Paganism: Why are people often fearful or hateful toward paganism?
By Cryptid
@Cryptid (72)
United States
January 26, 2009 6:37pm CST
I am a pagan personally and I have experienced highly negative reactions to my religion of choice despite it being very positive.I am not sure why so many are so hateful/fearful toward Paganism in general but most people make asinine assumptions or refuse to talk to me once they discover my religion or even make bizarre or hurtful comments.
How can a religion based on harmony and closeness to the earth and nature generate so much blind hatred?
2 people like this
5 responses
@laglen (19759)
• United States
27 Jan 09
It is simply ignorance. Chances are they know nothing about paganism. I am a Christian. To be a true Christian, you are supposed to emulate Christ's behavior. Would Christ have treated you badly? Absolutely not! God gave me free will and if you believed as I do, he gave it to you too. Whatever you choose to believe is for you and you only. I respect you and your religion.
@Cryptid (72)
• United States
27 Jan 09
Thank you for the post you have made.
Reflecting back on the issue I think a lot has to do with media portraying a very negative image of paganism and associating it with things that never go on within paganism.It is done to sensationalize things but it also does a lot of damage to many communities and I have known of people to even be killed over what the media portrays.
@Cryptid (72)
• United States
27 Jan 09
I live in a very strict christian area.In the main city I live in there are 52 churches for a city of 80,000.Being a metro area there are several cities connected to the main city and these have another 20 some churches.In one of the smaller cities anyone who isnt catholic is shunned for the most part.There is a lot of division by class and background here.
@wrongway (277)
• United States
27 Jan 09
People fear what they do not know and most people do not know about paganism except from what they see portrayed on television and in the movies, which is always portrayed wrong. First of all they show how pagans (witches) use spells to get what they want and do not care who they hurt. I have never seen a pagan movie where it brough out the Wiccan Rede "and ye hurt none do what ye will". These pagan movies almost always include "demons" which also helps to give pagans a bad name. I could go on and on about how or why people fear people who are Wiccan or Pagan but it would take pages and pages to list them all.
I became Wiccan after my daughter introduced me to the religion. In the begining I was very open about my religion and people were shocked, mean, and some of my "friends" stopped coming around. I really don't discuss my religion with people until they get to know me first, and then when I tell them or they find out, they ask me about it. I explain to them that it is an earth based religion similiar to Native American spirituality and also try to show them how our sabbats coincide and are similiar to the Christian holidays and how we celebrate them. It really seems to help. Once they know the how and why they seem to be able to accept paganism more easily. Because of this I blame the social media and ignorance for making people react to paganism the way they do.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
3 Jul 09
Propaganda. Most belief systems are misunderstood by those who do not choose to investigate them. Way back in the middle ages...the Catholic church stole all the holiays of the pagans but told the common folk that the pagan beliefs were of the devil...which is really strange cause now people are saying that about them. Any way the propaganda stuck....I am a Christian..but I will tell people that those superstitions are all backward and false. I am also Irish and Native American...and love to read about the old beliefs. Some of which are filled with wisdom. I also think it is very wrong to hate anyone...Creator God is a God of love.
