To: personal email
From: tyagi nagasiva (tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com)
Subj: Devolution of Religions; Approaches to Fundies (9310.dvlnrel.tn)
Date: 49931015

|He sincerely means that everyone in the NeoPagan community is responsible
|for what other NeoPagans say in a public forum, and for how non-Pagans
|perceive what we say. 

Yes, this is what happens with religious movements as they mature.


|Weird! Have you met any Pagan fun-dies? 

Quite a few, yes.


|He keeps referring to "laws" which have been handed down to him, 

Yes, this is the talk of the uninitiated (no, I don't mean socially).


|but he doesn't seem to realise that they are subject to
|interpretation, and that they in no way give him the right to judge
|other Neopagans. Weird! Doubly weird. 

Yup, get used to it.  When a new tradition arises there are at least
three waves:

1) Radical pioneers, who blaze a trail and seldom leave much trace of
   their passage (aside from those addicted to writing, like Crowley)

2) Powermongers, content in assuming that what they dream up and find
   in their meager exploration is all that there is to wisdom (usually
   it consists of information and obedience)

3) Progs, who lavish praise upon the only source of instruction which
   they can find and berate all those who disagree with their limited
   perspectives


I think this is where we are today with the neopagan community.  There
are, of course, exceptions, but this seems to be the trend.  I'd project
that beyond this are the following to come (currently beginning to
blossom):

4) Revolutionaries, who, within an established tradition, begin to
   rediscover the pieces which the pioneers blazed and piece together
   bits of useful tradition for those who are around them.

5) Sages, who, having experienced all of the former (perhaps becoming
   some or all of them along the way), begin serious self-study.
   When they are capable diplomats also, they become REAL 'Elders'.

 
|I'm wondering if I should just treat him like I treat fun-dies of other 
|denominations, i.e. ignoring them. 

That is one way, sure.  They are like gnats, or, more accurately, mosquitos,
who fly away if you swat hard enough.



|Other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Ok, here's a few off the top of my head:

*
Challenge them.  Tell them that you are an initiate and are willing to deal
with them but only if they respect you.  If they don't like an equal
relationship, then tell them to get out.

*
Ask them all about what they know.  Demonstrate your understanding of their
studies by asking detailed questions which surpass anything they've ever
considered.  When they become bewildered, send them into a corner to think
for a while.

*
Expose them for all to see.  Place them in a position of great authority
and exposure and then let them try to tread water as they begin to realize
their own limitations (I think this is more cruel than challenging them).

*
Combat them directly.  Assault every limited idea and assertion that they
bring your way.  Bring it to a head, demand that they listen to you and
explain to them what you see that they are doing (i.e. making assumptions
which all people do not share).  Expose your heart to them and show them 
that what they are doing is quite possibly harmful to those around them.
I've enjoyed this approach of late.

*
Approaches which I do not care for:
Belittle them.  Treat them the way they treat you, as an inferior whom you
must protect and save.
Cast them out as evil.
Frighten him into stopping their stupidity. 
Become their teacher, slowly revealing to them the heretical 'secrets'.

tyagi