The Yeti\’s Cyber Smithy

The ethic of no ethics. The moral of no morals.

Common morals, ethics, and standards of social conduct were not invented by Jesus. They have been a part of human culture since the beginning of human culture. They have been part of religion since the beginning of religion. In fact, such commonalties in part define a culture, they in part define a religion. They have, however, been uniquely missing from many expressions of Wicca and more recently they have started to dwindle within the larger and less defined pagan community. The sense that there is a difference between right and wrong has been replaced with the idea that there is only right for me and wrong for me. I do not think this is conducive of a functional society. In fact, I think it is detrimental in the extreme.

Community is built on commonalties. In particular, common morals, ethics and standards of social conduct. These commonalties are created by majority consensus, so while there are certainly exceptions to the commonalties when one experiences a community, they can expect more often than not to experience reflections of those common ethics, morals, and standards of social conduct.

As an example, within the pagan community one is more likely than not to find that same sex couples are valued in the same frame as same sex couples. This is not the case in the larger community of the United States of America as the laws of this land reflect a rather clear belief that same sex couples should be denied a legal marriage. I conclude that while I am certainly a member of the larger community, which is the United States of America, the smaller community to which I belong (the pagan community) is one of those exceptions. But within the pagan community, I am not one of those exceptions.

Some folk would have you think that the pagan community is a place where only the exceptions are allowed to dwell. As a result, there is a sense that if you believe the morals, ethics, and standards of social conduct which are defined by the larger community then you oppose the morals, ethics, and standards of social conduct established by the smaller community. There is a sense that if you want strong support for some of the values that you think should be shared by both the larger and smaller communities that you want all of the morals, ethics, and standards of social conduct defined by the greater community to apply to the smaller community. This is not the case.

All in all, it is starting to sound like the Democrats and the Republicans who seem to insist that there isn’t a single political concept that both can share. So I am not surprised to hear that I am now being considered the Rush Limbaugh of the Pagan community. That, btw, was a compliment considering the fact that there is at least one person calling me the Adolph Hitler of the pagan community in a response to my objection to the Church and School of Wicca’s early teachings concerning sex with children as a form of initiation into Wicca.

http://ajdrew.blogs.pagannation.com/defrost-please-read/

Although I am not all that offended by being called the Adolph Hitler or Rush Limbaugh of paganism, I would prefer it if folk use the name Bill O’Reiley as that would greatly impress my aging mother & to be honest, I rather like some of his antics as well as his common use of the word “folk” and of course the plural “folks”. That and I love a guy who can get up in a guest’s face now and then.

Back to Republicans, Democrats, and party lines. Certainly if there are good ideas, then there are things for two political parties to agree upon. Certainly, there are matters, which both parties should work into their party lines. Unfortunately, we do not hear about these things because the “lines” are battle lines. They are the points on which the parties disagree rather than those, which they agree. They are not part of the campaign promises and thus not part of what takes place when the party wins an election. As a result, those matters which are so important that both the Republicans and Democrats agree upon tend to go unattended. Could that be what has taken place within the modern pagan community for so many years?

Is it possible that until the noise the Defroster’s have made recently, this is the reason few have been vocal about common sexual ethics and morals shared between the pagan community and the larger, Christian community? I am starting to think so. Why? Because now that Defrosters have generated awareness about what Gavin and Yvonne Frost have written concerning the sexual initiation of children, they are fighting back in an effort to refocus things the way the Republicans and Democrats have focused things. They seem to be intent on making absolutely sure the matter at hand is NOT those morals, ethics, and standards of social conduct which we share with the greater community. But instead, on those things with which we do not share. The thing is, even on those standards they are wrong despite the attempt to create the illusion that they are right.

Gavin and Yvonne Frost said: “don’t drag in the non-win moral values of another religion such as, no sex until a pimply-faced clerk issues you a $10 license to Do It, or other so-called moral values.”

http://gavinandyvonne.blogspot.com/2007/11/foot-in-both-worlds.html

It is my great hope that Wiccans one-day share some of the values of the larger Christian community as reflected in the laws of the larger community. However, even in their attempt to obscure the issue at hand, I do not think they used a standard shared by the majority of Christians in my country. I think most Christians have sex before marriage just as most pagans do. Certainly there are sects, which frown and even forbid it, but those doctrines do not accurately reflect the conduct of the vast overwhelming majority of Christians and they certainly do not reflect the values of a culture in which pornography and condoms are available in most gas stations.

Note that I am not objecting to pornography or condoms, I am just commenting on their availability as a reflection of social norms.

Morals and ethics which state such simple truths as adults having sex with children is bad just seem like good common sense for both the Wiccan and Christian community. So I am not surprised that the movement within Wicca and the larger pagan community to express just that is thwarted by Gavin and Yvonne Frost in an attempt to defend their landmark work The Witches Bible.

I say landmark work because from what I can tell, it was the first book ever written which seems to rather clearly state that the sexual molestation and statutory rape of children as early as 10 years old is a sacred part of initiation into the Wiccan religion.

http://ajdrew.blogs.pagannation.com/defrost-please-read/

Although it is sad that such seems required, members, including founding members, of CUUPS and other organizations have now realized that the Wiccan and pagan community require statements of sexual ethics. But when it is clear that people will continue to promote pedophilia as part of our community, it is also clear that the community requires a balancing voice. A voice that says no, we obviously can not allow each individual to decide what is right or wrong on a personal basis without further explaining that children can not make such decisions. If an adult has sex with a child, it is rape. Rape is unethical, immoral, and not an accepted practice in my community. I am glad to see organizations like C.U.U.P.s finally standing up and making such a statement (or at least getting ready to do so) and I encourage other organizations to take such a firm stance.

Folk can call this growing movement to bring simple morals and ethics into our community what ever they like. In this case, it appears to be an accusation that such is the Christianization of Wicca. If that is the case, I welcome such Christianization. Not because I favor the structure of Christianity, but because I live in a country which is not only Christian dominated but because it is also one of the best countries in the world in which to live.

Yes, we have a very long way to go but consider the many freedoms which are enjoyed almost uniquely by the citizens of nations which are considered Christian. Now consider what so called Fundamentalist Christians claim Christianity is. You will quickly see that what people say is a Christian nation is not what Fundamentalist Christians think Christianity is. I am sure my readers have heard about what Rev. Phelps has been up to recently.

Yes, we have a long way to go before women are valued in the work force as much as men. But we have laws which clearly protect the rights of women. In nations which are not Christian dominated, there tends to exist laws which state that women are the property of their husbands. Consider the laws in Afganastan prior to US invasion.

Yes, we have a long way to go before homosexuals are considered equal to heterosexuals, however consider how homosexuals are treated in nations which are not Christian dominated. Generally, they are put to death for the crime of loving the wrong person.

Yes, we have a long way to go before sexual freedom is a reality, but consider what happens to known prostitutes in countries where Christianity is not the norm. Often times they are stoned to death. Many Christian dominated countries have legalized prostitution. In the United States, there is at least one state in which brothels conduct business openly.

So while there is an opposition to establishing basic morals, ethics, and standards of social conduct within the Wiccan religion (something which I believe is one of the points of a religion), I do not think that such is a Christianization of Wicca because I do not think the matters at hand are not uniquely Christian. I think that they are perceived as Christian because the nations which promote such are perceived as Christian by default. However, what we are really speaking of are the morals, ethics, and standards of social conduct which have been successful in promoting human rights and the dignity.

I welcome such morals, ethics and standards of social conduct to my community and am glad to see that we are starting to discard the party line that anything Christian is bad. When it comes to voting, I rather like considering myself an independent.