Is it me or has there been an increase in asshats this week? Actually, it probably is me and the fact that I haven’t had very reliable internet service and connection for quite awhile and so I was just skipping over the more asinine topics.
Today I have to admit one of the topics that came up in a non disclosed FB group was not only well thought out and well worded, it was also pretty interesting. Should covens allow people with disabilities join their tradition? Would there be barriers to initiation caused by either mental or physical disability?
I’m also happy to say that the majority of the answers were great. People focused on the fact that each group or coven would approach the subject differently and that it would more than likely be a case by case basis because each individual will have different limitations caused by their specific disability.
But of course, it wasn’t long before the voice of all inclusive love n light reared it’s ugly head and shouts, “I don’t think a person has the right to discriminate against another for any reason.”
Really? Did the Democratic League of American Covens suddenly take over how everyone has to operate their group?
Like it or not covens are private religious groups, very much like sororities or fraternities. Just because the individual is interested in joining doesn’t mean that they’ll be allowed to do so. It’s like interviewing for a job. You see the open position advertised and you decide to apply. Just because you filled out the application doesn’t mean you’ll be selected for the job. You’ll still have to go through the selection process and the interview process and see if the hiring manager or business owner likes you and believes that you’ll be capable to fit in with the companies dynamic. I can even point out that Dianic Wiccans bar not only men from their covens and public events, but they also limit participation to women who were born as women. (I believe this actually is discrimination but that is another issue.)
The focus now is the fact that the vast majority of the neo pagan community feels this sense of entitlement, about everything. To be honest, I’m not sure I can pinpoint the reason why people are feeling entitled, but it’s clear that they are.
Perhaps you could narrow it down to the uprise of non-lineaged covens? Maybe it stems from cultural appropriation? I wonder if it has anything to do with this whole widespread solitary self initiation thing? Or the widespread act of piracy that is rampant in the community? What about the screams of persecution when you have the audacity to ask someone to cite their sources?
Can I prove that any of these examples is the culprit? Nope, but I can sure as hell continue to theorize about it.
