The Pagan Heart
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December 2004 Issue
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Tolerance Among Pagans
By Axiom
Tolerance is an odd word. From a religious perspective, it refers to the ability, or practice, of recognising and respecting the belief systems of others. Another odd word would be acceptance. It goes further than tolerance and involves the favourable reception of another's doctrine. This doesn't mean taking said doctrine to heart, but rather accepting the validity of that doctrine as being equal to one's own. So many of us want these things, need them, are desperate for them and yet live in a world where they are in all too short supply. And what truly interests me this is the assumption within our religion, Paganism, that we are such a tolerant and accepting group. Because we are not. Don't get me wrong - we all have our areas of great tolerance and even places where we are accepting. And I have known Pagans who were fully accepting of other people's beliefs. But such true tolerance and acceptance for all is in limited supply. Ask many Pagans how they feel about Christianity, for example, and the answer won't be that supportive. Add to that the many internal factions -- divisions both within and between the belief systems, pitting Wiccan against Wiccan or Druid -- and it becomes clear that in reality, we are not a tolerant group, and we certainly find it hard to be accepting. So why is tolerance, let alone acceptance, important? Does it really matter what I think of someone else's religious views? Yes. Internally, without at least tolerance we are a splintered religion, weakened by our diversity, battling the external prejudice and hatred in small groups. Many of us are solitary practitioners, already living a life of isolation. And even if you're securely located within a group, I'd lay even odds you have nowhere near the attendance of one of the local churches. We are David to the Goliaths of mainstream bigotry. And we are fighting over who gets to hold the slingshot. Can we really afford to be further isolated from each other through intolerance? Can we afford to waste our time and energy in hating and despising other religious viewpoints? Does it serve any purpose? And does this lack of tolerance for other religions, specifically Christianity, divide us from those people in the non-Pagan community who might accept and support us in our striving to be taken seriously? For me, the idea -- so common to Pagans -- that we each walk the path that is right for us is an idea to live by. It means not only don't I try and convert you, but also that I accept you walk a valid path. Accept. Not pay lip service and then criticise your religious choice, but truly strive to accept it and move on. Or maybe even learn something from you. There is nothing to be gained in sitting and bitching about the stupid choices someone else made spiritually, except possibly their dislike. And that adds another Goliath to the army out there waiting to destroy us because we dare to be different. Plus, while it might seem to be a stupid choice, that's my subjective concept only, not a fact. I like diversity, and I believe it is one of the strongest features of the Pagan community - we are many and we are different and this is a wonderful thing. But how much stronger would we be if we all saw ourselves as part of the same whole? If we accepted and celebrated the differences within, regardless of how strange they might seem individually? And being stronger, what more could we accomplish? True religious freedom, perhaps? True acceptance from more of the non-Pagan community? Is this not something to be sought eagerly? |
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