"I believe in an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out."
Arthur Hays Sulzberger

It's almost funny.

Jerry Falwell just apologized-- again-- for making hateful comments about people who oppose his religious or political views-- again. Last time he blamed September 11, 2001, on "...Pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way...", and this time he said that Mohammed, the Prophet of Islam, was a terrorist.

That, in and of itself, isn't funny. I have a strong sympathy for the Christians on this one. While there are certainly a few Christians who would agree with the sentiment, most of them reacted with something on the order of "He said WHAT?" The thing that's (almost) funny is that there are Pagans who act superior in moments like these. They get this air of "I'm so glad my religion doesn't coddle whackos like him," and I just want to ask them, "Have you been avoiding the mirror?"

Not to put too fine a point on it, but we have people in our community who make Falwell look tame, and we support them in the name of Political Correctness. There's a fine line between keeping an open mind and just closing your eyes, and there's a mindset that thinks it's "judgmental" to exercise a little good judgment.

I recognize that each person has the right to speak and practice as they see fit-- but that includes me. If I see hateful or inconsiderate behavior being carried out in the name of Paganism, I am under no obligation to validate it with my silence. We're eager to criticize Christian Fundamentalists for their hateful diatribes and hypocritical actions, but it is considered closed-minded to challenge the opinions of a fellow Pagan. Shouldn't we pay a little more attention to what's going on inside our own community?

For example: Why is it unacceptable for the Southern Baptist Convention to declare that wives should be "subservient" to their husbands, but it's okay for a radical feminist Pagan to suggest that males are all violent oppressors who have no right to worship the Goddess? To me, the one is just as bad as the other.

Similarly, we love ranting about the sexual misconduct of various Christian figures, but we say little to nothing about those in our community who use Paganism as an excuse to demonstrate an absolute lack of anything resembling a sexual ethic. What's more, there are some who use Paganism as a pick-up mechanism.

The overly politically-correct mindset that seems to control our community would twist the above statements into some sort of attack on women and an attempt to force my sexual mores on someone else, and this isn't what I'm saying at all.

I'm not criticizing the Dianic¹ ideal; I recognize the value of practicing with one's own gender. But I do have a problem with women who think that the oppression of women by some men gives them a right to attack men in general. And I've got a problem with people who tell me that I'm being closed-minded because I object to any form of sexism, particularly in the name of religion.

And I don't think I have the right to tell people how to behave, sexually. But I do have a problem with people who create the impression that Paganism equals promiscuity. This goes above and beyond the simple matter of reputation; this kind of thing leaves us open to sexual predators, and it can make newcomers to the Pagan scene very uncomfortable.

I know it's a fine line to walk between letting people do their own thing and letting people do things that harm the Pagan Community as a whole, but we seem to be afraid to come anywhere near that line. Remember, the mindset that it's wrong to pass judgment is in itself a judgment-- proof that the line must be drawn. Each of us, individually, needs to take a good look in the mirror and decide whose judgment we're going to accept.

¹The Term "Dianic" literally means "of or pertaining to Diana." The term is often used to describe rituals and traditions that are exclusively female. While this is the definition I'm using now, it is not its only definition.

© 2002 by Cather "Catalyst" Steincamp