More of this Feature • Part 2: Radical Pagan Right?

Related Resources • Cult, sect, or Religious movement?

From Other Guides • Pagan/Wiccan Religion

Elsewhere on the Web • Pagan Unity Campaign • Pagan Diversity Campaign

   One of the fastest growing religious populations today is the Neo-Pagan movement, several million members strong, and growing- yet some disagree on just what makes a pagan. From its origin in the nineteen forties as a curious blend of Renaissance Ritual magic and European folk practices, to today's highly eclectic and ever changing beliefs, modern Pagans are often as different from one another as they are from traditional faiths. Unfortunately, this very diversity has made it difficult for most to achieve political legitimacy. Pagans self-identify on Census forms as 'other,' or under the tradition they adhere to, making it easy for politicians to overlook or even criticize believers. On the other end of the spectrum are the Christians- there are literally dozens of Christian sects, many with wildly differing theologies- yet many Christian groups exploit their high census numbers for political purposes, and quite successfully. (Take, for example, the politically conservative Evangelical groups that cite the Christian majority to further political ends, while at the same time adhering to a doctrine that excludes a large portion of the same people as non Christian!)                                                               

     I recently attended a Pagan oriented religious conference, where believers more varied than I had ever imagined possible intermingled. The expected blend of traditional Wiccans, Thelemites, and eclectic neopagans was peppered with Hellenic, Norse, African and Egyptian reconstructionists, followers of Lukumi, Ayahuasceros, Satanists, even self-styled Siberian Shamans. In the midst of all the hubbub of conference activities, a prominently placed bulletin board advertised a "Pagan Unity Campaign." The professionally printed flyer urged Pagans of all kinds to join in by submitting a postcard to political officials, with the line "I am a Pagan _______." The basic idea behind this being that one would fill the blank with an appropriate descriptive term such as "lawyer, mother, teacher, musician," thereby alerting politicians to the size and diversity (and presumably, voting ability) of the Pagan population. It seemed like a terrific idea at the time.

    Unfortunately, it appears that in their apparent zeal to market Paganism to the mainstream, the PUC offers a very narrow, well-scrubbed definition of Paganism. Missing from their sanitized description of Pagans as benign earth worshipers were potentially embarrassing traditions like Satanism, Druidry, Mesoamerican belief, etc. A furious controversy has erupted as believers who feel slighted by the PUC's definition of "earth-centered" Paganism fight to be recognized.

     Because these traditions make up a large portion of the Pagan population, I was curious to know why they have been left out. Misunderstandings about these paths are rife in mainstream society, and it seemed strange that an organization that purports to promote religious understanding and tolerance would suddenly become shy about the traditions most suffering from misunderstanding. This is especially disturbing in light of the PUC's published intent to become a PAC (Political Action Committee) and become an "official" voice for Pagans.

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