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As a pagan I have come to understand that many Americans in society do not accept pagans or thier beliefs in social gatherings. Do you think pagan's will ever be accepted as a religion instead of socially being seen as "evil doers"? Why or why not?

2007-07-21 04:37:12 · 21 answers · asked by Weather nut 2 in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

21 answers

Two thoughts:

1. Xian fundies will *never* accept any belief other than their own as anything other than "of the devil." Fortunately, even though the "Religious Right" has gained untoward influence in recent years, they do NOT represent a majority of Americans . . . they're just the dupes the GOP needed to coddle to put them over the goal line . . . barely.

2. Religious freedom is a Constitutionally-protected right. Social acceptance is not . . . but social acceptance as a *person* instead of as The Grand Exalted Representative of All Thing Pagan™ is pretty easy to come by: be nice, be honorable, be a hard worker, try not to be a smacktard. :-)

Seriously, if all the average Joe Sixpack ever sees of pagans is the annual Halloween news coverage of "modern day witches" complete with video of some glitter-flinging, velvet robes and faery wings replete bunny coven doing circle, or some unwashed, dreadlocked body-piercing aficionado selling tie-dye at a street fair, or some gamer geek at work who can't stop jabbering about how xians stole his holidays . . . *G* . . . well, he KNOWS what to think about us *then,* doesn't he?

BUT . . . if tolerant, articulate, hardworking, responsible, socially active, NORMAL people ol' Joe happens to know, when he *finally* gets around to asking them about what makes their life *work* someday at the Little League game or 4th of July parade or blood drive or block party tell him "well, actually, I'm Asatru" or "I'm Wiccan" . . . well, NOW he's got something he's gonna have to think about for awhile, doesn't he? :-)

2007-07-21 05:34:55 · answer #1 · answered by Boar's Heart 5 · 4 0

I think that eventually they will. I personally don't care if it's "accepted" - I don't need their permission or their validation. As long as it's "tolerated" and my rights to follow my beliefs are not infringed on by others.

I work as an administrative assistant in an office. I wear my pentacle openly. I haven't had any issues (to my face, at least) about it, and I get along with pretty much everyone on the floor. We have Christians, Muslims, Jews, at least one other Pagan, I believe one of our new employees is Mormon, and we probably have some atheists and agnostics floating around. I'm in Texas, so it's also pretty "Bible-belt" (there's a church on nearly every corner, it seems like), and I haven't had any issues.

I'm hoping that as folks realize that "Hey, she's just a normal thirty-something woman with a husband and a house and a job and a dog, and she's a good person and there's nothing 'weird' about her" they'll realize that someone being Pagan is nothing to make a big deal about.

2007-07-21 06:00:54 · answer #2 · answered by Nandina (Bunny Slipper Goddess) 7 · 2 0

"Ever" is a long time. So - yes - eventually - people will come around and see that pagans are really smart, Spirtual people who are in touch with the earth - and there is nothing evil about them. Our society is constantly communicating through so many types of media. And pagans will have to eventually just shine through as the good people they are.

Sadly - many of the Christian religions believe that their way is the only way. And our country is predominantly Christian. So it will take awhile.

Funny - many of them like the Easter Bunny a lot.

2007-07-21 04:47:11 · answer #3 · answered by liddabet 6 · 2 0

I can't say I've ever met anyone who thinks that pagans are 'evil doers,' as you put it. I personally have no problem with it. I mean, I think it's silly even as religions go, but I have no problems with people practicing it. Plus, the people who practice it tend to be less... pushy about their beliefs. Frankly, I'd rather have households of them around me than many other groups...

Edit: Rev. Al - what the hell is your point? The question had nothing to do with how many people believe in god, it had to do with society being accepting of a religious group.

2007-07-21 04:44:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3 0

Much as I admire Jefferson, I find his remarks a bit puzzling, If one grants wholly his premise, mainly, that English Common Law has its beginnings in a time before Christianity was known in England, it is also true that this Common Law was also developing during the time when that nation was Christian. The nation was definitely Christian when it gave the world Magna Carta. After all, if it hadn't been for Richard the Lion-hearted being of on crusade, John would never have been in power, which prompted the document in the first place. For a very long time, one could not engage in politics if one was Catholic, or of the Jewish faith. And the laws which forbade those outside of established Christianity from engaging in the political process were unquestionably part of the Common Law. England was like this at the very time when Jefferson was writing his opinion, so it seems at first blush to be a bit puzzling. However, it's probably the same thing as the way the founding fathers could think of the USA as a free country while women had no vote, slaves were not really people, and only men who possessed property ("gentlemen") could vote. Jefferson would probably have looked with a blank stare if questioned about that, and said, "Well, of course Jewish people cannot vote. It's just not done." All the same, we must say, for good or for ill, we have an enormous legacy from our Judao-Christian traditions. Of course, we do not (yet) have a custom of taking scriptural texts and letting them establish law directly. In that narrow sense, we are not basing our law on Christianity, but then think of the confusion if we did! You get a commandment over here to kill somebody, but over there, the scriptures show the perp getting off with a warning?? Who ya gonna listen to? Many people are too young to remember the "blue laws," which made it illegal to run certain types of business on Sunday. In colonial times, these laws were far stricter. At one point, I read that Washington (You may have heard of him; he was a contemporary of Jefferson) was hurrying from New England to his plantation in Virginia, and happened to be passing through a village on Sunday morning and was arrested and forced to pay a fine for travelling on the Sabbath (Sunday). So while one may theorize about the "pagan" roots of England's Common Law, those roots are little in evidence today. In the USA, since we have a written down Constitution, the role played by common law is very small. Not insignificant, I suppose, but hardly of great moment today.

2016-05-19 03:03:04 · answer #5 · answered by juanita 3 · 0 0

perhaps you live in an closed minded area. I've known several pagans in my city. I believe in God but I also believe in the Indian culture too. It is strange though how both of these societies has things in common with there beliefs. For instance: I was reading a book on Shamanism. In the intro the author was telling a story of his first Journey. How he rode on the back of a Dragon and how the dragon was telling him stories of the past. He told a Shaman his vision afterward and the shaman told him what it meant.The interesting thing about it is he also told a priest friend of his vision and what the shaman said.The priest was able to point out stories in the bible in reference of what the shaman had told him as well. Kinda cool really. It just goes to show you that just because we see things differently there are still relations between our beliefs. Seek the truth. This is wisdom. This is all I have to say.

2007-07-21 04:52:14 · answer #6 · answered by Aaron4me 3 · 2 0

Its going to take awhile. The VA has recently approved the pentacle on headstones so that's a step in the right direction. Also, a recent government meeting opened with a Hindu prayer. Another step. It takes time to make change. Since Pagans don't have an "organized" religion it may take a little longer but eventually we may get there!

2007-07-21 04:42:00 · answer #7 · answered by Keltasia 6 · 1 0

I don't accept any religion; but pagan beliefs are a lot kinder to fellow human beings than any other out there. If there had to be one religion I'll vote for yours; but I'd rather check the box marked none of the above.

2007-07-21 04:46:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Where are you?

Seriously, I've only met one person who thought Pagans were evil doers, and she was from rural Alabama.


Most Americans really don't care.....

I mean, some TEENS act like it's important, but when you're 15 everything seems important lol.

2007-07-21 04:44:57 · answer #9 · answered by LabGrrl 7 · 2 0

I accept and respect pagans. Why would anyone not accept this?
Why in the world would pagans be regarded as evil-doers?
Some people must be illiterate regarding this group.

Blessings to you!

2007-07-21 04:41:17 · answer #10 · answered by batgirl2good 7 · 2 0

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