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Is
There Spirituality in Modern Paganism?
Or is it just Fluff?
Part two
- Morality
Dogma.
That word is associated with many of the mainstream religions, to
follow a set of rules governed by an ‘Almighty’ or one must face
eternal damnation. This
tenant and its followers has been used to oppress many women, men and
cultures alike.
Karma.
The knowledge that whatever goes around comes around.
Or better yet, known
in the Wiccan community as the three-fold law.
Whatever energy is sent out will return to the sender three-fold.
The
Wiccan Rede
- “An it harm none, do as thou wilt”
What does that mean?
‘Do whatever you want so long as you aren’t hurting
anyone?’ In some cases
and to some individuals…yes. This
tenant is taken to a literal sense by those who wish to celebrate the
lack of dogma in the Pagan faith. Additionally,
there are those that refuse to even validate the ethics of the
three-fold law or karma.
In
the Pagan faiths, there are no actual ‘rules’ or guidelines on how
to be or act morally. Webster’s
Dictionary defines moral as; relating
to, dealing with, or capable of making the distinction between right and
wrong conduct; ethics, sometimes in sexual behavior.
Because
there are no actual written ‘commandments’ or rule books on moral
behavior, many find an attraction in the free spiritedness of Paganism.
However, there is a general understanding of how an individual or group
of individuals should conduct themselves.
Specifically, most of us agree that murder, rape or other violent
acts are wrong. Where does
this fall into the Pagan community?
As Wiccans, we respect life in all its aspects - from the blade
of grass to human existence. There
are some that regard human life as merely a consequence, and the very
thought of betrayal means death. Some
‘traditional’ Pagans believe that secrets within a coven or family
are to be kept and not shared. To
do so means the expiration of the individual who has divulged those very
secrets.
Many
Pagan faiths hold sex as sacred. Additionally,
sex in any form is viewed as acceptable, and as part of the idea behind
the nature-based religions, it is an integral part of the union between
God and Goddess and the continual cycle of fertility, birth, life and
death. Sex in itself is not ‘dirty’ or wrong.
Sex between two consenting adults or couples can be fulfilling,
satisfying and pleasurable. But
sex for mere entertainment is not sacred, just passing the time. Intimacy between individuals is spiritual in as much as
sexual. But some use the
openness of sexuality as something that is a simple lifestyle, like eating three meals a day, instead of a sacred, special
act between loving adults.
I
give here an example. A
High Priestess of a circle (not a coven) after ritual, explained to the
others that the next full moon would be mandatory
skyclad. Additionally, she
went on to say that the Ostara celebration would consist of
‘drunkenness and debauchery’ - or more literally ‘anything
goes’. After the stunned
looks of those around her began to fade, disgust and antipathy took
over. Most of the people
there knew this woman’s want for sexual activity, and merely saw this
as her way of fulfilling her needs.
Is
this morally wrong? Let me
put it another way. Would
this make you feel uncomfortable? Some
of you might actually look forward to this type of activity.
Most wouldn’t. Out
of the twenty or so people that were there that evening, not one person
had any interest in participating in any
of those activities. Was
this because of a moral issue? Or was it merely a personal preference?
Ok,
one more example. A major
Pagan organization gathered for it’s annual meeting and public ritual. Of one of the three day long events, a ‘dance night’ was
one. Before this event, the
president gave specific instructions to use one’s own judgment on
behavior since the events were conducted exclusively in a major hotel
ballroom.
The
dance took place with only one problem - one of the attendees waltzed
through the hotel in lingerie to get to the ballroom.
Needless to say there was a complaint and another request for
common sense was passed on to the others.
During the dance, it seemed many were pretty much ‘doing as
they will’. There were
men dressed in nothing more than stockings and G-strings, and women who
barely wore little much else. Now,
the issue if nudity during ritual has always been understood and an
accepted as a normal practice. Yet
this was merely a dance party, not a ritual, and again, a way to let
loose and act in any manner the individuals saw fit.
Let
me just pause a moment and clarify something.
As for what people wish to do privately or in groups is really
none of anyone’s business - so long as others that are involved are
comfortable with it. For me
personally, I could care less. The friends in all these situations that
accompanied me to these events were not comfortable.
Additionally, the thought was ‘what does this have to do with
spirituality?’. Does spirituality involve moral standards or not?
What, if any, does spirituality mean to individuals who practice
a literal sense of ‘do what thou will’ with little to no regard of
what others may think or how they might be effected.
When
one’s personal taste, rights
or lifestyle intrudes on another and makes others uncomfortable or is
offensive, not only is that person or group violating the rede, they are
violating that person’s rights as a human being and a child
of the gods. Simply put, should one practice an open and free from care
lifestyle under the guise of their religion?
Or should that person leave their lifestyle private and the
religious interaction separate?
Pagans
have become a bigger topic all over the newspapers and television. The general population is watching us…what kind of picture
do we want to paint for them about Pagans?
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