Theology of Religion, or What the Heck is Wrong with People?

We live in an extremely polarized culture right now. People are fighting and killing one another over their differences. This of course is nothing new, people have been slaughtering others for race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and any other reason since we have historical records (and likely before that).

But this is not the world that I want my son to inherit and I struggle with the the balance between disclosure (at age appropriate levels) and keeping him blissfully ignorant, just a little while longer, to what the world is really like.

His great-grandmother is a horrible racist. So are some other family members. I have had to tell them to STFU with their crap when they are around me and my son. "That is false, ignorant, and racist- and you WILL NOT expose my son to that kind of stupidity," I have said on at least one occasion. I am surprised at how they actually shut up. They are not used to uppity women nor are they used to anyone challenging their worldview, I suppose.

My son is two-and-a-half and repeats everything. He has no filters to know what is righteous speech and what is harmful speech. He is starting to learn with his playmates what is a mean thing to say or do, but toddlers are not qualified to filter themselves yet, we have to do it for them.

This is why I do not let him watch very many mainstream movies or TV shows. The sexism and racism on these programs is astounding, especially anything branded Disney (don't get me started on Disney!). I watch everything first, so that I can be ready for questions and commentary as we watch together.

And yet, in reality- those movies reflect a reality that I dislike. Like this reality, the Republican delegate from Puerto Rico being jeered at with taunts of "USA! USA!" (Um, hey xenophobic jackasses- Puerto Rico is part of the USA.)





Or this reality, also from the GOP convention. Or the racist shootings of unarmed youth of color by civilians and police alike. Or the more subtle racism that many of us or our friends and family exhibit- jokes, slurs, or avoidance of those different than us (and the corresponding instilling of fear into our children about those people). I am heartsick over it all.

I do what I can- I am raising my son to be a good person who values difference and diversity and is comfortable with the myriad people around him. I teach kids and youth at church that looking to different cultures is not only interesting, it is necessary and an asset to their lives. I call people on unchecked assumptions. But the problem seems so HUGE. What else can I do?

This post started after reading this article about Sikh children explaining the massacre in Wisconsin. The children in that article grapple, as I do, to make sense of a crazy splintered world. Their theology is also a theology that dictates that everyone is divine and disconnection from that source can make people do horrible things to one another.

How do we connect? It's times like this when I am overwhelmed with fear and anger about my world that I try and remember the African American adage, "Each One Teach One". We can't do everything, but we all can do something. Maybe that will be enough. Gods, I hope so.

White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men

Keeping with the theme of racism in the pagan/polytheist/pantheist ("triple P") communities, I wanted to post the documentary, "White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men" here.

While this deals a lot with the New Age communities (whom to me want to purchase their spirituality and are not religions like many triple P traditions), it also impacts and touches folks in our communities as well. I am a firm believer in "owning your shit". This is something white triple P people need to address, so here it is, in my blog.


Part One:

PPPPOC Speak Out, Part Four

Last year, I encountered some troubling racism within the pagan/polytheist/pantheist communities that wasn't overt, but troubling nonetheless. It got me to thinking that minorities within any community have it hard- even when the community is itself a minority or subculture.
I decided to give my blog over to Pagan/Polytheist/Pantheist People of Color (and later this year to pagan/polytheist/pantheist queers and trans folk) to give them an audience for their experiences. All too often, we traffic only in our familiar circles and that lessens the chance for dialogue. This is a chance to hear from the affected folks themselves.
I sent out a series of questions to folks that I know and it went viral. expect several columns like this one as the answers to my questions come back to me.


This interview is with

 Szmeralda Shanel

.  My questions are first followed by hir answers in italics.

