I keep alternating between being impressed with how much progress we have made and being made frustrated with the Pagan Community's relative naïveté when it comes to politics. I'm not saying that everyone is politically naïve; I know numerous Pagans with political saavy who are actively working on developing the Pagan Community. But I also see the problems that some of these people face when trying to get things done, and some of the attitudes that they deal with.

It's not the selfish and/or power-hungry folks that I'm talking about this time. Yes, they're a pain, but every other minority that's been in a similar position has had similar people. (Most still do.) Sadly, they're easier to get along with than people who have no conception of political reality. You can deal with someone whose primary motive is self-interest. It's a lot harder to reach an agreement with folks whose hearts are in the right place, but whose expectations are unrealistic.

These people seem to have forgotten that we live in a world where nobody agrees on anything. This misconception might be understandable in a church with a firm dogma and a religious hierarchy to provide interpretation for the masses, but it's maddening to encounter it in a community that rightfully prides itself on its diversity. If something doesn't meet with their delicate sensitivities, they villify it. It's bad enough that these people make it next to impossible to get anything accomplished inside the Pagan Community, but they also further alienate the people outside the Community.

Not everybody sees things the same way, and a disagreement of perspective, priority, or morality does not automatically constitute a personal attack, criminal indifference, or a crime against nature.

Try this pop quiz:

Dick feels that Jane is making a mistake and laws must be passed to stop her. Dick has never met Jane, and probably never will. The mistake he feels Jane is making will never affect him personally. He doesn't know anything about Jane's life or the framework within which she must make decisions. Dick won't help Jane adjust to the restrictions he insists be placed on her, or help those who depend on her, and in fact will continue to tell Jane what decisions to make-- based on his personal belief that all life is sacred-- even after he has taken away this particular choice.

Which of the following is true?

A) Jane is considering terminating an unwanted pregnancy because she is afraid she won't be able to support her existing children and the new one. Dick, who is a conservative Christian, is concerned about the life of the unborn child.

B) Jane is an industrialist expanding her operations in order to meet the obligations she has to corporate shareholders without laying off employees. Dick, a Pagan, is concerned about the impact her operations will have on the environment.

Obviously, it's a trick question, and there is no correct answer. It's a forceful illustration of how people see things differently than we do. As Pagans, we know there is no single right path. It's vital that we do have people that disagree with us, otherwise we'd just be looping widdershins in a circle for eternity. This applies to politics and society as well as religion.

While it is true that society, religion and politics are completely intertwined, they are not the same things, and different rules apply in different arenas. I truly think our religious structure, as it exists today, is ideal. We have solitary Pagans, and groups of varying sizes, depending on what you're comfortable with. With no official hierarchies of authority, each person can (at least in theory) find a situation where they have as much or as little individual control over their religious practice as they wish. One who practices solitary can still connect with the Community at public gatherings and the like, without giving up any control over one's own religious path.

It's a great religious set-up. As much as I pick on the consensus model, it's perfect for a coven. But estimates on the size of the Pagan Community range from 500,000 to four million-- and you're not going to get that many people to agree on anything. If we wait to achieve that kind of agreement, any attempts at progressive action will die in committee-- or just as likely, a Witch War.

© 2001 by Cather "Catalyst" Steincamp