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Just ran across this post from Ed Brayton. It's got me pretty pissed off. Quoting Bob Barr:

The US Air Force, at no less a prestigious location than the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, has taken the notion of religious tolerance to a new level, in creating an outdoor worship area for pagans. The site, apparently sacred to pagans, consists of an inner and an outer circle of large stones. I'm sorry, but this truly is hilarious. Don't get me wrong, if someone "has little or no religion and delights in sensual pleasures and material goods," which is the definition of a "pagan," then I say live and let live. (Emphasis added.)

Whose definition is that? Not mine, and I am one. Offhand, I can't think of a single Witch I know who has "little or no religion." Like me, they're all pretty devout, and most are more observant than I am. Keep in mind that most of us are converts, and there's none more serious about a faith than a convert. (There are those who would object to my using "convert" to describe this experience, because in theory you don't have to give anything up. In reality, you leave a lot of bullshit behind you.) As for delighting in "sensual pleasures and material goods," that's just totally self-serving crap.

I'll readily grant that we're not ashamed of having bodies, or of enjoying them. Can I point out here that a recent study indicated that people have sex because it's fun? Not to make babies, but because they enjoy it. (Take it as a given that when someone with Barr's credentials mentions "hedonism," as he does elsewhere in his remarks, it's code for "screwing without shame.") No one's managed to come up with a reason to be ashamed of having a body that makes any sense to me -- being ashamed of mistreating it, sure, but not of having it to begin with. And I fully realize that things such as gluttony, drunkeness, and lust are sins to Christians, but that doesn't seem to stop anyone.

As for delighting in material goods, huh? No more than anyone else, and probably a lot less than most. Most of the Witches I know live fairly modestly, as do I. Partly it's because none of us make as much as, say, Wall Street bankers, but it's also a matter of belief. Take me as an example: I'm pretty much a non-consumer. I just bought a new computer after nine years; this is the third computer I've owned since 1985 -- not what you'd call a lot of eagerness for the latest gadget. My other wants are likewise modest. Any new clothes I've bought in the past five years have come from resale shops. My cookware is old, but still very functional. Likewise my furniture, of which there isn't a great deal, and much of which was bought second-hand -- happily, with my backround and training, I have a good eye. (One aspect of this, which will make sense in a bit: when I buy something, I buy the best quality I can afford, even if it means tightening up a bit in other places -- that way, I don't have to replace it as soon.)

There is a religious belief aspect to this non-consumption: Paganism is an earth-centered religion, and as such is concerned with preservation. Unlike Christianity, Paganism doesn't see unlimited exploitation of the world as a god-given right. It's also a pretty pragmatic religion. So, I'm stuck in the middle of one of the most profligate cultures the world has ever seen. Making the best of it means setting an example of living in the culture without subscribing to its excesses.

Barr's remarks reflect the arrogance and condescension that seem part and parcel of any discussion by so-called "Christians" about anyone who doesn't follow their preaching. Frankly, I'm not really inclined to be very forgiving of this kind of open contempt, especially when it's trying to disguise itself as "tolerance."

(Oh, and about Pagans in the armed forces: we're basically disinclined to violence, at least in theory. But we're not forbidden to fight. Remember that the next time you feel like trashing me or my religion.)