Can you please tell us how you identify religiously/spiritually?I am a priestess of the Dark Mother Auset ordained with the Fellowship of Isis and the Temple of Isis. I am a Mami Wata devotee. I practice Hoodoo. I am a Feri/Faery initiate. My spiritual work and practices are ecstatic/shamanic. My spiritual path is one of creativity and sacred arts. Can you tell us how you identify as a person of color? I identify as a Black American, when I'm being "professional" I say African American but I prefer Black American. As a Black American I am technically biologically  multi-racial, so I am many things but  how I identify connects to my cultural heritage more than biology so really I'm Black. Do you identify with the term "pagan"? Why or why not? I'm not a big fan of labels but I do understand why in communicating with each other we sometimes need them, so to answer your question -- yes, if by "Pagan" you mean  "one who follows a spiritual tradition other than Christianity, Judaism or Islam", sure- why not. But if by "Pagan" you mean "one who follows one of the pre-Christian spiritual traditions of Europe," nope. Have you ever encountered what you consider racism (however you define it) while at a pagan gathering, circle, or workshop (public or private)? Can you tell us what happened?I've experienced ignorance here and there (which I speak about while answering the next question) but in general I really only go to pagan gatherings where I know the other people and can be "in the space" having the spiritual experience rather than worrying about racism. Also, I almost always try to attend public pagan gatherings with another person of color. I do not like to be Black by myself. If I'm going to be completely honest I gotta tell you, for the most part I've stopped participating in public pagan circles. I do one large public ritual a year and it's one that I along with four other Black priestesses facilitate. There's a part of me that prefers working alone anyway, but a lot of my decision to not attend public circles has to do with the lack of diversity in the pagan community. I know leaving the circle doesn't help with making things more diverse but it's where I'm at right now. Do you believe that there is a bias against any traditions/Gods/types of religious practices in the greater pagan community?  Yes. You wouldn't believe how often I've heard White folks in the Pagan community say they don't work with deities from Africa (except for the Egyptian ones cause folks still like to pretend those deities aren't African) because they are dangerous, scary and too demanding. Or people say really ignorant things like "Witchcraft is not evil or dark, we don't do Vodou."  Someone actually said to me once "My sister was nervous about coming to ritual, I told her she didn't have to worry, it's not like we're going to be sacrificing chickens or anything!" and was smiling all in my face the whole time she was saying this!  Do you believe that these biases are informed by racism?  Sometimes it's straight up racism, other times it's just plain old ignorance about the traditions of Africa and the Diaspora. What would you like to tell white pagans about making spaces more welcoming, inclusive, and "safe"?For the most part I can say White pagans have made me feel pretty welcome in spaces, they have done this by saying hello, making sure I knew what to do, where to sit etc. and by not ignoring or focusing on my "otherness". I'm not sure that there is anything they can do to make me feel "safe", I either feel safe or I don't.  As I mentioned before I do things to make myself feel safe, like attend circles where I know and am close to the white pagans there or I attend public circles with another person of color. Have you had conversations with "white" pagans about race? Did it go well? Do you feel as if you were heard? Yes I have,  it has gone well and I know I was heard. But these are white pagans that I know, trust and have had a long relationship with.  I'm kind of in a place in my life where I'm tired of teaching white people things about race and racism in general. So I'm not likely to have a conversation about race with a white person unless I know, trust, love and care about them. They have to be worth my time and energy. Do you have anything to say about appropriative spirituality? Has your tradition been appropriated?  If I get started on Hoodoo I will write a whole essay. I will just say this- Hoodoo is African American folk magic. I've noticed White Pagans in the community like to emphasize that "Hoodoo is a mixture of things, it has African, Native American and European influences." This is true, but anything that's African American is going to be a mixture of things- we are multi-racial people of African descent, I have African, Native American and European ancestry, I'm Black y'all.  Black American culture- our foods, spirituality, music, dancing etc. was created here in America and is a combination of what our ancestors brought from Africa and what they experienced/found here in America.  African American culture is a hybrid culture. Hip Hop, Jazz,  the Blues, a mixture of things, yes, but created and developed by African Americans. African American Hoodoo was developed during and shaped by slavery. I'd like people to really think about this. Anything else you would like to speak to?I'd like to thank you for your blog and these interviews, they are important.

