October 25, 1994
Bob Gaydos, Editorial Page Editor
The Times Herald Record
40 Mulberry Street
Middletown, New York 10940
Editor:
The interview with a Woodbourne Wiccan (10/25) was enlightening, entertaining and interesting. This letter is in response to comments attributed to the Christian woman interviewed about Wicca in the same article.
As an advocate of the First Amendment, regarding both freedom of religion and of expression, I support your paper's right to print opposing viewpoints. But using vague and unfounded allegations of human sacrifice, child abuse, etc., made by someone who admits to suffering from epileptic seizures, audible voices and demonic apparitions until she "found Jesus," in order to frame opposition to a particular religious worldview, must be addressed. Even without the fact that the born-again woman who was quoted extensively in the article was epileptic and evidently endured uncomfortable hallucinations, hers is precisely the type of narrow intolerance used to justify the holocaust of millions of innocent women and men during Holy Inquisition of the Middle Ages.
Readers don't see prejudicial articles published "for and against" Christianity, Judaism, or other mainstream religions in The Times Herald Record. A noble world religion, Christianity itself was once a marginal fringe sect which underwent much persecution. Believing the tables have turned, do some Christians wish to continue the cycle of persecuting folks labeled Pagan?
Students of women's studies, history and religions recognize the difference between Wicca and Satanism, and that Pagan deities bear no connection to the Christian devil (though historically some have appropriated such ancient symbols as the Pythagorean pentagram and the Horned God of the Celts and applied such meanings to them). Archaeology indicates that Goddess-based faiths predate religious patriarchy by many thousands of years, as attested by ancient Egyptian, Sumerian, Hebrew, Greek, native American and other evidence.
That all religions are rooted in a similar striving to regain "that which was lost," and to tie humans to a higher power, is a truth which must be kept in mind when comparing one's own beliefs with those of others.
Modern society is not far removed from a time and place when Jews, as well as Christians, were represented in popular myth as having horns on their heads, sacrificing babies, drinking blood, and a variety of other foolish (and dangerous) stereotypes. The sin and tragedy of child abuse occurs in all religions, including by some respected clergy. No religion is immune to attracting perverse adherents.
Descriptions of the human tapestry help educate the public about the diversity of experience. But bigoted stereotypes have no rightful place in public discussion of religious practice and spiritual beliefs, except to illustrate how damning ignorance can be to the flow of truth.
Respectfully,
THOMAS S. RUE
Monticello