The World's Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

How did the Neo-Pagan communtiy react when you proclaimed your athiesim?

I remember sitting at a long table with my Wiccan friends for our monthly PNO (pagan night out) and explaining my reasons for leaving the pagan community. I was shocked when i was met with anger and hostility. The one response that sicks out in my head the most was "Your not an Atheist. Your just saying that for attention." I thought with a group that claimed to be the most accepting and peaceful of religions they would not in this manner. A few claimed that they love me unconditionally but never answer my phone calls or they have get togethers and not even invite me. Now that i have moved out of TN The is no contact with them and im he happiest i have ever been,

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Loki on September 19, 2009 at 3:39pm

Ha ha ha! Those are probably the pagans wo like to link they follow the naive american path. I got tired of seeing pagans claiming to be a part of a tribe and try to claim they can speak navajo or cheorkee.
Now personally i have a wide array of dreamcatchers and native art because i just love the art. Not because i think they will scare away the bad dreams. lol!

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on February 18, 2010 at 1:18pm

I ran into plenty of New Agers too who thought they were more indigenous than people indigenous to the Americas. The Noble Savage stereotype is alive and thrives. Just take a look at "Avatar".

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on November 6, 2009 at 8:48am

I still do like Kali. I dress as her for Halloween!

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on February 18, 2010 at 1:19pm

Did you ever see the comic "The Death Crones"? Very funny. I think the Death Crones were followers of Kali.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on November 4, 2009 at 1:07pm

Yeah, I've seen guys go to pagan festivals and act sensitive b/c they were primarily interested in getting laid. Bi/poly/pagan/kink seems to just be a very cliquish subculture anymore--when I see someone who describes themselves that way I think "congratulations, you fit all the categories!"

I became atheist but I am still in an open relationship and bi. Paganism is so widespread that in some of the crowds I associate with there is the assumption of paganism. So much that one girl at a party decided to have a pagan ritual in the middle of the party. When I said I didn't participate in paganism, she was like "you can just go away then". These are the same people who are extremely offended when someone in a hospital asks if they want to get a visit from a priest, and they turn around and do the same thing b/c somehow their religion is "different".

I really feel what you are saying about people treating each other with disrespect regardless of belief--in my coven there was an unbelievable amount of cattiness and gossip and backstabbing. I got the short end of that and was shunned basically because someone more popular had a problem with me. The thing that makes it worse is that usually people realize they're being mean--but when people are closely tied to each other in a religious group, they convince themselves they're above it all and find a way to rationalize it. My favorite was "getting it out in the open", where people would talk about what they hate about each other. This amounted to being confronted or accused by multiple people in front of the group. "Perfect love and perfect trust", MY ASS!

In some ways I think this is worse in paganism b/c there is a lack of organization, coupled with claims of power. So instead of denominations fighting it out, it is individuals, each claiming that they have special powers. This lack of unifying beliefs actually makes paganism more prone to cult activity. Basically, a lot of people turn to paganism b/c they want to feel like they're unique, like they have special powers or abilities or are "old souls", etc. I suppose I wanted to feel this way...but then I realized seeing through all this makes me unique in a different way.

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on February 18, 2010 at 1:24pm

Bi/poly/pagan/kink seems to just be a very cliquish subculture anymore--when I see someone who describes themselves that way I think "congratulations, you fit all the categories!"

Hahahaha! Yeah. There also seems to be a big assumption that if you are bi and poly, you automatically are also Neo-Pagan and "kinky" (for various definitions of kink).

When I said I didn't participate in paganism, she was like "you can just go away then". These are the same people who are extremely offended when someone in a hospital asks if they want to get a visit from a priest, and they turn around and do the same thing b/c somehow their religion is "different"

Ooh, did you hit a lot of nails on the head!

I'm not going to quote the rest of what you wrote, because I can relate to all of it. "Perfect love and perfect trust" indeed!

The old soul shtick is, well... old. I hope Penn and Teller do a show about Neo-Pagans. Hope hope hope.

Permalink Reply by exwiccan on October 14, 2010 at 4:10am

Funny you should mention that - I've actually written to them begging them to do it. If they were willing to do one on organic food you would think they wouldn't be afraid of the backlash.

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on November 10, 2010 at 9:02am

If they're going to be afraid of backlash, they're not going to be able to touch at all on some of the biggest bullshit out there.

Permalink Reply by Elynn on November 1, 2009 at 1:42pm

I have drifted apart from my pagan friends because once that common bond was gone, the nature of our relationships also had to change. It is the same as when I left the Christian church. When we form friendships with people based on shared beliefs, those friendships change once the common belief is gone. I am still very good friends with 5 or 6 of my pagan friends, and still consider myself a naturalist/secular pagan. It is just the supernatural part I never could buy into. Spells and magic do not work. Only 1 pagan friend takes a negative view of atheism.

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on February 18, 2010 at 1:26pm

Only 1 pagan friend takes a negative view of atheism.

That's good to hear!

Permalink Reply by Prog Rock Girl on November 4, 2009 at 1:23pm

I wouldn't know how my community reacted, because they shunned me BEFORE I became atheist (and I do feel that it was for the better too, although I wish I'd have told them off a little more thoroughly the last time I saw them). I don't even know if they read the email in response to their shunning where I told them I was an atheist but I know they are aware of it by now, and that they started some rumors on facebook.

I still do have a few close friends who are pagan. One asked why when I said I'd become atheist and we had a philosophical conversation, and my pagan bf also talked it over with me, he was accepting although he did say something along the lines of my need to "get over" my trauma (not in such rude words, though). The wider pagan community that I'd met at festivals and heart circles, I think some would think I'm closing my mind off to things or whatever, but they would mostly wish me well.

Saying it for attention? Whoever said that should look in the mirror!

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on February 18, 2010 at 1:29pm

rumors on facebook.

Doesn't that just have you quaking in your boots?

I must say, I have met some pretty live-and-let-live Neo-Pagans, but I also have met quite a few nutters with control issues.