Pagans

By MICHELE MARCHETTI
Collegian Staff Writer

Pastor Ray Goss believes that two types of Pagans exist -- those who do not believe that the Bible is the word of God and those who have never had the opportunity to learn about "the word" by an educated person.

But members of the Pagan student group Silver Circle said Paganism is a belief system that has many sects and subdivisions. This religion has its roots in spirituality and living in harmony with the environment.

Those who practice Paganism have difficulty describing the beliefs they strongly embrace, while others find it easy to define the religion that strays from their traditional Judeo-Christian system.

"How do I see Pagans?" Goss said. "One who is illiterate as far as believing anything about the word of God."

Some Pagans refuse to believe that the Bible is the word of God, while others have never heard about the "word," Goss said. He compared Pagans to the natives in Africa, who have alternative methods of worship.

"They're out there in the deep jungles -- they don't know any better," he said.

But Goss would not go so far to call himself anti-Pagan. He will continue to pray for these people until they open their hearts to the word of God.

"They are people who God loves," he said. "I must find a way to reach them."

Pastor Dan Nold of Calvary Baptist Church, 1250 University Drive, said although he does not condemn their beliefs, Pagans have a completely different perspective of religion. And this perspective can be misunderstood as easily as the next religion -- including Christianity.

Sean Hauck (junior-education), member of the Newman Catholic Student Association, was surprised to hear that Paganism meant more than "fire and brimstone." Hauck, who admitted that his knowledge of the religion was limited, associated Paganism with evil, Satanism and the motorcycle gang, the Pagans.

But Hauck said he does not condemn Paganism and would be willing to learn more about the religion.

"You have to follow something," he said. "As long as it's not destructive, it's OK."

Thomas Poole, director of the center for ethics and religious affairs, said anything that deviates from the U.S. Judeo-Christian value system is shunned and a target of criticism. In certain segments of society, people believe that America is based on this Judeo-Christian ethic. Paganism can come to be a comparative phrase or a swear word, he said.

"Society tends to be very zenophobic," Poole said. "Discrimination is a long standing tradition; this is just a reflection of society at large."

Gary Knoppers, assistant professor of religious and Jewish studies, said people do not understand other value systems because they judge other religions according to their own. Immediately another religion becomes threatening, he said.

The word Paganism brings to mind the ancient world when Christians and Jews thought of non-Christians and non-Jews as Pagan, he said. This discrimination was also found in early Greece, when non-Greeks were considered Pagan, Knoppers said.

"Two religions could look each other in the face and call themselves Pagan," he said.

But one local rabbi said Paganism is a healthy alternative despite the fact that his religious tradition rejects this faith. Rabbi David Mivasair recalls reading stories in the Bible that described Paganism with words such as "idle worship," "completely misleading," "false" and "stupid." Years later -- after meeting Pagans and learning about their beliefs -- he changed his view.

"Pagans who I know are in touch with very vital important religious truths that I think the mainstream Jewish and Christian religious communities have lost touch with," Mivasair said. "It's not tied up in an oppressive hierarchical religious tradition."

Mivasair said he had the opportunity to observe a polytheistic religion that mirrors Paganism. While living in a neighborhood in Japan for several years, he discovered a group of people that found spirituality and worship in the presence of a tree.

These people could see and understand the immediacy of spiritual awareness and the presence of God in all beings -- something the mainstream Jewish and Christian religions have not been in touch with, Mivasair said.

"That makes great sense," he said.