Public Rebuttal to a Christian Fundamentalist

[Amythyst Raine]

For the past few months I have been submitting articles to the op-ed page of our local newspaper, the Fremont Tribune, and surprisingly they have been publishing them. These letters have dealt with upcoming holidays, where I explained about the Pagan roots and ancient traditions behind the Christianized holiday most people celebrate today.

There has been the usual responses to this, the 'learn the truth and the truth will set you free' type of thing, as well as some sarcasm that I guess was suppose to be witty and was cloaked in anonymity, but there were also positive responses from both fellow Pagans and Christians as well.

This past week the paper published a rebuttal to my letters that was more acidic than most and, of course, I replied-- I never could keep my mouth shut when faced with what I view as an affront or an injustice, that's the Libra in me I suppose.

Anyway, to my surprise, the paper published my rebuttal to this man's sarcastic post, and you can read it below:



In Reply to Mr. Doug Wittman:

Whether you celebrate and honor Paganism or Christian Mythology, everyone is entitled to their beliefs. We’re also entitled to celebrate and practice our various religions in peace and with due respect from our fellow citizens. This is one of the points our country was founded on and prides itself in. If you have never heard of ‘Candlemas’ or St. Brighid, I’ll assume that you’re not Catholic. St. Brighid was a favorite among the nuns at Holy Family Catholic School in Mitchell, South Dakota.

I am not at all confused, Mr. Wittman, and no, I don’t feel the need to ‘validate’ my practices. On the contrary, I am rejoicing in them and celebrating them with the rest of the Pagan community at large, just as you openly celebrate your holidays with the general public and citizenry of Fremont.

Mr. Wittman, I must tell you that Pagans celebrate the ancient feasts associated with their ancestral cultures. Many of us worship the Mother Goddess, and believe that She resides within all She has created. We believe in the Gods/Goddesses of ancient times and within the various energies associated with each; we worship them with the turning of the ‘Wheel of the Year’. We only have one commandment, the Wiccan Rede: “An’ it harm none, do what thou will’.

Pagans practice their religion, celebrate their holidays, rejoice in the changing of the seasons, raise their children, pay their taxes, and are contributing members of our society. We deserve the right to voice our opinions and share our experiences and beliefs just as much as any of the other religions who have contributed ideas, prayers, stories, information, and inspiration to this newspaper.

I pray that the Mother Goddess blesses you all with Her compassion, love, and infinite wisdom.




(Although I haven't seen this post in their online site yet, I'm including a link to the newspaper here. I'm sure it would be an eye opening experience for them to receive Pagan opinions from around the country.)

http://www.fremonttribune.com/