Pagans- Do you feel discriminated against today in the US?

Question

or anywhere else? How? I just asked the question to atheists, but I used the wrong word (persecuted).

What say you?

Answer 1

Hmm depends. I live in a small Texas town and it can get a little sticky for "odd" people here. I don't advertise my beliefs, I don't feel the need for one thing, and I have small children to think about. There are people who are not below being hateful to them to get to me. Small town living, you have go to love it. LOL
I think I feel more misunderstood that discriminated against. It hurts that people dont' bother to learn the religion and then will spread lies not caring how it might effect someone. They convinve themselves that it's ok because thier book says so, but I just can't understand that. In the end we are all human.

Answer 2

Occasionally some pagans may be discriminated against in the US. This does not happen all the time, and sometimes it even depends on the state and the administration of that state at the time, and the federal administation. Most of the time, even when things like this happen the federal courts will do something about it, uphold the first amendment, and force injunctions on officials and offices who do discriminate against people of other religions. It has happened to a few of us, and we can see it on this forum that many people are just intolerant of other beliefs of ways of thinking. Contrary to the beliefs of the religious right in this country, the US is not a Christian nation, it is a nation of many faiths. The founding fathers of this country intended it to be free for all religions. I encourage every Pagan on here, if you feel you have been discriminated against by an employer, government office, or even public school to contact the ACLU or the Pagan Unity Campaign and see if you can get some help

Blessed Be,
Lord AmonRaHa

Answer 3

There are times that I have felt discriminated against.

Some areas have laws banning the practice of divination, which Hellenic Pagans use as a tool for understanding the will of the Gods.

It is much harder to get a religious accomodation to have defined days off to celebrate religious festivals as most Pagan groups do not have an equivalent to a pastor (I actually serve as the "pastor" in the proto-demos I belong to)

I have had people object to my wearing a t-shirt with Poseidon's name on it to work while they do not object to t-shirts with the name of Jesus on the person next to me.

And even my fiance's MOTHER told me to not let people know that I am a Pagan in the area of Louisiana where we live as it would make it harder for me to find a job


So, do I feel discriminated against? Considering the circumstances I have described, wouldn't most people?

Answer 4

Yes, very. I'm still careful about who I tell. I suspect that some would rather have me be a Protestant murderer than a Pagan who leads a positive life. Frankly, I don't think it's anyone elses' place to judge me--99% of them don't have a clue what I'm really about. Even some Pagans themselves don't.

It's pathetic in my eyes that in a free country such as this, a great percentage of us have to basically live in hiding because of what we believe, forced to lie or omit what we actually think because if we dare tell the wrong person--we'll never hear the end of it.

Answer 5

I do additionally consider what somebody else has published on right here, now you're unfastened (legal citizen) to take care of what you want, yet relax certain which you needed to come lower back to this usa for a reason appropriate? Why is that? grew to become into it by freedom? For the jobs? So then to come lower back to this usa, and valve this usa is what occurs once you have a mass of human beings who take excitement in this usa. you are able to love your subculture and each thing approximately it, yet do not turn you cheek on American, she would be waiting to chunk back. uncertain why its seen "Racist" there is an outstanding line from female Liberty.

Answer 6

Yes. But all monolithic god religions seem to hate all of those that do not believe the way they do. Even within a given believe system say Christianity they point their fingers and call the other wrong or bad

Answer 7

I am a Christian and would like to say that 99.9% of the pagans here are the nicest people I have ever met.

Answer 8

Being that I'm not out of the broom closet yet, it's not so terrible. But some of the people on Yahoo! Answers R&S are really rude and rejecting. Makes me rethink coming out.

Answer 9

They should not be as most of the beliefs of so-called "Christian" religions today are of pagan origin. They should feel right at home.

Answer 10

Well, due to the massive misunderstandings surrounding it, I don't feel I can be very open about it. Most people I associate with are open-minded, but you never know who's going to freak out about it.

So, yes, I don't feel it's safe to be open about it, lest I be accused of following Satan.