Current mood:

restless

Racism, cultural appropriation, and other things that make my half-Cherokee kinda-Asatru ass nervous
So.

It all starts when Ashley_y posts a list of 'What I think is wrong with paganism today'.

This includes Co-optation of deities

We strip-mine cultures for deities that appeal to our modern desires and conceptions, conceptions that would puzzle natives. Can one have a meaningful relationship with a deity without participating in the culture that that deity is bound in? Is this less offensive if it's a dead culture with no clear heirs that can complain, or a culture that's long since been Christianised? Not that even that's always a consideration.

Apres [that], le deluge.*

We get Challenging the notion of Pagan "cultural appropriation."

And In previous threads, there have been charges of one party or another 'strip-mining,' and cultural imperialism/appropriation.

All of this is, however, the rumbling before Ladyblackdragon posts, and begins the storm.

OK this is getting ridiculous and Pagans need to get a clue about what's what.

EITHER......
ONLY people of a certain culture can worship the Gods of that culture AND IT'S NOT CONSIDERED RACIST to adhere to that particular line of thought....

OR

The Gods call whom They will and it is not up to any one person to put limitations on this on behalf of the Gods.

Oddly enough, a line from Christian Scripture comes to mind: "O ye of little faith!" Why is it that Pagans seem to have this need to interfere with the way the Gods will or won't be worshiped? Who are any of US to say? Where is the faith in the ability of the Gods to handle things Themselves? Is our faith in our Gods so WEAK? Do we think They really need us to be their "heavies" for Them? Please. If I have a wish to be laughed at by the Aesir, I'll certainly suggest to Odin and Tyr and Thor and the others that they can't handle Their own business and we'll be doing it for Them.

Makes me wonder just who the fluffies are, then...the people who have some confidence in the Gods, or the people who want to micromanage everything for Them.

And the storm begins.

I'm sorry that They haven't spoken to you any more clearly than They have, but They certainly have done so for me.

Ah, yes. Broad statements painted over all Pagans, an either/or extreme position, random ALL CAPS words...

Are you deliberately trolling, or did you create this masterpiece by accident?

(That is, are you being a prick, or an idiot?)

It's racist if the tables are turned because WHITE PEOPLE HAVE COMMITTED GENOCIDE AGAINST NATIVE AMERICANS and CONTINUE TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST NATIVE AMERICANS ON A LARGE-SCALE, INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL.

Attempts to be rational are hit with I am personally offended by the easy way in which you dismiss real problems in the pagan community as "icky pickiness." Stand aside and say "ewww" all you want, your hands are just as dirty.

And oh so much more.

And because I'd feel remiss in not pointing it out, an attempt at sanity

*I haven't taken French since High School, shuddap. And, somehow, the English is fitting, no?