W.W.P.D? (What Would Pagans Do?)

Those Horrible Satanists!

How many times have you heard a Pagan say, “I am not a devil worshipper! I am not a Satanist!”? Reflecting back, I can remember all the times I have said the same thing. There you are confronted by a bunch of people who are ready to strike that match or throw that stone, because you are a Pagan. So, you begin to defend yourself---and so then fly the words.

Pagans are sick of being called devil worshippers and Satanists, period. Pagans don’t even believe in Satan right? It’s a boogie man created by the church, correct? Then comes the huge debate which bubbles and brews within our own kind concerning whether or not Satanists are pagans. Start this discussion in popular forums and you will watch that bubbling brew literally explode between those who say they aren’t and those who say they are.

Pagans pride themselves on being open minded, free thinkers and nonjudgmental. Yet unfortunately, we have ignorance among our kind that truly needs to be corrected. It’s an ignorance which prevents us from seeing the truth, which is beyond the superstitious muck that soils our own eyes. This is human of course and whether we like it or not, we are all human.

So, what would Pagans do or better yet, what should we do? If we want the world to become more educated concerning all of us, then we, as Pagans must become more educated concerning our own kind. And yes, Satanists fall under our very own umbrella term, Paganism, whether we like it or not.

First, not all Pagans are witches and not all witches are wiccans. The same can be said concerning Satanists. Satanism is an umbrella term all its own and maybe, just maybe it should be in a class all its own but not if you break it down and get the real scoop concerning them.

Satanists are not out here sacrificing animals, babies and virgins. I really hate to break it to the world, but they aren’t. I have found absolutely no evidence to support that claim. Now, I admit my resources are limited so I thought to seek out a bigger fish which had bigger resources to fry up. So I direct you to religioustolerance.org. Unfortunately for all of us who had our fingers crossed and hopes way to high, they haven’t found any evidence to support such a claim either. Darn.

Now whether you knew it or not, there are many different kinds of Satanists. Not all of them believe in Satan, as in the big- bad- soul- stealing devil. Satan means antagonist. The majority of the Satanists that I have met do not even believe in a devil. Hmmm, sounds rather Pagan-ish to me, don’t you think? Still not convinced? I don’t blame you.

So try this one on for size. The majority of Satanists are very earth based. What? Did I say that? Yes I did. While most do not believe in a God or Devil, they do believe in the magic of or pertaining to the earth and all her mystery. They would never do anything to harm the earth but they do believe in taking power and control over their own lives. For instance, while most Satanists do not believe in a God, they do believe that they, them selves are a god. So, if they are unhappy with their lives, instead of blaming someone else for it or sitting around praying to a god to change it, they seek to change it themselves. Again, it sounds awfully pagan-ish to me but then again, you must decide.

Now, it would be absolutely impossible for me to describe the entire umbrella of Satanism to you under this small article. However, I can point you in the right direction. A good discussion to watch, that is going on right now is called, Why are Satanists considered Evil? Browse through that article and its replies and you will find many forms of Satanism as well as the stereotypes surrounding them. Looking for a third party view without all of the opinions? Try Religioustolerance.org: Satanism & The Church of Satan which is a page found on that site.

The message is find out for yourself why it is you are against something. Realize that the very thing you stand against, maybe just as misunderstood the same way you feel you are. There are idiots waving the flags of many faiths, including yours. So, do not judge a faith by the actions of those idiots. Being a Pagan means you have the freedom to research and find out for yourself. Think for yourself. Practice that right, otherwise we are no better than the other guys. That’s what Pagans would do and, believe it or not, have been doing….so get out there and do it. Know the truth behind it and then form your own opinion.

author: C.H. Scarlett