The Sacred Hearth

Pagans engage in animal sacrifice

There seems to be a common rumor that Pagans engage in animal sacrifice as a rule. This is false. In fact, many Pagans are vegetarian. There are some, however, that do perform animal sacrifice and this is something that deserves a little attention and explanation. There are a few occasions in which animal sacrifice may be appropriate.

It makes sense that anyone who eats meat, ought to know where it comes from. Thus, an animal sacrifice may be a part of a coming of age ceremony, or a ceremony inducting a new member into the group. In most cases, the person for whom the ceremony is being performed must slaughter an animal, dress it and cook it. The meat is then shared with the group, with a serving set aside for ancestors, Gods and other spirits who may have been invited to the feast.

There may be other occasions when it is deemed appropriate to have an animal sacrifice. At Thanksgiving, the turkey may be ritually slaughtered and dressed, with portions offered to the Gods. At Samhain, a pig may be roasted in honor of the ancestors. (Porki is a favorite food of the dead.) However, the sacrifice of a black cat at Samhain, contrary to popular lore, is not an officially sanctioned practice of any Pagan religion that I am personally aware of. On the contrary, many Pagans really love cats and would be horrified at the thought.

It is very rare, and terribly wasteful for an animal to be sacrificed to the Gods and ancestors and not shared by the group. This sacrifice is a form of communion with these spirits, and sometimes with the spirit of the animal itself. Not sharing in the feast doesn't make for a very functional communion. There are a few Pagans only eat sacrificial meat, believing purchasing pre-killed meat at a store to be disrespectful.

In those cases where animal sacrifice may be appropriate, this does not mean that the animal is tortured or mistreated in anyway beyond the actual killing. Traditionally, animals offered to the Gods were expected to be the best of the bunch, fat and “without blemish”. It is very difficult to present a fat offering “without blemish” when the animal is first ill fed, beaten or otherwise mistreated. Indeed, many hold the belief that negative energy can be transmitted from one being to another. A poorly treated animal will have built up a great deal of negative energy which would certainly counteract any sort of positive rituali.

This is not to say that there aren’t crazy people out there that do horrible things in the name of their religion and, I assure you, there are crazies in every religion. Rest assured, however, that, in most cases, these are just crazy people acting out and their religion has little to do with their action. If they were Christian, they’d say Jesus told them to do it, but they’d probably still do it.

Pagans engage in human sacrifice

As far as human sacrifice is concerned, I have never met anyone who thought that was a good idea or in any way necessary. I have heard news reports, but the sources seem to be mostly hostile and upon further investigation, there is often a personal motive involved. Since the majority of my friends and acquaintances are Pagan, I think that if it were a common practice among any path, I would have heard of it by now. It is true that human sacrifice took place among many ancient religions both Abrahamic and Pagan, despite the vehement denials of many of their modern day adherents, but today, this practice is long gone.

Once again, this is not to say that there are not crazy people out there who wouldn’t use their religion as an excuse to commit murder. This has been going on since the birth of religion, and I expect it will continue within every religious family.

Pagans worship the devil

It has been a long-held notion that Pagans worship the devil, particularly those Pagans who call themselves Witches. This is, of course, false, with a qualifier. Pagans worship various Gods, spirits, ancestors, heroes, etc. The Devil simply does not fit into our theology, so how could we worship Him? Some Polytheists may include the Christian God and Satan in their pantheon, but if they are the dominant Gods, then they are not, by definition Pagan. The Devil, or Satan, is a Christian deity.

Many JudeoChristians believe that to worship anything other than their God is to worship Satan. Convincing them otherwise would mean talking them out of one of their core religious beliefs. Most Pagans feel that it is morally wrong to try to talk someone out of (or into) a religion. Therefore, if you are one of these people, it is better for my morality and your peace of mind to let you go on believing that Pagans worship the devil.

This is not to say that some witches do not worship Satan, but we are not talking about witches here. Just Pagans specifically. Not all Pagans are witches, and not all witches are Pagan. Not all Satan worshippers are witches either. But some witches do, in fact, worship Satan.

Pagans are pro-abortion

On the contrary, Pagans as a whole are not pro-abortion. Most Pagans are, in fact, anti-abortion, but many are also pro-choice. In some Pagan belief systems, the child chooses the parents in order that he or she can learn those things that he or she was meant to learn in that particular incarnation. Aborting said fetus would be, to say the least, extremely ungracious. Even those who do not hold this belief may hold a belief in re-incarnation. Thus, in aborting a fetus, you may be re-killing your grandma, also very rude. Aside from all of that, the act of bearing a child can be viewed as a demonstration of the holy power of creation shared by all women and Goddesses. It’s a sacred state. Again, terminating it would be terribly ungracious.

However, most Pagans understand that circumstances are not always ideal and feel that raising a child in a less than ideal environment is unfair to the child and unbefitting the sacred duty attached to the names Mother and Father. Also, since so many Pagans have felt the sting of stigma, (whether real or imagined) we tend to be more sensitive to what we see to be an infringement upon the rights of others.

Pagans are sexually promiscuous

The idea that Pagans are adulterous is understandable and not entirely groundless, depending on your own morality and worldview. It is true that many (but certainly not all) pagan groups carry a view of sexual activity that may seem to be much freer than those of Judeo-Christians. Contrary to popular belief, ritual sex is not common, though it’s not unheard of. In cases where it is performed, however, it is usually between people who have sex anyway. Polyamoury is also not unheard of, and is quite common among some groups. It is, however, just as frowned-upon among Pagans to cheat on your spouse as it is among any other group, though the definition of cheating may vary slightly and the idea of divorce is not nearly as stigmatized among Pagans as it is among other groups.

While sex among unmarried people, heterosexual or homosexual, is not nearly as bad a thing among most Pagans as it is among others, most Pagans have a huge respect for women and children. Thus, anyone who commits rape or pedophilia is viewed with utter disgust.

Pagans run around naked all the time

It is true that some Pagan groups do worship in the nude. This is commonly referred to as “skyclad”. The idea is that you are closer to your most natural state in this way. You come before the God/Goddessii in the way you first came into the world. Those people who are comfortable with their own nudity also be comfortable in participating in other activities in the nude and may also visit nude resorts and attend nude events. This is not usually part of the religion; it’s just a personal choice. Most Pagans do not engage in public worship in the nude, even those of us who do in our private worship. We were socialized into the same society you were and being naked in front of other people is just as uncomfortable for us as for anyone else.