The Pagan/Fascist Meme, Following Up
I thought my last post on Hitler and Paganism would be my last for a little while but the ‘Fascism = Paganism’ meme popping up in my news searches prompted me to do a follow-up post. The One Republic Journal features an editorial by Bruce Thornton a professor of Classics at Cal State Fresno. In the editorial about Islam Thornton gives this little nugget of wisdom:
“The key to this mistaken interpretation is the short shrift given to the power of spiritual needs–an omission surprising given how religious the media keeps telling us this administration is. That ignoring of spiritual reality is what makes the analogy with fascism and communism false. Both of those ideologies were anti-Christian: fascism was a species of debased Romantic neo-paganism, and communism was blatantly atheist. As such, both ran counter to the powerful Judeo- Christian forces that shaped European and Russian civilization, and so could not satisfy for long the spiritual yearnings of the people, yearnings denied their traditional expressions. Thus these ideologies were doomed because they denied not just political freedom, but the powerful human need for religious expression and spiritual experience.”
This remarkably limited view of fascism is troubling, if for nothing else than the idea that fascism couldn’t happen in a strong “Christian” nation. For the press and pundits to constantly reiterate that the rise of fascism is tied to “Romantic neo-paganism” creates a dangerous meme where so long as one thumps the Bible hard enough a fascist state could never emerge from a restrictive controlling government.
In related news Unitarian-Universalist blogger Jaume de Marcos in reply to my first post about Hitler and Paganism, takes me to task for my interpretation of Nazi mysticism and it’s relationship to modern Paganism. I started writing a response but it became quite long and I realized that I wanted to get some input from a few modern American Asatru before posting a response. But I just wanted to let him and any readers waiting for my response know that I’m working on it.
3 responses so far
Wow I read the article referred to by Jaume. I couldn’t finish it. It was an absolute load of crap. According to the article 40 to 50 percent of Heathens are straight out racists. We would never pray to a god and we all support the unabomber. Really this is just ridiculous! The internet Asatru community which I am a part of is not racist and most are deeply offended at being considered racist. Visit almost any website and you’ll come across Heathens Against Hate banners everywhere. It is a fringe element and one that is not considered by the people I know to be true Asatru. Our religion does not preach racism. There is a Folkish element but this has to do with pride in one’s heritage. Folkism is not racism!!! Folkism does not preach animosity toward any other race or cultural tradition. Although individuals have an exclusionary attitude toward our own tradition. However that being said, most Folkish individuals I have correponded with would be willing to let their rules lapse if the person expressed genuine knowledge and faith. One of the most respected members of our online community is of non-European descent. Unfortunately certain racist individuals try to latch on to Asatru to promote their twisted ideas and mistakenly think the Heathen community will be open to such nonsense. We are not open to it and we are very much waging a war to disassociate ourselves from this stain upon our character.
1st – could the last commenter state more about their online Asatru community – Im intersted in communicating with a ’such’ group of people.
2nd. To the blogger, Jason, I’ve been doing a lot of recent digging through sources regarding Nazism, Rascism, Fascism and their links back into the occult, back into indigineous germanic heritage, and … things. The articles in wikipedia, regarding the Thule Society, are good sources.
Im sure you know of Stephen Flowers. He has some very healthy perspectives.
…. a rant from me:
I like the term that the commentor used- folkism: I think that’s very important too. To me, Asatru (and the related journies into a pre-christian indigineous norse spirituality) is about a re-authenticating of our(those of us of nordic decent) way of life. It is a stepping back out of the assimilationist imperial historical currents that have swept us up and out of connection with our anscestors, creation, and ourselves.. it is a return to the eternal conversation our bloodlines have fostered with place, time, and spirit.
There is strength in that. And it IS empowered by a degree of .. seperation… (the notion that this is ME and these are the currents of MY people)..
otherwise we would develope a ‘one-world way of life’ .. where everything is gray.. and melted together.
What makes the Garden amazing are all the different flowers, the different plants, the different, smells, currents of air.
I have to say that there is a FRIGHTENING amount of crypto-fascism, racism disguising itself as “folkism”, and brownshirt mentality in the online Asatru community. It’s digusting, it’s frightening, it’s a disgrace to the gods, and it is REAL. Whining about accusations will not make them go away, because the accusations have SUBSTANCE to them.