Dancing Down the Moon 4.0 Archive

Ten Things Pagans Could Stand to Learn from Christians

The NeoPagan movement, and Wicca in particular, is young, especially compared to the Abrahamic* faiths. Granted, our spiritual roots go back millennia, but what we practice today is as far removed from the ancient Pagans as an iMac is from an abacus. Being young has many advantages, but there is much we have yet to learn, and we'd be foolish not to look to our Christian cousins for inspiration. After all, they have been around a lot longer than we have, successfully negotiated century after century of global unrest, and still have millions of followers--whatever their shortcomings, they must be doing something right. We've ranted and raved as a Community about our differences; it's time we grew up enough to admit that all paths lead up one mountain, and tried to learn from each other. The day we stop growing and learning is the day we stop being truly spiritual people..

So here are a few things I think we should keep in mind. These aren't things that I think are lacking in the Pagan Community, necessarily--but I think that we could benefit from the Christian example.

1. The value of fellowship

What happens when someone in your average Baptist congregation falls on hard times, loses a loved one, has a tragic or chronic illness in the family? Casseroles happen. Ignoring the interfaith bickering and strife (which Pagans are just as guilty of), Christians take care of their own. In functioning, healthy churches there's a sense of "we're all in this together" and "we're all children of God."

2. The dangers of pre-judging people

This isn't so much based on anything Christians do as a group as it's based on our reaction to them. A lot of NeoPagans would like to believe in the "great JudeoChristian conspiracy to destroy sexuality, freedom, women, and all forms of joy on Earth" just as they'd like to believe the myth of the peaceful prehistoric matriarchy. The fact is, in the world away from television, no one person creates a conspiracy. Life is not an episode of the X-Files. The vast majority of Christians are honest, good people who are doing the best they can in the same screwed-up world we live in. Remember the old saying: "an empty barrel makes the most noise." The intolerant hate-mongering morons who bomb abortion clinics and burn crosses in our yards aren't following the teachings of Christ any more than the Taliban is following Mohammed.

A lot of my co-religionists seem threatened by this reality, as if someone else's path being valid automatically calls their own beliefs into question. For one thing, the underlying essence of Wicca (and its kin) is that there is no one true way. For another, if your beliefs can't stand up to your own scrutiny, you might want to rethink them anyway and figure out exactly why you're as bigoted as you claim others are.

3. How to educate the young

When I was little I went to Sunday school, youth groups outings, scouts, Vacation Bible School in summers, and all manner of camps and retreats. Granted, some of them were a bit scary in my post-adolescence, but by and large these were fun events with lots of singing, crafts, outdoor activities, and S'mores. A great many Pagan kids are homeschooled these days, which can leave them lacking in social skills (which is more than a little obnoxious at festivals, let me tell you). In response, a number of parents are setting up playgroups and so forth, but I think they'd do well to try and incorporate more religious content. The Spiral Scouts are a great example of this effort. What better time to impart our values and the beautifully textured tapestry of myth and ritual we've so painstakingly woven? Our children don't have to have secular lives any more than we do.

4. The importance of daily contact with the sacred

This is a big one for me. Christians who really have it together are the ones who set aside time for prayer every day, not just on Sundays or when they think they might be audited by the IRS. If you look at the recent wave of "inspirational" (read: Christian) books you'll see dozens of daily prayer guides, devotionals, and so forth that help people establish and cultivate a relationship with their Creator. The tradition of the Catholic Rosary is one of my personal favorites (and is very easily adapted). Meditation and devotion are important to all spiritual paths, and should be the paving stones of our own--we can't expect Deity to be our comfort and strength in misfortune if we ignore them the rest of the time. That includes expressing gratitude for our blessings, and simply saying, "Hi Mom, hi Dad, I love You."

5. Love thy neighbor

Okay, maybe this one isn't as widely practiced among Christians (or anyone) as it should be, but it's a beautiful and important idea. The most powerful images and stories of the New Testament aren't in the Book of Revelation--they're the parables of Jesus, his admonitions to treat others with kindness, consideration, respect. The concept of spiritual love (heart-chakra love, not the twisted "romantic" obsession that is propagated in popular music) is common to all major spiritual paths and religions--that love is considered an emanation of Deity, and absolutely vital to our growth as people and as a society. A person who has reached spiritual maturity, no matter what path they walk upon, can look at others from a place of love and act accordingly.

