Pentagram: Pagans shed light on their dark reputation

[FollowerofOdin]

Something that I saw on Facebook, well next to the mad cat lady starter kit, thought you might be interested.

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/pentagram-pagans-shed-light-on-their-dark-reputation-1-5652799

I'm glad that this was done. We need to show people that we're not evil and we're not going to hurt them. Hope you enjoy reading it.

[HeartShadow]

Something that I saw on Facebook, well next to the mad cat lady starter kit, thought you might be interested.

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/pentagram-pagans-shed-light-on-their-dark-reputation-1-5652799

I'm glad that this was done. We need to show people that we're not evil and we're not going to hurt them. Hope you enjoy reading it.

You make it sound like this is interesting and different.  This sort of thing happens regularly.  You don't need to share every news story you find you know.

[dionysiandame]

Something that I saw on Facebook, well next to the mad cat lady starter kit, thought you might be interested.

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/pentagram-pagans-shed-light-on-their-dark-reputation-1-5652799

I'm glad that this was done. We need to show people that we're not evil and we're not going to hurt them. Hope you enjoy reading it.

Satanists and Luciferians aren't a "fringe group" within paganism. This just sounds like ridiculous pandering. "See! We ALL dislike having Satanists around! Squick!"

"It can be whatever you want it to be" - I disagree but hey, they're allowed to believe whatever they want.

"The whole week surrounding May Day is crucial in the pagan calendar as it holds unique spiritual, often sexual, meaning."

Pagan =/= Wicca. I don't do a damn thing on May Day.
 
I just can't. If I went through this whole article pointing out every bit of nonsense that pretty much erases pagans who aren't Neo-Wiccan there wouldn't be any article left. There'd just be a picture of a chick, in a robe, I would never be caught dead in.

[Catherine]

We need to show people that we're not evil and we're not going to hurt them.

 
Speak for yourself. Give me a good enough reason, and I certainly will hurt someone. I won't even feel bad about it. If that makes me evil, so be it.

[Snowdrop]

Pagan =/= Wicca. I don't do a damn thing on May Day.
 
I just can't. If I went through this whole article pointing out every bit of nonsense that pretty much erases pagans who aren't Neo-Wiccan there wouldn't be any article left. There'd just be a picture of a chick, in a robe, I would never be caught dead in.

 
Question time: has anyone ever contacted / made a petition to / etc. any of the larger Neo-Wiccan groups like this one and asked them not to pretend to be speaking for all pagans?  And if so, how did they respond?

[Sarah]

I'm glad that this was done. We need to show people that we're not evil and we're not going to hurt them. Hope you enjoy reading it.

  Does anyone besides evangelical Christians actually even believe that pagans  "dance naked around a bonfire before sacrificing a goat and passing the animal’s blood around in a drinking goblet." anymore

besides I wouldn't even know where to buy a live goat from

[Sophia C]

Question time: has anyone ever contacted / made a petition to / etc. any of the larger Neo-Wiccan groups like this one and asked them not to pretend to be speaking for all pagans?  And if so, how did they respond?

 
This approach is par for the course in Britain, where Pagans who aren't neo-Wiccan are thin on the ground, and where there are so few polytheists that my very existence has offended quite a lot of people... The largest Pagan organization here is run mainly by Wiccans, including a number of BTWs, although there are a few OBOD-type druids in the mix I think. I'm aware of some attempts people have made to change the tide of said organization, and that gets into stories that I'd get into trouble for sharing.

My personal focus at the moment is on trying to get the UK (and other European) members of ADF to get ourselves more organized and growing, to try and offer one alternative - there are currently only about 10 of us in the UK I think. I don't think I could stand trying to do anything broader with the main Pagan groups here. I do speak out when I hear misrepresentations of Paganism as neo-Wiccan, but it tends to lead to nothing but serious confusion, and nothing gets achieved.

This reminds me that I've been asked if I want to speak Pagan Pride this year, from a sociological perspective, and I could think about doing a topic that crosses into this area.

[MadZealot]

besides I wouldn't even know where to buy a live goat from

My Ma has a couple.  Fresh milk and home-made goat cheese.  Mmm mmm mmm.

[Snowdrop]

This approach is par for the course in Britain, where Pagans who aren't neo-Wiccan are thin on the ground, and where there are so few polytheists that my very existence has offended quite a lot of people... The largest Pagan organization here is run mainly by Wiccans, including a number of BTWs, although there are a few OBOD-type druids in the mix I think. I'm aware of some attempts people have made to change the tide of said organization, and that gets into stories that I'd get into trouble for sharing.

My personal focus at the moment is on trying to get the UK (and other European) members of ADF to get ourselves more organized and growing, to try and offer one alternative - there are currently only about 10 of us in the UK I think. I don't think I could stand trying to do anything broader with the main Pagan groups here. I do speak out when I hear misrepresentations of Paganism as neo-Wiccan, but it tends to lead to nothing but serious confusion, and nothing gets achieved.

This reminds me that I've been asked if I want to speak Pagan Pride this year, from a sociological perspective, and I could think about doing a topic that crosses into this area.

 
Okay, this makes more sense, then.  I was sort of unclear from the article as to whether this was a case of people who genuinely hadn't encountered other pagan religions or if they had but just didn't like them very much.  

(I live in a pretty pagan-heavy state, so I tend to over-estimate numbers of pagans --- and different types of pagans --- in any given place.)

[Morag]

We need to show people that we're not evil and we're not going to hurt them.

 
No we don't.

[Darkhawk]

Question time: has anyone ever contacted / made a petition to / etc. any of the larger Neo-Wiccan groups like this one and asked them not to pretend to be speaking for all pagans?  And if so, how did they respond?

 
I seem to recall the "Pagan Unity" crowd being very annoyed that people who didn't consider themselves earth-based dared to call themselves pagan, and expressed the opinion that people holding such fringe opinions should shut the fuck up because they were Interfering With The Goal Of Doing This Stuff In A Spirit Of Togetherness With Their Deviant Ways.  It was, however, rather a while ago that I was paying attention to this stuff, so I may be interpolating multiple things there.

[HeartShadow]

Does anyone besides evangelical Christians actually even believe that pagans  "dance naked around a bonfire before sacrificing a goat and passing the animal’s blood around in a drinking goblet." anymore

besides I wouldn't even know where to buy a live goat from

I could get my hands on a mohair producing goat, but no way I'd sacrifice it!  MY mohair!

[rocquelaire]

My personal focus at the moment is on trying to get the UK (and other European) members of ADF to get ourselves more organized and growing, to try and offer one alternative - there are currently only about 10 of us in the UK I think. I don't think I could stand trying to do anything broader with the main Pagan groups here. I do speak out when I hear misrepresentations of Paganism as neo-Wiccan, but it tends to lead to nothing but serious confusion, and nothing gets achieved.

.

I'm an ADF member in the UK! Let me know if I can help with anything .

It is pretty tough here. I don't actually know any other pagans in RL but the limited investigating that I've done does suggest a very strong neo-Wicca focus.

[Melamphoros]

We need to show people that we're not evil and we're not going to hurt them.

 
Speak for yourself.  If provoked, I'm fulling willing to hurt people.  Depending on the person, I'll probably enjoy it too.

[veggiewolf]

...

I'm glad that this was done. We need to show people that we're not evil and we're not going to hurt them. Hope you enjoy reading it.

 
Who is this 'we' of which you speak?