ANST - Adopt me - Rowan

[Jeanne Stapleton]

> I never meant to suggest that people who practice pagan religions
> mundanely were not welcome, (I'd have to throw myself out) I have
> just seen many people come into the SCA because it was the only
> format they could be pagan in without conflit and then never
> understand or want to understand what was going on. It seems that if
> this was the case they would be much better served by attending
> festivals put on by various Pagan organizations.
> 
> Lorraine DeerSlayer
> 
> 
I've been following this debate for some time, and this isn't the 
first time this has come up; this final paragraph nicely expresses
some of what I've tried to express to people over time.

It is important to understand that the SCA is not the same as a
pagan organization; while we have many pagans, and welcome
them, or should, the same way as those of other faiths or those
who abjure any type of faith, it is important to understand that
the SCA is not by default "pagan" in the modern sense of the
word, nor do different rules appy to pagans than to moslems/
christians/zoroastrians/odin-worshippers/jews.  In other words,
they have no more license to practice openly in a way that
offends others, nor to proselytize, than any other religion or 
creed.

The religion issue is sort of a black box, because I think people
notice more of whatever it is that bothers them most:  I know
many people who are convinced that most other SCAers are
all Christians at some level and are rabid against them, whereas
my take has been of meeting far more Wiccans/neo-pagans/
other alternative faiths who sort of assume that everyone in
the SCA also practices some sort of alternative religion or else
they'd be in church instead of at events on Sundays.

I'm not a pagan.  I have many friends who are.  I gently remind
them now and again that not everyone celebrates Beltane,
Samhein, etc.

Wild tangent, but I thought it bore some amplification.

Cheers,
Berengaria
Countess Berengaria de Montfort de Carcassonne, OP
Barony of Caerthe
Kingdom of the Outlands
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