The search for answers then went outside the faith. Paranormal experiences: Individuals claiming to have paranormal encounters and/or psychic abilities, and when/if they approached church leadership about this, they were told to ignore it or given non-answers.Regardless of what you or I may think about reasons for people leaving the faith, this is what had been generally communicated, Some had emerged from Roman Catholicism, but I heard more voices of former Protestants and evangelicals than Catholics.įour main points of departure could be ascertained. Christian backgrounds emerged in other workshops, and it was evident more than a few attendees were Biblically literate. In one workshop a coven priest explained he had grown up in an evangelical family, and that he had attended Bible college where he focused on apologetics – his aim, at the time, was to become a pastor. Of those Pagans attending, would I find any claims of being formerly Christians? If so, what church branches or denominational connections could be made? And could I recognize points of departure from the Christian faith?Īlthough I didn’t conduct a formal survey, the general observation was that many had a Christian background. While these stress lines are noteworthy, my research interests were broader.Ī special area of attention was the issue of post-Christian identity. The program guide for the Trans Caucus said: “If you’re cis, please don’t come – this is our time.” And the description for the workshop on 21st Century Norse Paganism had this sentence: “Known promoters of bigotry are not welcome here.” Recognizing the double bind, she quietly said, “I see your point.” “But that would be hypocritical,” I responded, stating that as I didn’t identify as a person of color – and that POC had placed upon itself racial limitations – I must be excluded by default. The Witch agreed heartily, beckoning me to attend under her auspices. I was thankful for the offer but pointed to the POC program description: “The caucus is a space for self-identified people of color only.”īriefly I explained that I didn’t color identify, and that we are all humans irrespective of skin tone. Upon discovering I was a religious researcher from Canada, I was invited by a Hispanic Witch to attend the Pagans of Color Caucus (POC). However, on the first day I experienced an interesting hick-up. Helping attendees navigate this space was a zero-tolerance policy on racism. The irony, of course, is that its own virtue signaling had become overbearing. This is noteworthy given that the Pagan community is, broadly speaking, politically and socially left-of-center, highlighting progressive and radical ideals. Imposed tolerance hovered over the convention like an unseen force. As the new group explained in a Facebook post, “ will be creating a new and truly inclusive convention to replace PantheaCon.” A looming question hung over the conference: Was it really over? On the last day we were told another group would take the helm. PantheaCon’s core team was experiencing burnout, and it was announced months before the convention that this would be its last hurrah. And to the point, PantheaCon itself had become central to these dramas.Īdding to this was the event’s increasing size and complexity. Why? Because the Pagan community has been experiencing internal tensions, particularly regarding LGBTQ issues, racism, exclusionary practices, and personality conflicts. PantheaCon 2020, from February 14 to 17, was the final installment in its 26 years of operations. Ironically, the first one I attended was to be the last. Held at the DoubleTree Hilton in San Jose, California as an annual conference, the event became a national focal point where Pagans of all sorts could network and advance new ideas.Īs a Christian researcher on worldview issues, PantheaCon had been on my go-to list for a long time. Started in 1994, PantheaCon developed into one of the most important gatherings for the growing neo-Pagan community. PantheaCon was the largest Pagan convention in the world.
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