Misconceptions about Pagans and Paganism

[Booko]

Surprisingly I don't get that one at all. Well, that's not true, but I don't really think the "If it's not God, it's Satan" line actually counts.

Oh, but it's not the "if it isn't God, it's Satan." I mean they actually make no difference between pagans and people who worship Satan in the sense of having a "black mass" with candles and all.

Heck, even a reasonable friend of mine didn't know anything about paganism and called me concerned when she found out her brother had become a Druid. I suggested the worst thing she had to worry about was him getting a chill if his group was fond of worshipping skyclad, but other than that, not to worry.

People seem to be a bit better educated about "alternative" belief systems here in NY since the papers like to do human interest stories on the subject every fall. I'm waiting for my phone call to be interviewed, lol.

Oh, that has to be really irritating. :sarcastic

 

[MaddLlama]

Oh, but it's not the "if it isn't God, it's Satan." I mean they actually make no difference between pagans and people who worship Satan in the sense of having a "black mass" with candles and all.

The only place I've really encountered that is online, but not all that often. I guess I'm just lucky.

We do seem to be a very misunderstood group though. I don't really get it.

Heck, even a reasonable friend of mine didn't know anything about paganism and called me concerned when she found out her brother had become a Druid. I suggested the worst thing she had to worry about was him getting a chill if his group was fond of worshipping skyclad, but other than that, not to worry.

At least yo didn't tell him to worry about his brother getting frisky with a tree :cover:

Oh, that has to be really irritating. :sarcastic

It's actually not that bad. The papers usually do a good job of finding "normal" people.

Now, if I lived in Salem....

 

[MaddLlama]

This isn't really a misconception about Paganism in general, but it really irks me when people say Wiccans are "white witches", or assume that there is such a thing as "white" and "black" (or "gray") magic.

 

[Kcnorwood]

My personal favorite is that all Pagans are confused goth-kids, or naked pot-smoking hippies. Apparently according to some people, Paganism isn't a real religion, it's just a way for people to look cool and claim to be "alternative"


What are some of the strangest (and/or most offensive) misconceptions or ideas about Paganism out there? I saw on a couple of really out there crazy Christian websites that abortion is a Pagan sacrament, often described as "modern human sacrifice".

I totally agree here with you I've had some christians tell me the same thing, to me it's the most common misconception. And it drives me nuts! :thud:

 

[TaraMoon]

The most annoying misconception is the common belief that all pagans are New Age Wiccans.

 

[Riverwolf]

One that I got once was that I, not pagans in general, are idol worshipers who choose to worship the creation instead of the creator. I also saw the one that Pagans and Wiccans are devil-worshipers, which I find preposterous.

 

[gnomon]

What do you find are the most common, and most insidious (as in, never go away) misconceptions about Paganism? Have you experienced any of them directly, or mainly through media (the internet counts as personal experience)?

Pagans sometimes spend a good deal of effort trying to "clear up" misconceptions about certain things, but do you think the methods are effective? If not, what's standing in the way?

(And, if you're a non-Pagan who previously had misconceptions about Paganism, but became better educated through some way, feel free to share here =) )

Spiteful.

Maybe because I did not see any number of pagans where I live until, seriously, movies such as the Craft opened a number of counter culture friends of mine who exhibited no religious proclivities but shared a deep disdain towards Christianity suddenly annoying me with their new found religion.

All I saw was a way to spite their families and others without any honest intention of following any sort of religious practice. That was many a year ago and most of those I have had contact with sense are no longer pagan but no longer hold the same spiteful attitude. Of course, we were all young and thought far more of ourselves than we do now.

Those who I meet now mainly through my job, because I have no life to speak of:sad4:, pretty much remind me in character of ...those of other faiths or lack thereof. Except for being of a different religion there is nothing to truly differentiate them in my opinion. I really like that. Of course, I'm in my thirties now and most of my relations are of the same age or older.

The other misconception is not about Pagans but that all non-Abrahamic religions fall under the guise of paganism. A most useless categorization.

 

[Kcnorwood]

I think we left it in the car.

You people have to stop losing the babies thats the third one this month......

 

[Gentoo]

You people have to stop losing the babies thats the third one this month......

We're sorry, they're so small and easy to forget....

 

[Circle_One]

This isn't really a misconception about Paganism in general, but it really irks me when people say Wiccans are "white witches", or assume that there is such a thing as "white" and "black" (or "gray") magic.

I agree. This has got to be my BIGGEST source of frustration regarding misconceptions. The worst part of it is though, is that many people who CLAIM to be Pagan, make this statement as well. "Well, I'm a white witch. I don't believe in Black Magick. It's bad." Etc, etc. It's more of a frustration when it's coming from someone who's claiming to be Pagan, than when it comes from someone who knows nothing at all.

One of the reasons I think we do have so many misconceptions about Paganism stems from the obscene amount of Fluffs there are out there. Those are the ones who loudly and obnoxiously yell about being proud Pagans, when they really know nothing at all, but since they are more apt to want someone to hear them, they scream it from the rooftops and have more people listen to them, sadly.

 

[Burning Giraffe]

I agree. This has got to be my BIGGEST source of frustration regarding misconceptions. The worst part of it is though, is that many people who CLAIM to be Pagan, make this statement as well. "Well, I'm a white witch. I don't believe in Black Magick. It's bad." Etc, etc. It's more of a frustration when it's coming from someone who's claiming to be Pagan, than when it comes from someone who knows nothing at all.

One of the reasons I think we do have so many misconceptions about Paganism stems from the obscene amount of Fluffs there are out there. Those are the ones who loudly and obnoxiously yell about being proud Pagans, when they really know nothing at all, but since they are more apt to want someone to hear them, they scream it from the rooftops and have more people listen to them, sadly.

Neo-pagan traditions are reflections of modern interpretations of ancient traditions. Of course they are fluffy. In most cases, neo-pagan traditions are founded in complete misunderstandings of the original belief system and culture out of which the system was derived. What people choose to believe about magic, however, ought to be a personal decision and should not reflect fundamental theological propositions (essentially, the foundation of an individuals world view). Personal experience should dictate to the individual the reality of their faith.