Is there a conflict developing between Wiccans and Pagans who are not Wiccan?

I'm not sure. I've seen some anecdotal evidence to suggest it, but unfortunately, with the current setup of the Pagan Community, there isn't much evidence of anything that isn't anecdotal. So rather than just ignore what could potentially be a real problem, I'm going to deliberately make a tempest in a teacup.

This kind of schism isn't unprecedented; many minorities have similar problems. For example, certain parts of the African American community have been known to further delineate themselves by economic status, or even by exactly how dark the skin is. Certain members of the Gay Community have been known to draw lines based on race or lifestyle. The Feminist Community has similar problems. Admittedly, none of these problems are community wide, and in fact most of the quibbling is done by a very small percentage, but in all cases these internal conflicts cause problems for the movements as a whole. For this reason, when I see little things in the Pagan Community, I worry that I might be seeing the beginnings of such a trend.

I've noticed a lot of Wiccans use the word "Wiccan" when the more appropriate word would be "Pagan." There's no malice in it, of course, but it's not incredibly sensitive, especially when one ends up calling people and events "Wiccan" when they aren't. It may not seem like a big deal, but little things like this can build up. Similarly, when a news item appears about Wiccans, you don't often hear the mention of the larger Pagan community. In my opinion, we should make a point of representing ourselves as members of the larger Pagan Community instead of just as Wiccans. We're all fighting the same fight, in the end, and we should stand with our Pagan brethren.

Of course, not all of the problem is with the Wiccans. Some Pagans have chips on their shoulders when it comes to Wicca. Some of their complaints are reasonable-- even if I don't agree with the notions that Wicca has become too New-Age, too commercial, or too mainstream, I can see why many people would make such complaints. No, I don't begrudge people the right to criticize Wicca... but certain Pagans attack Wicca for all the wrong reasons.

There's a certain kind of person (and you'll find them among the Wiccans, too, as well as just about every other subset of the human race) that feels the need to be superior to everyone else. Among Wiccans, you'll see this manifest most often in the obnoxious habit of Christianity Bashing. Most of the Pagans that fit this category also bash the Christians... but some take it a step further and have to bash other Pagans, as well. These are often the folks who become Pagans (Wiccan or not) as an act of rebellion... and being Wiccan just isn't strange enough anymore.

The bottom line is that the Wiccan Community is a part of the larger Pagan Community, and we need them as much as they need us. Our combined numbers will serve both the Wiccans and the other Pagans better than any divided groups, and as religions we have much to learn from and share with one another. I'm not trying to point the finger at anyone, and I'm not saying that there's a problem yet-- but the potential is there. I often suggest that we should learn from the successes of other minorities; here is an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

© 2002 by Cather "Catalyst" Steincamp