Monday, February 13, 2012

Proudly Pagan

It's really discouraging to keep running into people that I left Christianity to get away from.  Not the main reason I left but I hoped it would be a bonus.  Except they are popping up in the Hellenic polytheist groups.  And I'm not even talking about just the odd person.

I had left the recon forums because I got tired of reading about how everyone else was doing it wrong and how the gods were offended by dirty hands and unbrushed hair.  And how evil Wicca was because they dared to call upon some of the Greek gods.  And how offensive magic was to the gods.

So I chanced upon a Hellenic polytheist group that was supposed to be inclusive.  Except the recons hang out there, too.  In numbers.

So the latest flame war was Don't Call Me A Pagan because it's an insult and we can't trust Christian definitions because they are evil also.  And there were the hyperbolic comments about how pagani meant illiterate and therefore it was an insult to Hellenic polytheists because they weren't illiterate.  Then some jumped in to point out that Pagans were those tree and nature worshipers and the gods knew they didn't worship trees or nature.  Totally wrong about Wicca and Druidry but what else is new.

Not to mention the recons tend to be a bit on the conservative side of things, which I can't for the life of me figure out, but there it is.  I haven't gotten my courage up to post there after I had my ass handed to me for saying it was insulting to be called a coward because I didn't want my Hellenic poly posts to show up on my facebook page.

Bottom line is I don't want to be identified with them so I will no longer use the term Hellenic in my tags or in my own identification of my path.   And you know what?  The gods are okay with that because they have informed me that they existed beyond the boundaries of Greece and Rome and were worshiped in many different places.  And some have said I might recognize them under different names in Druidry although they're fine with me worshiping them under their Greek names.

And history bears that out.

I'm just getting sick and tired of the ownership bullshit that goes on within any religion.  I know who my gods are now.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have a connection with them.  But I haven't had a lot of luck finding the right way to honor them because I felt torn between two worlds.  But if the Hellenic world wants to act like a bunch of assholes, then I throw my lot in with the Nature religions.  Druidry it is.

This same kind of argument exists within Christianity by groups that feel the name was intended as an insult originally and don't want to be called by it.  Then you have the ones who think they are the real followers of the Jewish Messiah and don't want to be called by that name because they are doing it right and everyone else is doing it wrong.  There is absolutely nothing new going on here.  It's all about people who want ownership of the religion and don't want to play nicely with others.

So I'm going to play in the Nature playground because it has fewer fundies in it.  So from now on, I'll no longer include Hellenic in my tags or my labels.

11 comments:

  1. This is why I go it alone. I have moments with people, friends, who encourage me and I them, but really, groups just don't work for me anymore.

    It's really made me reconsider what community means and whether or not it's always appropriate in certain situations or to get certain things accomplished.

    I recently heard that our local coven has split. It truly is everywhere. And actually, splits and break-ups are all for the highest good when it all comes down to it; I just don't think I'm meant to be a part of that anymore. I find that choosing sides doesn't suit me.

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    1. I don't think I would ever join a coven or grove because of that, but I feel very isolated and would like to be with like-minded people occasionally. It's just frustrating when you try to talk to people about the gods you all share and have them be so black and white in their thinking that they won't listen to you. Or include you as one of them.

      I'm happy to be solitary and go my own way, but I do get lonely. :(

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  2. I suspect you'll find pockets of Druids making the same arguments...same games, different names. EVERY path has it's wormy apples and shining lights...find your way, and you'll find kindred spirits when you're supposed to.

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    1. I'm sure there are problems in any religious group. Heck, you get more than 3 people together and you've formed factions. But the online Druid communities don't have the frantic frothing at the mouth that I've seen in the Hellenic online world. I know it's not everyone doing it, but enough that they seem to get the name recognition and I just don't want to be associated with such a rigid and unbending path. I've found more kindred spirits in the eclectic world, for sure, but the Druid world has also been very warm and inviting as well.

      I've never experienced the Wiccan world but I have met an online Wiccan who thinks that anyone who hasn't studied for a billion years is just a fluffy bunny and dangerous. She thinks that only her path is the valid one for Wicca and she makes the Hellenic Recons feel warm and fuzzy.

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    2. But...when I find a large portion of a particular group seem to promote an image like they do, I really don't want to be affiliated with them.

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  3. This is the thing that keeps me from thinking too much about choosing any niche. The similarities across cultures- even cultures that didn't have any historical contact with one another- are too great to ignore. Deity is above and beyond any specific culture IMO. And I have to agree that this "no it's OURS" attitude is essentially human in nature and will show up anywhere you go. Sad to say.

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    1. I probably do over-think things but it's part of my nature to compartmentalize myself. Also I was raised in denominationalism that was necessary lest you be grouped in with the wrong kind of Christians.

      I continue to find my path made more clear as time goes on, but I'm just one of those people who finds comfort in a label, I suppose. Even if it's one I made up myself. :)

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  4. Labels always get us all confused and someone uptight over it. :) Call yourself whatever you like.

    I was talking to my friend about this. Reading all these American pagan blogs is letting me see a totally different side of my faith. This is both good and bad. I know that we have our problems in my community, but some of the crazy fights and things I hear about happening south of the border have me scratching my head. I don't think we're that different, but maybe I have just been incredibly lucky with where I live and who else resides in this area!

    ~hugs~ Do what feels right to you and screw everyone else :P

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    1. Having lived most of my life (over half a century) within Christianity I've seen this kind of divisiveness all my life but I had this Pollyanna idea that Pagans didn't do it. So it was a bit of a shock to see how contentious debates could be. I hate it but have to remind myself that the ones screaming the most are in the minority. Contention speaks louder than harmony.

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  5. Tis why I detest labels. The only label I will ever accept being stamped on me is bitch. Because....well it's pretty fucking obvious isn't it.

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    1. I like labels for myself but hate them if someone applies them to me.

      And yeah...bitch? But only with the highest of bitchery honors, my dear.

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