Are neo-pagans pacifists?

Question

Pagans live by the credo not to harm anyone. The Wicca Rede says that "An harm it none, do as you will?". Pagans used to have war gods. Do Neo-pagans not worship these? Are they pacifist?

Maybe you pagans don't know your own ideas. Or maybe there is a contradiction, because -although it is no longer binding - the Pagan Federation (www.paganfed.org) starts its constitution with
1.1
ii A Positive Morality in which the individual is responsible for the discovery and development of their true nature in harmony with the outer world and community. This is often expressed as “Do what you will, as long as it harms none”.

To me that means that the Pagan heathen (cfr. Braveheart) has partially been replaced with a Buddhist-Hindu-like hippie (cfr. Jesus Christ). That cannot be paganism, can it now?

Answer 1

There's no blanket answer here.

Yes I'd say we are pacifists of sorts - it just depends on how they chose to express it. I know some are in the Military - usually in defensive positions.

I do know there's been a number of Military (Australian & US) deaths while on active duty.

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Answer 2

I have to agree with the majority of those that have already answered this question. In fact I would go so far as to say most are pagans are not pacifists. They may be liberal in thinking but those that I now, if a threat is personal they do not hesitate to fight back physically and magically. I would say that many are against the current war in Iraq, but that does not necessarily make them pacifists.

Just for the record I am not a pacifist, I served four years in the military and frequently wish that I would have stayed in. My patron Goddess is the Morrigan, (Known by most to be a War Goddess). The Morrigan is, in truth, so much more than that but she does enjoy a good fight. I’m familiar with and trained in the use of both modern and ancient weapons of war. I have also been trained in marshal arts. I’m not ever looking for a fight, but if one comes my way I do not turn the other check or run from it.

The reed means nothing to me, I’m an Irish Celtic Pagan not Wiccan. The Celts held warriors in high regard. Pacifists I am sure you will find pagans that are. I am equally sure that you will find many that are not.

Answer 3

First off, it's important to remember that not all Pagans are Wiccan. I'm a Hellenic Pagan and, quite frankly, the Wiccan Rede means nothing to me. And yes, I indeed have war gods that I worship...

So no, Pagans are not always pacifists. And yes, many neo-Pagans honor war gods, Morrigan being especially popular.

That said, I would nonetheless say with some confidence that there is a higher proportion of pacificistic folks within the Pagan community than in American society in general. I'm speaking in generalities here, but Pagans tend to lean liberal politically (I'll bet at least 80% are Democratic or Green voters) and liberal folks tend to be less hawkish than their conservative counterparts. One frequently finds anti-war political movements operating and thriving at Pagan gatherings like Pagan Pride Day, whereas those Pagans who support, say the War in Iraq, are a bit more subdued within the community.

From this I would say that Pagans as a group are more pacifistic than society in general, but do not make the mistake of thinking that Pagans are even remotely a homogenous group. There are plenty of Pagans in the military, not exactly a pacificistic life-choice.

As for the Rede, yes, there are some who take the "an it harm none" to mean "no war". But there are just as many who do not.

Answer 4

That depends on the individual Pagan. Some believe that it's never alright to hurt anyone. Others believe that we should use violence only in defence. Obviously, not all Pagans are pacifist since there are Pagan soldiers. Every war god has other things of which they're in charge so pacifist Pagans that worship them respect the other aspects of them. Not to mention that as realists we realize that war is a big part of human nature and needs to be recognized if not condoned.

Answer 5

I think you're a little confused. You have Wiccan Rede phrased correctly, but it doesn't mean "harm none." It means you can freely do anything which is harmless. While some Wiccans try to live by a "harm none" creed, it is NOT required by Wicca. Harm is certainly acceptable, for example, in defence of an innocent. We recognise that in some situations every option involves harm.

Neo-paganism is a group of religions such as Druidry, Wicca, Asatru, etc. which are influenced by pre-Christian religion. There are no rules or beliefs unifying Neo-paganism as a whole: each religion has its own beliefs and ethics. Neo-pagans frequently simply call themselves Pagans. once more, there is no such thing as a "pagan ethic" to not harm anyone. Pagans (including Wiccans) worship a variety of pre-Chrstian gods, including war gods. No group is specifically pacifistic. In fact, there are a few thousand Wiccans in the US military. I don't have numbers for non-Wiccan Pagans.

Answer 6

I think you have several misconceptions about Pagans. The Asatru/Heathens, the Hellenic Reconstructionists, Celtic Reconstructionists and other "hard" polytheists not only still worship "War" gods (Ares is much more than simply a god of war -- He is also a potent force for social change) but are not necessarily pacifistic in outlook.

Although, I honor Hestia and Hera as personal Matron Goddesses, Hestia will never say not to defend myself and Hera can be downright militant if something angers her.

Also, if I was pacifist, why would I collect swords and daggers and be planning to get a double-bladed axe?

Answer 7

Are neo-pagans pacifists?
--Some are, some aren't.

Pagans live by the credo not to harm anyone.
--Only a small percentage of neo-pagans live by this credo.

The Wicca Rede says that "An harm it none, do as you will?".
--Yes, this is a part of the Rede. Many (but not all) Wiccans use this guideline. But it only pertains to neo-pagans who follow a Wiccan or Wiccan-based path. Since not all pagans are Wiccan, not all of them will follow the tenets of Wicca. There are many other neo-pagan paths, each having their own set of moral guidelines.

Pagans used to have war gods.
--Yes, they did.

Do Neo-pagans not worship these?
--Some neo-pagans still worship these deities.

Are they pacifist?
--See first answer.

I'm not a member of the Pagan Federation and I don't know of anyone personally who is a member of that group. Their guidelines probably apply to their members or those who are affiliated with their group.

Answer 8

First off, Neo-Pagans aren't all Wiccans and have no obligation to follow a Wiccan ideal. Second, the rede is not just about magic, it's about life. The word "rede" means "advice." It simply tells us that if we are doing something that isn't hurting anyone, enjoy it. It reminds us to stop and consider our actions. It's like saying, Hey, if you wanna dress up in tutus, have at it. It's not hurting anyone. But if you wanna juggle geese-- well, consider the poor geese. That's not very nice. The Wiccan rede does not say "never do harm-- this is a commandment." The rede is NOT a complete philosophy of morality. We're supposed to use our heads. Of course you can't live life without doing harm. Just blowing your nose harms microbes. Being a vegitarian harms plants that you eat. Being a dr. means you have to hurt a baby to give him a shot. No, the rede does not command us to be pacifists. It does not prohibit harm.... harm in some situations is unfortunately necessary, like in self-defense, protecting your neighborhood or country, metering out justice, breaking up with someone we don't like, etc... The rede is just one of many Wiccan teachings that tells us to think about our actions and to try to act responsibly. To think of it as a be-all end-all commandment would be an overly-simplistic and ineffective moral philosophy.

Answer 9

Obviously no one Pagan can speak for all the others but I personally try to live by the law of Harm to None. Some Pagans may have connections with War Gods but I don't.

Answer 10

Only Wiccans (and near-Wiccan Pagans) follow the Rede, and even then, it doesn't necessitate pacifism. (Some folks may interpret it that way, but others don't.)

There's many Pagans who still honor "war gods", and know quite a lot about being warriors. Plenty of Pagans are in law enforcement, the military, etc.

Pacifism is not totally uncommon among Pagans, but it's by no means anywhere near the default.

Answer 11

No actually, not all are pacifists, though there are some that are. There are also a couple thousand Pagans, including Wiccans, who are in the US Military. The rede is specificly a Wiccan term, not used by all Pagans, and it is not a rule or law, it is a guideline.