Ticked off Pagans

<p>I tried to ignore this story —but I can’t. It’s one of those opportunities where I can share my pagan experience with others— it doesn’t happen often— so when the situation presents itself—well— I can’t help myself.

I will start with a mea culpa because undoubtly I will run head on into politically incorrect territory here but I must forge ahead—- Here is the link to the story—

<a href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43967-2003Dec7.html”>White House Aide Angers Pagans </a>
These are the comments that sparked the outrage—
<blockquote>According to the official transcript, Towey was asked by someone in Centralia, Mo., whether pagan groups “should be given the same considerations as any other group” that applies for government funds.
“I haven’t run into a pagan faith-based group yet, much less a pagan group that cares for the poor!” Towey wrote.
“Once you make it clear to any applicant that public money must go to public purposes and can’t be used to promote ideology,” he wrote, “the fringe groups lose interest. Helping the poor is tough work, and only those with loving hearts seem drawn to it.”</blockquote>

Now, I must agree— Mr. Towey’s comments were a bit harsh and misguided— I would say that as individuals, pagans care about the poor about as much as any other individuals in America— but I have to agree that as a group— a group I was involved with for several years — there is nothing akin to Christian social justice philosophy of a “preferential option” for the poor. The poor are just one among many causes— like equal rights for women and GBLT, the environment. In fact, preferential treatment for any human being— poor or not— is foreign to pagan thought. To most of them a wolf, a tree, or a woolly catepillar is just as important as a human being— according to their philosophy everything in the universe is one—connected and no part is more important then any other— including human beings. In fact in some circles choosing “mother earth” is more sacred then choosing humans— There is an underlying hostility towards people that invisions human beings as a disease infecting an otherwise perfect earth. Pagan philosophy sees the earth as sacred, that human beings serve nature.

This is the opposite of Christian thought. Yes—we are stewards of the earth and its resources— and yes we have a responsibility to protect and use wisely the gifts of the earth—and it is a sin to misuse this gift— but it is clear that the earth was given to humans and was made by God to serve and sustain humanity— There is no mistake humans are God’s “crown of creation”. This means human life is sacred—above and beyond all else on earth— Preserving and protecting human life is most important. For a Christian there is no question— no second thought as to what is more important—poor, hungry, and sick human beings win over the Red Wolf anytime.

With this very basic difference in philosophy it is not hard to see how to some people’s point of view pagans may appear more “earth friendly” then “people friendly”. I know— that it was this lopsided focus that eventually awakened my repressed sensibilities. I distinctly remember one afternoon sitting in a pagan women’s group meeting and we were discussing our “political action plan” for the upcoming months— the first was protesting a local developer who we had decided was responsible for a slew of dead wildlife due to his project’s infringement on the habitat of these animals— the second— to provide escorts for women going for abortions at the local women’s center. For some reason the juxtaposing of those two ideas at the same moment of time suddenly made me ask—-”what is wrong with this picture?”

This is not to say pagans are not generous or compassionate people— just that their philosophy and “theology” do not place the same imortance and emphasis on human life that Judeo-Christian philosophy and theology do. I think in a very awkward and indelicate way this is what Mr. Towey was trying to say. In fact, a pagan activist says at the end of the article:
<blockquote>Although pagans across the country have sent letters and e-mails to the White House calling Towey’s remarks hateful and discriminatory, Cather Steincamp, a pagan author and activist in Richmond, said the furor has also led to “some self-criticism within our community about what we should be doing.”
Steincamp said he was not aware of any pagan groups that receive government funding to supply social services. “We’re not eligible for that money because, in short, we haven’t applied for it,” he said.
Thomas, of the Open Hearth Foundation, said Towey was half-right.
“You will not find any pagan hospitals or universities or shelters for the homeless. Capital intensive things like that do not exist yet, partly because of our size and because we’re still getting organized,” he said. </blockquote>

Mr Steincamp is a little more optimistic then I am— to be honest, from my experience, I do not ever see those things happening. There will never be any pagan hospitals, universities or shelters— the reason being— they have no common beliefs, no common vision, no consensus on morals, ethics or life— that is the whole point of paganism— individual expression, individual power, creating and living your own beliefs and truths— it is these things that draw people to paganism—- they are basically a loosely associated group of ecclectics that have almost nothing in common except that that is what they are—unfortunately that is not much of a foundation to to build on.</p>