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12/26/2005: ""Sacred Centre" Tackles Religious Intolerance Despite Old Guard Celtic Egroup Apathy"

In late October 2005, Gaheris, my list friend from the old Celtic Nation egroup, from Ontario, Canada as well as a familiar member of several other Yahoo Celtic interest egroups, watched a TV program that set off some alarms. It was a Tom Brokaw special "In God They Trust" about the evangelical movement in the USA, and its designs on controlling Western culture.

I did not see the special, but living in the

Bible Belt of the Southern USA, I understand the concerns raised and the dangers to our collective religious freedoms should they continue to grow in influence unchecked.

Thankfully, Gaheris posted his concerns on several Yahoo Celtic interest egroups; Imbas Public and Celtic Path were the ones where I saw his posts (Imbas Public Message 26023 and Celtic_Path Message 11294 "Freedom for All; Not Just the Few"). In the message, he relates the content of the show, the intent of the religious right, and his fears as it relates to those who practice Celtic Spirituality. I was really surprised at how moved he had become over this issue.

But that was nothing compared to the surprise that was to come within hours.

Imbas Public co-moderator Brenda Daverin (Message 26024) issued a Moderator's Warning, calling the post "completely" off topic, threatening Gaheris with moderation and possible banning if discussed further, adding that Imbas Public was not a forum to "sound alarums (sp) about other traditions".

So the Religious Right is now a tradition protected by Imbas, even though the RR's purpose and course denies the rights of practitioners of CR to co-exist. Further, discussion of this fact is completely off topic, even though the Imbas Public professes to be a forum about "covering topics related to Celtic spirituality and culture, particularly the spiritual beliefs and practices of the Pagan Celts. Imbas is focused on a Celtic Restorationist philosophy and is attempting to develop a method by which modern people can have a valid pagan path based on ancient Celtic practices while still living in the modern world." A group wants to take away ones right to have a valid CR pagan path, yet its off-topic for group discussion.

More surprising was the reaction of the usually more moderate Celtic_Path egroup. It's new moderator, S�amas Colm Cille (aka S�amas Breatnach aka Seamas Mackerry) was even more forceful (Celtic_Path Message 11296), threatening banning anyone involved if the topic received further discussion. Seamas evidently went further, going into the Celtic_Path archives and deleting the positive response (Celtic_Path Missing Message 11295) of a member to Gaheris's original post.

Why the immediate rude responses of Imbas Public and Celtic Path moderators about a real threat to polytheistic Celtic Spirituality? Why did Celtic Path moderation go back and clear their archive? So, real threats to a Celtic path are now off topic?

Undeterred, Gaheris has founded the Yahoo egroup "Sacred Centre". The group's purposes, he says, "will be to preserve religious freedom for all by finding ways for those of different Paths and Faiths nationally to connect with each other, find common ground of agreement, rather than discord. If enough of us Pagan, moderate Christians, etc. can come together as a unified group then we have a chance at keeping our country for everyone, not just the evangelicals."

The group can be found at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sacredcentre

Interestingly enough, to date, the group is only 15 days old and already has 50 members and 660 posts, more posts than Celtic_Path in *two years*, and more than Imbas Public in almost three and a half months, though having almost 14 times the number of members of Sacred Centre! Even a moderator from Imbas Public is among the growing Sacred Centre membership.

As the old guard Celtic egroup lists become more moderated and less responsive to the needs of Celtic polytheists, new groups will step into the vacuum and will fill the need.

Kudos, Gaheris, for taking the high road, shaking off the negativity, and taking action!

Tearlach Roibeard Luder
December 26th, 2005

Replies: 1 Comment

on Wednesday, January 4th, Gaheris said

My thanks to you Tearlach for your kind words and support.

No one was more surprised than I over the reaction of many Pagans about my post regarding the Religious Right than I was. The Brokaw special brought home to me concerns that I have had for sometime. Too many Of my Pagan friends living in the USA already live in the shadows, fearful of being discoverd to be Pagans. This in a country that prides itself on equality and freedom for all. Do some not read the news? Do some believe that hiding our Paths in fear is the way we should live? Do some believe that the RR is not trying to turn the USA into a Religious Dictatorship? Do some believe that by ignoring the problem it will go away?

Those Pagans whose heads are firmly in the sand will be very thankful one day that there are those who are out here stopping them from losing a very exposed part of their anatomies.

Gaheris
January 4,2006