Is This The Kind of Pep Talk We Need?
Last weekend Pagan priest Sam Webster gave a talk at Oberlin college. The event, sponsored by the Oberlin Pagan Awareness Network featured Webster giving the keynote speech entitled “Pagan Restoration”. But I’m wondering if this talk is the kind we want making the news.
“Webster called for action and solidarity among Pagans of the European tradition to organize and defend their spirituality from being swallowed by the Christian onslaught…Interspersed with Pagan prayers and quotes from “Klingons” of the popular television show Star Trek, Webster spoke on the virtues of Paganism and the history of its persecution by the Catholic Church…Comparing early Catholic monks to Adolf Hitler’s “storm-troopers,” Webster gave countless examples of destruction of art and architecture by monks acting under the orders of higher church officials.”
Quotes in Klingon? Hitler references? Encouraging a victim mentality? Is this the kind of talk our community needs right now? His “solutions” don’t seem much better.
“Use the Internet. Learn about it. Those old dinosaurs [of America's Christian culture], don?t know that they have created the sword that will slay them.”
We already are using the Internet, but then again so are Christians, in numbers that dwarf our own. I’m not exactly sure how Internet users will slay the Christian “dragon”. By blogging a lot? Starting flame wars? I personally think his final solution was the most sensible.
“Make a space, [and] have conversations with deities. Find your own way to communicate ? offer to the gods that which gives you pleasure. Tune your soul to the cosmos. It will speak to you.”
Trying to find a “sword” (metaphorical or literal) to “slay” the power of the Christian majority will never work in this culture. What we need is a coalition of all faiths (and the faithless) to ensure that the wall between Church and State remains firm. That is the thing that will ensure the survival and growth of modern Paganism in America.
One response so far
So Christians have persecuted pagans. And pagans have persecuted Christians. Can we move on now?
Sam Webster’s speech is not the kind that helps anyone. The Klingon references make Pagans look silly and the Hitler comparisons are hateful. He offers no solutions anyway. I’m with you; inclusive, interfaith dialogue and a firm separation of Church and State are better ways to go.