PPPPOC Speak Out, Part Three

Last year, I encountered some troubling racism within the pagan/polytheist/pantheist communities that wasn't overt, but troubling nonetheless. It got me to thinking that minorities within any community have it hard- even when the community is itself a minority or subculture.
I decided to give my blog over to Pagan/Polytheist/Pantheist People of Color (and later this year to pagan/polytheist/pantheist queers and trans folk) to give them an audience for their experiences. All too often, we traffic only in our familiar circles and that lessens the chance for dialogue. This is a chance to hear from the affected folks themselves.
I sent out a series of questions to folks that I know and it went viral. expect several columns like this one as the answers to my questions come back to me.


This interview is with TJ Kahn. My questions are first followed by hir answers in italics.

---

Mass produced racist valentines. An example of
institutionalized racism that people accept...
until they don't.

Can you please tell us how you identify religiously/spiritually?
I qualify myself as a Religious Humanist / Neo-Pagan.  I have a mixture of Native American, Zen Buddhist, Judeo-Christian and scientific beliefs umbrellaed under an animistic/pantheistic philosophy.

Can you tell us how you identify as a person of color?
I identify as a Latino/Native American (First Nations) person.  (Of Mexican-American and Mission Indian descent.)

Do you identify with the term "pagan"? Why or why not?
I identify with "Neo-Pagan" because it is the only term that encompasses all of me, but I rarely identify with the larger Earth-centered Pagan community, though I hold them in great respect.

Have you ever encountered what you consider racism (however you define it) while at a pagan gathering, circle, or workshop (public or private)? Can you tell us what happened?

Holy cats, this one is bad.

I myself have not, but I have experienced a large variety of Earth Mother traditions and very little Great Spirit (Native/indigenous) traditions in pagan gatherings I've attended.

Do you believe that there is a bias against any traditions/Gods/types of religious practices in the greater pagan community? Do you believe that these biases are informed by racism?
As above, there have been very little references to my particular ancestry, and larger pagan gatherings tend to ignore my particular patrons (Athena, Bast, Thoth) in favor of larger Gaea-deities.  (Blue Man, Earth Mother, Pan, etc.)

What would you like to tell white pagans about making spaces more welcoming, inclusive, and "safe"?
Host more Native American animistic teachers.

Have you had conversations with "white" pagans about race? Did it go well? Do you feel as if you were heard?
Not about race.  I've usually felt heard pretty well in the pagan community.

The term "Indian Giver" is particularly infuriating.
Look up the history if you do not know.

Do you have anything to say about appropriative spirituality? Has your tradition been appropriated?
I tend to see a plethora of Native American practices used in pagan ceremonies like smudging and dreamcatchers, but almost none of the other less-popular traditions like medicine dances and sand paintings.  I would say more 'commercialized' rather than 'appropriated'.

Anything else you would like to speak to?
I would like to see more respect given to the ground and ancestors of the particular area where pagan practices are being held.  Not from an Earth-Mother perspective, but respect for whose land that used to be.

---

For more information on dismantling white privilege, race in the news, and anti-racist activism, check out:

Beyond Whiteness

Understanding and Dismantling Privilege

Colorlines

Race Traitor

Trans Griot

What Tami Said

Racialicious

and more links to come.

PPPPOC Speak Out, Part Two

Last year, I encountered some troubling racism within the pagan/polytheist/pantheist communities that wasn't overt, but troubling nonetheless. It got me to thinking that minorities within any community have it hard- even when the community is itself a minority or subculture.
I decided to give my blog over to Pagan/Polytheist/Pantheist People of Color (and later this year to pagan/polytheist/pantheist queers and trans folk) to give them an audience for their experiences. All too often, we traffic only in our familiar circles and that lessens the chance for dialogue. This is a chance to hear from the affected folks themselves.
I sent out a series of questions to folks that I know and it went viral. expect several columns like this one as the answers to my questions come back to me.

Both the books shown here are
available through Crystal's website.

This interview is with Crystal Blanton. My questions are first followed by hir answers in italics.



Can you please tell us how you identify religiously/spiritually?

I identify as a Wiccan/Pagan.

Can you tell us how you identify as a person of color?

I am a Black (African American) woman.  That is how I identify if I were to strip it down to one over arching label but I am also mixed with other things, as most of us are.

Do you identify with the term "pagan"? Why or why not?

I do identify with the term Pagan because it is a label that encompasses the elements of my spiritual practice.  As a person that works with the old deities, elements, forces of nature and works within the concepts of earth based spirituality, I find that Pagan is a good umbrella term that identifies my spiritual beliefs and practices.

Have you ever encountered what you consider racism (however you define it) while at a pagan gathering, circle, or workshop (public or private)? Can you tell us what happened?

I recently encountered a man in a Pagan meet and greet that made some racist comments to me about Black people in Oakland.  He referred to his children as "sagging" their pants and made a comment that he immediately told them they were not black.  He then went on to ramble about black kids who are shot every week because they are on the corners selling marijuana and then are chased by the cops.  He states they were shot because when running they had to pull up their sagging pants and therefore were shot by the cops because it looks like they are reaching for a weapon.  I wrote about this experience in the Daughters of Eve blog... 

Do you believe that there is a bias against any traditions/Gods/types of religious practices in the greater pagan community? Do you believe that these biases are informed by racism?

I do believe there are a lot of fears about deities and other beliefs that are not common within the Euro-centric  concepts of Gods and Goddess.  Venturing out to understand the African Gods appear to be quite frightening for many who are practicing Pagans and are within the common box of working with only Celtic or Greek Deities.  

What would you like to tell white pagans about making spaces more welcoming, inclusive, and "safe"?

I think there are many things that could be said to those who are not balancing the line of being the minority race within the Pagan circle.  I would mention here the concept of privilege and developing a great understanding that not everyone has the same outlook and experiences in life.  Due to these differences, it is important to acknowledge that diversity gives us perspective that we may not otherwise have.  Evaluating ones privileged opens up the opportunities to see how others views are valuable and also seeing ones on limited understanding of the many ways of the Gods.   Honoring each person as an individual and a child of the Gods goes a long way, regardless of the color of a person's skin.

Have you had conversations with "white" pagans about race? Did it go well? Do you feel as if you were heard?

I have had many conversations about race with non-minority Pagans.  While some went very well, not all conversations have gone without a hiccup but all conversations are progress.  I do feel heard many times and being able to work with the Daughters of Eve blog on Patheos or with the Shades of Faith; Minority voices in Paganism anthology has given me even more outlets to be heard through.  It is an exciting time within our spiritual community.   

Do you have anything to say about appropriative spirituality? Has your tradition been appropriated?
No.

---

For more information on dismantling white privilege, race in the news, and anti-racist activism, check out:
Daughters of Eve
Beyond Whiteness
Understanding and Dismantling Privilege
Colorlines
Race Traitor
Trans Griot
What Tami Said
Racialicious

and more links to come.

PPPPOC Speak Out, Part One

Last year, I encountered some troubling racism within the pagan/polytheist/pantheist communities that wasn't overt, but troubling nonetheless. It got me to thinking that minorities within any community have it hard- even when the community is itself a minority or subculture. 
I decided to give my blog over to Pagan/Polytheist/Pantheist People of Color (and later this year to pagan/polytheist/pantheist queers and trans folk) to give them an audience for their experiences. All too often, we traffic only in our familiar circles and that lessens the chance for dialogue. This is a chance to hear from the affected folks themselves.
I sent out a series of questions to folks that I know and it went viral. expect several columns like this one as the answers to my questions come back to me.

This interview is with Preston Eclipse. My questions are first followed by hir answers in italics.

Can you please tell us how you identify religiously/spiritually?

I identify as a witch/priestess/gatekeeper. Specifically, I am a Reclaiming Tradition Witch whose cosmology in deeply rooted in Evolutionary Spirituality.


Can you tell us how you identify as a person of color?

I usually call myself Black (race) when people ask my ethnicity(ies) I break it down as having one parent who is Cape Verdean [which is an African-Portuguese Creole] and another parent who has African-American and Wampanoag Indian ancestry.


Do you identify with the term "pagan"? Why or why not?
I prefer Witch. Pagan seems too much of an umbrella term. It's original meaning refers to people who live in the countryside. Now it's a diffuse term to describe all religions that are not Abrahamic. I don't use it that often because I feel that it implies these spiritual traditions are too unimportant to be acknowledge by their self-identified names and practices. I do sometimes find it a useful point of entry into these types of conversations. However, it is not the destination.


Have you ever encountered what you consider racism (however you define it) while at a pagan gathering, circle, or workshop (public or private)? Can you tell us what happened?
I've encountered cultural appropriation such as not naming of giving due credit to where a particular practice has come from (especially indigenous practices) I think that without naming where a particular ceremony or part of a ceremony comes from and then explaining to the ancestors/wisdom holders of that tradition and to those that are participating that your intentions are not to commercialize, appropriate or purposefully distort the practices then it's perpetuating colonialism. I have also witnessed discounting diversity and large scale assumptions that all participants are of European descent. For example, during a Samhain Ritual planning meeting at a university some of the other planning members suggested we all paint ourselves in blue woad like our ancestors did-ignoring my physical presence there as a person of color and assuming everyone that would be involved had ancestors who painted themselves in woad.

Do you believe that there is a bias against any traditions/Gods/types of religious practices in the greater pagan community? Do you believe that these biases are informed by racism?
I have seen a bias against traditions of the African Diaspora that incorporate animal sacrifice or animal parts. I have even heard racist remarks such as that type of  "primitive ritual scarifice" isn't necessary anymore. It does appear to stem out of the moral high road of the techno-industrial west, which knows better and does better than the "developing countries". There may be actual concern regarding animal rights however it is couched in ignorance regarding the social, economic, and religious structures and cosmologies of these spiritual traditions and their communities.


What would you like to tell white pagans about making spaces more welcoming, inclusive, and "safe"?

Please be very aware of the lense of your own experience and how it colors your perception. Having that awareness can minimize the hurtful effects of assumptions, ignorance, and covert/overt bigotry.


Have you had conversations with "white" pagans about race? Did it go well? Do you feel as if you were heard?
I've been fortunate to have salons with people in my traditions to discuss race, genders, sexual orientations and I have been unexpectedly satisfied. There is more work to do, however the collaboration thus far seems promising.  I did feel heard/seen/valued.


Do you have anything to say about appropriative spirituality? Has your tradition been appropriated?
I am a witch of Reclaiming Tradition and also resonate deeply with its sibling the Feri Tradition. It is an ecstatic tradition that draws on inspiration and wisdom from numerous historic and living traditions. I am often cautious that while I share in the wisdom of our global village I must give something back in addition to honoring the original sources so that I can minimize appropriation. 

---

For more information on dismantling white privilege, race in the news, and anti-racist activism, check out:
Beyond Whiteness
Understanding and Dismantling Privilege
Colorlines
Race Traitor
Trans Griot
What Tami Said
Racialicious
and more links to come.

All About Density, Part Two

Gorgeous, isn't it?

In Part one, I wrote about what I love about cities and why I plan on raising my son in one. Here in part two, I talk about the problems that I have encountered here in a small rural town and why I will move to a larger metropolitan area as soon as possible.

My partner, who grew up here in Applachian Ohio, found this Wikipedia page on this region of the world and was stunned to see a listing of cultural values that seem to be prevalent in this area of the world. He believes it to be accurate based on his life experience, and from the limited exposure that I have had, I tend to agree. Below, I list the values and some of the issues that I have with some of them.

Appalachian writer Loyal Jones has defined traditional "Appalachian values" as the following:

• 1. Individualism: often the most obvious Appalachian characteristic: look after oneself; enjoy solitude; freedom from external restraints; do things for oneself; not wanting to be beholding to others; make do; strong work ethic; courage; defend oneself or take revenge, rather than relying on "the law." A common value of decentralized farming cultures.

• 2. Strong Sense of Extended Family: Family-centered, rather than community-centered; Appalachian people settled in kin-groups, not towns; loyalty runs deep; responsibility may extend beyond immediate family; "blood is thicker than water."

• 3. Love of Place - the term "homeplace" (roughly like the German "Heimat") is common; never forget "back home" and go there as often as possible; revitalizing, especially if a migrant; sometimes stay in places where there is no hope of maintaining decent lives.

• 4. Neighborliness and Hospitality - help each other out, but suspicious of strangers; spontaneous to invite people for a meal, to spend the night, etc. People are friendly, but not open to strangers. Trust is important. Tend not to ask your advice until they trust you. Relationships are important and deep relationships are developed slowly. This suspicion of outsiders is based on the exploitative past. Historian David Hackett Fischer pointed out it preceded the American experience and went back to the border wars in England that many of the immigrants had lived with. .

• 5. Traditionalism – a strong love of tradition; skeptical of schemes for "progress"; love of things as they are. Change comes slowly. This is typical of more isolated areas.

• 6. Personalism - relates well to others, but think in terms of persons rather than degrees or professional reputations; go to great lengths to keep from offending others; getting along is more important than letting one's feelings be known.

• 7. Modesty and Being Oneself - believe one should not put on airs; be oneself, not a phony; don't pretend to be something you're not or be boastful; don't get above your raising.

• 8. Sense of Beauty - displayed through music, folksongs, poems, arts, crafts, etc., colorful language metaphors; home and beauty are closely connected.

• 9. Sense of Humor - seem dour (unfriendly), but laugh at ourselves; do not appreciate being laughed at; humor sustains people in hard times. Humor is often sarcastic.

• 10. Strong sense of solidarity - Stick, together, even if you disagree, express yourself but stand together, especially against outsiders, government, or big organizations.

• 11. Strong sense of Patriotism - goes back to Civil War times; flag, land, relationships are important.

While of course all of these values can be good things, I have found some are taken to extremes and are not the kind of environment that I want to raise a child in. Here is what I have experienced here:

The rugged individualism, while normally something I value, seems to translate into an non-empathetic, Fox-News-watching, other-blaming mentality that is problematic to me. I think this couples with the patriotism in many ways for a combination that freaks me out. It leads to closed minds and a refusal to question what they have been spoon-fed by television. There is no agree-to-disagree here in most people. This is why my local UU church is so important, it is a refuge for those that want dialogue and diversity.

I love how dedicated my partner's family to to kin. They are so into helping family and spending time with them (and we are of course benefiting from it). Rowan is thriving here, having a Nanny and Pap Pap to dote on him. But I also see that "outsiders" are perpetually outsiders, and that blends with other social issues like racism, classism, and immigration status in a way that I do not appreciate. Again, it leads to a non-empathetic response to others outside the family.

I kid you not, I have sat next to Klan members in a restaurant and heard them wax poetic on the good old days before integration of schools and use words for people they do not know that I do not want my son to be exposed to right now. He picks everything up and repeats it now and that is not something he needs to repeat. I have had to ask relatives to stop telling racist jokes anywhere near my son, for example. I personally don't care about "cuss words", but I'll be damned if my son uses words only meant to harm someone of another race, religion, or ethnicity. HELL NO.

Lest you think that all is horrible here, I assure you that it is not. It is easy here, perhaps too easy. I think I need a little more friction and edge, personally. I have been treated well here and welcomed. I have experienced that Appalachian neighborliness and hospitality first hand- especially at my newly-adopted UU church. I have social engagements in my calendar already. Rowan has been gifted an awesome John Deere child-sized tractor that actually runs using a gas pedal from a neighbor down the street! It has helped me feel more welcome.

As a Witch, I also appreciate the love of place. Honoring spirits of the land and listening to them is important to me and something that I will be teaching my son. It is easy to do here, they are very vocal. Having a place to return to for gatherings and a sense of history is of value to me. I am happy that Rowan will be able to return here for holidays. It is a gorgeous land.