|
For all our vaunted intellegence, we live in a very ignorant time. I think it's the contrast of vast knowledge and ignorant paranoia that makes it so hard. We have so much knowledge available from so many sources - East and West, and everything in between. Many of us have the freedom to learn about philosophy, metaphysics, great literature, and humanities like never before, and yet is seems that so many decide not to avail themselves of what people have fought and died to attain. Instead, they wallow in ignorant propaganda, gleefully collecting and spreading it about. Take this little gem...
"Doug Wilson makes a fascinating point in the 17th sermon of his Deuteronomy series. He says that child sacrifice is INEVITABLE.
What he means is that physically killing babies is an inevitable thing for a pagan society to do. Throughout the Bible, God claims the first-born child for himself. The regenerate will always have a substitute for the first-born sacrifice by the perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why child sacrifice is clearly outlawed in the Bible (Deut. 12:31) - it can be outlawed only through Christ's shed blood.
Yet pagans do not have this sacrificial substitute, so they, Wilson seems to say, naturally are going to sacrifice children to their god(s). This occurred in numerous occassions in the ancient world, in Carthage and the South American empires, and it occurs in the abortion culture of today."
The Necessity of Child Sacrifice.
Leaving aside the whole abortion issue - this is not the venue for that discussion, nor is that the poster's point - this sums up one of the greatest rally-cries used by Christians for millenia. We Pagans, unnatural and nasty as we are, sacrifice children. And that, precisely because we are Pagan, we cannot help it.
So, not only do I engage in, or will one day, the murder of children, but I do so because I'm not Christian. That is a huge insult. It proclaims me weak-willed, controlled by blood-thirsty gods, and uncaring of human life - because my god is not the Christian one! Without ever having even met me.
Now, I, for one, am offended at such a blanket statement. I have no issue acknowledging that sacrifice - child and adult, human and animal, did indeed form a part of the Pagan rites of various Pagan religions. Not all. There are a number of Meso-Pagan tribes, for example, (among the Australian Aboriginal and Native American tribes, for example) whose ancestors did not engage in sacrifice. There are Celtic tribes that once did, but moved beyond human sacrifice before conversion ever occurred. And the Christians performed animal sacrifice in the early days with the observation of Pesach alone. Every religious group has sacrifice within its history. Every group has all sorts of elements considered nasty and perverted by modern minds.
But as society evolves, so to does the form of worship. The understanding of what worship entails - and the meaning of sacrifice - evolves too. Our ancestors offered up what was seen as precious to the gods (black bulls for Hekate, for example), and also what was most highly prized by the worshipper (a son for Jehovah). Thus the gods were honoured.
But with the growth of civilisation, we (and the gods) change our understanding of what is valuable and worthy to offer and what is reallt necessary to please the gods. Now, to most, if not all Pagans, the idea of worshipping a deity that demands human sacrifice is beyond repugnant. We seek out gods that are complex and beyond such simple appetites. Our gods still seek sacrifices of great value, but they take a different form - often one more metaphysical than tangible. Many sacrifices revolve around what resides within our brains and hearts.
These are people who fear and despise us so greatly that they avoid all possibility of discovering the reality, and instead construct complex lies and deceits to try and raise armies against us. If it wasn't such a threat (considering how many of them exist, and the ease with which their lies and insinuations are made a part of "common knowledge"), it would be laughable. It's bad enough to be accused of offering our children up to our gods as bloody tribute as easily as we pick wild flowers. To add the accusation that we would go so far as to utilise abortion as a means to do this is an abomination that attacks our people, our religion, and our ethical character, as well as the right of women to choose.
I still feel ill at this virilent piece of crap. It is a rare, dare I say non-existent, woman indeed who would go to the trouble to get pregnant and then undergo an abortion to offer a legal child sacrifice to her god. The ignorance in this statement is appalling.
The scary thing is that this crap is widespread crap. Propaganda with a new twist on an old, old tale. And, as usual, it ignores factual points - such as Christian women get abortions too. The instance of Pagans sacrificing people, let alone children...well, where's the news reports? The public outcry based upon actual deaths? There isn't any. And I'd guess to that the instance of abortion within the Pagan community is probably lower than in the Christian one - simply due to increased sex education and familial acceptance of pregnancy, if nothing else.
Yes it riles me. And the gall - these fundie idiots spread lies about us everywhere, appeal to the most basic of instincts (protecting children), and pull up ancient history as justification. Because, after all, if the original Pagans sacrificed people, then clearly Paganism is tainted and evil and I, a modern Pagan, will fall prey to the natural desire to sacrifice children. The refusal to even consider that faith and belief change over time as society alters is annoying - morals and ethics are flexible, and what society once considered "right" (such as Renaissance Christianity's view that women and children were possessions, able to be beaten, raped, abused, etc) it can learn to see as "wrong". Religion, a healthy religion anyway, grows and changes with society. Maybe this is the real problem. So many of the fundies hearken back in time to a more Biblical lifestyle. They try to keep their religion static and unchanging, and as such are unable to see that other faiths are not quite as set in stone. What's that old adage? That which we hate most in others is what we really are...
|
Say nothing of my religion. It is known to God and myself alone. Its evidence before the world is to be sought in my life: if it has been honest and dutiful to society the religion which has regulated it cannot be a bad one.
~ Thomas Jefferson.
|
|
|
While research is showing that the 9,000,000 claimed as victims of the Burning Times is inaccurate (estimates range up to about 100,000), the atrocities are still real and must never happen again. To any person - regardless of race, creed, gender, or sexuality. But they continue - then and now.
The European Witch-Hunts, c. 1450-1750 and Witch-Hunts Today
Lies that have been told about witchcraft and continue to be told
|
Doubting God's existence is okay and perfectly acceptable within Christianity as long as the person doubting remains obedient and committed to the Christian path.
~ Real Live Preacher, RealLivePreacher.com Weblog
|
A few links relevant to the article
Oh My Goddess! Pagans and History
Abortion is Witchcraft
The Spiral Path
 By Rebecca SerVoss
Unfortunately, this month Beca is unable to contribute her usual article. She will rejoin us soon with the next installment of The Spiral Path.
|
The Pagan Heart retains all appropriate copyright and ownership over web page design and content except where otherwise credited. Concerning all work published within this magazine, unless otherwise indicated through a credit or link to the original work, all images and text are provided by, and the property of, the person submitting the article. Any artwork, photography, poetry, spells, rituals, stories, articles, or other written work displayed in this magazine remains the property of the owner of said work, and all copyrights are to be unheld. Beyond that, this magazine does not lay claim of ownership to any work not created by the magazine, and does not support plagarism or theft. Should you find your work in this magazine incorrectly credited, please contact the Web Designer with details so it can be rectified immediately.
Are you interested in submitting letters or articles to The Pagan Heart? If so, please read the Submissions Guidelines. They offer details on deadlines and the relevant staff to contact. Our Editorial staff are also happy to answer questions.
Are you interested in Banner Exchange or advertising through our Pagan Mall? Please contact the Web Designer.
If you have a general question, please contact the Editor in Chief.
|
2004-2006