I have no problem with Wicca.
It's the Wiccans I can't stand!

BIGOTRY IN WICCA

This essay entitled Cultural Imperialism in Witchcraft was originally published on BIGOTRY IN WICCA

Despite the impression which one might get on the Internet, most of the local Hellenists were of Mediterranean and/or Latin descent, and to a substantial extent, from a Mediterranean (and/or Latin) cultural background. The local Wiccan elders tended to be from Teutonic Northern European backgrounds, and as much as we like to try to pretend otherwise around here, especially when outsiders are present, there is a definite ethnic pecking order in our region, and more than a little cultural intolerance. As far as the elders were concerned, certain people of the lower classes were meant to be seen and not heard, even when those 'lower class' people were far better educated and informed than their lighter featured 'betters', and when, in fact, the elders were guests in the homes of those 'lesser beings'.

Ever try reasoning with a bigot? Attempts were made to explain that Hellenism exists as an organic whole, with each of its parts being present for a reason, and that one couldn't just introduce the calling of quarters or other Wiccan practices into a Hellenic Reconstructionist observance without destroying the coherence of what was taking place. The offending elders wouldn't listen. They never listened, not to this or to anything else that came from those they had a birthright to look down on, and so eventually, as individuals, they wore out their welcome among many of the local Hellenists. After a while, a surprisingly long while considering how many generations of accumulated rage their arrogance was tapping into, these elders found themselves asked to never return.

Were Wiccans excluded in this case? Yes, but not as a matter of general principle, just as a specific response to a specific local situation, one which included acts of harassment by some of the followers of those elders who took their failure to "live and let live" so far, that the Chicago police ended up getting involved in a few cases. Wiccans were excluded, not because the local Hellenists were intolerant of Wiccan ways, but because far too many of the local Wiccans were intolerant of Hellenic ways, and as long as they stayed, the local Hellenic Reconstructionists would be unable to hold a gathering, without having it get disrupted, either by the civil disobedience of people who would not honor the character of the events that they attended, or by their uncivil conduct when they heard the word "no".

The response of what remained of the local Hellenic Pagan community was not to attack its attackers, but to merely walk away from the problem, and try to be left in peace. Some in the local Wiccan community understood these actions, which were taken with considerable regret and more than a small sense of loss. Some even earned enough trust that the exclusion wasn't applied to them. Others, however, had the actual nerve to complain that they were being discriminated against or even persecuted because they weren't being allowed the opportunity to continue disrupting the religious observances of those who practiced a religion other than their own, or to harass those who disagreed with them into silence. Indeed, some even tried to claim that they were victimized by the assertion that Hellenism and Wicca were not the same religion. As somebody characterized this brand of 'tolerance', "do your own thing, as long as you do it my way".

Exclusion, in this case, was not a matter of intolerance, because it was engaged in reluctantly, in order to make freedom available for those who would otherwise not have had the opportunity to enjoy it - our local Hellenic Recons. No attempt has been made to export this exclusion, because we have no reason to think that our specific local situation is anything but that - specifically local. Others have not been so restrained.

Source: (http://www.whywiccanssuck.com/twessay.html)

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