Goodbye to Patheos Pagan Channel

Last updated on: March 8, 2017 at 2:39 pm by Cat Chapin-Bishop

Goodbye to Patheos Pagan Channel 2017-03-08T14:39:50-04:00 Cat Chapin-Bishop

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.

The Quick Version

This will be our last post for the Patheos Pagan channel.

We’ll keep writing, and you will find us at Quakerpagan.org, though as of this writing, we haven’t decided exactly where “home” will be in the end. (Our archives will remain here, as is customary for Patheos bloggers who leave.)

For Those Who Want to Know: Why We Are Leaving

Like a number of other Pagan bloggers, my husband and I were not happy with the most recent contract we Patheos offered us.

Actually, I haven’t been happy with the overall direction I’ve seen here for some time–not because of the content of the Pagan blogs here, which I continue to enjoy, but because there’s an increasing push to monetize our writing. And while there’s nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but I’m not sure that’s how my writing works–at least here on this blog.

The strapline at Quaker Pagan Reflections has long been “Blogging in a Spirit of Worship,” and that doesn’t make for an easy fit with formulas for increasing traffic. When I write what I think this blog is for, I’m not writing according to a strategy, and I’m not even writing what I think: I’m writing what has risen up for me out of my relationship with Spirit.

I don’t mean to say that those who write at greater volume or with a publishing strategy in mind are not writing in a way that’s spiritually honest or real. Nor do I think it is unfair that a for-profit company emphasizes a strategy that helps them to keep the lights on. Rather, I think it would be somewhat dishonest of me to stay with Patheos without changing how I approach writing this blog… something I don’t really want to do.

I am also concerned with the fact that Patheos has recently removed posts by John Halstead and Pat Mosley, and by the increased editorial privileges Patheos assumes under the new contract, focusing on limiting criticism of the company and on the use of profanity.

While I doubt very much my writing will be affected by Patheos’ new owners more assertive approach to editing our work, I have been associated in the past with blogging platforms that have removed (or–worse–altered) the posts of writers. I didn’t like it, and I left those platforms, too.

It’s reasonable for a company to take a strong interest in not having its writers undermine its public reputation. But the values of Patheos’s owners and my Pagan and Quaker values are not necessarily the same, and I find myself uneasy to be writing in a venue where the contract could be used to enforce values I don’t share.

The time has come to take Quaker Pagan Reflections either to another, Pagan-owned platform, or back to flying solo.

Wherever we go, I expect to continue to read many of the voices here I learned to love. And I hope our readers will continue to seek us out, too.

Thank You

Finally, I’d like to give my thanks to my editors Jason Mankey (and before him, to Christine Hoff Kraemer) and to the wonderful technical staff here at Patheos, including Hillary Spragg, who has been helpful over and over again during our the three years with this website.

I would also like to thank the many past and present writers here at Patheos’ Pagan channel whose words have fired me up, inspired me, delighted me, and made me think. Special love to John Beckett, Sara Amis, Sable Aradia, Annika Mongan, Yvonne Aburrow, Sarah Sadie, David Dashifen Kees, and John Halstead.

It has been a privilege building Paganism alongside you.

Previous Post

February 20, 2017

Facing Death/Facing Life

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Cat's posts Peter's posts Uncategorized

Select a Month March 2017 February 2017 November 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 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 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 July 2013 June 2013 March 2013 February 2013 December 2012 November 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 April 2012 February 2012 January 2012 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 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 July 2000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz