Rant! Rant! Rant!
Nov. 18th, 2006 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mdehnersI have to thank Arlie for reminding me of one of my biggest “Pet Peeves”, the Arrogance of many Westerners toward the Spiritualities of other Folks, INCLUDING those of their Ancestors. Even the most Europhobic Spiritual Strip-miner will usually Assume that they REALLY Know more about what these Folks Believed than, well, those Folks! What Usually takes 1 on 1 training, 24/7 for yrs as an apprentice in the originating culture can be easily Learned at a Workshop or a class by a Westerner…right?
To me there’s little Difference between European nobles “Knowing” more than the Indians about what Hinduism REALLY IS(or Judaism than the Jews!) , British civil Servants “Knowing” more than historians what pre-C Europeans REALLY BELIEVED, Modern Pagans “Knowing” more than Indigenous Folks about their Ways and Modern Heathens who “Know” more about Heathenry than the Ancestral Heathens….
When asked about the Lore once, one of Arlie’s Teachers told me, “Maybe they(meaning the pre-C Heathens) just made it up” as a bas-ackwards way of excusing their Attitude and Use of the Lore to justify their Practices. That is, their Practice came 1st, then came the Hunting through the Lore to find SOMETHING that could, if Looked at their way might be able to Justify their Actions and Activities….
A major reason I stopped going to my old kindred was that THEY decided the Nature of the Regin, not the Lore. It was Uncomfortable to me to See Thor portrayed as a Drunken Glutton, Freya as a Harlot(there in "Wombyn’s Country" a “Tru” Amazon being portrayed as a 25 cent a Blow-job Whore!), Laufey’s Child” as a Bart Simpson knock-off,etc. ..
Yes, the Lore isn’t Perfect but it’s the best “Guide/Roadmap” Heathen’s have, just as Mythology is for Modern Pagans (real Mythology, not some crap in the New age/Occult section of 'B. Daltons'…) Throwing it away because someone (perhaps your “Teacher”?) between odd jobs, SCA and Renfaire “gigs” doesn’t find it “Fun” or finds it “too Hard” is just an excuse for Self-absorbed Behavior…
One shouldn’t be Surprised by the Behavior of many Modern Pagans and Heathens though. Look at the general culture they live in. How many “Christians” don't Follow and/or Practice what their Belief-system Teach and consider themselves Christian? How many even of those who are Active decide that They Know more about their religion/denomination than the leaders of thier particular Way? At least the Jews have a Genetic reason to consider themselves Jewish, even if they Believe/Practice none of It...
If a Way doesn't "fit" you, LEAVE IT and find one that does. Stop Pretending that you're something you're NOT.
Troth,
Patrick T. Duffy
To me there’s little Difference between European nobles “Knowing” more than the Indians about what Hinduism REALLY IS(or Judaism than the Jews!) , British civil Servants “Knowing” more than historians what pre-C Europeans REALLY BELIEVED, Modern Pagans “Knowing” more than Indigenous Folks about their Ways and Modern Heathens who “Know” more about Heathenry than the Ancestral Heathens….
When asked about the Lore once, one of Arlie’s Teachers told me, “Maybe they(meaning the pre-C Heathens) just made it up” as a bas-ackwards way of excusing their Attitude and Use of the Lore to justify their Practices. That is, their Practice came 1st, then came the Hunting through the Lore to find SOMETHING that could, if Looked at their way might be able to Justify their Actions and Activities….
A major reason I stopped going to my old kindred was that THEY decided the Nature of the Regin, not the Lore. It was Uncomfortable to me to See Thor portrayed as a Drunken Glutton, Freya as a Harlot(there in "Wombyn’s Country" a “Tru” Amazon being portrayed as a 25 cent a Blow-job Whore!), Laufey’s Child” as a Bart Simpson knock-off,etc. ..
Yes, the Lore isn’t Perfect but it’s the best “Guide/Roadmap” Heathen’s have, just as Mythology is for Modern Pagans (real Mythology, not some crap in the New age/Occult section of 'B. Daltons'…) Throwing it away because someone (perhaps your “Teacher”?) between odd jobs, SCA and Renfaire “gigs” doesn’t find it “Fun” or finds it “too Hard” is just an excuse for Self-absorbed Behavior…
One shouldn’t be Surprised by the Behavior of many Modern Pagans and Heathens though. Look at the general culture they live in. How many “Christians” don't Follow and/or Practice what their Belief-system Teach and consider themselves Christian? How many even of those who are Active decide that They Know more about their religion/denomination than the leaders of thier particular Way? At least the Jews have a Genetic reason to consider themselves Jewish, even if they Believe/Practice none of It...
If a Way doesn't "fit" you, LEAVE IT and find one that does. Stop Pretending that you're something you're NOT.
Troth,
Patrick T. Duffy
