to a broad enough view of our history that I can now see the positive aspects of Christianity as well as the negative.
I don't think I said anything to extol the unmitigated virtues of "world religions" versus those aimed at a narrower audience. It does, however, help to be realistic and honest about what one loses and gains. Leaving aside the gendered quality of the expression, 19th century Universalists praised the "Universal Fatherhood of God;" a series of social consequences flowed from the idea that all were "children of God" (including the presistent notion that all have "inherent worth and dignity"). If our gods are unique to us and our narrowly defined kind, that rather underminds the theological construct of the statement (for good or ill). A pantheon of gods and goddesses "for us" may teach us much, but doesn't undergird that particular principle (and obviously, like so much, may be easily misused and misconstrued).
Snark away, if you must.
-R
An article is an article and it can only get around to so much. I mean, if it hits a certain length people won't read it and other news sources won't reprint it. So there's only so much the AP could get around to adding.
In all fairness, it was a pretty balanced peice. The problem with adding in additional Asatru practitioners would be that a) the articles focus is on the motivations of these particular prisoners, and b) readers will say to themselves "of course this person will say this, they don't want to look bad. what do their critics say about them?"
What happened happened, and I don't think for the good of Asatru's future, it should be watered down with references to all these other "good Asatrus." Since that's the tactic that groups like Christian Identity use to hide themselves inside the moderate Christian majority.
How many Asatrus are willing to stand up and say these men are not Asatru because of what they've done or believe? Do other Asatru consider these men to be Asatru?
OK, Olive - you're right on! And I think I've got enough gravitas as a Heathen to say it. These boneheads were not True to the Aesir. They showed little, if any, conception of the concept of a holy frithstead, for one thing, and furthermore, murder is not exactly one of our Nine Noble Virtues.
Additionally, the bonehead who's slated to die for this heinous crime is simpering and whimpering an appeal - the first principle of Heathenry is that an individual is responsible for their own actions, and that one should accept the consequences of those actions. If this jerk were a heathen, and he believed what he did was right, he'd take Virginia's option for electrocution and have his death dedicated to Asa-Thor.
Now, all that being said, I also believe that this is an example of a failure on the part of mainstream Asatrurar to take prison ministry seriously: we need more folks to volunteer to go into the system and *teach* the inmates about heathenry, and not just depend on sending pamphlets and books. And the prison system needs to allow this ...
I personally went into the Indiana State Prison at Greencastle once a month over a period of two years aiding in kindred formation and getting the guys started out on the right foot. It's frustrating as Hel: of all the folks I worked with there was only one or two who really "got it" and weren't just looking for an excuse to get out of chores. But one of those men actually turned down a parole offer because he felt he'd not paid enough back to society for his misdeeds.
That's what being a heathen means.
Potentially we have a lot to offer inmates: we're not a "religion of instant redemption", and we can't sprinkle anyone with magic fairy dust and eliminate their crimes in the eyes of the Holy Powers. But we can show them how they can do so for themselves: that's the power and virtue of the heathen path.
Be well,
Dave H.
I suspect, from a PR perspective, there's not much one can say in an article about murder and a murderer that would redeem his or her religion; I take it on faith that murder is not being "true to the Aesir," whatever that means. But a capital murder case is not the forum for explaining that. There are two separate issues-- one is "teaching the faith," whatever that faith might be, even in marginal circumstances, the second is teaching what the faith is to a wider audience, even when there's no urgent need to.
They're not really related, or at least trying to do both at once is likely to lead to failure.
-R
Those who look more toward British or Celtic tradional practice should not be complacent about the chance of having racists take up their spiritual path. See the magazine "Morrigan Rising" which caters to white supremacists who are Pagan and worship the British or Celtic gods.
http://www.rac-usa.org/wau/mr.html
http://www.rac-usa.org/wau/
meett...ddessintro.html
http://www.rac-usa.org/wau/mr.html
FWIW, my Heathen friend Prudence tells me there is no such thing as blasphemy in Ásatrú.
Regarding the desire on the part of one commenter for Pagan prison chaplaincy training, Cherry Hill Seminary is in the process of preparing a chaplaincy program (for hospitals, prisons, and schools and colleges, exclusive of military).
And Prudence would know (if it's the Prudence *I* know...*waves at fellow Fest-Vendor*). By the bye, if you're speaking to her, tell her I scammed Pascha's CD off of Ted (after he bought it from Prudence at Fest) and I'm STILL laughing!!
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