6. Public service

One thing that Wiccan clergy should emphasize (and often does quite effectively) is the importance of public service. There are religiously-based charities and organizations all over the place, ranging from shelters to food banks to counseling services. The Pagan Community needs those as well--most of us want to be a healing force in the world, to make a difference no matter how small, but have no idea where to start when the world around us seems so diseased. That's one thing that these groups excel at, giving people a place to focus their efforts. Granted, since we aren't trying to spread any sort of gospel we can find a niche in the non-faith-based organizations, but if we create our own charities, we know that we're working with people who share our worldview, get our jokes, and want to see the same changes in society.

7. Sincerity

Here's something that is both refreshing and frustrating to realize: you can't argue with a proselytizer. Those well-meaning Mormons who knock on your door, the guy who puts a leaflet under your windshield wiper--even the scary people who picket Pagan stores aren't automatically /evil. We can't dismiss them as bad people or mere crazies. The fact is, according to Christian doctrine, we're wrong, and we're going to suffer for it. That we disagree isn't the important thing here--the important thing is that Christians believe this wholeheartedly, and they are genuinely worried about us. They're not just trying to cause us trouble or bother us during dinner. They're sincere, and that's admirable--if someone cares about you, and about your spiritual welfare, how can you get angry that they want to help? Now, that only goes so far; there's a difference between picketing a store and throwing a rock through the window. Once you cross the line, and start hurting people and property, you're not just being an asshole--you're violating your own religious tenets, and possibly local and federal laws. That being said, when the local minister or your well-meaning cousin ask if you've found Jesus, there are more diplomatic, kinder, and more intelligent things to say than, "No, maybe you should get his face put on a milk carton."

8. Knowing when to hand it over to a Higher Power

Life is hard. All religions acknowledge this. Wiccans are to be commended, in my mind, for trying to take responsibility for our own lives, for changing the world in whatever small ways we can. Problem is, eventually life is going to smack you upside the head so hard you go tumbling down the hill, and you might not be able to stand back up on your own. We've inherited that American "rugged individualism" nonsense and amplified it to the extent that we never ask for help, not even from Deity. We decide at some point that asking the gods to do something for us is wimping out, that we should drain our magical will to the last dregs before saying, "Okay, I give up!" It's sort of the opposite reaction to people who pray, "Goddess, bring me a job" and then sit on their asses in their underwear.

There are some things we simply can't do for ourselves. Do all you can, make every effort, but be willing to step back and let the chips fall. Case in point: last year I had emergency surgery, the first major medical procedure I'd ever undergone. I could do a hundred protection spells (if I'd had time, anyway), but when it came down to it and the anesthesia took hold, I was in someone else's hands, and my will meant absolutely nothing if the surgeon had a bad day or the anesthesiologist was a D student. In truth, I was so terrified I couldn't summon the magical energy to protect a fruit fly. What did I do? I prayed--not that everything would be perfect, but that whatever happened, I'd get through it, even if that meant dying on the table. I asked the Goddess to hold my hand, and at that moment the strangest sense of calm moved through me, and I knew it was going to be okay. There's a flip side to the cliche "God helps those who help themselves." God also helps those who set aside ego and pride long enough to ask.

9. Major Key

There's a longstanding joke in the community that no matter what tune a chant starts out with, after three or four repetitions it turns into "We All Come from the Goddess." A lot of our songs have really good words and really dreary music. Embracing the dark as well as the light doesn't mean all our songs have to be dirges. We could take a lot of inspiration from the Gospel choirs--I think if I'd been exposed to their joyful, ecstatic music from an early age it might have been a lot harder to leave the church. The Gospel groups always seem to say, "Yeah, it sucks sometimes, but the world is beautiful and God is good--sing!" Sounds like a plan to me.

10. Political mobility

Whatever its effect on society, you have to admit that as a group, Christians know how to work the system. They aren't afraid to band together to influence political parties and candidates; that influence can be used with wisdom or greed, like any other kind of power, and has the capacity to change the world. Pagans have a certain distrust of societal institutions, including the government--we may not be anarchists per se, but we have a deep and abiding fear of "The Man." As a result, many of us stay home on Election Day and then bitch and moan about George W or whoever, without making any real effort to do anything about it. Now, that's not a Pagan problem; it's an American problem. Political apathy has infected people of all classes and creeds. However, if we were to gather enough Pagans to a cause, bend our efforts and our magic toward the change we want to make in the world, there's no telling what might happen. Maybe one vote doesn't do a lot (especially if your brother counts the votes), but a thousand could elect a mayor--that's a place to start. We can't give up on democracy--if the Christian Coalition can do it, so can we.