Imagined Insults – A Pagan Rant

Last updated on: August 22, 2012 at 7:04 pm by John Beckett

Imagined Insults – A Pagan Rant 2012-08-22T19:04:00-06:00 John Beckett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

One of the supposed advantages of Paganism is its inherent plurality and tolerance. Ancient pagans understood different people in different lands had different gods – there was no need to “convert” them. Modern Pagans understand Cernunnos called me and Isis called you and Ganesha called someone else but we can still get together to celebrate the seasons and work together to care for the Earth.

But apparently it’s not that simple.

Last Saturday Brendan Myers had a guest post on The Wild Hunt where he described the rise of Humanistic Pagans, who he described as “those who want to be part of the Pagan community, but who want to be a little more intellectual about their practices, and [who] don’t care about the ‘woo’ anymore.” The Pagan internet has exploded with responses: 244 comments to the Wild Hunt post as I write this, plus bloggers who’ve written their own posts. While a few responses are supportive, most are unfavorable – some extremely so.

Do these unfavorable responses ask Myers why he has chosen to interpret his religion non-theistically? Do they explain why they have chosen to be theists? Do they build a logical case for polytheism and magic?

No. They scream “I’m insulted!” “How dare you imply theistic Pagans aren’t intellectual!” “How dare you call my religion ‘woo’!”

Myers responded to one of them and plainly addressed the concerns:

I do not claim that theistic or polytheistic pagans cannot be intellectual. No such statement appears in my text, and if others think it is “implied” there, then they are committing a logical fallacy. The general idea is that humanist paganism is an “emerging option” for pagans who want to be more intellectual about their own paths.

Which, of course, did nothing to satisfy those who wanted to be insulted.

highly generalized, but you get the idea

Fellow Pagans, it’s time for us to grow up, have some confidence in our religion and stop looking for insults where none are intended. Are humanistic Pagans “more intellectual” than polytheistic Pagans? Of course they are! But that doesn’t mean humanists are smarter or that polytheists are intellectually deficient. It means humanists value and use intellectual interpretations more than they value and use emotional or intuitive interpretations.

As for “woo” – what else would you like to call divination, spell casting, shape shifting, aspecting, hedge walking and howling at the moon? Are more technically precise terms available? Sure. Is there another short, generally understood term that encompasses what most Pagans do but Humanistic Pagans aren’t interested in? I don’t think so. Is it a big deal in any case? No!

I practice “woo” and I occasionally call it that. Mainly I have enough experience with and confidence in my practices that I don’t care what a group of people whose interpretive outlook is very different from my own think about them.

“But that language is degrading and oppressing!” This wasn’t posted on CNN or on a New Atheist blog. This was posted in our own Pagan sandbox, where the vast majority of people are theists, a large percent are polytheists and most practice “woo” of some kind. You’re in the majority here – you don’t get to claim victim status.

Stop assuming bad will where none exists.

Fellow Pagans, there are plenty of people who insult Paganism. Brendan Myers isn’t one of them. There are plenty of religions that think what we do is evil or silly or both. Humanistic Paganism isn’t one of them.

I’m a hard polytheist. I’ve experienced gods and goddesses, I’ve worked magic, and I’ve “seen” things I had no way of seeing. My intuition tells me that’s best explained by a magical worldview. My emotions tell me the gods and magic are real. My intellect sees how that helps me live a happier, more fulfilling and more productive life and doesn’t see any reason to override the emotions and intuition.

But my intellect also sees how other equally intelligent, equally educated people could have the same experiences and interpret them very differently. I regularly stand next to them in circle, chant and sing and dance with them, and pick up roadside trash with them. They’re Pagans just as much as I am.

As Myers’ essay explains, Humanistic Paganism is growing. Some of that growth comes from Wiccans and Druids and Heathens who find they just can’t believe in gods and magic. Some of it comes from Humanists and atheists and skeptics who see a need to honor the Earth and live in harmony with Nature. They share our values, they honor our heritage and they willingly work alongside us to care for the Earth and all its creatures.

I want those people in our big Pagan tent singing “We All Come From the Goddess” and not driven away to New Atheism where they’ll accuse us of believing garbage and enabling fundamentalists.

Fellow Pagans, grow up. Stop assuming bad will where none exists. Stop assuming everyone who doesn’t affirm your beliefs is insulting you. Practice long enough and seriously enough that you stop caring what anyone thinks about what you believe and do.

Here endeth the rant. Go forth and learn.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 21, 2012

Is There an Augusta National in Your Life?

Next Post

August 24, 2012 Building a Real Religion

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Community CUUPS Druidry Foundations and Context Gods and Goddesses Magic Myth Nature Ritual Spiritual Practice Theology Travel Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Gideon" mean in Hebrew?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Hewer Redeemer God is my Strength Warrior