Over the past few years where I work, I have occasionally done lectures on the Pagan origins of certain holidays. The city I live in is quite liberal but by and large it is a provincial area of the world and anything that broadens the conversation about culture is usually met with great enthusiasm. That is until my most recent talk on the solstice. About a week after the lecture, I received an email from someone who asked whether I would be doing some talks on the Christian holidays as well. A reasonable question we might assume on the surface, however the person who sent the email had worded it in a way that implied there was more to it. I responded pleasantly and noncommittally and moved on with my day. But here I think I would like to share all the things that were problematic with the request. Below is the email I couldn’t write. Dear ___ Thank you for reaching out about the talks (not, as your email stated “trainings”) I have done on various holidays. There are several points I would like to make regarding your question First, the talks you are referring to were intended as cultural explorations of the holidays that we celebrate in the US. I discussed the many influences on these holidays from an interdisciplinary angle which meant exploring religious, sociological, geographical, political and other aspects of the holidays. As a result I discussed Christianity since as you may or may not know, Christian holidays were often a “rebrand” of older Pagan ones. Sadly, since you did not attend any of my talks, you missed this. Second, since Paganism as a historical and cultural phenomenon as well as religious one is marginalized, and since my field of scholarship is Paganism, it made sense that I shared my knowledge and resources about this subject. I would not have arranged talks on Christianity because it is not my field. Is it yours? If so, why not make the effort to do a talk on Christian holidays yourself? Third, we live in the Bible Belt. To put it crudely, one could throw a bible and hit either a practicing Christian or a church. Do you really think we need a workshop on Christianity when it is so easy to find this information? Fourth, get ready now because this is where I really am going to dig a bit deeper. Are you familiar with the terms ‘false equivalency” and “Christian hegemony”. No? Well let’s look at them. The basis of your email, I might suggest, is that you are offended that someone shared a belief system that is not dominant. You have probably seen in the media multiple marginalized groups stand up for themselves and insist on being acknowledged and it makes you uncomfortable. Because of this you have resorted to one of the greatest fallacies of false equivalency, which basically states - if that group gets to do that, why don’t I? More specifically, you are assuming that since Paganism has been given a modicum of attention (I mean a talk at a small college is hardly a rally) then it is my duty to give Christianity attention. Despite the decline in Christianity, it outnumbers the known Pagan community hundreds of times over. Christianity has efficiently converted millions over the centuries. Moreover the influence of this religion is so insidious and far reaching that you probably barely notice how much power it has - a lot like white supremacy and patriarchy. This is known as Christian hegemony. I don’t need to provide a platform for Christianity because it is everywhere. My fifth point requires me to make an assumption which is that you yourself are Christian. If so, it is understandable that you are concerned that I am trying to convert the campus to Paganism. Pagans, unlike Christians, do not proselytize. We have no interest in growing our numbers to satisfy the whim of a capricious and frankly narcissistic god. This is surprising to many Christians because it kind of comes with the territory for them, doesn’t it? Not for Pagans. Finally, I want to recognize that you are scared and I understand that. You are scared maybe because you have been fed propaganda that claims Paganism is evil Satan worship. It’s not. Again my talk would have revealed that but as I mentioned before you did not attend. These days an opinion without information is often presumed to be enough. This is the trap you have fallen into. You never came to my talks - and that is your prerogative. But that means any opinion you might have about it means absolutely nothing. I would however like to thank you for writing your email. It amused me and gave me a chance to write this article. Blessed Be. Comments are closed.
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AuthorLiz Watkin writes for The Wild Hunt. All opinions expressed here are her own and do not reflect those of any associated organizations. ArchivesCategories |