10-30-2005, 11:52 AM
Read this some time ago thought it was rather *interesting *
Guest Commentary For Pagans, Halloween is tricky -- and no treat
By MICHAEL P. MURPHY, The Virginian-Pilot
Halloween is almost here, and I dread it. Why? Well, as a Pagan I have come to loathe the things that surround what for us is the celebration of the New Year.
We call it Samhein (a Gaelic word pronounced sho-when). It is the time when the veil between this life and the next is the thinnest. Pagans come together this night to remember those who lived and passed before us. Like many of our holidays, it now has a Christian counterpart, Halloween.
Some local media outlets will feature stories about Pagans and their activities this night. I know they will find the most bizarre and wacky individual proclaiming himself or herself a Witch, Druid or 3rd High Dark Lord of Something Dreadful Sounding.
Those who may be filmed or interviewed on camera will no doubt wear costumes more suited to a movie featuring Hobbits, mumbling chants that make little or no sense, though they might be vaguely Gaelic or Latin sounding.
Most Pagans will, as I do, stay at home and find private ways to celebrate. I will give thanks for a bountiful year by engaging in the modern-day equivalent of the ancient Celtic Samhein ritual of giving alms to those less fortunate -- passing out halloween candy.
It isn't that we don't want to participate publicly in the occasion; we would love to. What we fear is that we will be lumped in with the crazies out there. We are never interviewed or sought out. Why? We are no different than anyone else.
Pagans, the real ones, come in many types. Wiccans, Druids, the paths are many, like Episcopalians or Baptists. We have a number of gods or goddesses depending on the path of the individual, though for some of us a god merely represents an idea.
There is no blood sacrifice, no evil spells or dancing around in goat hide leggings. There are however, drum circles, teaching circles on morals and fellowship. They are our equivalent of your choir, Bible study and, well, fellowship.
I've heard it said that the followers of Wicca worship skyclad (that would be nude) though I have never personally seen it.
The point is, we leave folks alone and go about our business. You won't see us going door to door trying to convert others to our ways; we consider such things extremely bad manners.
I have never seen a Pagan standing on a street corner haranguing the passers-by with threats of ``eternal damnation'' or whatever.
We let the Christians go on missions to other countries trying to convert poor folk of one faith into being poor folk of another faith. Many of us, however, support relief efforts around the world, just without the religious drumbeat in accompaniment.
We work with you, live next door to you. Our children go to school with yours and some of us teach your children. Our morals are the same as yours; we abhor lying, stealing and all those other things you call ``sins.''
We worry about the quality of the schools our children attend and complain about the trash on TV these days. We are your neighbors; you have been welcomed into our homes and, unless we trusted you enough to tell you, then you never knew our beliefs.
We talk frequently among ourselves on the threat that those like fundamentalist firebrand Jack Chick and his publications pose to us. We view them, and their lies, as typical of the schizophrenia called Christianity.
We are told by well-meaning Christians that ``thou shalt not kill'' or ``love thy neighbor'' yet we also read in your Bible, ``suffer not a witch to live.'' The fact that such a directive from the God of Christians exists does not give us great confidence in your other words.
What we don't do, in spite of what the fundamentalist Christians may say, is worship the devil. That is a Christian idea, not a Pagan one.
So go ahead, dress up for Halloween, have fun, but remember, it was our holiday first. Take the time to find out why you are going door to door asking for a treat.
If you come to my door I would be glad to tell you. I promise not to try to convert you
Guest Commentary For Pagans, Halloween is tricky -- and no treat
By MICHAEL P. MURPHY, The Virginian-Pilot
Halloween is almost here, and I dread it. Why? Well, as a Pagan I have come to loathe the things that surround what for us is the celebration of the New Year.
We call it Samhein (a Gaelic word pronounced sho-when). It is the time when the veil between this life and the next is the thinnest. Pagans come together this night to remember those who lived and passed before us. Like many of our holidays, it now has a Christian counterpart, Halloween.
Some local media outlets will feature stories about Pagans and their activities this night. I know they will find the most bizarre and wacky individual proclaiming himself or herself a Witch, Druid or 3rd High Dark Lord of Something Dreadful Sounding.
Those who may be filmed or interviewed on camera will no doubt wear costumes more suited to a movie featuring Hobbits, mumbling chants that make little or no sense, though they might be vaguely Gaelic or Latin sounding.
Most Pagans will, as I do, stay at home and find private ways to celebrate. I will give thanks for a bountiful year by engaging in the modern-day equivalent of the ancient Celtic Samhein ritual of giving alms to those less fortunate -- passing out halloween candy.
It isn't that we don't want to participate publicly in the occasion; we would love to. What we fear is that we will be lumped in with the crazies out there. We are never interviewed or sought out. Why? We are no different than anyone else.
Pagans, the real ones, come in many types. Wiccans, Druids, the paths are many, like Episcopalians or Baptists. We have a number of gods or goddesses depending on the path of the individual, though for some of us a god merely represents an idea.
There is no blood sacrifice, no evil spells or dancing around in goat hide leggings. There are however, drum circles, teaching circles on morals and fellowship. They are our equivalent of your choir, Bible study and, well, fellowship.
I've heard it said that the followers of Wicca worship skyclad (that would be nude) though I have never personally seen it.
The point is, we leave folks alone and go about our business. You won't see us going door to door trying to convert others to our ways; we consider such things extremely bad manners.
I have never seen a Pagan standing on a street corner haranguing the passers-by with threats of ``eternal damnation'' or whatever.
We let the Christians go on missions to other countries trying to convert poor folk of one faith into being poor folk of another faith. Many of us, however, support relief efforts around the world, just without the religious drumbeat in accompaniment.
We work with you, live next door to you. Our children go to school with yours and some of us teach your children. Our morals are the same as yours; we abhor lying, stealing and all those other things you call ``sins.''
We worry about the quality of the schools our children attend and complain about the trash on TV these days. We are your neighbors; you have been welcomed into our homes and, unless we trusted you enough to tell you, then you never knew our beliefs.
We talk frequently among ourselves on the threat that those like fundamentalist firebrand Jack Chick and his publications pose to us. We view them, and their lies, as typical of the schizophrenia called Christianity.
We are told by well-meaning Christians that ``thou shalt not kill'' or ``love thy neighbor'' yet we also read in your Bible, ``suffer not a witch to live.'' The fact that such a directive from the God of Christians exists does not give us great confidence in your other words.
What we don't do, in spite of what the fundamentalist Christians may say, is worship the devil. That is a Christian idea, not a Pagan one.
So go ahead, dress up for Halloween, have fun, but remember, it was our holiday first. Take the time to find out why you are going door to door asking for a treat.
If you come to my door I would be glad to tell you. I promise not to try to convert you