OOOH! 2 in one day! Can it be?

Yeah - I got to looking into the Witches Weekly archives and found this little gem of a question - I couldn't resist. I'm in a ranting mood! LOL


What are some things that people do in the name of paganism or neo-paganism that tend to annoy you?


Hmmm... I think that being so totally self-rightious about their religion is one that irks me... But then, that's not just in the Pagan or neo-pagan community - that's pretty much everywhere. Those who believe that their religion is the ONLY religion out there, and it's the only RIGHT religion to pick - well, they're as bad as those they rant against. There's a great quote from my fiance regarding religion, and it explains why A. I'm a solitary practitioner, and B. he's a devoted athiest: There is no religion which, when practiced fully, condones the subjigation, mutilation, or killing of another for ANY reason. Fred's decided that he will remain an athiest until all religions understand this, accept it, embrace it, and preach it fully and honestly. I don't blame him.


People who say that Wicca is better than all other religions are no better than the Roman Catholics who say that Roman Catholisism is better than all other religions... Remember that those who believed that there is only *ONE* true religion, and that one religion was the only way to go created the Inquisition - and it can go both ways.


Also - those who aren't willing to do the work and look into, understand, question, even dis-prove parts of, the religion they wish to be a part of... They irk me. I've had a few run-in's with people like this. I watched as they duct-taped together portions of each of the sabbat rituals into something that they liked, rather than keep with traditions - and then looked down on me when I declined the invite to join in... It's not that I'm not into doing things a little differently - but for someone who was booted from a coven for not studying the mysteries of the religion, and then deciding to simply make something up and call it "official"... Well, I have to say that it doesn't strike me as someone who wants to do a lot of soul searching for something as important as a religious belief. If you're not willing to work and question and dig into your religion, then you shouldn't be a part of it - and you certainly shouldn't be calling yourself the LEADER of such a religion.


Another thing that irks me to no end is the "fluffy bunnies" - you know the ones... The ones that bounce up to you at a party and have coven names like "The sparkle fairy princess coven of light and moonbeams", and member names like "Sunshine EverDance" and "Moondrivel RiverDance". They tell you that being a Wiccan is just the most nicety-nice thing in the whole world, and if everyone would join them and just be nice the world would be filled with sparkles and rainbows and lolly-pops and...


And about that time you just want to smack them - if only to shut them up, since it's obvious that they haven't a brain in their head to knock sense into. It's not that I'm cynical. I'm a realist. The realist doesn't see the glass half-empty or half-full; the realist looks at the glass, sees that they've got to make sure that it doesn't get knocked over while others are moving around the room, and understands that eventually, someone (most likely them) will have to take it to the kitchen and clean it. I see the world as it is, not as it "should be". Yes, it's true - if people WERE nice to one another, and DID get along, and COULD accept one another for who they were and not for any number of possible disqualifying issues, then the world would be a great (if boring) place.


The truth of the matter is that human nature won't allow such things to happen. We are, by nature, a group of materialistic, jealous, greedy bunch of creatures who want a lot, but don't necessarily want to give in order to receive. We can *choose* to be different... we can *choose* to accept that person across the room as different and not abandon them when the house we're both in is set on fire... But that's the whole point, isn't it. It's about choice - and we, as a group, have chosen not to do so. I don't like people. Individual persons are great, but people? Well, as K would say, "People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals - and you know it."


So yeah - those would be the most that I have issues with within the Neo-Pagan and Pagan communities. Which is why I'm a solitary practitioner, and proud of the fact that I question my religion almost daily, and reconcile with it at the end of the day because I can prove to myself that it's the right one for ME.


~M