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The Pagan Libertarian Connection
by Kathryn A. Graham
kate@devtex.net
Exclusive to TLE
Being a Pagan and a libertarian does make for interesting
conversations with new acquaintances.
"You're a Libertarian?" they ask me.
"Well, yes," I agree. "With a small 'L.' I'm actually a member of the
Western Libertarian Alliance, not the Libertarian Party. I'm tired of
the party's bumbling."
"And a Second Amendment activist?" the person will ask. "I've read
some of your articles."
That's encouraging, I think to myself. Maybe I'm reaching
somebody. "Very much so," I agree aloud. "Hope you enjoyed the
articles ..." I add hopefully.
"Oh, yes, thanks. But I just found this other article by some gal
with the same name. Any idea who this might be?"
I sigh. Here it comes again. "That's me, too," I point out. "See? The
hyperlink on my name takes you to my web page."
"Yes ... but it says here that you're a Pagan. A Witch." The word
hurts his teeth. His pain is obvious.
"That's right," I agree gently, trying to lessen the poor guy's shock
before I have to call EMS for him.
"But . . . you're a freedom activist! And you carry a gun!"
Well, I think to myself, it could be worse. At least he isn't the
variety of fundamentalist Christian who thinks that Witches sacrifice
Christian babies under every full moon. No, this one is the sort who
thinks of us all as fluffy tree huggers, so there is some chance of
reaching him. "Yes, to both," I agree. "I'm also a pilot, an aircraft
mechanic and a private investigator. But what does any of that have
to do with my religious beliefs?"
My conversational partner has just developed lockjaw. He splutters
for a bit, then screws up his courage and summons strength for one
last verbal effort, "But don't you guys have a rule or something
about not hurting people?"
Okay, I'm not perfect. I admit that I have not achieved the ultimate
spiritual enlightenment. I can't even say that the devil made me do
it, because I absolutely do not believe in any such things as devils,
let alone the devil - but this one I can't resist. I take a deep
breath, smile sweetly up at this idiot from my imposing 61 inch
stature, and reply, "Yes, we most certainly do. And I have tried
earnestly not to shoot anyone all week."
End of conversation.
Why is everyone so totally gobsmacked when they meet a Witch who is
also a patriot, a committed libertarian and a firearms instructor?
Believe it or not, there are more than a few of us out here.
Libertarians are the only politicos who talk about religious freedom -
and really mean what they say. Conservative Republocrats think
freedom of religion means you can freely pick your sect of
Christianity. And the Democrooks want everyone to be warm and fuzzy
together while they seize your guns so you can't do anything about it
when they give away the contents of your wallet.
Thomas Jefferson would be turning over in his grave.
Sorry. I guess I'm not a warm and fuzzy sort of person. And contrary
to what you may have heard from some of the sillier adherents to my
religion, the vast majority of my fellow Witches are not warm and
fuzzy either.
Wicca has been the fastest growing religion in the world since its
resurgence under Gerald Gardner in the early 1950s. A
disproportionate number of Witches in the United States come from
baby boomer professions like scientists, computer technicians,
doctors, lawyers, law enforcement - yes, and the military. This is
because these professions are about realism, and Wicca doesn't ask
you to take anything on faith. The whole religion is based on
observation and experience.
Surprise! Those same professions are where a lot of your patriots and
freedom activists come from, too.
Wicca places a heavy emphasis on individual responsibility. We have
one rule instead of ten, and it is not written for the brain dead.
You must determine what it means and live by it. When you screw up,
you are the one who must face the Karma for it. And there is
definitely no get-out-of-jail-free card through repentance and/or
belief in the unbelievable.
Individual responsibility. Now there's a concept that should sound
familiar to Libertarians of any description.
It doesn't end there.
That one rule that Witches must live by is called the Rede. In its
simplest form, it says "An' it harm none, do as thou wilt." In most
traditions, there is an explicit exemption to "harm none" for self-
defense. Short of harming someone in other than self-defense, Wicca
teaches that you have absolute freedom to live and pursue spiritual
enlightenment in your own way.
Libertarians believe in the absolute freedom of the individual,
saying only that the initiation of force by any person or government
is wrong.
Initiation of force and harming someone in other than self defense
sound remarkably similar. In fact, they sound an awful lot like
different ways of saying exactly the same thing.
Here's a wakeup call for my fellow libertarian patriots who also
happen to be Christians. Witches have more in common with you than
you realize, and I absolutely guarantee that this world holds a heap
more libertarian Witches than you know about. That number is growing
geometrically every day, and Witches don't even proselytize.
So when Shrub's jackbooted thugs come for all of us, and the time has
come to draw a line in the sand and defend it with our lives, take a
really good look at the patriots who stand to your left and your
right. One of us will probably be a Witch. Whatever you may believe
about the state of that individual's soul, he or she will be
cheerfully willing to die for your freedom - including your right to
worship your Christian God as you will.
Never forget that.
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